Green Options » Sarah Lozanova

Trucks Reduce Emissions by 83%

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:02:39 +0000

Truck stop electrification is boosting fuel efficiency and minimizing dependence on foreign oil from idling trucks

There are 1.3 million long-haul diesel trucks with sleeper cabs in the United States, with most drivers averaging over 100,000 miles annually. These trucks are highly affected by skyrocketing fuel prices and are dependent on foreign oil. As the value of the dollar diminishes, transportation costs are partly to blame.

Idling Trucks Waste Fuel

Truck drivers are required to rest for 10 hours for every 11 hours of driving. A large amount of fuel is consumed when drivers leave trucks idling to maintain comfort. 85% of the energy is wasted sleeper cabs are heated by an idling truck. It is even more inefficient to cool the sleeper cab, wasting 94% of the fuel’s energy.

Truck Stop Electrification

Truck stop electrification (TSE) reduces fuel use while maintaining comfort for the driver with a heating, cooling and ventilation unit that attaches to trucks through a flexible concentric hose. Electricity, internet, and television reception are also available.

The Benefits

An impressive 83% net emissions reduction is achieved after taking into account the electricity required to power these units. Because most electricity is generated using domestic energy supplies, energy dollars stay closer to home. Air quality is improved for communities near truck stops as fewer trucks idle. Trucking companies enjoy lower fuel costs and less wear and tear on engines. Driver comfort is increased by reducing the noise, pollution and vibration from the idling trucks, while offering more entertainment and communication options.

Now TSE manufacturers just need to figure out how to provide showers and fresh coffee through these units.

Fuel from Trash Will Power California Garbage Trucks

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:40:12 +0000

300 garbage collection trucks in California will soon be fueled by the same trash that they haul. Landfill gas will be purified and liquefied, producing up to 13,000 gallons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) daily.

This facility at Waste Management’s (WMI: NYSE) Altamont Landfill in Livermore, California will begin operation in 2009. It comes with a price tag of $15.5 million, with grants providing $1.4 million.

Cleaner Fuel

Waste Management is the largest waste management company in North America and operates the largest US fleet of heavy-duty collection trucks. The company has a goal to reduce fleet emissions by 15% by 2020.

The new facility will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30,000 tons per year, according to Linde North America. LNG is a cleaner burning transportation fuel that emits less nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide and particulates than diesel-fueled vehicles.

Duane Woods, senior vice president, Western group of Waste Management, said, “This will be the largest plant of its kind and we hope to break new ground by producing commercial quantities. Natural gas is already the cleanest burning fuel available for our collection trucks, and the opportunity to use recovered landfill gas offers enormous environmental benefits to the communities we serve.”

Demand for Low-carbon Fuels

California passed a law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020 and other states may follow. Demand for low-carbon fuels is expected to increase significantly in California as the state starts requiring a decrease in carbon emissions. Waste Management will be ahead of the curve by having plants like this in operation, creating lucrative business opportunities.

First Wind Powered City

Sarah Lozanova — Mon, 05 May 2008 19:00:49 +0000

Rock Port, Missouri is the first 100% wind powered city in the US. Loess Hill Wind Farm, with four 1.25 MW wind turbines is estimated to generate 16 gigawatt hours (16 million kilowatt hours) of electricity annually. 13 gigawatts hours of electricity have historically been consumed annually by the residents and businesses of this town of 1,400 people.

The local electric company, Missouri Public Utility Alliance, will purchase excess electricity when available. They will then supply power when there is not enough wind energy available. Excess wind energy will not be stored but rather fed into the city’s high voltage line, making it an intermittent source of power.

Several factors made this smaller scale project possible. The city has a bluff within the city limits with good resources, John Deere’s Wind Energy financing the project, and proximity to the power grid.

Chicago Unveils Plan to Punish Driving While Encouraging Riding

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:15:36 +0000

The average Chicagoan spends an hour and a half commuting to and from work each day. With the second largest public transportation system in the country, one million people ride city buses each day. Mayor Daley considered both facts when he devised a plan aimed at easing congestion, commuting times, and air pollution in the central business district. A $153 million federal grant can help make this plan a reality.

