A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

A report released this week by the Solar Foundation titled "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: Encouraging Solar Development through Community Association Policies and Processes" identifies three simple actions HOAs can take to bring more solar to their communities: Learn, Clarify, and Collaborate.  The report includes information about solar energy basics, benefits, and barriers. In regard to advancing community education on solar energy, it outlines a number of factors commonly impacted by potential HOA restrictions that can have significant negative impacts on system performance.  These include PV array size, array orientation, array title, and system shading.

An overview of the report is available at:
http://thesolarfoundation.org/blog/encouraging-solar-development-hoa-communities

And the actual report can be downloaded here:
http://thesolarfoundation.org/sites/thesolarfoundation.org/files/HOA%20Guide_Final.pdf

 

As residential solar deployment continues to grow, this report provides some great information on how HOAs and homeowners can collaborate for win-win solutions.

Additional information about solar installations and HOAs can be found in the sections titled "Texas Legislation/Policy" and "Policy & References related to HOAs (Home Owners Associations)" on our Useful Links page

Plano Solar Energy Advocate (LH)

Generate Your Own Electricity, Group Solar Purchase!

Are you ready to generate some or all of the electricity you need right at home? 

Are you ready to go solar, but not sure where to start? 

Are you ready to tap that untapped local energy resource – the SUN?

Then signup to participate in our PV solar group bulk purchase and install project. 

Learn more and enroll at our Solarize Plano page on this website.  (Select “Solarize Plano” from the menu items along the top of this page.)

Solar Energy incentives are available from Oncor this year, so it is important to act before the incentives are used up. Also, the 30% federal investment tax credit is available.

Using PV solar to generate electricity at homes (and businesses) is not a research project anymore. Install PV solar at your home and join the already 50+ installations across Plano, 600+ across the DFW area, 4,000+ across Texas, and  200,000+ across the United States.  (Note: The US still has a way to go catch up with the more than 1,200,000 in Germany).

Generate your own local electricity, stabilize your long term electricity prices, and produce zero pollution and use no water in the process (unlike conventional power generation plants).  These benefits plus many more are available now!

Learn more at Solarize Plano!

Plano Solar Energy Advocate (LH)

What do Plano Residents think about Solar Energy (for 2013)?

In late March through April of this year, Plano Senior High School (PSHS) Advanced Placement Environment Science (APES) classes participated in a homework assignment with their families to complete a survey about solar energy. The survey was completed by over 150 respondents. This is the second year that the APES classes have participated in the survey.

The purpose of the survey was to obtain a sampling of the views of residents regarding their awareness, interests, concerns, and potential barriers to deployment of solar energy in Plano. The survey consisted of approximately 35 questions. These questions were mostly the same as those from last year, which were a compilation obtained from citizen surveys performed in Houston, San Antonio, and Austin over the last few years. The results from this local survey sample were somewhat similar to the results of the other Texas cities. 

Here is a sample of some of the questions and local results:

• Which of the following concern you about the future of energy and the environment?
• top responses - increased energy prices; decreased availability of energy; climate change (same as last year)
• How concerned are you about future energy prices?
• 91% responded either very concerned or somewhat concerned (slightly down from 95% last year)
• How likely are you to invest in solar power for your home or to buy a home with solar power already installed?
• 55% responded either very likely or somewhat likely (same as last year)
• How much of a factor is cost in purchasing and installing a solar power system?
• 80% responded either very important or important (down from 95% last year)

Other responses indicated:

• 72% were not aware of existing solar rebates or tax credits (67% last year)
• Aside from the concern of cost, the top three reasons cited for not having pursued installation of a solar power system were the same as last year, with a slightly different order of these type three responses.
• Don't know where to buy it (#2 last year)
• Don't know who would install it (#3 last year)
• Lack of confidence in selecting the proper system (#1 last year)

When asked how many people in Plano the respondent knew that already had solar energy installed, the responses were:

·         63% None                           64% last year

·         26% One                             23% last year

·          8%  Two-three                  12% last year

·          3%  More than three       1% last year 

Also, in this year’s survey, we added a few questions regarding the respondents’ regular energy consumption, awareness of advanced, or smart meters, and online energy usage monitoring.   

For the approximate average monthly electricity usage, the two answers most selected by respondents were 1000-1500 kWh or 1500-2000 kWh.  However, 16% responded that they didn’t know.  

For the estimated peak monthly usage over the year, the answer with the most responses was 2000-3000 kWh.  However, on this question 20% responded they didn’t know. 

For the question - Do you have a "smart" electric meter installed at your location?

30% Yes

40% No

30% Don’t Know

For the 30% that answered ‘Yes’ to having a smart meter installed, 16% of those had signed up at www.smartmetertexas.com to manage and track their electricity usage. However, this represented only 7% of the total respondents.

