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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.

Gulf oil spill and our energy future

30 May 10 | Commentary

There is not much that I can add to the online discussion about the Gulf oil spill.  It is disheartening to say the lest, the oil spill will have environmental impacts for decades if not generations.  I have been gathering information from several websites, the most informed from an oil production standpoint seems to be The Oil Drum.  There, based on pressures and volumes of mud used in the failed top kill attempt, they have estimated the oil flow to be about 17,000 barrels (715,000 gallons) per day.  On this, the thirtieth day of May, that equates to 680,000 barrels (28,560,000 gallons) of oil spilled.  Add to this the hundreds of thousands of gallons of chemical dispersant and the picture in the Gulf becomes bleak to put it mildly.

In all likelihood, this will continue until the relief well is completed in August.  By that time 1.7 million barrels (71.4 million gallons) of oil will have been released into the Gulf.

There are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Oil breaks down naturally in sunlight into mostly CO2 and water.  A great majority of oil formed in the past eons has seeped to the surface to evaporate and be broken down by the sun.  Only oil trapped under impermeable rock has formed reservoirs.  This is less than 5% of the hydrocarbons created.  The oil released into the Gulf will go the same course, over time.
  2. The US alone burns 19,498,000 barrels of oil per day.  To give some perspective 29 Gulf oil spills will be needed to equal one day of oil consumption in the US.
  3. An active Hurricane season may hasten the breaking up of oil globs and cause it to break down faster, so long as the storm surge does not push large amounts of oil inland and contaminate shore side marshes.

The bad news is that as the oil breaks down, especially the underwater oil plumes, they will rob oxygen from the surrounding water creating huge dead zones.  There will also be deposits of residual chemicals such as sulfur and heavy compounds that will settle to the bottom of the sea.  No one really knows what effect the chemical dispersant will have on life in the Gulf, but one can hazard a guess that it will not be positive.

So, what effects has this had on the energy discussion in the US?  Sadly, not much.  There are a number of outraged persons demonstrating in front of BP gas stations, that is true.  Unfortunately, unless members of congress can be swayed, nothing bad will happen to BP or the oil industry in general.  I would expect the oil lobby to contribute handily to many re-election campaigns this year, ’cause thats how business is done.  Once the spill is capped, everyone will calm down and it will be business as usual for the oil business.

As an energy and environmentally conscious individual, all I can do is turn inward and make sure that I and my family do everything possible to reduce our own use of fossil fuels.  That is all any of us can do.

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30 May 10 | Commentary | Comments (0)

Energy and the Federal Budget

02 Feb 10 | Commentary

I remain convinced that subsidizing oil, gas and coal companies to produce cheap energy is the wrong thing to do.  The President seems to agree with this position as the 2011 budget has removed about 2.7 Billion Dollars in subsides for those sectors.  Some people disagree:

This is the industry pulling in billions of dollars in profits. It is best placed to come up with ways to reduce the carbon intensity of fossil fuels and discover breakthrough technologies.

Because the fossil fuel industry has a record of clean energy investment, oh no wait… Because they strongly believe in climate change, thus have every intention of reducing their own product demand, no, no… Okay, I got it, they have been strongly advocating for the renewable energy sector in congress… Hmmm, I can’t really place my finger on it, perhaps because it is a bunch of BS.

The fossil fuels industries are the last group that a) need a subside, the first sentence from the block quote ably demonstrates that, and b) will do anything to hurt their market share in the US energy market.

I have opined here before, I’d like to see all energy subsides, including solar and wind go away.  Let everyone compete in an open market place, let consumers know the real value of the energy they are using.  This would greatly increase conservation efforts and spur on the development of renewable energy.

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02 Feb 10 | Commentary | Comments (0)

Where are those guys in their garages?

04 Apr 09 | Commentary

The electronic computer was invented during WWII, first to calculate the trajectories of artillery and naval gunfire, then to decode German communications.  After WWII the computer was slow to take hold for general use. It ended up being very expensive to build and operate, used mostly by the military, universities and large corporations.  It wasn’t until Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started tinkering in their garage that somebody considered making small computers for personal use.  Hewlett-Packard is another example of garage to boardroom development.