Priority Given to Buses Over Cars

The first part of the plan entails creating a 100 mile bus corridor with dedicated bus lanes during peak hours. Kiosks selling bus tickets allow passengers to quickly board buses and many routes will run express, resulting in fewer stops. Traffic lights will be programmed to turn green for buses, helping to keep them in motion. Hybrid buses will be used, reducing pollution in these heavily populated areas.

“The Bus Rapid Transit service will give commuters a more modern and faster alternative to driving as well as better connections with rail lines,” said Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. “The result is less congestion and less pollution.”

Driving Discouraged

This plan not only encourages mass transit use, but also discourages driving. Cars will squeeze into fewer lanes as buses have dedicated lanes. Parking meter and loading zone usage fees would increase during peak times.

6,013 meters line the streets of the central business district, according to the Chicago Department of Revenue. They generated a hefty $10.1 million in 2007 for the City. If parking rates increase too much, drives will prefer private parking lots. Some businesses are weary of effects of parking rate increases.

“We’ve expressed concern about past congestion pricing proposals and their impact on both businesses and employees and we will be looking at this in coming weeks,” said Justin DeJong, a spokesman for the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

Changing Behavior

The question behind Mayor Daley’s plans is whether a carrot and a shove will get people out of their cars. Is this enough to ease the American love affair with the automobile, at least in times of peak congestion?

Peak Coal as Early as 2025

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:35:59 +0000

With dwindling fossil fuel supplies, coal has been viewed as the energy source of last resort. This outlook is changing as estimated global coal supplies seem to have been severely inflated. Is coal’s future in doubt?

Many experts are saying yes. Professor David Rutledge of CalTech believes that world coal reserves are grossly overstated and could be substantially exhausted this century. This is in stark contrast to earlier forecasts.

Coal Reserves Inflated

In the last 20 years, official coal reserves have fallen by 170 billion tons. To put this number in perspective, global coal consumption in 2007 was 6 billion tons. Reserves figures are dropping far more quickly than actual extraction.

The European Commission’s Institute for Energy in 2000 estimated global supplies of coal to last 277 years. In 2007, that number was lowered to 155 years.

This forecast may sound like plenty of time to adjust to meeting our energy needs in from other sources, but how accurate are these numbers really? The National Academy of Sciences Report on Coal, from June 2007 isn’t very encouraging.

“Present estimates of coal reserves are based upon methods that have not been reviewed or revised since their inception in 1974, and much of the input data were compiled in the early 1970’s. Recent programs to assess reserves in limited areas using updated methods indicate that only a small fraction of previously estimated reserves are actually minable reserves.”

To make matters worse, some countries, such as Vietnam and China have not changed their official reserves figures for decades. This seems suspicious because billions of tons of coal have been mined during this period.

New Coal Discoveries Unlikely

While oil lurks below the surface and can be hard to detect, coal fields can be identified by outcrops. This means that the locations of coal reserves are known and new coal discoveries are unlikely.

Coal Reserves and Policy

A 2007 report issued by Energy Watch anticipates global coal reserves to peak as soon as 2025. Policy-makers have been using forecasts issued by the International Energy Agency, which relies on official reserves figures. It is certainly hard to create effective policy when reserve estimates vary so widely.

Good or Bad News?

When taking climate change and air quality into account, smaller coal reserves are probably good news. Supply constraints may cause the market to adjust without the need for climate change policy alone to decrease coal consumption.

Many people fear that declining supplies of oil could cause an increase in the use of coal as a last resort. Perhaps coal is not a good last resort.

Solar System Leases: Taking the Industry By Storm

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:18:47 +0000

Buying a solar system is similar to going to Cosco and buying a 30 year supply of a staple. It will have a large upfront cost, but will result in long-term savings in states with good solar energy potential. What if you could lease a solar system and have the savings outweigh the monthly cost?

SolarCity is changing the landscape of the residential solar market in California and the Phoenix metropolitan area by offering solar leases, which significantly reduces the upfront cost of going solar.

“Customers have called for alternatives to solar purchasing, and our innovations in financing will allow them to get the benefits of renewable energy quickly, easily and affordably,” said David Arfin, Vice President of Customer Financing at SolarCity.

The Solar Company

SolarCity takes responsibility for installing, maintaining, and monitoring the solar system. The energy output of the system can be monitored through a website, which the homeowner also has access. This allows performance issues to be addressed very quickly by SolarCity, without the customer having to notify them. The homeowner benefits from the monitoring system by easily knowing the value the system is providing.

