solarnation

Why We Advocate

July 29, 2010

An anecdote, to start with…

A colleague, on a recent visit to Washington DC, found himself in conversation with a recently retired, well-known and -respected U.S. senator. He took the opportunity to ask him what it would take for a congressman to vote for an issue that he knew in his heart was right for the country and the planet, irrespective of partisan attachments and personal considerations. The retired senator (whom, in order not to betray a trust, we will not name, but who is known as a strong supporter of energy independence) replied that only when the congressman no longer needed an influx of money, e.g., after he had decided not to run for office again, might this happen. Until then he would always vote in accordance with his source of funding, working hard to produce whatever arguments were needed to justify his vote.

Lamentably, the above is probably not particularly surprising to readers. The pernicious influence of ‘big money’ in politics (one would say ‘campaigns’ except that campaigns seem to be a permanent condition of politics today) is well known, but it’s sobering to hear a veteran legislator sympathetic to renewable energy confirm, in effect, that until our industry can throw money at his former colleagues with as much abandon as does the fossil fuel industry, then that latter industry can absolutely count on congressional votes in its favor. What works for the country, what is needed for the health of the planet, what can revitalize American jobs and create new industries here will always lose out to the demands of the campaign chest.

Unless… (more…)

Comments welcome!

April 28, 2010

Have a comment, observation or rebuttal for any of the articles on this page that jump to an inside page?

Feel free.

There’s a ‘comment’ box at the foot of every article where you can do just that. It’s a moderated blog, so your comment should find its way into print after a short delay. Let’s hear from you!

Just the Facts, Sir

April 28, 2010

In a media landscape in which TV stations with the word ‘news’ in their title transmit editorials thinly disguised as actual news and representing only one side of the political spectrum, it’s fair to say that legitimate news media have a greater responsibility to present us with well-researched, intelligently balanced news.

This is not to say that such media shouldn’t be able to include editorials and op-eds in their offerings, but it was distressing to read in the Washington Post on April 25th - the very day that over 100,000 people attended the Earth Day Climate Rally on the National Mall - a piece entitled ‘Five myths about green energy‘. It was written by the conservative Manhattan Institute’s Robert Bryce*, whose positions on renewable energy are well-known (and mainly disparaging).

In fairness, Bryce makes well-argued points about such issues as dependence on imports and the definition of ‘green’ jobs, although an intelligent debater might well be able to introduce counterpoints to his arguments. But the larger point is that his platform betrays a narrow understanding of the reasons for renewable energy and the fact that those reasons - be they energy independence, pollution control, sustainability or climate change mitigation - demand new paradigms and asymmetric ways of thinking. (more…)

Carbon Nation - ‘Must-see’ Movie

April 28, 2010

Want to arrange a screening?

The 2010 Washington DC Environmental Film Festival wrapped up on March 28th with the premiere of ‘Carbon Nation’, a film by Peter Byck that could be thought of as ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ with a dash of hope. Where the earlier documentary clearly expressed the problem of climate change, Byck’s film focuses on the solutions and the people who bring them to us.

‘Carbon Nation’ is the story of the people behind the grass roots movement, behind the policy, and behind the struggle to solve humanity’s toughest challenge. And whereas Al Gore’s production could be thought of as the seminal event for the widespread discussion of global climate disruption, ‘Carbon Nation’ takes a closer look at the kinds of solutions that are being planned or deployed now to mitigate that disruption. These include a wind farm conceived by a Texan farmer and ’sold’ to scores of his neighbors, and solar solutions from utility-scale installations to neighborhood ’sweat equity’ solar projects. (more…)

Solar Decathlon 2011 Adjusts Focus Toward Affordability

April 28, 2010

morning at solar village The rain that many visitors to the 2009 Solar Decathlon squelched through last October doesn’t seem to have squelched the Department of Energy’s enthusiasm for this biennial event - for which we can be thankful, since it routinely showcases some of the most innovative active solar, passive solar, and ‘net-zero energy’ designs you’ll ever see.

Drying out, Solar Decathlon 2009

The Department has just announced the list of 20 university teams that will compete in the 2011 Solar Decathlon by designing, building and operating solar-powered, energy-efficient houses. The houses will generate energy with PV systems, and in many cases with solar thermal and even geothermal systems. One emphasis for this event will be on dwellings that are affordable, attractive, effective, and energy-efficient; another will be the use of renewable energy systems that are commercially available today.

The teams include colleges and universities from 14 U.S. states, including California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia. Four international teams are also participating, including a team from Canada and teams from three countries that are new to the competition: Belgium, China, and New Zealand. (more…)

Solar Growth Impressive

April 28, 2010

By Bill Opalka, reprinted from RenewablesBiz Daily, April 21, 2010

Even in a recession, the U.S. solar energy industry grew strongly last year by 37 percent. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) recently released the 2009 U.S. Solar Industry Year in Review.

Overall U.S. solar electric capacity, including both photovoltaic and concentrating solar power installations, increased by 37 percent. This level of new capacity put the total above 2 gigawatts. This was driven primarily by strong demand in the residential and utility-scale markets, state and federal policy advances and declining technology prices. Solar industry revenue skyrocketed, too, reaching $4 billion, a 36 percent increase over 2008.

