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Technical Articles
Calculate the Return on the Investment (ROI), simple payback period, and other key financial factors
for renewable energy projects. Renewable energy projects often live or die on the financials. Learn how
to calculate them accurately. Study how the Formatta Corporation used a life-cycle cost analysis to decide whether to convert data collection input to a system of electronic forms or to continue using paper forms. Download the study from: A Business Case for E-forms: Calculating ROI View slides from the ASA presentation at the 2010 Green U, "Harnessing Solar Power" Learn more about the AlabamaSAVESTM loan program for renewable enrgy projects with a 10 year or less payback at www.al-solar.org/tech/ALSaves.pdf. Read the 25 x '25 Meeting the Goal: Progress Report. This oganization wants 25 percent of America's energy needs met by domestic farms, forests, and ranches. We stood at at the end of 2009. Read how we are doing and how you can help at: 25x25-2010-progress.pdf Learn about a very efficient method of cooling using water from solar-powered chillers to cool large rooms or buildings at: www.al-solar.org/tech/Chilled_Beams.pdf. Learn how you can save money while you reduce your carbon footprint. Download the free 356-page Department of Energy booklet, Energy Saver's Booklet: Tips on Saving Energy & Money at Home from www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/pdfs/energy_savers.pdf. Kids, do try this at home: Teach your parents to go green and save some green with these cleaners. Kid Friendly Do-It-Yourself homemade cleaning solutions. Solar, Going Green in Industry An introduction to increasing your bottom line while reducing your carbon footprint in industry. A presentation to the Casting Industry Suppliers Association (CISA) on April 18, 2011. A Geothermal Primer - Finding Burried Treasure An introduction to harnessing the solar energy beneath the earth's surface. A presentation to the Huntsville Chapter of the American Association of Heating and Refrigeration Engineers (ASHRAE) on April 21, 2011. Using the sun to beat the heat -- How you can use solar power to cool things off in the summertime
Alabama Power Interconnection Process
How to connect a grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) system to the utility grid in Alabama
Download Solar 101 from ASA Solarite Solar World an information-packed PDF and study it at your leisure. Learn the history of solar, how a solar cell works, how solar cells are made, and much more. Download Solar for the Real World,a presentation to the the Energy Huntsville Vision and Strategy IPT Meeting, March 15, 2011. Read and learn Is now the time for you to go solar? Solar panel prices have dropped dramatically, while efficiency has soared. Oil prices are rising again. Learn if solar is right for you now. Read and Learn Affordable Solar, presented to the ASA members on August 9, 2012. We have reached "Grid Parity" in Alabama, tha is, home and business owners can produce their own electricity onsite cheaper than they can buy it from the utility company. Learn if now is the time for you to go solar and how to make it happen. Read the Huntsville Solar Ordinance This ordinance was passed at the August 2012 meeting of the Huntsville City Council. While the ordinance represents a step forward for the local solar industry it still needs some improvement. You can read the actual ordinance here: HSV-Solar Ordinance-2012.pdf Download the slides from: Solar Water Heating For Your Home presented to ASA members and guests on Thursday evening, October 4, 2012. ASA Vice President Doug Elgin explains the different types solar water heaters, how they work, and how they fit into your family budget. Learn how geothermal heat pumps can save on your heating and cooling bills while recovering waste heat whenever the system is in cooling mode -- in Alabama, that's a lot of the time. Download the slides from "Ethics of Sustainable Design" presented to the American Society of Civil Engineers( ASCE), December 4, 2012. Since civil engineers build things that last a long time, it is especially important to minimize the impact these projects will have on the environment and future generations. This presentation examines the codes of ethics of four professional societies regarding sustainable designs and eight specific ethical challenges of engineering and construction practives. Download the slides from "Solar for Less than the Cost of Grid Power" (Part 1 of 2) and "Solar for Less than the Cost of Grid Power" (Part 2 of 2) presented to the Huntsville Association of Small Business in Advanced Technology (HASBAT) on December 6, 2012. Solar power can help your business cut costs, reduce your carbon footprint, and improve your company image while helping the environment. Photovoltaic (PV) systems work well in any business, especially those using a lot of electricity. A new PV system in the Tennessee Valley will produce electricity for about three cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for the next 25 years with almost no maintenance or repair; TVA currently charges $0.11 per kWh, and that cost is expected to rise to $0.38 by 2037. Passive solar hot water systems can save more money for businesses that use a lot of hot water, such as restaurants, laundries, and nail salons. All solar systems provide reliability, as many Hurricane Sandy victims are now finding out. Green Jobs--Download the slides from Energy Jobs for the 21st Century presented to Still Serving Veterans on February 20, 2013. Prices for solar equipment continue to drop as energy prices continue to climb. Oil prices are rising again, and all energy prices, even coal and uranium, historically follow the price of oil. Solar is more viable than ever, provided that we can supply a well-trained, professional work force to install systems. We need technicians ready to fill this void. This is an excellent opportunity to retrain workers idled by the failure of other industries to fill this void. PV Solar for Less-Than-Ideal Locations--Download slides from the March 28, 2013 Alabama Solar Association Meeting. We all know that the ideal location for solar PV is on an unshaded roof with a 30° roof slope (7:12 pitch), but what if we don't have such a place? Learn what alternatives will work for you. |
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