U.S. Energy Secretary opens Solar DecathlonIRVINE -- Oct 9 - McClatchy-Tribune Content Agency, LLC - Sarah de Crescenzo The Orange County Register
U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz isn't shy about his favorite kind of clean energy. Solar wins, hands down. "It's a transformative technology," said Moniz, a nuclear physicist and former MIT professor, Thursday. Moniz cut a ribbon to formally mark the opening of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, a biennial event that challenges collegiate teams to design, build and operate affordable, energy efficient, attractive houses powered by solar energy. As in 2013, the event is taking place this year at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. For the first time, Orange County has entered a house in the competition. Team Orange County brought 100 students from four schools: UC Irvine, Chapman University, Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College. Speaking in a repurposed hangar on the former El Toro Marine base, Moriz applauded the Solar Decathlon teams for popularizing use of energy-efficient technology. Residential buildings account for more than 20 percent of energy use, and technologies such as those in use at the Solar Decathlon could, once in the market, help residents save up to half of that power, he said. "This is the scale that we need to meet our climate goals," he said. He urged competitors to also keep in mind the billions of people in the world with limited or no energy access. Moniz said factors that keep him "very bullish" on solar include its abundance and continuing reduction in cost. "We have come down from several dollars per watt to now we're in the 60 cent (per watt) range," he said. Solar power will continue becoming more affordable, dipping "well below" 50 cents per watt by as soon as 2016, Moniz predicted. Reduction in the cost of solar power is among the factors that make goals like those set in the climate change bill signed this week by Gov. Jerry Brown achievable, Moniz said. "California continues to be a leader in moving to a clean energy economy and showing that you do that with a robust economy," he said. "We need more of that." On a broader scale, Moniz said he is optimistic about the United Nations climate change conference to be held near Paris this winter. He said President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping's announcement that they would work together on a global climate agreement "changed the discussion." "Everybody knows the pledges made so far will not achieve the 2 degree (Celsius) goal that we have, but this is the beginning," Moniz said. "As we continue to show technology innovation and the costs keep coming down, countries will get more and more ambitious." The houses are open for public viewing 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Sunday, and again Oct. 15-18. Contact the writer: 714-796-2221 or sdecrescenzo@ocregister.com http://www.energycentral.com/functional/news/news_detail.cfm?did=37609280 |