Installing a solar panel in Alaska

The rich state incentives that drive deployment of solar energy solutions in the majority of America’s lower 49 don’t exist in Alaska, whose oil-rich resources are legendary. But that hasn’t dampened Alaskans’ laudable enthusiasm for the power of solar energy. If sticking with traditional fossil fuel-fed energy sources is the norm, Alaskans are going rogue over the benefits of solar technology. “Alaskans are forging ahead despite the fact that they don’t have the net metering and state cash rebates available in many other states,” noted Phil St. John, MD, aka Dr. Phil (no, not that Dr. Phil), who this past August helped coordinate the inaugural Alaska Solar Tour. Due to projected weather patterns and limited sunshine Alaska was the first in the line-up of this year’s National Solar Tour activities.

Dr. Phil said he was delighted with the sheer number of site hosts — and the groundswell of Alaskans who participated in the tour. “We expected a handful of tour site hosts, and ended up with 30 who accommodated nearly 500 Alaskans across a 1,200 mile geographic area. Tours ran from Nome to Homer!” boasted St. John, who himself lives on an island. Dr. Phil says it is solar’s value as an independent, cost-cutting energy source that attracted about half the tour’s participants. “One community outside of Wasilla was offered a $250,000 state grant to support interconnection,” he noted. “Considering all the public goods charges, taxes and related costs associated with being attached to a utility, they opted to stick with their independent resources. About 50% of the tour sites featured folks who deployed solar and wind turbines and were living comfortably off the grid. The bulk of them focused on solar thermal technologies, which is usually more cost-effective and tends to have a faster payback than solar electric technologies.”

Dr. Phil lives on an island in the Cook Inlet. He moved to Alaska nine years ago after falling in love with it while on a fishing trip with his son. He had been practicing medicine in solar bellwether California for 20 years. “What my fellow Alaskans have proven here is that solar technology is viable — even when you can see Russia from your house.”

Solar Panels on the top of Dunkin Donuts

The favorite new topping for green business consultant Art Krebs’s Dunkin Donuts fare isn’t maple or chocolate sprinkles – it’s a new kind of glaze called solar photovoltaics (PV). And it is the integrated equation of 8.9kW of electricity-generating solar panels, tankless hot water systems, automatic faucets, light switches and LED lot-lights that ensure those who frequent the Dunkin Donuts shops owned by Roger Deslauriers and Richard Demers (clients of Krebs’ brother-in-law) are enjoying one green cup of joe.

The Deslauriers engaged National Solar Tour organizer Krebs and his company Construction Art to identify the fastest and most effective ways to cut energy consumption and reduce their carbon footprint. They wanted to not only reduce their operational costs, but share the benefits of their investments with their customers. Tax credits, rebates and Krebs’s energy saving strategies helped them recoup approximately 70% of their initial investment. The solar energy solution itself has offset 10% of the store’s overall energy consumption.

The rewarding feedback the men are receiving from this project has inspired them to introduce similar solutions at other Dunkin Donuts. And the solar solution on its rooftop makes this quaint little shop the tucked away the cozy Massachusetts community of South Main Attleboro the nation’s first quick-service restaurant to utilize solar energy to cut its costs. In less than 60 days, the men’s Attleboro and two sister stores have generated enough energy to power 40 houses for a day and reduce their carbon footprint by 4,555 pounds of CO2. They’ve also offset emissions equivalent to driving a car for 159 consecutive days. Their solar energy systems alone will reduce 2,221,800 lbs. of CO2 equivalent to energy to power 6000 houses for a day, and reduce pollution equivalent to driving a car for over 4,608,350 miles. In addition, the site’s new water control system will save approximately 36,792 gallons each year.

“These results are the direct effect from only three average size Dunkin Donuts stores,” said Krebs. “Imagine how much more we could achieve if the hundreds of thousands of quick-service restaurants in the country got on board. That is our goal — it dovetails with the National Solar Tour’s Goal of inspiring people to explore their available options to start helping the environment, while serving up a little green for their wallets.”

