Shifting Solutions

The awards for switching to alternative and renewable energy sources are very generous.

The financial benefits for changing to renewable energy systems, have become really rather generous. Congress recently did away with the caps on 30 percent tax credits for homeowners who install solar panels, geothermal heat pumps, or windmills. Now a $24,000 investment to make a home solar-powered would generate a federal tax credit worth $7,200. (Before the stimulus, credits were capped at $2,000 for geothermal and solar; $4,000 for wind).

Now affordability ballgame has changed because of these tax code revisions says Craig Perkins, executive director of the Energy Coalition, a nonprofit in Irvine, Calif., that helps consumers become more energy-efficient. He has estimated that more than 1 in 4 Californians can now borrow the funds necessary to install solar panels and be paying less out-of-pocket per month immediately (including payments on solar panels) rather than keep keep getting power from their regular utility company . Yet others, he says, will often recoup the costs of adding solar or high-efficiency air conditioning over a few years.

One of the keys to make the most of savings, Perkins says, is to choose the projects that qualify for a rebate from one’s state or utility and are also eligible for a federal tax credit. The type of “piggybacking” is allowed and encouraged. The challenge, however is to get consumers to research their options and to take the necessary actions to make this happen.

“The problem we find constantly is that [navigating incentives] can be extremely confusing,” Mr. Perkins says. “People don’t want to become wonks about what’s eligible and what isn’t…. It’s the nuts and bolts of making it happen that really stops a lot people.”

Merchandisers have begun to educate consumers about new tax benefits. At Home & Hearth, a heating stove dealer in Hampton Falls, N.H., manager Bob King was talking up tax credits with every customer hours after Congress passed the stimulus bill. With brochure in his hand, Jim Marshall of Exeter, N.H., liked hearing from Mr. King in the store’s parking lot that a new wood pellet stove would qualify. He’d like to make a switch and stop spending more than $300 per month for oil heat.

“Most of the time, this can make the high-efficiency product cheaper than the low-efficiency product.”

Courtesy of the United States Congress, energy-saving systems for the attic, basement, and everything else for the home, have effectively gone on sale.

But will anyone take advantage – or even become aware of the available discounts ? This remains an open question.

To encourage investments in energy efficiency, president Barack Obama signed a $787 billion economic stimulus bill. This means then, that homeowners with drafty windows, older heating systems, or other causes of high energy bills can find financial help to defray these costs in tax season, if they make improvements in 2009 or 2010.

“This is by far the most the federal government has done in the past several decades” to help further along the energy-efficiency investments, says Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. “In many cases, this will make the high-efficiency product cheaper than the low-efficiency product. [For consumers of course], this is pretty lucrative, and I’d be surprised if it gets extended into 2011.”

The new incentives have increased the size of tax credits for homeowners that buy qualifying products. Like those who invest in highly-rated insulation, replacement windows, duct seals, or high-efficiency heating and cooling systems can now receive a tax credit worth 30 percent of the upgrade cost (maximum credit value: $1,500).

Previously, homeowners could get a tax credit worth just 10 percent of an upgrade cost, up to a maximum of $500. Now, taxpayers who spend $800 on an efficient water heater, $1,000 on insulation, and $2,000 on windows could lop $1,140 off their federal tax bill.

Further, if one determines to install a home solar power system, whether you buy one from a supplier or choose one from a DIY home solar kit, that are available on line, one could also take advantage of Tax incentives as well as grants and low interest loans to defray the costs.

So, we’ll take more about the awards of your efforts tomorrow…..

By greening your garage you can help green the rest of your lifestyle.

The garage is the place in your home where environmentally questionable practices like over consumption, chemical use and driving pile up in a way that is hurtfully visible. Cleaning up the garage can lead to cleaning up your other lifestyle habits, too! Here’s how to go about it.

1. Just save the things you need. If you already own something, it’s more environmentally friendly to use it than to buy a new one. Save things that you might have to buy again if you got rid of them. Also, run them into the ground before you discard them for newer, shinier models.

2. Recycle and reuse the things you think you don’t need. Just don’t toss your garage discards into the trash, hold a garage sale or donate them to the Salvation Army. When you come across things that are too run-down to be reused, recycle whatever parts of them you can. Think of your garage as a recycling bin, not a junk-pile!

3. Do away with the dangerous chemicals from your gardening section. If you can possibly avoid using toxin-laden pesticides, do so. They don’t affect just your garden: rainwater carries them into the gutters, down the storm drains and all over the rest of the ecosystem you call home. There, they pollute soil and water and harm other creatures. If you must use pesticides, carefully research which ones are the least harmful.

