Continue reading "Call to Action from American Solar Energy Society"
]]>Now, more than ever, everyone must be attentive, informed and proactive.
Renewable Energy Advocates
Educate friends, family and the wider community and make your voice heard with representatives at all levels of government and in the press about how clean energy adoption leads to healthier, cleaner, more economically secure and resilient communities.
Renewable Energy Consumers
Adapt purchasing and investing behaviors to favor products that support the triple bottom line – people, planet, and profit.
Renewable Energy Voters
Vote across all local, state, and federal elections, for policy and action that spurs equitable clean energy adoption that is a proven winner for the economy, jobs, resiliency, health, and the environment.
As part of the United States agenda for National Security, solar energy must be included as an inexhaustible, reliable, and cheap domestic energy source.
Solar energy accounted for approximately 75% of new electricity-generating capacity in 2024. Renewable energy accounts for 30% of our country’s generating capacity and employs three times more workers than those associated with traditional energy sources (1).
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest outlook for the U.S. workforce estimates wind turbine service technicians and solar photovoltaic installers will be the fastest-growing occupations in the country for the next decade.
Global solar capacity has reached a record 2 terawatts, with more added in the last two years than the previous 68 combined. In North America, renewable technologies’ levelized cost of electricity declined by 4.6% in 2024, largely due to solar and wind.
The American Solar Energy Society supports a call to immediate action to choose renewable energy as a path to energy independence, job creation, domestic manufacturing, clean air and water, and a prosperous future.
Carly Rixham
ASES Executive Director
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Continue reading "The Impact of President Trump’s Executive Orders on Climate Change"
]]>(ASES Member Op-Ed)
Despite the fact that a 2024 University of Chicago poll conducted with the Associated Press found that 78% of Americans believe that climate change is occurring today and not a hoax and that 59% feel the Federal Government has a responsibility to address climate change, President Trump’s first actions as president are to ignore science and proceed with his pro-fossil fuel agenda. Even though 64% of Americans support solar and 60% support wind being implemented in their communities, Trump decides to support fossil fuel expansion which is only supported by 34% of Americans. With 59% of Americans supporting the passage of regulations limiting emissions from power plants and vehicles, President Trump goes against the wishes of the American public and implements dozens of executive orders that will increase fossil fuel use and kill renewable energy. Despite a recent Pew Research Center survey determining that 74% of Americans said the U.S. should be involved in international climate action, Trump’s first executive orders dictate that we withdraw from the Paris Agreements on Climate Change.
The following summarizes the devastating results of President Trump’s first day in office.
Executive Order: PUTTING AMERICA FIRST IN INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS
While President Trump’s executive orders stress the country’s need to “grow its economy and maintain jobs for its citizens while playing a leadership role in global efforts to protect the environment” the directives clearly do just the opposite. In looking at the specifics of these numerous executive orders, his “drill baby drill” campaign promise and support of the fossil industry take precedence over all environmental considerations. In “Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements,” it is hard to understand how the following executive orders “protect the environment.”
Executive Order: DECLARING A NATIONAL ENERGY EMERGENCY
In declaring a national energy emergency and listing specific measures to better ensure our country’s energy independence, President Trump defines the “energy” or “energy resources” to receive incentives as “crude oil, natural gas, lease condensates, natural gas liquids, refined petroleum products, uranium, coal, biofuels, geothermal heat, the kinetic movement of flowing water, and critical minerals,” while intentionally excluding solar and wind.
Executive Order: UNLEASHING AMERICAN ENERGY
While President Trump states that it is “in the national interest to unleash America’s affordable and reliable energy and natural resources” he implements directives that discourage our country’s most affordable and abundant natural resources – solar and wind. By eradicating the federal government’s efforts to enhance electric vehicle use, encourage consumers to select energy and water-efficient appliances and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, President Trump is also implementing directives that go against one of our country’s highest “national interests” – mitigating the impacts of climate change.
While Trump has directed the heads of all agencies to “identify those agency actions that impose an undue burden” on “oil, natural gas, coal, hydropower, biofuels, critical mineral, and nuclear energy resources” he is revoking the efforts of past presidents, and specifically President Biden’s following executive orders designed to mitigate climate change:
– Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis,
– Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,
– President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology,
– Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration,
– Establishment of the Climate Change Support Office,
– Climate-Related Financial Risk,
– Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks,
– Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability,
– Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, and
– Implementation of the Energy and Infrastructure Provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
Trump’s executive order immediately terminates all “activities, programs, and operations associated with the American Climate Corps.”
His orders disband the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases and declares that any past recommendations or documents created by the working group are no longer government policy. This action by Trump is particularly impactful in that it eliminates the past and future guidance of all our national agencies regarding the importance of scientific integrity, greenhouse gas measuring and monitoring and the evaluation of the societal costs associated with greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, he is ordering EPA to eliminate the consideration of the “social cost of carbon calculation from any Federal permitting or regulatory decision.”
In order to minimize Congress’ previously approved efforts to address climate change and the impact that solar and wind can have in job creation and energy independence over the next decades, Trump’s executive order state that “All agencies shall immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169) or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58), including but not limited to funds for electric vehicle charging stations made available through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program.”
Action Needed
If Trump’s executive orders are successfully implemented, the next generation will be given a world ravished by climate change. Already we are feeling the impacts of climate change. But, without Congressional action focused on “reducing” fossil fuel consumption, we will soon be facing even more intense hurricanes and wildfires, sea level rise, mass extinction of species, the death of our oceans, resource wars, and millions of climate refugees. Congress needs to act now. Trump’s agenda will destroy our last shot at offsetting the worst-predicted outcomes from climate change.
For complete list of Executive Orders: https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/all-of-the-executive-orders-trump-signed-on-his-first-day-back-in-the-white-house/ar-AA1xAC9W?ocid=BingNewsSerp
Michael Nicklas
Mr. Nicklas was a founder of the NC Solar Energy Association, Chair of the American Solar Energy Society and President of the International Solar Energy Society. His extensive knowledge of solar energy and environmental issues has led to appointments and positions with the United Nations Development Program, NC Energy Policy Council, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Advisory Board, NC Solar Center Chair, and the U.S. Office of Technology Assessment.
Please see the ASES Call to Action for ways you can be a renewable energy advocate.
]]>Continue reading "Harnessing Heatwaves: Solar’s Crucial Role in Climate Solutions"
]]>As of August 2024, we’ve seen 15 consecutive months of record-breaking temperatures across the globe.
In 2024, Phoenix, Arizona reached temperatures warmer than 100°F for 100+ days, breaking a 1993 record of 76°F. Delhi, India saw its highest temperature ever of 121.8°F, surpassing a milestone set in 2022.
