Renewable Energy Fair focuses on harvesting the sun
Sponsored by Delaware Renewable Energy Co. of Rehoboth Beach, the Saturday, April 18 fair took place at the Baycenter in Dewey Beach. Under a giant, inflatable sun suspended from the ceiling, local businesses set up booths, handed out fliers and answered the questions of curious consumers.
C.F. Schwartz, a Dover-based Toyota dealer, promoted the popular Prius hybrid car, while in the next booth, Eco Construction, a Lewes-based builder, discussed how to build an energy-efficient home.
Courtney Kellogg owns Ecolistic Cleaning, a home cleaning service that uses all-natural nontoxic products. She said the benefit is twofold: natural products benefit both the environment and personal health.
“Because we’re so near the bay, commercial cleaning products are more dangerous to use,” she said. “And on a personal level, they create indoor air pollution.”
Green Technologies International Corp. of Lewes focuses on retrofitting homes and businesses for energy efficiency. Starting with a full energy audit that appraises the efficiency of insulation, heating and lighting, Green Technologies then evaluates a structure’s potential for energy self-sufficiency and recommends contractors for the job. The company will also assist in state grant applications, which can shave thousands of dollars off the price tag of a green retrofit.
“Our approach is to look at all the technologies as an integrated system,” said Ian Mulholland, president. “We don’t promote just one thing – we promote the entire idea.” Mulholland said Green Technologies is installing a geothermal heat exchanger on a house in Milford and oversees efficiency renovations on historic homes in Lewes.
Delaware Renewable Energy (DRE) Co. promoted practical means of self-sustaining energy. Based in Rehoboth, the company sells and installs renewable energy utilities such as solar panels and wind turbines.
Solar panels are the most ubiquitous form of renewable energy. Ron Pat, a Selbyville resident, said DRE-installed solar panels have all but eliminated his energy costs – last month, he said, his bill was $7.
“I will show anybody who comes around our bills,” Pat said. “Solar energy is a no-brainer.”
Factoring in state and federal grants, DRE estimates that an installation in Lewes could cost as little as $15,000.
DRE employee Chris Tull manned the Skystream booth, standing next to the six-foot blades of the intimidating wind turbine. On a windy day, Tull said, the Skystream can generate 20 to 40 kilowatts – up to 40 percent of an average person’s energy usage. “We have some customers who will kill 60 percent of their bill with this,” said Tull.
After federal and state incentives, Tull said installation could cost as low as $6,000 to $8,000.
The Renewable Energy Fair speakers included David Small and Byrne. Small, acting secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), spoke about state and federal funding of renewable energy.
While Delaware currently recompenses individuals and businesses up to 50 percent of a solar panel installation, Small said the state will likely scale back its commitment to a smaller percentage.
“Demand has outstripped our ability to pay for that 50 percent,” he said. “We are looking at making that money go further.”
He mentioned two pieces of legislation that would change Delaware’s energy future: Senate Bill 49, sponsored by Rep. William Oberle, R-Beechers Lot, will limit the restrictions of municipalities or homeowners associations on the installation of solar panels. Senate Bill 59, sponsored by Sen. Harris McDowell, D-Wilmington North, sets the ambitious goal of requiring all construction after 2025 to be energy self-sufficient.
Following Small, Byrne took the podium. Byrne, who serves as director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy (CEEP) at the University of Delaware, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, an honor he shares with former Vice President Al Gore. Byrne’s talk focused on America’s carbon consumption, and its crucial role in halting global warming. “Americans have to change,” he said. “It’s going to be very hard to turn off China and India’s Co2 unless we take significant steps on our part. You are living in the most carbon-hungry country to ever visit the Earth.”
While he called out Delaware’s egregious rate of energy use – per capita, state residents consume 45 percent more energy than Californians – he praised the state’s support of alternative energy.
Ultimately, Byrne said, the time for action is now.
“We are making decisions that will materially impact our grandchildren’s lives,” he said. “It’s a simple proposition: you need to help us move from more energy to less energy, from fossil fuels to renewable energy.”
More green for your buck
Want to go green but think you can’t afford it? Maybe you can. Check out these federal and state incentives:
Federal energy-efficiency upgrade:
Tax credit – 30 percent of cost, up to $1500
Items eligible: building envelope improvements; heating, cooling and water-heating equipment
Federal renewable energy:
Tax credit – 30 percent of cost, no dollar limit
Items eligible: solar electric, solar water heating, wind turbines, geothermal heat exchangers
State energy-efficiency upgrade:
Rebate – 20 percent of cost, up to $750
Items eligible: Energy audit; air sealing, duct insulation; attic insulation (up to R-49), basement and/or crawl space insulation (R-19 on walls, R-35 under floors); furnace, boiler, heat pump or air conditioner tuneup; water heater tuneup, tank wrap and/or pipe insulation; Energy Star lighting fixtures
Delmarva Power renewable-energy installation:
Grant – up to 50 percent of cost
Solar panels: up to $31,500
Solar hot water: up to $3,000
Wind turbines – up to $22,500
Sources: dsireusa.org and delaware-energy.com
Dr. John Byrne: Turn off the carbon experiment
Dr. John Byrne is one of the scientists who received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for raising awareness about climate change. While not the face that made the front page – that was Al Gore – Byrne’s work continues to turn heads and raise eyebrows.
Part of America’s problem, Byrne said, are the utilities companies. “It’s an institution built for a different era,” he said, pointing instead to Delaware’s Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), a nonprofit entity signed into law in 2007. Byrne said the SEU will provide financial incentives to help consumers buy more energy efficient, albeit expensive, technology.
Byrne, director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy (CEEP) at the University of Delaware, said every year, the U.S. Department of Energy names a Center of Excellence for each method of renewable energy. CEEP has been the Center of Excellence for solar power for the past 15 years. At the Renewable Energy Fair, Byrne said U.S. energy policies need to catch up with the rest of the world – and soon.
He praised state-level efforts to explore alternative power sources; 33 states, he said, have passed laws setting standards for renewable energy. He mentioned Delaware’s Senate Bill 59, which will require all new construction after 2025 to be energy self-sufficient.
However, he said, Americans still have a long way to go. He presented a photo of a bus terminal in Kanazawa, Japan – every surface collected solar energy, including the glass, which was laser-etched with solar-harvesting cells.
Ultimately, Byrne said, the responsibility falls on individual citizens. Showing slides of disintegrating glaciers, he said the time to act is now.
“If you want to wait for the next significant technological change, it’s going to be too late. Be happy with less. Turn off the carbon experiment.”