The Solar Homeowner

A typical home with a $225 electric bill can have a 4 kilowatt solar system installed. At current electric rates, the system will lower the electric bill by an estimated $150 a month. As the cost of electricity increases, so do the savings. The initial cost of the system is $2,000, with a monthly payment of $125. The monthly payment will increase by 3.5% annually, but I would bet that electricity costs will go up more than that. Maintenance and repairs are free of charge to the homeowner.

Solar Finances Behind the Scene

The leasing program is made possible by a financing program that is backed by Morgan Stanley. “This transaction will allow the consumer to source environmentally friendly power without having to make a large capital investment,” said Aaron Lubowitz, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley.

SolarCity is able to take advantage of additional federal government incentives because of a tax credit that is available to companies. This lowers the overall cost of the solar system for SolarCity, with savings that are not available to homeowners. “Leasing is actually financially better for the homeowner than purchasing the system,” said Lyndon Rive, the company’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer.

Chicago Generates Twice the Energy for a Third of the Carbon

Sarah Lozanova — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:06:36 +0000

When generating electricity, roughly two-thirds of the energy is lost. Heat is created as a byproduct to spin turbines and later wastes away in cooling towers. Chicago has committed to produce 1.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity by 2010 with a process call combined heat and power or cogeneration, which finds use for the generated heat. This process can be over 90% efficient.

Excess heat can be used for dehumidification, heating water, and process heat. In an ideal world, the electricity and heating loads for the given application are similar. Hospitals, prisons, paper mills, oil refineries, waste water treatment centers, and even large towns can be good candidates for this technology. Your car can even be an example, with waste heat from the engine being used to warm the interior.
Case study: Antioch Community High School

Twelve micro-turbines are powered by landfill gas (LFG), producing .36 megawatt hours of electricity and heat for the 250,000 square foot school. This was the first high school in the country to utilize LFG for this purpose and savings are an estimated $100,000 annually in energy costs.

LFG is pumped from an adjacent landfill, which was previously a superfund site. The annual greenhouse gas reduction is equal to removing 3,000 cars from the road.

Case study: Chicago Museum of Science and Industry

Since 1933, the museum has been one of the largest tourist attractions for the city and now has another noteworthy feature. A 1.75 megawatt cogeneration system was recently installed that produces electricity, heat, and dehumidifies the museum.

The dehumidifiers can treat an impressive 10,000 cubic feet per minute and operate approximately 3,380 hours a year. Because the heating season in Chicago is about 7 months of the year, this function provides value to the museum during the cooling months as well.

Dutch Prepare for Climate Change With Floating Houses

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:47:37 +0000

With rising sea levels and more extreme weather events on the horizon, the Dutch are building houses modeled after arks. These houses become buoyant during floods.

There is a string of 37 houses located along the Maas River in Holland that were designed and built by Dura Vermeer. Such houses can rise 16 feet without problems and contain flexible pipes, electrical, and sewer lines.

The foundation of the sits on the river bottom. If you were to drill a hole through the basement floor, water would come in (so this is not recommended).

When the river floods, the house becomes buoyant. Unlike a boat or an ark, two broad steel posts driven deep into solid ground hold the house in place.

“In the other village we have lived, there was always the water,” said Mariana Smits, a floating homeowner in Maasbommel. “I was very scared. Two times, we have evacuated to leave our old house. This was very scary for us. And we got the opportunity to buy this house. It’s a safe place.”

Design Advances

Floating houses are nothing new, but they are in higher demand and increasingly popular. Buoyant gardens are also being designed, because nobody wants to loose their daisy collection after an extreme weather event. Technology is now being developed to allow entire city blocks to float. Having multiple structures connected adds stability, benefiting everyone.

Rising Sea Level Increasing Demand

Some degree of climate change is inevitable despite emission reduction efforts and adaptation initiatives are being considered. “As global warming causes the sea level to rise, this is the solution,” explains Dick van Gooswilligen from the Dura Vermeer. “Housing of this type is the future for the delta regions of the world, the ones which face the greatest danger.”

Market conditions are ripe for this building design. “The momentum is just right,” said Koen Olthuis of Waterstudio, an architectural firm that specializes in living and working on water. “Because of the climate change, because of the Al Gore story, because of New Orleans, because of the financials of this moment, everybody is waiting for new innovations.”

