Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy For NC Homes Advancing Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Economy Fix Energy Leaks First Image Source: /beforeyouinsualte.com Chapter 1: Helping the World through Solar Power. Chapter 2: Surveying Your Household Energy Efficiency and Use. Chapter 3: Making Your Home Energy Efficient. Local Zero Energy Habitat for Humanity Home in Hickory, NC Where is my Solar Energy? Will Wind Energy Work For Me? Good wind resource? 1 acre is a good rule of thumb minimum property size for a small wind installation capable of powering the whole house Issues with local zoning rules/process or neighborhood covenants? Areas designated class 3 (dark orange) or greater are suitable for most wind turbine applications http://rredc.nrel.gov ALR: 13 Solar Hot Water Solar water heating is much better today. THIS IS NOT THE 1980‘s. New Solar Hot Water Systems work great!  Better equipment and controls  Better installation and maintenance  5-10 year warranties, 20+ year expected life A typical solar DHW system is sized to provide 50% to 80% of the annual hot water heating load. Paybacks are determined by climate and local energy prices and use. Typical in NC for a family of four, 5-15 years. System Components • • • • Collector Storage Controls Heat Exchanger Flat Plate Collector Evacuated Tube Collector • Most are Heat pipes (allow ‗wet‘ replacement) • Can deliver higher temperatures Solar Water Heating Around the World Indirect Glycol/antifreeze System Pros:  Excellent freeze protection  Can be PV driven  Careful sloping of piping not needed Cons:  Must inspect/replace glycol periodically  Heat transfer properties of antifreeze fluids inferior to water – slightly reduced performance – Drainback System Pros:  Excellent freeze and over temperature protection  Low maintenance  Uses distilled water Cons:  Noisier than other types  Requires larger pump  Requires piping slope ALR: 13 Drainback Example ALR: 13 Solar Hot Water NC Cost Example • $6,000 installed system • 35% NC tax credit equals ($2,100) $1,400 • 30% Federal tax credit equals $1,800 • But you must pay federal taxes on NC tax credit so (assuming 30% tax bracket) you owe 30% times $1,400 (= $420) in taxes ------------------------------------------------------------------Cost of system to you: $6,000 - $1,400 - $1,800 + $420 = $3,220 Annual Savings (electric WH) = $175 to $300 Photovoltaics (aka PV, solar) Converts sunlight into electricity Can be used with or without batteries Myths and Facts MYTH #1: Solar devices require more energy to manufacture than they produce in their lifetime. FACT: This study linked below by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conclusively demonstrates that energy payback for photovoltaic (PV) power is, in the worst case, less than 4 years, many are paid back in 1 to 2 years. Given that PV module lifetimes are generally in excess of 20 years, a PV system will produce far more energy than it consumes over its lifetime. www.seia.org/cs/about_solar_energy/myths_and_facts Myths and Facts MYTH #2: Solar won't work where I live FACT: Solar thermal and PV devices are dependent on light, not heat - and this light does not need to be direct. More important than place-to-place variations in solar intensity is the price of daytime electricity where you live and the existence of state incentives for clean energy. www.seia.org/cs/about_solar_energy/myths_and_facts Utility Interactive (Grid-Tied) PV System • Most common type of commercial/institutional PV system • Simplest type of PV for buildings PV System Components Photovoltaic Panels! Standard Crystalline Silicon PV Modules Mono or poly crystalline PV cells Glass front with polymer back in aluminum frame 12 to 48 Volts 60 to 300 Watts/module 14% to 22% ~$4.00/Watt wholesale ~15W/sq. ft. Most come with 25 year manufacturer warranties Thin Film PV Modules Several technologies in this categories amorphous silicon (a-Si) copper indium diselenide (CIS) cadmium telluride (CdTe). Most have glass front with polymer back in frame 8% to 13% $1.00* to $4.00/Watt wholesale ~10W/sq. ft. Many warranted to 80% production in 20 years PV Laminate for Metal Roofing • Adheres to 16‖ metal roofing panels • $4.00/Watt wholesale (PV only) • ~6% efficient • 128 Watts per 18 ft section (16‖ wide) PV Shingles • Integrates with asphalt tab shingles • $4.50/Watt wholesale • $24/sq.ft. wholesale • ~6% efficient • 15 Watts per shingle • 4000 Watts fit on 750 sq. ft. south roof NCSU Solar House • Built in 1981 • New recycled plastic ‗slate‘ roof • New 18% efficient 5.4 kW PV system Installed PV Power (US) PV System Costs PV generated electricity cost of about $.20 - $.35 per kWh (NC GreenPower currently pays $0.15 /kWh) PV systems cost breakdown – – – – – PV ~ $4.00+/Watt Install ~ $2.00+/Watt Inverter ~ $1/Watt Hardware and framework ~ $1.50/Watt Batteries ~ $1.50 Grid-tied without batteries - $7 to $11/Watt Grid-tied with battery backup - $12 to $15/Watt Off-grid systems - $15+/Watt PV System Tax Incentives NC has one of the largest solar tax credits in the nation  35% of full installed cost with a cap of $10,500 Federal tax credit recently extended through 2016 and had the cap removed  30% of full installed cost with no cap of credit The taxpayer will owe federal income tax on the NC tax credit  For Example:  3kW PV system turnkey cost of $30,000  after tax credits: $13,440 For more details see www.dsireusa.org and: www.healthybuilthomes.org/docs/Residential_tax_credit_fact_sheet.pdf Can I sell Power Back to the Utility Company? New easy signup with NC GreenPower  Signup producers as demanded  Currently paying 15 cents/kWh Utilities pay ‗avoided costs‘ for extra PV ~3 cents/kWh Net Metering also an option, but not with NC GreenPower Two Page Color Overview of NC GreenPower, including how to sign up: www.ncgreenpower.org/elements/pdfs/NCGP%20Glance%20Residential.pdf NC GreenPower www.ncgreenpower.org • Non-profit organization • Funded by voluntary contributions by utility customers who want to buy ―green energy‖ • Fund is used to pay production incentives to power producers --- standard $0.15/kWh for systems < 10kW • No contract • Incentive is only available as long as consumers continue to make donations • Cannot net-meter --- must buy all electricity used, sell all PV electricity to the utility Buy NC Green Power NOW, without purchasing an expensive system • Electricity generated by wind, water, solar and biomass sources – In North Carolina • Available through Duke Power and Progress Energy, some Cooperatives and Municipalities • Stimulates the development of new renewables capacity across NC—will only build in NC, will not buy out of state • Adds a voluntary charge to monthly bill—for residential, $4/100kWh block • www.ncgreenpower.org Thank you for your time! Questions This concludes the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems Program The North Carolina Solar Center www.ncsc.ncsu.edu Advancing Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Economy