March 14, 2008
by Alexandre Chepigin
With the looming problems brought on by climate change becoming ever more apparent, many homeowners in America are taking on the task of minimizing their carbon footprint and weaning themselves of their dependence on oil.
There are other options beyond coal and oil available as energy sources. Many new technologies are now readily available as well as affordable for ordinary homeowners, who can equip their homes to take advantage of these alternate energy sources. These technologies can be applied to new homes under construction or retrofitted for existing homes.
While there are many different ways of cutting your electric bill and lowering your carbon footprint, we will focus here on the various means that allow the average homeowner in New Castle to produce energy independently from the local power supplier.
What is our town’s position on the issue?
I met with Barbara Gerrard, New Castle town supervisor, and Gerry Moerschell, former commissioner of public works for New Castle, to learn more about the town’s position and accomplishments in the area of energy independence.
New Castle has been at the forefront of environmental protection and obtains 29% of the energy it uses from wind power. The water sanitation plant gets its energy from onsite photovoltaic cells. New Castle is also a member of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives.
The town participated in the Ford Electric Car “Clean Commute” program in which Ford, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and New Castle teamed up to provide electric cars and recharging stations for residents of New Castle at the train station. Sadly, Ford stopped servicing the vehicles and manufacturing replacement parts and the program was forced to shut down.
Gerrard stated that every new vehicle acquired by the town will be a hybrid. Discussions are currently underway to renovate town hall so that it can become LEED certified, which refers to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a rating system that indicates how “green” a building is. The town is currently considering a provision that would require all commercial and municipal buildings to become LEED certified, thus making them friendlier to the environment. Clearly New Castle is open to change and will make it easier for its residents to become more energy independent.
What can a New Castle homeowner do?
One of the first steps you can take in making your home “greener” and reducing your energy consumption is to insulate it. You can also switch out old appliances with newer, more efficient ones. You can reduce waste and increase reuse and recycling. You can conserve water and start composting to reduce landfills. But what should you do if you want to reduce or eliminate your energy dependence by generating and harvesting your own energy? The three major technologies to explore are solar, wind, and geo-thermal.
Look to the sun for free power
Solar energy is the most common way that homeowners today are either supplementing their conventional method sources or are becoming completely independent. Charles Fritts built the first photovoltaic cell in 1883. These cells use the sun’s radiation to create energy.
The square footage of panels needed to power one’s lifestyle differs, but usually the amount of solar panels needed for an average family is small enough to be mounted on the roof of a house. The energy can either be stored in batteries, which in turn feed your house, or you can connect your house to the power grid or, if you want the benefits of both systems you can use a hybrid of both a battery system and a grid-tie system.
Having your own batteries becomes beneficial in times when the sun is not shining by allowing you to tap into your own stash of stored energy. However, you still run the risk of running out of power. By connecting to the power grid, power will be available for sale to you if your batteries do not have an adequate amount stored for your needs. This is the main reason homeowners choose to connect their solar arrays with the power grid. Additionally, when the power being produced by your solar panels is more than what you need, you can sell the excess power to your power company. Instead of receiving a bill in the mail, you will receive a check.
With a good system in place you can break even on your investment in a matter of years and if that doesn’t satisfy you, you can ease your conscience by knowing that you aren’t hurting the environment as much as you used to. Luckily, in New Castle Con Edison allows you to install a grid-tie to the electric grid. For further information on this please contact Con Edison at http://www.conedison.com for more details.
Solar water heaters also help to reduce carbon footprint
Another major way of using solar energy is to install a solar water heater in your home. This system uses the sun’s rays to heat up water, which is then used inside the house in many different ways. These systems fall into two major categories: open loop heaters and their closed-loop counterparts.
An open loop water heater consists of a solar collector, which captures the sun’s rays and uses them to heat up the water, connective plumbing and a water tank in which the heated water is stored. The hot water in the tank rises to the top of the tank and is sent throughout the house’s plumbing for general use like washing clothes or taking a shower. The colder water is drawn from the bottom of the tank and is sent back to the solar collector.
The mechanics of a closed loop system is very similar to the open loop system, however, the closed loop of plumbing pipes contains anti-freeze, which never comes in contact with the heated water. A closed loop system is particularly useful in cold climates where water in an open loop system would freeze too quickly.
It is also possible to connect a solar water heater to the home’s conventional water heater. In this case the conventional heater acts as a “backup” heater only, but this will save you from running out of hot water because of lack of sunshine. With or without the backup heater, a solar water heating system will save you a lot of money on water heating and is a good investment to look into.
Wind turbines are an option, but New Castle is not known for its heavy winds
Another viable energy generating system is the installation of a wind turbine. A wind turbine system “harvests” the energy produced by the wind and in many areas is a wonderful alternative to solar power. A wind energy system consists of the wind turbine, a generator, a tower and a battery bank or a grid-tie.
The wind turbine looks like the propeller on an airplane; it is engineered in such a way that when the wind flows over the turbine’s blades it causes them to rotate around a central axis. The blades rotate a shaft, which runs into an electricity generator. The generator produces electricity, which is then routed either to a battery bank, similar to the batteries used in a photovoltaic array, or into the power grid. Check with your power supplier first to find out how easy or difficult it will be to connect to the power grid in your area.
Before installing a wind turbine, you should take into consideration the intensity of the wind in your area. You generally need at least 10 mph of wind speed, your property should be at least .5 acres and the local zoning laws should allow a structure that is at least 42 feet tall. While a wind turbine can be very effective in many parts of the country, they are generally less reliable then solar power systems in our area, as New Castle does not generally have very heavy winds. Additionally, you may encounter some opposition from neighbors who might find the wind turbine tower an eyesore.
However, as an incentive to homeowners, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority now provides rebates of 50% to 70% of the purchase price of small wind systems. Additional information on wind turbine systems can be found at http://www.skystreamenergy.com and at http://www.bergey.com.
Geothermal heat pumps coax heat from the earth
Lastly, a homeowner can elect to produce energy with a geothermal heat pump system. These pumps are similar to ordinary heat pumps but they use the ground instead of the outside air to provide heating, air conditioning and hot water. Because it uses the earth’s natural heat, this system is one of the most efficient heat sources available today.
In this system, a pipe is inserted several yards into the ground where the temperature is noticeably warmer than the air. Water is then pumped through the pipe; it heats up and is pumped back to the surface where it can be used in several different ways. By compressing the hot water, it can be warmed even further and can heat air to warm the home. By decompressing the water it can cool air and be used in your air conditioning system.
There are no regulations in New Castle that prevent a homeowner from installing a geothermal system. You can find additional information on geothermal pumps at http://www.energystar.gov and at http://www.geoexchange.org.
These are just a few of the solutions a homeowner in New Castle can use to lower or eliminate their energy bill while simultaneously lessening their impact on the environment. It is important to note that in most situations none of these technologies alone can bear the load of your energy consumption, and that usually a combination of these technologies is needed to get the job done.
A useful resource for additional information is the book: “The Homeowners Guide to Energy Independence: Alternate Energy Sources for the Average American,” by Christine Woodside. When installing these technologies hire a specialist who will be able to create a system specific to your energy needs. The choice is in your hands. New Castle will support you. The door is open but you have to walk through it.
Alexandre Chepigin is an eighth grader at Robert E. Bell Middle School. Annie Madden, his science teacher, supervised the preparation of this report.
Copyright 2008 NewCastleNOW.org