By: VeganVerve in Solar Power

The majority of discussions relating to solar energy are usually regarding large solar farms being created and corporations installing solar panels. However, individual households installing solar panels are also a large part of the solar energy sector. A new report by the Solar Energy Industries Association points to the growth of the home solar energy sector.

2009 was expected to be a less than stellar year for solar energy, especially for home ownership, due to the recession. However, the newly released report found that home ownership of solar panels increased significantly in 2009.

The president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, Rhone Resch, stated: “Despite the Great Recession of 2009, the U.S. solar industry had a winning year and posted strong growth numbers. We expect 2010 to be a breakout year for the U.S. solar industry.”

According to the report, home solar installments produced 156 megawatts of electricity in 2009. This is a significant increase, a doubling to be exact, from the 78 megawatts produced in 2008. The reason the sector grew so readily in 2009 is considered due to lower photovoltaic systems’ cost in addition to increased federal tax credits.

The cost of photovoltaic modules has decreased approximately 40 percent since the midway mark of 2008. In addition to the lowered cost, greater incentives were given by the U.S. government. The previous tax credit cap of $2,000 for solar installations was ended and was instead changed to 30 percent of all solar installation costs.

Overall, the states in the United States that have the most home installations are California, New Jersey, Florida, Arizona and Colorado.

Date: 12/15/2009

The development of alternative energy was a large part of every United States candidate’s platform in the recent Presidential election. The arguments from the candidates, both Democrat and Republic, were similar: we need to gain energy independence from Middle Eastern oil producers; we need to stop polluting the environment by burning fossil fuels; and we need to build a new, robust alternative energy in the United States. Was this all part of Presidential campaign rhetoric that would eventually end up being just more broken promises?

What I would like to accomplish in this paper is to determine where the United States stands on its alternative energy creation with a quick overview of the past, present and the projected future. In addition I would like to examine how seeking and using alternative energy sources could possibly help the United States bring its economy back on track by creating jobs all inside its borders in the alternative energy industry.

What is it meant when someone refers to “Alternative Energy”? Alternative energy sources are mostly anything to do with energy from nature. Some of the more popular alternative energy sources most people today have heard of are Solar, Wind, Geothermal and Tide.

Green seems to be the favorite color and topic of many conversations, commercials, political debates and product marketing. Could “Going Green” be just a catch phrase created by some attention seeking environmentalist back in the mid to late 1900’s or is it a new millennium marketing catch phrase used to promote and sell more environmental friendly products, ideas and habits to the masses that is just now catching on?

If you are not familiar with the phrase “Going Green”, then you must be still in the dark ages. Anyone born as a baby boomer till recently would think that alternative energy ideas and policies have not been around very long. “Actually by the start of the 1970’s, the environmental movement had gained a significant movement in the United States with the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970”.

Many United States citizens alive today remember or have heard about the Mideast Oil Crisis. “Even thought the crisis only lasted a short 6 months, during this time OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting) cartel spurred rising gas prices and widespread gas shortages” (The 1970′s Energy Crisis). What the Mideast Oil Crisis really spurred was awareness in the United States to become less dependent on foreign oil sources to supply our thirst and consumption of oil. “At the end of 1973 became a busy year for energy awareness for the United States Government. The Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act signed by United States President Nixon on November 27, 1973 and the Federal Energy Office created that following December 1973” (The 1970′s Energy Crisis) got the ball rolling toward foreign oil independence. “1974 (after Nixon resigned) Congress passes the Geothermal Energy Research, Development and Demonstration Act, as well as the Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Act. Then late in 1970’s our 39^th President Jimmy Carter also passed the Solar Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act and Federal Non-Nuclear Energy Research and Development Act” (The 1970′s Energy Crisis). As you can see the Mideast Oil Crisis created a scarcity of foreign oil which triggered events the 1970’s that established research, development and policies that affect our energy economy today. With alternative energy sources instead of fossil fuels being used, these sources can be produced domestically in the United States. No longer will a handful of oil rich countries hold the rest of the world hostage because their oil is needed. Renewable energy will provide a domestic economy that is diverse and allows every state to have sufficient energy, without polluting the earth or individuals paying through the nose.

Today American’s are starting to take off their blinders and become more aware of the current energy economy and more so than ever on becoming less dependent on foreign oil dependency. Through continually increasing gas prices at the pumps in the early to mid 2000’s to record levels in the summer of 2008 all played a part in reducing American’s disposable incomes and lowering the buying power of each hard working American family.

