A couple of interesting articles on renewable energy in Sunday's Washington Post.
>>We Sell Power to Pepco
By Carole Parker and Dan W. Reicher
Sunday, July 29, 2001; Page B03
Three years ago, our family got into the electricity business.
The year before, we had bought a run-down home with "good bones" in Chevy Chase. As a couple of federal officials directing energy and environmental programs, we decided to put our hard-earned money where our professional mouths were. In tandem with energy-efficient renovations, we installed solar electricity -- photovoltaic -- panels on the roof.
We haven't gone totally solar. But what we have created is a 3,700-square-foot, air-conditioned home that generates enough power -- and uses it so efficiently -- that electricity costs us on average about $1 a day. We got started under a program of the Maryland Energy Administration that helps homeowners with the design, installation and cost of solar electric systems. Our 27 dark-glass panels -- manufactured in Virginia by Solarex, a Maryland company now owned by British Petroleum -- are each about 2 by 3 feet and were cleverly mounted on a south-facing roof so they can hardly be seen. In full sun they produce 1.2 kilowatts of power, enough to run about three efficient refrigerators or 80 energy-saving light bulbs. Potomac Electric Power Co. (Pepco) connected the panels and the associated electronics to the power grid through a new high-tech meter that measures electricity flow in both directions. That means that on sunny days, especially in coolerweather when the air conditioner isn't running full blast, we often generate more power than we need -- and we send it to the grid. Our electric meter then runs backward, which means we're selling our excess to Pepco at the same rate at which we buy it. And even when it's cloudy we still produce some juice.
The whole system cost us $3,700 including installation, which took two days. That price reflected a significant state subsidy. If we were doing it today, we could also take advantage of the new tax credits that Maryland, like many other states, provides for residential solar power. President Bush has supported, and Congress is considering, a federal version of those credits. <<
More at:
washingtonpost.com
>>I Rely on My Own Renewables
By Dale Maharidge
Sunday, July 29, 2001; Page B03
PETROLIA, Calif.
I always yearned to own country property. About six years ago, I found a ridge-top paradise in northern California -- 34 acres with a sweeping ocean view, an old growth forest and the nearest neighbor a half-mile away. Something else was even farther away: electrical power. I was two miles from the edge of the grid.
My friends thought this was a problem. I thought it was a plus. It meant no San Francisco-area dot-scum yuppies and their trophy homesto gentrify and overprice the area. And I'd get to try something that had always sounded like a great idea -- creating energy without polluting. I'd survive on my own solar and wind power systems.
Now, I'm no techie; nor am I an activist. I'm just a writer who wants to live in a quiet place. So my initiation into renewable energy was really power generation for dummies. While how I make electricity is indeed rocket science -- solar panels were developed for use in the space program -- installing photovoltaic panels turned out to take little talent beyond common sense.<<
More at:
washingtonpost.com
I'm waiting for the tax subsidies to be enacted before I do it, but I am going to do it. Our roof's south face is unobstructed. |