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Photo Credit: Dura Vermeer

Blue Men Warn of Climate Change

Sarah Lozanova — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:03:03 +0000

The Blue Man Group has a great video warning about climate change. It is nice to have artistic expression on this topic.

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4 Factors Slowing Solar Energy Growth in US

Sarah Lozanova — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:19:38 +0000

Despite all the talk about solar energy, it only generates a measly .1% of electricity in the US. Meanwhile, national demand for electricity is growing by 2% annually. Considering that solar technology has been in use for decades, why is it not more widespread?

Cheap Fossil Fuels

Even though sunlight is free, fossil fuels in the US have been widely available at a very low cost. There are extensive coal fields all across the country. Nationally, coal produces about 50% of our electricity, with a majority of it being used for base load. That means that coal plants produce a steady stream of electricity a majority of the time.

Natural gas however has skyrocketed in price over the last 6 years. It is widely used to generate electricity during peak times, typically on warmer days when we are cranking up the air conditioning. Natural gas plants can start up quickly and come to the rescue when needed, but the cost of fuel has gotten quite high recently.

Solar energy is very capable of producing peak electricity and is ideally suited for for it. Solar radiation is what causes us to need air conditioning in the first place. The utility companies have started taking notice of solar energy’s potential to generate electricity during peak demand.

Real Cost Pricing

When we turn on a light, we don’t pay the real cost of generating that electricity. The federal government absorbs some of that cost through subsidies and the environmental cost is rarely taken into account. For example, asthma is linked to the burning of coal, but I don’t pay for asthma attacks when I pay my electric bill. A carbon tax is one method for accounting for some of these hidden costs.

Scale and Price of Solar

Remember how much cell phones cost when they first hit the market? When larger manufacturing plants are constructed, the cost per unit typically decreases compared to smaller plants. Germany, Japan, and California have all stimulated the solar market. Photovoltaic solar panels have already come down in price by 90% over the last 20 years.

Stable Solar Energy Policy

The US had impressive solar energy incentives under the Carter administration, which quickly vanished when Reagan took office. There is currently a 30% commercial tax credit for solar energy, but it is set to expire at the end of the year.

There are purchase agreements for 3.2 gigawatts of concentrated solar power during 2007, but solar power plants cannot be constructed before the tax credit expires. The coal, nuclear, and oil industries have stable energy policies and the same is needed for solar energy to thrive.

Dry Cleaning: How Safe is that Suit?

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:52:35 +0000

The chemical perchloroethylene (or “perc”) might not ring a bell, but it is likely be found in your home. Considered by the EPA to be both a health and environmental hazard, it is a solvent used by most dry cleaners across the country for more than 70 years. It is shown to cause liver cancer and can even harm the central nervous system in lab animals.

When clothes are cleaned with perc, they will actually off-gas this substance into the air. It most commonly enters the body through the air, but can also be absorbed through the skin or found in drinking water.

“When you go and pick up that bag and bring it home, you still have perchloroethylene off-gassing or coming off the clothes,” said Melanie Marty of the California EPA. “You don’t want something in widespread use that’s been shown to be a carcinogen.”

Is it necessary to use toxic chemicals to get our clothes “clean”? Before you get too depressed, let’s examine some solutions.

Policy Changes
California passed a ban to phase out the use of perc by 2023. Although this is certainly a step in the right direction, most of us don’t live in California and don’t want to wait 15 years to clean a suit or suede coat.

Hand Washing
Many clothes that are labeled “dry clean only” can in fact be hand washed, especially if some tricks are applied. This also saves the hassle and cost of taking garments to the cleaners.

“Green” Cleaners
Although 85% of dry cleaners use perc, what about the other 15%? Many of them use a process called wet cleaning. This process uses a small amount of water and detergent within a machine that is programmed to adapt to the garment. This process is considered effective and safe, while using less water and energy compared to traditional dry cleaning.

Liquid carbon dioxide cleaning uses pressurized liquid CO2 and other cleaning agents instead of perc. Liquid CO2 becomes a liquid solvent under high pressure and dissolved dirt and oils from clothing. This method is not common because the cost of the needed machinery is $40,000. The CO2 itself however is a byproduct of some industrial processes and is cheap, plentiful, and non toxic.

