Save and Conserve

As Al Gore has recently stated, changing light bulbs is nice, but it doesn't really address the climate crisis/global warming/energy crisis in a meaningful way (it's far more symbolic). Much more interesting is the notion of government working to pass laws that enforce/encourage/mandate energy efficient behavior.

Which leads us to the news from Hawaii:

All new homes in Hawaii will be required to have solar water heaters installed starting in 2010 under a law approved by the Legislature.

Hawaii becomes the first state requiring the energy-saving systems in homes.

Solar water heaters typically cost home buyers about $5,000 extra on their mortgage, but island residents will save thousands of dollars over the years on their electricity bills, supporters said.

This is the sort of aggressive law-making we need right now. Kudos to the Hawaiian state legislature, which passed this bill nearly unanimously. Obviously that implies the Hawaiian people support the bill, but still it's a pioneering step that shows other states it can be done.

These are the kinds of changes that can have real significant impact to energy consumption/carbon emissions further down the road. Great news!

Posted by tom c. at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I love to find cool websites related to renewable energy or energy conservation. I especially love when you can use those websites like a tool. WalkScore is one that I have blogged about in the past. And today I found firstlook, which provides a web-based tool for you to quickly see how much solar or wind resource you have available at your address.

Both of these sites are gems in my opinion. They get you thinking about change ... positive change that could ultimately help you go renewable or use less gasoline or whatever. Anyone else have any cool web-based tools they know of?

Posted by tom c. at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm often amazed when I think about massive, hundreds-of-miles-long pipelines that snake across the Earth, carrying crude oil from remote spots to civilization in order to be refined and distributed to consumers. The crude oil pipeline - more than just about anything else - conjures thoughts of the drug-addicted junkie. We'll do just about anything to make sure we get our next fix, including investing billions on pipeline infrastructure. Let's not even talk about the cost to maintain these crude veins over time.

Pipelines strung out like the tentacles of a jellyfish are - I suppose - a natural product of man's industrial progress, numerical growth and ever-expanding need for energy. Energy pipelines will only become more important in the future ... but they may not carry oil.

In the African desert country of Algeria, which is in the enviable position (like many Middle Eastern countries) of having abundant oil reserves as well as abundant sunshine, they are thinking long term about how to export solar energy to needy consumer nations. Specifically, they plan to run a solar cable from Algeria to Germany.

Tewfik Hasni, chief executive of New Energy Algeria (NEAL), said the 3,000 km (1,875 mile) cable would be laid from the Algerian town of Adrar to the German city of Aachen

They don't do things small in Algeria, do they? That is one helluva long cable, and it will run under the Mediterranean, over Italy and Switzerland and finally into Germany. Needless to say, this sounds like an incredibly complex challenge, but it is symptomatic of our energy situation. I've been thinking for a long time that the US should be thinking about long-distance energy transmission. We could build huge solar power generating plants in the West and pipe the power to the coasts, where most of the people live. It's bound to happen. No, it's got to happen.

Posted by tom c. at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Although solar energy is a very small contributor to total energy production in the US, there is no denying the impressive growth in the solar power industry. Take a look at these EIA charts, with data through 2006:

Total Solar Thermal Collector Shipments, 1997-2006

Photovoltaic Cell and Module Shipments, 1997-2006

Demand for solar energy is very robust, being helped by progressive states like California and New York that are offering major incentives and rebates to both commercial and residential markets. You can see where the solar panels are being shipped:

Solar Thermal Collector Shipments Top Domestic Destinations, 2006

As more states start to offer incentives and rebates, expect to see demand for solar continue to increase.

Posted by tom c. at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The US Department of Energy said today that a research group led by the University of Delaware has achieved a new record for solar cell efficiency.

In late July, a consortium led by the University of Delaware (UD) announced that it has created a solar cell that can convert 42.8% of the sunlight that hits it into electricity, besting a record set by Spectrolab and DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in December 2007.

