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Elizabeth Cutright Elizabeth Cutright Distributed Energy Editor

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DE Editor's Blog

November 10th, 2008 11:59am PST

Revisiting Renewables

Posted By Elizabeth Cutright 1 Comment

Last month, the passage of H.R. 1424 – aka  “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008,”, included a five-year extension of the portion of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 granting a tax deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot to building owners for “greening” new or existing commercial buildings. The act also extends solar investment tax credits to 2016 to businesses and public utilities as well as residential solar installations (the $2,000 cap has also been removed). Not only could this influx of cash help wind and solar companies, many analysts believe that a commitment of this size and duration will allow the US to position itself as a major player in the international solar and wind markets.  The American Institute of Architects (AIA) also points to these deductions are important for new “green building” because not only can they can help owners recover some of the startup costs, but the five year extension encourages the initiation of large projects that may take more than one or two years to complete. 

Imagine a future where big energy users rely on their onsite power sources for primary power, and use the grid as back up.  A school district with it’s own wind turbine perhaps, or a water utility that can draw enough power from it’s solar system to run all it’s pumps and in-house software systems during the day and using the grid only for less intensive, overnight demands.  In fact, in many parts of the country that future is already here. 

In 2007, the Erie Community Unit School District No. 1 in Illinois became one of the first school districts in the state move beyond the one turbine–one building ratio. With the help of Johnson Controls Inc., Erie Community Unit School District No. 1 was able to use one large turbine to power all of the buildings within its district.  Using one turbine, the district’s wind power project supplies power to all six of the district’s buildings. The project consists of a single 1-MW turbine able to generate twice as much energy as the one installed at Bureau Valley.  The district anticipates substantial savings by reducing its dependence on power supplied by electrical utilities. Once the turbine is up and running, it will supply the district with 100% capacity at least 39% of the time. At 100% of its capabilities, the turbine can generate up to 1.2 MW of energy. Over the project’s 30-year life span, Ryan expects the district to save approximately $9 million. Once the cost of the project is subtracted from that amount, the district should end up with a net savings of approximately $4 million.

And in November 2005, the Idyllwild Water district became the first water utility in the United States able to run its entire facility with solar power. Relying on a 44.1-kW solar array provided by WorldWater & Power Corp., the district runs a 57-horsepower pumping system, including a water filtration plant and six primary wells. The solar power system installed at Idyllwild addresses many of the challenges that have thwarted widespread use of solar energy in the past. Cost and space are not the only obstacles to be overcome. Until the Idyllwild project, solar power played only a supporting role at most large-scale facilities because of its relatively low output potential.  By switching to solar power, the district anticipates operating a system able to reliably and efficiently deliver water to its customers, despite outside forces like disruptions in service or prohibitive costs. With the WorldWater solar power system, the district can run while disconnected from Edison’s power grid.

We all know the grid isn’t going anywhere.  But in the face of increasing infrastructure improvements (and their associated costs) and rising oil prices, doesn’t it make sense to overhaul traditional notions of energy supply to include onsite, renewable energy sources?

What Do You Think?

Post a Comment

tommarsh

November 11th, 2008 6:28 PM PT

Distributed energy sources of all kinds (solar, geothermal and wind) are the future. They are dependable, economical and green. In the future, every home and business will have geothermal HVAC, and solar/wind electricity. It is just a matter of time.

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