Alternative Answers -The Rising Cost of Energy

(From the June issue of Southern Metal Finishing)

Summer has only just begun, and you have probably noticed that the cost of fuel has risen substantially already. Cooling our homes and offices has become increasingly expensive, and is made even more so by the severe drought that we in the South East, and throughout the country,  have been experiencing. Is there any way to relieve ourselves from this burden? Actually, there are several.

Renewable energy flows involve natural phenomena such as sunlight, wind, tides, and geothermal heat. Probably one of the most recognized sources of alternative energy is Solar Photovoltaic. Photovoltaic devices use semiconducting materials to convert sunlight directly into electricity. Almost all U.S. regions have useful solar resources that can be accessed.
This industry is growing rapidly, too. In 2006 alone, nearly 30 U.S. companies began manufacturing photovoltaic products (official energy statistics of U.S. Government). One company, United Solar Ovanic, offers a wide variety of photovoltaic panels. Their lightweight, flexible, UNI-SOLAR® PV laminates, for example, adapt to nearly any type of building, and do not exceed roof-loading limits. Even the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Southern California was impressed—they had a 325Kw system installed on their roof.

Photovoltaic panels are not the only means of harnessing the inexhaustible source of solar power, however. There are two main types of solar capturing systems, Passive and Active. Passive systems rely on non-mechanical techniques of capturing, converting and distributing sunlight into usable outputs such as heating, lighting or ventilation. These techniques include selecting materials with favorable thermal properties, designing spaces that naturally circulate air and referencing the position of a building to the sun. It is possible to use this technology to design solar water heaters and solar chimneys (these improve the natural ventilation of buildings by using convection of air heated by passive solar energy), along with other applications.

Active Solar systems use electrical and mechanical components such as photovoltaic panels, pumps and fans to process sunlight into usable outputs. Often, these require a complimentary source of external energy. This technique can be applied to water and space heating, as well as space cooling and refrigeration.   
Upon comparison, we find that the most economical implementation of these technologies is to combine both passive and active systems. Since passive systems have little to no operating costs, often have low maintenance costs, and emit no green house gases in operation, it is advantageous to partner them with the active systems, as they have significantly higher solar savings fractions (the amount of energy provided by the solar technology divided by the total energy required).

Though the initial installation costs of these systems can often be expensive, it is possible in most states to receive government subsidies that can help diffuse these expenses. Another advantage to producing your own energy is ’net energy metering’. This program, offered by many power companies, allows you to receive credit on your account according to the amount of energy you produce through your system and export back to the grid. Ultimately, the system will pay for itself, and perhaps even generate profit!

In the meantime, the struggle for sustainable and affordable energy rages on. Hard-hit industries are not the only ones seeking refuge from the energy storm, however. Investors are on the prowl for alternatives, too. The Wilder Index, the first index fund to track publicly traded renewable energy companies, jumped 35 percent between 2004 and 2005. After hurricane Katrina, investment into the fund jumped from $10 million a month to $25 million a week (Newsweek).

It is obvious that alternative energy is the safest, smartest, and most economically and environmentally friendly solution to the energy crisis. With the industrial sector being the 2nd largest in energy consumption (the first being transportation), it is increasingly important for industry to find alternative means of electricity. Not only for the negative environmental impact it can avoid, but the economic benefits it can provide for individual companies.

If you are interested in learning more about these technologies, here are a list of sites I recommend:

Official website of U.S. Dept. of Energy
EIA (Energy Information Administration)
United Solar Ovanic (a manufacturer of photovoltaic panels)
Alternative Energy News
Energy Refuge (they have an interesting list of solar powered products, and more)

p.s. If you're looking for an inexpensive (albeit a long wait) way to cool down your home or office, you could always plant some trees on the south side of the building to block out that midday and afternoon sun