Harnessing the Sun: Facts and Myths about Solar Power

July 13, 2007 — By Michelle Xiarhos Curran

Energy costs continue to rise. Health problems are increasingly being linked to poor air quality. Evidence that the burning of fossil fuels is destroying the environment is mounting all the time. (A recent study by British and Swiss researchers that the sun's changing energy levels have little to do with Global Warming is the latest finger to point to human activity as the culprit.)

And as the summer sun bears down on much of the country, it's no wonder that more and more people are harnessing the sun's energy to power their homes.

Brad Collins, executive director of the American Solar Energy Society -- a Colorado-based organization that promotes the use of solar power and other sources of sustainable energy -- said it is difficult to estimate the number of homes and businesses that use solar power, primarily because many of them -- up to 40 percent -- operate off-grid. But he believes the number tops 100,000.

"This is an industry that is growing more than 30 percent a year," he said.

"Business has increased several fold in the last few years and keeping up with the growth is challenging," said Conrad Geyser, principal of Cotuit Solar, a Cape-Cod based solar installation company that services Massachusetts and distributes systems throughout New England. "The energy problem in this country is absolutely staggering. The work in front of us is daunting."

There are several major influences contributing to solar power's rise, Collins said. Federal and state incentives, such as tax credits and rebates, and the increase of renewable energy portfolios in some states -- like California, where mandates provide for a specified percentage of energy come from renewable sources -- have boosted installations. In Collins home state of Colorado, a 2004 initiative passed by voters requires that 10 percent of total electricity production come from renewable sources. Ten percent of that must be derived from solar power. Other states, such as Washington and Texas, are following suit.

"I think they're an expression of the public's desire," said Collins about the newly passed state laws.

Geyser, who has been in the solar business for 19 years and has installed roughly 100 systems and revamped another 200 old systems, said as a business, solar power just made sense. "I've always been aware of energy issues and solar was a natural gravitation," he said. "Harvesting energy from the sun us really logical as well as an enjoyable thing. There is an attachment to perpetuity there."

He said the majority of his customers are concerned with the money-savings and payback solar power can provide.

"With a 10 percent annual energy cost escalation rate, renewable energy makes a very attractive investment, especially taking into account the fact that a well designed solar system has an indefinite lifespan," he said. (Collins said most solar panels are guaranteed for 25 years. Some homes have been using them for decades. Geyser said he has reinstalled new panels -- after the re-roofing of a home -- that appear as if they could last 25 more.)

But Collins said, "there's a whole set of non-economic drivers" for installing solar. For one, more and more people are looking towards themselves to help create positive change and to turn around a society that is largely dependent on fossil fuels.

"There's a sense of legacy here," said Collins, who last year installed a solar water heater in his home. "There's a sense that 'I'm doing my part.'"

"Of course global climate change motivates many people to take action regardless of paybacks," said Geyser. "Typically, these people are more tuned into the enjoyment that renewable energy provides. They like to monitor the performance of their systems and adjust their lifestyles to amplify the rewards."

Collins added that consumers may also feel like they're making a statement about energy security by using a sustainable energy source. They want to see the economy evolve. And they want to be innovators. Many home installations, he said, occur on a grass-roots level, people following in the footsteps of neighbors that are using solar power.

"People talk to their neighbors," he said. "They get excited about these things and they say, 'We can do that.'"

So, just how much will a solar system cost, and how much can you save?

There are many factors that determine cost and payback. But Geyser said that a top-quality solar domestic hot water system can run anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000, depending on available incentives and system size. Payback can be expected in 4 to 12 years, but the lifespan of the system is indefinite. Solar electric systems, he said, can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000.

"There is a longer payback here, but again an indefinite lifespan," he said.

Because the ASES has received so many inquiries regarding solar system cost -- questions that, again, are difficult to answer generally -- in 2005, the group launched FindSolar.com, a free cost and output estimator and directory of solar contractors. The link also helps consumers research federal and state incentives. In its first six months, the site received over 100,000 visitors, generating nearly 3,000 leads.

"It's a public service because we could not answer the questions completely," Collins said.

Geyser also suggests visiting the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency at www.dsireusa.org  to learn about tax credits and rebates, and added that certification by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners is a good indication of contractor proficiency, but not essential.

Collins said that despite the increase in the number of people using solar power, there are still many misconceptions about the technology, such as the one that you need to live in sunny California to make use of it. But one only need look at Germany, the world's largest producer of solar power to know that isn't the case. With the exception of parts of Alaska, "there is no place in the U.S. that doesn't get at least as good [sunlight] as Germany," he said.

And there are other doubts.

"Another misconception consumers have about solar power is that it is unproven, that it would be something they're going to have to tinker with," said Collins, who added homeowners often think they should wait until the technology is more developed before they consider installing it.

But, he said, "there's no guarantee that might change the economics. States that have incentive programs -- people are lining up to take advantage. They may not be as rewarding in five years."

"The time to implement a carbon footprint reduction is now," said Geyser. "All our costs are rooted in energy costs. As energy costs increase, our dollar value decreases and the cost of conversions will be higher."

But Collins said that even now many people believe solar power is too expensive for the common man. "You have to look at this as a more long-term investment," he urged.

The future

"In the long run, I think it will be ubiquitous worldwide," Collins said about renewable energy. "I think we will come to the end of burning things to create electricity."

He also anticipates that technology will develop in ways that we can't even fathom now. In the future, electricity may be generated from a shingle on the roof, a special film placed over windows or the paint that coats a home's siding.

"There's a lot of scenarios of what the world might look like," he said.

But even with all the current research and resources being devoted to solar energy, it does face obstacles -- one of which is the intransigence of the invested systems of energy. "They don't want to change," he said.

The lack of political leadership and its inability to articulate a vision also presents challenges to the future of renewable energy, Collins said. He finds this particularly troubling when he says 85 to 90 percent of the American public approves of its use.

"And yet for some reason, that doesn't translate to the leadership," said Collins, noting that while the U.S. was once the worldwide leader in solar energy production, the country has now has been surpassed by both Japan and Germany.

One of the ways the ASES spreads the word about solar power is through its annual National Solar Energy Conference, which is wrapping up July 12 in Cleveland, Ohio. This year, the conference focused on the link between economic development and solar power and included programs for those in the solar power and green building industry as well as a line-up for the general public, with exhibitions and education sessions.

"We will plant a seed of information," said Collins about the conference. "We create the seed and when you have that in the community, people can go and experience it."

"It is a mature technology in an early level of adoption in this country," said Geyser about solar power. "Solar is fun and it works well even here in the northeast. It will provide a significant carbon footprint reduction, but needs to be accompanied by conservation and lifestyle changes to get where we ultimately needs to be as a populace."