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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.

Obstructionist, Corporate lackies, Bush sycophants

14 Dec 07 | Commentary

Last night, at 6:25 pm, the US Senate choose to uphold the current policy of corporate welfare for Big Oil companies and voted for the stripped down version of the 2007 energy bill. Since this bill has everything the Republicans wanted, Bush will naturally sign it into law.

This is a disappointment and a set back for all those that were looking for a change of direction from our elected leaders. The difference between the House bill and the Senate bill are huge. The worst impact, for the ordinary environmentally concerned citizen, is the loss of the tax incentives for installation of solar power, which will expire at the end of 2008.

Fortunately, many states have picked up the ball and carried it a great deal of the way, New York being one of those. As we watch our national “leadership” give away our future to huge mega rich oil companies, it is comforting to know that at least some people have the moral courage to do the right thing. Will it be enough? I don’t know, only the future can tell.

Perhaps during the next election, we can remember the names of the Senators who voted against the non-stripped out 2007 energy bill. Here is a list:

Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lott (R-MS)
Martinez (R-FL)
McConnell (R-KY)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)

If you are from any of those states, keep this in mind the next time you are standing in front of a voting machine. In the mean time, perhaps the issue will come up again next year and we will get a second chance.

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14 Dec 07 | Commentary | Comments (0)

Filibuster!

13 Dec 07 | Commentary

In the second procedural vote, the Senate has voted 59-40 for the 2007 Energy Bill. This is not the 60 vote majority needed to prevent a Senate Filibuster by the mostly Republican minority that opposes this legislation.  So what, let them filibuster.

From the Energy Smart Blog:

Senator Reid should not be so quick to cave in front of 40 Senators willing to put their fossil-fuel friends before the nation.  40 Senators willing to put their fossil fuel friends before the future of all humanity.

Senator Reid:  KEEP THE SENATE OPEN for the weekend.  Make the 40 read the phone book in support of tax subsidies for the oil and gas companies.  Make this “CALLOUS MINORITY” explain themselves to the nation.

I agree, let Senator McCain, who is attempting a presidential run stand in front of the country and explain why he does not see the need to encourage development of alternate energy.  Let the rest of the minority opposition explain why, when oil is trading at $94.00 per barrel, it is not important to invest in renewable energy.  Let them explain why, when oil companies are reaping record profits never before heard of in the history of US business, they need huge tax payer subsides.  I for one, would look forward to such an explaination.

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13 Dec 07 | Commentary | Comments (0)

The outcome hangs in the balance

11 Dec 07 | Commentary, General Business

It seems that Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has the interests of Big Coal and Big Oil at heart. Being the Republican Senate minority leader, this position is not unexpected. Senator McConnell has supported George W. Bush in most things, including the Iraq war (that is until it became unpopular to do so, at which time he changed his mind on Iraq).

What McConnell and the other Republicans are missing is the fact that change is in the air. The environmental and energy issues are too large to ignore, and enough people have taken notice that it can no longer be business as usual. Momentum favors the things that are in motion. At the risk of creating a public backlash to the Republican party in general, these Senators are on the road to greater dependence on oil and coal, not less. I hope and pray that the voters of this country are paying attention, taking notes and looking at the alternatives. If so, I would postulate that these stalwart Republican Senators, who are only interested in voting the party line as defined by Bush, are treading the path to their own reelection defeat and subesquent retirement ceremonies.

For myself, the decision on whether or not to jump fully into the solar business hinges on whether or not the tax incentives will be renewed. Without the tax incentives, both federal and state, it would be difficult to make a living in the solar business. We rely on incentives to even the playing field and make solar thermal, photovoltaic and wind turbine technology affordable to the average home owner. Even with the incentives, it can be a tough sell, especially to someone who does not fully understand the technology, or appreciate the environmental benefits of a solar installation.

If the big oil and coal companies were not receiving huge incentives from the government to produce cheap energy, these renewable energy incentives would not be necessary. This is the European economic model, they have very high energy prices, which makes renewable energy competitive with conventional energy systems including nuclear power. This would be what I would call, a true market system. Something to think about.

New York State has an excellent photovoltaic incentive program through NYSERDA. Unfortunately for those just starting, in order to qualify for those incentives, you have to be a certified photovoltaic installer through NABCEP. As they advertise in all the trade magazines, it is the certification “that is hard to get” mostly due to the experience requirements. Of course, this is a catch 22, how do you get the experience if you can not be a certified installer without experience?

Solar Thermal installations also have a tax incentive through New York State, but not enough to make it viable without the additional federal tax incentive.

