A Plea for Solar Progress

Douglas L. Mann     May 13, 2004

I am addressing this topic to all members of the Livermore Energy and Environment Committee.  Copies have also been sent to selected individuals in and around Livermore CA, who may be interested in the content, as it can apply to other regions as well.

1.  Introduction

There are countless issues to be resolved as we transition to a petroleum-free world. Here I have chosen to focus on one piece of the solution: solar energy collection and residential development.  My purpose here is to provide a set of tangible arguments that solar collection should soon be a requirement for permitting and planning most new residential construction. 

Energy issues are a concern for government agencies and citizens throughout the country and the world.  The road to replacing petroleum will be harder and longer that most people can imagine.  We'll need "all the tools" and begin implementing them as soon as they become practical.  Solar is finally viable as a cost effective component.

Solar is but one of many components of our energy future. In order to stay focused, other vital mechanisms that can affect energy planning such as ocean current harnessing, wind power, green building techniques, fuel efficient transportation, etc., will not be discussed here.  I use the term "solar" to refer to any process or tool that can be used at a residence to capture the sun's energy. It can include photovoltaics (electricity producing products such as solar shingles, traditional roof panels, wall panels, etc.) and solar water heating devices (passive solar tank systems or panel based systems, often called "solar thermal"). 

2.  Philosophical Viewpoint

It goes without saying that the US will not continue to practice our current patterns of energy use forever.  Fossil fuel consumption will dwindle, and there will be a strong desire in this country to replace as much of it (or more likely surpass its present contribution) as possible.  There has never been a point in our history where energy was ever seen as plentiful enough, or cheap enough, and we may never experience such a day.

Some have suggested that petroleum will be obsolesced by other energy technologies before it is exhausted.  This hypothesis can be supported by historic examples such as: humanity abandoned stone tools in favor of metal, and luckily petroleum replaced whale oil without whales becoming extinct.  I doubt that such a favorable scenario will play out with petroleum unless we engage in deliberate efforts, given our enormous population, our appetite for oil and its rate of depletion.  Since a primary responsibility of government is to implement policies for the protection and overall benefit to the governed, I believe that intensified activity on the process of the transitioning away from petroleum will be required to properly attend to that obligation.

Solar energy seems to occasionally become fashionable, only to go out of vogue fairly quickly and disappear into the background.  This seems to happen whenever energy habits are revealed to us in the form of a "crisis", or shortage. The few existing "alternative" suppliers and experts become inundated with consumers who just "discovered" that energy cannot be taken for granted.  After the emergency is over, these same suppliers go back to caretaking a limited supply of niche customers – motivated early adopters and those without power grid access.  There is never enough demand, for an extended enough period of time, for the industry to develop its critical mass.

3.  Goals and Benefits

The goal of solar would be ill served by unrealistic expectations.  No one can claim that solar will be the magic answer to the world's energy needs.  However, solar can reasonably be expected to provide a principle source.  How much?  Perhaps 20% in 20 or 30 years is not too lofty an expectation.  No matter what the actual percentage is, remember that it could be 100% during an outage.

Solar is the most reliable form of distributed generation yet to be invented.  As such, it is immune from the several weaknesses of large power plants; it is terrorist and disaster proof, and works when the electric grid goes down.  There is no single event that can disable it.  With a substantial solar installation, our city will never be completely without power.  Of key importance are things like refrigerators, cell phones, life support, and network infrastructure that could operate through any grid failure.   In the event of a gas interruption, thermal collectors would ease the shock of hot water shortage (in addition to the electricity that would be lost due to gas generator shutdown).  Reliable distributed generation keeps at least some systems running through any disaster, and in so doing it takes a place at the table of our disaster preparedness planning as well.

Another good thing about local power generation is that it reduces the need for distribution system expansion.  Power lines and substations are sized for peak demand, and it is often a contentious topic for communities when choosing routes and approving facilities.  Solar panels generate their power during peak load times, and a well implemented solar initiative could eliminate the need for any more high tension lines or substations.

4.  Building Codes Are The Key

An effective tool to increase solar adoption would be to add it to the building requirement as a local code. Here are 2 historical examples of similar UBC rules that show how such implementation has worked in the past, and how it could be applied to Solar. 

INSULATION – Beginning half a century ago, as the benefits of thermal insulation became apparent, building codes were revised to require it to be used in new residential construction.  Prior to this, it was rare to find insulated buildings, even though products had been available at reasonable cost for decades.  The new requirements resulted in energy savings and more comfortable homes.  Today, no one needs to be convinced that insulation is a good thing, and insulating would part of modern homebuilding even if there were no longer a UBC requirement; it would be silly not to insulate.

FIRE SPRINKLERS - A more recent addition to the residential UBC is the requirement for fire sprinklers.  The decision was made to require sprinklers because the risk of fire was deemed too great without them (and smoke alarms).  Since they possess the ability to save lives, they might be considered the most valuable insurance policy in any home, though they are costly to install and ideally are never actually used.  Sprinklers are here to stay and normal part of the fabric of the construction industry.