This is good news for the future of solar, which is currently limited in application due to exorbitant costs ... which map back to poor efficiency of the current cell technologies. If memory serves, most solar cells on the market today are about 11-12% efficient. 42.8% efficiency is, therefore, a huge leap forward for the technology. Of course, this has been achieved in a lab ... not in a mass-production, real world environment ... so there is still a tremendous need for funds and research to make higher efficiency a reality.

Interesting also to note that this research discussed above is funded by DARPA, the US Department of Defense's R & D center. The military seems to understand our current energy predicament quite well, based on their interest in alternative sources of energy like solar.

Posted by tom c. at 8:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At the beginning of 2007, I took a class on solar PV electric systems at Hudson Valley Community College. The class was taught by the owners of Renewable Power Systems, an Albany-area solar installer with all the required accreditations. I enjoyed learning details about solar electric generation immensely ... and blogged about the classes while going through 6 week course.

Well, after several months of staying in touch with the owners of Renewable Power Systems, they asked me to become webmaster of their small site. I was more than happy to help them roll out a new version of the site. We are also talking about ways to improve the content and experience on the site and I look forward to what the future may bring. Here's a link to the new RPS site: Albany solar power

Getting American residences installed with solar panels and producing electricity is going to take a ton of work. Not only do local and federal governments need to wake up and start to subsidize solar in order to bring cost down, but lots of small grassroots businesses will be scrambling to eke out a living (the margins aren't great) while meeting significantly rising demand.

It's quite a challenge, but a fun one with real results at the end of the rainbow. I'm stoked to be contributing - albeit in a very small manner - to the Albany-area solar energy movement.

Posted by tom c. at 7:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It's a good thing that the US is seriously ramping up its solar manufacturing capabilities, because the military is starting to get renewable religion.

Nellis Air Force base outside of Las Vegas has broken ground on the largest solar power system in North America. That's right ... your military might not be able to win the war against terrorism, but you can be comforted by knowing they have the smarts to install 70,000 (sun-tracking) solar panels over 140 acres of heretofore unused Nevada desert.

By the time the system is installed and pumping electric current to (likely thousands) of inverters, Nellis will be generating up to 25% of its electricity needs during the summer months. I shudder to think what a system like this will cost to install.

Posted by tom c. at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This is a post that aggregates online reviews and comments about the Solio Solar Charger (shown in the picture to the right). I have been looking for a small solar charger device that I could use to charge my iPod or cell phone, and since the Solio kept popping up in my searches, I have decided to pull together reviews and comments from several websites. Thought I'd share what I have found ...

TreeHugger - 4 out of 5 Hugs - Comments:

• It works
• Took 7 hours of sunlight to charge an iPod
• Simple to operate
• Difficult to attach to a backpack during hikes
• Difficult to position the charger perpendicular to sun’s rays

CNet - 8 out of 10 (Rated Excellent) - Comments:

• Compact design
• Does not balance on its side when open
• Adapters fit most Motorola, Nokia & Samsung phones
• Sony Ericssons are not supported
• 8 – 10 hours of charge time required
• Charging takes longer on cloudy days (Editor's note: duh!)
• Suction cup included for attaching to a window

MyMac - 4 out of 5 - Comments:

• 500 - 1000 charge cycles until you will need to replace the Solio internal battery
• 2 flashes (of the Solio charge light) would charge a (iPod) mini and a 20GB, 4 flashes should charge a 40GB and 60GB iPods
• Solio is weather resistant
• Use a damp cloth to clean the Solio
• The red “being charged” light goes away when the Solio is fully charged

Sustain Lane - 4 out of 5 - Comments:

• I love telling people that I have a Solar-powered cell phone!
• One of the best features is that it holds the charge so if you are off camping in the rain with no sun in sight, you can still use the solar powered Solio to charge your devices

Retailing for around $90, the Solio seems like a solid choice for the gadget-head with a conscience. You should also check out the comments at Amazon because there are some negative reviews posted there. I've come to take the Amazon user reviews with a grain of salt because it seems like people get really over-heated on that site.

If you have any experience with the Solio, please leave a comment right here.

Posted by tom c. at 4:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Politicians from New Jersey and California - probably the two friendliest residential solar energy states in America - have written a new Act designed to protect consumer's rights to install and receive benefit from residential solar systems.