Funeral Home Goes Solar

The spirit of solar is alive and well at Prout’s Funeral Home in Verona, N.J. And it’s manifested not only in the 25.6 kW of solar energy third-generation proprietor Robert Prout employs to power his home and offices, but in

1. the classes he regularly holds to teach future generations about the benefits of sustainable energy,
2. his willingness to open his doors to those attending the American Solar Energy Society’s National Solar Tour,
3. the way he’s incorporated his love of ecology into his business for green funerals and natural burials, and
4. the hurdles he’s cleared to creatively introduce his second solar PV system, despite rigorous opposition.

Prout’s quest to be among the first solar powered funeral homes began in earnest in 2004, when he heard New Jersey was entering into a clean energy program. By 2005, he had 114 roof-mounted PV panels (17.4 kW) saving him $600 and $800 a month on his electric bill. “Solar installations in the state have gone from next to nothing to over 4,000. Incentives have jump-started the solar industry, created green sector jobs, reduced grid demand and they’re helping the environment,” he said. “In my opinion, it’s one of the few government programs that really works.”

The technology worked so well he almost immediately applied for a second phase, which he’d slated for a parking lot adjacent to his business. The plan called for a carport type structure that, he found out, might need Zoning Authority approvals. Not wanting to embark into a maze of regulatory boards, the enthusiastic Prout suggested an alternative. Months back, he’d cleared shrubbery on top of a retaining wall and erected a 6-foot tall decorative fence. “It’s OK to have a fence on my property, correct?” he asked. “Of course,” was the reply. “And I can decorate it any way I please, wouldn’t you say?” he continued. “Suppose so,” the town responded.

Solar evangelist Bob Prout then proceeded to “decorate” his south-facing fence with 36 additional panels — another 8.2 kW of solar energy. “It’s one of those solutions where everyone wins.” And Robert Prout, his family and his funeral home are about 98% independent of the grid.

It wasn’t the variable of available sunshine in their suburban Chicago neighborhood that inhibited Sarah and Kiril Lozanov from going solar. Rather, it was the challenge of cost – and of earning homeowner’s association approval for the new construction solar would warrant on their condominium rooftop.

Just how was a couple in their early thirties going to afford a solar system to power their 800 sq. ft. condominium? The idea came to them when they sat down to plan the gift registry for their September 2007 wedding.

“As we curled up to create our gift registry, we talked about the kind of life we wished to lead,” recalled Sarah Lozanova, (sic) a renewable energy specialist at Solar Service Inc. in Illinois. “We thought about the clean, healthy world we value, and concluded that the only thing really wanted was a solar system,” she said.

Instead of being intimidated by the price tag of the $12,300 system they calculated they would need, the Lozanovs embarked upon an energetic campaign to educate family and friends about the benefits of going solar – and how a contribution to the 1.7-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system they wanted to install on their condominium rooftop would empower them to create the sustainable lifestyle they yearned to live.

The creative financing they conceived of, the construction commitments they made to their homeowner’s association and the conservation efforts they employ to realize surplus power reserves often shared by their neighbors will be featured during the American Solar Energy Society’s National Solar Tour, the largest annual grassroots solar event in the U.S. Tour dates for thousands of communities across the U.S. are scheduled for the month of October and can be found at www.nationalsolartour.org.

Here’s how the Lozanovs achieved their heart’s desire: First, they created a wedding registry through a blog site where they described in detail the solar system they wished to acquire, along with the economic and environmental benefits it would reap for them on an ongoing basis.

Solar Condo in Maryland

“The blog and wedding registry afforded us a terrific opportunity to educate our wedding guests on solar energy, its recurring impact on the environment – and how it would reduce our monthly electric bills and improve the value of our home,” noted Sarah. “And it allowed us to share the additional work we were doing to make this dream a reality,” she added.

