Solar Energy Systems Course Class 1
Last night, I attended the first class of the solar energy course I am taking at Hudson Valley Community College. I plan to chronicle progress of the 6 week course here at Save and Conserve.
The course instructors are the two principals who own Renewable Power Systems, an Albany-area PV design and installation company. There are about a dozen people taking the course and many of them are currently working as contractors/electricians.
Having run Renewable Power Systems for over 3 years, it goes without saying that the owners know their stuff; it looks like I'll learn a tremendous amount about how to size, design and install a residential solar energy system.
Some interesting notes from class 1 last night:
- Beginning in 2011 in California, home builders will be required by law to offer solar power as an option to buyers of new homes in developments of 50 homes or more.
- The most attractive thing about solar energy is that it fixes the future cost of electricity production.
- Most of the silicon supply is in the US, but most silicon-based solar panels ship overseas (especially to Germany and Japan, which both heavily subsidize solar).
- The average size of a residential solar system in California is 2 - 3kw compared to 4 - 6kw in New York. This is due mainly to the number of peak sunlight hours available per day.
- In New York, the legislature has provided virtually zero incentive for businesses to install commercial solar energy systems. New York only allows Net Metering (or feeding unused electricity on site back into the grid) for solar systems that are 10kw or less in size. This is insanity and, as another class member asked last night, makes you wonder if the utilities and associated lobbyists have undermined commercial solar in NY state.
