Energy Independence — Investing
in the Sun
The biggest obstacles to solving
problems are our mental blocks, habits, fear of leaving
our comfort zone, the unwillingness to approach life
from a different angle. Innovation is usually not
such a revolutionary step, but rather is an evolutionary
one taken by people who are able to bring together
all past knowledge and reform it into something fitting
the moment and the need. So when I see our politicians
and citizens feeling that the way to solve our high
gasoline prices is to increase supply by more drilling,
I see addicts shooting for a quick fix. They dominate
the news, but they are way behind the actual current
sustainability movement. They are like the “leaders” of
the G8 nations, on the wrong side of the cultural
divide, gorging themselves on imported food as they
discuss solving world hunger — dinosaurs
on the verge of extinction.
Instead of wasting money drilling
for the limited supply of the old, dirty energy of
rotting swamp waste from the Carboniferous Period
(about 360 to 286 million years ago), why don’t
they consider the oldest form of energy that doesn’t
require drilling and produces no toxic by-products — the
Sun? Only ten percent of Nevada’s great basin
desert would be enough to produce in one-day sufficient
solar energy to meet the electricity needs of the
US for one year! [1] Why not Sun farms that harvest
solar energy rather than biofuels that stress food
supplies?
Society has a new value system
caused by finally facing the dangers of a careless,
self-indulgent lifestyle. We went to war to “protect
a way of life” and
now we wake up to find that the way of life we are
protecting is the true enemy. The value system has
a new vocabulary and new behavior: carbon
footprint, sustainable, downsize, simplify, buy local,
food miles, green energy. This change in the conversation
is bringing rapid changes in behavior and mentality.
While we may feel powerless to change the world energy
cartels and their government lackeys, we do have the
power to change our own personal habits and life-style.
This is the “trickle
up” theory of economics and change (as opposed
to the failed “trickle down” theory of
the Regan and post-Regan era). “Trickle up” is
the future, as individuals take power and become independent; “trickle
down” is the past that made individuals dependent.
The latter, translated into plain English means, “everyone
at the bottom works to make those at the top richer,
and to hell with the consequences!”
On an individual level we need
to take the steps needed to transition to a clean,
energy independent future. Looking at our personal
life as a micro economy, it even makes sense financially.
Having recently retired, I needed to consider how
to invest some savings I had managed to accumulate
in a money market account (currently earning 2.33%).
Long term CD’s are safe but not
too financially attractive (currently earning 2.7%).
A six-year fixed annuity, which would preserve my principal,
earns about 4.6%. Mutual funds are a losing proposition
and most IRA’s have experienced major losses
in the last six months jeopardizing many people’s
retirement security. In addition, much of what the
stock market invests in I do not support. Therefore,
I decided to invest in photovoltaic panels.
Our current electric usage averages a cost of $100
per month. With a solar system we will save approximately
$1200 per year at current rates for an investment of
$18,590. The return on the investment will be about
6.5%. The system actually costs $37,500 but our utility
(Arizona Public Service) will pay $16,000 of the cost
because we are connected to the grid and will be a
power generating plant for them. In addition, we will
receive tax credits of $1000 from the state and $2000
from the federal governments. The return on our investment
will increase as we economize in certain areas and
use efficient electric heating to replace our propane
furnace. As fuel prices rise our utility savings will
probably be greater each year.
I remember getting my water from
a well while living in Africa. There is something about
having to carry your water bucket by bucket that disciplines
you to not waste. There is something about having to
make your rope longer during the dry season to reach
the water that makes you not take the gifts of nature
for granted. With our solar panels we will be dipping
our electricity out of the well of sunshine and will
shape our electrical usage to live within our capacity
to generate it. It is important that we cultivate the “well” mentality
about our use of resources in the future. Our planet
is finite but with right use and custodianship can provide
abundantly for many years to come. Such a mentality is
at the heart of sustainability and independence. As individuals
we can together harvest the sun and the wind for the
benefit of ourselves and our community.
[1] 10%
of the total area of Nevada would be a square of land
100 mi. X 100 mi. The average American uses approximately
12,000 kWh per year.
PV technology can meet electricity demand on any scale.
The solar energy resource in a 100-mile-square area
of Nevada could supply the United States with all its
electricity (about 800 gigawatts) using modestly efficient
(10%) commercial PV modules.
A more realistic scenario involves
distributing these same PV systems throughout the
50 states. Currently available sites—such as vacant land, parking
lots, and rooftops—could be used. The land requirement
to produce 800 gigawatts would average out to be about
17 x 17 miles per state. Alternatively, PV systems
built in the "brownfields"—the estimated
5 million acres of abandoned industrial sites in our
nation's cities—could supply 90% of America's
current electricity.
U.S. Department of Energy
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© 2008
Richard V. Sidy
