Here’s some recent chatter on my town’s social media platform:
“Some stranger came to our door today. He was wearing tan pants, black jacket…”
“Two guys in black jackets and caps were on my cul-de-sac…”
“Anyone know the guy’s name? We just had a solar guy stop by…”
“C—, please clarify your comments…we are an innocent bystander…”
Rooftop solar, it seems, has joined metal roofing, home cleaning products, body care potions, etc. in the league of useful things subject to the wiles of door-to-door sales people. Hereabouts, somebody was knocking on doors, claiming connection with our local electric co-op, and pitching too-good-to-be-true solar power generation schemes to homeowners, wherein net-metering and state-funded incentives would make their electric bills go away, if you just sign on the handily provided installation contract. Somebody posted a doorbell camera’s video of the perpetrator, somebody else called the town marshal. After being away for a few days, I saw a set of footprints in the snow leading to and from my front door, and wondered. A text arrived, warning about the scam and linking to a webpage explaining the electric association’s distributed solar net-metering policies and a list of approved installation companies. A local solar contractor posted several clarifications on the chat site protesting that his company is on the approved list, and that the negative publicity is damaging his business, making his employees subject to suspicion.
Since I’ve posted a few times on renewable energy’s seemingly bright future in the drylands, it seems like a good time to revisit the subject. First, let’s define some of the terms. Distributed energy generation and storage refers to grid-connected, single location (or micro-grid) installations producing more power than the location consumes from the grid, allowing the installation’s owners to send power back into the grid when there is a surplus. For this to work, the electric provider must provide a metering system that measures and controls the flow. When the location needs more power than it produces, the system recognizes and fills the need, when surplus power is being produced, the meter records the surplus for later credit against the total electrical use from the grid, or the electric provider outright buys the power at a previously designated price. If well-designed and managed, this distributed generation and battery storage can help protect the overall electric distribution grid from collapse in the event of weather or equipment caused failures. For a wider explanation, here’s the U. S. Energy Department’s Solar Integration page.
Next, let’s talk incentives, shall we? As electricity produced by coal, oil, gas and nuclear power plants has risen in cost, renewable energy generating costs are being reduced by ever-improving technology and an expanding market that has increased production and distribution efficiency. This, along with an expanding maze of equipment/installation rebates and tax incentives from various governmental entities and utility companies have taken the renewable v. fossil-fuel power debate from the realm of idealism into pragmatic economics. Doing the math from my local electric co-op, a well-designed, grid-connected solar system could save substantially, by helping me avoid paying peak power prices and selling power back into the system at a higher price than the off-peak use rates, but regardless of use I would still be paying monthly minimum and line service fees. Like any good maze though, there are many paths to take, and a few dead-ends and cul-de-sacs to avoid along the way. Each state, and each electric provider, has its own policies, so be sure to check in with your local utility or association to confirm any promised rebates and grid-monitoring schemes, and educate yourself about your home state’s tax incentives and policies before you sign any contracts. Here’s a recent article from the director of the U. S. Solar Energy Technologies Office, How To Avoid a Solar Scam, and clicking the image below will take you to a site that links to each state’s renewable energy information:
Now, with those caveats out of the way, I’d like to turn to some good solar-related news in my home state. After a year of delays, one of the state’s largest for-profit electric providers was recently ordered to expedite connecting their customers’ solar arrays to the grid by the state’s Public Utilities Commission, and another company is building a massive plant to manufacture silicon anode batteries, which are up to 100 times more efficient than currently prevalent, graphite-based lithium ion batteries. In an addendum to the local chat group’s discussion, the solar scam artist got “talked to” by our town marshal, and the local solar company is listed as an authorized dealer/installer by our electric co-op (I checked), so the group can go back to helping find lost kitties and house-share situations for neighbors in need. Looking a little wider for good news, I came across Solar Panels Should Be Reused and Recycled. Here’s How by Charlie Hoffs, that advocates against wasting the materials of worn-out photovoltaic panels, and describes current advances in recycling components. Oh, and in further good news, it looks like our 20+ year-old metal roof has weathered another winter, so no need to check the recycling potential of old metal roof panels just yet.
I’ve focused mostly on solar so far, because in my sunny region that is usually the most practical for small installations, but wind power can and does fill the same role in some areas. On my recent travels, I passed through areas where both types of generation are possible…
Just remember, the same rules apply on avoiding scams and fact-checking sales pitches. From my researches so far, it looks like distributed energy generation and storage promise paths forward that can avoid the pitfalls of depending on centralized, utility scale generation facilities, but it will require moving beyond the accusatory, blame-seeking controversies that fill headlines after each severe weather or wildfire-caused grid shutdown. As in past widespread social crises, new methods will have to be implemented to match new realities. In some cases, this means helping galvanize change through advocacy, and using your voting rights wisely. In my local electric co-op, a transition of members on the elected board of directors in recent years has led to a broader embrace of locally-produced, renewable energy sourcing that promises to protect members from the fluctuating costs of oil, gas and coal produced electricity. As these new energy sources develop, it will mean reductions to the metered power buyback rates, so distributed energy will need to prove its worth as a hedge against widespread grid failures.
On that note, here’s an out and out celebration of the virtues of distributed power generation, delivered by another SubStack writer/interviewer that I heartily recommend, David Roberts: Rooftop solar and home batteries make a clean grid vastly more affordable.
Up next, Shaking the Torpor: Signs of Spring on the Land, until then, take care of yourself and help someone out along the way. - B.
The EPA has put together a look at Distributed Generation of Electricity and its Environmental Impacts.
Here’s a deeper dive into the nuances of Solar Rebates & Incentives, with policy recomendations from an industry advocacy organization.