Why we need Solar Power

Lee Burneson Middle School – Westlake, OH 10/06/11

Jeff BurnsNE Ohio Regional Manager

Dovetail Solar and Wind

Founded in 1995 - one of Ohio’s oldest & largest renewable energy design and installation firms

Implement Solar Electric (PV), Solar Thermal (Hot Water) and Wind power systems throughout Ohio and surrounding states

Offices in Athens, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo and Detroit, Michigan

Over 220 renewable energy systems installed

As of 2011 we now employ close to 40 Ohio Residents

Cincinnati Zoo Schott Education Ctr. Kilpatrick Farm

Apple Hill Orchards

Melink Corp.

Twenty First Century Energy Corp.

Sample Installations

Sample Installations

4.3 KW in the Toledo area 2.9 KW Pole Mount

3.2 KW in Marietta, OH

4.8 KW in the Cleveland area

4.2 KW in Marietta, OH

8.3 KW in the Akron areaRaymond Ku Home Sean Jones Home

Recent NE Ohio Projects Awarded

617 KW on the CSU Wolstein Center

125 KW – City of Akron

CITY OF AKRON, OHIODIVISION OF PURCHASINGROOM 501 MUNICIPAL BUILDING166 S. HIGH STREETAKRON, OH 44308

Invitation to BidFOR FURNISHING:2011 SOLAR PANEL ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM

Humanity’s top ten problems for the next 50 years

1. Energy

2. Water

3. Food

4. Environment

5. Poverty

6. Terrorism & War

7. Disease

8. Education

9. Democracy

10. Population

Slide by Larry Flowers, NREL

Why renewable energy?

Renewable energy systems are an investment in our quality of life, our national security, and our environment

Solar systems provide energy independence and insulation from utility cost increases

Payback is improving as modules become more efficient and lower cost, and as traditional energy sources continue to become more expensive

Federal & State incentives greatly reduce payback time

1 kW (Kilowatt) = 1,000 Watts

1 MW (Megawatt) = 1,000,000 Watts

1 GW (Gigawatt) = 1,000,000,000 Watts

The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units (SI), named after the 18th-century Scottish engineeer

James Watt. Its unit symbol is W. The unit measures the rate of energy conversion.

James Watt(1736 - 1819)

Solar Power

The U.S. Department of Energy indicates the amount of solar energy that hits the surface of the earth every +/- hour is greater than the total amount of energy that the entire human population requires in a year.

Another perspective is that roughly 100 miles square of solar panels placed in the southwestern U.S. could power the country.

Does Solar Work in Ohio?

Even with less solar energy resource, Germany has 1,000 of times more solar energy production than Ohio.

Ohio

Germany

Insolation: A measure of the amount of sun falling on a specific location

Cleveland, OH = Average 3.9 Sun Hrs/Day

Solar vs. Wind

•Solar has no moving parts – Wind turbines have many thus requiring annual maintenance versus a simple cleaning of PV panels annually

•Solar can be installed without much redtape – Wind Turbines require P&Z zoning approval and often bird studies, noise studies and more

•Solar can work virtually anywhere there is exposure to the southern sky with no shadows - Wind turbines only work in well identified wind areas (see maps)

•Solar has an expected life time of 30+ years – Wind turbines generally last 20 years due to the wear and tear of constant wind and moving parts

True of False ?

Photons from sunlight strike a solar panel causing electrons to be released and thus creating electricity.

Solar PV (photovoltaic)

Capturing energy from sunlight– Photons from sunlight strike silicon

wafers– Causes electrons to be released– Moving electrons = electricity

Answer: TRUE !

A closer look at how a solar panel works …

• A solar panel captures energy from sunlight

• Photons from sunlight strike silicon wafers in the solar panel

• This causes millions of electrons to be released

• Moving electrons = Electricity

South-facing ExposureSouth-facing Exposure

One of the most important aspects of locating a solar power system …

Solar Pathfinder – PV Energy Potential

What can a 2 KW (2000 Watt) Solar PV System Power ?

=

Photovoltaic PanelsVariety of mounting options

– Roof Mount– Pole Mounts– Ground Mount– Building Integrated (Shingles etc.)

Thin-Film Solar on Metal Roofs

Thin-Film Solar Wall

Source: www.nrel.gov/pv/thin_film/docs/cis_wales_2.jpg

PV System Types

Battery-based (off-grid) Grid-tied w/ battery backup (net meter) Grid-tied only (net meter)

PV Inverters

A solar inverter or PV inverter is a critical component in a solar energy system. It performs the conversion of the variable DC output of the Photovoltaic (PV) modules into a utility frequency AC current that can be fed into the commercial electrical grid or used by a local, off-grid electrical network.

The Enphase Energy Microinverter System

S MA R TS A F E

P R ODUC T I V ER E L I A B L E

- Maximum energy production- Resilient to dust, debris and shading- Performance monitoring per module

- System availability greater than 99.8%- No single point of system failure

- Quick & simple design, installation and management- 24/7 monitoring and analysis

- Low voltage DC- Reduced fire risk

Enphase Data Monitoring Equipment

The Enphase Envoy (EMU) is a communications gateway that collects performance information for each solar module in a user's system and transmits this data to the Enlighten™ website.