This trend is alarming, considering extreme heat is deadlier than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined. Heat-related deaths have been on the rise, with estimates suggesting thousands of heat-related fatalities occur annually in the United States alone.
This past summer, nearly 250 million Americans endured 90-degree-plus temperatures, resulting in widespread heat-related illnesses and fatalities — the impact of which won’t be known for some time due to record-keeping delays for heat-related health impacts.
The consequences of extreme heat, particularly in developed areas where concrete, asphalt and other heat-absorbing surfaces combined with reduced vegetation, create “heat islands” of elevated temperatures. Heat islands increase local temperatures, often disproportionately affecting our low-income communities. Heatwaves strain electrical grids as air conditioners work overtime, threatening grid stability, increasing costs and exacerbating the climate crisis through increased emissions.
Yet, within this challenge lies opportunity: Solar and battery storage can transform our approach to heat resilience. By harnessing solar energy during sunny days, we can generate power for cooling needs. In the face of rising temperatures, solar technology isn’t just an option – it’s our brightest path forward.
Solar for Humanitarian Relief
When temperatures spike, cooling access becomes a matter of life and death. Solar technology can provide immediate relief to vulnerable populations during heatwaves. By powering cooling centers, emergency services and mobile relief units, solar energy can be a literal lifesaver.
Solar-powered cooling centers are one of the most important of these resilience technologies, serving as crucial refuges during extreme heat events. These facilities, when designed as local microgrids with both solar panels and batteries, can operate independently, ensuring reliable cooling even during power outages.
A prime example are the resilience hubs developed by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) in Puerto Rico. In several communities, they’ve transformed local public spaces into multifunctional centers that provide essential cooling and other services during emergencies. The combination of solar-plus-storage avoids the drawbacks of gas-powered alternatives such as supply shortages and delivery delays.
Mobile solar units take this idea further, bringing cooling and power directly to those in need. In Atlanta, Georgia, a group of nonprofits has adopted this innovative solution by acquiring a mobile microgrid trailer to provide power in the aftermath of severe storms or other disasters. Less than a year later, it supported relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Yet, within this challenge lies opportunity: Solar and battery storage can transform our approach to heat resilience. By harnessing solar energy during sunny days, we can generate power for cooling needs. In the face of rising temperatures, solar technology isn’t just an option – it’s our brightest path forward.
Solar for Humanitarian Relief
When temperatures spike, cooling access becomes a matter of life and death. Solar technology can provide immediate relief to vulnerable populations during heatwaves. By powering cooling centers, emergency services and mobile relief units, solar energy can be a literal lifesaver.
Solar-powered cooling centers are one of the most important of these resilience technologies, serving as crucial refuges during extreme heat events. These facilities, when designed as local microgrids with both solar panels and batteries, can operate independently, ensuring reliable cooling even during power outages.
A prime example are the resilience hubs developed by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) in Puerto Rico. In several communities, they’ve transformed local public spaces into multifunctional centers that provide essential cooling and other services during emergencies. The combination of solar-plus-storage avoids the drawbacks of gas-powered alternatives such as supply shortages and delivery delays.
Mobile solar units take this idea further, bringing cooling and power directly to those in need. In Atlanta, Georgia, a group of nonprofits has adopted this innovative solution by acquiring a mobile microgrid trailer to provide power in the aftermath of severe storms or other disasters. Less than a year later, it supported relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Larger solar projects are reimagining urban spaces. Solar canopies over parking lots and atop buildings not only generate power but also provide shade over heat-absorbing materials contributing to lower surface temperatures.
Benefits extend beyond city limits. In rural areas, raised solar arrays provide valuable shade for livestock. This symbiotic relationship (known as solar grazing) creates a win-win scenario: livestock maintain solar fields by eating vegetation, while the panels provide shelter and a protected grazing environment, reducing landscaping costs and enhancing soil health.
The emerging field of agrivoltaics combines solar power with agriculture, creating partially shaded environments that benefit certain crops, reducing water evaporation (and use), and creating cooler microclimates for the plants, panels, and animals all sharing space.
By integrating solar infrastructure thoughtfully into our urban and rural environments, we’re not just generating clean energy – we’re supporting communities and creating more livable spaces in a warming world.
The Sunny Side of Economics: Solar’s Financial Benefits
Solar resilience isn’t just about staying cool – it’s about keeping economies running smoothly during heat crises. As temperatures rise, so do the financial advantages of solar adoption.
During heat emergencies, solar-equipped communities see reduced strain on public resources. With businesses and homes generating their own power, local governments can focus on the most vulnerable populations.
For residents and businesses alike, solar installations offer a hedge against heat-driven energy price spikes. While traditional utility costs rise during peak demand, solar users enjoy stable, predictable energy expenses. This price stability is particularly crucial for low-income households and small businesses operating on tight margins.
Moreover, the expanding solar sector is a quality job creation engine. In 2023, the clean energy sector outpaced overall economic growth, creating high-quality jobs at twice the rate of traditional energy, with significant gains for unions, veterans and Latino workers, while easing hiring challenges for employers.
From installation and maintenance to research and development, the industry offers a diverse range of careers. It can also provide family-sustaining jobs in geographies that may have lacked or lost such opportunities.
Solar not only builds careers but also hones long-term capacity, empowering communities with the expertise to manage and expand their own renewable infrastructure. As demand for heat-resilient solutions grows, local skillsets become increasingly valuable, fostering economic resilience from within.
By investing in solar, communities aren’t just preparing for a hotter future, they’re investing in local economic resilience.
Paving the Way: Policy and Implementation for Solar Resilience
As we face increasing heat challenges, integrating solar solutions into policy frameworks is valuable for community resilience and public health. Heat action plans at all levels of government should explicitly include solar and storage solutions as key strategies.
Building codes and urban planning must evolve to prioritize solar readiness. New construction should be designed with solar integration in mind while retrofitting programs can help existing structures adapt appropriately.
However, implementing these policies comes with challenges. The initial investment costs for solar and storage can be significant, even with incentives. Solar and storage incentives should target vulnerable communities first.
The federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) programs are steps in the right direction. These initiatives, including Solar for All, the National Clean Investment Fund and the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator, offer funding opportunities for communities to enhance their energy resilience. It’s crucial that complementary financing options and subsidies are structured to ensure equal access to these technologies across all income levels, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
Grid integration presents another hurdle. As more distributed solar comes online, utilities and grid operators must adapt to manage this new, dynamic energy landscape. Challenges exist, but technologies such as smart inverters and updated regulations to ensure their use will be key to maximizing the benefits of solar while maintaining grid stability.
Despite hurdles, opportunities outweigh obstacles. As temperatures rise, solar is an essential tool in our climate adaptation toolkit to prepare our communities for possibly even worse summers to come.
