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Sun Volt

Sun Volt Solar

earth, the final frontier

Clean Energy, Clean Environment

We are at a cross roads in human history, we can choose to continue on as we have been, or we can make a change to improve our future and quite possibly the future for several generations to come. We are here to promote energy independence, a better environment, a secure future and a higher return on investment for your hard earned dollar. It is what I believe in, it is why I am in the solar business.

Greenwashing Coal

16 Oct 08 | Commentary, Environment

We have a serious energy problem our hands.  I fear it will get worse before it gets better.  We may need to build more coal fired electric plants to meet future demands for energy, especially if we migrate to electric vehicles.  Hey, that electricity has to come from somewhere.  Unfortunately, solar electric, either by harnessing heat to make steam or photovoltaics, is still a long way from being able to fill that demand.

To bridge that gap, we have but two choices, nuclear or coal.  I am not sure what the lesser of those two evils are.  That being said, please don’t tell me that coal is clean.

Coal is anything but clean; from its extraction to its final use, coal is dirty.  From the mountain top removal sites in West Virgina, where environmental damage is almost indescribable, to the electric generation station billowing out not just CO2, but Sulfur Dioxide, Nitric oxides, Mercury, Uranium, Cesium and other heavy metals, the damage to the environment is nearly incalculable.

Ask the residents of the West Virgina coal region whether they are prospering along with the companies that mine the coal.  Ask anyone living down wind from a coal fired power plant how they feel on a day to day basis.  Look at the environmental record of both the coal producers and the power producers.  Is this the kind of behavior we want to reward?

Somewhere along the line, somebody decided that all business was about greed.  Being the good consumers that we are, we happy citizens followed right along and made our personal lives about money.  After all, coal is cheap, the energy produced by coal is cheap, therefore it must be good.

There are, indeed, new technologies that greatly reduce the emissions of coal fired electrical power plants.  These include things like scrubbers to remove nitric and sulfur compounds, CO2 capture and sequestration.  These newer technologies are not normally retrofitted to older facilities.  The average life span of a coal fired power plant is anywhere from 30 to 50 years.  The plants that were previously built will continue to spew pollutants for years to come.

Not everything is about money.  There are quality of life issues as well.  Even if you live hundreds of miles away from any coal mines or power plants, eventually, the environmental damage will be so great that you will be effected.

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16 Oct 08 | Commentary, Environment | Comments (0)

Renewable tax credits extended for 8 years

03 Oct 08 | Solar Hot Water, solar thermal

Congress passed and the president signed HR 1424 “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act.” This is also known as the “Wall Street Bail Out bill.” Said bill also provided an extension of the renewable energy tax credits for businesses and home owners.

Here are some of the renewable energy highlights:

  1. Extend for 8 years the 30-percent tax credit for both residential and commercial solar installations.
  2. Eliminate the $2,000 monetary cap for residential solar electric installations, creating a true 30-percent credit.
  3. Eliminate the prohibition on utilities from benefiting from the credit.
  4. Allow Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) filers, both businesses and families, to take the credit.
  5. Authorize $800 million for clean energy bonds for renewable energy generating facilities, including solar.

The bill also provided for tax relief to manufactures of wooden arrows or some such.  The wooden arrow people are probably happy too.  Right now I picture them calling each other on the phone and saying “…yeah, and some thing or other about solar power or whatever.”

Anyway.

I am happy with the extension and the removal of the $2,000.00 cap.  It seems that solar manufacturer’s are also breathing a sigh of relief.  Hopefully those solar thermal panel people will tool up and start expanding capacity.  This panel shortage is a real pain

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03 Oct 08 | Solar Hot Water, solar thermal | Comment (1)