As of now, my business plan includes both installation work and some type of retail sales. Without both these components, the business model does not work, I will not make enough money to feed my family and cover all my expenses, so my future in the solar business hangs in the balance. Here are some particularly critical swing votes that could push support for the energy bill over the critical, filibuster-proof 60 votes mark. If one of these Senators “belongs” to you, call, call and call again:

Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
Ensign (R-NV)
Greg (R-NH)
Grassley (R-IA)
Levin (D-MI)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCaskill (D-MO)
McCain (R-AZ)
Sessions (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevents (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Thune (R-SD)

Anything you can do would be a help.

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11 Dec 07 | Commentary, General Business | Comments (0)

House passes Energy Bill, Bush promises veto

07 Dec 07 | Commentary

Update: Since this post, dated December 7, 2007, congress has made two more attempts to pass some sort of renewable energy legislation.  This bill and the subsequent bill failed in the Senate.  The Current bill, H.R. 5351 has passed the house and is on its way to the Senate as of February 28, 2008.

The same players that blocked the last two bills are still in place in the Senate.  Therefore it remains to be seen if this will even make it to the President’s desk for signing.

Stay tuned.

The house passed the 2007 energy bill last Wednesday. The bill features some very favorable solar and wind power incentives as well as minimum gas mileage standard for cars, SUVs and light trucks (known as CAFE). Here are some of the highlights:

  • Increases the efficiency of vehicles to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, for the first time in a generation;
  • Makes an historic commitment to American-grown biofuels;
  • Requires for the first time that 15 percent of our electricity come from renewable sources;
  • Improves energy efficiency of a wide range of products, appliances, lighting and buildings; and
  • Invests in clean renewable and alternative energy tax incentives to build viable markets and create jobs.

For more specifics you can read the whole thing here.

One very exciting thing is the continuation of tax credits for installation of residential solar and fuel cells. This was set to expire at the end of 2008, however this legislation seeks to extend that to 2016. Also, the tax credit cap, which was initially set at $2,000 has been increased to $4,000.

Naturally, there are detractors of this bill. The Senate is attempting to pass its own very weak version of this legislation, with Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) leading the charge to gut all of the important parts of the bill (If you live in New Mexico, give your senator a call, let him know how you feel).

As far as the cost of this bill, if I read the document correctly, it looks like the total cost would be 16.2 billion dollars, much of which would be offset by repealing several subsides to big oil companies. The total tax burden would be around 6 billion.

A few months ago, former chairman of the Federal Reserve System, Alan Greenspan, admitted that the Iraq war was more or less about oil. Therefore, it is fair to compare the cost of renewable energy implementation to the Iraq war. Currently, the Iraq war costs us about 1.4 billion dollars per week. So far the total tab is around 475 Billion dollars with no end is sight. Several economist estimate that before it is all over, the cost will be around 1.2 Trillion dollars.

bush

Even if the bill gets through the Senate unscathed, Mr. Bush as already promised to veto it.

Because, why, when oil is between $90-100 dollars a barrel, gas is running $3.20-3.50 a gallon, diesel and heating oil are well above $3.00 a gallon, would we possibly want to pass legislation that would curb our oil use? What are we, stupid? Perhaps crazy? I mean, I love spending my paycheck at the gas station. It makes me feel good to know that the money that is supposed to go toward my daughter’s college education is being used to buy heating oil. I feel like I am really doing my part to pay the CEO of Exxon Mobile’s annual bonus and at the same time, pumping tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. After all, we don’t want the world to get colder, do we?

I would also like to add I am proud to be an American!

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07 Dec 07 | Commentary | Comments (0)

It's about energy, Stupid.

25 Nov 07 | Commentary, Conservation

Remember when Bill Clinton ran against George H. W. Bush (Aka Bush senior)?  He had this sign that he hung in his campaign headquarters that read “It’s about the economy, Stupid.”  It was a sort of reminder of what the important issue of the day was for most Americans, plus it sort of chided the opponent at the same time.

This time around, we are dealing with a more fundamental issue:  Energy.  We need energy, as a society. We need energy as a species.  We will die without energy.  Energy produces food, clothing, housing, warmth from the cold, employment, communication, commerce, entertainment, and in reality, society itself.  Without a source of energy, the world as we know it, will end.

There are several things that can be done.  First of all, federal, state, and local politicians need to be made aware of the situation.  This means becoming active, registering to vote and becoming active in all elections.  The internet is a wonderful thing.  There is a lot of information on how your US or State representatives or senators have voted at Project Vote Smart.  This is a great way to keep an eye on what your representatives are doing.  The next greatest thing about the internet is e-mail.  Anytime your representative does something you don’t like, let them know.  If you are a registered voter, your e-mail will be read by somebody.  Finally, one more great thing about the internet, you can find all the contact information for your representatives including local phone numbers, local office locations, etc.