Embracing a Solar-Powered, Heat-Resilient Future
Solar energy is a multifaceted tool in our fight against extreme heat. From powering cooling centers and easing grid strain to creating jobs, shading environments, and even potentially providing passive income, solar technology offers a promising and humanitarian approach to heat resilience. The time for action is now.
Policymakers and community leaders must prioritize solar integration in their heat adaptation strategies. In addition to the funding programs listed above, technical assistance can help communities prepare for the deployment of solar in a strategic manner. Luckily there are federal programs that can help make this a reality.
One of those programs is SolSmart, a free technical assistance program supported by the U.S. Department of Energy that offers vetted guidance and resources to help communities take full advantage of solar benefits.
SolSmart and similar technical assistance programs can help local governments remove barriers, taking important steps such as updating building codes, incentivizing solar adoption in vulnerable areas, and reimagining our landscapes with solar promise in mind.
Picture cities where solar canopies shade our streets, where solar-powered grids remain stable supporting peak cooling demands, and where every rooftop contributes to our collective resilience. In light of solar advancements and federal support, this vision is more than a dream – it’s an achievable reality.
About the Author
Scott Hancock, senior program manager at Interstate Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), also manages the SolSmart program, assisting local governments in their solar market goals. With an MBA/MPA in Sustainability, this Arizona native brings expertise in renewable energy and community resilience. Scott’s background focuses on clean energy transitions.
]]>Continue reading "Powering Through the Storm: Enhancing Resilience with Solar PV Solutions"
]]>Natural disasters and human-caused events are highlighting the need for more resilient electricity and power systems across the globe. Disruptive events continue to expose vulnerabilities within infrastructure, while also highlighting opportunities for enhanced resilience.
Renewable energy can be a resilience solution if it is designed to withstand different types of hazards and threats. Renewable energy, such as solar photovoltaics (PV), can provide power during larger grid outages if resilience is incorporated into the system design, operation, commissioning and maintenance.
Take Hurricane Sandy, for instance. After it devastated New Jersey in October 2012, engineers discovered that many onsite PV systems had failed when they were most needed. Despite their installation prior to the storm, these systems were rendered inoperative, leaving communities without essential power during a critical time.
The aftermath revealed that around 600 communities in New Jersey were clamoring for backup energy solutions with many relying on diesel generators — systems that, unfortunately, exhibited high failure rates during the storm due to fuel shortages.1 This was a wake-up call: renewable energy systems like solar PV must be integrated into our disaster preparedness plans, with resilience as a core principle.
Similarly, the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 highlighted the shortcomings of Puerto Rico’s energy infrastructure. The island faced the longest power outage in U.S. history, lasting nearly 11 months.2 Solar panels, while a potential source of relief, were frequently damaged by the storms’ extreme winds and debris, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.3
It’s clear that without robust design and implementation strategies, even renewable energy systems can fall short in times of crisis.
Disasters are destructive and unfortunate when they occur, but they can be educational. By examining post-storm reports and forensic analyses, we can identify weaknesses in solar PV systems and make informed design choices to bolster their resilience. The goal should be to create energy systems that can withstand disruptive events, reducing their negative impacts on communities.
Disaster Planning and Recovery
So, how do we make our energy systems more resilient? One approach is integrating PV panels with battery storage systems, enabling communities to generate and store electricity onsite, independent of fossil fuel supply chains. This not only enhances resilience but also aligns with disaster mitigation strategies.
It’s imperative that we embed resilient solar solutions into disaster planning and recovery efforts, ensuring that when calamity strikes, our communities can weather the storm with greater ease.
A crucial aspect of this strategy is risk reduction. To ensure that PV systems perform well during and after disasters, we must understand the specific hazards that are most likely to occur in any given area. This knowledge informs the design criteria necessary to fortify these systems against vulnerabilities.4
Proactive measures, such as commissioning, hardening and securing PV installations ahead of anticipated storms, are essential to safeguarding our energy infrastructure.5
It’s also important to recognize that not every community can be fully supported by solar PV alone, due to challenges such as cost and implementation hurdles. This is where focusing on critical infrastructure becomes paramount.
Essential services like healthcare facilities, water treatment plants, and emergency management centers must be prioritized in disaster planning.6 By identifying key locations and installing appropriately sized solar PV and battery systems, we can ensure that our communities remain functional even in the face of adversity.
However, there’s another layer to this discussion: the need to value and quantify resilience in energy systems. While the benefits of resilient designs are evident, they often manifest only during disruptions, making them difficult to measure. We must develop consistent metrics for evaluating resilience so that system operators and utilities can effectively monetize these investments.
Although the cost of solar energy has dropped significantly over the past few decades, many U.S. households still lack access to affordable solar. Understanding the financial and non-financial benefits of resilience is crucial for the equitable deployment of solar PV systems.7 To achieve equitable solar adoption, it is crucial to expand access and affordability, especially for communities with high percentages of disadvantaged residents, renters, and low-income homeowners, who currently experience lower rates of rooftop solar adoption.
Moreover, while solar PV generates power during the day, it’s vital to integrate energy storage solutions, like batteries to meet energy demands at night or during outages. Sizing these systems appropriately is key to maximizing resilience.
Given the experiences of communities in New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy, understanding how diesel generators can be more resilient is also important. It’s equally crucial to recognize the environmental and fuel supply challenges diesel generators present. While often relied upon for backup power during emergencies, generators emit pollutants during use and rely on a supply chain that can be disrupted during disasters, leaving communities vulnerable.
Solar PV, on the other hand, can offer a cleaner alternative that can provide reliable, off-grid energy without the onsite air quality challenges and logistical risks associated with diesel generators. By integrating solar into emergency preparedness plans, we can create more resilient communities that are less dependent on fossil fuels and more capable of withstanding disruptions.
When combined with conventional generators, energy storage can significantly improve the reliability of our power supply, effectively doubling the survivability of fuel sources during grid outages.8
Conclusion
The path forward is clear. We must actively incorporate resilient solar solutions into our energy infrastructure to prepare for future disasters. By reducing risks, prioritizing critical services, and valuing resilience, we can build a more secure energy future for our communities. As we share lessons learned from past events, we can continue to refine our approaches.9 We must ensure our systems not only survive but thrive in the face of disruption. For further insights into this vital topic, explore the research available at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).10
About the Author
Eliza Hotchkiss is a senior analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). She has seen damaged PV systems while supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency with disaster recovery efforts. She is an IEEE member, co-lead of the Task Force for Resilience Metrics, and an American Solar Energy Society member.
