While many Richmond residents are still without power after Hurricane Irene this past weekend, a few residents have access to their own produced energy (without noisy generators) due to their previous investments in solar arrays. This should come as no surprise, for after Hurricane Katrina, pre-existing solar arrays were the only power sources for a period of time in New Orleans after the fossil fuel supplies ran out.
I understand that President Obama may come to the area and meet with Governor McDonnell today, in part to survey the damages left by the storm. If I could meet with those two leaders in person, I would strongly suggest to them that distributed, scalable solar (in addition to conservation, of course), is the best way to make the country and Commonwealth stronger- economically, environmentally, and in case of disaster.
Not only that, but despite what people like Duke Energy CEO Rogers say, solar is proving safer and more cost-efficient.
Look for a press release from the Virginia Solar Energy Association on this very subject later today.
(and come back when I have more time to supply some even better informational links for this post).
This is a great article and worthwhile for all to consider not only for disaster recovery, but for everyday power distribution. In the meantime, if you don’t have the resources to commit to a solar array project, I might suggest minimally investing in a solar-powered cell phone charger. During recent Richmond events, such as Hurricane Irene, power was not available but cell phone towers were working. Communication is vital during disasters, and one can easily be cut off the grid by simply not having a charged battery for their mobile device. Check out your favorite search engine, and you can soon find a solar-powered cell phone charger for your particular device.
More on the topic of distributed renewable energy:
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2011/09/the-political-and-technical-advantages-of-distributed-renewable-power
http://online.wsj.com/video/fbi-searches-solyndra-offices/71134EAA-86B3-4D8D-B002-422898397DD9.html?KEYWORDS=fbi+raids+solar
Don’t toss the generator just yet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK1GJESuDLg
Todd, how many Richmond solar home owners had problems with trees damaging their panels?
I bet zero, but where is the local media coverage?
Solyndra is a disappointment, but then that is why I never thought government should be in the business of ‘picking winners’ among manufacturers. Instead, the government should support research and help consumer demand.
The Solar Energy Industries Association released pivotal study that shows that the US solar industry had a positive trade flow of nearly $2 billion in 2010 and is a net exporter to China. The study also found that $0.75 out of every dollar spent on a solar installation in the US finds its way back into the US economy, through wages and services. Although the solar industry continues to mature and grow, this study signifies that, despite the recent attacks that “solar doesn’t work” or the “US solar industry can’t compete with China,” the US solar industry is stronger than ever and is creating value across the country.
http://www.solardecathlon.gov/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/cost-of-solar-energy-may-go-up-in-virginia/2011/11/03/gIQAIsGSjM_blog.html
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