This type of legislation is critical to future growth in alternative energy usage. Not only does it make sense to protect the rights of Americans who are willing to spend more for clean, renewable energy ... it also sends a signal to businesses up and down the entire supply chain that demand for solar energy is protected looking out into the future. This, in turn, will lead to investment and ultimately to lower costs for solar power.

Solar power is a beautiful thing, but it is still way too expensive to go mainstream. Efficiency gains and cost reduction have to come as soon as possible - or else we'll run out of time to scale up installations. And that would be a shame, since solar should be part of the solution to weaning ourselves off fossil fuels, especially with regard to residential power.

I'm liking the direction this new Congress is pointing the country. Let's hope this legislation passes into law.

The legislation contains the following provisions:

Net Metering: Requires utilities, within 1 year of the date of enactment, to provide net metering for customer-owned solar power systems up to 2 MW in size at retail electric rates. Ownership of renewable energy credits (RECs) resides with the solar system owner for purposes of selling or trading to meet a state or federal renewable portfolio standard (RPS)

Interconnection: Requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, within 1 year of the date of enactment, to publish model standards for physical connection between the electric grid and customer-owned solar systems up to 20 MW in size. The model standards shall have separate expedited procedures for systems under 15 kW and for systems between 15 kW and 2 MW.

Solar Siting Rights: Instructs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to issue regulations within 180 days of the law's enactment that 1) prohibit any private covenant, contract provision, lease provision, homeowners' association rule or bylaw, or similar restriction that impairs homeowners' ability to install and use a solar energy system and 2) expedite the approval, where such approval is required, of applications to install systems.

Cap on Permitting and Licensing Fees: Requires that permitting and licensing fee costs are $500 or less for residential installations, and $10,000 or less for commercial installations.

Renewable Energy Contracts for Federal Agencies: Allows federal agencies to enter into power purchase agreements with renewable energy providers for up to 30 years.

Posted by tom c. at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There's a wonderful article from Outside Magazine that shows it is possible for industrialized nations to cut energy consumption, turn to renewable sources of energy, and prosper by doing it.

In fact, Samsø has spent the past decade becoming an eco-wonderland, setting up wind, solar, biofuels, and other renewable technologies to satisfy its energy needs. The island has even gone beyond "carbon neutrality," the cherished environmental goal of zeroing out the production of CO2, the greenhouse gas most responsible for global warming.

Samsø is an island in Denmark rich in the wind resource. They get so much wind that they can't use all of the electricity their turbines produce, so they sell the excess to the main electric grid. And even individuals are leveraging the wind.

Turbines are owned by private investors like Tranberg, by the government, or by cooperatives of people who bought shares to finance their construction. The process is democratic in the way so many things are in Denmark; shares cost about $360 each. Tranberg, for his part, took out a loan to buy his $1 million windmill six years ago, but the government guaranteed him an above-market price for his power. And the wind, which blows lustily here most days of the year, proved to be an even better friend than he and other islanders had hoped. Investors have seen returns of 8 percent or so a year, which works out to roughly $100,000 per onshore turbine. Tranberg's is already paid off. "It's enough income for me that I don't have to work, but I like to work," he says. Besides, he adds, talking tough for a man in clogs, "we can't put all that shit in the sky from coal. There's too much shit in the air."

The article has much, much more about this inspiring community that clearly "gets it". Check out the link to read the entire thing.

Posted by tom c. at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've neglected to post details of the last few solar energy courses because, as the class has progressed, we have not been introduced to new topics as much as we have drilled down deeper into the world of details and calculations around system sizing, wire sizing, balance of system components. All of which I've touched on in previous posts.

While producing electricity from solar cells is fairly simple, the devil is in the details. System efficiency is obviously critical to the long-term success (and ROI) of any residential solar system. To that end, quite a bit of time and thought needs to go into the size of system components (especially inverters), the amperage of conductors, voltage drop in a conductor over distance and batteries (on a battery backup system).