]]>Continue reading "Future of Small-Scale Solar Depends on Action in States Like Michigan"
]]>The state of solar power has never been brighter in the United States. The growth of solar capacity has exploded following the introduction of new federal incentives like those in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). New U.S. solar capacity being added in 2024 is around triple the amount installed in the year before the IRA was passed in 2022, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data.1
This investment is significant and should not be understated. But there are limits to what the federal government can achieve. These limits come partly in the form of state-level policies that are holding back solar power in general and smaller-scale, distributed solar in particular.
This story is playing out in the home state of my organization, the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council. But similar stories can be seen around the country.
To be clear — while utility-scale solar is responsible for most of the growth in solar over the last several years, smaller-scale, distributed solar is growing and benefiting from new incentives.
For example, the $7-billion Solar for All competition, part of the IRA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, is providing up to 60 grants to state and local governments and tribes, including Michigan, so they can offer financial and technical assistance to residential and community solar projects.1 These grants will put solar projects in communities where solar has often been out of reach before.
However, many state policies needlessly blunt the potential impact of investments like the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
Despite significant recent progress at the state level, the member companies that make up the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council have seen the chilling effects of these policies on the ground. Unfortunately, our state is typical. It has become harder to find states where these barriers do not hold solar energy back.
In addition, confronting these barriers will be more urgent if the progress on the federal level is ever rolled back by changes in political winds. So what are these potential hurdles for solar?
First, there are not enough favorable policies for distributed solar plus storage. Combining solar panels with batteries is transformative because it can feed power back to the grid when it is most needed. Often solar plus storage is held back because of the lack of a regulatory structure. Programs like ConnectedSolutions in the Northeast have proven successful at leveraging the potential of solar plus storage systems to reduce peak demand.2
In Michigan, legislators have introduced the MI Power for All Plan,3 a set of bills aimed at reforming regulatory barriers around distributed solar and storage. One of these bills would require state regulators to develop rules ensuring that behind-the-meter generation sources receive compensation for the benefits they provide, including increased reliability and resilience, reduced peak demand and ancillary services.
Second, there is a lack of a legal framework for enabling community solar in many states.4 Community solar is one of the best ways for households that may otherwise not have access to solar to gain access. But in many places, without the right laws in place, the utility stands in the way of community solar.
This is because third-party or community-owned community solar projects represent a loss of revenue to utilities that are vertically integrated and own other generation assets such as coal and natural gas plants. These utilities generally don’t want customers buying less power from them and generating more of their own.
Models are emerging that would provide alternative ways for utilities to make money, such as performance-based regulation in which the utility’s revenue is tied to its performance on metrics like reliability. These alternatives could make utilities less disposed to oppose policy changes favoring distributed solar, but the rollout of these new approaches has been slow.
In the meantime, solar advocates need to keep hammering home the message that more solar in more places benefits all customers.
A recent report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) looked at what would happen if that all technically viable community solar was deployed.5 “Technically viable” means the amount of solar that could be built in communities given NREL’s estimates for constraints based on geography and market demand.
The report found that this scenario would save U.S. electricity customers “billions of dollars on their electricity bills, serve tens of millions of [low- and moderate-income] households, generate billions of dollars in grid resilience and grid service values, drive billions of dollars of economic benefits into host communities and support hundreds of thousands of jobs.”
That message can be used to rally support for legislation to enable and support deployment of community solar projects. States that have adopted this type of legislation, like California, Minnesota and Massachusetts, are home to most of the country’s community solar capacity.6
Michigan is one of the many states that currently lack this kind of legislation, but lawmakers have proposed creating a legal structure that allows community solar to flourish by, among other steps, requiring utilities to provide bill credits to subscribers of community solar projects and allowing for third-party-owned projects.
It’s a good time for solar power, but it can be even better. Making these policy changes now would create a favorable landscape for distributed solar that would continue long after the money from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund has been spent. Solar advocates have gotten some big victories at the federal level. The states are where the next big victories need to come.
Sources
About the Author
Laura Sherman is the president of the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council, a trade organization representing companies in Michigan’s growing advanced energy sector. She holds a doctorate in Earth and Environmental Sciences from the University of Michigan.
Continue reading "A Snapshot of the U.S. Government’s Clean Energy Policies in 2024"
]]>What attention-getting developments are happening in federal clean energy legislation in the United States this year?
Daniel Bresette, president of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), said legislators are interested in “a lot of different clean energy topics… at a high level.” The Farm Bill, which authorizes agricultural funding, is “contributing to enthusiasm.” The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) investments are rolling out.
“It feels like every day, there’s another announcement from [the U.S. Department of Energy] (DOE) or from another agency about an award or a grant or a funding opportunity announcement,” Bresette said.
What’s happening with the Farm Bill? According to Bresette, it should have been enacted in 2023, but has been given a one-year extension. “Things have really started to pick up in activity.”
The House Agriculture Committee has released legislative text for the bill. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released a section-by-section summary in May.1 Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.) released another one in June.2 Many advocates are working on the Farm Bill.
The energy measures in the Farm Bill include the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which supports clean energy deployment in rural areas, such as solar panels for agricultural businesses, Bresette said. This program was also funded by the IRA. EESI has published a side-by-side comparison for REAP.3, 4
A program that Bresette has a “soft spot for” is the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP), which is a loan program for electric co-ops and other borrowers that has traditionally focused on efficiency and electrification. (It can also be used for solar power, energy storage and EV charging.)
The loans come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The proceeds of the loans are used for on-bill financing, in which utilities pay for energy upgrades and then charge their customers for them. These programs support rural economic development.
According to EESI’s side-by-side comparison file for RESP, “The House Agriculture Committee discussion draft proposes to add limitations on eligible borrowers, [codify] ‘green banks’ as eligible borrowers, add manufactured home replacements to the list of eligible measures with limitations, extend repayment terms for loans to qualified customers, provide grants to borrowers for certain purposes with limitations, and reauthorize the program through 2029.”5
Bresette said it is unlikely that changes will be made to the IRA this year. The act is popular because of the tax benefits it provides, which people may not want to lose. “I think it’s more durable than people might say.”
“That doesn’t mean that we’re… prancing around the office… celebrating the… 10-year time frame of the IRA,” Bresette said.
Federal agencies have been trying to accelerate their timetables and deadlines for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, Solar for All and other programs.
“There is kind of this element of a ticking clock this decade,” Bresette said. “It would be nice… to have the incentives fully rolled out and the programs fully rolled out, but that’s really difficult to do. And in some cases, it requires a lot of coordination between the federal government and states. It would always be nice to always be on time or even a little early, but that’s easier said than done.”
“I think the [IRA] put a lot on the [DOE] to get right, and I think that required a lot of… reorganization,” Bresette said. “And it required the agency to learn how to do a lot of new things and then apply its ways of doing things to new activities.”
A lot of the IRA programs that will reach ordinary people are still being deployed, Bresette said. Some of the state funding has been awarded.
