Harvesting Solar Energy in Western North Carolina

1
Harvesting Solar Energy in Western North Carolina

• Brent Summerville
• Western NC Renewable Energy Initiative
• April 2007

2
Western NC Renewable Energy Initiative(WNCREI)

• Appalachian State University Project
• Wind
• Solar
• Microhydro
• wind.appstate.edu
• wind_at_appstate.edu
• 828-262-7333

3
Agenda9 am 12 pm

• -Solar Energy Todays Issues
• -Do you have the resource?
• outside solar assessment
• -Types of systems
• outside fountain, oven
• -Incentives
• -Case studies
• -Local installers

4
Solar Energy Todays Issues
Enough sunlight falls on the earth's surface
every hour to meet world energy demand for an
entire year -someone
5
If we took all the worlds reserves of coal, oil,
and gas and burned them at a rate fast enough to
give us the same amount of heat we are accustomed
to receiving from the sun, the supply would be
entirely gone in less than three days. -Branley,
F. (1957). Solar Energy
6
Learn from Nature
A cat sunning himself in the doorway of a barn
knows all about solar energy. Why cant man
learn? -E.B. White
Augustyn, J. (1979, 2003) The Return of the
Solar Car Book
7
Big Brains
Augustyn, J. (1979, 2003) The Return of the
Solar Car Book
8
Good Nuclear Power
9
Interested in Producing Your Own Power?Start
With Efficiency

• Every watt not used is a watt that doesnt have
  to be produced, processed, or stored.
• Richard Perez

10
New Construction? Build It Right

• energy efficient buildings
• use of alternative energy sources
• sustainable development
• using green building materials
• decreasing use of natural resources
• preserving topsoil and trees
• reducing storm water runoff

www.wncgbc.org
11
Do you have the resource?
12
US Solar Resources
13
Know Your Year-round Sun
14
Using a Solar Pathfinder
15
Place Solar Pathfinder at proposed site location
16
Trace shading onto graph
17
The goal of optimal sunlight is between the
hours of 9am 3pm

18
New Solar Pathfinder Software
19
Assessment using a Protractor
Look straight along edge toward treeline
Hold string and measure angle
20
Plot angles on Sun Chart
21
Questions? Lets try it...
22
Types of Systems

• SOLAR WATER HEATING
• ACTIVE SOLAR SPACE HEATING
• PASSIVE SOLAR SPACE HEATING
• PHOTOVOLTAICS
• On-grid Reducing the power bill
• Off-grid Charging batteries
• Water pumping
• Electric fences

23
Solar Water Heating
24
Active Solar Water Heater

• Typical system for one family consists of two
  panels with an 80 gallon tank
• 1.5 gallons of storage per 1 ft2 of collector
• Gas or electric backup

25
Solar Preheat/Tankless Backup

• Ex. Bosch Aquastar
• Hydro-powered Ignition
• Thermostat (measures incoming temp)
• Modulates (adjusts heat as required)
• 2400 model delivers over 6 gallons per minute,
  enough to run two showers at once

www.boschhotwater.com
26
Solar Water Heating Mounting Options
Panels on the Roof
Ground Mount
27
Active Solar Space Heating
28
Active Solar Hydronic Heating
29
Works Well with Radiant Floor
30
Passive Solar Space Heating

• You can understand the principle if you have ever
  opened the door of a hot car

31
Passive Solar Space Heating

• Key Factors
• Window area
• Thermal Mass
• Overhangs

32
Passive Solar has Many Looks
33
Photovoltaics
34
Advantages of PV

• Air pollution free during operation
• Easy to install
• Modular
• No moving parts
• Reliable
• Durable (lasts 50 yrs )
• No reliance on fossil fuels
• Solar Energy is available
• everywhere
• Many applications

35
Various Applications for PV
36
How do they work?
PHOTO light VOLTAIC electricity

• Photons from sunlight knock electrons loose,
  allowing them to flow freely
• The electrons on the negative side are attracted
  to the holes in the positive side
• We catch the electrons in a wire and make them
  take the long way around through a load or
  battery
• Moving electrons electricity

37
On-Grid Reducing the power bill
GRID-TIE SYSTEMA renewable energy system that is
connected to the utility grid, selling excess
energy back to the utility. Also called a
utility-interactive system.
38
On-Grid PV Sizing

• Follow these steps to determine your minimum
  system size
• Record average monthly kWh electrical use
  __________kWh/month (NC average 1200 kWh)
• Multiply line 1 by the percentage you want the
  solar system to produce __________kWh/month (ie
  1000kWH X 50 500kWH)
• Divide by 30 for the daily output from your solar
  power system __________kWh/day
• Divide by the daily average sun hours for your
  location __________kW (use 4.5 sun hours/day)
• Divide by 70 to compensate for system
  efficiency __________kW
• (to estimate system cost, multiply x 10,000
  _______________)

39
On-Grid with Battery Backup

• Maintenance-free battery bank is charged at all
  times
• Ready for backup power if there is a grid-failure

GridPoint Unit, Southern Energy Management
40
Off-Grid Charging batteries
41
Off-grid System Sizing

• How do you know how much energy you need?
• Do a load assessment.....account for everything
• Size the array and batteries to meet your needs.