As mentioned earlier in this article, this sample survey completed by the group of students' families from PSHS was intended to obtain a better understanding of the current views and concerns of residents. While this survey represented only a sample of Plano residents, hopefully these results and those from last year’s survey will help facilitate the implementation of a wider survey of local residents. The results from a wider survey could enable interested citizens groups to create action plans to communicate opportunities about the great potential over the coming years of expanding the deployment of solar energy right here in Plano.

And again this year, SPECIAL THANKS to the APES teachers and students at Plano Senior High School for their involvement in the process and participation in the survey!

Plano Solar Energy Advocate (LH)

The Light at the End of the Energy Tunnel

The United States is facing a crossroads in its future energy usage.  Will we choose to stay on the traditional fossil fuel track for the foreseeable future facing the same environmental, health, and political problems, or will we choose to start down a more sustainable path?  Although some have criticized solar energy, it offers one of the few large-scale solutions to our future energy needs.  Some sobering environmental facts may help to shed light on solar energy’s potential and importance.

The current population of the earth is seven billion and still growing.  It is estimated that it will peak at between 9 and 14 billion.  Not only is the population growing, but average per capita resource use is increasing and predicted to continue to do so.  The planet’s energy consumption will sky-rocket in the future.  Can fossil fuels meet the demand?  Oil production is predicted to peak in the next 20 years and then decline.  Natural gas, for all its promise will do the same, peaking in probably 30 to 40 years.  The cost of both of these will only increase over time.  Coal could produce energy for another 900 years or so in the United States.  However, coal is the dirtiest of the fossil fuels.  Coal combustion emits many more radioactive particles into the air than the nuclear industry.  As the largest emitter of mercury, particulates, sulfides, nitrous oxides, hydrocarbons (smog), and CO₂, coal has considerable environmental and health costs every year, leading to the deaths of an estimated 200,000 to 600,000 people in the US alone.  Cleaning up coal would add considerably to its price.  The nuclear industry promises a long-term supply, but still faces the problem of safely transporting and disposing of, not only radioactive spent fuel rods, but also used radioactive piping and production equipment.  To date no practical solution has been found, and the radioactive waste has been stored on site at the nuclear plants.  Many of these plants are running out of room for the waste.  In addition, many of the plants that were scheduled for decommission are still in use and operating at greater risk of releasing radioactivity, because the solution to the radioactive waste has not been found. 

In the end, uranium, like the fossil fuels, is finite and polluting, eventually necessitating the switch to renewable energy sources.  But which renewable energy source to use?  Biofuels are often touted.  Most agricultural experts agree that, in order to feed 9 – 14 billion people into the future, most or all of our current agricultural land must remain in food production and not converted to energy use.  Opening up more wilderness areas for agriculture would put our ecosystems and global ecological services at risk.  Some promising new biofuels such as artificial oil produced from algae, ethanol produced from discarded agricultural waste such as corn stalks, or methane produced from livestock waste, offer perhaps limited and select solutions and should be considered.  However, biofuels still face the cost of distribution and will probably never be able to supply all of humanity’s needs.  Hydropower has been maxed out – we have dammed nearly every river possible.  Wind and tidal power have much more potential left and together with solar offer the hope for the future.  However, they are more limited geographically to areas with wind or tide potential.

What about solar?  Why will it be the major work horse of the future?  The reasons are numerous. 

1) In short, it is ubiquitous – it is found everywhere in the temperate and tropical zones in abundance.  Everyone can use it.  Germany, the world’s leader in solar energy production, is higher in latitude and so receives much less direct sunlight than the US – there is so much more potential here.  In addition, it is much cloudier than many parts of the United States, demonstrating that solar energy can still be utilized to a great extent in areas with significant cloud cover. 

2) Solar eliminates energy loss through transmission and the expense of erecting power transmission infrastructure, because it can be locally generated.  Delivering energy to impoverished rural areas would be less burdensome for developing countries.  Solar would allow developing nations to leapfrog dirtier, costlier energy sources and the building of costly power distribution systems in order to achieve rapid development in rural areas. 

3) Solar is the only energy source that is getting LESS expensive and will continue to do so, despite receiving far fewer government subsidies than the fossil fuels. 

4) Solar would allow us to build a smarter, more efficient grid system with more decentralized energy production that would be more resistant to mass power failures. 

5) Solar is, of course, much cleaner than fossil fuels and nuclear energy.  Switching to solar energy in cities would help to reduce CO₂ production and urban air pollution and their resulting health and environmental costs, and solar involves no radioactive waste.