Bresette said the federal government is working on innovative financing for clean energy in general. “USDA at this point has deployed almost a half of or about a half a billion dollars to co-ops and other RESP active borrowers.”
The DOE Loan Programs Office has been taking the lead in supporting many constructive financing goals across quite a few technologies, according to an interview on the EESI website.6
What has the EPA been accomplishing recently related to clean energy?
The EPA has announced the deployment of its Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and has been working on a green bank, Bresette said. It is innovating to bring financing to low-to-moderate-income communities and Justice40 communities.
According to the EESI website, Justice40 “aims to target 40% of the benefits from specific federal investments — such as those for clean energy, energy efficiency and water infrastructure — to ‘disadvantaged communities.’”7
“Some communities have been negatively and disproportionately impacted for decades,” Bresette said. “And the amount of harm that they’ve suffered requires more than, you know, a couple years worth of investments. It can’t just be for a short period of time.”
Is it possible that there might be any changes to Justice40 in the near future?
Bresette did not mention any. According to him, Justice40 is a priority of the Biden Administration that requires focus and intention. Minimizing negative impacts on communities that have faced inequities is a long-term goal that will take sustained work. “It’s hard to look at Justice40 and not see a lot of potential.”
It remains to be seen how the election may affect this program, as well as other federal activities. New appointees, policies and legislation may come into the picture.
Sources
About the Author
Kat Friedrich is the editor in chief of Solar Today. She is also a contributor at Supercluster, Offsite Builder and PCI Journal. She has edited seven news publications, is a former mechanical engineer, and has two degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a professional member of the American Solar Energy Society.
]]>Continue reading "Project Tiošpáye: Net Zero Solar Living for the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe"
]]>The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and Red Cloud Renewable (RCR) have embarked on a groundbreaking solar housing project called Project Tiošpáye, aimed at empowering the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. This initiative represents a significant step toward sustainable living and energy independence for the community.
The collaboration was sparked by a double question: “Does ASES have any Native American mentors? And/or is your team educated about Native communities so that if Native students wanted to participate in the Mentor Match program, they could work with a culturally literate mentor?”
This query came from RCR at the Oglala Lakota Sioux community called the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. For 16 years, this nonprofit has provided renewable energy training to more than 1,000 Native American students in solar heating, off-grid and grid-tied solar systems, tiny homes and reforestation from a campus at Pine Ridge.
RCR specifically asked about ASES’ Mentor Match program, which connects energy professionals with those seeking to further their professional development in the energy field.
The answer to the question was “No.” This raised important issues given the critical energy and health needs in Native American communities across North America. So, the ASES team began to educate ourselves.
We learned of the forced and failed federal assimilation policies like the Indian Removal Act, the Indian Reorganization Act and the Indian Boarding School policy which have had lasting traumatic impacts, contributing significantly to contemporary challenges such as poverty and violence.1 These brutal policies disrupted traditional ways of life on every level, leading to systemic inequalities that persist today.
Prior to colonization, the Lakota were the southernmost of the Great Sioux Nation peoples, seven powerful Teton bands that moved with the migrating buffalo herds, which numbered over 30 million, in what is now the Dakotas, northern Nebraska and southern Wyoming.2 The buffalo was their sacred animal and supplied most of their material needs.
Today, substandard housing, persistent poverty, historic and intergenerational trauma with consequent health outcomes, and lack of consistent and affordable energy all contribute to a dire quality of life for the Oglala Lakota Sioux, as they do for many Native populations.
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation has the lowest life expectancy in the United States, 15–20 years below the national average.3 It has a median per-capita income of $900 per month, a sixth of the national average.4
Arsenic and uranium contamination in local water contributes to cancer rates over five times the U.S. national average.5 Diabetes is 800% above the national average; alcoholism is 550% greater; infant mortality is 300% higher; suicide of teens is 150% higher; and homicide is 80% above the U.S. average.6
Learning of these conditions, ASES made a commitment to pursue a grant that could provide support to a community lacking sufficient, consistent and affordable energy and clean water.
We applied for an Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving (EJCPS) Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The grant initiative is a response to Executive Order 14096, emphasizing the federal government’s commitment to rectifying historical injustices and supporting affected communities like the Oglala Lakota Sioux.7
ASES received a $500,000 EPA grant under the EJCPS program to bring solar-generated electricity and other solar technologies to homes and buildings on Pine Ridge. In addition, the grant supports training Native peoples in solar installation and sustainable building practices.8
We called it Project Tiošpáye, a Lakota word which means an intergenerational, compound family unit that is the foundation of traditional wellness. It refers to home and community in the bigger sense, where extended families may remain together for life in cooperative living arrangements out on open land. There is a sense of peace, security and pride around this concept on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
The Western model of land ownership imposed upon Native people by the Dawes Act of 1887 massively disrupted communal living for the Lakota people, one of many factors forcing families into the current decrepit housing system. Tiošpáye offers a return to that which was taken away.
The key to this project’s success is Native leadership, provided by Chief Henry Red Cloud, founder and executive director of Red Cloud Renewable, and his team. Recognized nationally for his work many times over, Chief Red Cloud has been honored at the White House twice under two different administrations.
One of the major programs RCR hosts is the Solar Pre-Apprenticeship Readiness Program, which trains solar professionals and leads to North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners certification.
At the most recent program, participants included members of the Cheyenne River, Rosebud, Standing Rock and Pine Ridge tribal nations.
RCR has also undertaken two other significant projects. The Native-to-Native Energy Sovereignty Project is a path to net zero emissions through energy retrofits, electrification and onsite renewables for Pine Ridge residents. The Bridge program trains Native women in solar installation and energy entrepreneurship.
Both projects develop a well-trained Native workforce, help to remove cultural barriers in the industry, and use tools and techniques appropriate to local housing stock and remote locations.
One current challenge facing Native people at Pine Ridge is poor housing stock, primarily trailers and older houses and cabins, coupled with the high cost of heating and cooling poorly insulated homes in an extreme South Dakota climate. It can dip down to -18°F in the winter and up to 109°F (and climbing) in the summer.9
Kerosene, propane and wood, the most commonly used fuels for heat, further degrade indoor air quality in homes that often already face mold issues.
These fuels are expensive, and impoverished families sometimes have to make the painful choice between ‘heating and eating.’ There are incidents of people freezing to death in their homes because of power losses.
These fuels also increase the carbon footprint of the tribe and prevent energy sovereignty by forcing the tribe to rely on kerosene and propane from the fossil fuel industry. This dilemma is especially unwelcome because South Dakota tribes are very concerned about this issue. For example, in the Dakotas, the Lakota Sioux people of Standing Rock Indian Reservation gained international acclaim in their long-standing fight against Energy Transfer Partners and the Dakota Access Pipeline.10
U.S. federal government funds are available to indigenous communities through legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act and within that the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). The GGRF is a $27-billion initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and revitalize historically impoverished communities. It is administered through the EPA. Sizable initiatives are also available through the U.S. Department of Energy and other federal agencies.