To find a cleaner in your area, visit the Occidental College database. It can also be helpful to speak with your local cleaner and let them know that there is a demand for safer alternatives to perc. The future ban in California will also help push the industry as a whole towards safer alternatives, so change may be on the horizon.

World Powers Down for Earth Hour

Sarah Lozanova — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:57:35 +0000

Did you celebrate earth hour by turning off the lights? This event lasted from 8-9 pm tonight, with the purpose of raising awareness about climate change. Sydney, Australia was the pioneer of this day, starting the annual tradition in 2007 and creating a 10% drop in electricity use. 24 cities around the globe participated, with many iconic structures like the Sears Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge turning off their lights. What occurred in your local area?

Solar Thermal Electricity: Can it Replace Coal, Gas, and Oil?

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:07:32 +0000

One of the most common arguments against large-scale use of renewable energy is that it cannot produce a steady, reliable stream of energy, day and night. Ausra Inc. does not agree. They believe that solar thermal technology can supply over 90% of grid power, while reducing carbon emissions.

“The U.S. could nearly eliminate our dependence on coal, oil and gas for electricity and transportation, drastically slashing global warming pollution without increasing costs for energy,” said David Mills, chief scientific officer and founder of Ausra.

You may be wondering, how will we have electricity at night or during cloudy weather?
Will we use large banks of batteries or burn candles?

The ability to utilize solar thermal technology after the sun sets is made possible by a storage system that is up to 93% efficient, according to Ausra’s executive vice president John O’Donnell.

High efficiency is achieved because solar thermal plants do not need to convert energy to another form in order to store it and do not rely on battery technology. Flat moving recflectors or parabolic mirrors focus solar energy to generate heat. This heat generates steam that turns turbines, thus generating an electric current.

If you want to generate electricity-at, say, 3 am-heat from the sun can be stored for later use. This gives solar thermal technology the ability to not just produce peak power, but also generate base load electricity.

Peak Power: The First Wave of Solar Thermal Plants
The maximum amount of electricity demand on the power grid occurs during weekday afternoons and evenings in the summer months in most regions of the United States. This is largely caused by air conditioning loads, which gobble up electricity.

Because the electric grid needs to be able to handle these peak loads, capacity is built to specifically handle these loads. Natural gas and oil typically comes to the rescue to produce this electricity. Although these plants are expensive to operate, they are cheaper to construct than most of the alternatives. They are fast to start, producing power in 30 minutes or less. Additional power plants are constructed just to generate electricity for the times when it is needed most.

This causes peak electricity to be more expensive. A kilowatt hour of electricity at 3 pm and 3 am does not come with the same price tag to the utility company.

“Adding solar plants that reliably generate until 10 pm displaces the highest cost alternative power,” said John O’Donnell. “That is the first wave of solar thermal plants. The daily and seasonal variation in grid load in the United States matches solar availability.”

Base Load: Replacing Coal Power
Base load is the minimum amount of electricity demand placed on the power grid over a 24 hour period. Coal and nuclear plants commonly supply this energy. These plants can take hours or even days to heat up to operating temperatures and are run more continuously than peak power plants.

Due largely to the lower cost of fuel, these plants can produce electricity at a lower cost. If a carbon tax is implemented in the future, this will increase the cost of electricity generated from coal.

Generating electricity around the clock with solar thermal technology relies on storage systems that run turbines long after the sun sets. “Ausra has a very active energy storage R & D group and we will be prototyping a couple of systems this year here in the US,” said John O’Donnell.

Solar Energy Storage
This is not a new technology, having been used for plastic manufacturing and petroleum production for a long time. Solar thermal plants have a cost advantage compared to photovoltaic technology because energy can be stored as heat without being converted to another form or relying on batteries.

“My favorite example in comparing energy storage options is on your desktop,” said John O’Donnell. “If you have a laptop computer and a thermos of coffee on your desk, the battery in your laptop and the thermos store about the same amount of energy. One of them costs about $150 and the other one costs maybe $3 to $5. On the wholesale level, storing electric power is at least 100 times more expensive than storing heat.”

The future certainly looks bright for solar thermal technology as concern over climate change increases. Global demand for electricity is growing rapidly, requiring clean solutions.

Photo: Ausra’s facility in New South Wales, Australia. Courtesy Ausra.

