More than ever, individuals, and their communities are pitching in to reduce their dependence on oil and coal and turning toward renewable energy in an effort to lowering their energy bills. In order to attract more residents, communities are working to be viewed as forward thinking by applying the latest in conservation and new energy technologies; and generating a return on their investment.
Whether by individuals or communities, there are two reasons for making the renewable energy leap. The first is altruistic; by mining renewable resources for power we can save the world, or at least leave it a nicer place for our grandchildren. The second is to save money on the energy bill. But installing a solar system on your house doesn’t mean you won’t be getting a bill from your local power company any more. Ideally, you start using less power, taking a little less from the century-old power grid.
As renewable energy grows even more efficient and easy to incorporate, Alpha Energy is working to make it accessible on any project from a major building project to a minor home redesign.
Kate Jensen worked overtime hours as a nurse for two years with the ultimate goal of taking her Flagstaff, Ariz. home off the grid. In early 2006, she began working with Alpha Energy to install both solar and wind energy technology.
With the 7.1kW of power generated by her renewable energy system, Jensen is able to power any electrical device in her house, including her lights, refrigerator, television, furnace or a space heater.
While the system is not yet enough to power her home completely free of the power grid, enough power is produced during the summer months that she is able to sell the excess back to the power company and get a check from the power company instead of a bill. This system is just the beginning for Jensen, as she plans to add a water catchment system and go alternative with her next car purchase, either electric or bio-diesel.
Jensen may be ambitious with her desire to go off the grid, but she is not alone. Rising energy costs and worries of inconsistent power in all parts of the world are driving people to seek out an energy insurance policy. And Jensen is going about it smartly, by applying multiple and at times redundant renewable energy systems.
One benefit of renewable power systems is that by design and necessity, they are purely modular: big enough to provide emergency power to a small community, or small enough to power a single security light bulb. The next great thing about these systems is how they can be incorporated on or off the existing power grid.
The well-publicized power concerns in California impact its residents in the form of rolling blackouts and high energy bills. With unexpected blackouts creating workplace frustrations and serious security lapses, the State government is working to help combat its on-going energy shortages: California has joined many other states in offering rebates and tax incentives promoting solar energy installations. The city of Loma Linda, CA is taking advantage.
Already recognized as progressive in its energy and communications programs, Loma Linda looked to Alpha Energy to design an aggressive solar energy system to power all municipal buildings, as well as the community center and senior center. Additional power generated will be fed back into the existing power grid, at a profit. With more than 1600 solar panels mounted on the roof of city parking carports, the city is able to generate 430 megawatthours annually, or roughly the same amount of energy it would take to power something really big and impressive. In generating this amount of power from a zero-emissions solar system, the reduction of comparable fossil fuel emissions is like removing more than 3,300 cars from the road.
But large-scale projects are not the only applications for renewable energy. Renewable energy systems don’t need to change the world. Sometimes they just need to change the traffic light. Rather than becoming an overnight replacement for the century-old power grid, renewable energy can do the little things: backup power supplies, support security systems and generate power for remote installations.
The next sunrise, grab a little power from those rays to keep you and your home energized. When the wind picks up from the retreating storm, gather some electrons from the breeze to let you open your automatic garage door a few more times. Let the water running down the nearby stream charge the backup system to help keep a sensitive area secure.
Whether the motive is altruistic or financial, options are available and true renewable energy systems are now a reality. And Alpha Energy is working with the renewable energy technology of today and tomorrow.