A privately-funded housing project is being implemented by RCR with the nonprofit InOurHands, constructing energy-efficient, two-story aircrete dome houses in each of the nine districts of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Some will be shelters for unhoused people, some will be residences for families living in poverty, and a few will be housing for pre-professionals undertaking training at the RCR campus. Each of the privately owned domes will have solar provided at no cost to the residents through Project Tiošpáye.
The domes can be built in less than a week and are somewhat visually reminiscent of traditional teepee life. They are affordable, scalable, fireproof, tornado-proof, and, with care, repellent of pests and mold. Just one eight-inch space heater operating intermittently on the ground floor warms the building all night, even with snow on the ground outside.
Such structures efficiently use solar-generated electricity, as well as bringing greater solar and workforce training opportunities to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. So they provided the perfect impetus for ASES to support RCR’s efforts.
The dome houses provide a long-requested opportunity for residents to return to homestead living, to the home fire of traditional life, out on the open land and away from the dangers, pollution and frustrations of the townships.
Project Tiošpáye aims to overcome the challenge of no electricity supply by adding off-grid solar power to at least a few remote new homes, including insulated battery backup energy storage.
The project also aims to use solar power generation to address other challenges, including clean drinking water. We know that solar distillers can purify water by removing arsenic (see Fig. 1). New Mexico’s Sandia National Laboratory is being consulted to determine if it can also remove uranium.
Another challenge for the community is a lack of fresh and healthy food, as evidenced by high rates of diabetes. As part of the program, solar water pumps will provide easier water access for gardening and at least one solar refrigerator will provide affordable food storage.
We will include young people in our project through our partnership with the Red Cloud High School. Students will participate in various trainings and installs, bringing them much-needed hands-on experience, economic opportunity and inspiration for a positive future.
Providing youth with knowledge and experience in clean, green energy is key to success in these climate-critical years. We hope that this project will serve as a pilot to show what’s possible for affordable net zero living on the reservation. We also hope that future funding opportunities will be drawn in to deploy these models at scale. And Project Tiošpáye will provide professional experience for Native installers and business owners to prepare them for future opportunities.
This project has been eye-opening from that first question posed by RCR to the ASES staff. It has provided an important path toward directly assisting communities in ways that could have a profound impact on the quality of life on Native lands and actively support the vision of a thriving, sustainable future for all.
This is an edited version of an article published by New Energy World. Ella Nielsen provided assistance with the drafts.
Sources
About the Author
Sarah Townes joined the American Solar Energy Society team in 2016 to promote solar energy and sustainability in our beautiful world. She is our CFO. She also started the Zero Emissions Network Program to do direct climate justice projects, of which Tiošpáye is the latest.
]]>Continue reading "Why the Rural Energy for America Program Should Be a High Priority"
]]>The Farm Bill can enable growth of our clean energy economy, but as debate progresses over its future, partisan divides may make it difficult to enact it comprehensively.
Republicans are looking to increase farm safety-net programs and limit future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan in the Farm Bill, which affects the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Democrats are directly opposing SNAP cuts and advocating for increased funding for nutrition programs.1 Other Farm Bill programs like the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) could be harmed if Congress cannot come to an agreement.2
Through the Farm Bill, REAP provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to adopt sustainable energy solutions or enhance energy efficiency measures.
Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris administration, over $1.6 billion has been invested through REAP for over 5,450 renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements.3 This money goes toward many different types of projects: funding solar arrays that benefit wastewater treatment, which decreases costs for the facilities and subsequently for the residents they serve; solar arrays and battery systems that can save farms money on electricity that they can then reinvest into their businesses; refrigeration systems that save recipients thousands of dollars a year; and more.
Recently, REAP’s maximum grant size was increased from $250,000 to $500,000 for energy efficiency projects and from $500,000 to $1 million for renewable energy systems. In January 2024 alone, REAP awarded a total of $157 million for 675 projects in 42 states. This funding bolsters equity. REAP delivers real, tangible economic benefits to farmers. It provides critical ways for farmers and small business owners to run their operations sustainably, both economically and environmentally. We cannot let this be deprioritized.
The financial support REAP provides has many positive economic impacts on rural communities. In addition to saving farmers and small business owners money by reducing loan, project and long-term energy costs, renewable energy projects funded through REAP also create new jobs, which boost local economies as new income and increased business activity circulate.
Grant recipients become more resilient financially in the face of fluctuating energy prices, decreasing their dependence on expensive, imported energy sources. Finally, rural communities benefit too, as the program enables a decrease in local carbon pollution and can reduce local energy demand while updating the grid.
In 2022, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), REAP received $2 billion for grants, providing additional funding that allowed eligible applicants to receive grants worth up to 50% of renewable energy project costs.4
Most recently, the United States Department of Agriculture announced $145 million in REAP funding,5 further supporting the resilience of the rural United States. While these additional funds have been beneficial and necessary for continuing the progress REAP has already driven, we also need congressional support. In this case, we need Congress to pass a budget for the Farm Bill that ensures continued support for rural businesses in the energy transition.
In the midst of the stalemate in Congress, this decision is being delayed,6 setting the stage for a program extension. Such delays can jeopardize our energy transition and eliminate opportunities for the rural United States to tangibly benefit from clean energy. This is a reality that we cannot afford, as REAP is a vital policy that helps farmers and rural businesses in multiple ways.
There is no question that our climate is in crisis – nor is there a question that farms depend on a stable climate.7
Rural areas are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change.8 This underscores the importance of taking direct steps to mitigate its impact on these communities. With alarming temperature increases, rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weather events, the climate crisis is becoming more dangerous – and through REAP, we have the opportunity to ensure farmers can be part of the solution.
Ultimately, REAP is just one step that can be taken to increase renewable energy and decarbonize our current energy infrastructure to combat climate damage.
REAP benefits the interests of both political parties – it supports rural businesses and farmers and also supports the clean energy transition and reduces the impacts of climate change. As the debate over the Farm Bill continues, we can’t forget about REAP or the critical role it plays for agricultural producers and small business owners in the rural United States.
Sources
About the Author
Lindsay Bourgoine is the director of policy & government affairs at ReVision Energy, a mission-driven, employee-owned solar company operating in northern New England.
]]>Continue reading "Why U.S. Policy Should Accelerate Long-Duration Energy Storage"
]]>Long-duration energy storage (LDES) systems are indispensable if we want to achieve our clean energy goals. They will become even more so. By ensuring grid stability and enabling higher penetration of renewable sources, LDES is the catalyst of the next phase of the energy transformation.
