January 2000 CLIMATE CHANGE TECHNOLOGIES

Solar Energy
PA’s State and Local Climate Change

E
collect solar heat energy for direct heating of space and water
and indirect production of electricity. Photovoltaic devices,
Program helps build awareness, expertise, first used in the space program, generate electricity to power
residences, satellites, highway signs, communication stations,
navigation buoys, streetlights, calculators, and more. Building-
and capacity to address the risk of climate integrated solar products such as solar roof shingles and
opaque glass PV façades also are now available on the market.
change at the state and local levels. The program In the last seven years, worldwide photovoltaic sales have
nearly tripled.
provides guidance and technical information to Photovoltaic arrays can be combined to create large-scale
PV power plants. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District in
help state and local agencies prepare inventories California operates a 1,600-module, 2 megawatt photovoltaic
power plant that produces enough electricity to serve 660
of greenhouse gas emissions, develop action homes in the Sacramento area.
Solar thermal power is the least costly form of solar electricity
plans to reduce emissions, and educate their con- for grid-connected applications today. Concentrating solar power
technologies—parabolic troughs, power towers, and dish/engine
stituents. By emphasizing the many economic and systems—convert sunlight into electricity efficiently and with
minimum effect on the environment.
Other uses of thermal energy from the sun include solar
environmental benefits of greenhouse gas reduc- water heating for buildings and swimming pools, and solar
space heating and cooling systems for buildings.
tions, the program encourages state and local Passive solar systems involve the collection and storage of
solar energy through building design and siting, and through
decisionmakers to implement voluntary measures technologies that capture and retain solar heat energy such as
“smart” windows, trombe walls, flooring and other materials
to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. that serve as thermal mass to absorb and re-radiate solar heat,
and evaporative cooling systems.
Solar energy technologies offer a clean, renewable, and
Energy from the Sun domestic energy source. During operation, solar energy
ach day more solar energy hits the Earth than the total
E energy that the 5.9 billion inhabitants of the planet would
consume in 27 years. Clean energy from the sun can replace
systems produce no air pollution, hazardous waste, or noise,
and they require no transportable fuels. The domestic solar
energy industry also creates new high-tech jobs.
power sources that pollute the environment. The few Solar energy technologies emit no greenhouse gases during
emissions of greenhouse gases or air pollutants generated by operation, but the energy used to make, transport, and
solar energy technologies occur mostly during the assemble them results in some emissions. In general, however,
manufacturing process. A 100-megawatt solar thermal electric the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with any
power plant, over its 20-year life, will avoid more than solar power technology are nominal compared with those of
3 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions when fossil fuel power plants.
compared with the cleanest conventional fossil fuel-powered
electric plants available today. The Federal Role
Solar energy technologies are divided into two major kinds: The U.S. Department of Energy’s Million Solar Roofs
photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules, which convert sunlight Initiative will bring solar energy to a million public and
directly into electricity; and solar thermal technologies, which private U.S. rooftops by 2010. To do its part to meet that goal,
the federal government has committed to placing 20,000 solar adjacent house designed to use solar-generated electricity to
energy systems on federal buildings. provide most of its cooling needs. The solar house used a
The Million Solar Roofs Initiative will work with public and number of features to reduce cooling loads, including a white
private partners to remove market barriers to solar energy use reflective roof, insulation, wider overhangs, solar-controlled
and to develop and strengthen demand for solar energy windows, and a high-efficiency air conditioning system.
products and applications. In 2010, the program will offset Daytime electricity was generated by a 4-kilowatt photovoltaic
annual CO2 emissions by an amount equal to that produced by array installed on the south and west sides of the building.
850,000 automobiles and will produce the same electricity The conventional home used about 61.2 kilowatts per day
generating capacity as 3-5 coal-fired power plants. The Million of electricity in June 1998, amounting to 122 pounds of CO2
Solar Roofs Initiative also will create approximately 70,000 new emissions per day or 44,000 pounds per year. The solar home
jobs by 2010 as a result of new demand for solar technologies. used only 14.7 kilowatts per day, most of which was generated
The U.S. Department of Energy’s TEAM-UP program (Building by the photovoltaic system.
Technology Experience to Accelerate Markets in Utility
Photovoltaics) continues the government’s momentum on solar For More Information
energy through technology validation and through cost-shared DOE’s National Center for Photovoltaics, headquartered at
partnerships with state and local governments, energy service National Renewable Energy Labs in Boulder, Colorado, is a
providers, the solar energy industry, developers, and builders. comprehensive information source on PV technologies.
A 10 percent federal income tax credit is available for Tel: 303-275-3000
businesses that invest in or purchase solar energy technology. Website: http://www.nrel.gov/ncpv/
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 extended this tax credit with
The Federal Energy Management Program provides information
no expiration date.
on federal programs to promote solar technologies.
State Successes with Solar Energy Tel: 800-DOE-EREC (363-3732)
To date, almost 30 states have some type of incentive for Website: http://www.eren.doe.gov/femp
installing residential or commercial solar systems. On the The Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology
local level, a growing number of communities promote the provides educational tools and information on renewables.
use of solar energy technologies. For example, the Solar Website: http://solstice.crest.org
Explorer Program in Austin, Texas, allows residents to
sponsor solar projects such as a 32-kilowatt photovoltaic EPA’s Solar Site describes the agency’s five-point solar initiative
rooftop system on one of the city’s park-and-ride covered lots. and includes a link to EPA’s pollution prevention calculator,
which allows individuals to calculate the emissions avoided by
Colorado using photovoltaics or solar water heaters.
With funding from the Colorado Office of Energy Website: http://www.epa.gov/solar
Conservation, all six homes featured in metropolitan Denver’s
1998 Parade of Homes included renewable and energy- The American Solar Energy Society is a national organization
efficient technologies, such as solar hot-water heating and dedicated to advancing the use of solar energy for the benefit
photovoltaic systems. Two of the homes featured closed-loop of U.S. citizens and the global environment.
solar hot water heating systems consisting of two 4- by 8-foot Website: http://www.ases.org
panels and an 80-gallon storage tank.
The Million Solar Roofs Initiative is working with state and
Each of the hot water systems should displace about 3,760
local partnerships across the country to overcome barriers and
kilowatt-hours of electricity annually for a family of four,
facilitate the installation of one million rooftops across the
avoiding approximately 5,170 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
United States by 2010.
Florida Website: http://www.MillionSolarRoofs.org
The Florida State Energy Office and Sandia National
Laboratories funded a photovoltaic demonstration project in The Solar Energy Research and Education Foundation develops
Lakeland, Florida, during the summer of 1998. The project and disseminates educational material on solar and other
compared the energy use of a conventional home with an alternative energy sources.
Website: http://www.seref.org
The Utility PhotoVoltaic Group (UPVG) is a national
BENEFITS OF SOLAR ENERGY organization representing utilities, new energy service
• Clean energy with no emissions or noise pollution. providers, and PV equipment manufacturers and integrators.
• Low operating and maintenance costs. The UPVG currently manages DOE’s TEAM-UP program.
• Emissions from manufacturing and construction are Website: http://www.upvg.org
quickly offset. EPA’s State and Local Climate Change Program helps states
• Reliable systems, useful for grid-connected and remote and communities reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in a
applications. cost-effective manner while they address other
• Modular systems that can be constructed to any size. environmental problems.
• Creation of new jobs. Website: http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/ and click on
“Public Decision Makers” under the “Visitors Center.”