Small Planet

by Jeff Feldman and Annie Brown

Solar Solutions for WV
by Jeff Feldman

Nearly 150 of us gathered at Shepherd University on a beautiful September day. We sat in a darkened auditorium, the irony of which was not lost on me — we had all come to pay homage to the Sun’s potential as a boundless source of energy. The conference, “Solar Solutions for WV . . . It’s Not Alternative Energy Anymore,” was organized by Shepherd University’s Institute for Environmental Studies with the aim of bringing together area builders, interested home-owners, and students to catch up on the state of solar energy globally and right here in West Virginia. Dr. Clarissa Matthews, who chaired the conference, shared her hope of making the concepts of solar electric, passive solar heating, and solar hot water more accessible. She also spotlighted progress being made throughout the state on applications for these technologies.

The day began with a global view of solar markets provided by Bill Rever, a vice president at BP Solar. The United States currently ranks fourth in the world in applying the sun’s energy to generate electricity, behind global leaders Germany, Spain, and Japan. In 2007 the U.S. solar electric market grew 57 percent. As the demand for renewable energy increases, the growth curve projecting the future of solar energy points skyward.

Ed Witkin of Carrboro Solar Works in North Carolina stepped up to the podium next, sharing insights accumulated over 20 years as a solar installer. The previous day, Ed had facilitated a hands-on workshop for 40 people in which the group installed solar electric panels at Shepherd’s Renewable Energy Demonstration Site. A partnership project between Shepherd and the W.Va. Division of Energy, the demonstration site will showcase renewable energy technologies, including solar, wind, and biodiesel, and  provide professionals and students training toward implementing these technologies on a broader scale. You can wander by the demonstration site and take a look: It’s on Shepherd University’s east campus on High Street between King and Princess.

Following a lunch break, James Ellars of the state Public Service Commission spoke about net metering. It was West Virginia’s adoption of net metering in 2006 that offered a boost to the residential use of solar electric, commonly known as photovoltaic energy, statewide. Net metering is the regulatory mechanism that makes it possible for a solar-powered home to sell back its excess energy to the electric utility. Until the adoption of net metering, West Virginia offered no financial incentives to support residents in adopting solar technologies. (For a state-by-state analysis of solar incentives, check out the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency at www.dsireusa.org.)

The day concluded with presentations by local residents speaking about their experiences with going solar. Mike McKechnie of Mountain View Builders, who in recent years has become an energetic advocate for renewable energy, shared the story of his Berkeley Springs home that includes passive solar heating, solar hot water, photovoltaics, and a wind turbine. Haroun Hallack, an organic farmer from Redbud Farm near Gerrardstown, related his experimentation with creating solar-heated planting beds. Trained in solar hot water installations, Hallack’s successful tinkering freed himself from heating his greenhouse with propane by successful tinkering that allowed him to start his plant seedlings weeks earlier than in previous years.

To many of us, solar energy has always seemed a technology of the future, one with tremendous promise but somehow always floating just beyond our grasp. As it turns out, solar is well within reach, and growing more so by the day. Perhaps it needs just a little push to break into the mainstream: spiking fossil fuel costs, some visionary leadership in the highest offices of the land, a few financial incentives, a little local expertise. It sounds like conditions are right, perfect, in fact, for us to start living our solar future today.

Jeff Feldman is a green building consultant. He and his wife Kristin live in a strawbale home in Berkeley County. You can reach Jeff at jfeld33@aol.com.