Capable of discharging power for extended periods that range from 10 hours to multiple days, LDES systems offer transformative advantages over the currently dominant shorter-duration energy storage (SDES) options, which discharge power for less than four hours.
Supportive U.S. policies have driven the recent renewable energy boom, encouraging investment and development into next-generation clean energy technologies. However, as our clean energy needs evolve, policies must also change to support the oncoming longer-term energy transition.
Let’s look at some of the specific technologies likely to rise as the shift to LDES comes to fruition, as well as the opportunities for U.S. policymakers to better support these energy innovations going forward.
While Li-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS) and pumped hydro are currently the leading energy storage technologies,1 each comes with limitations that motivate utilities and other stakeholders to look at longer-lasting and more easily applicable alternatives.
A 2023 paper by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) cites the difficult challenges of moving beyond four-hour Li-ion batteries.2 Li-ion batteries simply aren’t economically viable for LDES applications. To achieve more energy, Li-ion must add more power and more battery cells that come with a higher CAPEX, more degradation, and increased maintenance from augmentation. Today, that model does not scale very well.
Li-ion’s volatile chemistry also comes with tight over-charge and over-discharge limits that must be followed if utilities want to avoid significant battery damage. Due to its chemistry, a battery operator may only be able to access 80% of a lithium battery’s capacity or may risk premature degradation (which quickly alters a project’s economics). It’s also worth noting that Li-ion has raw materials and recycling challenges that are projected to get worse.3
While pumped hydro is a proven LDES-ready technology, the requirement that facilities be built near large bodies of water at different elevations4 — using pumps to store power and gravity to generate electricity — drastically limits where these systems can be deployed.
At the same time, a recently released Bloomberg New Energy Finance study recognizes several emerging battery technologies that are more suited to supporting LDES use cases, including some that are already cost-competitive with Li-ion (or better).5
In particular, metal-hydrogen battery technology differentiates itself from Li-ion and shows its high potential as an LDES option by providing flexible dispatch at 10–12-hour durations,6 along with stronger overcharge and discharge characteristics. The ability to use 100% of the battery’s capacity allows for steady power output over extended periods.
Using the same basic principles as pumped hydro but with a more versatile set of location requirements, gravity-assisted batteries offer another possible approach to LDES. These systems rely on software-orchestrated cranes and pulleys that raise large bricks of composite materials (up to 500 feet in the air) to store energy and lower them to release power back to the grid.
Additionally, the LDES technology transition offers an opportunity to eliminate growing concerns over fire hazards and the risk of explosions or thermal runaway — the uncontrollable process that’s responsible for most battery fires. The perception that energy storage technologies are fire-prone is almost entirely driven by issues with Li-ion batteries.
The fact is that just about every alternative technology likely to lead the LDES revolution — including metal-hydrogen, gravity batteries and others — features improved fire safety and reduced thermal runaway risk.
The wide-ranging Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed into law in 2022, was a landmark achievement in advancing the country’s clean energy agenda.7 The legislation has provided substantial incentives for clean energy components to be manufactured domestically, bolstered project development incentives, and allocated funds to support growth of energy storage technologies.
While the IRA has helped accelerate the adoption of renewable energy sources, the logical next step is to expand policy initiatives to foster the development of a more diverse array of energy storage technologies and durations. Current policies are lacking in this area, and addressing the gap is critical to establishing a viable market for these valuable energy resources.
By acting as a buffer against fluctuations in renewable generation, LDES can smooth out supply intermittencies and ensure a more reliable and consistent flow of clean electricity to homes and businesses.
However, many energy markets and policies currently lack specific incentives or market mechanisms tailored to LDES technologies. Additionally, energy policies and policymakers tend to prioritize shorter-term solutions with shorter-term goals, leaving LDES initiatives at a disadvantage.
Regulatory frameworks in some areas can also inadvertently create barriers to LDES deployment, hindering seamless permitting processes and limiting flexible grid operation rules.
To unlock the full potential of LDES and ensure a more stable, economically sound and secure energy future, U.S. policy advances must incentivize research on, development of and deployment of these longer-duration technologies.
“The commitments made by the [United States] and other national governments to accelerate the clean energy transition and rapidly develop renewable energy resources must be matched by efforts to rapidly deploy and scale long-duration energy storage technologies,” Alex Campbell, director of policy and partnerships at the Long Duration Energy Storage Council, said.8
“Setting country-specific targets for energy storage deployment, similar to the recent announcement by the G7, would provide clarity, direction and accountability for policymakers, industry, investors and stakeholders.”
One potential policy approach could be the introduction of tax credits or grants specifically designed to incentivize LDES projects and spur industry growth. Such financial incentives could help offset the higher upfront costs associated with LDES technologies, making them more economically viable and attractive to developers and investors.
Additionally, revisions to existing regulatory frameworks could remove barriers and streamline permitting processes, facilitating the deployment of LDES systems across the country.
Also, policymakers should prioritize the integration of LDES into energy market structures, ensuring that these technologies are appropriately valued and companies are compensated for their essential grid services.
This could involve the creation of new market mechanisms or the adaptation of existing ones to better accommodate the unique characteristics of LDES systems, such as their ability to provide greater capacity and resiliency, improved wind and solar smoothing, and simpler and more effective energy shifting.
The United States has the opportunity to lead the world in the development and deployment of LDES systems. By implementing policies that incentivize research, development and deployment, we can not only enhance our energy security and resilience but also contribute to the global effort to mitigate climate change and achieve a decarbonized energy mix.
Sources
About the Author
Randy Selesky is the chief revenue officer and EVP of product engineering at EnerVenue, which builds metal-hydrogen batteries for large-scale renewable and storage applications. Previously, he was SVP at Greensmith Energy Management Systems.
]]>The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) missed an opportunity by focusing on high-tech energy solutions to the exclusion of proven low-tech solar thermal tools.1 The IRA aims to stimulate the economy while displacing fossil fuel use with photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation and high-capacity batteries. The IRA also promotes replacing gas heating appliances with heat pumps. But there are no incentives for proven solar thermal applications or solar collectors. Passive solar modifications have taken a back seat to fields of solar panels and rooftops with PV arrays.
I applaud the IRA’s goals. At my house, we’ve been on board with reducing fossil fuel use: Our rooftop solar panels are now in the payback period for their electricity generation. And we’re already seeing energy and cost savings from the heat pump we installed in April. While we haven’t found a battery system that sparks joy for us, we have stocked up on solar chargers to prepare for major power outages.
For those hoping for an even greener life in old houses around the country, nothing in the IRA encourages basic solar thermal applications. We and the nation are missing the boat by only high-teching our way out of what is a low-tech problem. The U.S. Census counted over 145 million housing units as of 2023. Panels, pumps and power-packs find their way into new and old construction alike, but we could reduce fossil fuel use even further by encouraging the rehabilitation of our homes to include solar thermal solutions.