All of this is important, as we need to keep hammering away at the US congress in particular to change the energy course of this country.   Further more, talking about this issue among family and friends without being too obnoxious will help to push the issue along.

If we run out of food or clean water, nothing else matters.

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25 Nov 07 | Commentary, Conservation | Comments (0)

President Bush has done more for the Environment than anyone else

18 Nov 07 | Commentary

It is very heartening to see how much the younger generation has become interested in the environment and renewable energy. It is like they believe their future is at stake, and they are right. There is a movement afoot called Power Shift 2007 which is aimed at creating a NextGeneration political/environmental movement. Then there are blogs like WattHead, Solar Power Rocks, Cleanergy, and so on which have a renewable energy theme.

It is not just the younger generation either. Many people have become concerned with our government’s blatant disregard for the environment, our current energy situation and the lack of action or just plain wrong actions by our president, George W. Bush. His answers have been to invade a country, open up the ANWR to drilling and give billions of dollars in subsides to the already filthy rich oil companies. This has lead to a backlash of sorts on the administration as more and more state and local governments are enacting their own energy standards. Some states (Vermont is one) have sued the US EPA in order to force them to do their job. I think it took this sort of idiocy for the majority of Americans to wake up and finally start speaking up.

Because to this anti-Bush environment effect we are seeing and hearing a lot more about the environment and energy issues in the national media. I only hope this trend continues and that Congress and the 2008 presidential hopefuls are paying attention.

Speaking of Congress, as they take the Thanksgiving holiday break, their leadership has something to think about. Many people have chosen to call their Senator or Representative and voice their disapproval over the direction of the 2007 energy bill. This has caused Senator Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to reconsider stripping the bill of most of it’s substance. This contact needs to continue, if you have not called your senator or representative, take a few minutes to do it today. The pressure must be maintained if we are going to keep some of the provisions in the bill that give the ordinary home owner tax incentives to install solar and small wind power.

Here is a little graph from Solar Power Rocks to give some perspective:

Graph Iraq war spending vs renewable energy spending

This represents the cost of the Iraq war, versus the amount of money the government has invested in renewable energy. As you can see, the priority has been to invade Iraq which, as of yet, has not produced any more oil than what was available pre-invasion. Seems like a bad plan

As the blog writer points out, the total cost will be much higher, by the time you figure in the cost of VA health care for the now disabled veterans:

Accrued liabilities for U.S. federal employees’ and veterans’ benefits now total $4.5 trillion. Indeed, our debt for veterans’ health and disability payments has risen by $228 billion in the past year alone…The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the interest payments on the money borrowed to finance the Iraq war will total $264 billion to $308 billion.

So, how many solar thermal plants, photovoltiac arrays, geothermal plants, wind generators, wave generators and so on could that money purchase? Likely enough to provide 2/3 (conservative estimate) or more of our national electrical demand. Sick indeed.

To add insult to injury, China is beating us in renewable energy investment.  China for God sakes.

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18 Nov 07 | Commentary | Comments (0)

The politics of Energy

09 Nov 07 | Commentary

It seems that there are some problems with the energy bill working its way through the Senate. Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) is attempting to move the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) from the Senate Energy Bill to the Agricultural Bill under current debate. Without the RFS, the coalition that supports the bill (including several midwest Republicans) will fall apart, basically causing the entire thing to collapse under a filibuster, led by Senator Pete Domenici.

This is a deplorable state of affairs, oil is approaching and will likely exceed $100.00 per barrel. All signs seem to say that we are reaching global peak oil output. Let your representatives know, we need this legislation to move the nation away from oil toward renewable energy and it is being held up by an anti-renewable energy senator with his head stuck in the sand… or somewhere else.

Furthermore, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid are considering stripping out several key parts of the legislation to get it passed. This includes the production tax credits for wind and solar, along with the federal renewable portfolio standard.  This watered down bill is exactly what the republicans and the president want.  I think that the original energy bill is something that is worth fighting for, and is one of the reasons why we (the rest of the country) elected a democratic majority in the house and senate.   As one fellow blogger put it:

Let President Bush veto a critical energy bill at a time of record high energy prices and explain that to the American people. Let House and Senate Rs explain why they blocked efforts to save Americans energy and money, help kick our oil addiction, invest in clean, homegrown, renewable energy sources and put America on a path to a sustainable and prosperous energy future.

But DO NOT cave in.

