Ronica Shannon
With the cost of fuel, electricity and water on the rise, Americans are beginning to look for other alternatives to power the things that make up their daily life.
With the onset of summer among us and Earth Day being celebrated today, one important thing to consider is finding ways to let the sun into your home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
The sun was discovered to be a source of power in 1839, but the first commercial solar panel was not marketed until 1941.
However, solar panels are not the only trick to absorbing the sun’s energy.
The U.S. Department of Energy recommends that homeowners keep all windows clean, hedges trimmed, and drapes opened to allow maximum benefit from the sun. Other suggestions include that mirrors be hung across the room from windows to allow the light to reflect and paint rooms in light colors such as white, cream or light yellow because of their light-reflecting capabilities.
Despite these simple ways of being more energy efficient, Berea College students wanted to spread the message that solar panels indeed were a viable option.
Students helped with getting a solar panel on the side of the college’s Alumni Building in February last year.
“The amount of solar energy it generates is not equal to what it consumes,” said Tammy Clemons, environmental sustainability coordinator for Berea College. “The primary purpose was so people could see the panels. The students wanted to make it visible.”
The solar paneling in the Ecovillage apartments are generating more than two-thirds of the energy used by the residents, she said.
“The students have worked really hard with conserving (energy),” Clemons said.
In order for (alternative energy) to be viable and efficient, conservation must take place, she said.
To help with conservation efforts, the Ecovillage also features solar water heaters, front-loading clothes washers and clothes are dried outside without use of a dryer.
The idea to add a solar panel to the Alumni Building was originated in spring 2005 by the 10x10 Student Initiative, a student-led group with the goal of encouraging the college to meet 10 percent of energy needs with clean and renewable sources by 2010.
Energy conservation and trying to find alternative sources of energy are more important now than ever, Clemons said.
“I think it’s important because as our energy use has increased, but our abundance of fossil fuel energy has decreased,” she said. “We need to establish new habits, explore new technologies and we need to reverse that trend. Learn to use less.”
Eastern Kentucky University professor Alice Jones serves as chairperson of the Committee on Responsible Environmental Stewardship (ECRES), a campus energy conservation plan that is to be implemented fully by 2010.
One of the many objectives is to make more campus buildings energy efficient, Jones said.
A few of the goals listed in the plan include: fostering environmentally responsible citizenship among all sectors of the EKU community; improving environmental sustainability in energy production and energy efficiency within the campus infrastructure; and improving transportation efficiency on campus.
The university was granted a partnership in March with Siemens Building Technologies for a $22 million, 12-year energy savings performance contract.
Through the alliance, EKU officials will begin reducing their annual $5.8 million utilities budget by at least 30 percent when the project is formalized in July.
“It’s a performance-based contract,” Jones said. “The whole idea is that we invest in major upgrades in energy and water conservation. Over time, those things pay for themselves.”
A home solar systems cost from $3,000 to $4,000 with commercial systems running about $24,000. The systems would pay for themselves over their 25-year lifetime, according to information at East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC).
There are three main types of solar panels for the home. They include: stand-alone power system (SAPS), grid connect system and a direct drive system. Detailed descriptions of each type can be found at www.gosolar.com.
The roof is not the only place that solar energy can be used. Solar water heaters supplemented by conventional heaters in both homes and businesses such as motels could substantially reduce electricity demand.
As solar hot water systems provide the greatest potential for savings on energy costs and greenhouse emissions, they make smart sense for homeowners and the environment.
The appliance works by taking energy from the sun in a similar way that a hose does when it is left lying in the sun.
Heat from the sun is absorbed through solar collectors. This solar energy heats water, which circulates through the collectors and into a storage tank, ready for use.
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.
