Solar Home Owner Shows Off House and Tells Benefits of Solar Energy

Solar panels are attached to the roof of the home.

PASCO, WA- Dozens of curious families saw first-hand just what a solar powered home in Pasco looked like and how it operates.

The special open house in Pasco showcased a recent converter to solar power’s home and what she has seen so far.  Environment Washington along with Hot Solar Solutions answered people’s questions, everything from the cost to the benefits of using solar power.

Environment Washington said solar power actually grew 132% in the state since 2012.  

“Especially in this part of the state where we get sun most days out of the year.  In Washington state, throughout the state, we can produce 21 times as much energy as we consume in a year, just from the sun,” said Cecile Gernez from Environment Washington.

“We talked and they told me the benefits and the incentives.  There are a lot of incentives right now, one for the federal government and one for the state. I thought this sounded like an economical thing to do, so I did it,” said Evelyn Walkley, solar home owner.

Walkley has kept track everyday of the amount of energy she uses.  She has only used solar power since September and is on track to see the payoff in less than five years, which is the average for solar power users.

For more information on solar power, click here for Environment Washington and click here for Hot Solar Solutions.
 

 

Solar Home Owner Shows Off House and Tells Benefits of Solar Energy

Australians fear Coalition is not taking climate change seriously, poll shows

Sixty-five per cent of those surveyed agree that ‘reducing the investment in windfarms and householder solar power is the opposite of what is needed’.

Photograph: Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott/Corbis

Australians are deeply worried the Abbott government is underestimating the importance of climate change, new polling shows, as cabinet debates crucial long-term targets for greenhouse gas reductions.

The annual polling by the Climate Institute thinktank reveals Australians overwhelmingly support wind and solar energy – as the Coalition seeks to limit support for both – and see it as inevitable that coal-fired power stations will have to be phased out and replaced.

But at the same time, almost half those surveyed (47%) think Labor’s carbon policies will “just increase electricity prices and not do much about pollution”. Labor has not announced a costed or detailed policy but has said it will reintroduce an emissions trading scheme and aim for 50% renewable energy by 2030.

Federal cabinet will on Monday decide on the post-2020 emissions reduction target Australia will take to the UN Paris talks in December and the decision will then be presented to the Coalition party room.

Related: Coalition MPs await ‘robust debate’ on Australia’s post-2020 climate target

The foreign minister, Julie Bishop, who leads the climate negotiations, and the environment minister, Greg Hunt, have been arguing that Australia needs to adopt an emission reduction target broadly in line with those already tabled by the US and Canada – a reduction of between 25% and 28% of 2005 levels by 2030 – but others in cabinet have expressed concern that the government won’t get any political credit from taking on an ambitious goal.

And once the government commits to a target it will be under pressure to explain the policy it intends to use to meet it, with business groups, thinktanks and market analysts all arguing the Direct Action policy would need substantial modification before it was up to the task. Business groups have been lobbying fiercely for the government to drop its opposition to the purchase of carbon credits from overseas.

Labor has not promised bipartisan support to a “lowball” target but has also not yet outlined a costed policy to reach a long-term climate goal.

Findings from the Climate Institute research include:

• Australians are concerned that the seriousness of climate change is underestimated by the government (59% agree, 32% strongly agreeing, 16% disagree).

• 63% think the Abbott government should take climate change more seriously, up six points from 2014.

• 71% of Australians agree “it is inevitable that Australia’s current coal-fired generation will need to be replaced” (13% neutral, 5% disagree, 11% don’t know).

• 72% agree governments need to implement a plan to ensure the orderly closure of old coal plants and their replacement with clean energy (7% disagree and 14% neutral).

• 65% agree that “reducing the investment in windfarms and householder solar power is the opposite of what is needed” (39% strongly agree,11% disagree).

• Solar is the most preferred energy source: when presented with eight sources, 84% of respondents place solar energy within their top three preferred options. This is up 2 points from 2014. Wind energy is the second most preferred option, with 69% supporting it in their preferred energy mix. Coal and nuclear are least preferred with only a 13% backing each as a top three choice.

The polling, and the decision on Australia’s post-2020 emissions reduction target, come after the Abbott government wound back the renewable energy target, instructed the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (which it had unsuccessfully tried to shut) to stop investing in solar and wind, and announced it would appoint a “wind commissioner” to handle complaints about noise from wind turbines and new scientific committee to investigate, again, their alleged impacts on human health.

Related: Obama unveils sweeping cuts to power plant emissions: ‘We have to get going’

“This week’s decision on Australia’s initial post-2020 climate commitment comes as nearly two-thirds of Australian believe that the Abbott government should take climate change more seriously, a surge of 6% from last year,” said John Connor, the chief executive of the Climate Institute.

