Let's Talk Alternative Energy, with Scott Sklar

(Page 3 of 3)

October/November 2005
By Scott Sklar  
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Bob M.
New York

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From my point of view, you must ask yourself when you need the heat the most. The answer is generally when the sun is not out, such as in the middle of the night or in the winter when days are shorter. I say keep your propane system as your evening-only input. Adding a solar thermal heat ing unit to your propane radiant-heating system is possible, but you'll need a large, well-designed system, in addition to space for both hot-water containers and solar panels on the roof.

If you choose solar space heat ing, Don Bradley of Solar Strategies in Philadelphia says you will need ample hot-water storage, from 400 to 700 gallons, depending on the size of the area needing heat. In addition to two solar hotwater panels for domestic solar water-heating use, you will need at least eight solar thermal panels for space heating. Ask a qualified solar installer to check the solar access and roof orientation to insure optimum performance. Good luck!

GREEN POWER PROVIDERS

How do I find information about any green energy providers in my area?

-D.L.
Toledo, Ohio

Buying utility-traded renewable energy credits, or “green power,” is a solid step consumers can take to transform the energy market — particularly renters and homeowners who have limited options for using solar water-heating, geothermal heat pumps, small-scale wind power, photovoltaics or other on-site clean distributed energy sources.

In March of 2004, NREL released its annual ranking of leading “green pricing” utility programs, and, according to NREL, more than 500 utilities in 33 states now offer these programs. In 2003, more than 1.2 billion kilowatt-hours of renewable energy credits were sold through green pricing programs, an increase of more than 30 percent from 2002.

The Environmental Protection Agency has a “Green Power Partnership” section on its Web site that features a locator for green power providers by state. One of the better e-newsletters is distributed by the Western Area Power Administration (www.wapa.gov/es/greennews) and is called “Green Power and Market Research News.”

Scott Sklar is co-author of Consumer Guide to Solar Energy and is president of The Stella Group, a distributed-energy marketing and policy firm in Washington, D.C. Send your questions to solarsklar@aol.com. Reprinted from www.renewableenergyaccess.com.

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