The big problem we want to solve is fossil fuel use. Equally important is the quest to reduce unnecessary energy inputs of any kind. At our house, we conserve energy by closing furnace duct dampers to many of our rooms, drying clothes in the sun, etc. With our net metering arrangement in Minnesota, we’re still tied to the grid, so we’d also like to reduce our use of “dirty” grid electricity as well.
Solutions aren’t hard to find. I’ve seen a variety of solar thermal applications, used by tinkerers and passive solar architects, that could take a load off our heat pump’s shoulders. The construction of these devices is simple and inexpensive.
History has long shown that solar thermal works. “A Golden Thread,” a history of solar technology, describes early 1900s Florida and California, where rooftop solar water heaters were used until natural gas pipelines made their way past the Everglades and into Los Angeles.2
In my visits with dozens of people who walk the talk of grid-free and grid-as-backup-only philosophy, I’ve seen solar collectors, through-the-wall solar ovens, passive solar window heaters, and whole-package passive solar homes.
Susan Young, former director of Solid Waste and Recycling Services for Minneapolis, grew up in Rochester, New York, in an old home with a solar thermal heating retrofit. “Rochester is known for being cloudy, being right off Lake Ontario. We had a solar collector on a south-facing roof. Dad circulated water through it, tap water. An old hot water heater in the basement circulated water through this thing on the roof for baseboard heat. That also handled all of our showers.”
As Tony Denzer, author of “The Solar House: Pioneering Sustainable Design,” said, “No one likes the idea of plumbing on their roof. Air tightness is far more important, and so that’s the first thing to do if you have an old house — improve the envelope and maybe the windows, but definitely… improve insulation and air tightness. You could do passive solar first, but it’s just out of order. The Inflation Reduction Act appears to give states some wiggle room for rehab with insulation, but the primary incentive is for heat pumps, solar panels [and] batteries.”3
But who says the water heater has to be on the roof? Fellow solar cook Stan Wells’ solar hot water heater sits in a sunny clearing behind his cabin on a Sonoma Mountain ridge. “We have a collector for the cabin’s hot water system. With the solar hot water thermosiphon system lower than our cabin — you don’t want any downward run on your upward hot water feed. There’s a pump in each water container and a tube that connects the two outputs of the pumps together, so whichever pump runs runs the water from one into another.”4
Tommy Yates’s heater takes up minimal yard space on his rural Mower County, Minnesota farm and woolen mill property. “We have more hot water than we know what to do with. We use it for heating the house now, and showers, dishwasher, radiant floors — all that hot water. Never had a problem.”5
But would it be worthwhile to promote solar thermal on the massive scale that the IRA encourages?
The short answer is yes. Let’s consider just the 100,000+ houses in Minneapolis alone.6 They were built mostly before 1970 and designed with little consideration for solar anything. Homes built later may have more efficient envelopes, but apart from picture windows in great rooms, there’s still much that can be done to take advantage of the Sun’s free energy.
These collectors capture sunlight in enclosed compartments, which are closed up with glass and have their walls painted black. The sunlight is converted into heat. Some heated air naturally rises through the home from bottom to top. There are some heat pipes for hot water or radiant room heating systems. Many are passive systems, but can be “active” with a modest assist from fans or pumps.
Most buildings of any type appear to be fertile ground for solar thermal retrofits as much as for the solutions boosted by the IRA. You would be hard pressed to find a manufactured solar air heater for sale, but they’re out there: Solar Brother, a maker of solar thermal cookers, also offers the SunAéro, a solar collector with a modest 32-watt PV-powered fan that can be installed room-by-room.7
Our 125-year-old house, with its longest side facing the equator and no tree canopy blocking our walls, could fit one of these for each of seven rooms. Taller homes may not gain much through the passive solar strategy of low-winter-sun/high-summer-sun rooflines, but wherever sunlight can be captured, solar thermal equipment can be added.
I relearned this lesson from Tor Allen, who runs the Solar Schoolhouse in Sebastopol, California and is co-author of “Your Solar Home: The Art and Science of Heating, Cooling and Powering Your Home with the Sun.”8 He educates kids in solar energy. “In our curriculum for Your Solar Home, the idea is that your home is the ultimate solar collector.”
Mark Chalom’s Santa Fe, New Mexico passive solar home, which he built himself, is a beautiful example. I met him two years ago to talk about solar cooking, but as I walked through his luxuriously green sunroom, he said, “This is my furnace. The wall is made of split-face concrete block. The texture increases the surface area of the block, so it makes it more efficient. We have thermal air moving up and down the wall. This is almost the lowest part of the house, but all the heat rises.”9
Just south of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Amanda and Andy Bramble run the Ampersand Sustainable Learning Center. Not only are they off the electric grid, but their remote center has a surplus of water caught from the rain from several roofs across their campus. Built into an earth berm, the home could qualify as an earthship. They revel in the simplicity of a no-moving-parts system.
“We have an earth floor, earth plasters, and it’s very passive solar. We don’t need to heat this with anything other than sun. Because it’s embedded in the earth, it taps into the Earth’s ambient temperature. It’s been -20°F outside once and it did not really get below 50°F inside. We throw on sweaters rather than burn some fuel.”10
We can’t afford to build from scratch, and to amass an earth berm around our urban home would mean encroaching on our neighbor’s property. Even so, many homeowners in older cities have examples to follow from existing traditional-style homes that have been outfitted with solar thermal devices and appliances.
To be sure, the biggest bang for your energy-saving buck remains proper insulation to retain heat. But simple solar collectors can add heat, rather than just keep what heat you’re already generating with fossil fuels.
Even do-it-yourselfers find ways to implement incremental solar thermal gains.
So yes, solar thermal can help a fixer-upper like ours reduce fossil fuel energy use. Incremental savings from solar thermal retrofits can multiply when applied in tandem with updated electric appliances the IRA supports. The scant mention of solar thermal in the law means a huge opportunity has been missed.
Detail devils pop up. The markets for add-on solar collector room heaters and innovative solar water heaters are “new again” and may face regulatory hurdles. But the heaters work. We just need to make them work on paper for the powers that be, and produce them at scale like any other appliance to make them affordable.
It would be prudent to make solar thermal a bigger part of the energy transition through the next edition of the IRA. Let’s lobby to update the law to go beyond panels, pumps and power-packs. Let’s give equal time for solar thermal power.
Sources
About the Author
Luther Krueger has collected solar cookers for 20 years, and created an informal museum in his backyard. His YouTube series documents the stories of solar cooker makers, promoters and power users around the world. He is a life member of the American Solar Energy Society.
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