Hawaii relies on imported petroleum for
more than 89 percent of its primary energy resources says
Andrea Gill, Energy Conservation Analyst from the Department
of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DEBDT)'s
Energy, Resources & Technology Division. Large transportation
such as airplanes accounted for 36 percent of the oil
used while 32 percent of the oil in 2000 was used to generate
electricity.
The statistics are alarming. Being an island
state where fossil fuels are not produced, Hawaii competes
with the rest of the world for the production and transportation
of petroleum produced in the Middle East, making it an
expensive commodity.
There are also many environmental concerns
with the world's reliance on fossil fuels. Gallons of
oil and tons of coal need to be burned in order to generate
electrical energy, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
and contributing to the greenhouse effect.
In addition, fossil fuel resources are
limited with scientists already predicting that world
oil production will peak between 2004 and 2008, causing
a sharp increase in price.
This is why renewable energy is destined
to play a very big part in the way the world supports
its energy demands, says Marco Mangelsdorf, Ph.D. of ProVision
Technologies, Inc., a high-tech startup company based
in Hilo.
Alternate energy occurs when resources
other than fossil fuels are used to generate electrical
energy. Renewable energy is under this umbrella term and
includes solar electric power, hydropower, wind power,
geothermal energy, and ocean thermal energy conversion.
Renewable energy uses resources that cannot be depleted,
such as the sun, water, wind, heat from the earth and
heat from the ocean.
Our Vice President and General Manager,
Ted Walls, calls it clean energy because the technology
doesn't harm the environment or use up the natural resources
to generate the electrical energy we rely on, says Barbara
Walls of The Alternate Source. In fact, many have dubbed
renewable energy green as a symbol of environmental protection.
One of the most widely used, renewable
energy resources is the sun, making photovoltaics (PV)
the most popular renewable energy technology. Photovoltaic
technology converts sunlight directly into electricity.
Electrical energy is generated when the sun's light hits
photovoltaic cells, which are made of a semi-conducting
material that changes the light into electrical energy,
explained DEBDT's Gill.
The photovoltaic panels are similar to a
solar water heater, but instead of heating water, the
sunlight actually generates electricity. The system is
also easy to maintain. A power water hose is needed to
remove dust particles from the panels to ensure optimum
use of the system. And the technology is built to last,
with many beginning models outliving their expectancy
of 25 years.
PV also makes it easier for people off the
electric grid line to power their home or business. According
to Steve Burns of ProVision Technologies, the cost to
extend overhead lines for homes or businesses not on the
power grid is about $3,500 per pole on average, with poles
about 200 feet apart. A PV or photovoltaic system would
be less than half the cost to connect a home to the utility
grid. Already more than 500 private homes and farms in
Hawaii are using renewable energy for some or all of their
electrical needs.
For those already connected to an existing
electrical utility service, PV can be used to supplement
a building's power needs. With the introduction of the
state's Net Energy Metering Law in June 2001, homeowners
and business owners using PV (or other independent renewable
energy technology) can substantially reduce their electric
bill, said Mangelsdorf. The pay difference (or net) is
determined by subtracting the electricity generated from
the private PV system from the electricity coming from
the power grid.
Jeff Mehring of Waikoloa added PV to his
energy system to lower the cost of his electric bill.
The PV system allows me to save money in the longer term
and improve the value of my home. My utility bill from
HELCO has been zero, besides the minimum monthly charge
to HELCO, said Mehring. As the sun shines on the panels,
electricity is put into the system and the meter runs
backwards, which means we don't incur a charge for electrical
energy used, since we are the ones generating the electricity,
he explained. Conversely, on a cloudy day, when less electricity
is being generated, and the amount of energy exceeds what
the PV system generates, the meter runs forward. However,
our total monthly electric bill has still remained at
zero, Mehring said. Many homeowners are happily surprised
to discover the savings of using PV.
Still, the initial cost to install a PV
system can be daunting, with a payment equivalent to that
of paying years of electric bills at one time. To offset
this cost, in addition to the net-metering law, there
are Hawaii income tax credits for solar, wind, heat pumps
and other technologies for both residences and businesses.
The solar credit is $1,750 or 35% of the cost of the system,
whichever is less.
Even a business spending $100,000 for a
10-kilowatt net metered PV system will have the system
pay itself off in less than five years, thanks to the
state and federal tax credits and an accelerated depreciation
schedule, and of course, from the energy savings, said
Mangelsdorf.
In fact, many businesses have already incorporated
renewable energy to support their energy demands. The
Mauna Lani Resort installed several photovoltaic systems
as part of their renewable energy system, now generating
half a megawatt, the largest use of solar electric power
of any resort in the world.
The first installation was in 1998 with
the photovoltaic panels playing a dual role of providing
electrical energy and insulation to keep the building
cooler, says Emily Gail, Realtor Associate and host of
Access TV's Emily's Talk TV, who followed the resort's
PV progress.
I first heard about the technology at the
2000 Mauna Lani Senior Skins Golf Tournament where the
SunCaddy was introduced, she said. Outfitted with PV panels
on the roof of the golf cart, PowerLight's SunCaddy was
able to perform for a longer period of time without recharging,
thus extending the battery life and saving electrical
energy.
More recently, Mauna Lani Resort installed
the Solar Electric PowerTracker where PV panels are tilted
toward the sun and move throughout the day to continuously
face the sun, increasing the electrical energy output
by 35 percent.
Parker Ranch more than a year ago installed
a renewable energy system, making it the home of the world's
largest hybrid PV-Wind Project. The combination windmill/photo
cell system creates enough electrical energy to supply
more than 90 percent of the drinking water for the ranch's
cattle herd.
Renewable energy technology businesses like
ProVision Technologies, Inc., The Alternate Source, PowerLight
and many others are on the grow, as awareness increases
about the benefits of renewable energy. We spend a lot
of time explaining to customers about the technology of
alternative energy and its financial viability, said Walls.
Under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC), Hawaiian Electric Company and Hawaii Electric
Light Company must look at other ways to provide electrical
energy, explained John Crouch of PowerLight.
Since 1987, HELCO has had a contract with
Pacific Wind Energy to purchase the electrical power created
from the wind energy farm at South Point. The system includes
37 generator-size turbines to produce electrical energy.
As a whole, Hawaiian Electric Company generates 7 percent
of its electrical energy for the state through renewable
energy, 5 percent more than any other US utility company,
HELCO says.
Utilities are also mandated by the state
to have a certain percentage of power generated from renewable
energy. In fact, HELCO is refitting Kahua with updated
machinery for its wind farm and Upolu Point will soon
be the site for the next island wind farm. The guidelines
to sell energy to HELCO say that the renewable energy
technology must be able to provide a certain quality level
of energy in order to receive the wholesale price for
power or avoided cost, explained Crouch.
According to Mangelsdorf, the photovoltaic
industry has already grown 35 percent per year over the
past six years worldwide with a demand that presently
outstrips production. There will come a time when the
bulk of utility power is provided by renewable energy
and fossil fuels serve as a back up, Crouch predicts.
As technology continues to improve, renewable
energy companies will find more ways to apply PV solar
electric power for other uses. Currently, ProVision Technology
has two stand-alone systems already available with more
on the way. Perhaps in a few years, all homes in Hawaii
will generate their own electrical power, working from
the beach on a solar electric computer will be common,
and all vehicles will be powered by renewable energy.
Still, only time will tell.
For more solar and renewable energy news [SolarAccess.com]