So where are the green inovators in their garages?  There are a few out there, toiling away at things, mostly out of necessity, some out of boredom, still others trying to stike it rich.  Solar and wind power are fairly low tech applications.  Nothing really new has come down the pike in quite a while.  There have been some  innovations, things like more efficient solar coatings, better PV cell technology, better batteries, most of which have been developed in labs.

The problem with creating patentable designs is theft of the design.  A good example of this is the intermittent windshield wiper.  Robert Kerns patented the circuit in 1964 then presented it to various automobile manufactures who rejected the idea.  Five years later, they began making cars with intermittent windshield wipers based on Kerns’ design.  Kerns sued and it took until the mid 1990’s for all the cases to be decided in his favor.  The 2008 movie Flash of Genius tells the story.

Perhaps this is something that the industry should keep in mind.  Steeling other people’s patentable designs then locking them into expensive decades long legal disputes can put a damper on creativity.  One might think it is not worth it to go through all the trouble of creating something if it is going to be stolen by a big company with lots of lawyers.

Just sayin’

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04 Apr 09 | Commentary | Comments (0)

A false sense of security

19 Nov 08 | Conservation, Environment

I continue to watch in amazement as fuel oil prices (and energy prices in general) plumet from there summer time record highs.  Home heating oil has decreased by nearly 38%, from $4.80/gallon to the current price of $3.018/gallon.

The reason given on most news channels is the demand dropping off due to the bad economy.  Maybe, but I have another theory.  Demand is off by roughtly 5.2% over the same period last year.  The price per barrel of oil has dropped from a high of $147/bbl to about $56/bbl today, or a decrease of 62%.

Something doesn’t quite add up here.  Perhaps it has something to do with the less than transparent oil hedge fund speculation.  In fact, the hedge funds came to light last summer, when congress considered banning the practice, but choose not to.  So what is a hedge fund?

That is an investment that is betting on the price of some comodity will go up.  The idea is to buy low, sell high.  With oil, that was a pretty safe bet until recently.  Some hedge funds completely collapsed, leaving investors holding the bag.

As oil prices began to fall toward the middle of July, these funds began to dump there crude holdings, thus, the market became very soft for crude which lead to the price collapse.  So, was the the end of high oil/gas prices?

No, most experts agree that oil prices will go back up, even before the economy begins to recover.  Indeed, OPEC has already cut production once to prop up prices.  That effort was ineffective, so no doubt they will try again at their next meeting.

In the grand scheme of life, spending money, especially large amounts of hard earned cash, is always somewhat difficult.  The exact perfect time to invest in a renewable energy system may never arrive.  After all, there are many other things to spend money on, a new car, a new bathroom or kitchen, that trip the the Bahamas that you always wanted to take.  However, wouldn’t it be nice to know that you are not being manipulated out of your money by wealthy hedge fund operators?  Wouldn’t it be nice to know that you are not dependent on buying oil from people who don’t like us?  Wouldn’t it be nice to know that you have lessend your impact on the environment, even if it did cost a little more in the short run?

In the coming months, we may be called upon to sacrifice for the good of our country.  The time has never been better to install a renewable energy system, what better way to support the local economy, create jobs, reduce imports, reduce the trade deficite, improve the environment and take back control of your life.

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19 Nov 08 | Conservation, Environment | Comments (0)

Ten Senators I would like to Thank

06 Aug 08 | Commentary

Finally, there seems to be a few people who are willing to compromise on an energy plan.  It may not be perfect, but it is a thousand times better than what we have right now.  For almost a year now, Republican Senators have been blocking the extension of the renewable energy tax credits.  For about a month, the Democrats have been blocking any action on new off shore drilling.  Both sides have been pointing fingers and other blaming each other for the current and looming energy crisis that we now face.

Even Paris Hilton came up with a better plan than the Bush/Cheney response, which seems to be somewhat muted.  Paris Hilton for God’s sake.

