At SMUD, where I work, my bosses-bosses-boss, assistant general manager for energy supply, shows some telling trends.
SMUD, like most other utilities, cities, and municipalities, has embraced going green. With abandon. Carbon footprint calculators, selling carbon credits, pay a premium to get 50% or 100% of your energy from green sources -- that sorta thing. And SMUD has a mandate that in the future, a certain percentage of our resource mix has to come from renewable resources. Many others are adopting similar thinking...without checking, I'd bet that the City of Santa Barbara or Colorado Springs also have some sort of green energy goal.
I am not exact here, but I would say that our mandate is 25% by 2012. This is not federal law. Not even state law that I'm aware of, or a local ordinance. Just a goal.
But -- if you could see the trend, projected out to 2015, SMUDs renewable portfolio falls off a cliff. This is in part due to anticipated electric growth, but also the drying up of existing contracts. As everyone else is also riding this green turnip truck, the value of renewables is increasing and is, of course, becoming increasingly expensive.
I'm convinced that as SMUD will ask ratepayers in the future to pay more to meet this mandate...they will say "kiss my ass." On a SMUD employee forum board, one wrote, "I just want my electricity to be the cheapest it can during my lifetime."
A sentiment shared by most, I'm sure. So the mandate will be 'eased.' Just like the 1990 law that mandated 10% ZEV cars by 2003. Too expensive. Not enough infrastructure. I'd guess that now, five years after that deadline, we have reached 0.002%
That's what will be said about our 'easing' of the renewable portfolio goals. Just can't do it yet. The technology is out there, but... So cut the goals, further weakening the push for renewables, and wait until conventional sources are totally unreliable.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
The Hole
I do believe that environmentalism is a system -- one should strive to limit their impact on all natural and man-made systems. Each day I focus on one area or another -- energy, housing, water, food, etc., but on the whole I've tried to do what's right for every component of my environment. I will someday die, and when I do, I will do so with conviction that I've provided for a sustained living environment for every person who follows. This is fundamental in my belief system.
I am a firm advocate of my local environment. The global environment will follow. Consequently, I am not a die-hard champion of climate change. I figure that if we can manage all our local environmental problems, then the macro problems will manage themselves.
Fresno, CA -- if they themselves could suddenly cease all local emissions, they'd still have terrible air quality as pollutants from the Bay Area are carried by the west winds and settle near the bottom of the San Joaquin valley. I find it amazing that there are people who are aware of local pollution problems, but choose to ignore that their emissions also affect other environments. I can understand skepticism wrt anthropogenic global warming, but isn't it at least plausible that it can occur? If a paint manufacturer in San Anselmo can affect the air 130 miles away in Chowchilla, isn't it plausible that it also, perhaps minimally, affects the air in Santiago, Chile?
Isn't it at least plausible that CFCs, emitted locally, can have an effect on artic ozone layers?
I am not a man of traditional faith. But I have to take the science of climate change on faith. I've not studied it personally. I have not taken one single temperature measurement. Haven't seen one polar bear on shrinking ice. But I'm inclined to believe that if there's even a remote possibility (plausibility) that my actions today could adversely affect the environment of tomorrow, as scholared people are indicating, I am willing to do something about it. So I do it locally.
This is the primary reason why I've completely abandoned the Republican party -- the vast majority are unwilling. I have followed with earnest the current administration's environmental policies. These will, in due time, be the subject of many additional blogs. I also understand the complete environmental failures of the previous three administrations. Change won't come easy, especially in my nation of overweight, over consumptive, entitled NASCAR slobs.
I am a firm advocate of my local environment. The global environment will follow. Consequently, I am not a die-hard champion of climate change. I figure that if we can manage all our local environmental problems, then the macro problems will manage themselves.
Fresno, CA -- if they themselves could suddenly cease all local emissions, they'd still have terrible air quality as pollutants from the Bay Area are carried by the west winds and settle near the bottom of the San Joaquin valley. I find it amazing that there are people who are aware of local pollution problems, but choose to ignore that their emissions also affect other environments. I can understand skepticism wrt anthropogenic global warming, but isn't it at least plausible that it can occur? If a paint manufacturer in San Anselmo can affect the air 130 miles away in Chowchilla, isn't it plausible that it also, perhaps minimally, affects the air in Santiago, Chile?
Isn't it at least plausible that CFCs, emitted locally, can have an effect on artic ozone layers?
I am not a man of traditional faith. But I have to take the science of climate change on faith. I've not studied it personally. I have not taken one single temperature measurement. Haven't seen one polar bear on shrinking ice. But I'm inclined to believe that if there's even a remote possibility (plausibility) that my actions today could adversely affect the environment of tomorrow, as scholared people are indicating, I am willing to do something about it. So I do it locally.
This is the primary reason why I've completely abandoned the Republican party -- the vast majority are unwilling. I have followed with earnest the current administration's environmental policies. These will, in due time, be the subject of many additional blogs. I also understand the complete environmental failures of the previous three administrations. Change won't come easy, especially in my nation of overweight, over consumptive, entitled NASCAR slobs.
How Now, Brown Cow?
We had a decent mid-sized local dairy co-operative, Crystal, that recently was acquired by East Coast based HP Hood LLC -- in what amounts to yet another lost local business that kept local farmers and distributors employed, provided a product to local consumers, and kept tax revenues supporting local needs.
I fully admit my embracing of the 'evil corporations' doctrine even though I'm not exactly sure of why it's so evil. I don't yet have the vocabulary to describe it. However, my gut feeling tells me a few things:
1) Hood's operations are based outside Boston, MA. Regional issues now have to compete against the larger interests of a global Hood. Perhaps it's now cheaper to move operations out of state and ship the products in.
2) I assume there are certain lost revenues for local taxing authorities.
3) Centralized large, industrial-scale manufacturers require significantly more 'public' resources to support than would a local producer/consumer chain. Freeways, diesel, pollution...
4) Local secondary dairy products are now lost against big volume, fewer-choice, cheaper priced products manufactured elsewhere.
I am not certain of the issues regarding how small, regional players fare against large, industrial scale providers/manufacturers. But this 120-cow farmer south of Elk Grove is now no longer a 'preferred' provider to Hood's new Sacramento operations, along with several other small, independent farmers. He now has to shop his milk elsewhere, to Fresno, to massive cheese factories in San Joaquin valley, and in some cases out of state. All in the face of $4 diesel.
What this will do, it appears, is force the consolidation of milkers into similar large scale, industrial operations -- if it isn't happening already. With it, comes more demand for infrastructure that is becoming increasingly more expensive.