This isn’t the “change” we voted for in November 2006, and we’ll be voting for new leaders in 2008 if our current set can’t get the job done. We’re behind you Pelosi, but not if you cave. We want a Power Shift, and we’ll get it!

Amen, brother, amen.

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09 Nov 07 | Commentary | Comments (0)

I'm ready, are you?

08 Oct 07 | Commentary

There are a couple of developments in the renewable energy world that are fairly exciting. First off, $100.00 per barrel oil seems inevitable. From the Cleantech blog:

Last week, as reported on Yahoo!, the chief economist of the investment bank CIBC went on record that “We’re in a world of triple digit oil prices for the foreseeable future,” beginning by the end of 2008.

Increasingly, I’ve been hearing through the grapevine prognostications of $100/barrel oil. I put a lot more weight on CIBC’s view than on Hugo Chavez’s. Why? Based in Canada, CIBC prides itself on being a banker of note to the huge Canadian oil and natural resources industry. Besides, Canadians in general seem less prone to hyperbole than we Americans (or Venezuelans). As a result, I expect that a firm such as CIBC doesn’t put out such statements very lightly.

What does $100 oil mean? By my calculations, each additional $10/barrel increase in oil prices, translates to about $0.40/gallon in gasoline prices — assuming no changes in oil transportation costs, oil refinery economics and oil taxation. So, if we’re seeing gasoline close to $3.00/gallon today with oil at $80/barrel, I would expect almost $4.00/gallon at $100 oil.

This is good, I say. I would welcome $5.00 per gallon of gas if only the oil companies were not getting filthy rich from it.

Then, it appears that Congress has received the message. They are currently working on the renewable energy portfolio, fixing some access issues from the interconnection rules, etc. From renewable energy access.com:

While the renewable energy industries have been focused on extending or expanding the investment and production tax credits, adopting a renewable energy portfolio standard (which passed the House of Representatives), and addressing access issues from interconnection rules to accelerating clean energy projects on federal lands and facilities — Congressional leaders are stepping out to define their own vision.

Two seasoned legislative leaders have introduced important bills that deserve attention, and are already creating talk on Capitol Hill.
Now such actions had started earlier in the year, when solar, small wind and fuel cell advocates were surprised that the House Ways and Means Committee was not moving the Section 25 residential investment tax credits in the energy section of the new Energy Bill. In fact, Congressional Democrats had adopted an approach on their own for long term government loans.

For some Congressional supporters, residential tax credits were only useful to the upper middle class with tax liabilities, while tax credits were less useful to the lower middle class homeowner that had lower tax liabilities and had little cash to even consider the solar option.

Now, it appears both options are destined for passage, with loans as part of the Energy Bill deliberations in November and December, and residential credits either leveraged into the Energy Bill by the Senate or considered as part of a separate expiring tax credit package the House will move before adjournment this year.

That is exciting stuff. Now the question is, will they have enough votes for any presidential veto override?

The released proposal (not yet introduced as a formal bill) establishes: 1) a 50-cent-a-gallon tax on gasoline and jet fuel, phased in over five years, on top of existing taxes, 2) tax on carbon, at $50 a ton, released from burning coal, petroleum or natural gas, 3) Phaseout of the interest tax deduction on home mortgages for homes over 3,000 square feet. Owners would keep most of the deduction for homes at the lower end of the scale, but it would be eliminated entirely for homes of 4,200 feet or more which estimates that would affect 10 percent of homeowners.

Dingell says “it’s only fair” to tax those who buy large suburban houses and create urban sprawl. Historic and farm houses would be exempted. The Bill also designates some of the revenue would be used to reduce payroll taxes, but most would go elsewhere including for highway construction, mass transit, paying for Social Security and health programs and to help the poor pay energy bills.

That is an interesting twist, phase out tax deductions on interest for large houses. I am not sure how I feel on this one, surely large houses do use a lot of energy, but it seems sort of anti-American to increase the tax burden on the average McMansion owner.

Finally, there is this bit of good news about peak oil from the Peak Oil Review:

In peak oil circles, the likelihood that world oil exports will peak and then decline faster than world oil production has been discussed, tracked, and generally accepted for some time now. Last week the notion that peak exports may well be near at hand hit the mainstream when Jeffrey Rubin, the chief economist of the Canadian investment bank CIBC, released a report on declining oil exports and began briefing Wall Street groups about his findings.

We live in interesting times.

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08 Oct 07 | Commentary | Comments (0)

Enviro-phoneys

06 Sep 07 | Commentary

I read a very interesting article in the Providence Journal (Providence, RI) about the Nantucket sound wind project. It starts out:

There are two sets of environmental policies in the United states today: one for the very rich and one for the yahoos. Once you understand this, a lot of things fall into place. You know how developers and mining magnates get away with turning your local landscape into a hideous mess, while they live in perfect, super zoned enclaves.

