June/July 2006
God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It.
Mark Karlin interviews Jim Wallis
The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right
Mark Karlin interviews Rabbi Michael Lerner
New Business Models for a Sustainable Future
Torrey Byles
How the Wealthy Use the Government to Stay Rich and Get Richer
Dean Baker
Will the Major Media Finally Cover the Electronic Election Fraud Issue?
Bob Fritakis and Harvey Wasserman
The Great Turning
Reviewed by Ted Glick
Armed Madhouse
Amy Goodman interviews Greg Palast
Energy Futures
K. C. Golden
Choosing Solar Power Because It's The Right Thing to Do
Jody Woodruff
Reconnecting To Our Essential Nature With Tai Chi
Sean Kelly
Transforming Our Lives and Our Planet Through the Ancient Practice of Qigong
Julia Tucker Interviews Master Mingtong Gu
Rediscovering Who We Really Are With the Persian Sufi Poets
David Fideler
Book
Reviews
Deborah Mokma
Cosmic
Calendar
Salina Rain
Choosing Solar Power Because It’s The Right Thing To Do
By Jody Woodruff
"We want to see solar energy developed as a renewable resource in this country to secure our future. Solar can be an important source of electricity for generations to come.”
I’m speaking with Larry Giardina, Conservation Analyst and Inspector with the Conservation Division of the city of Ashland, Oregon. Although we are meeting to talk about the city’s solar incentive program, I quickly learn that the Conservation Division, which was established over twenty years ago, is also responsible for extensive water, recycling, air quality and residential energy conservation programs which include rebates for many energy saving options.
Larry explains that along with the Oregon Department of Energy, the city has offered incentive programs for solar water heating for twenty years. Solar water heating systems have been refined since their initial development and are now very reliable. The technology for solar electric has improved in recent years and the cost of installation has dramatically decreased. In the early days there were issues with freezing and sensors failing, but the newer systems are almost fail safe at this point and both systems last at least twenty years or more, an investment which continues to pay back for a very long time.
In 2001, the city of Ashland also began offering rebates to residents installing solar electric systems. They started by placing solar systems on city buildings as a demonstration with the assistance of “A Million Solar Roofs,” a public-private partnership that aims to facilitate the installation of solar energy systems on 1,000,000 buildings by 2010. Nevertheless, a significant catalyst to the city program was the inspiration of Risa Buck, who decided to build a house completely off the grid even though she is located in town where power lines are available. Consequently, Risa successfully pioneered the first solar electric system in Ashland, despite city officials trying to convince her to tie into the city’s electric system in order to act as her battery. Connecting with the city system, or with a power company, enables an individual to avoid the use of batteries which lose energy and also helps reduce the environmental impact of producing and disposing of them. But Risa wanted to demonstrate that it is possible to live without electrical service and her example influenced the city system. (Read about Risa Buck in the Nov. 2005 issue of Home Power magazine.)
When a city resident wants to inquire about installing solar electric, the first step is to contact Cathy Cartmill at the Department of Conservation to arrange for an energy audit. She assesses the existing conditions of insulation, appliances and heating equipment to determine what improvements may be made, along with the incentives that apply. It is highly recommended that people take these actions before considering solar.
After this first phase, Larry Giardina will make a site assessment to ensure that the system the city helps to finance has adequate solar resources. Using what he describes as a simple tool, a solar site selector, he creates a solar sun chart which shows the home’s access to sunlight over the changing seasons of the year and during various times of the day to determine if they have enough sunlight to make the system work effectively. Consideration is given to trees that may grow to block the sun and other possible impediments. Trees are also a natural resource and removal is rarely recommended.
Once the site is approved for the incentive, the home owner contacts the solar installer of their choice, although the city can provide a list of installers certified by the Energy Trust of Oregon. Following the installation, there is a final site evaluation by Larry and a city electrician to ensure that the installation meets city requirements before a rebate is issued. Then the rebate is usually received by the owner within two to three weeks. Currently the city rebate typically covers 30% of the cost of the system, with additional state and federal tax credits also available.
At present, thirteen homes are a part of the incentive program with a few more in process. Larry comments that many more people apply than meet the criteria, but this doesn’t mean that they can’t go ahead and install solar, understanding that they won’t get the ideal amount of sun. The city, due to its limited budget, can only give rebates to those meeting the optimum solar standards. Most appreciate the free assessment, however. In either case, Ashland buys back energy at full retail rate, the same price sold to them. It is metered both ways—from the city to the owner and vice versa. It should be noted that while most cities are served by private utility companies such as Pacific Power, Ashland operates their own electric utility, purchasing electricity from the Bonneville Power Administration.
A new, exciting aspect of the Conservation Division’s solar program is the plan for a community solar system. This means that solar panels would be placed on city buildings in town that have good solar access and residents could buy shares in that system. The system will be metered and the production prorated among the share holders and credited to their account even though they are off site. At present, the city is applying for some zero interest bonds from the Federal government to initially install a 60 kw system. Presently a lot hinges on the approval of the bond application.