Agriculture will be a word we will revisit. The culture was derived through hundreds of generations of people who preceded us. Yet within two generations, agriconsolidation has destroyed the collective wisdom of these previous generations and we now have no collective ability to produce locally as we will likely have to do once again, when in my opinion, we face energy scarcity that will force us to re-localize.
I fully admit my embracing of the 'evil corporations' doctrine even though I'm not exactly sure of why it's so evil. I don't yet have the vocabulary to describe it. However, my gut feeling tells me a few things:
1) Hood's operations are based outside Boston, MA. Regional issues now have to compete against the larger interests of a global Hood. Perhaps it's now cheaper to move operations out of state and ship the products in.
2) I assume there are certain lost revenues for local taxing authorities.
3) Centralized large, industrial-scale manufacturers require significantly more 'public' resources to support than would a local producer/consumer chain. Freeways, diesel, pollution...
4) Local secondary dairy products are now lost against big volume, fewer-choice, cheaper priced products manufactured elsewhere.
I am not certain of the issues regarding how small, regional players fare against large, industrial scale providers/manufacturers. But this 120-cow farmer south of Elk Grove is now no longer a 'preferred' provider to Hood's new Sacramento operations, along with several other small, independent farmers. He now has to shop his milk elsewhere, to Fresno, to massive cheese factories in San Joaquin valley, and in some cases out of state. All in the face of $4 diesel.
What this will do, it appears, is force the consolidation of milkers into similar large scale, industrial operations -- if it isn't happening already. With it, comes more demand for infrastructure that is becoming increasingly more expensive.
Agriculture will be a word we will revisit. The culture was derived through hundreds of generations of people who preceded us. Yet within two generations, agriconsolidation has destroyed the collective wisdom of these previous generations and we now have no collective ability to produce locally as we will likely have to do once again, when in my opinion, we face energy scarcity that will force us to re-localize.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Cold Del Taco
Thinking more about either an oil shock or depression...an oil shock might actually make cycling worse.
Elk Grove, since inception, has been blessed with a council that created a city with the worst jobs to housing ratio in the three county region (Sacramento, Placer & Yolo). The purchase of a home also comes with free enrollment in the Elk Grove Compulsory Motoring Program (EGCMP). When choosing their upgrades such as 7/16" instead of 3/8" carpet padding, new buyers didn't notice the EGCMP checkbox was already checked.
90% of Elk Grovians get to their jobs via single driver motoring. And quite a few of them become raging assholes when faced with traffic. I see this as a bicyclist -- they will illegally use the bike lane to bypass the long traffic lines on Franklin Blvd. and then cut into the traffic lane at the last minute. If a bike is in the bike lane, whoa! There's a problem. Some additional nuisance is hindering their easy 'close to freeways and shopping' commute.
Couple this with $4 gas, and rage is likely to escalate. Not good when you're on a bike. I've had an old woman swipe at me in her Delta-88 when I took the lane to avoid a road hazard. Imagine what an alpha male jerkoff will do when, in addition to the cold breakfast burrito he was served that morning at the Del Taco drive-thru, also had to shell out $68.50 to fill up the Blazer at the Arco.
A guy on a bicycle is an easy mark to nullify all that pent-up rage.
Elk Grove, since inception, has been blessed with a council that created a city with the worst jobs to housing ratio in the three county region (Sacramento, Placer & Yolo). The purchase of a home also comes with free enrollment in the Elk Grove Compulsory Motoring Program (EGCMP). When choosing their upgrades such as 7/16" instead of 3/8" carpet padding, new buyers didn't notice the EGCMP checkbox was already checked.
90% of Elk Grovians get to their jobs via single driver motoring. And quite a few of them become raging assholes when faced with traffic. I see this as a bicyclist -- they will illegally use the bike lane to bypass the long traffic lines on Franklin Blvd. and then cut into the traffic lane at the last minute. If a bike is in the bike lane, whoa! There's a problem. Some additional nuisance is hindering their easy 'close to freeways and shopping' commute.
Couple this with $4 gas, and rage is likely to escalate. Not good when you're on a bike. I've had an old woman swipe at me in her Delta-88 when I took the lane to avoid a road hazard. Imagine what an alpha male jerkoff will do when, in addition to the cold breakfast burrito he was served that morning at the Del Taco drive-thru, also had to shell out $68.50 to fill up the Blazer at the Arco.
A guy on a bicycle is an easy mark to nullify all that pent-up rage.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Two Eighty Eight
As a bicyclist commuter, I'm hoping for a full on economic depression or severe oil shock.
I am nearing my 9,000th mile on a Cannondale T-800. I've worn out hubs, chainrings, two chains, bottom bracket, and the rear cassette, but it's still running OK. I haven't yet worn out my calves or thighs. But having not yet crashed or had any significant accident with another moving vehicle, my time is due.
Assume on Franklin Blvd. during commute hours I'm passed by say 12 cars per mile on average (cars in the #2 lane only), and my daily commute length is 24 miles. So I'm exposed to 288 potentially lethal vehicles every day I ride. These cars are driven by people, like several of my co-workers, who tell me that they want to bike to work but it's too dangerous. Why? Because of all the damn cars! And they are one more reason why. People don't realize they are traffic.
An informal co-worker poll reveals they aren't concerned about bicycle commuting, but their spouses are. In either case, they haven't tried it, gas prices be damned. I still haven't seen a single additional cyclist on the road since the run-up in gas. What I have seen, though, are new faces on the bus. On days I don't bike, I take the Bighorn Express bus offered by E-tran up I-5 to Sactown, and grab light rail right to my office door. I take a few different times, and each time !surprise! -- there are new people.
So. Gas prices have pared that 288 figure down, say to 285. It's just a guess of course. But imagine what a real oil shock might do! Suddenly I'm down to perhaps 275 and things are becoming bright and beautiful. Also, the cars that would be removed were driven by people living on the economic margins. Likely people who only pretended to keep their cars in good working order, just like so many drivers today who only pretend to have a license and insurance.
Better for me! Fewer chances for my number to come up, and if it does, better odds of wrecking with someone who might just stop and who might just have insurance to cover their fault.
Then add a depression! Assume the oil shock above, which kickstalls our assumed 4% ad infinitum perpetual GDP growth. Then I'm down to only 250 daily rolls of death's dice...I feel safer just thinking about it.
I am nearing my 9,000th mile on a Cannondale T-800. I've worn out hubs, chainrings, two chains, bottom bracket, and the rear cassette, but it's still running OK. I haven't yet worn out my calves or thighs. But having not yet crashed or had any significant accident with another moving vehicle, my time is due.