6) Finally, solar is the only source of energy that can supply the energy of our growing world population into the future.  The energy from sunlight that strikes the earth in one hour is more than is used by the entire world’s population in one year.  This means that there is an ample and endlessly continuing supply of solar energy for a future world of fourteen billion people and a global high-tech economy.  No other energy source offers this light at the end of the tunnel.
 
Plano Solar Energy Advocate (MY)

Living in a Solar Powered Home

After the first question, “How much does solar cost?”, the second question people often ask is,  “What's it like living in a solar powered home?” For anyone considering (or just curious about) a solar powered home, here are some of our experiences living in a home powered by the sun.

First, a bit of background info. Our system is a grid-tie solar photovoltaic (PV) system mounted on the roof of our one story home. Grid-tie means the electric utility and our solar system provide power to our home. The PV system converts sunlight into electricity which we use in conjunction with the normal utility to power our home. We've had the solar system for 3+ years, and it provides roughly 1/3 of our yearly energy consumption. At times, when we produce more than we use, our retail electric provider (REP) buys back the excess energy. Our average electric bill is under $100. During a utility power outage, the solar PV system is shut down. This prevents the flow of electricity back to the grid (from the solar system), protecting equipment and utility workers.

Having a grid-tie solar system does not require any major lifestyle changes, although you do become more aware of your overall energy consumption. Peak production for the solar PV system is midday. To take advantage of this, it's advantageous to run pool pumps, washing machines, etc. during this time period. This is not required, but does reduce the amount you “sell back” to your REP and also reduces demand on the utility grid.  Another great tool for monitoring overall energy consumption (if you are in the north Texas Oncor service area , and have a smart meter) is to register your electric meter at smartmetertexas.com. With a smart meter, energy consumption can be easily tracked. And, with a solar system, it's always fun to look and see “zero” consumption during many midday hours!

Maintenance on the PV system does not require a great deal of effort, but if you periodically clean the solar panels, they will produce more energy. We use window washing equipment (mop, squeegee, extension pole/handle) to keep the panels clean. On a single story home this is not a problem, because we clean the panels from the ground. However, this can be potentially dangerous on multi-story homes, so alternative methods may be necessary. Occasionally here in north Texas, snow removal is also necessary to achieve maximum production. Other maintenance items are to make sure the underside of the panels are free from leaf clutter, visual inspection for nesting, loose wiring, etc. and to check the attic periodically for leaks. Occasional trimming of trees/shrubs may also be needed to prevent shading on the solar panels.

It's also important to monitor (if you have a monitoring/data collection with your system) daily/weekly/monthly energy production. Periodically checking this data can highlight inconsistencies or an issue with the system. Many system monitoring services also provide email trouble reports/alerts for malfunctioning equipment. A minor problem recently occurred on our system. We were alerted (via email) to the problem, which eventually required warranty replacement for the malfunctioning equipment.

Protecting your investment from peril is also necessary. Inform your insurance company of the added value of your solar system, and adjust your homeowners policy to cover replacement in the event of a hailstorm, other weather event, or even theft/vandalism. For example, last year, we had hail damage on the roof covering of our home. There was no damage to the solar panels, but the claim covered removing/replacing the solar PV system so the roof could all be replaced.

So, living in a solar home does require some extra effort. But the long term satisfaction of knowing we produce (at least a portion) our own power, outweighs the required effort. If you are thinking about installing solar, I hope these experiences help in your decision making process. Go solar!

Plano Solar Energy Advocate (RL)

Solar Energy for Texas!

(including a simple guide for contacting your Texas Legislator)

With a growing population and economy, our state has reached a critical point for securing our energy needs for the future, and Texas has taken steps to minimize the amount of disruption in the availability of energy with the explosive growth of gas drilling.  The Barnett Shale, which underlies 17 counties in North Texas, is thought by many to contain the largest producible reserves of onshore natural gas in the country.  Texas is also leading the nation in wind power generation, producing approximately 10% of the state’s needs from that renewable source of energy.

However, we have one of the greatest available sources of energy at our fingertips, and one that is becoming more critical in maintaining our electrical reliability in the years ahead: the SUN.  Our state has been identified as having the highest potential for both urban and rural utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) development, an amazing 154 gigawatt and 20,000 gigawatt power capacity, respectively.  And even more significant for individuals - it is estimated that there is 60 gigawatts of distributed renewable generation potential from residential and business rooftops! This is more compelling when one factors in how water-intensive our energy production is from non-renewable sources such as gas and oil.  Hydraulic fracturing of a typical deep shale natural gas or oil well requires 4.5 million gallons, or the amount that is consumed in New York City in 6 minutes.  As North Texas continues to face restrictions in the availability of water for the foreseeable future, taking steps now to increase the area’s PV footprint will pay off in tremendous dividends in the future.