Read the rest of this article at RenewablesBiz Daily.

So What Is the Next Big Thing?

March 29, 2010

I’m often asked when the ‘next big thing’ is coming in Solar. Mostly, I’m not sure how the ‘next big thing’ is defined. My mind keeps drifting to those 1950s/1960s movies of big things attacking from outer space, or little things being exposed to radiation and becoming big, hostile things (another potent argument against nuclear energy). At some point in the program you would see a trailer for the following week’s sci-fi movie, when you would learn about the ‘next big thing’.

It’s more likely, however, that my questioners want to know when they can expect to pay a fraction of today’s prices for solar power. Or when they can call up one of those hydroseeding trucks to spray their house with Instant Solar, enabling them to send a rude goodbye note to their electric utility. (more…)

Don’t They Like the Sun in Hawaii?

March 29, 2010

Hawaiian beach If there’s any state in the Union that could call itself a natural candidate for solar power, it might have to be Hawaii. The Aloha State has the most expensive rates of fossil fuel-powered electricity in the country (over 26 cents/kilowatt-hour, compared to an average for the nation of under 11 cents/kilowatt-hour). The state relies on imported fossil fuels for more than 96% of its energy, yet has abundant supplies of renewable power sources: wind, waves and - most of all - sun. Grid parity for solar in Hawaii - that point in time at which it is no more expensive to use solar power than conventional power to generate electricity - has well and truly passed there.

It’s a state where you might expect the electric utility to be encouraging residential and commercial customers to install solar power. It would reduce the state’s total fuel bill and, even better, obviate the need for the utility to build more fossil-based power plants. You might also expect the utility to get into the clean energy game itself with central station solar or utility-scale wind installations.

Of course, you might also be very frustrated in your expectations. (more…)

Hundreds of Groups Sign Letter to U.S. Senate

March 29, 2010

Solar Nation recently joined with some 260 businesses, organizations and individuals as a signatory to a letter delivered to all U.S. senators, urging them to support emissions caps and develop aggressive energy efficiency and renewable energy standards.

The letter, originated by the Sustainable Energy Network*, also called on senators to reject nuclear power development, undiminished fossil fuel use, and rollbacks of environmental policies and actions.

Specifically, the letter recommended:

The United States should establish a mandatory cap on allowable greenhouse gas emissions as well as both a near-term and a longer-term schedule for reducing overall emissions to levels consistent with the best science now available (e.g., 30% or more by 2020). (more…)

Texas is ‘Ready for Solar’

March 29, 2010

by Debra Kahn

Reprinted from ClimateWire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC.
www.eenews.net. 202/628-6500

California’s SolarCity is partnering with Texas energy provider TXU Energy to offer solar panels for lease to homeowners and eventually businesses in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Lyndon Rive, CEO of the Silicon Valley company, said the deal marks the first time a traditional utility has partnered directly with a solar company.

“If the industry wants to see millions of homes adopting solar across the U.S., we have to figure out a way to partner with those who are providing power today and embrace two business models,” Rive said in an interview. “If there’s no collaboration, then adoption will be slow.” (more…)

U.S. Solar on the Way Back?

February 25, 2010

Some voices in the U.S. solar industry are looking for better times in 2010, despite the country’s lackluster economic condition. But solar companies still have to overcome obstacles such as competition from overseas, particularly China, and difficulty in obtaining credit.

Attendees at this week’s investors’ conference in New York hosted by investment company Piper Jaffray were told of signs on the demand side that Solar, having survived the downturn of 2008 and 2009, could be gathering strength this year. One reason given for the industry’s survival was the level of government support provided, although this came with the caveat that the support was more visible on a global basis than in the U.S. alone.

It’s also true that this global support has been dampened somewhat by the world economic situation, which has caused some European governments to scale back their subsidies and credits. But in general, those subsidy cuts were considered to be much less damaging to demand than they might have been, indicating continued base support for renewables overseas.

Continued prospects for an energy or energy/climate bill from this U.S. Congress are helping to boost hopes for a sound year in Solar. The overall feeling among solar companies was that they would need such a bill to help overcome the threat of Chinese competition. Chinese Government support for Solar, including easy access to credit, has dwarfed the support offered by the U.S. Government, resulting in prices per Watt for panels made in China that U.S. firms cannot meet. In fact, in the case of Massachusetts-based Evergreen Solar, the company’s way of ‘adapting’ to the situation is by outsourcing finished panel manufacturing to China.

It’s a very clear-cut argument; in countries where the nascent clean energy industry is appropriately valued, government plays a critical role in supporting and developing it, and economic benefits follow. If our country’s government doesn’t value, support and develop our clean energy industry, those benefits will continue to flow out of the country indefinitely.

As Thomas Friedman wrote in his 2008 book Hot, Flat, and Crowded:

If only we could be China for a day…

Why We Advocate

Comments welcome!

Just the Facts, Sir

Carbon Nation - ‘Must-see’ Movie

Solar Decathlon 2011 Adjusts Focus Toward Affordability

Solar Growth Impressive

So What Is the Next Big Thing?

Don’t They Like the Sun in Hawaii?

Hundreds of Groups Sign Letter to U.S. Senate

Texas is ‘Ready for Solar’

U.S. Solar on the Way Back?

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