Assume on Franklin Blvd. during commute hours I'm passed by say 12 cars per mile on average (cars in the #2 lane only), and my daily commute length is 24 miles. So I'm exposed to 288 potentially lethal vehicles every day I ride. These cars are driven by people, like several of my co-workers, who tell me that they want to bike to work but it's too dangerous. Why? Because of all the damn cars! And they are one more reason why. People don't realize they are traffic.
An informal co-worker poll reveals they aren't concerned about bicycle commuting, but their spouses are. In either case, they haven't tried it, gas prices be damned. I still haven't seen a single additional cyclist on the road since the run-up in gas. What I have seen, though, are new faces on the bus. On days I don't bike, I take the Bighorn Express bus offered by E-tran up I-5 to Sactown, and grab light rail right to my office door. I take a few different times, and each time !surprise! -- there are new people.
So. Gas prices have pared that 288 figure down, say to 285. It's just a guess of course. But imagine what a real oil shock might do! Suddenly I'm down to perhaps 275 and things are becoming bright and beautiful. Also, the cars that would be removed were driven by people living on the economic margins. Likely people who only pretended to keep their cars in good working order, just like so many drivers today who only pretend to have a license and insurance.
Better for me! Fewer chances for my number to come up, and if it does, better odds of wrecking with someone who might just stop and who might just have insurance to cover their fault.
Then add a depression! Assume the oil shock above, which kickstalls our assumed 4% ad infinitum perpetual GDP growth. Then I'm down to only 250 daily rolls of death's dice...I feel safer just thinking about it.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Who's Fist Is This Anyway?
Clearly one must have more that financial reasons for undertaking a solar PV installation. In less than two months, I'll be able to run my first yearly figures and I will revise my financial calcs, as I produced more energy than I ran the original numbers with. I'll post all my assumptions regarding payback.
It's all more than just numbers, however. Going solar, for me, is about a hope for sustainable living. But solar, and wind, and bio-diesel, they can't provide for that under our current living patterns. Simply -- they cannot scale. They are not sufficiently energy dense to support car centered lifestyles lived out by a highly consumptive population.
One hand of my blog will be an attempt to identify the areas in my own life that are excessive, that can, should, and will be pared down to support the tenents of a sustainable life. PV is just one small piece of that. The other hand of my blog will be made into a fist and shoved up the collective American ass -- to point out all the things that make this a really shitty place to live. Going forward, if it sounds like I am a doomer and that I'm one of those America-haters, it's because I am.
Plastic full-size Ronald McDonald's don't make where we live a better place.
It's all more than just numbers, however. Going solar, for me, is about a hope for sustainable living. But solar, and wind, and bio-diesel, they can't provide for that under our current living patterns. Simply -- they cannot scale. They are not sufficiently energy dense to support car centered lifestyles lived out by a highly consumptive population.
One hand of my blog will be an attempt to identify the areas in my own life that are excessive, that can, should, and will be pared down to support the tenents of a sustainable life. PV is just one small piece of that. The other hand of my blog will be made into a fist and shoved up the collective American ass -- to point out all the things that make this a really shitty place to live. Going forward, if it sounds like I am a doomer and that I'm one of those America-haters, it's because I am.
Plastic full-size Ronald McDonald's don't make where we live a better place.
A Nation of Clowns
I don't know this guy on the bench. He could be a friend, a co-worker, perhaps even a relative. He lives as a lot of us do, eating fast foods on plastic settings in cartoonish buildings in locations only accessable by vehicle. He rarely exercises...but his kids do, in the play structure. They love it there, as it's about the only 'public' place they have to interact with other kids. Dad is asked to take them a few times a week, and he concurs, the Big Macs are quite good.
The guy in the blue shirt -- I don't know him either.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
This Light
"What do you know about trigonometry?"
This blog will strive to post on the solstices and equinoxes. I've already missed the vernal equinox by a day. Or two, depending on who's equinox you follow - that of the church, or that of astronomy.
"I could care less about trigonometry."
Yesterday, the ecclesiastical vernal equinox, I raised a 12.5 inch stick, and at local noon, it cast a 9.5 inch shadow. The arc tangent of the ratio of stick to shadow length declared the sun to be 52 degrees off the horizon. I don't know much, but I do know my latitude is 38 degrees. And I know that yesterday the sun was directly over 0 degrees latitude, a spot on the earth 90 degrees between me and the sun. Is it coincidental that 90 - 52 = 38?
"Without trigonometry, there'd be no engineering."
I'm trying to determine the best date for maximum solar gain on the PV panels, which are oriented south at 19 degrees off the horizon. Supposedly, 90 - 19 = 71, a 71 degree sun angle would be perpendicular to the array. Going forward a few weeks or months, it seems that I should receive more energy as the sun rises in the sky. But...the temperature of the array will change, likely offsetting these gains.
"Without lamps, there'd be no light."
I will have to do this experiment again on the solstice. More trig will be needed, as then the sun will be 23.5 degrees in latitude.
This blog will strive to post on the solstices and equinoxes. I've already missed the vernal equinox by a day. Or two, depending on who's equinox you follow - that of the church, or that of astronomy.
"I could care less about trigonometry."
Yesterday, the ecclesiastical vernal equinox, I raised a 12.5 inch stick, and at local noon, it cast a 9.5 inch shadow. The arc tangent of the ratio of stick to shadow length declared the sun to be 52 degrees off the horizon. I don't know much, but I do know my latitude is 38 degrees. And I know that yesterday the sun was directly over 0 degrees latitude, a spot on the earth 90 degrees between me and the sun. Is it coincidental that 90 - 52 = 38?
"Without trigonometry, there'd be no engineering."
I'm trying to determine the best date for maximum solar gain on the PV panels, which are oriented south at 19 degrees off the horizon. Supposedly, 90 - 19 = 71, a 71 degree sun angle would be perpendicular to the array. Going forward a few weeks or months, it seems that I should receive more energy as the sun rises in the sky. But...the temperature of the array will change, likely offsetting these gains.
"Without lamps, there'd be no light."
I will have to do this experiment again on the solstice. More trig will be needed, as then the sun will be 23.5 degrees in latitude.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
De-Mobilize
On Monday I rode the bike to work. I had the benefit as well of taking light rail downtown at lunch to listen to a presentation by John Pucher of Rutgers University on promoting safe walking and bicycling. This guy is apparently renown in the field of public health and urban design. He spoke at a packed SACOG boardroom and presented information on what the Europeans are/ have been doing.