42
PV Mounting Options
Panels on the Roof
Pole or Ground Mount
PV Shingles
Standing Seam
43
Water Pumping

• Slow solar pumping also allows you to use
  low-yield water sources
• Sized to match solar resource, depth, water
  demand
• Example Small 150W system
• Lift over 200 feet
• 1.5 GPM
• 10-hour sunny day, can lift 900 gallons
• Life expectancy beyond 20 years

44
PV/Wind Hybrid Pumping
Hours of Sunshine
Average wind power
45
Electric Fences

• PV panel charges a battery
• High-voltage pulses

46
Use Your Imagination...
47
Financial Incentives
48
www.dsireusa.org

• Database of State Incentives for Renewables
  Efficiency

49
Available Incentives

• NC State tax credit
• Federal tax credit
• Accelerated depreciation (MACRS)
• USDA Farm Bill Section 9006
• Property tax exemption
• Net Metering
• NC Greenpower
• TVA Green Power Switch

50
NC State Federal Credits

• Residential Limits
• 1,400 for domestic water heating
• 3,500 for active space heating, combined active
  space and domestic hot water systems, and
  passive space heating
• 10,500 for PV

51
Accelerated depreciation

• Federal Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System
  (MACRS), businesses can recover investments in
  solar, wind and geothermal property through
  depreciation deductions.
• Solar property can be depreciated in five years.

52
Combining NC and Fed Credits
53
USDA Farm Bill Section 9006

• All applications go through our NC contact
• H. Rossie Bullock, USDA RD
• PO Box 7426
• Lumberton, NC 28359
• [phone] ext 4
• rossie.bullock_at_nc.usda.gov
• Information on eligibility and program details
• Assistance with filling out applications

• Farmers and Rural Small Business Owners Can Apply
  for
• 25 grants from 2,500 to 500,000
• Or up to 10 million in guaranteed loans

Applications for grants must be postmarked no
later than May 18, 2007. The deadline for
submitting loan applications as well as for loan
and grant combinations is July 2, 2007
54
Property Tax Exemption

• In addition to the tax credit, North Carolina
  provides for a property tax exemption for solar
  water heating and active space heating or cooling
  systems.
• This means that the additional value of your
  solar system relative to a conventional heating
  or cooling system is excluded in the appraisal
  for property tax purposes.

55
NC Net Metering
Credited to a customer's next monthly bill, but
reset to zero at the beginning of each summer
(June 1) and winter (October 1) billing season.
With the NC Greenpower program, net metering
of PV typically does not make economic sense.
56
NC GreenPower Programwww.ncgreenpower.org

• To improve the quality of the environment by
  encouraging the development of renewable energy
  resources through consumers voluntary purchase
  of green power.

• RFP process for green power
• Simple form for systems up to 10kW
• PV Energy .18/kWh
• This makes the best setup Buy all/Sell all

57
TVA Green Power Switch Generation Partners Program

• Details
• Wind or PV
• (.5 50 KW)
• Residential or small commercial
• .15/kWh credit
• Energy used on site is billed at standard rate

www.tva.com/greenpowerswitch/partners/index.htm
58
Case Studies
59
(No Transcript)
60
(No Transcript)
61
(No Transcript)
62
(No Transcript)
63
(No Transcript)
64
(No Transcript)
65
(No Transcript)
66
Hickory Zero-Energy Home
67
Goat Lady Dairy

• Solar thermal system 10,000
• Federal Farm Bill grant for 2,500
• 30 federal tax credit
• Depreciate the system over five years
• 35-percent North Carolina corporate tax credit
• Add it all up, and the 10,000 solar thermal
  system is costing Steve Tate less than 1,500.

68
Lincoln County Water Pumping

• Only USDA grant for NC in 2006
• Larry Baxter
• 6,117 grant
• Solar powered water pumping with a water storage
  tank
• Cattle Watering _at_ 2500 GPD with 3 days of storage

69
Local Installers
Find a NC installer at www.greenprofessionals.org
Here are a few local ones....
70
Local Installers

• Appalachian Energy Services
• Seth Wiley
• Murphy, NC
• Toll Free [phone] Local [phone]
  info_at_appalachiansolar.com www.WNCsolar.com

71

• Advanced Thermal Solutions
• Tomas Koenig
• Saluda, NC
• 828-749-1774
• atsinc_at_mchsi.comwww.gotsun.com

72
Local Installers

• Blue Ridge Energy Solutions
• Bill PoteatMorganton, NC
• 800-689-8824
• bresco_at_charter.net
• www.brescoltd.com

73
Local Installers

• FLS Energy, Inc.
• Dale Freudenberger
• 400 Eastside Dr.
• Black Mountain, NC 28711
• 828-669-5070
• FAX [phone]
• info_at_flsenergy.com
• www.flsenergy.com

74
Local Installers

• Solar Dynamics
• Ole Sorenson
• phones 828-665-8507 and 828-231-9106Fax
  828-665-8507
• ole_at_solardynamicsnc.com
• 40 Green Valley Rd.
• Asheville, NC 28806
• www.solardynamicsnc.com

75
Local Installers

• Sundance Power Systems
• Dave Hollister
• Phone [phone]Fax [phone] Beauty
  Spot CoveMars Hill, NC 28754info_at_sundancepower.c
  om
• www.sundancepower.com

76
Web Resources

• North Carolina Solar Center
• www.ncsc.ncsu.edu
• Florida Solar Energy Center
• www.fsec.ucf.edu
• Database of State Incentives for Renewables
  Efficiency (DSIRE)
• www.dsireusa.org
• NC GreenPower
• www.ncgreenpower.org
• USDA Farm Bill
• www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/farmbill/index.html
• WNC Renewable Energy Initiative
• www.wind.appstate.edu

77
Questions?

• Thanks!
• Brent Summerville
• 828-262-7333
• wind_at_appstate.edu
• wind.appstate.edu

This presentation is available at
wind.appstate.edu Click on REPORTS.CONFERENCE
PRESENTATIONS