In Class 9 we did cover some new ground. We discussed bypass diodes, which are integrated into solar panels and activate when the panel becomes shaded. The idea is that the shaded portion of the circuit is not flowing current, so the diode bypasses that section of the circuit to maintain current flow through the panel and array. Pretty neat.

We also reviewed trigonometry. SOH CAH TOA mean anything to you? Well, it comes in quite handy when you need to figure out how to space out rows of tilted panels so the row in front doesn't shade the row in back. Commonly used for flat roof systems where the rack mount tilts the panel up to the sun at some angle.

If nothing else comes of my solar energy course, at least I can say I was reminded how to figure out the length of the sides of a right triangle. Awesome ...

Last class happens tonight and then comes the NABCEP test on Saturday. Wish me luck ... think I'm gonna need it

Notes from previous classes:

Class 1
Class 2
Week 2
Class 5

Posted by tom c. at 5:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Good news from Washington, D.C. today: a couple of Senators proposed legislation that would extend tax credits for solar energy systems (residential & commercial) through 2016.

This is important. We need to foster the growth and uptake of renewable energy sources. Tax credits are a good way to make this happen. Extending the credits far into the future sends a signal to consumers and businesses and state legislatures that solar is an important part of America's energy future.

As the article states:

A long-term extension is essential to reducing the cost of solar energy, as it would create market conditions that allow solar companies to make investments and drive down costs through economies of scale. A longer duration will also be needed to help stimulate the development of large-scale concentrating solar power projects.

The legislation proposed today includes the following provisions:

Residential Solar Tax Credit: Extends a 30-percent tax credit, created in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, for the purchase of residential solar water heating and fuel cell property. Changes the maximum credit to $1,500 for each half-kilowatt of capacity for solar PV equipment and $1,000 for each kilowatt of capacity for fuel cells. Credits may be taken against the alternative minimum tax. Expires after December 31, 2016.

Business Solar Tax Credit and Fuel Cell Tax Credit: Extends a 30-percent business credit, established in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, for the purchase of fuel cell power plants, solar energy property, and fiber-optic property used to illuminate the inside of a structure. Changes the maximum credit to $1,500 for each half-kilowatt of capacity for solar PV equipment. Credits may be taken against the alternative minimum tax. Expires after December 31, 2016.

Accelerated Depreciation: Creates a three-year accelerated depreciation period for all solar equipment eligible for the business solar tax credit.

Congress, please make this happen!

Posted by tom c. at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Companies like SunEdison have forged new ground in the solar energy industry by creating a compelling business model I have heard called "solar outsourcing". SunEdison is working with businesses and utilities - they don't work at the residential consumer level. SunEdison owns and installs solar systems on business rooftops and sells the electricity produced by the system to the business owner. This outsourcing model has eliminated the barrier to entry: high initial costs. In addition, the business locks in a rate for power in the years ahead. SunEdison, meanwhile, acts as an independent power generator and grows revenue incrementally. At least, that's how I understand it ...

In recent months there has been a lot of talk about CitizenRE, a company that proposes to bring the "solar outsourcing" business model to the residential consumer. The idea is certainly worth looking at, but to those deeply involved in the solar business, it's not making sense. This article, written by Jeff Wolfe of groSolar, is an essential read for anyone wondering whether CitizenRE is a ponzi scheme or a real company with real prospects. The founders of CitizenRE have joined the comments on that page ... but they have not convinced experts like Wolfe that the model can succeed. Go read it ...

CitizenRE might be operating with smoke and mirrors, but a Utah company named International Automated Systems seems to have made a true breakthrough that has real implications for the solar industry.

From the article:

IAUS's unique thin-film solar lens can be produced at a fraction of the cost of today's traditional photovoltaic solar panels. IAUS believes its new product is the first solar power technology with legitimate potential to compete with gas and other fossil fuels in the immediate future. Low-cost energy produced by IAUS's new patented and patent-pending solar technology can be used to generate electricity or produce clean fuels such as hydrogen and green methanol (gasoline replacements) at a competitive price. Many experts had predicted that no solar power technology would likely accomplish this milestone before the year 2025.

One thing is clear, 2007 is going to be a very busy year for the solar PV industry. If state and federal government continues to expand support of solar through incentives, the sky really is the limit.

