by Tabitha Naylor

At a recent Tea Party event in El Dorado Hill, Ca. the keynote speaker Paul Smith, a delegate to the California Republican Party, spoke about the virtues of nuclear power plants – for sustainable energy. He said, “Wind and solar are intermittent energy supplies,” Smith said. “If the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine, we don’t get energy.”  While it is true that nuclear is a sustainable and reliable energy sources, so is solar – but at a much lower cost financially and environmentally.

Nuclear Power Plant

There are misconceptions about solar power generation that ought to be obsolete but still persist to this day. One of these is the myth that says solar energy is feasible only in areas that enjoy plenty of sunshine. Another states that a home powered by solar panels will experience intermittent power interruptions depending on the weather.

Both are categorically false.

While it is true that location affects the cost-efficiency of solar power generation, it is also a widely known fact that solar technology works incredibly well almost anywhere around the world. As a rule of thumb, a larger solar power plant in less sunnier locations like Connecticut should generate the same output as that of a smaller plant in a location like New Mexico that enjoys a lot more sunlight. Places that are cloudy and rainy may somehow limit the stored energy harnessed by solar panels, but not significantly enough to make solar power plant installations prohibitive or downright unprofitable.

A good example is Germany. Located in Northern Europe, a substantial portion of the country experiences a continental climate wherein winters can be harsh and days rather cloudy. In spite of not having plenty of sunshine, however, Germany still ranks as the largest solar power ecosystem in the world and is now remarkably profiting from its energy policies that gave the country an early head start on the now lucrative market for renewable energy. Now that should altogether crush the misconception that you need tons of sunlight for solar power generation to be feasible.

Solar Power Plant

On the contrary, consistent findings in different experimental studies indicate that solar panels constructed in sunnier locations may actually experience periods of low efficiency as temperatures rise above 107 degrees. Even at the 95 to 100 degree range, slight drops in power output were experienced. Optimum efficiency was regained only after cooling the solar panels with water sprays. This phenomenon clearly indicates that a little rain even helps optimize solar power plants.

Another good example is Japan. Like Germany, Japan is at the forefront of solar technologies, controlling a solar power market that is around three times the size of its American counterpart. It is also way up in terms of latitude compared to the US as a whole.

The fact is, solar panels should work anywhere where the sun shines, and that’s practically on just about the whole surface of the Earth. Any place where inhabitants can easily distinguish night and day should be able to accommodate a feasible solar power generation plant.

Solar Power Myths - Rain Increase Energy Output

Another myth that should have been busted years ago is the one that says homes with solar panels will inevitably experience intermittent power interruptions depending on the weather. Properly planned solar panel installations squarely make this claim non-existent. Commonly, homes with solar panels are also connected to the main power grid and the power just switches to the grid if solar storage cells are running on empty. This is how most homes in the US with professionally designed solar power systems allow their owners to even earn extra income from either the government or the utility provider. One such owner has not spent a cent for power consumption, earning instead an annual income of US$ 700.00 from PG&E.

“Running on empty” should not even be the case if the installation has been planned well. If the target is to use 100% solar, then the appropriate number and capacity of panels and storage cells should be deployed. In addition, the energy generated during periods of sunshine should be readily available during moments of heavy clouds or no sunlight.

The old adage that “wind and solar are intermittent energy supplies” is no longer true. And when Paul Smith stated that “if the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine, we don’t get energy,” is selling himself short. In contemporary solar power systems, stored energy is even available after one whole month of sunless period. This is how sophisticated lighthouses in very cold climes such as Washington and Alaska harness and use solar power.

By all indications, this is also how self-sustained, environmentally sound communities of the future will be empowered.

In the energy sector, the term “low-hanging fruit” refers to the often elusive green energy source that is characterized by the following factors:

1. high energy efficiency
2. ability to reduce fossil fuel consumption
3. ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
4. high and fast ROI

Low Hanging Fruit Saves $

30-year energy veteran and Sunbolt Energy Systems’ President, Dennis Forsberg, further clarified the term in a previous interview, “[The] low-hanging fruit in the energy tree refers to items that are relatively easy [to generate], low-cost and with fast payback and high financial return”. Mr. Forsberg was describing the emerging technologies that are being developed in the solar energy sector that greatly improve either 1) the efficiency of existing equipment; or, 2) the viability of methods that substantially reduce energy consumption. Said technologies have greatly improved the existing infrastructure for harnessing, converting, storing, and distributing solar power as consumable electrical energy. Following these improvements, the solar panels of today–both for home and industrial use–have already become excellent investments that rein in high returns in a relatively short period of time.

As Mr. Forsberg added, energy efficiency standards have been mandated by the federal and several state governments to jumpstart the green, renewable energy sector whose commercial successes have–at best–been marginal even when the basic technologies have been around for decades. The new initiatives are part of a national energy strategy that aims to ensure self-sufficiency, exploit renewable sources, minimize dependence on fossil fuels, and reduce the environmental impact of energy consumption. In particular, reconfiguration of green power sources such that they perform at acceptable energy efficiency has become rallying cry among legislators in Sacramento, California.

Solar energy is high on the list of green, renewable energy sources. SunBolt Energy Systems, the solar power contracting company headed by Mr. Forsberg, count years of experience installing green solar panels across Northern California and has achieved noteworthy successes as the demand for solar panels with high energy efficiency steadily increased. Many consumers of alternative energy consider reduced environmental imprint and long-term savings as the most compelling reasons to go green.

When applied to energy consumers, “low hanging fruit” particularly refers to very favorable returns on capital expenditures. Many people are already aware of the benefits of installing solar panels at home, including substantial cuts on utility bills. However, until a few years ago, the cost of installing solar panels was very prohibitive, causing understandable delays in market traction. Current ROI, however, is becoming more and more attractive to energy consumers, making investments on solar panels financially rewarding. As stated, short-term benefits include a sizable reduction in utility bills and eventual coverage of the initial capital outlay within a few years. In addition, some states such as California mandate power utility providers to compensate homesteads who provide excess power to the grid, translating to an income stream for homeowners who generate levels of electricity from solar panels in excess of their household needs.

These trends indicate that green electricity is not only safe but economically beneficial as well. The key is to continually develop technologies that upgrade energy efficiency and, as is being done in California, provide the legislative infrastructure that proactively encourages the adoption of green energy sources.

Low hanging fruit is a term to describe easy methods that bring large results – in this case, simple changes to your household or commercial building that can save 10% to 20% a year on your energy bill. And considering these tough times we are in, with the stock market in flux with the European debt crisis, the US economic recovering – it is hard for us to imagine how to pinch pennies more than we already are. But there are many energy cost saving methods, that only take a few dollars to invest – ones that are simple yet yield grand results.

I could go on and on about the mechanics -as most engineers do – and that would bore you. So I found this great infographic that can explain much better than my engineer speak