To do this, we are encouraging all residents in the area to call on the Texas Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to fully implement the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).  The RPS is a mandate from the Texas Legislature in 2005 to direct the PUC to develop 500 megawatt of non-wind renewable energy by 2015, which, to date, has not been addressed.  In 2012, Texas surpassed 10,000 megawatts of wind generated energy, while solar energy production in the state continues to lag, at just slightly above 100 megawatts.   Contrast Texas with Germany, which currently has a solar PV power capacity of 25 gigawatts (25,000 megawatts).  For a country that is half the size of the Lone Star State and only receives 1/4^th of the solar radiation we receive in North Texas, this is quite impressive.

This year, the Plano Solar Advocates are encouraging all in our community to reach out to our legislators to increase our solar investment in the state.  Talking points and an example letter to share with your legislator are available at the Texas Solar Energy Society website – see Solar and the 83rd Legislature (http://www.txses.org/solar/content/solar-and-83rd-legislature). A brief letter to your legislator will send a positive message that Texans support policies that encourage and expand the use of solar energy. Let’s all make 2013 the year that our area becomes noticed for its commitment to solar energy for our future.

The Sustainability Steward (JR)

The Texas Solar Energy Math Challenge

Let’s diffuse the old news that solar energy is too costly and is only competitive with subsidies and take a more current look at some simple data that indicate that we have a great opportunity in Texas to tap the untapped natural resource.

Which is better for Texas residential and small business energy consumers - $9.00/kWh peak wholesale electricity from centralized power plants that must be transmitted over long distances with the associated energy losses, or $0.07/kWh from distributed photovoltaic (PV) solar power generated where it is consumed with no transmission losses and which is generally aligned with the peak energy demand time periods in Texas?

The Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) recently raised the price cap on wholesale electricity prices to $9,000/MWh, which is $9.00/kWh, and then denied a petition to have more public discussion about increasing the emphasis on using a huge, untapped natural resource in Texas – the SUN!

(See http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-10-26/texas-electric-prices-cap-to-double-over-3-years and http://greenmountainsummit.com/2012/11/texas-puc-denies-rps-petition-from-the-environmental-renewable-groups/.)

A September 25th article in Renewable Energy World comparing the cost of a residential-sized PV system (4kW) between the US and Germany indicated that the unsubsidized total installed cost in Germany is approximately $2/Watt.  With the sunshine we have in Texas, this is equivalent to decades of electricity at less than $0.07/kWh.

(See http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2012/09/why-we-pay-double-for-solar-in-america-but-wont-forever.)

The basic calculation to translate $2/watt into $0.07/kWh is as follows:

• 4,000W(DC) system at $2/Watt is $8,000.
• A south facing PV solar system installed in Texas is estimated to produce 1,400 watt-hours, or 1.4kWh(AC) per installed watt(DC) of PV solar. 
• Therefore, a 4kW(DC) installed system will generate 4000 times 1.4kWh which equals 5,600 kWh per year. (467 kWh average per month)
• For 20 years, 5,600 kWh times 20 equals 112,000 kWh.  The cost per kWh over the 20 year period is then $8,000 divided by 112,000 kWh which equals $0.07/kWh, and then FREE after that……

So, the use of solar energy in Texas can provide:

• More energy independence from unfriendly foreign countries;
• More energy diversification and security by including the unending power of the sun in our energy mix;
• More stewardship of our natural resources – by using the untapped energy of the sun, and also saving our precious water resources normally needed by centralized conventional power plants;
• More price stability by pre-paying for long term energy (the life of PV solar systems is at least 25-40 years); For PV solar systems, the total cost is the installed system cost. There are NO ongoing fuel costs. For conventional power plants, there is the installed cost of the power plant plus the ongoing cost of fuel. Can anyone even obtain a 10 year energy contract from their utility company vs a 25-40 year price contract?
• More consumer choice with the option to generate some of your own electricity versus being totally dependent on the utility company;
• More support for the local economy with sales, design, and installation jobs for solar systems;
• More pollution-free energy production;

And:

• Less energy wasted due to losses in the transmission and distribution systems by generating a portion of the electricity where it is used;
• Less peak energy demand and stress on the Texas electric grid because distributed solar electricity is generated where it is used and when we need it the most – on sunny summer days;
• Less financial risk due to uncontrolled and unpredictable future energy price spikes;
• Less air and water pollution.

Are we saying that Texans don’t have the innovation, technological drive, and the cost competitiveness to match what is already being done today in Germany with distributed PV solar energy?  Let’s check this math again and find a way to tap this untapped Texas resource of the SUN!

Plano Solar Energy Advocate (LH)

For more information about energy subsidies, see "The Renewable Energy (Actually All Energy Sources) Subsidy Topic", at http://planosolar.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-renewable-energy-actually-all.html.