Update 2/15: US Department of Energy Headquarters to Get $30M Solar PV System. Legislation calls for a 300 foot long, 130 foot tall solar array in the heart of Washington, D.C. Awesome stuff!

Posted by tom c. at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last weekend, my solar PV class toured 3 area homes that have active solar systems installed. Although it was about 10 degrees and snowing, the tour was really interesting. Our first stop was to a home in Troy, NY that uses a combination of active and passive solar energy.

Originally I planned to post some photos, but I found a video the owners posted. It's way more fun to watch solar junkies than read about them:

Posted by tom c. at 5:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Class five focused on solar PV system components. We discussed charge controllers, mounting options, inverters, combiners and batteries.

Although the solar modules (or panels) are the most expensive and most visible piece of any solar system, they would be worthless without the various components they connect with and feed power to.

Charge controllers regulate the amount of energy distributed to batteries so that the batteries do not overcharge, which is critical to the long term health and operability of the batteries. There are, of course, various types of charge controllers available:

• Pulse with Modulation (PWM) controllers are the most simplistic controllers available. They are switch-based and send power to charge the battery when the switch closes the circuit.
• Diversion controllers are smarter than PWM. When the battery is charged, these controllers have the ability to send the power to another place.
• 3 Stage controllers are even better - they can switch into 3 modes. In bulk mode, the controller will send all available current to the battery (like PWM0. In absorption mode, the voltage being delivered remains constant while the current is decreased. In float mode, the battery can be trickle charged.
• Maximum Power Point Tracking controllers are the best option and what most people use today on battery-tied systems. These controllers track the module IR curve and send the right amount of voltage to the battery. These controllers make it easier to match a high voltage array with a lower voltage bank of batteries (which is typical).

After controllers, we discussed the different module mounting options. This boils down to roof mount, ground mount and pole mount. There are various pros and cons for each type of mount. For example, roof mount typically looks better, but the panels can get very hot in the summer time up there. Heat creates resistance in the circuit, so the hotter panels get, the fewer volts they produce. The ground mount will not be as hot, but it is more susceptible to damage or theft. A pole mount can offer easy access for repairs or maintenance, but it can also be an eye sore. Like most things in this world, there is no best single best option. The site and personal preference will play into the equation.

We wrapped up with info on inverters, combiners and batteries. My take-away from this (pretty boring) class was that the devil is in the details. You can see from the notes above that there are a lot of different options available, at different power points and at different price points. As a solar installer, if you don't nail down the system components and deliver the customer a solid quote, you won't be in business for too long. Obvious, yet a good dose of reality.

Posted by tom c. at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Previous entries detailing week 1 available at these links: Class 1 | Class 2

Week 2 was all about digging deep as we rolled up our sleeves and began to get our hands dirty, applying our rudimentary understanding of basic electricity and learned more about how solar PV actually produces power.

We wired up some small solar panels in series and parallel circuits. Solar systems consist of solar modules wired together in an array. Depending on how the modules are connected to each other (whether in series, parallel or a combination of the 2), total array voltage and current will shift. When wired together in a series circuit, the voltage of each module adds together while the amps (current) remain unchanged. So if you have 2 17 volt, 3 amp modules wired in series, together they produce 34 volts at 3 amps. Parallel circuits work the other way; volts remain unchanged while amps are additive. Using our example, the same 2 modules wired in parallel will produce 17 volts at 6 amps.

Sidebar: Mike, one of the instructors, had asked the class to bring in their most recent electric bill at the end of class 2. At the tail end of class 3, we each read out the number of kilowatt hours (kWh) used in the most recent ~30 day period. My GF and I live in a 2 bedroom apartment that is probably 850 square feet. Our most recent bill told us we used about 160 kWh. I was stunned as I listened to the usage stats from my classmates. 900 kWh ... 1,100 kWh ... the "winner" used about 1,400 kWh! That last guy is spending roughly $375 per month. Way to go! Now, admittedly, we walk around in the dark a little bit and we don't have a dishwasher - but that's a pretty big spread. Most of the other classmates own homes, so they have a much bigger AC load to power, but I was amazed to say the least. It actually makes me feel a bit better about our energy predicament - conservation and reduced use can obivously make a huge impact on the amount of electricity we consume in this country. If price continues to rise, expect people to start switching to CFL bulbs and turning the TV off when the room is empty.