After reading of the Losanov’s plans, the majority of their 75 wedding guests enthusiastically contributed to their solar fund. Sarah and Kiril identified government incentives to cover the balance of their project. A State of Illinois solar rebate check defrayed 30% of the system cost and a federal tax credit yielded $2,000. The two incentives offset the solar system cost by about 50 percent.

Paying for this rooftop solar system was only one of the Losanov’s hurdles. Commensurate with all of this was the need to win homeowner’s association approval to install it.

And construct a compelling case they did. In about as much time as it takes to plan a wedding – one calendar year – the Lozanovs have addressed all concerns and are virtually beaming about their new solar system. “We learned that there were no plans to use the roof other than for mounting satellite dishes – and our neighbors welcomed the idea” said Sarah.

To help deter further concerns about the solar system, Sarah and husband Kiril made several promises:

Controls for the couple’s solar panels

1. no penetrations of the roof membrane,
2. keep wiring out of sight and
3. contain system components (the AC disconnect, for example) within their respective condominium unit.

Their system often generates surplus electricity during the day. It is not equipped with batteries, so electricity they don’t consume flows to the power grid.

“Our neighbors like knowing that a portion of their daytime electricity may be solar-generated. And the credits we receive for surplus power generation will reduce our low electric bills even further,” Sarah enthusiastically reports.

The State of Illinois is one of 40 states in the nation with net-metering legislation, which requires large utilities to purchase surplus electricity generated from solar systems and credit the generator’s utility bill.

Chicago has moderate sunshine, with blue skies about 55 percent of the time. A combination of modest electric rates and sunshine make the payback period of their system longer than if the same system were located in an area with higher rates, good sun and more favorable incentives, like, say, California.

But the way the Lozanovs see it, the price stability, environmental and security benefits of their new solar system far exceed the bonuses of utility bill payback…or even improved property value.

“For many people, solar energy is an exciting technology they’ve read about yet have little personal experience with. We enjoy showing our system to visitors and demonstrating that what may seem a futuristic technology is available and easy to live with right now,” says Sarah. “I like coming home to see how much energy the system generated throughout the day and knowing that we’re part of the renewable energy solution.”

It’s a sustainable lifestyle that the newlywed Lozanovs – and their neighbors – will enjoy for decades to come. That’s something that should register with all of us. 

The celebrated early-adopter octogenarians — Newt and Inez Stevens — moved to Phoenix from Alamosa, Colorado this past November to provide Inez (who at one point needed forced oxygen to help her breathe) with a lower elevation and a more temperate climate.

Of the 30,000 people who live in Phoenix’s Sun City West retirement community, there are two senior citizens who have a particular affection for the sun — even the scorching, 107-degree heat it brings to Arizona’s dog days of summer.

Apparently, the affection is reciprocal. Through photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies, the sun is bringing the eighty-something couple noteworthy financial and social rewards.

Today, Inez, a former nurse, is breathing easier. She and Newt, her husband of 55 years, are surrounded by family, beautiful vistas, golf courses and hundreds of active, engaging seniors. They are living large.

But their living expenses — even with today’s runaway energy costs — are small.

There Remedity is simple: they’ve put the Arizona Sun to Work for them, and are harnessing its might in three ways:

1. to power their half of a 1,600 square foot ranch-style duplex
2. to heat their water, and
3. to charge their electric vehicle, replete with a solar canopy.

It brings them an enviable sense of energy independence, which they plan to openly share with neighbors during the non-profit American Solar Energy Society’s (ASES) National Solar Tour this October.

The National Solar Tour coordinates open houses among solar homeowners, schools, businesses and public agencies to educate people about the solar technologies they are using to drastically reduce their monthly energy bills while improving property values. Last year, the National Solar Tour attracted 115,000 people in 46 states. It is the largest solar event in the history of the United States.