Finally, 10 Senators, Democratic and Republican, came together to form a plan.  The major aspects include:

  • Expanding drilling opportunities off the East coast and Gulf of Mexico, which pleases Republicans
  • Keeping a ban on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, a concession to Democrats
  • Repealing a tax break for oil companies that Democrats have long called for
  • Putting billions toward producing more alternative-fuel vehicles, in part paid for by the oil and gas industry

I don’t see any mention of extending the renewable energy credits in there, perhaps it is something they are still working on.  In any case, at least they are trying to do something.  Who are the ten Senators I’d like to Thank?  They are these:

  • Kent Conrad, D-North Dakota
  • Saxby Chambliss, R-Georgia
  • ohn Thune, R-South Dakota
  • Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina
  • Blanche Lincoln, D-Arkansas
  • Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana
  • Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia
  • Bob Corker, R-Tennessee
  • Mark Pryor, D-Arkansas
  • Ben Nelson, D-Nebraska.

Thank you for caring and taking a stand, one that may be unpopular with your party and perhaps your constituents, but none the less, something that needs to be done.

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06 Aug 08 | Commentary | Comments (0)

Coal Power, our competitor.

28 Jul 08 | Environment

Get ready. As the energy crisis deeps, we will start to see more and more advertising by large scale energy producers about how drilling for more oil off the coast or in ANWR or perhaps removing more mountain tops in West Virgina will help us out of our problem.

The truth is, we are in it too deep for any of that to make much difference. WE have to transition to a new energy economy, one that depends more on distributed energy generation than huge centralized generating facilities. There will be many nay sayers that will say physics do not support the concept, or it will be too expensive, or take too long. The nay sayers are wrong.

Physics do support the switch to renewable energy to power almost all of our needs. Heavy transportation may still need to rely on fossil fuels for now, everything else can be powered by electric, which can be generated by solar, wind, hydro, wave, tidal, ocean currents etc. Distributed generation is better than centralized generation because the electrical grid is less likely to suffer a catastrophic failure, like it did in the summer of 2003 during the Northeast blackout.

Remove the oil and coal subsides. That will lower our federal taxes, something that is near and dear to the heart of every conservative, and allow the energy market to float on the economy, the way it is supposed to. Then you will see solar, wind, etc, etc, become viable competitors. The renewable energy sector would not have to rely on handouts from congress every few years to stay in business.

As far as a time frame, drilling in the north slope of Alaska or the continental shelf will take too long. It will be at least 10 years from drilling the first well until the time the first barrel of oil hits the market. While we wait, the economy will crash, we will all be broke or owned by Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, the production of solar and wind products are on the rise. New manufacturing capacity for raw materials and finished products is being added every year. R and D continues and new more efficient methods are coming on line.

The sooner we focus on that solution, the better off we will be.

This is a pretty good example of how large companies try to spin there environmentally disastrous products with some nice music and neighborly looking people.

Coal power. Cheap. Abundant. Cheap.

At the end of the ad, they should run a fast speaking disclaimer like all the used car adds you hear on the radio. Something like this:

This ad does not represent the truth. Using coal power releases sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, mercury, radio active elements and other harmful substances into the atmosphere. Sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxides cause acid rain, carbon monoxide is a deadly gas, carbon dioxide may increase global warming, mercury causes birth defects and brain damage, radio active elements cause birth defects and are a known carcinogen. The mining of coal seriously disrupts the environment and leads to permanent damage in most cases. Jobs created by coal industry are dangerous, low paying and often lead to black lung disease or other deadly health conditions. Use with caution.

WE need to make sure that the government does what WE want, lets stay focused. Don’t be fooled by all the hype in slick marketing.

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28 Jul 08 | Environment | Comments (0)

Nice try big guy

19 Jun 08 | Commentary

The oil companies are a little concerned these days. Oh, they are not worried that Congress is going to yank the rug out from under them, that is impossible. No, they are more concerned that they may be pricing themselves out of a customer.