Water Crisis: Clean Tech to the Rescue?

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:27:11 +0000

Water shortages are on the rise, from Mexico to the Andes, northern China to southern India, and Spain to Pakistan. Drought, soaring populations and population densities, changing diets, and increasing living standards are all factors. Is this an issue that technology can fix?

Judging by investors’ responses, the answer seems to be yes. FourWinds will invest up to $4.7 billion in water treatment and desalinization and companies that make meters, pumps, and pipes.

BlueWater Bio is a player in the wastewater and sludge treatment arena. Their claim to fame is a treatment technology called Hybrid Bacillus Activated Sludge (HYBACS). It uses proprietary bacteria that eats waste, saving on chemicals. The high quality treatment effluent has reuse potential for commercial or industrial applications, but I wouldn’t recommend drinking it.

Monsanto’s top 20 experts have been examining how climate science will affect the company, with drought being the leading problem to solve. New drought-resistant crops are being created.

“The most advanced of these is now a drought-tolerant corn product … commercializable within several years,” said Monsanto’s head of technology strategy and development David Fischhoff . “We expect this to be the first generation of an ongoing stream.”

Monsanto is currently trading at nearly 39 times its forecasted earnings for the year to August, 2008. Investors seem confident that such products will be increasingly needed and used, especially with the anticipated effects of climate change.

Although technology can come to the rescue and potentially take the edge off of the water crisis, there are some obstacles that will be hard to overcome.

Water consumption spikes as the “standard of living” increases. Americans use twice the water of their European counterparts. Many water-efficient fixtures are being developed, from faucets to simple gray water systems that reduce water consumption. Agriculture uses a lot of water. One kg of beef requires 1600 liters of water, which can cause problems as the apetite for meat increases around the globe.

Economic inequality, not surprisingly, plays a role in who will have the best access to water and associated technologies. Rural areas in developing countries may be the hardest hit.

“The technologies exist,” said Merrill Lynch analyst Robert Miller-Bakewell. “You and I and the World Bank and everyone else can identify the need. The big problem all along is about who’s going to pay for it all.”

As climate change alters the weather, disrupting condensation patterns and droughts are in the forecast. A multi-faceted approach is ultimately the required response.

Clean Energy Intro: Solar Businesses

Sarah Lozanova — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:00:29 +0000

Many businesses are putting the sun to work for them and saving a bundle on utility bills. While much of the country is experiencing increasing energy costs, some are looking to the sun as a solution.

Although nearly all solar applications will eventually save money, a large upfront investment is required. Some businesses are in the position to save a lot more money than others. Let’s explore which businesses can benefit the most from solar energy.

Use Large Quantities of Hot Water

Solar thermal technology is utilized to heat water and is frequently an impressive 70-90% efficient. Restaurants, gyms, apartment buildings, and laundromats are examples of ideal applications. Exactly the opposite of a gas or electric hot water heater, the more use the solar system gets, the larger the energy and cost savings.

Businesses Paying High Tax Rates

Two federal incentives exist to encourage solar installations. One is a federal tax credit of 30% that is set to expire at the end of the year (link). The tax credit is not affected by the tax rate. Businesses can also take an accelerated 5 year depreciation of the solar system. Businesses that pay a higher tax rate, will enjoy greater the tax savings from an accelerated depreciation, while businesses that don’t need additional write-offs won’t save a penny.

High Electric Rates

Rates vary widely across the country. Typically, states that use a lot of electricity generated by coal pay lower rates. Many of the states in the Northeast pay very high rates. Solar photovoltaic systems for electricity are more lucrative in areas with higher electric rates.

State Incentives

Many states have programs that encourage renewable energy. California has one of the best funded incentives, the Million Solar Roofs Initiative . For an overview of all the state programs, visit the Database for State Incentives for Renewable and Efficiency website .

Positive Publicity
When the World’s Largest Laundromat in suburban Chicago installed a 36-panel solar hot water system, it gained press coverage as far away as China! It has even become a tourist attraction. It is hard to quantify the value of this publicity, but it is certainly positive.

Sunshine

All locations are not created equal as far as solar exposure. If you installed identical systems in Phoenix and Seattle, the Phoenix solar system could easily have double the output. PV Watts is a great tool for determining the output of a photovoltaic solar system.