That is an excellent point. I once heard Jim Hightower, the semi-famous radio talk show host, say we should do away with all zoning and environmental laws, in fact, these corporations should be allowed to do what ever they want, so long as they do it within two hundred feet of the CEO’s house.

About the Cape Wind Project; it seems some of the more influential (read rich) residents formed a group opposed to the project called “The Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound.” That sound great, until you start to peel back the layers and find out who is behind this group. The groups first president, Doug Yearly, was the CEO of Phelps-Dodge. Under Yearly, Phelps Dodge earned first place in the US EPA’s toxic release inventory for both Arizona and New Mexico. It seems Mr. Yearly either has a double standard or suffers from amnesia. Most of the members of the “Alliance” are fabulously wealthy, and in fact, the headquarters is located at an exclusive Wianno Yacht Club. Naturally, nothing is mentioned of the gas guzzling behemoths sailing in and out of the marina and their effect on the sound. Nor is anything said about the 10,000 square foot energy inefficient mansions most member’s own. Where does the power come from to keep those mansions running? Inland generating plants, near the homes and back yards of middle class working people like you and me.

Hypocrites.

Here is a very funny bit from Comedy Central that sums it up nicely:

 

 

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This is of course, but one example of the double standards that the wealthy power brokers force on the rest of us. I for one, think than any renewable energy project is worth the investment. Solar, wind, hydro, can all make small reductions in our fossil fuel usage.Fortunately, this country is still nominally a democracy. If you care to , and you should, look up the voting record of your elected officials in all levels of government. Fortunately for us, there is a website out there called “Project Vote Smart,” where you can look up the voting record of any elected official. If you don’t know who your elected representatives are, that’s okay, just type in your zip code.

If they do not meet with your approval, voice your opinion in a letter or e-mail. If you choose to do this, it is important that you are registered to vote. I know first hand, any letter or e-mail received by a congressman or senator, the first question asked is “Is this person registered.” If the answer is no, it goes right into the round file. That is just the way it works. Once you are registered to vote, then do it. Voter apathy is what has gotten us into this situation, the idea that nobody really cares and the wealthy can do what ever they choose. It has got to stop.

The only way is if we all stand together. We have to ask questions, scrutinize agendas and hold our publicly elected officials accountable because they are supposed to represent our needs, not their own.

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06 Sep 07 | Commentary | Comments (0)

The Greater Concern

06 Jul 07 | Commentary, Conservation, Environment

I was thinking about climate change, the human race and other things last night as I drove home. I often use the drive home to contemplate things that happened during the day, things I have heard or read, concerns, plans, etc.

Driving in my car with the air conditioner on it occurred to me that humans may not be able to grasp the big picture, at least not most of them. I say this because I am fairly environmentally conscious, however, because it was a little bit warm out, I saw the need to run the AC. It may seem like such a small thing, turning on the AC in your car, but I’ll bet that act alone uses hundreds of thousands, if not millions of gallons of gas every day. Why? So our hair doesn’t get blown around?

Think about a typical house. How much energy is used or wasted by us every day on things like not turning off the lights, wasting hot water, inefficient appliances, air conditioning set too low, heat set too high. I was reading one of those store catalogs once where it was describing a small blanket. The description stated “Perfect for taking the chill off an air conditioned room.” How about turning off the AC and opening a window if you are chilly?

We are all the center of our own universe. It seems, in spite of the fact that our current communications technologies are unprecedented, that universe is getting smaller. There is so much information available, important stuff, yet most people remain fixated on Paris Hilton, or themselves.

Changing our habits to prevent environmental disaster will require sacrifice. I don’t think it is in us to voluntarily take that on. Sure, there are some who will, but most will continue on as before, oblivious, until some misfortune befalls them and then woe is me.

In this country, there is a culture of consumerism and greed. If we cannot get around that mindset, than we will go no further than this. We are constantly bombarded with advertising for items that we don’t really need. The latest greatest video games, cell phones, toys, clothes, shoes, fast food, cars, etc. How much stuff do we really need?

We need to invest the energy that we have available today in developing and manufacturing renewable energy systems for tomorrow. The current abundance of high energy fossil fuels should be used cautiously and conserved rigorously, not only because it is good for the environment, our existence as a society depends on it. Otherwise we will be like the people of Easter Island, who cut down the last tree on the island in the early 1600’s, after which a great portion of the population starved to death.

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06 Jul 07 | Commentary, Conservation, Environment | Comments (0)
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