As more and more people get fed up with high prices and shift to renewable energy, the oil companies will loose business. Not too much at first, it will take a while for momentum to build, but eventually oil will become the nation’s second choice for energy. This has the various boards of directors concerned, what with all the talk of peak oil production, limited reserves, high demand, limited refineries, one might think that we are running out of oil. As oil companies go, that perception is dangerous and bad for business.

It is no surprise to me that now President Bush proposes removing the ban on off shore drilling all along the US continental shelf. Everyone knows that Mr. Bush is an oil man at heart and it is no shock when he has repeatedly spoken of drilling in ANWR. The off shore drilling is a change, or as the talking heads on the TV say, a “Flip Flop.”

This, according to Mr. Bush and other pro oil analysts, would lower gas prices even if supplies were not immediately increased. Most others say it would make little or no difference, especially in the price of motor fuel. I am more inclined to believe the latter.

What off shore drill will accomplish:

  1. Increase supply of oil on the world wide market enough to barely meet expected demand increase, thus have no effect on current prices. (US DOE study, impacts of increased access…)
  2. Continue the current Oil Economy for a few more years leading to more oil addiction.
  3. Make the large oil companies and their executives very, very wealthy.
  4. Do nothing to mitigate the possible environmental effects of burning fossil fuels.

It is interesting that the US Department of Energy refutes Mr. Bush’s claim of lower gas prices. Perhaps they didn’t get the memo…

We have been addicted to cheap energy for a long, long time. The party is over and now it is time for a little pain. Pain, as it turns out, is good in some cases. It encourages changes in behavior, leads to innovation and advances in technology. It is good that this is happening now, like this, while we still have energy resources to effect change, rather than having the proverbial tank run dry. High oil prices are good for us, we just don’t know it yet.

Update: This article says it much better than I ever could: The misguided message of the addict-and-chief.

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19 Jun 08 | Commentary | Comments (0)

No Longer Alternative Energy

09 Jun 08 | Commentary

Time was when we would think of anything that was a non-fossil fueled power as “Alternative Energy.”  Something that space ships used, or perhaps some hippies living in the woods.  Not so much anymore.  As oil prices go through the roof and supplies become scarce, the question I hear more and more often is “Alternative to what?”

When I read articles in Main Stream Media outlets, like MSN, which tout Solar Powers ability to offset conventional power (It’s Solar Powers Time to Shine, June 5, 2006) it makes me smile.  I have known this for many years as have the other people in the solar business.  It has become the latest news for the un-initiated.

To make the alternative energy systems main stream, three things must happen:

  1. Greater awareness by the public.  Education is the key, installing a solar thermal collector is not the same as installing hot water heater or furnace.  The typical house owner needs to have some general idea of how it works in order to make in informed decision.  Solar 101 needs to be taught beginning in primary school science classes and carried on through collage.
  2. Research and Development.  Much more needs to be done, especially with photovoltaics to increase the panel efficiency and bring the costs down.  R and D in other areas such as large scale solar thermal electric generation, solar thermal building heating, solar thermal storage, small scale solar water heating systems is also needed.
  3. Level the playing field with the other fuels.  Currently, big oil, big coal and big nuclear receive huge federal government subsides which are paid for by… you and me (if you pay any federal income tax).  I would like to see this stop.  Preferably, all the government subsides would end that way, solar, wind and small hydro would be able to compete head on with coal, oil and nuclear power.  This is the European model.  That will likely not happen, therefore, an acceptable alternative would be long term subsides for solar and small wind power.

As fuel prices go up, my phone rings more and more.  I am optimistic that economic forces will drive solar and other so called alternative energy sources into the main stream, perhaps much sooner than anyone thought.

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09 Jun 08 | Commentary | Comments (0)

Why Tax breaks are needed

29 Apr 08 | Commentary

I have been watching the news about the House and the current bill to extend the tax breaks granted two years ago. It is a bit troubling to think that my business is in the hands of congress, but there it is.

When I read things like this:

Continued congressional delays over extending tax breaks to solar, wind and other renewable-energy companies could threaten the clean-technology industry’s growth and the jobs it creates.

