With all that we have been reading on sustainability and the overuse of fossil fuels, I’ve been looking around for how the government and companies are looking for ways to improve on sustainability. I recently came across two articles (posted below) on energy companies and how they are looking to use solar energy to generate electricity rather than using fossil fuels. Two companies, OneRoof Energy and Clean Power Finance, have both began installing rooftop solar panels on people’s homes to make this happen. Most people would assume that this would make for an ugly roof and would cost more than one would want to pay for this, but on the contrary, these companies are installing the panels for little to nothing and have a variety of panels to match different styles of rooftops.
By using solar energy to generate electricity, you are helping the environment through the sustainability of fossil fuels and saving the government money on renewable energy subsidies. According to the CNN article, renewable energy subsidies cost the government $12 billion last year. Another benefit of using rooftop solar panels is that in the summer, the solar panels act as a shade to cool your home and in the winter, the solar panels act as an insulator in order to heat the home. The green lodging news reports that these benefits will actually save you 5% on electricity.
In September, Google put $75 million into a fund that solar contractors and designers can draw on to finance solar systems for homeowners and has already started installing panels on houses in California in Colorado, with a plan to expand to the northeast over the next year. Hopefully, solar rooftop panels will continue to expand across the country, with companies finding ways to make this cheaper and homeowners saving energy and money in the process.
On a similar note, inside the CNN article is a cool video on how the military is trying to implement solar energy into the Marines.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/27/technology/google_solar/index.htm?iid=EL#comments
http://energy.aol.com/2011/09/26/ca-company-promises-free-unnoticable-solar-panels/
I find it extremely interesting that the military is trying to implement solar energy into the Marines. Since the military currently is consuming much of our government budget, it would be nice to implement some policies to save money in that area. Also, the military uses a great amount of fossil fuels everyday to power their all-terrain vehicles along with planes, helicopters, and many other vehicles. Using solar energy in the military would be very positive and sustainable for our environment. I also find it interesting that roofing companies are reaching out to the public and encouraging them to buy solar paneled roofs. Not only are they saving fossil fuels such as coal, but they are also saving the government money on this renewable energy. I like that the panels will also act as insulators during the winter, which will greatly help people with their heating bill. I also find it shocking that the panels will act as shade in the summer, which will keep your house cool and keep people from using the air conditioner, which runs on fossil fuels. The implementation of rooftop solar panels on housing is a great idea and is very sustainable for our environment.
ReplyDeleteNice! I posed a NYTS article on Moodle on how the military is reducing fossil fuel use--check it out if you are interested in researching this topic more for Unit 3.
ReplyDeleteWe have geothermal in our house but we're looking into a solar/wind turbine generator.
I found this post very interesting. I personally have noticed a lot more homes with roofing panels. This is an easy way to help the environment with no negative side effects or inconvenience for home owners. I believe that some people do not have these panels currently because they already have homes and do not want to put the effort into adding to their pre-existing roof. However, I think that in the future we will be able to see more homes being built with solar paneled roofs in place. There are also many more ways to save fossil fuels such as energy saving lights and appliances. Personally we have exchanged our light bulbs with energy saving light bulbs. Overall I am excited for the future of green built homes!
ReplyDelete-Melissa Worker
Why more people do not invest in solar energy panels for their rooftops was something that always baffled me. I know that it can save money on electricity but I always wondered what might stop people from taking this step. I figured it had something to do with the points you mentioned in your post, Eric. I figured either they were too expensive to install or people were turned off by the way it made their house look. I really liked the quote from the Google article that said buying solar panels is investing in something that makes sense. This quote reminded me of our lecture with guest speaker on WATCH. He said that we need to start fighting for and investing in things that make sense. For example, the dumping of those toxic materials in the Clinton aquifer do not make sense, yet it is the easiest answer and this is why we do it.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting find. I am a strong supporter of alternative energy and to hear that there are policies in place that actually install solar panels on homes is just fantastic. Once I am a home owner I plan on thoroughly investigating the inner workings of alternative energy and how it can be used on my home. If trends like this continue to spread, we will be taking a big step in the right direction as far as sustainable development goes.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how much it costs to install a solar panel roof, but I assume it is very expensive for the average person to purchase. A five percent saving on electricity also does not seem like a very substantial amount relative to what people already pay for electricity. Even though it does not seem beneficial for the average person, I think that companies should begin installing these solar roofs when a new building is being constructed. It seems more wasteful for someone to tear out an existing roof in order to replace it with solar panels, but new buildings can install these panels without having to refurbish any existing structures. Even though replacing a roof with solar panels would be good for the environment and a step towards a sustainable future, most people would probably find that the benefits do not outweigh the cost so they would be hesitant to replace their roof.
ReplyDeleteAnother pro for having solar panels on the roof is that if you produce more energy than you need, you can sell it back to the grid and make money. I know people in my home town who have solar panels on their homes, and some of them actually profit on them because their panels create more energy than they consume in their homes. If everyone did this, then we could actually have a sufficient power supply and could probably wean ourselves off of energy from fossil fuel plants.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't we return to the days when Jimmy Carter put solar panels on the white house? Of course the oil companies and the right-wing critics will say, "Oh no, that stuff is too expensive. You can't do that". These types of attitudes have gotten us stuck in the stone age in comparison to other countries in Western Europe in terms of alternative energy. Instead of opposing it, the US government should force companies to transition to alternative energy by subsidizing its research and initial production. A heavy hand by the government in this matter could go a long way towards making the US better in long-term energy sustainability.
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