August 2001
Solar Power Tops Chicago's Renewable Energy Commitment
What's going on, what it means and what you can do
by Bobbye Middendorf
"Solar architecture is an acknowledgement that we have been building our man-made environments in opposition to the natural way of our world. Instead of controlling nature with building technologies, we can welcome the benefits of our world [biosphere] that has sustained life for these billions of years. My personal desire is learning how to live in harmony with the miracle of being alive." — Howard Alan, Architect
Intimations of a "new" energy crisis follow on the heels of thirty years of collective amnesia following the 1970s energy crisis. Awakening from our fossil fuel-drug-induced sleep, we "suddenly" find ourselves awash in gas-guzzling SUVs, while California risked energy blackouts during prime air conditioning season, even as citizens’ electricity bills skyrocketed. The Midwest and New England, experiencing soaring costs for heating oil and natural gas, had similarly stratospheric bills for winter heating. It’s not a pretty picture. But sometimes it takes a nightmare to wake up.
The City of Chicago and the State of Illinois are gaining national attention as they take aggressive steps to put renewable energy into place. Opportunities to learn (and profit) abound locally. So much is going on, in fact, that this article must of necessity skim the surface. You can go deeper into any of the topics I touch on regarding sustainable, renewable energy by visiting some of the many Web sites and resources listed at the end of this article and throughout the issue.
According to recent reports from The Associated Press, Chicago is going green in no small way. In an AP story picked up in Boston, Tammy Webber notes, "Within five years, officials say, at least 20 percent of Chicago’s electricity will come from renewable sources such as wind and solar power. The drive is part of a more ambitious plan to become the country’s center for manufacturing and developing green technology." The City of Chicago is also creating "Green Homes for Chicago," according to spokeswoman Jessica Rio. Five model affordable homes incorporate green technologies, including two with solar energy. A November unveiling and parade of homes, along with an exhibit of the models’ designs at the Chicago Architecture Foundation Gallery, mean everyone can learn from these models and view them close-up.
The State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs offers both a grant and rebate program for residences and institutions, with an opportunity to recoup 50-60 percent of the costs of installing renewable energy systems. (The downside is that the rebate is taxed, and the costs of battery storage systems are not covered by the rebate.) And according to Denise Bechen, with Com Ed’s renewables incentives program, the company’s energy buyback program is up and running, though it is still experimental. It’s designed so that customers are compensated for the energy their photovoltaic (PV) solar systems send back into the grid at the same average annualized rate that they pay for energy they buy from ComEd.
Nationally, the largest annual venue for renewable energy information and contacts is in Chicago’s backyard, sponsored by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association. The Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair, held annually in late-June in central Wisconsin, draws thousands of eager renewable energy enthusiasts from around the country. It’s an opportunity to connect with a variety of learning opportunities through seminars, vendors, and access to off-the-grid pioneers.
Creating a Real Alternative
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the national trade association representing more than 500 solar energy manufacturers, dealers, distributors, and vendors, more than 1,000,000 Americans are now using solar water heaters. In addition, more than 500,000 use solar to heat their swimming pools; more than 200,000 homes use solar electric (PV) technology; and more than 350 megawatts of commercial capacity solar power are operating today.
While the sun’s energy can be harnessed in three basic ways to lighten the load, experts agree (notwithstanding our fearless vice-president’s disregard) that conservation really is the first step. Before you install anything, ratchet down those energy costs in every way possible. Appropriate insulation comes first, along with all other conservation measures that can literally save you a bundle (and the Earth too). According to Jim Vogl, a member of the Illinois Renewable Energy Association, every dollar spent on electrical efficiencies will save five dollars on installing PV cells. In the words of experts at the Environmental Law and Policy Institute (ELPC), "The cheapest kilowatt hour of electricity you’ll ever buy is the one you never buy."
Bringing down the electric bill may mean selecting long-lived, cooler compact fluorescent bulbs that use 25 percent of the power of normal bulbs. Conservation also means watching out for phantom loads. All those lights and digital readouts on power strips, televisions, computers, printers, and VCRs are a constant energy draw. Unplug them when they’re not in use, or plug them into a power strip that can be switched off. Buying appliances with "Energy Star" emblems means selecting those most energy efficient. Combined, these efficiencies could cut electricity bills by 40 percent, according to ELPC.
Incorporate the Power of the Sun
For new construction, recommends Doug Farr, founder of the green architecture firm, Farr Associates, "be thoughtful and take advantage of prime auspicious solar orientation — that is — make the house long from east to west, with a southern exposure running the longest portion of the house." According to Farr, this orientation alone will offer energy savings of up to 20 percent: just by placing the house on an East-West axis. Of course, that’s hardly a panacea — since many of our houses are unlikely to change their orientation.
Like orienting the house, direct gain passive solar heating is most easily incorporated in new buildings, where special concrete construction and other high mass materials can make the whole house hold the heat for winter warmth. Passive solar also can be incorporated in existing houses, though some planning is necessary. This might mean adding mass such as installing thick plaster or brick walls where the sun hits, or using ceramic tile for flooring exposed to sunlight instead of lighter materials such as wood or vinyl. The sun heats these high-mass passive collectors. They soak up heat on sunny winter days. The heat then dissipates slowly, keeping the room warmer longer with less energy expense, while helping to temper fluctuations in the mercury like a kind of giant passive solar space heater. Natural light and ventilation are two additional aspects critical to maximizing direct gain passive solar building systems.
An impassioned proponent of building to live lightly on the earth is architect Howard Alan. According to Alan, "Passive solar is the organic way of reducing pollution and the fuel bill." He notes that passive solar can be incorporated into new construction for just 15-20 percent more money than conventional construction techniques. His studio at 849 W. Armitage is nationally renowned as a passive "urban solar sanctuary and sustaining solar workplace," as acknowledged in the pages of Solar Times.
Some of the first cost-effective solar energy technologies put into place were solar thermal systems that use the sun’s energy to make hot water for heating purposes (see "Solar Thermal Heats Up"). Locally, Brandon Leavitt of Solar Solutions has been selling and installing solar thermal systems for more than two decades. One system he installed in an apartment building in the mid-eighties has provided continuous and reliable hot water to the tune of 100 gallons per day. Leavitt calculates that that system has delivered 1.5 million gallons of hot water. Laundries are natural customers of solar thermal heating, and Leavitt is now at work on a system to supply solar thermal hot water to his fourth laundry customer.
To supply hot water needs for a family of four, Leavitt estimates the home would need two 4 x 8 foot solar collector panels to provide 80 gallons of hot water. The price tag, including installation, runs six thousand to seven thousand dollars. For an additional five thousand, the system can have the increased storage capacity required for tying it into home heating systems, supplementing conventional heat by one third to one half, and saving proportionally on gas bills. Though conservation is still a key to saving resources, Leavitt points out that "the more you use the system, the more you save." The same cannot be said of conventional systems to power up and heat our homes.
"Current" Options
Electricity-generating solar, called photovoltaic or PV, uses panels of silicon wafers that collect solar energy and create direct electrical current (DC), which an inverter then converts to the alternating current (AC) American appliances require. (Much of Europe runs on DC and has no need for conversion.) Initially, PV systems are expensive; product and installation costs run from ten to twelve dollars per installed kilowatt, or ten to twelve thousand dollars for a 1,000 kilowatt system. Including battery storage on top of that can add another couple thousand dollars to the cost.
In keeping with Chicago’s goal to provide 20 percent of its energy needs via renewables, the city and local companies are allying with Spire Solar Chicago to provide the Chicago metropolitan area with PV systems (see "Chicago Institutions Go Solar").