Quite a bit, I should say...compared to the utter lack of promotion of such here in Sacramento. He’s got a nice presentation, and a striking slide that shows that as Europeans get older, they walk and bike more. Compare that to here, where we make efforts to de-mobilize the elderly. We’ve built environments where it’s impossible to safely move from B to A if you’re healthy, let alone on the fringes of age, young or old. Today at work, I was able to caper about on foot to get a new key made for my bike locker, to get lunch, and to accompany a co-worker to get coffee. If things are laid out on a human scale, such things are possible without cost. No pollution. No noise. And a bit of exercise. I hardly work in a pedestrian friendly realm (boxed in by a highway and three thoroughfares), but it can still be done.
Quite a bit, I should say...compared to the utter lack of promotion of such here in Sacramento. He’s got a nice presentation, and a striking slide that shows that as Europeans get older, they walk and bike more. Compare that to here, where we make efforts to de-mobilize the elderly. We’ve built environments where it’s impossible to safely move from B to A if you’re healthy, let alone on the fringes of age, young or old. Today at work, I was able to caper about on foot to get a new key made for my bike locker, to get lunch, and to accompany a co-worker to get coffee. If things are laid out on a human scale, such things are possible without cost. No pollution. No noise. And a bit of exercise. I hardly work in a pedestrian friendly realm (boxed in by a highway and three thoroughfares), but it can still be done.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Rest of Us
We must've looked like aliens to all the cars out on Laguna Blvd. this weekend. Tyler and I rode our bikes to Tops Yogurt. The only way I'll buy it for him is if we ride. About 3.5 miles round trip.
But I took a detour to the supermarket for some eggplant. The store has no bike racks outside, no where to park the damn things, so I tied them off to one of those quarter-in-the-rocket-ship rides for 2 year olds. Who would do such a thing, ride a bike to the store? Isn't that just too dangerous? And with a child! Putting him at risk!
Outside, I'm approached to sign petitions. Signatures for ballot initiatives. I am wary of such things now, because 10 years ago I signed one blindly that threw a provision on the ballot to eliminate the California ISO. Not that I now mind, as I think electricity deregulation is a colossal waste of effort. But the guy wanted me to sign one because 'it works for alternative energies that will help bring down the cost of gas." His exact words.
I said I'm hoping gas goes to $12 a gallon...it might just benefit the environment, the obesity epidemic, and might get people out on their bikes. As I'm unlocking the bikes, he said, "Well, what about the rest of us?"
But I took a detour to the supermarket for some eggplant. The store has no bike racks outside, no where to park the damn things, so I tied them off to one of those quarter-in-the-rocket-ship rides for 2 year olds. Who would do such a thing, ride a bike to the store? Isn't that just too dangerous? And with a child! Putting him at risk!
Outside, I'm approached to sign petitions. Signatures for ballot initiatives. I am wary of such things now, because 10 years ago I signed one blindly that threw a provision on the ballot to eliminate the California ISO. Not that I now mind, as I think electricity deregulation is a colossal waste of effort. But the guy wanted me to sign one because 'it works for alternative energies that will help bring down the cost of gas." His exact words.
I said I'm hoping gas goes to $12 a gallon...it might just benefit the environment, the obesity epidemic, and might get people out on their bikes. As I'm unlocking the bikes, he said, "Well, what about the rest of us?"
Sunday, March 16, 2008
7.2 kH
Today, March 16th, the day after washing the PV panels and a fairly cold, windy, absolutely clear day, the system registered 10.54 kWh, the best performance to date. As I intermittenly scanned the display at about 1:00 pm today (local noon) I was pulling in a maximum of 1723 W AC. So...861 watts AC per installed DC kilowatt.
SMUD installed a digital bi-directional meter on the main service panel, but my PV production meter is an induction disc type. It was installed at a 0000 reading, but damn if I can remember the exact date. Damn. Exact yearly data would have been nice, but instead I'll rely on the monthly data from my bill. I'm uncertain why they installed one meter that can be read remotely while the PV production meter must be read manually. My neighborhood hasn't yet migrated to digital meters. When it does, they might just come in and replace the PV meter as well.
But...the PV production meter is stamped 7.2Kh on the front. From my own time calculations and inverter display, I can calculate that one revolution of the disc is...7.2 watt-hours. But what does the Kh stand for? Seems to me Wh would be more appropriate.
Edit 1/16/2009:
After multiple queries on SMUDs internal forum boards regarding the reasoning behind the Kh...there apparently isn't one. K is simply a disc constant, the variable K used since the earliest days of metering. Nothing more, nothing less. Like many aspects of digital conversion, we still use Kh to describe incremental energy through the meter, even though digital meters aren't calibrated in the same way electromechanical meters are. There are no discs anymore, but we still use the term.
We do the same thing in digital relays -- manufacturers continue to use torque as a way to describe how the relay operates even though it's all just 1's and 0's now.
SMUD installed a digital bi-directional meter on the main service panel, but my PV production meter is an induction disc type. It was installed at a 0000 reading, but damn if I can remember the exact date. Damn. Exact yearly data would have been nice, but instead I'll rely on the monthly data from my bill. I'm uncertain why they installed one meter that can be read remotely while the PV production meter must be read manually. My neighborhood hasn't yet migrated to digital meters. When it does, they might just come in and replace the PV meter as well.
But...the PV production meter is stamped 7.2Kh on the front. From my own time calculations and inverter display, I can calculate that one revolution of the disc is...7.2 watt-hours. But what does the Kh stand for? Seems to me Wh would be more appropriate.
Edit 1/16/2009:
After multiple queries on SMUDs internal forum boards regarding the reasoning behind the Kh...there apparently isn't one. K is simply a disc constant, the variable K used since the earliest days of metering. Nothing more, nothing less. Like many aspects of digital conversion, we still use Kh to describe incremental energy through the meter, even though digital meters aren't calibrated in the same way electromechanical meters are. There are no discs anymore, but we still use the term.
We do the same thing in digital relays -- manufacturers continue to use torque as a way to describe how the relay operates even though it's all just 1's and 0's now.
The Bubble
A consequence of mounting the panels above the garage is that they are highly visible to anyone driving along Frye Creek. Even the theoretical pedestrians using the sidewalks can't help but notice them. It is my only south facing roof.
I have long-term concerns not about theft (although I will always worry about the inverter growing legs), but vandalism. I don't know how Sharp panels handle river rocks.
That said, I am utterly shocked that, considering as much time as I'm outside or in the garage with the door open, more or less 'available to the public', over the past year, I've only received two queries from curious onlookers. Two.
