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Solar Panels in the Mojave Desert?

Here’s an interesting article about an ongoing discussion concerning putting solar and wind energy facilities in the Mojave Desert.

Seems solar companies are ready to put up solar plants in areas particularly suitable for solar energy production. The area in question is a parcel of land in California’s Mojave Desert.

But there’s a problem.

The Wildlands Conservancy, which arranged for the government to buy this desert plot, says a solar or wind power facility would “destroy the entire Mojave Desert ecosystem.”

If solar power plants cannot be built in the Mojave Desert, governor Schwarzenegger said, “I don’t know where the hell we can put it.”

Clearly, if you want alternative energy, as California does, you have to put these solar and wind plants somewhere. Right?

But what if we think about it another way?

If each home generated all or most of its energy requirements, maybe the need for a solar power plant in the Mojave would change.

Instead of waiting for all the red tape to get a solar power plant going, how about we put solar panels on each roof?

Calculating the Solar Energy Price Tag   What-You-Want-Most Math

Solar energy systems, as with other alternative energy systems, carry a hefty price tag. Promoters of these energy saving systems point out the long-term benefits of having such a system installed in a home.

These long-term benefits are lower operating costs, low maintenance, and in some cases, no monthly energy bill at all.

I personally like the “no monthly energy bill” benefit.

It’s true that I want our country to be energy independent.

It’s also true that I feel an obligation to our Maker to take care of the planet and the people he sends here.

But in the day-to-day operations of daily life there are pressing needs of food and shelter for the family, clothes for the family, health and exercise needs for the family, and education for the kids (have you looked at college tuition lately?).

I must admit that when I do the what-matters-most math, solar energy gets pushed further down the list, mainly because of the hefty up-front costs.

Given our current national economy, we are all asking more questions. Now is a good time to be doing the alternative energy what-matters-most math for three (3) reasons.

1.    The recent stimulus package, with its tax credits, lowers the alternative energy systems by 30 percent.
2.    And further tax credits may be available from your local energy provider or your state. Check here for tax credits and incentives which apply to you.
3.    The recent stimulus package expands to include home energy efficiency improvements.

The third reason is our reason for hope. Making your home as energy efficient as possible reduces the size of alternative energy system your home requires.

So before installing a new energy system, get yourself a home energy audit. Find out how to make your home as energy efficient as possible.
Chances are good that your energy efficiency improvement costs will have a nice rebate or incentive attached, lowering even your efficiency measures.

Do begin the what-you-want-most math, visit the database of state incentives for information that applies to you.

Image by Grant MacDonald via Flickr

It’s Election Day, 2008. If you have yet to vote, and want to know where our presidential candidates stand on energy issues, read this report from Energy Business Daily. Here’s an excerpt from the article:

The most important concern in the latest presidential election campaign in the U.S. is the energy policy issue. Both the Republicans and Democrats are addressing this issue and both are keen on cutting down expenditure on foreign oil and also the large scale reliance of U.S economy on the foreign oil.

You may find out what each candidate is saying by taking a look at the following. Democratic candidate Barack Obama as well as Republican candidate John McCain are paying serious attention to energy issues. Analysts have commented on their policies and it is explained for you in lucid terms below.

The article reports where the candidates stand on the following energy questions:

1. offshore drilling,
2. strategic petroleum reserve
3. windfall profits tax
4. alternative energy
5. speculation on futures markets
6. nuclear power
7. gasoline tax holiday
8. climate change
9. oil use
10. arctic national wildlife refuge
11. energy research
12. vehicle fuel economy
13. electricity

Read it for yourself here and head out to the voting poles.

The Renewable Energy Roundup in Fredericksburg, Texas, was great! As energy prices increase, interests in alternative energy increase. Nothing like $4.00/gal gasoline to make us question our energy usage!

People from all walks of life attended to investigate and educate themselves about renewable energy resources. Representatives of solar, wind, and biofuel industries made themselves available for every question imaginable. Some lectured on their area of expertise; others conducted workshops.

Here’s a photo of a solar water heater my husband likes.

The collector panel (on the right, leaning against the water tank) sits on the south facing roof. The sun heats the glycol inside the collector. The heated glycol circulates via enclosed copper tubing inside the water tank . Heat transfers through the walls of copper tubing into the water in the tank. Voila! Solar heated water.

Here’s a photo of a working solar panel.

Sitting quietly in the grass, it powers a display inside the display tent. Seeing it working like this highlights one of a solar panels many excellent attributes. There are no moving parts, which translates quiet, clean, and no mechanical maintenance! Great news for the mechanically challenged.

We learned a bit about wind energy too. But that’s a post for tomorrow.

Alternative energy businesses argue no incentives necessitate reduced capital investments, expansion cuts, and job cuts.

Alternative energy customers want solar, wind, and biofuel energy costs to be more available and more affordable.

I am puzzled. Congress drags their feet on this issue while our presidential candidates praise solar, wind, and biofuels as at least part of the solution to escalating fuel cost and environmental health.

Maybe I’ve found part of the answer. According to this article there’s a gimmick at work.

It seems that by placing expiration dates on tax breaks lawmakers are able to hide our ever-increasing federal budget deficit. These tax breaks are not counted as “revenue losses” after their expiration date.

Should these tax incentives be made permanent, “trillions of dollars will be added to the federal debt.”

None of us want to add to our federal debt.

None of us want to continue depending on non-renewable fossil fuels.

Does it have to be a choice between the federal debt and clean, affordable fuel?

Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment.