Cooler Planet

Baseball fans have probably already heard that Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox, is going solar.  Great fanfare occurred as officials showed off the 28 new solar thermal panels on the roof to heat water. In addition to the roof top panels, the Sox have distributed solar-powered trash compactor bins throughout the stadium for fans to deposit their non-recyclable waste.  

According to the Red Sox’s press release the 28 solar hot water panels will reduce the amount of natural gas the stadium currently uses to heat water by 37 percent.  The Bonneville Environmental Foundation, which worked with the Red Sox to plan the system, calculates that the solar panels will offset 18 tons of CO2 emissions each year, the equivalent of “planting 4.86 acres of trees, not driving a car for 43,611 miles, or off-setting the CO2 produced through natural gas use from approximately 4 average U.S. homes annually.”

Moving away from New England toward the Midwest, Home Power magazine gives accolades to Minnesota, another state on its “Solar Super States” list.  Minnesota is a state known for its progressive “green policies;” no wonder the state has embraced solar energy initiatives as well.  In fact, Minnesota was the first state to adopt net metering rules.  Since 1981, residents who install solar electricity systems receive a check at the end of each month for any excess energy they generate.

Minnesota demonstrates that latitude does not stand as a detriment to harnessing the sun’s energy.  At a statewide average of 4.5 daily peak sun hours, Minnesota’s average is not much different from other Home Power super states like Maryland and Massachusetts.  On Minnesota’s Energy Info Center website, the state boasts that it has potential to receive more annual solar energy than Houston, Texas and nearly as much as Miami, Florida.

Minnesota has several state laws to encourage solar photovoltaic installations.  Its Solar Rebate Program, established in 2002, offers $2.00 per watt for solar electric systems up to 10 kilowatts in size, essentially reducing a system’s cost by 20 percent.  In addition, the state exempts solar equipment from sales tax.

In Minnesota the sun trumps shade.  State law gives local zoning boards the authority to create solar access easements to protect a property owner’s solar array from shading.

In 2006, Minnesota, like other fellow top solar states, set a goal requiring that energy companies must source 25 percent of their power from renewable energy sources by 2025.

Minnesota is the only Midwestern state to make Home Power magazine’s Top Ten Solar States list.  This state has “solar chutzpah” further dispelling the myth that solar energy is only viable in hot and arid regions.

One other New England state shares Home Power magazine’s Top Ten Solar States stage with Massachusetts:  Connecticut.   Connecticut residents who install solar electric systems no larger than 10 kilowatts, can receive $5.00 per watt for the first five kilowatts and then $4.30 per watt thereafter, with a maximum reimbursement of $46,500 per household.  The state also authorizes net metering allowing residents to be compensated for any net excess electricity they produce.  Here’s a link to the state’s consumer guide:  http://www.ctcleanenergy.com/documents/ConsumerSolarGuide.pdf

Like other notable solar states, Connecticut established a goal to have 20 percent of its electricity sourced from renewable energies by 2020.

Connecticut also gets credit for having within its borders the largest photovoltaic installation in New England.  In December 2007, United Natural Foods, one of the country’s largest distributors of organic and natural foods, switched on its distribution facility’s 550-kilowatt solar electric system.  The photovoltaic array is expected to generate 600,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year for the facility to help offset its substantial energy needs. 

At another United Natural Foods facility in Rocklin, California, the 7,000 panel PV array on its 4-acre distribution center powers the facility’s freezers and coolers.  Because the system can fully power those cooling areas, the company expects the California PV array to pay for itself within four years.  In Connecticut, United Natural Foods executives calculate that their investment will be recouped within six to seven years.  We at Cooler Planet salute another cooler idea:).

If you live in Massachusetts, then 2008 could be your “solar year.” 

Massachusetts, like its mid-Atlantic neighbor states, enjoys a statewide average of 4.6 daily sun-peak hours, plenty to fuel an increasing eagerness to harness the sun; and enough to make it into Home Power magazine’s Top Ten Solar States list for its “Commonwealth Solar” program. 

Starting this year, home owners who wish to install a photovoltaic system no larger than 5 kilowatt in size are likely eligible for a cash rebate from the state.  The rebates cover 20 – 60 percent of the installation costs which translates into about $2 per watt for a residential photovoltaic electric system.  This initial set of rebates, expected to continue through 2011, will serve as a catalyst to grow the state’s solar capacity to at least 250 megawatts by 2017.

Net metering also works in Massachusetts so many homeowners who install PV systems can expect to receive credit for any excess energy they generate on a monthly basis.  The State offers a nifty calculator on its website to help residents anticipate how the state rebate might work for them:  http://www.masstech.org/SOLAR/Attachment_A1-ResCalcOnly.xls.

Massachusetts is also capitalizing on its impressive intellectual capabilities.  On Saturday (April 12, 2008), MIT President Susan Hockfield and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced the founding of the MIT-Fraunhofer Institute for Sustainable Energy Systems.  The Fraunhofer Institute, the largest solar research institute in Europe, has begun establishing collaborative centers in the United States.  The MIT-Fraunhofer center will concentrate on developing solar, green building, and alternative energy prototypes to find ways to significantly reduce the cost of solar energy systems.

Already, construction of a photovoltaic manufacturing plant by, Masschusetts-based Evergreen Solar, is underway in Devens, MA.  The company’s decision to remain in the state was influenced by Governor Deval Patrick’s commitment to make Massachusetts a leader in clean energy.  The plant, scheduled to begin production in late 2008, will double the company’s manufacturing capacity to meet the ever-increasing demand for solar panels.