Enlighten automatically monitors the performance of every module in the system. No additional monitoring hardware or software is needed. Unlike third party monitoring systems, which only monitor the inverter, Enlighten provides unprecedented visibility into the performance of every individual module.

What is: “Net Metering” ?

Web-based Monitoring of Solar PV System Performance

Smart Energy EcoSystem (aka: Smart Grid)There are major transformations underway in the U.S. electric grid, driven by

an aging infrastructure and growing demand.

What Is Smart Energy and Why Does It Matter?Smart energy applies information technology innovations to the way we generate, distribute and use energy in order to make the system more efficient. For consumers, that may mean energy savings and lower bills. For utilities, it means meeting future electricity demand with fewer, more efficient power plants.

1950’s – The Interstate Highway System

1990’s – The World Wide Web (Internet)

2009 – The Smart Energy Grid

Utility Scale Solar1 MW Powers Approximately 300 Homes

America’s Solar Energy Boom Solar in America: Strong and Getting Stronger

More than 100,000 Americans work in the solar industry, double the number since 2009. They work at more than 5,000 companies, the vast majority being small businesses, in every state.

In the last year, solar grew by 69 percent, making it one of the fastest growing sectors in the economy. Since the start of 2010, the price of solar panels dropped by 30 percent.

The U.S. was a net exporter of solar products in 2010 by $2 billion, even to China.

Solar power in the U.S. now exceeds 3,100 megawatts, enough to power more than 630,000 American homes.

What the Future Holds

•The U.S. is projected to become the world’s largest solar market by 2014. •Solar is already the fastest growing energy sector in the U.S. and by 2014 it will likely be the largest source of new electric capacity in America.

•In 2010 and 2011 alone, 27 new U.S. solar manufacturing facilities have begun or will begin operations across America, including in Arizona, Ohio, Michigan, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

•In 2010, the U.S. solar energy industry grew 67 percent (compared to overall GDP growth of just 3 percent) with installations valued at $6 billion compared to $3.6 billion in 2009. That trend continues in 2011 with new photovoltaic (PV) installations in the second quarter up 69 percent compared to the second quarter of 2010 and up 17 percent compared to the first quarter of 2011.

•In the first half of 2011, 582 MW of PV was installed in the U.S. That’s more than the 435 MW than was installed in all of 2009.

•Cumulative solar electric capacity now stands at 3,183 MW, enough to power 630,000 average American homes.

•Over 1,100 MW of additional PV capacity (enough to power over 200,000 homes) is expected to come online in the second half of 2011.

Solar Energy Facts: Q2 2011 Solar Energy Is One of the Fastest Growing Sectors of the Economy

The cost of solar energy continues to fall, making solar energy more affordable every day.

•The average cost of a completed solar system has dropped 20 percent since the first quarter of 2010.

•The average cost of solar panels alone has dropped 30 percent since the beginning of 2010.

As the solar industry grows, so does its impact on the economy. As of August 2011 there are over 100,0002 solar workers in the U.S., more than double the estimated employment in 2009. Most of these Americans work at small businesses but some work for major corporations. In total there are now 5,000 U.S. businesses engaged in solar energy in every state.

Solar Energy Is an Economic Engine

Solar Products Present & Future

Electric Car Solar Recharging Station

Solar Paint•The Swansea Solar Paint project @

Swansea University in the UK

•Technology developed while researching ways to make steel last

longer

•The solar paint consists of a layer of dye and a layer of electrolytes. It is applied to the steel as a liquid paste

in four layers. 

•Expected release date: 2012

Bi-Facial Solar Awning (BIPV)

Solar Pumps

Artistic methods of using Solar PV

China will control our Energy Future

China became the world's number one energy consumer in 2010, a position the U.S. had held for over a century. This change means China will set the pace in shaping our energy future.

Is Cheap Natural Gas the Answer ?

Hydraulic fracturing is a drilling process that blasts millions of gallons of fresh water and “unknown” chemicals deep into the earth to fracture dense shale and allow natural gas to escape.

Researchers don't know if the discharges are dangerous to humans or wildlife; several studies on possible environmental effects are under way.

Drilling companies are exempt from disclosing their chemical formulas.

Peak Coal – 2035 ?

Is Nuclear Power our Future ?•In the United States alone, there are 103 nuclear power plants which provide about 20% of the nation’s electricity.

•A new nuclear power plant has not been ordered in the U.S. since 1973

•A typical reactor will generate 20 to 30 tons of high-level nuclear waste annually. There is no known way to safely dispose of this waste, which remains dangerously radioactive until it naturally decays over thousands or even millions of years.

Solar Power is THE ANSWER !

Give American Technology a Chance !

Discussion and Q&A

Dovetail Solar & WindJeff Burns

Northeast Ohio (216) 290-2900 Work

(216) 630-7395 Cell

jburns@dovetailsolar.com

www.dovetailsolar.com