Are Renewables Right for Me?

From 2010 Colorado Utilities Report

Solar Energy Industries Association, Market Insight Report – 2011 Year In Review

Solar – Small but Growing

Wind – Small but REALLY Growing

How Solar Works

How Wind Works

Location, Location Mount type

10 watts per square foot

Usable roof space

Tilt, azimuth

Sunny Days

Location, Location Part II

•Power in the wind • Effect of air density, • Effect of swept area, A• Effect of wind speed, V

R

Power in the Wind = ½ρAV3

Put turbines in areas of high winds

“Micro-Siting” to maximize generation at a site

“

Effect of wind speed on production

Same turbine, two different wind regimes:◦ Yampa (8.3 mph)

1,200 kWh/year◦ Sheep Mtn: (18.4 mph)

6,500 kWh/year

US DOE

Costs

Solar Wind

Costs II

Solar Wind

Costs III

Looney and Greenstone, “Paying Too Much for Energy”, Daedalus, 2012

A solar PV system costs $8,000

It will generate 5,000 kWh of free electricity every year

Each kWh currently costs $0.10

How many years will it take to get back the $8,000?

Payback: An Example