“For us, solar was a practical solution,” said Newt, an 85-year-old retired welder. “Our primary motivation was economic,” he said. The Stevens can run their air conditioner as much as they need to stay comfortable in the sweltering Arizona heat, without it costing them money or polluting the environment. “And if we produce more than we use, the power company will pay us the difference. We’re seeing a better return on our investment than anything I can get at the banks or stock market. I’m tickled to death with it,” he said. It also provides them with a secure, alternative source of energy in event of a power outage.

The Stevens’ savvy solar strategies are further manifested in their primary mode of transportation: an electric, street-legal golf cart, replete with solar-paneled canopy.

“The solar vehicle is really nice. All it needs to do is sit in the sun for an hour a day and it’s ready to go. It never has to be plugged in. And it generates electricity each time we use it. My gas vehicle for the most part sits idle, taking up space. There’s no need to use it much (or go to the gas station) anymore,” he added.

Pain at the pump is a thing of the past.

And then there are the social benefits. “We’ve had all kinds of folks stopping by to take a look and ask questions,” says Newt. “Some come buzzing over in their gas-powered carts asking about solar. People love the concept. Yes, we’ve converted some folks — they’re snapping them up!”

Son Randy, principal of SolarGreenCompany.com, concurs. “My parents can’t go out in their solar electric vehicle without being stopped,” he said. “My dad will play a full 36 holes of golf in a day, run that cart all over the place trying to exhaust its power capacity, but he can’t do it, as much as he tries!” No exhaust here, literally or figuratively.

Randy also lauds the people who run Sun City West for their foresightedness in embracing solar and encouraging it among their residents.

The bottom line for these early-adopters?

“It’s gratifying and rewarding to establish a real-life example of how we can do something to help ourselves while also helping the environment,” said Newt. “And it’s not such a bad way to get to know the neighbors,” he grinned.

The Steven’s home — and their solar canopied electric golf cart — will be featured in the non-profit American Solar Energy Society’s 13th Annual National Solar Tour on October 4, 2008. Learn about tours across the nation — and the many tax incentives and cash rebates available for going solar at www.nationalsolartour.org.

But when it comes to the polarizing energy debate, he’s breaking new ground. This oil prospector is going solar.

Why would a seasoned fossil fuel expert consider renewables? “Going solar was our way of demonstrating that domestically-produced alternative energy is important and practical,” he said. “We owe our livelihood to oil and gas, but these are finite resources. The need for domestic alternatives, particularly in today’s volatile international climate, is clear.”   America currently uses 25% of the world’s oil supply, but this country holds only 3% of the world’s oil reserves. Global demand for oil is escalating, as is the volatility of many of the foreign sources from which Americans obtain their oil.

Dewey contends there is no silver bullet solution to this dilemma. He says the reliable, relatively affordable domestic resources required to sate America’s voracious energy appetite come in a variety of flavors.

With that in mind, the oilman introduced 19 solar photovoltaic panels to the rooftop of the 9,000 square-foot Tulsa office building he shares with attorney Ron Barnes this past April. The straight-talkin’ businessman says the solar system has shaved hundreds of dollars (about 30%) from his company’s monthly energy bill, and, in a unique arrangement with the local power company, the solar installation has made him the first commercial customer in Tulsa to actually tie into the power grid on a two-way basis. This allows him to send any surplus power back to the power company – and get paid for it in the form of credits to his monthly utility bill.

Dewey’s office building will be open to visitors during the National Solar Tour, the largest grassroots solar event in the history of the U.S. Produced by the American Solar Energy Society, the event features opportunities to tour solar homes and businesses in thousands of communities across the U.S. Tours are slated throughout the month of October and can be found at ases.org/tour.

“When all is said and done, we’re in the energy business,” he said. “If anyone understands the preciousness of energy as it relates to Americans’ quality of life, it’s those of us trying to find it.”