Electricity to be Sold to the Power Grid

Most states now have net metering laws that requires the electric company to compensate solar system owners when they feed electricity to the power grid. This occurs when the system generates more electricity than is being consumed. This is rare during times when a business is in operation, but is more likely during the mid-day hours when the business is closed.

Photo Credit: Solar Service Inc.

4 Things to Consider Before Going Solar

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:57:49 +0000

Solar thermal technology provides space heating and hot water and is a frequently forgotten member of the solar family. These highly effective systems are popular in many parts of the globe, from China to Greece to Zimbabwe. They displace the use of the existing hot water heater and heating equipment, typically saving either natural gas or electricity.Solar thermal is a more mature technology than solar photovoltaic systems that produce electricity. It has been used for centuries for water heating. In fact, even Leonardo Da Vinci owned one.

When considering the installation of such a system, it is important to consider the following items.

Solar Exposure

For those readers who live in the northern hemisphere, it is best to point the panels facing south. If the mounting surface is not angled to face due south, the efficiency of the system may decrease.
Solar thermal panels are usually mounted in a fixed position and do not have tracking equipment to follow the sun. This is because the panels have copper pipe connected to them and a fluid running through the panel. They also can be heavy and a bit clunky to follow the sun’s angle.

It is important to consider your solar window and how much shade may interfere. Solar thermal panels generate heat, instead of an electric current, so they are not as sensitive to a little shade. It is however recommended to have clear solar exposure from 10 am-2 pm as a minimum.

Remember that the sun is lower in the sky in the winter months. If your solar system will provide heat, a good winter solar window is very important. If the roof of your home is not ideal, it is possible to mount panels as an awning, on the ground, or on a garage.

Space for Solar Equipment

Solar thermal systems in cooler climates require room for a solar storage tank near the existing hot water heater. This heater becomes the back-up when there is not enough sunshine to heat the water. Therefore, you will need space for a tank up to 30 inches in diameter for most applications. It needs to be in a heated space and will have a pipe connecting it to the existing hot water heater.

Heating Equipment

If you live in a cooler climate and you have enough room for panels, the solar system can assist with heating your home. Solar works best with forced air furnaces and radiant floor heating systems. Boilers with radiators operate at a higher temperature and are not usually good for interfacing with solar.

Energy Efficiency

Before forking out a bunch of money on a solar system, it is a good idea to consider energy efficiency first. Weatherization and conservation are often a low hanging fruit for energy and money savings. Water-saving shower heads, front loading washers, and washing clothes in cold water can help to maximize your solar energy.

The sun can heat between 50%-100% of the water used in a home, depending on climate, use, and system size. Efficiency helps increase that percentage, especially in cloudy weather.

Photo Credit: Solar Service and Nathan Kipnis Archictects

The Future of Solar Energy: An Interview with John Sedgwick

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:59:33 +0000

John Sedgwick is the Co-founder and Vice President of Solaicx, a company that manufactures silicon ingots and wafers for solar electric (PV) panels. They are then supplied to solar panel manufacturers across the globe.

Solaicx began production at their new manufacturing plant in Portland, Oregon at the end of 2007. While current capacity of the plant is 40 MW, production will increase to 180 MW in the future.

CleanTechnica: What kinds of general trends have you seen in the solar industry as a whole?

John Sedgwick: The general objective of the entire industry is to reduce costs. What we see in markets across the world is, as you lower the levelized costs of solar electricity down to the levelized cost of traditional electricity, the markets just go vertical. When you look over time, the industry is doing dramatically well at reducing costs.That’s even when you take into account some significant challenges, things like polysilicon shortages and other shortages that have popped up as a direct result of a market that has been growing at 35%, 40%, and 50% a year have caused shortages that have increased some costs in the chain. Yet, because of manufacturing efficiencies, conversion efficiencies, and economies of scale, the industry has been able to hold the line on any cost increases and has done pretty well at reducing costs.

CT: How do you envision the solar industry ten or twenty years from now? Do you have a concept of where you see things going?

JS: I have a very biased opinion. I see nothing stopping this market from continuing to grow at 30%-50% per year for the foreseeable future. We have not even scratched the surface of the total electricity market. We are not even a .001% perhaps of the total market, so the upside market is enormous. It is not intended to replace all forms of electricity, but there are innumerable applications where it is an ideal fit.

