One of the biggest issues that we seem to face in shifting our attention from traditional fossil fuel based energy systems to alternatives appears to come from our expectations of change.  For thousands of years mankind has experienced minimal and gradual change.  Major improvements were things like the wheel, the plow, and the printing press.  For extended periods very little changed.

            &nb sp;  Since the Renaissance our pace of change has moved at an ever accelerating pace.  Alvin Toffler’s “Future Shock” written in 1970 is now a classic and during the intervening 40 years our pace of change has become even more accelerated.

            &nb sp;  One place that change has been most rapid in is technology of computers and graphics.  These serve to propel our imaginations into virtual worlds which are far removed and different from the one we live in.  They also lead us to believe that new technologies for producing energy, transport, and food are just around the corner and about to happen.

            &nb sp;  The reality of things is far different.  While our researchers continue to toil in their labs and in the field to find new and innovative ways to do things we are still constrained by the rules of Physics and nature in this world.  So while we see ideas on our computers and televisions in which we have unlimited power from tiny pollutionless units or the ability to teleport from point to point we have to return to the reality of our world when we are done.  

            &nb sp;  Our current primary source of power based on fossil fuels is that way for a good reason.  Over millions of years plants have been turning solar energy into the mother of all concentrated power sources.  One gallon of gasoline can do the physical labour of a man can in 44 hours.  One gallon of gasoline is equivalent to 55 gallons of liquid hydrogen.  It is a truly remarkable source of power, only exceeded in its sheer capacity by nuclear sources.

            &nb sp;  Since most solar and alternate energy sources are not able to be harvested sufficiently to replace what we are using they seem to get short shrift most of the time.  I would suggest instead that we look at these alternatives as ways to augment or reduce our current fossil fuel energy streams.  An average Florida home consumes about 80 KwH of electricity per day.  Florida does not have the steady driving wind necessary to reliably generate power but we do have a lot of sunshine.  For the purposes of generating electricity through photovoltaic (PV) systems, humidity, heat, panel orientation, dust, and clouds significantly reduce output.  If we ignored the concerns of storage and conversion from direct current solar electricity to usable house current alternating current you would still need a tremendous area of panels.

            &nb sp;   An 85 watt panel generates about enough power to run a 60 watt light bulb and costs $450 or more.  It also requires 7.25 square feet of open space.  Assuming 6 hours a day of rated power production this unit will produce 360 watts of power, or 0.36 KwH.  To replace the entire power consumption of the home would take 222 panels and cover an area of 1,609 square feet, assuming an average of 6” around each panel for access and maintenance brings our square footage of the array up to 2,275 square feet, probably bigger than the house itself!  This system that would just be sufficient to meet the home’s needs at a cost of over $130,000 or $0.23 per KwH for twenty years to pay for the system.

            &nb sp;  This quick exercise in mathematics should be sufficient to show that stapling a few solar panels on the roof will not eliminate your power bill.  This is where most people stop.  This is also the point at which we have to look again and press forward.  Our current focus in energy should be based on cost value and return on investment.  A solar hot water system should eliminate about 80% of your power consumption for generating hot water.  Some electricity is still used to boost temperature on cloudy days, here in Florida these supplemental systems rarely kick in.  A hot water system can cost as little as $3,600 for a full system, less if you have some usable equipment in place already like a large hot water tank.  This replaces 16 KwH per day of electricity, a pretty big chunk of that daily 80 KwH.

            &nb sp;  Beyond hot water there are now significant reductions and savings available by employing multiple incremental changes.  Window tint, Energy Star appliances, programmable thermostats, etc. can all be combined to push the total energy consumption down toward the 40 KwH per day area, half of the current use.  All these improvements not only reduce your power consumption and electric bills, they also make significant reductions in pollution.

            &nb sp;  The real impact of this can be seen when you consider the Annual Energy Review 2008, this graphic representation of energy sources and uses compiled by the Energy Information Administration puts our energy use in perspective.  Residential power use 21.64% of our overall energy consumption nationally.  If we reduce that by 50%, an achievable goal without huddling in caves by firelight, we could eliminate nearly 50% of our coal consumption or 40% of our petroleum imports. 

            &nb sp;  These are not numbers or ideas based on future breakthroughs, exotic systems, or major lifestyle changes; they are the application of existing, proven technology that can be easily installed in every home.  The majority of these changes could be achieved for under $8,000 per home and would pay for themselves in 3 years.  They are not as sexy and exciting as the prospect of showing your neighbors your new windmill but they do work today and have significant, uncontestable results. 

            &nb sp;  We have to make these things a priority or they won’t happen.  Consider borrowing to make these improvements, unlike putting tonight’s dinner on the credit card these will improve the value of your home, pay you back for the money you spent, and give you the satisfaction of knowing that you are making the steps that will help us all live in a balanced working world that can continue to rise to greater challenges in the future.  Our leadership is crucial in this process.  If we don’t begin to make these adjustments on our own they will eventually be dictated by the government resulting in reduced choice, higher prices, and more loss of freedoms.

Tags: Solar-energy Solar-efficiency

Bookmark: