DIY Solar Power System
May
Georgia Public Service Commissioner Stan Wise says that his state simply does not have the renewable resources to meet proposed standards put forth by President Obama. He says that Georgia would have to outsource green energy, costing the state and its taxpayers billions of dollars and raise electricity bills by as much as 25 percent.
In speaking to Congress in February, Wise claimed that set standards would only cost Southern states “jobs, growth, and industry.” The proposed goals would require the entire country to get 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2025. This would be accomplished either through production of power or purchase of that power from elsewhere. Obama’s plan would also institute a cap-and-trade system on greenhouse gas emitting power plants, most notably coal-fired plants. Now guess where Georgia gets the vast amount of its energy.
Roughly three-quarters of Georgia’s energy comes from coal, with the remainder taken from gas or nuclear plants. Only a very small fraction comes from renewable sources. Stan Wise claims that the state does not have the resources of Plains states with their wind or Southwestern states with their solar potential.
Environmental groups say that Georgia has plenty of potential and only a lack of effort and an attachment to the coal and nuclear industries stands in their way. The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy claims that Georgia could easily meet proposed energy goals with a combination of biomass, wind , solar , geothermal and tidal energy resources. In addition, the Union of Concerned Scientists recently noted that Georgia alone could create nearly 4,000 jobs and $1.4 billion in investments by 2030 if it simply committed itself to renewable resources. That study also pointed out that Georgia is already exporting money for energy anyway — roughly $1.6 billion to import coal in 2005 alone.
Instead, Wise and other state officials want renewable energy legislation revised to include nuclear power as well. In fact Georgia Power, the state’s largest utility, is awaiting approval on two more nuclear plants even as the Congressional debate heats up — perhaps a reason for Wise’s apparent sense of urgency.
Click here for more Home Solar Power information
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icip.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
May
The State of Solar States
Posted by (0) Comment
These are very active times for the solar industry. With layoffs here and jobs added there, some states are out of funding, even while federal funding increases. There is enough solar news going round to fill a hundred newspapers twice over. At the heart of the issue are U.S. states, which have long been the main catalyst behind the U.S. solar industry, many which now face dire economic straits.
So with times at their hardest (we hope) and renewable energy seen as a potential gift horse for a struggling economy, many states are competing for attention in the burgeoning solar industry. We begin in the East:
- In Massachussetts , hundreds of solar, wind, and other renewable energy projects are vying for the state’s alloted federal stimulus funds.
- New York utility Con Edison is seeking state approval for a pilot program that would put 12 megawatts of solar electricity on commercial and residential rooftops throughout its service area.
- New Jersey’s most visually stimulating and power consuming city — Atlantic City — will be the location of the nation’s largest single rooftop solar electric system. It will provide more than a quarter of the power for Atlantic City’s new convention center.
- Tennessee is hoping to gain some more recognition in the solar industry by opening a new solar institute to research and develop new solar energy technologies and programs.
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icip.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
March
The first checks issued by way of the city of Berkeley’s landmark solar lending program have officially been received, marking the first of several final steps for city homeowners . Jeanne Pimentel and Aaron Mann are the first solar homeowners to receive funding under the much-hyped loan program.
Cities throughout California and around the world are keeping a close eye on Berkeley which is offering homeowners loans for solar power systems, with monthly payments embedded as part of their property taxes. In return the homeowners get cash to pay installers for their systems , in effect nullifying the nagging problem of paying high up-front costs for solar energy.
Both homeowners expect immediate savings from their solar system. For the average $22,000 solar PV system, Mann and Pimentel would pay roughly $180 per month in property tax increases. But lucrative utility rebates and government incentives bring that amount down immediately. Pimentel received a $3,000 rebate from PG&E and a $6,600 tax credit for a $20,000 solar system. Aaron Mann will receive $6,000 from PG&E and more than $13,000 in tax incentives, more than paying for his typical $350-per-month electric bill.
These two homes represent the first two of 40 Berkeley homes that will finalize their city-funded solar systems over the next few months. Immediate results will most certainly vary by home, but initially things are looking up for Berkeley’s program which sold out in just nine minutes when the application process opened last fall. The next round of funding begins later this year.
Click here for more Home Solar Power information
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icip.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
|
Download FREE Report Now! |
|
Free Special Report Worth $27: |
"Solar Electric Generation and Storage" |
|
Inside this amazing report, I will talk about everything you need to know about solar power storage.
Download now, as it’s available for very limited time only because this report will be sold for $27.00 soon!
Enter Your First Name & Email For Instant Download! And more information Your privacy will be strictly protected! I hate spam as much as you do.