We conducted a mock shading analysis. The "perfect" solar site is a rarity - trees and weird roof features or dormers cast shade, especially in winter when the sun is lower on the horizon. If one section of the array is shaded, it effectively reduces output of the entire array to near zero. Essentially, shade shuts down the electric circuit - and electrons stop flowing. No electrons, no power. The solar installer must know how much shade the panels will take at each daylight hour throughout the year. If you don't calculate the percentage loss in power resulting from shading, you end up with an undersized system and an unhappy home owner.

We delved into solar cell fundamentals. Most people know that cells are (for the most part) made from silicon, which is one of the most abundant elements on earth. Most people know that solar cells convert sunlight into electricity. But how that process actually works is a mystery to most, including myself prior to Tuesday night. The link above contains more details than I could ever hope to include here, but suffice it to say that most solar cells are "doped" in order to create a permanent electrical field. When sunlight hits the cell, it liberates electrons and those electrons are attracted to the positive side of the electrical field. The cell is wired with conductors and - as the freed electrons build pressure - they flow to the wire and ultimately power the load the circuit is connected to.

As you might imagine, there were a lot of questions about this process and the class bogged down quite a bit on this subject. Eventually, we began to discuss maximum power points, voltage open circuit amount and short circuit amounts (measured in amps). It's critical to know the boundaries of any circuit, in order to properly size inverters and wires.

Next up is a solar tour of homes on Saturday morning, which should be pretty neat. I'll be sure to take some photos.

Posted by tom c. at 1:27 PM | Permalink

Notes from class 2 of Introduction to Solar Energy Systems. With introductions and other requisite class 1 dealings behind us, the class last Thursday (1/18) switched the course into a new gear and we covered ground focused on solar energy fundamentals and basic electricity.

Solar Fundamentals
When you start to think about solar energy, you have to think about units of measure, because you are ultimately trying to figure out how much power a system has the potential to produce. The class discussed radiant energy, irradiance and irradiation. Irradiance basically refers to the measure of the rate of solar radiation falling on an area. Measured in watts per square meter, this is - for lack of a better phrase - intensity of the sun. Irradiation is subtly different from irradiance, in that it measures the amount of solar energy impacting an area over time. This is measured in kilowatt hours per square meter.

There are, of course, different types of solar radiation. These include direct, diffused (through clouds, for example) and reflected (off water or snow). Further, there are a variety of factors that affect solar radiation, including the angle of incident, cloud cover, snow, rain, fog, air pollution, reflective materials and more.

When you begin to consider the amount of power a solar system will produce, you have to calculate the number of peak sun hours available in a day at a given location at a given time of the year. Because of earth's orbit, the sun is not always located at the same altitude year round. In summer, the sun is much higher above the horizon - around 70 degrees above horizon. In the winter, however, the sun is only around 30 degrees above horizon. The difference in altitude angle is important because a lower sun will often create more potential shading at the solar site. In addition, the height of the sun is important in order to properly pitch the solar panels and increase irradiance.

The instructors use a handy device called a solar pathfinder to analyze the sun's position and path at a site. The pathfinder helps to identify potential shading spots on the roof throughout the year.

We also discussed magnetic declination, which is somewhat confusing to a navigational newbie like myself. In short, the "true north" pole is not the same as the magnetic north pole (which a compass will point to). In order to properly align solar panels (they should ideally face due south), the solar installer must identify true south prior to using the solar pathfinder or reading charts. In Albany, true south is 14 degrees west of compass south.

Basic Electricity
I know next to nothing about electricity, so I was listening with rapt attention to this part of class 2. We discussed power, voltage, amps, current, resistance and Ohm's law.

I'll spare the gory details here, because I'm not 100% sure I would be telling the truth. For more info, just head to Wikipedia.

