Going Solar Is Getting Easier

Going Solar Is Getting Easier
By Jason Gorss

The Sun can fry an egg on the sidewalk from 93 million miles away. Why anyone would use a sidewalk instead of a frying pan is neither here nor there. The point is, that's a lot of heat. It only seems logical to tap that free energy source to feed our appetite for electricity, yet solar power remains a very small part of the energy mix in Tennessee and nationwide.

When people think of solar power, they tend to envision boundless rows of mirrored panels tilted toward the scorching sun in some remote desert. These panels make use of photovoltaic (PV) cells that convert sunlight directly into energy—active solar power. This is the same theory behind the little row of windows that powers a solar calculator, only on a larger scale.

In fact, PV panels are not ideally suited for large power plants in most areas because they require large amounts of space—a solar power installation to equal the 100-million-watt output of Norris Dam would require a square mile of panels. Panels do not need to be centralized in this manner to work effectively, so the roofs of houses can provide a vast area for solar energy collection.

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) recently hosted a discussion about solar home design at Ijams Nature Center. The presentation, followed by a tour of solar homes in the area, increased awareness about how people can make use of solar power in their homes.

"The tour is a little shorter today than I wish it was," said Gil Melear-Hough, a Green Power organizer with SACE. The tour included only two stops, but he was encouraged to see the Ijams library packed with people looking to learn more about solar power options.

The main deterrent to widespread use of solar power in homes is the costly initial investment in PV panels and installation: A relatively small one-kilowatt system can cost from $6,000 to $10,000 installed. President Bush recently proposed a $2,000 federal tax break for people who outfit their homes with solar panels.

This is a step in the right direction, Melear-Hough said, but another important incentive for Tennesseans would be net metering—selling unused electricity produced from solar panels back to the utility company.

There are two typical ways of approaching net metering. In a traditional program, a customer's meter flows backwards when they over-generate. "If you produce more than you use, you actually get a check at the end of the month, not a bill," Melear-Hough said.

With a premium program, customers have two separate meters—outgoing and incoming—and they are paid a higher price for the power they return to the utility company.

Combine a premium program with a $2,000 tax break and "suddenly solar power becomes attractive," Melear-Hough said.

TVA is considering a net metering policy for the Tennessee Valley—partially inspired by the policy passed by Georgia last year and the proposals currently under consideration in the North Carolina and Arkansas legislatures, Melear-Hough said.

There are presently 34 states in the nation that have net metering programs, but they are not equally effective. One advantage of entering late in the game is the opportunity for TVA to learn from other states' mistakes, Melear-Hough said.

PV panels are an important part of the solar power picture, but there are also other ways to use the sun's energy in a home.

Kris Beard, an architect with Martella Associates in Knoxville, has lived in a solar home in Friendsville for 21 years, but her house is considered a passive solar system. This means the design uses creative strategies to capture the sun's light and heat energy without converting any of it to electricity.

Well-placed skylights and windows illuminate the interior; south-facing glass is shaded by deciduous trees in the summer; heat is stored in heavy-weight concrete blocks, a brick floor, and insulated windows.

Designing and living in a house like this requires a great deal of thought, as well as flexibility. "If you expect your house to be the same temperature 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, you probably won't be comfortable in a passive solar house," Beard said.

A much easier way to get involved in promoting solar power is to sign up for TVA's Green Power Switch program. Consumers can buy 150 kilowatt-hour blocks of Green Power—electricity produced from clean sources such as solar, wind and geothermal—from their local utility for just $4 extra per month. Each block represents about 10 to 15 percent of an average household's monthly electric usage.

There are 10 active solar sites producing electricity for the Green Power Switch, including panels at Dollywood, Ijams Nature Center and the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge. TVA's newest site came on-line this summer at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga. It produces 127,000 kilowatts per year, making it the largest solar generation facility in the Southeast. Still, this amount is only enough to power about nine typical homes in the Tennessee Valley, putting in perspective the small piece of the overall energy pie solar power occupies.

Again, the reason is cost. Solar power is the most expensive of the typical power options to produce, averaging about 20 cents per kilowatt-hour. This is in stark comparison to the price of coal and wind power production, which average closer to 3 cents per kilowatt-hour.

The good news is that 10 years ago, solar power averaged about $1 per kilowatt-hour. As interest expands, the technology gets more efficient and production grows, driving down costs. The Green Power Switch is mainly a vehicle for getting more renewable energy sources built. Part of the program is education. TVA's solar sites are located in visible places because they function as tools for stimulating public interest. "Hopefully, in five to 10 years, everybody will be able to afford solar power," Melear-Hough said.

Gorss is a graduate student in journalism at the University of Tennessee.