John Schaeffer, President and founder of Real Goods, a long-term provider of renewable energy systems, observes, "our phones continue to ring off the hook with people who have just received their latest inflated electricity bill. The media [are] still flooding us with inquiries about what it costs to go solar and how many have done it. They continue to be astounded that it is cost effective and everyone is doing it. The biggest surprise to me is how people think this is a new technology.... Real Goods has been selling solar for twenty-three years and has solarized over 25,000 homes."
Even with state support for solar, challenges remain. Finding contractors can be an issue, although new training programs encourage contractors to learn the ropes. In Joliet, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is conducting training; the City of Chicago has plans for training; and the Federal Department of Energy offers "Energy Star" certification training for contractors. As with any work, check references. Ideally, find someone with a five-year-plus track record for installing renewable energy systems.
Upfront costs make renewable energy systems seem out of reach, and many practical-thinking people ask about their "payback times" (for info on calculating payback, click here). Fewer anticipate the pleasure of gaining some independence from fuel companies, and even fewer stop to calculate the environmental benefits of slowing down the fossil fuel merry-go-round.
Some, however, relish this new direction. Architect Doug Farr, for example, is leading a team collaboration at Prairie Crossing, where the community is exploring nonmechanical, non-carbon-burning ways to generate and collect heat. In one such experiment, Farr and the Prairie Crossing community are collaborating on building a charter school with its solar heat stored in a greenhouse-covered salt pond. Salt water, as it turns out, is an efficient storage medium for solar heat.
Howard Alan notes that "it’s difficult to convince people of the value of alternative energy beyond the pocketbook." But difficult need not mean impossible. More people every day are becoming aware of the bigger picture — and some of our governments are following suit. Connection with all that co-exists with our single species on this planet, informed by spirit, is the ultimate ground on which we must stand. Spurred by our mother, necessity, we finally seem to be learning that it’s possible to step a little more lightly on the earth we inhabit.
Bobbye Middendorf is a writer in Chicago.
Resources
State and Local Organizations and Contacts
Howard Alan Architects, 773-929-2121
Brandon Leavitt, Solar Solutions, (Solar Thermal), 773-631-5716, 847-677-0950 or brandonleavitt@aol.com
Doug Farr, Farr Associates Architects 312-408-1661
Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC), a Chicago-based nonprofit, offers a treasure trove of alternative energy explanations, details about programs, links, contacts, and straightforward language that explains both alternative energies and provides tips on conservation.
Illinois Renewable Energy Association
Illinois Solar Energy Association, PO Box 1592 Aurora, IL 60507; 630-420-1118; casazeus2@aol.com
The Midwest Renewable Energy Association promotes a sustainable future through renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Grants and Programs
For information about Illinois’ alternative energy grants and rebates, contact the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, Bureau of Energy and Recycling, Alternative Energy Development Section at 217-557-1925.
For information on the Com Ed renewable energy and buyback plan, call Denise Bechen at 630-576-6783 or click here.
Information about Chicago’s green homes initiative will be posted closer to completion.
National Organizations and Sources
American Solar Energy Society (ASES) includes an introduction to solar energy technologies, as well as a resource leading to more information.
Homepower calls itself the hands-on journal of home-made power. Their collection of renewable energy links is awesome. Eighty-three issues published.
Real Goods is billed as Products for an Ecologically Sustainable Future. A Web site that goes beyond peddling stuff; especially helpful is their "solar, wind and hydro catalog" tab.
Institute for Solar Living, the nonprofit educational division of Real Goods offers classes, seminars, and demo houses and promotes sustainable living through inspirational environmental education.
Union of Concerned Scientists outlines renewable energy policies.
Chelsea Green Publishers features books for sustainable living.
New Society Publishers is an activist publisher focusing on books that contribute to building an ecologically sustainable and just society.
Solar Energy Industries Association is the national trade organization of solar energy manufacturers, dealers, distributors, contractors, and installers.
Information on renewable electricity choices
How to Save Energy
U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network
U.S. Department of Energy Home Energy Saver
Payback
According to Solar Times, the best Web site for calculating solar conversions (your payback time) is that of the California Energy Commission.
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