I was involved early on in my career with cellular phones. I remember in the early days of cellular phones, the market was extremely small. As the industry reduced costs and increased efficiency, it got to a point where the entire industry exploded. Now everybody has one.

I see the exact parallel happening with photovoltaics. We are an embryonic industry that is working on getting our costs and efficiencies improved and once we reach that point, it is just going to zoom.

CT: Do you have a sense of when this tipping point will be reached?

JS: I actually think we’re approaching it right now. There are still some things like bureaucratic challenges and other issues we need to get through, but I think we are at a point now where the market is growing on its own now. It’s going to maintain the same growth rates that it was exhibiting in the past when it was an extremely small industry.

CT: I’m sure a lot of it will vary by location, the price of electricity and the different power sources that are available. Solar energy is catching on much more in certain areas.

JS: Not only the government incentives, but the government’s attitude towards solar, too-encouraging it as opposed to building regulatory blocks-will have a big impact on how fast it gets to the large scale.

European “Smart Car” Hits American Market

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 03:26:21 +0000

What lessons can be learned from this tiny car, that Europeans are calling Un-American?

When my husband and I look for a parking spot on the crowded Chicago streets, we often joke that our tiny Smart car would have many potential parking spots. Our joke can now become a reality as the Daimler Mercedes-Benz Smart car hits the American market. This car might help show Americans that bigger is not always better.

With nearly 1 million car sales in 36 countries, this car has made quite a splash over the last 10 years. The US Smart car will range in price from $11,590 to $16,590. In the US, there is a waiting list with 40,000 people who have forked out a $99 deposit. This exceeded the expectations of most, with many people doubting that the car will be popular on this side of the pond.

The car is a contradiction of everything that I think of as a typical American car. This two passenger car is a mere 106 inches in length and has a 3 cylinder engine. It gets about 40 miles per gallon, which I found slightly disappointing. Roughly half the length of an SUV, there are significant advantages to parking a car of this size.

Many people are calling for a cultural change to respond to the environmental challenges that face society. This car demonstrates European moderation, while providing a comfortable ride (for two). Could this car begin to undo the American mentality that bigger and more powerful is always better?

If nothing else, this car helps reduce the land area needed for parked cars and reduces the gas consumed to power it. The driving experience in urban areas is a bit more relaxed due to a larger choice of parking spots and increased mobility through congested areas.

It is too early to tell how popular this car will be in the US, or if we are willing to give up size and power for convenience and savings.

Internet Reducing American Energy Use

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:47:41 +0000

The internet is saving 10 times the energy required to run an internet-linked computer.

Remember when renting a movie required a trip to the video store or checking a bank balance required a visit to the bank? Now, anything from used books to driving maps are just a click away. Telecommuting is common and taxes can be submitted electronically to the IRS. The internet is shaping our lifestyles, allowing us to save energy.

A recent study by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) discovered that every kilowatt-hour of electricity used to power communications and information technologies is resulting in a 10 fold increase in energy savings.

“Acceleration of information and computer technology across the US landscape post 1995 is driving much of the nation’s energy-productivity gain,” says John Laitner of the ACEEE and coauthor of the study. “Had we continued at the historic rate of prior years, we would today be using the energy equivalent of 1 billion barrels of oil more [per year] than we were” in the early 1990s.

Energy intensity is a measurement of the quantity of energy required to produce one dollar of output and is a good indicator of overall energy efficiency. After the oil embargo, the energy intensity in American fell sharply. From 1986 to 1996 however, energy efficiency improvements fell to under 1% annually.

Around 1995, the use of the internet began to increase significantly. Remarkably, from 1996 to 2001, energy intensity fell by an average of 2.9% annually. This trend has continued since 2001 at a pace of 2.4% annually, with half of it being attributed to technology gains.

The energy saving impacts of information and communications technology can expand through mindful use. Purchasing models that consume less energy, selecting optimal energy settings, and using a laptop instead of a PC all save electricity.

I am happy to know that my beloved computer is helping me to reduce my energy use and studies such as this remind me of how technology can be used as a tool for a greener lifestyle. The future potential is staggering as energy costs increase, concern of climate changing mounts, and the use of the internet expands over time.

Internet Helps Americans Save More Energy Each Year

Welcome to CleanTechnica

Sarah Lozanova — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 14:42:44 +0000

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