Sustainability: The Seattle Summit & Renewables, PV and Wind in the Northwest

After one of the wettest winter/spring seasons I can remember, we, at last, have entered a sunny period. Seattle and the Northwest are well known for their cloudy and wet weather, and the region is not generally thought of as being ideal for solar heating or PV installations. Yet, according to weather statistics and data provided by the Washington Solar Energy Industries Association, our area (we do have local micro-climates and regions that have considerable variability), Seattle specifically, has 70% of the solar insolation (solar radiation average) that Los Angeles does! This is a pretty impressive figure and those of us who are PV enthusiasts in the Northwest want it to be known that solar here, is indeed, practical. The average daily hours of sunshine is calculated at 3.5 hours. The exact figure is somewhat variable, some say even lower. Of course our dollar per watt-hour figure is a little higher, but if even more rainy areas in Germany can commit hundreds of millions of dollars to PV projects then why can't we? And, when you add in the potential wind power resources, renewable energy becomes even more appealing. And, yes, our general wind area resource is low here too -- in many areas..... Having lived here for over 12 years, certain weather patterns are evident: When we get significant sun (usually the summer months), we get SUN! In fact, we get 89% of the solar insolation that L.A. receives in the summer months (historically). And, when we get wind (winter mainly, with substantial in spring and fall) we get WIND! Storms blowing in and out almost constantly. So when one looks at an average of 6.5 MPH one would suspect that wind power is not enough to warrant installation. I have not found this to be true, as both the sun and wind compliment each other seasonally, as well as day and dark hours.

If we are going to compare the economics of renewables to existing utility rates in the Northwest, there is no contest. We have the lowest utility rates in the nation. However, utilities are scrambling to locate new energy sources to meet ever-increasing demand, here, as elsewhere. And, due to mandates, incentives, regulations and public sentiment, they are looking for 'pollution-free' energy. The utilities are coming on board and I believe this will happen faster each year due to global warming. Many of them are not daft afterall :-) We are in fact experiencing cooperation. In the future, utilities will be viewed upon with scorn if they do not comply with C02 reduction mandates. Economically, at this point, renewables are economical for off-grid folks, as the cost of line extensions to many areas is prohibitive. As for grid-tie, we have a little way to go, but those of us with a social conscience have made the commitment. We are pioneers, like many of you.

At home and at my office I use a SW Windpower micro-turbine and two 40 W PV panels to maintain a 700 Amp Hour battery bank. I use this system as a back-up power system when the grid fails. I rarely need to turn on the wind generator unless we have an extended power outage. Of course, the power the system generates is limited, but some power during an outage is much better than none, and, I have the security of having power for an unlimited time. I could run essentials on my system indefinitely. I have yet to need a generator to charge the bank and don't even turn the inverter/battery charger on unless there is an outage. So I don't even run a battery charger, other than the PV controller.

So here in the N.W., as indicated by other articles recently submitted, we have considerable non-polluting renewable resources. We also have a significant amount of bio-fuels. Many people heat their homes with wood. I have reservations about this and intend to implement further changes in my life style, even though I have utilized wood heat for a number of years. . Yes, it is renewable. Yes, it is an alternate energy source. But is it truly sustainable? I believe not, unless we can eliminate C02 derivatives. I have already made the switch to gas, but am implementing further solar changes for my heating requirements.

I hope I can take a few minutes of your time to report what we found out at the Seattle Summit last month. The Seattle Summit was a meeting of the minds. Some of the greatest scientific minds and climate oriented organizations in the world attended. We felt very lucky to have been able to attend this vital conference. (YES, I WORE MY HOME POWER "T" SHIRT! :-)

To summarize many of the critical and vital elements of the conference, I offer the following: Facts presented by the Environmental Protection Agency and The Union of Concerned Scientists strongly indicate that if we do not STOP (that is correct, STOP) fossil fuel burning within twenty years, global warming may be irreversible. This urgent message was repeated several times during the conference and is substantiated by much C02 data, temperature data, and other information gathered by the above agencies as well as the World Resources Institute. Of particular interest was a Power Point presentation on weather/temperature data and C02 correlations presented by the EPA. There has been an dramatic logarithmic increase in atmospheric C02 in the last 50
years -- alarmingly in the last 5 years!

I would like to refer you all to some web sites that are of vital importance.

www.climate.org (new, http://216.71.195.54/ )
http://www.climatesolutions.org/
http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/index.html
www.wri.org/climate/index.html
www.climatehotmap.org

I believe, in view of the latest climate information, we must re-evaluate all energy production and transportation systems. And, all renewable energy systems should likewise be re-evaluated. Even our new fuel-cell sources must be re-evaluated, as the reforming process produces significant quantities of C02. I believe that we must produce hydrogen through other processes, such as electrolysis. Energy sources such as wind, solar and other non-C02 producing methods must be implemented. Then, we can say that we have truly begun to use sustainable energy. This is a major shift in energy paradigms... But appears overwhelmingly necessary.