“Our research also shows the carbon tax spectre still has some sting but perhaps less than would be expected. A third (36%) agree they won’t vote for the ALP because they will bring back the carbon tax, with a quarter (24%) neutral and 28% disagreeing.

“The government and the opposition have an opportunity to join mainstream Australian attitudes with climate commitments and policies which can limit carbon pollution, encourage renewable energy and clean up our energy system.”

The US has said it will reduce greenhouse emissions by 26% to 28% below 2005 levels in 2025 and aim for an 80% reduction by 2050. Canada says it will reduce its emissions by 30% on 2005 levels by 2030. The EU says it will reduce emissions by 40% by 2030 relative to 1990 levels.

The poll was a nationally representative online survey conducted by Galaxy Research 27-29 July 2015 among 1,016 Australians aged over 18. Its margin of error is +/- 3%.

Australians fear Coalition is not taking climate change seriously, poll shows

New Report Shows Iowa Leads Nation for Wind Energy

(Des Moines) — The move to more renewable sources of energy is proving to be a breeze locally, with a new study showing that Iowa leads the nation for wind power.

Mike Prior is executive director of Iowa Wind Energy Association, which issued the report. He says more than 28 percent of the energy produced in Iowa now comes from wind generation, the highest percentage of any state.

“And by the end of 2015, our expected megawatt total will be 6,300, which will be over about 30 percent of our entire generation for the state of Iowa that will come from wind energy,” he adds.

In addition to good wind resources, Prior credits the utilities in the state in helping to lead the way to more wind generation, along with supportive state lawmakers and policies.

Prior notes that wind energy is affordable energy, as electricity rates in Iowa have remained below the national average as the amount of wind generation has grown steadily over the past decade.

“For example, Iowa’s electricity rates are 30 percent lower than Wisconsin electric rates, and Wisconsin only gets about 2 percent of its energy from wind power, compared to our 28.5 percent,” he points out.

Prior also says wind energy is good for the local economy, with about 6,000 Iowans employed in the industry, and landowners receiving more than $16 million annually in wind turbine land lease payments.

New Report Shows Iowa Leads Nation for Wind Energy

Report shows 1 in 3 Texans choose renewable energy options

A Texas Empowerment report released by Choose Energy shows that about one in three Texans choose renewably sourced energy options.

That’s 100 percent more than any other state, Levente McCrary, spokeswoman for Choose Energy, said in an email.

“While Texans may have bigger grids and bills when it comes to energy, they also have a lot of choice in green energy plans — which may be partly why they gravitate to green energy plans more often than any other state,” she said.

This month, Choose Energy, an online energy marketplace that helps customers in deregulated areas, such as Tyler, choose the best energy option, released the Texas Empowerment report, found atwww.chooseenergy.com/blog/state-charts/texas .

The report showed that Texas residents are experiencing a significant increase in energy bills with the summer heat. However, electricity rates are expected to decrease until August by about $2 to $3 a month for the average household.

Choose Energy selects the leading energy suppliers who offer the best options for utilities. Consumers can choose the right plan for them — a fixed plan, a short-term option, cost savings, or a greener choice. Choose Energy shows customers what percentage of their power will be renewable with each provider’s offer.

Given recent pricing volatility, Texas residents are now increasingly opting for long term, 36-month plans, thereby locking in a fixed rate for three years, the report states.

Green plans tend to cost about half a penny more per kilowatt hour, equating to $75 more a year per household for renewable energy over coal-generated power, according to the Texas Empowerment report.

“We hear a lot about being more green, whether it’s related to recycling or choosing greener resources, and it’s something that Texans have embraced whole-heartedly,” Kerry Cooper, chief executive officer of Choose Energy, said in a statement. “What we allow customers to do with Choose Energy is really examine what a green choice would mean for them and compare their options. It’s empowering to take control and make an educated decision on who should be your energy provider and still benefit the environment.”

For customers who are intimidated by a green energy plan, Cooper suggests a number of other ways to make a home more green until the customer is ready and able to use a renewable energy source:

- Conduct an energy audit of the home.

- Replace regular light bulbs with energy-saving ones, such as LED, CFL or eco-incandescent bulbs.

- Turn off lights and other devices when they aren’t needed, and be aware of appliances that are actually on standby mode rather than off.

- Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot.

- Invest in energy-efficient appliances.

- Use a solar charger for electronic devices.

- When building a home, invest in energy-efficient design and construction.

Choose Energy is available in 11 states, with additional states coming online in 2014. For more, visit ChooseEnergy.com or call 1-855-419-8758.

Report shows 1 in 3 Texans choose renewable energy options