Larry sees a growing interest in solar energy, but because this is still a fairly high dollar investment for the return, he notes that most people do it because of their concerns for the environment and for future energy security. I asked a few recipients of the incentive program and proponents of this philosophy their reasons for going solar.
Tom and Monika DuBois, Ashland residents and owners of Grilla Bites, a natural foods restaurant in Ashland, had a 2kw photovoltaic system installed on their home in 2005. The twelve cobalt blue panels on the south end of their house require minimal maintenance, like an occasional dusting off of the panels with a dust mop. Tom explains that they could have more panels on their roof but didn’t want to interfere with neighbors’ views or have the panels seen from the street. A new meter, which they can read, was installed to count what they produce and what they receive from the city.
Tom’s interest in sustainability began when the energy crisis hit in the mid 70s. The Bay Area, where his family lived, was a prominent area where residents considered solar; and California, one of the first states to promote solar, began giving credit for solar installation. Seeing people putting up panels and watching wind farms developing influenced his thinking. Nevertheless, Tom points out that there is the knowing and then there’s the doing. “For many years solar was expensive for most people and often you had to piece together a hodge-podge with help from electronic magazines—often a deterrent for the ordinary person. Finally, after moving here, we said, that’s it! We’re going to do it! On top of that, Ashland’s incentive program is incredibly generous.”
Monika also has a history of interest in sustainability, her interest turning to action when she took a permaculture course and began looking at the environment in a more holistic manner. “I was inspired to make my beliefs a priority instead of putting things on the back burner. Solar energy will benefit us and others as well, particularly future generations.” She adds that another major influence has been Cradle To Cradle by William McDonough & Michael Braungart, “A great book to change your thinking about everyday actions such as buying a can of paint, a bar of soap, gas for your car. Once you see the connectedness of everything, you understand that if you make just a little shift and follow through, it has a ripple effect. It’s all about how to make the planet a better place.”
Monika comments that she is surprised to discover a personal misconception about solar. She believed that in order to make solar energy it had to be hot and sunny most of the time, but learned that even in winter, especially on cold sunny days, they make a lot of energy. Tom reports that from December to April, even though the weather was cloudy and rainy, about 25% of their electricity was offset. Incrementally it will improve with increased daylight.
Tom emphasizes that they didn’t make this choice for the money, although they were pleased to get so much financial help. Their system cost $16,000, but half was paid back through the Ashland and State of Oregon rebates. (Many also qualify for Federal tax credits, although this may vary according to individual situations.) Tom and Monika don’t know how long it will take to get their money back, but they don’t care. “It’s all about how to make the planet a better place. If you have the overview, you can see the lasting benefits in many directions.”
Another Ashland resident, Meg Thomas, laughs when she’s frequently asked if she’ll see a return on her investment during her lifetime. This 84 year old woman responds that there are few purchases she’ll make on which she’ll be likely to see a return!
Meg comes from a background of conservation. One of nine children, her mother modeled their Pennsylvania Dutch heritage of living lightly on the land: gardening, mulching, using resources carefully, costing themselves and the planet less whenever possible. Consequently, Meg followed this tradition with her own family: raising vegetables, canning, freezing, driving small cars (she currently drives a Prius). Her concern for conservation has also extended for many years into the community, working for planned parenthood, giving talks to high schools and youth groups about their place in the environment. She is passionate in her beliefs and wants to spread the word that, “We are destroying our air, seas and the environment for the world with our over consumption as a nation.”
When Meg moved to Ashland in 1999 her first priority became getting her 22 year old home brought up to standards for consuming less energy. Through the assistance of the City of Ashland’s Conservation Division, she began with a site assessment by Cathy Cartmill. This resulted in insulating the roof and floors, replacing heating ducts, installing double paned windows and sealing all leaks at outlets, doors, windows and chimney. She states that, “when they finished, I could hardly light a match!”
Then Meg discovered that this same program also supported installing solar panels. A site evaluation by Larry Giardina found that with her house facing southwest and fully open to sunlight in any season she was a perfect candidate for the solar program. The 15 panel array on her roof qualified for a city rebate of about 1/3 of the cost—as many panels as space on her roof allows. Now she enjoys watching her meter, showing her the pay back on her investment. Even so, Meg emphasizes, “I’m doing this for my children, my grandchildren, for the world. This is a direct investment in sustaining a way of life without using fossil fuel or creating nuclear waste. I want to see everyone conserve in whatever way they can. Somebody has to set an example.”
Jody Woodruff is a writer living in Talent, Oregon. Ashland residents may contact the Conservation Division at (541) 488-5306 to learn more about their programs and rebates for old and new construction.
Ashland Police Station with Solar Collectors