“According to the Renewable Energy Industry says the future looks bright. Gregory Wetstone of the American Wind Energy Association said that he was eager to work with a president whose policies “for the first time will reflect a national commitment to renewable energy” like wind and solar power. Mr. Wetstone noted that Mr. Obama is a “strong supporter of policies that are critical for wind growth,” including a national renewable portfolio standard, a long-term extension of a tax credit to aid the industry, and backing for investment in transmission. Rhone Resch of the Solar Energy Industry Association hailed what he called a “new generation of leaders” with pro-clean energy policies that the election has ushered in, and called for Mr. Obama to begin work on his promise of 5 million green jobs” (Galbraith, 2008).

If you were to take a look at the U.S. Department of Energy website these days in 2009, you would see numerous articles and press releases for funding and grants in efficiency, winterization, conservation, research and development all along the lines of alternative renewable energy.  Grants and funding programs like these spread across the country at all levels from Government down to the private sectors. No matter what level the funding and grants end up, it helps stimulate alternative energy awareness, research, development by creating jobs in the energy industry. It is actions in forward thinking individuals and entrepreneurs that will help energize the United States job sector. By switching to renewable energy sources, many new jobs would be created. These new jobs would become available because technicians would need to be trained to install, repair, and service the new energy source components, such as solar panels and wind turbines, municipal waste incinerators, etc. Factory jobs would be created because these energy source components would need to be manufactured, and this would make manufacturing growth important. Hopefully the U.S. manufactures would be competitive enough to retain the jobs for the American workers. Even the banking and finance would benefit from this industry growth by giving loans to new business and homeowners. Jobs are one factor that makes and determines the strength of an economy, both locally and domestically.

“As Americans, we’re clear about our preferred energy future — we want plentiful and reliable sources of clean energy at reasonable prices. More and more, our nation’s economic health and security depends on reliable, clean, abundant, and affordable energy. According to the National Geographic web site, “In 2003 alternative energy sources provided 6 percent of the nation’s energy supply, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)” (Walker, 2004). “And by 2020, our already voracious appetite for energy is projected to increase by about 32%” (Solar Technologies Program, 2009). With recent advances in research and development in the alternative energy industry, it cannot be relied on as our sole energy source supplying the United States thirst for energy. Tapping into a variation of numerous alternative energy sources can be a means to help reduce if not eliminate our dependency on foreign oil sources. Solar and wind seems to be two of the most popular alternative energy sources today. Wind can be limited due to the jet stream patterns and the restrictions of towering windmills. One of the best alternative renewable energy sources we all have available is solar. As long as the sun continues to shine as we know it, solar is an alternative energy source each household and business could easily tap into. Although solar electricity (also known as photovoltaic’s or PV) is not the sole answer to our myriad energy challenges, this renewable energy option can make an important contribution to the economy of the United States and even the world. What seems to be a major drawback of solar energy is the efficiency of the PV panels.  Technological improvements have made solar-electric modules more cost-effective. In the 1980s the average price of energy captured with photovoltaics was 95 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. “Today that price has dropped to around 20 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to Collins, of the American Solar Energy Society”.

The cheaper rate is still more expensive than the average national price of electricity, which in 2003 was a little over 8 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Annual Energy Review.

Other recent advances include “thin film” photovoltaic technology; a high-tech coating that converts any surface covered with the film into a solar-electric power source.  NREL researchers, meanwhile, are working to devise more efficient and cheaper solar-electric systems. Most traditional photovoltaic solar units on the market today convert between 11 and 13 percent of the sun’s light into energy. Engineers think they can improve on that. Eff Mazer, a Washington, D.C.-area photovoltaic engineer, notes that most thin-film photovoltaic systems today have a 7 to 11 percent efficiency rating. But he estimates that thin films could surpass that rating within three years. He also notes that some new traditional solar modules achieve 15 percent efficiency and believes that figure can climb to 17 percent in the near future” (Walker, 2004).

As you can see, the “Going Green” movement is not something new or is it the latest trend, catch phrase or bandwagon everyone is jumping on. Ridding ourselves from energy dependency of other countries resources will help our economy and national security. I challenge every individual to do their small part by changing from an energy consumer to an energy conserver. You can do your part daily by sending a message to local, state, and federal Governments by using your wallet as a messenger to help direct the United States choices into an energy independent country.