One was from this arrogant prick a few houses down, who used to speed up and down Frye Creek by motorcycle, and then on Franklin Blvd. He was very close to having a river rock in his front living room until suddenly he up and left. He asked me about PV during my installation. I was taken aback, but I offered what I could. He thought it cool a homeowner was doing it.
The second was a lady in a Cadillac...she lived somewhere close, I don't know where, and the only thing she asked was about the free electricity I'm getting and how much did it reduce my SMUD bill. I don't fault her for this, I suppose...considering I spent inordinate effort to calculate it myself. But both times, their emphasis wasn't clean energy. In fact, neither even brought it up, and I couldn't even goad it out of them.
My little experiment has left me with the inescapable conclusion that all this capital flowing into green ventures, NBCs the 'greening of America', green beer companies and green carpet cleaning panel trucks -- all this will likely become the next housing, stock market, or commodities bubble. In my opinion, the true green solution is a restructuring of our living arrangements and consumption patterns. While I don't discount all the everyday efforts people are making, I don't see a switch to biodegradable forks in the cafeteria as sufficiently green enough to cure the ills of our local problems. And people know this.
As soon as real constraints are presented to the American Consumer, all green bets are off.
I have long-term concerns not about theft (although I will always worry about the inverter growing legs), but vandalism. I don't know how Sharp panels handle river rocks.
That said, I am utterly shocked that, considering as much time as I'm outside or in the garage with the door open, more or less 'available to the public', over the past year, I've only received two queries from curious onlookers. Two.
One was from this arrogant prick a few houses down, who used to speed up and down Frye Creek by motorcycle, and then on Franklin Blvd. He was very close to having a river rock in his front living room until suddenly he up and left. He asked me about PV during my installation. I was taken aback, but I offered what I could. He thought it cool a homeowner was doing it.
The second was a lady in a Cadillac...she lived somewhere close, I don't know where, and the only thing she asked was about the free electricity I'm getting and how much did it reduce my SMUD bill. I don't fault her for this, I suppose...considering I spent inordinate effort to calculate it myself. But both times, their emphasis wasn't clean energy. In fact, neither even brought it up, and I couldn't even goad it out of them.
My little experiment has left me with the inescapable conclusion that all this capital flowing into green ventures, NBCs the 'greening of America', green beer companies and green carpet cleaning panel trucks -- all this will likely become the next housing, stock market, or commodities bubble. In my opinion, the true green solution is a restructuring of our living arrangements and consumption patterns. While I don't discount all the everyday efforts people are making, I don't see a switch to biodegradable forks in the cafeteria as sufficiently green enough to cure the ills of our local problems. And people know this.
As soon as real constraints are presented to the American Consumer, all green bets are off.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Wax On, Wax Off
I hosed down and scrubbed the PV panels this afternoon. They pick up quite a bit of dirt it seems. Maybe it's a combination of tree pollen and dust this time of year.
Today had intermitten clouds, the kind that really block out the sun and it gets cold fast. Cumulous? Sweater on, sweater off, all day today. Consequenty, I can't compare the benefits of washing the panels from one day to the next. I really want to know if it's worth my effort to do so.
I don't use anything other than the front display on the Sunny Boy inverter to tell me what my daily production is...and timing is everything. To be accurate, you have to read the display while the sun is still up and the inverter is at/near zero output, but before it shuts down. I dunno, maybe a 1/2 hour window. And I'm not good at remembering such things.
The best day so far was, as I recall, was a day in the first week of March with a daily production of 10.2 kWh. What would I have gotten if I had washed the panels the day before...10.3 kWh?
Today had intermitten clouds, the kind that really block out the sun and it gets cold fast. Cumulous? Sweater on, sweater off, all day today. Consequenty, I can't compare the benefits of washing the panels from one day to the next. I really want to know if it's worth my effort to do so.
I don't use anything other than the front display on the Sunny Boy inverter to tell me what my daily production is...and timing is everything. To be accurate, you have to read the display while the sun is still up and the inverter is at/near zero output, but before it shuts down. I dunno, maybe a 1/2 hour window. And I'm not good at remembering such things.
The best day so far was, as I recall, was a day in the first week of March with a daily production of 10.2 kWh. What would I have gotten if I had washed the panels the day before...10.3 kWh?
Independent
Every time I hear another call for energy independence, I look at my own surroundings and realize it will never happen.
I can do my part, and I have... and I have a lot more to do. But for every one of me, there are 75 others who really couldn't give a shit about the environment. Local or global.
The living arrangements we have developed mandate that we consume huge volumes of energy. Big houses big distances from everything. And I am one part of that. I live in the suburbs and own a big house...and although I knew this was excessive at the time, I did it anyway. I don't fault people, or myself, for having made that decision. It was a logical choice, given that we had overly cheap energy.
We have privatized the benefits of cheap energy while externalizing the costs. But these costs are no longer external...and they are coming due. Thesy are showing up as local ozone non-attainment, tribal disputes in Nigeria, wars in the Middle East that no one pays any mind to, possible global warming, and marathon runners who won't compete in Bejiing for fear of respiratory death.
But as I look around, those 75 others are doing absolutely nothing different. No changes, except perhaps not taking shopping trips every weekend to the Bay Area in the face of $3.50 gas. Just every other weekend. What we collectively want is to ignore the need to reduce oil consumption by 60% now, and then about 1% less each successive year, to achieve true energy independence.
It's not going to happen.
I can do my part, and I have... and I have a lot more to do. But for every one of me, there are 75 others who really couldn't give a shit about the environment. Local or global.
The living arrangements we have developed mandate that we consume huge volumes of energy. Big houses big distances from everything. And I am one part of that. I live in the suburbs and own a big house...and although I knew this was excessive at the time, I did it anyway. I don't fault people, or myself, for having made that decision. It was a logical choice, given that we had overly cheap energy.
We have privatized the benefits of cheap energy while externalizing the costs. But these costs are no longer external...and they are coming due. Thesy are showing up as local ozone non-attainment, tribal disputes in Nigeria, wars in the Middle East that no one pays any mind to, possible global warming, and marathon runners who won't compete in Bejiing for fear of respiratory death.
But as I look around, those 75 others are doing absolutely nothing different. No changes, except perhaps not taking shopping trips every weekend to the Bay Area in the face of $3.50 gas. Just every other weekend. What we collectively want is to ignore the need to reduce oil consumption by 60% now, and then about 1% less each successive year, to achieve true energy independence.
It's not going to happen.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Protection
I work as a protection engineer at SMUD -- one of those black hole jobs that no one knows anything about -- but it is far and away the best job I have ever had. Ever.