4. Place the bikes near the front of the garage. Don’t be too hasty in swapping your old minivan for the latest flashy hybrid lest you waste the resources used to build the minivan. Wait until the van totally breaks down, and in the meantime, do more walking and biking. This shrinks your carbon footprint as little else can. It’s also great boost for you in terms of physical fitness!

5. Use your toolbox. Keeping cars, faucets and appliances in good repair makes them more resource efficient. Fixing a broken item and extending its life rather than replacing it makes your lifestyle more resource efficient. A little basic maintenance makes a big difference in the life of a product, so keep your toolbox handy.

6. Replace the outdoor lights around the house with a home solar system of lights, if they get any amount of sun during the day, they should charge enough to light the area you need when you need it.

7. Now keep it clean! Next time you’re tempted to buy something you don’t really you need, visualize your garage. Is the new item likely to end up in a box, never to be used again? Or does a box in your garage already contain a similar item that you can use? If either of these is the case, don’t buy the item! You’ll keep your garage and your planet clean and functional.

STRONGER EFFORTS TO SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT

The advance in the effort to save the environment has given solar energy an important role. It is perhaps one of the most easily usable and most convenient of the renewable energy sources (which include as well,wind and water), since the beginning of time solar energy has been used for a source of heating. As an example, in the 1830’s a solar energy cooker was used on a safari and since then, many other uses for solar energy have been found, and nearly everyone should take advantage of of these uses.

Of course,the most common of the uses of solar energy is as a power source. From the 1970’s, people have been installing home home solar systems on their roofs and then using the resulting accumulated power to run their households with. While having enough home solar panels to collect enough power that will run an entire house may not have been all that common then, it can be done. Many of these types of solar powered homes run their appliances and other needs directly off the solar panel systems power during the day, and use power that was stored from the solar cells in batteries at night. This way, the homeowner can avoid ever having to use power that was generated by a non-renewable resource.

One other way to use solar energy, is to use solar power to heat your hot water. These hot water systems can either use passive solar energy (in the case of heating a tank of water by leaving it out in the sun) or by using solar collectors with a heat transfer fluid. These home solar systems require the owner of the home to install solar panels, behind which run tubes filled with fluid. These tubes collect the heat from the sun and transfer it into the fluid, these tubes, filled with the heated fluid, then run around a water storage system, and the heat from the fluid is transferred into the water. Another way is to have water running through the tubing and have it obtain the sun’s heat directly, this heated water is then pumped into swimming pools, so that pool owners will not need to run a pool heater to keep their water warm.

Oveer the last 10 or so years, the solar manufacturers started to develop new, creative applications for solar power . One such development is the portable solar panel, a popular product used on RVs by vacationers. On a smaller scale, there are solar panel packs that fold out like a small ledger and are used to power up anything from laptops to cell phones. As time passes, new products along this line are expected to continue to come on the market.

It doesn’t matter which of the home solar power uses you choose to implement in your own home or life, even a small use of solar power over traditional power sources can help the environment. The more we can use solar energy, the less dependent we become on non-renewable resources, and the more we help the Earth.

So what does all this information mean to me and how do I apply it for my use?

Once you have selected a wind power generator system, then follow the steps outlined below to determine for your location the best tower height:

1. Use sound siting rules to find the best location to position the wind power generator, for an example, look at high spots on property, consider upwind obstructions, etc.).
2. figure out your minimum tower height based on the height of the surrounding obstructions, such as trees and buildings. The rule of thumb here is that the bottom of the blades should be a minimum of 30 feet above the tallest obstruction within 500 feet.
3. Choose the type of tower that meets your budget, the site conditions, as well as the aesthetic and practical preferences.
4. Calculate your local wind-shear coefficient
5. Analyze just how the incremental increases in tower height impact the cost of your energy. However if your site experiences very low wind shear, investing in a taller tower results in significantly more energy output, which will pay for this small added investment and result in a quicker return for the added expenses that had to be put into the project..
6. Please bear in mind that these are general rules and apply to most potential sites. An experienced turbine installer or professional site assessor can help you determine these factors to see if your site is an exception to the rule, and help maximize the return on your investment.
Cost is not always the only factor to consider when selecting a a tower type. There are other factors to think about which include local zoning ordinances, aesthetics, size of footprint, and crane access. Make sure you choose a system that suits your wants, not just your needs, and one that you’ll enjoy living with for many years to come.