As a beginning optimistic thought toward this goal, I would like to say that we have many wind and solar resources that go untapped and this realization should be of great comfort when facing the perils the declining health of the climate. Contemplate the wind energy resources available in the Aleutian Islands. If it is possible to ship oil via the sea, it is also possible to ship hydrogen. Contemplate the vast solar energy available in the Sahara Desert and its potential to create millions of megawatts of power! These are not an unrealistic ideas.... Perhaps, grandiose -- but not impossible. As a 'civilization' (I question the misapplication of the noun daily) we have achieved those seemingly impossible goals in the past and continue to do so in the present, as evidenced by our moon missions and the construction of the international space station. It is the "collective resolve" to make significant changes that we must create.

Here are some examples of projects going on in the Northwest.

The first completed project is that of Pacific Power Batteries, in Marysville, Washington. This project was designed by Sun/Wind Concepts to PPB's specifications and installed by Rodgers Electric and J.R. Construction Services. We are happy to say that the nearly 1 kW array is successfully pumping power into the Snohomish County Public Utilities Grid with their full approval. This is the second such net-metered system on the PUD grid, the first being the Trace/Gudgel system in Arlington, WA. The array support and wiring system is designed to accept 3 to 4 additional kW of Astropower AP120 panels, serving also as additional rain shield/battery installation area for the high volume battery, electric vehicle and solar equipment company. Currently, there are 4 PV panels connected in series per array, with a total of 2 arrays -- 8 panels. The system guts are comprised of a Trace/Pulse PC-500 Power Center and PV control system, a Trace SW5548 Sine Wave inverter (with design for adding another), and a selected circuit sub-panel and reversible power meter. A 400 AH 48 volt Concorde maintenance free battery bank is being installed. The battery bank will provide back-up power for lights, computer stations and office functions, and is capable of providing power unassisted and automatically for long periods of time.

It is planned to add a new Bergey XL.1 windgenerator as soon as it is available. The system has attracted a lot of public attention even during the installation phase, with bewildered customers surprised at seeing PV being installed in this region. The system works too well, inasmuch as we discovered it was running the meter backwards immediately after turning it on. We had to turn off the sell function until the system was approved by PUD.

Pacific Power Batteries began selling PV, inverters and peripherals at their main Everett store some years ago and were surprised to find a healthy market for renewables for boats moored at the marina, cabins in the mountains and recreation vehicles. Along with Sun/Wind Concepts, we plan to work together to aggressively address the grid-intertie and back-up power markets. Additionally, Steve Ahmann, President of Pacific Power batteries and Sun/Wind plan to install a Bergey XL.1 at Steve's home, located on a steep and windy bank of Port Suzan. The bank also faces south, so we plan to install solar hot water for his hot tub, as well as additional evacuated tube collectors for heating the home. Steve is quite an environmentalist and has received awards from the city of Everett and the local Rotary chapter. It is refreshing to me to see businesses with ethics and a social conscience.

The second project is the Asplund residence and library on Camano Island. This system has been quite a challenge since it is a fully wooded location. Challenges such as "Where do we mount the solar panels with all this shade?"; the long distance between the power shed and solar panels; the distance between the power shed and the home and also to the new library building....... These were only a few. Additional problems negotiating with a solar inexperienced county planning agency required a lot of diplomacy due to Island County growth plans. All in all, it has been a struggle bringing it together. But we have the satisfaction of accomplishment.... And, afterall, if we can make it work under these conditions in a rainy climate, we can make it work anywhere! The system is gradually coming together and the electronics/battery bank are fully functioning. We are currently installing the photovoltaic tracking system. We hope to give you a complete report in the near future.

As you can see, a lot of conduit was run and 12 cubic yards of concrete were poured to support the 3 Zomeworks UTR-100 solar trackers, each with 12 BP 275 solar panels. The system and wiring are also sized for future additional panels. The heart of the system is a Dual Trace PPSW5548 Power Panel and 2 Trace C-40 PV controllers. A Surrette 48 Volt/1100 Amp Hour battery bank has been installed in an insulated and vented under cover area. The battery bank is massive, yet only contains one string -- 12 ea. 4 Volt humongous cells -- to minimize connections. The system also is computer controlled via the Trace SWCA (Communications Adapter) specially configured to run on the local area network installed and designed by Kurt Asplund who is the owner and also former information systems manager for the Washington State Dept. of Ecology.

We decided to install the trackers on the southern edge of his 5 acre tract where there is an adjacent clearing. Kurt and Leslie purchased the 5 acres next to them and now have a 10 acre retreat. We are still resolving the issue of where to put a windgenerator and have come up with several options. The system is backed-up by a 12 kW propane generator, but Kurt hopes to avoid using it. It is fully net meter and line tie capable with electronic back-up and independent power capability and will likely be the third such PUD connected system.

I urge you all to please study the web pages mentioned. It is vitally important to us all.

Tom Rentz,
Sun/Wind Concepts, Camano Island, WA
http://home.switchboard.com/sunwind (do not use www)

P.S.
We see a trend toward pre engineered systems. This will greatly simplify
installation for the home owner and do it yourself enthusiast.