Lack of protection on the power system was responsible for the Florida blackout last week. A fault occured, and with nothing to break the fault current (SMUDs fault duty approaches 25,000 Amps)...well, the grid likely went unstable due to the sustained fault. And shit melted.
Fault detection and isolation is built into the Sunny Boy inverter on my solar system. It is, in my opinion, another black hole. I am only fairly certain I've built the system correctly...not a glowing recommendation to be sure, but, it passed inspection, I've yet to get shocked, and it has run flawlessly for almost a year. On three counts it couldn't possibly be wrong...
Lack of protection on the power system was responsible for the Florida blackout last week. A fault occured, and with nothing to break the fault current (SMUDs fault duty approaches 25,000 Amps)...well, the grid likely went unstable due to the sustained fault. And shit melted.
Fault detection and isolation is built into the Sunny Boy inverter on my solar system. It is, in my opinion, another black hole. I am only fairly certain I've built the system correctly...not a glowing recommendation to be sure, but, it passed inspection, I've yet to get shocked, and it has run flawlessly for almost a year. On three counts it couldn't possibly be wrong...
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Grid Tied Solar
I have been interested in solar power since I purchased my first house in Sacramento in 1995. I became aware of Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s (SMUDs) PV Pioneer program at that time, and eagerly applied to become one of the first to have SMUD install a retrofit system on my roof. However, my application was denied for failing to meet the rather stringent requirements at the time; my little house in Colonial Village didn’t have the right roof. I looked into the program again in 1998 after we moved to Elk Grove, but this time my tile roof prevented my participation in the program, as standardized mounting methods on tile roofs weren’t then available.Now almost a decade later, with significant changes in the solar industry coupled with financial incentives available for this emerging renewable, I felt it was time to act. Continuous improvements in collectors, inverters, and mounting methods have made owner-installed systems achievable for people willing to invest some time in learning how these systems work and who are interested in meeting some of their energy needs through environmentally friendly means.
SMUD continues its residential solar retrofit program. Unlike in years past, the program today is fully contractor driven, meaning that SMUD no longer installs, but partners with participating contractors who bid, install, and service these systems, and apply to SMUD for incentives, passing these savings onto the homeowner. After soliciting bids for my retrofit, my own curiosity led me to seek out how these systems are designed (I am, after all, an electrical engineer), and how they are mounted. Quite comfortable with residential repair and building work and that electrically these PV systems are not outside my ability to understand, I decided to give it a shot. If it worked as I hoped, I should be able to build a 2kW system for less than $3.50/watt installed.
Design
The system I designed uses 12 Sharp 165 watt polycrystalline PV modules and a Sunny Boy 2100 watt inverter. This gives me a peak DC output rating of 1,980 watts. Sunny Boy inverters have been widely used in Europe, whose citizens have embraced solar technologies far more than in the U.S. Decades of experimentation led to the development of a string inverter that allows for vastly simpler systems compared to PV systems installed even just a decade ago.
Additionally, Sunny Boy’s U.S. affiliate is in Grass Valley, CA, only 40 miles from Sacramento. Because the inverter is such a key component and quite complicated, having a local supplier was important to me. This Sunny Boy is a grid-tied inverter only, with no provision for a battery back up. Having dependable electrical service from my local utility means the additional cost of battery backup does not make financial sense. As an aside, it also is worth noting that I work for SMUD as an engineer supporting the high voltage transmission system, so lack of dependable electric service is simply not an issue...My contacts with distribution engineers and residential services personnel at SMUD were instrumental in my decision to attempt this self-install.The first step was to figure out how to mount as many PV panels as I could on my south-facing roof, to take full advantage of the sun. Unfortunately, most of my roof surface faces east and west, and while I could have much more easily mounted them there, I would either not be producing power at peak, or would do so only after 12:00 PM. Both east and west orientations provide only 88% of the annual energy a south facing system will produce. Considering that PV systems are still quite expensive relative to conventional energy sources, it’s important to maximize their efficiency. I only have 200 sq. ft of south facing roof above the garage at a 4/12 pitch (19º), on which I could fit 12 165-watt collectors (panels). Because this area is trapezoidal, I would have to stray from standard mounting methods. I needed more mounting rails that would otherwise be required if I could mount them in either a 6x2 or 3x4 pattern.
Shading
It is very important to keep PV panels unshaded. Even small shading can have a dramatic effect on system output. In my design, all 12 panels are connected in series (voltage additive) providing for a single input into the inverter. As each PV panel is rated at 34.6 volts and 4.8 A current (~165 watts DC), connecting 12 in series will produce 415 volts at peak output but the current is still 4.8 A, which flows through every panel. As even one section of a single PV panel is shaded by a tree, chimney, or other obstruction, the single panel will produce less voltage, but more critically will conduct less than 4.8 A, which has the effect of limiting the entire array. In some cases, 20% shading can lead to 50% reduced output.
Shading was a tough consideration for me. I’ve spent the last 9 years tending to a pin oak tree that had finally grown large enough to provide excellent shade, but alas, would need to be removed to make the PV system work. Ironically, this tree was planted as part of SMUDs Shade Tree program in 1993. At least there is no issue with removing the other 4 trees planted from this program that now provide a tremendous level of cooling for our house. If I had to guess, the yearly reduction in cooling costs from the trees alone is likely three quarters of my entire expected annual PV energy output, which is to say there is a cost-benefit ratio of 200:1 between PV and planting shade trees. Maximize tree shading first before considering PV. We have about as many trees as our tract will support. To compensate for the loss of the pin oak, we planted a red oak on the northeast corner that should provide nice shade near the end of the solar panel life.
Roof
I have a 15 year old concrete tile roof with no problems. A big concern for me was that I had planned an additional 3 lbs/sq. ft. dead load on roof trusses that are likely near their design limits with such a heavy roofing material, and with Elk Grove considered a category C wind area, live loading is substantially increased to more than 23 lbs/sq. ft. I decided that if the city building department had any structural issues with my plan, such as requiring structural engineering, I would avoid that expense and hassle and just re-roof that section over the garage with composite singles and add the PV standoffs during the re-roof.