Resources
Brian Raichle (raichlebw@appstate.edu) is an assistant professor in the Appropriate Technology program at Appalachian State University. He is involved in wind resource assessment and solar thermal research.

Brent Summerville (wind@appstate.edu) is a renewable energy engineer at Appalachian State University where he manages their Small Wind Research & Demonstration Site and their Anemometer Loan Program, and leads public workshops and presentations on wind energy.
More Reading for wind power energy
Wind Power: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, and Business by Paul Gipe (2004, Chelsea Green Publishing)
“Wind Generator Towers,” Ian Woofenden, HP105
“Wind Generator Tower Height,” Mick Sagrillo, HP21
“Tower Economics 101, 102 & 103,” Mick Sagrillo HP37, 38, & 39
“Site Analysis for Wind Generators, Parts 1 & 2,” Mick Sagrillo, HP40 & 41
“Small Wind Electric Systems: A U.S. Consumer’s Guide,” U.S. DOE • www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/small_wind.asp
Small Wind Toolbox • www.renewwisconsin.org/wind/windtoolbox.html

End of series:

Results-ARE110

The evaluation on the ARE110 was done on ARE’s 4-inch-diameter tilt-up tubular towers, which differ in height from 43 to 127 feet. As with the other systems, there is a strong argument to not purchase the very tallest of the towers for low wind-shear conditions; other than that, using a taller tower will lower the cost of energy produced. The very best ROIIs are above 1,000% and result when “upgrading” from the shortest tower in high wind shears. In every case, count on doubling the incremental investment. Surprisingly, the lowest ROII for the tallest tower “upgrade” occurred at the highest shear.
Shear Genius
So is Taller better in terms of straight costs? That depends on low-shear conditions, for instance on the plains and in coastal regions, for example, simply meeting the minimum tower height rule may maximize the return on your residential wind power system investment. In high-shear conditions, in wooded hills and mountainous areas, buy the tallest tower you can erect. The trends presented are typical for residential wind power scale systems. Things not considered in this cost analysis are such things as turbine repairs and reduction in energy production due to greater turbulence at higher shears.

Tomorrow is the follow up article…look for it!

Results-Skystream 3.7
For this wind power generator, monopole tower kits are available at 34 feet and 45 feet, and tilt-up tubular tower kits are available at 64, 85, 106, and 127 feet. The result is, not all the tower kits could be consistently compared to at similar heights. So instead, the enregy cost was calculated for shears of 0.1 to 0.6 at each of these heights. COE for an annual average wind speed of 11 mph at 33 feet are reported in the graphs.

The cost of wind power energy delcines rapidly for the short monopole towers and much more slowly for taller tilt-up towers. A significant improvement in ROII is seen when going from the tallest monopole tower (45 ft.) to the shortest tilt-up tower (64 ft.). The ROII then steadily declines to a very reasonable 100% return at the tallest tower height, with the exception of the lowest shear.

Now your thinking that this all all sounding rather complicated

The annual energy output (the number of KWH of energy a wind power generator will produce in one year) was calculated using each turbine’s power curve (provided by the manufacturer) and a typical distribution of wind speeds, with an average annual wind speed of 11 mph at 33 feet.
System cost estimates from a supplier includes, turbine, controller, inverter, tower, wiring, concrete, shipping, and installation. These costs can vary dramatically.
The cost of energy in dollars per KWH was determined by dividing the total cost of the system by the energy output over an estimated lifetime span of 20 years.

Results-Type Excel-S

The cost of energy (COE) in dollars per KWH was calculated for six wind-shear scenarios for the four available tower configurations: guyed lattice, tilt-up tubular, freestanding lattice, and monopole. These towers are available from Bergey Windpower at heights of 60, 80, 90, 100, and 120 feet. The results are shown for an average annual wind speed of 11 mph at 33 feet. For guyed and tilt-up lattice towers , the COE generally decreases with increasing tower height across the wind-shear range. With the freestanding lattice tower, COE increases at the lowest shear. Cost of energy with the monopole tower increases with tower height at the lowest two shears and bottoms out with the 90-foot tower.
An alternative way to evaluate the economics of using a taller tower is to compare the incremental increase in lifetime energy output to the incremental cost associated with purchasing the taller tower, or in other words, the return on incremental investment (ROII). By “incremental increase,” we mean the additional KWH generated on a taller tower. By “incremental cost,” we mean the additional cost to invest in a taller tower.
As an example, the cost of Excel-S installed on an 80-foot tower is 1.6% higher than on a 60-foot tower. However, the taller tower system will generate 6.2% more energy in a 0.1 shear, and 26% more energy in a 0.6 shear. That’s a 388% and 1,640% ROII, respectively. The ROIIs are shown for an Excel-S on the four tower types at similar heights over a range of shears for each tower.
What investor wouldn’t be happy with a 1,000% return on their investment? While the ROII decreases with further increases in tower height, the return in all cases is greater than 200%. It’s worth noting that with all towers, the ROII for the highest shears increases at a lower rate for taller towers. However, if you’re not driven purely by economics-for example, you need to maximize energy generation-then a decreased ROII and increased cost per kilowatt-hour shouldn’t be a deterrent.