I begin to wonder what is really going on. Are we just kidding ourselves in thinking that somehow we, the ordinary citizen, can affect change in America’s energy policy? A policy that has to date, been dictated by faceless mega corporations who can manage to turn the tables to their benefit regardless of what the majority of American’s want. I am beginning to wonder…

Since I deal almost exclusively in solar thermal, losing the federal tax subside would put a serious damper on my sales effort. In fact, I would say it would put me out of business.

That sucks.

It sucks because I believe in solar energy. Will it solve all of our energy problems? No. Can it make a significant dent (greater than 30-40%) contribution to our energy needs? Yes, with enough support, the combination of solar thermal and photovoltaics can generate a huge quantity of energy for our use.

The problem is we are going up against the powerful elite who run the current energy supply system like their own fiefdom. Guess who is playing the role of surf? Profits are to be guarded at all costs without regard to the future, the environment, or the greater good. They have mega cash and are willing to spend it on any effort that will maintain status quo. What we are trying to do is akin to attacking an aircraft carrier with a sling shot.

It sucks because when I see my own electric bill has been reduced by at least $60 per month by a solar domestic hot water system, I know this stuff works. It is proven technology that has been perfected by state of the art solar selective coatings and insulation.

It sucks because we are only asking for a level playing field. If this is a free market economy, and that is a big if, then let market forces decide what is better. The oil and coal industry receive huge subsides from the federal government, on top of the huge profits from the American people. Wouldn’t it be nice if we (the renewable energy sector) could compete economically with that?

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29 Apr 08 | Commentary | Comments (0)

Is the Solar Energy field recession proof?

23 Jan 08 | General Business, Solar Electric, Technology

Starting a small business during a recession may seem like a recipe for failure. The basic premise is that people will not buy anything other than what is absolutely necessary. So the questions are; is electricity necessary today? How about hot water or heat, is that necessary? Would people be interested in saving money on those things if it involved an initial outlay of cash? How fed up are people with paying for oil, gas or electric? Here is a basic recap (prices for New York State, Hudson Valley region as of January 20, 2008 from NYSERDA):

  • Home heating oil $3.484/gallon
  • Propane $2.851/gallon
  • Electric $0.138 kWh
  • Natural Gas $1.926 therm
  • Solar $0.00
  • Wind $0.00

Will people get that? I know many are rushing off to trade in their SUV’s for fuel efficient cars, but will they consider the energy they use at home as well? Those are things that I want to find out.

Right now, the solar industry is dependent on government subsides, there are no two ways about it. Without generous help from the government (federal and state) neither solar thermal nor photovoltiacs would be viable except in situations where grid power was unavailable (i.e. remote cabins, telecommunications sites, etc). In fact, in the mid 1980’s the industry was brought down to almost nothing as the Reagan administration killed all the tax incentives that were then fueling the solar sector. Will congress restore the tax breaks? Only time will tell. Even if they do, it will take a huge effort to move them away from their corporate sponsors toward the less corporate renewables.

I was listening to an interesting report on the local NPR station on my way home from work today. Amid reports of troubled economic times and other bad omens, there was an upbeat report on the Solar economy right here in the Hudson Valley. You can listen to an .mp3 of the report here (opens media player window). Basically, the it speaks about TSEC (The Solar Energy Consortium) based in Kingston, NY. This is more along the lines of research and development, but that is what will fuel the green economy in the future. It is clear to me that the sustainable movement must be able to stand on it’s own, without government assistance, to succeed. This is a tall order, considering how unfavorably the deck is stacked against renewable energy due to the huge subsides given to coal and oil.

It is, however, possible.

For the short term, the solar energy sector may well be able to weather the up coming recession as more and more people are aware of it and are looking for ways to save money. As much as we would like to believe that the human race is altruistic and will alter it’s behavior of the benefit of the planet, economics trumps environment.

For the long term, the only way that solar, wind and other renewable energy sources will survive is if they become competitive with fossil fuels on their own. This means that fossil fuels have to become more expensive (than they already are) and renewable energy, particularly photovoltaics must become less expensive.

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23 Jan 08 | General Business, Solar Electric, Technology | Comments (0)
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