One of the considerations for installing my own system is that the City of Elk Grove, just one month earlier, announced a partnership with SMUD that called for the waiving of permit fees, using a standardized application packet, and following a 24-hour permit review and inspection process. As I applied for my building permit that month, the City had yet to adopt a standardized application, which really meant that Elk Grove had not yet developed standards for rooftop PV installations. For comparison, the City of San Jose requires that PV modules be installed no more than 18 inches off the roof surface, and that the system be less than 4 lbs/sq. ft. (along with other requirements), but as far as I could determine I had no such requirements to meet. Unsure how Elk Grove was going to handle my application, I set my design standards to meet those of San Jose, and for any other city or district whose requirements I could find. This lays bare one difficulty; a lack of overall design guidelines that would standardize installs across the nation. It was hard enough to find information regarding the physical installation, let alone ensuring that my local authority would accept my design. This consumed an inordinate amount of my design effort, and in retrospect, probably wasn’t needed.
However, the application was painless; I spent no more than a half hour at the building department, and was issued my permit the following day. I submitted an overall sketch, a single line drawing (detailing the electrical conductors/components/conduit used), structural calcs for the roof and wires and cut sheets for the major components. There was no issue with live or dead loading increases on my roof. The permit fee would have been $430. Other authorities across California have also adopted or are considering similar partnerships.
Mounting System
Early on I decided to use UniRac PV mounting supports. While I could have saved by building my own racks using unistrut or similar material, I wanted to ensure I ground the system properly and also because UniRac provides for standoff systems with flashings that work well with tile roofs. However, the cost of the mounting system was roughly $950, 7% of the total cost, so it is not insignificant. This figure includes the mounting rails, clamps to hold down the modules, grounding lugs and clips, standoffs, and flashings. PV modules produce less voltage and current as cell temperatures increase. Sacramento Valley summers are hot and dry, with roof temperatures exceeding 85°C. It’s important to maintain airflow between the roof surface and the modules for cooling, which is why they are always ‘stood off’ from the surface. Standoffs provide for a minimum of 3” clearance and are screwed to the roof trusses directly, bearing the weight of the entire system. I elected to install ten rails using twenty 6” standoffs (two per rail), and I spent the greater part of two weekends cutting the roof tiles and mounting the standoffs. I am confident that the UniRac flashings will not develop leaks. The entire system is installed over the garage and not a living area, so even if I botched it, I joked with my wife, only my tools and I would suffer.
After the strongest wind storm in 55 years hit in January 2008, where my panels and mounts survived peak gusts of 75mph without incident, I am confident in the UniRac system. It should not expect to see such wind speeds again over the design life of this system.
Panels – Electrical
I chose Sharp PV modules that are a nominal 24 volts each. Most modules today come with multi-contact (MC) connectors that simply plug into the next module.
This is the elegance of string systems, in that no complicated DC wiring is necessary. Because the voltage of PV modules is greater with decreasing temperature, I also needed to look to the lowest temperature expected in the Sacramento valley, as this condition will give the highest system voltage on a cold, sunny day. The Sunny Boy and connected DC wiring is constrained to 600 VDC, so there is a limit to the number of PV modules than can be connected together in series. If the string voltage exceeds 600 VDC under any condition, then the modules must be split into parallel and series combinations to limit the voltage, but other considerations for overcurrent protection must then be provided as the current in each branch and into the inverter will increase. So the choice of inverter and panels is not arbitrary. I first determined how many panels I wanted, and then chose the inverter based on its ability to accept any correct combination of series and parallel connections. Because the inverter also needs a minimum voltage to operate, most inverter manufacturers provide web-based string sizing programs to determine what combinations are acceptable. This Sunny Boy will accept 12 Sharp 165 panels in a single series string for expected temperatures in the Sacramento Valley.Wiring
As mentioned before, if I had to parallel up two or more strings into the inverter, I would have to provide a means of overcurrent protection for each parallel connection, and then combine them into a single conductor to run to the inverter. But as I have only a single string, I avoided the need for fuse protection and combiner boxes by ensuring that I size the conductor to handle the full short circuit current. With a maximum panel short circuit current of 5.5 Amps, I sized the conductor to handle 125% of this current, with an addition 125% safety margin (the 1.56 rule) or 8.6 Amps. I used 10 AWG stranded copper conductors that will more than provide for this as well as minimize voltage drop on the DC side. Voltage drop must be considered. In my design, the garage roof is right above my service entrance, so I have only a fifteen foot run for the DC connection from the PV panels into the inverter, and a five foot run for the AC to the main service panel. These short distances do not cause any appreciable voltage drop.
Safety considerations call for a DC disconnect switch between the PV array and the inverter. I used a three-pole lockable 600 VDC switch that will allow for future expansion if I need to increase the number of strings run into the inverter(s). Indeed, the Square D HU361RB is a common disconnect in PV systems as there are very few manufacturers making 600 VDC UL listed switchgear.The AC side of the inverter is wired through a separate array meter, an AC disconnect, then into 15 amp 240V circuit breakers in the service panel. During a July 2006 heat storm, our original 100 Amp main service panel caught fire from overload, prompting the install of a new 200 Amp service panel. As it turns out, this provided additional breaker handle capacity that would have been required anyway. As I had yet to finish the stucco around the new panel, I had virtually no issues with PV wiring. I installed all conductors in raceways as exposed high DC voltages pose a serious safety hazard.
Grounding
Grounding the PV system proved to be the most challenging aspect of the design. To be sure, there are quite a few on-line resources available for PV design in the U.S., the foremost being the Southwest Technology Development Institute (SWTDI) in New Mexico, a renewable research and development center. They have made available a large archive of information that is quite readable. Still, I had many questions regarding how my particular system should be grounded.
U.S. installations are almost always grounded; one pole of the array (either positive or negative) is bonded to ground. However, European systems are typically ungrounded, and considering that inverters are universal, this led to confusion on how I needed to connect it. In discussions with the manufacturer I discovered that the negative pole of the array is referenced to ground inside the inverter. Because this is a roof mounting on a dwelling, I am required to have a ground fault detection and interruption circuit, which the Sunny Boy provides internally. This also constitutes the single DC bonding point between the array and ground.
Secondly, all PV systems need an equipment ground, whether or not one pole of the array is grounded. This is a grounding connection between each solar panel frame and rail, used to provide a safe path for current to flow to ground in the event of a fault. I sized the equipment grounding conductor the same as the PV conductors to handle the maximum anticipated short circuit current should a fault occur. The equipment grounding conductor is connected to a protective earth (PE) terminal inside the inverter.