Now your thinking that this all all sounding rather complicated and perhaps your feeling a little lost in all this information. Consider looking at a kits expressly made for residential wind power, that you can build your self, with no experience required. You really don’t have to be all that handy either. Just follow a very simple set of instructions, complete with video’s and instructions telling you where to buy the best priced materials. The best part, is the average cost if you do it yourself. Less than $200.00!

Results form the other tower types tomorrow….

Tower Types

Your home wind power system (generator) will be sitting on a tower, but what type of tower is to be used? Be carefull when selecting the wind power generator manufacturer and follow the recommendations and instructions. Common towers are the tilt-up, fixed guyed, or freestanding (each including tubular or lattice types). see reference below. Various combinations and permutations within these categories exist, but we shall cover the economics of these tower styles: tilt-up tubular, tilt-up lattice, guyed lattice, freestanding lattice, and monopole, at heights ranging from 34 to 127 feet.

For an example, one can compare the cost factors of installing a wind power generator of three makes-Bergey Windpower’s Excel-S (22-foot-diameter rotor), Southwest Windpower’s Skystream 3.7 (12-foot-diameter rotor), and Abundant Renewable Energy’s ARE110 (11.8-foot-diameter rotor)-on readily available towers of different heights and in different wind-shear regimes. The above are all for batteryless, grid-tied systems. Costing is reported for an annual average wind speed of 11 mph at 33 feet (10 m) above ground level and at wind-shear coefficients of 0.1 to 0.6. Locations with different shears and the same annual average wind speed at 33 feet will have different wind speeds near the ground, with the low-shear location being much windier.

To be continued…..

Reference: (For more on tower types, see Ian Woofenden’s “Wind Generator Tower Basics” article in HP105.)

Wind Shear

Towers are most commonly used to install the wind power generator. The biggest reason is due because of the height where there is less turbulence, due to decreased friction of the moving air mass and the earth’s surface. The higher it is placed means that the surface effects decrease and the wind speed increases. Wind shear is the factor between the increase in wind speed and placement height. The equation most commonly used to represent the wind shear model is a power law relationship.

V2/V1 = H2/H1 a

The, “V” represents wind velocity, the “H” represents height, with the subscript numbers representing a specific height and the wind speed. Alpha (a) is the wind-shear coefficient (wind speed increase with increased height and the subscript numbers representing a certain height and its wind speed). Alpha (a) is the wind-shear. Installing wind power generators on a taller tower, then, exposes them to increased wind speeds and also reduces turbulence-induced wear and tear-and associated maintenance costs. Just as carpet creates more dragging friction. Compared to a polished hardwood floor, rough terrain causes more friction with the air than a field that is smooth. A flat and smooth topography such as open fields or a body of water has a low wind-shear coefficient (a = 0.1 to 0.15), while a hilly, wooded, or developed region with lots of buildings will have a higher wind-shear coefficient (a = 0.3 to 0.6). So in a real application, your wind power generator will have higher wind shears if you don’t adhere to the 30/500 siting rule. You will need to know the wind-shear coefficient at the sire where you place your tower , for it is key to evaluating tower economics. Read Paul Gipe’s book, Wind Power ( listed on my web site at the link above, under reading resources), or Mick Sagrillo’s article in HP40 for help in estimating your wind-shear coefficient (see Access). The Wind-Shear Coefficients table (above) gives general guidelines for estimating wind shear.

Wind-Shear Coefficients

A Description
0.1 Perfectly smooth (calm water)
0.2 Flat grassland or low shrubs
0.3 Trees or hills, buildings in area
0.4 Close to trees or buildings
0.5 Very close to trees or buildings
0.6 Surrounded by tall trees or buildings

Next Article is about Tower types, please check back