We also discussed parallel versus series circuits. We did some wiring of small solar panels to test changes in volts and amps. All in all, it was a good intro to basic electricity.

Notes on Class 1 available here

Posted by tom c. at 11:45 AM | Permalink

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.

Posted by tom c. at 2:35 PM | Permalink

I've never heard of MapMuse before today, but it looks like a pretty cool site. They have an interactive map that shows the locations of US solar contractors. If you're thinking about starting a solar installation company, this is a great way to identify areas that are underserved.

Looks like the only state in the lower 48 that has zero solar installers is South Dakota, ironic because South Dakota actually gets a really healthy amount of sun, on par with parts of California like Fresno.

Posted by tom c. at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The New York Times recently ran an article about the current rise of solar energy and solar power installations in the US. For anyone interested in solar or PV, it's worth a read. My own thoughts follow.

Compelled by the dovetail between dramatically rising energy prices and favorable financial incentives, Americans are turning to residentail solar systems in record numbers. It doesn't hurt that, as the article states, "solar power is also emerging as a kind of status symbol, a glamorous mark of personal responsibility."

For the most part, I think Americans are a reasonable, conservative lot who also want to do the right thing when it makes common (financial) sense. Solar makes a lot of sense in many ways. It's clean energy. It is renewable energy. A solar system adds value to the home. A grid-tied system provides distributed energy production for utilities.

Unfortunately, most state legislatures are behind the curve and have not supported the move to more solar energy by underwriting residential installations. The up-front cost of solar is the primary barrier to mass adoption. (Other barriers relate to geographic location, quality and age of roof and problematic aspects for panels.) California has gotten out in front of other states and now provides substantial rebates and other tax breaks for the public. And the results are obvious:

As the rebate program has made it less expensive to install a home solar system — and as banks, which consider a solar system to be an improvement that increases a house’s value, have made financing readily available — the solar industry has grown. There are now 434 companies registered to install solar systems by the state energy commission, which together installed just under 50 megawatts of solar electric generating capacity in 2006, the most in a single year.

One of the consumers profiled in the article - who apparently is very wealthy - responded to the California incentives. Here's how most Americans - even the rich - think when it comes to big financial decisions:

Mr. Felton, 67, said that a solar system did not make sense when he built his house in 2000, but that the rebate, as well as rising electricity prices, persuaded him to install the system last year.

In only one respect did I think this article mis-stepped. Attempting to tie solar energy to a reduction in foreign oil dependence does not make a lot of sense, in my opinion. Electric utilities use natural gas and coal to generate electricity - not oil (though there are a few oil-burning utilities). Our oil dependence is tied to our utter reliance on the automobile and truck for transportation and shipping.

Solar energy is a beautiful thing that makes a ton of sense, but it won't help us get off the oil.

Posted by tom c. at 2:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

What is it about Google that makes the company so innovative and forward-thinking? Obviously, the Google mentality has worked -- Google continues to dominate the search space, which is really akin to dominating the Internet, since search is the primary navigation mechanism for the Internet. Vast amounts of cash on hand probably help to free the Google mind as well.

Part of Google's genius is the massive, distributed computing environment they have built out over the years. Google relies on thousands of computers to do the work of indexing, sorting and ranking millions of Internet pages. Because Google has been so good at search for so long, you forget how impressive the service actually is. For instance, results appear almost instantly in your browser. Speed is driven by the distributed environment.

One problem with the scenario: all those computers require an immense amount of power. Google has long recognized the achilles heel in their operating strategy.

But being who they are, Google is investing wisely in alternative energy.

Google's Mountain View, California, headquarters is getting a 1.6-megawatt solar system -- enough to power about 1,000 homes -- that will feed about 30 percent of the complex's power demand. About a third of the 9,000 solar panels Google's installing will take the form of overhanging parking shades at the million-square-foot campus in Mountain View. The others will be mounted on rooftops.

Google, one of the healthiest, fastest growing companies in the world is smart enough to understand that energy costs are not going to retreat in the future. They will continue to rise. And Google will undoubtedly stay ahead of the competition.

Posted by tom c. at 9:10 AM | Permalink