NEC 250.166 called for an 8 AWG or larger grounding electrode conductor, yet all the on-line inverter manuals only indicated a single protective earth connection that can handle up to a 10 AWG wire. Upon inspection the inverter indeed has a grounding electrode conductor terminal sized to fit up to a 6 AWG connection. The grounding electrode conductor runs unspliced to the grounding bus bar in my main service panel. I ran a separate AC equipment ground from this grounding bus bar to the exposed metallic AC enclosures. The main service panel already has a 4 AWG grounding electrode conductor to the grounding electrode, the UFER, which is where the DC and AC systems are bonded, although the actual connection is at the grounding bus bar in the main service panel. I chose not to employ a separate grounding electrode for the array, as lightning is not common in the Sacramento Valley.
Click here for a larger image of the electrical schematic.
Inspection
I called for my electrical inspection, and to be honest, was hoping the inspector would validate my self installation. I had spent inordinate time and energy ensuring the system was built to code, but I still had (and have) reservations about grounding. Indeed, it was his first solo inspection of a PV system. The inspector’s reaction upon learning it was owner installed immediately raised a warning, as it was clear his aim was to lean on a licensed installer’s experience. It became immediately evident that I much better understood PV systems.
My goal was to pass inspection, so I offered little. The inspector was able to ensure correct wiring methods, but beyond that, did not review conductor ampacities, system grounding, overcurrent protection, required disconnects, or labeling. This was a disservice, not because I question my own install, but because there will likely be many more owner installs to come, and not all will be as diligent. And having had the opportunity to review dozens of schematics and installs by licensed contractors both before and after my own, I now know that minimal scrutiny leads to installers that cut corners. This is a harsh statement but I know how this works. I am much more appreciative of why building and electrical codes exist. PV systems will produce power for 40 years; they should all do so safely.
Throwing the Switch
After verifying that the inverter was receiving 240V from the utility side, and that I had correct DC polarity, I closed in during the late afternoon. Surprisingly uneventful, the inverter ran through its checks and produced 2 kWh that first day. I assumed that the system would not be producing power under incident light. It develops sufficient DC voltage well before and after direct sunlight on the panels, although the energy output is certainly minimal. The AC power delivered will drop to 1 watt before the inverter finally shuts down for the night.
System Performance
The first full day of operation in mid-April produced just over 8 kWh, on a cooler but very sunny day. As my system is oriented south at a 19º angle, my output drops gradually until the beginning of summer as the sun continues to rise in declination.
Financial Considerations
With the price of professionally installed PV systems ranging from $7 to $12 per watt, they are not competitive with utility service. Indeed, while my system size is limited by my roofline, a 2kW system is roughly the size I need to completely eliminate me from top tier energy rates. Considering SMUDs rates are still among the lowest in California, financially it doesn’t make sense to offset 100% of our energy with a larger system. I expect to never reach tier 3 (the highest level in SMUD), and should considerably reduce my tier 2 charges.
That PV is still an emerging technology, the system costs are indeed high but are currently offset by federal tax credits, CEC or utility rebates, and the City of Elk Grove waiving the permit fee. Additionally, a self-install doesn’t incur SMUD engineering costs when applying for the rebate. All told, these constitute a 40% reduction to the total cost. The utility rebating is particularly interesting. If I lived in an area served by the three investor owned utilities in California, I would apply to the Energy Commission for these emerging incentives. As a municipal utility, SMUD is not a party to CEC rebating, yet independently developed a rebating structure based on the CECs program. Without such programs PV systems would be far less attractive. One source of frustration is that as an owner-builder, I am not entitled to the same incentive (currently $2.50/watt) than if I contracted the work through select solar installers. I am instead limited to $2.15/watt. I have yet to see any reasoning behind this, as there is no incremental difference on the CECs part whether a solar installer or an owner-builder applies for the rebate. As SMUD has adopted the CECs program for equipment certification and incentive levels, it appears I’m not going to win this battle.
Based on expected system output and future rates, I expect my system to pay for itself in 16 years. If I lived across the river serviced by PG&E, at my current usage I would expect the break-even point to be half that. With possible future time-of-use metering and personal consumption changes, I may be able to reduce the break-even point even further.
However, the cheapest kWh is the one that is never used. For every dollar spent to reduce consumption, there is a savings of three to four dollars over PV generation. It makes far better sense to spend money to reduce electricity usage, such as installing CFLs, timers, or energy star appliances. Solar energy, combined with efficiencies that I’ve already made, provides me an economical system that is a good example for others. Our family of four uses 900 kWh a month on average. I am hopeful to reduce that by 145 kWh per month from solar energy. One apparent inequity in my calculations is that if we were only using tier 1 energy to begin with (i.e., we were even more energy efficient and conservative), I might never reach break-even. For this, I am much more in favor of European feed-in standards, encouraging energy efficiency along with fixed solar incentives that are persuading many Europeans to install PV.
Self Installation vs. Contractor Installations
Hopefully the preceding sections illustrate the time and effort involved in a retrofit. It is uncommon for individuals to take on the responsibility of self installation. If a contracted installation is more attractive, consider the information here as a supplement to the growing knowledge base available in print and on the web. Also consider that the contractor is not the one living in your solar home, so it pays to be actively involved in the planning and design phases. Knowledge of how these systems work will go a long way to understand what is being sold, and to ensure you get a system that works for you.Personal Goals
With a conservative 16-year projected payoff, photovoltaics make little financial sense. However, I’m committed to more than just savings. I hope that my PV installation will:
Reduce carbon emissions by 1.6 tons per year.
Make a small dent in reducing our dependency on imported oil.
Serve as an example for others, that ordinary homeowners can either contract or self-install their own systems.
Allow me to keep any Renewable Energy Credits (REC) that I generate.
I have long been a SMUD greenergy subscriber, paying a premium for electrical service provided by renewable resources. I commute by bicycle and bus four times a week. All told, I have reduced my total energy consumption by almost 40% from a few years ago with hardly any sacrifice. Even modest reductions in consumption, if applied on a larger scale, could drastically improve our quality of life. There are much less obvious changes that can have an impact as well; refer to several excellent resources listed in the Contacts section.
Contacts
SMA America, Inc. 12438 Loma Rica Drive, Grass Valley, CA 95945 · 530.273.4895 http://www.sma-america.com/ · Sunny Boy Inverter
Sharp Solar Systems of America · 630.378.3357 http://www.sharpusa.com/ · PV panels
UniRac, Inc. Albuquerque, NM USA · 505.242.6411 http://www.unirac.com/ · PV Mounting Systems
Southwest Technology Development Institute (SWTDI), New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA· 505.646.1049 http://www.nmsu.edu/~tdi/· PV Design Information
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), 1601 S Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817 USA· http://www.smud.org/ · Shade Tree Program, Solar Residential Retrofit Program
California’s Solar Initiative · http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/ · CEC rebating, Solar Information
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