References

Galbraith, K. (2008, November 5). Energy & Environment. Retrieved November  2009, The New York Times:

Solar Technologies Program. (2009, June 24). Retrieved November 2009, U.S. Department of Energy:

The 1970′s Energy Crisis. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2009

Walker, C. (2004, October 28). The Future of Alternative Energy. Retrieved November 2009, National Geographic News:

Georgia PerryMachinery and pipes cover the muddy ground at Ball State University’s geothermal heating/cooling construction site.

In northeastern Indiana, environmentalists are closely watching a project on a scale that hasn’t been attempted before in the United States. Ball State University is constructing the largest geothermal heating and cooling system of its kind — and promises to cut its carbon emissions in half.

Here’s how it works: A few dozen feet below the Earth’s surface, the temperature is between 52 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on the time of year, geothermal systems use the Earth’s temperature as a heat source — or sink — by sending water through miles of pipes and concentrating it to meet the temperature the thermostat calls for.

Ball State is attempting to use more than 660 acres to heat and cool nearly 50 buildings.

‘This Is A Major, Major Change’

Drills the size of tree trunks punch through dirt, clay and limestone to create a polka-dot pattern that stretches over land equal to a half-dozen football fields. One of the 400-foot-deep holes could heat and cool a house. But 4,100 of the holes will take care of the entire campus.

Project engineer Jim Lowe says there’s still a gee-whiz reaction to geothermal in a state where more than 95 percent of energy needs are met through coal and natural gas.

Jo Ann Gora, president of Ball State University, says when the school tried to replace its four coal boilers, the $50 million estimate led to sticker shock. So university officials started thinking creatively.

Jo Ann Gora, president of Ball State University, says when the school tried to replace its four coal boilers, the $50 million estimate led to sticker shock. So university officials started thinking creatively.

“They still think of it as technology that’s strange, but it’s not,” he says. “This is a major, major change. Instead of thinking about building boilers and using coal and natural gas, we’re shifting that paradigm to where we’re relying on a renewable energy source here.”

When the Muncie, Ind., school originally tried to replace its four Eisenhower-era coal boilers, Ball State President Jo Ann Gora says a $50 million estimate led to sticker shock — and that’s before factoring in the cost of coal. So the school started to think outside the smokestack.

“It really shows that America has renewable energy sources if you just have the will to use them,” she says. “We’re using the renewable energy that the ground represents. Buildings rest on the ground. The ground is the source of renewable energy. Why don’t we use it?”

Unlike wind and solar, which don’t operate efficiently 24/7, geothermal systems are on all the time. But each one must be installed on-site, meaning it would take thousands of these projects to equal the heating and cooling power of just one coal plant.

Financial Hurdles

Jim Huddleston manages the project he says will keep 80,000 tons of carbon emissions from the skies above Muncie. But he says the initial cost of geothermal is steep and that keeps many from digging deep into their pockets to pay for it.

Enlarge Georgia PerryMark Tucker releases steam from a coal-burning furnace in the Ball State University coal plant. In coal-fired boilers like these, steam is used to turn turbines, which produce electricity.

Mark Tucker releases steam from a coal-burning furnace in the Ball State University coal plant. In coal-fired boilers like these, steam is used to turn turbines, which produce electricity.

“Problem is, when you and I go to buy a house and I need every penny I have to get that down payment and to get the fixtures that my wife wants and put these curtains up — and we don’t spend the extra 30 percent,” Huddleston says.

It could cost Ball State as much as $80 million to build the system. But officials estimate energy savings of up to $2 million a year. And right now, even with $40 million from the state and $5 million in federal stimulus funds, Ball State has raised just over half the money it needs. Despite the financial hurdles, Oregon Institute of Technology professor John Lund says Ball State will show that large-scale geothermal is a viable resource.

“There are probably over 50 schools that have heat pumps, but this would be the largest,” Lund says. “It does show that it can be done on a large scale — i.e., this can be done all over the country, from North Dakota down to Florida, from Maine down to Texas.:

Across Ball State’s campus, Mark Tucker dumps coal into an enormous boiler, which rages at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. He says they go through 130 tons of coal a day among the four boilers.

It could take five to 10 years for Ball State to complete this project as the school moves forward to tap the Earth for its heating and cooling needs.