This brings us to solar.  I feel that solar should be a logical requirement for most new residential construction, and that cities will need to begin planning now for the day when it will be required in most sunny climates.  Like insulation, the benefits to the occupant will be immediate and undeniable.  Unlike fire sprinklers, solar will pay its way, as we seem to have finally reached the magical "break even" from a financial perspective. 

5.  Proposed Recommendations To The Council

I would like to see a preliminary report to the Council suggesting any or all of the following:

1. Require all new residential development to include appropriate photovoltaic generation and solar thermal, with the goal of energy net production (beyond the "zero-energy home").  Discourage suggestions of in-lieu fees or offsite mitigation – the idea is to turn roofs into generators.

2.  For existing development plans, any legislative action by Council as a result of a request to modify residential zoning, density, development agreements or other changes should also have solar strongly considered if not already included. As such requests often are made to increase densities or improve a development's appeal, so should its energy profile be improved whenever practical; energy generation/efficiency is a form of mitigation that needs to be pulled forward in the planning process.

3. Assign at least one full time City staff member to the task of working with the Committee on developing a solar initiative to accomplish these goals.  The ideal candidate might be a current city Planner for a number of reasons:

a. Livermore has a reduced emphasis on urban sprawl.  With that, there may be human-hours available for the planning of energy supplementation.

b. Planners know how to navigate the civic machinery, and an existing employee could be more successful in garnering staff's cooperation.

Description of tasks to champion:

Foster relationships between the City and as many existing solar companies as possible.  Establish a reputation in the solar business community that Livermore is serious about being a major force in the crafting of civic planning for distributed energy generation.

Ensure regularity of press releases and other promotional means to keep the issue alive from the public's perspective. 

Assess environmental impacts, natural resource depletion potential, and recycling burden. The Electric Power Research Institute is a good place to start.

http://www.epri.com/journal/details.asp?doctype=discovery&id=730

Research the viability of bulk procurement of solar devices and peripherals, with the goal of enabling our builders and residents to get the best possible prices and the most sensible equipment choices.

Establish and keep current a City web page dedicated to solar.

Be the public's solar guru, and answer questions promptly.

Be available to the Environment and Energy Committee to synergize promising ideas and efforts.

4.  At some point after the new construction requirements are in place,  Council should consider the wisdom of expanding the requirements to existing parcels.  Council and EEC should monitor the success (or failure) of our solar policies.  If solar does succeed and become even more economically beneficial over time as anticipated, requirements should be developed for solar to be included with certain future building permits,  home additions and roofing permits.  This could end up appearing similar to the requirement to insulate new walls on house additions, even if the rest of the house is not insulated.

In Conclusion

Livermore can lead the way and be a positive force in creating an energy efficient community. I see opportunity, not despair, if we are brave enough to act. We will be able to provide sustainable solutions for transportation, comfortable houses, and most if not all of the luxuries we take for granted today.  To accomplish this will take more innovative planning which "cheap energy" has allowed us to avoid for about a century.  Rather than a hardship, this effort should be considered a privilege that will serve every generation to come.

It is worth noting that, with all the false starts of the past, it is entirely possible that by commencing now we will be starting "too soon".  But if now is too soon, the biggest risk we take is to have a few solar installations that end up not being critically needed.  That's not bad considering the risks of falling behind.  In the fire sprinkler example, we do know that most will never be needed, yet having them can certainly not be considered a mistake.  At least solar installations will be used.

Often, successful planning of long term efforts begins before most people realize the time has come to take action.  If now is not the time, then when? If not us, then who?  If not in Livermore, then where?  If as I suspect, this really is the ideal time to begin planning, we can be the example that the rest of the country, if not the world, will learn from.   If we wait until there are critical shortages, planning will be replaced by crisis management.  The beauty of acting now, is that we can carefully proceed instead of reacting in the midst of an emergency.  It is never too soon to educate and prepare.

Misconceptions, even denial of reality are common when it comes to the subject of Energy. It does not surprise me that most people don't know that it takes more energy to produce ethanol than what is contained in the final product, or that solar shingles are available as an alternative to less attractive panels, or that hydrogen is not an energy source.  What is disturbing to me is how unaware many politicians and journalists are of these facts.  Dispelling myths about the energy landscape through education is a worthwhile pursuit, even if efforts like solar are delayed.

Time is of essence!  Every new house without solar shingles represents a loss of 400 kWh per month.   The sooner we proceed, the better for all.  I welcome your comments.

Doug Mann

Solar Resources:

http://www.smartroofsolar.com

http://www.sandia.gov/pv/

http://www.eere.energy.gov

http://www.sierrasolar.com/articles/net_metering/making_solar_pay.html

http://www.californiasolarcenter.org

http://www.energy.ca.gov/html/calif_energy_facts.html