“Being able to control one’s energy destiny by having access to domestic resources, whether they’re renewables, alternative technologies or fossil fuels is just sensible,” Dewey said. “At the end of the day, if this country doesn’t act responsibly to create access to reasonably priced energy, we’re in bad trouble.”

Bartlett anticipates that his firm, Keener Oil & Gas Company, will realize federal tax benefits totaling a whopping $17,000 of the $40,000 solar improvement he made to his building, allowing him to recoup 100% of his business investment over the course of the next five or six years.

With a keener understanding of ROSI (return on solar investment), Dewey is lassoing the sun’s energy at work and at home.  He’s just bought a house with his new wife, Victoria, and the two plan on introducing solar thermal systems to heat their pool and household water, which account for 30 to 40 percent of a typical household’s monthly energy bill.

And he’s all for the business and homeowner’s tax incentives currently available to stimulate solar markets. Today’s tax credits for renewable power generation are set to expire at the end of this year unless Congress can agree upon a new energy policy. “I’m hoping our legislators can come to some middle ground so these incentives are renewed,” said Dewey. “It’s a smart thing to do. And so much more productive than mandates,” he added. The U.S. House of Representatives could begin hearing arguments on the new energy bill as early as this week.

Oil, however, runs deep in the roots of the Bartlett family tree. His grandfather got into the business at the turn of the last century – circa 1900 – and moved the company from Pennsylvania to the oil-rich plains of Oklahoma in 1910. His father, Dewey Follett Bartlett, was a geologist who perpetuated the family legacy while serving as the second Republican governor in the history of the state of Oklahoma. From there, he went to Washington, D.C. to serve the state as a U.S. senator. His background in geology, his experience in the realm of fossil fuels and his collaborative approach in the senate earned him status as a trusted energy subject matter expert during the country’s first Middle Eastern oil crisis.  That was over a quarter of a century ago: back in 1973, when OPEC was formed and Americans were dealing with their fist oil embargo.

“As a senator, my father served on the Energy Committee,” recalls Bartlett. “He and a Democratic Senator from Georgia, Sam Nunn, were great friends – and moderate in their views. Given the connection energy had with the Middle East, the men also served on the Foreign Relations Committee. They were true statesmen, able to disagree in an agreeable way and find ways to do what’s best for the common good.  We were fortunate to have their expertise and their approach to middle ground politics during that critical time,” Bartlett observed.

“Back then, my father understood the dangers of relying on foreign oil in such historically volatile regions,” he recalled. “He knew it was in our strategic best interest to look at more domestic sources, certainly at independent oil and gas. That’s what got me thinking about domestic alternatives,” he continued. “Even then, my father knew that if we didn’t do something to strengthen our independent industry, we would be fighting wars.”

Dewey’s business, Keener Oil and Gas Company, is a  self-described mom-and-pop organization. The company develops drilling prospects to find oil that is sold to refineries to produce myriad products, from gasoline and diesel fuel to asphalt, plastics, and fertilizer. If he finds gas, it’s sold to a pipeline that provides natural gas for heating. “We’re not all Exxon,” he noted. “I’d liken my operation more to that of a family farm. I have eight employees. No jet, no Cadillac with steer horns,” he laughs.

Dewey’s middle ground mantra is that we need renewables today, yet we cannot just flip a switch and sustain our current quality of life without an integrated approach, particularly given the wide array of applications for petroleum and America’s behemoth consumption habits.

“When all is said and done, we’re in the energy business,” he said. “If anyone understands the preciousness of energy as it relates to Americans’ quality of life, it’s those of us trying to find it.”

“Being able to control one’s energy destiny by having access to domestic resources, whether they’re renewables, alternative technologies or fossil fuels is just sensible,”  Dewey said. “At the end of the day, if this country doesn’t act responsibly to create access to reasonably priced energy, we’re in bad trouble.”

Acting responsibly to create access to renewable and reasonably priced energy. Now that’s a prospect worth pursuing.