Building-Integrated Solar Air Heating Systems Proving Popular

For some parts of the United States, such as Upper Michigan, the winter of 2013-14 was the coldest in recorded history. In Marquette, for example, the average temperature was a tundra-like 7.5 degrees.

Well, what if I told you that it’s possible to cut your building’s energy use (in some cases by up to half), while protecting the environment, too? Sign me up, right? Simply put, innovative solar heating and cooling systems (SHC), which are growing in popularity nationwide, could be the winning ticket for you.

According to new industry data, a growing sector of the U.S. solar energy industry has reached a major new milestone, with 5 million square feet of building-integrated solar air heating collectors now installed in North America. These systems represent 250 megawatts (MW) of thermal energy and displace nearly 100,000 tons of CO2 each year from the atmosphere.

Unfortunately, building-integrated solar air heating systems are often overlooked in the discussion about renewable energy. It’s time to change that mindset. These cost-effective, energy-efficient systems can reduce by 20 to 50 percent the amount of conventional energy used for heating buildings – or for agricultural or process drying applications. That can represent a huge savings to companies, business owners and farmers nationwide.

Solar air heating systems work by heating incoming ventilation air before it is brought into a building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC), using wall-mounted collectors that are typically made of metal and have 30-plus year lifespans.

By our estimates, we can create more than 50,000 new American jobs and save $60 billion in energy costs over the next 30 years by expanding the use of SHC systems across the United States. Today, approximately 44 percent of all American energy consumption is attributable to heating and cooling. As a nation, it’s time to re-think our strategy for generating energy for our homes, businesses, schools and government buildings.

According to BEAM Engineering, a Boston-based energy consulting firm, SHC is the most efficient renewable technology for generating thermal heat and costs are as low as 6 cents per kilowatt (kWh) hour. Last year, SEIA’s Solar Heating and Cooling Alliance released a comprehensive report, detailing how SHC technologies can help to power the U.S. economy, while significantly reducing pollution. So the next time your electricity meter is spinning like a dog chasing its tail, think about how nice it’d be to spend less money for energy – and more money on yourself!

The information and views expressed in this blog post are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of RenewableEnergyWorld.com or the companies that advertise on this Web site and other publications. This blog was posted directly by the author and was not reviewed for accuracy, spelling or grammar.

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RenewableEnergyWorld.com the most popular stories 2013

New Hampshire, USA-as editors, we learn that the stories that we wrote or commissioned have been very popular with our readers delight. Therefore at the end of each calendar year, we pull reports that tell us what stories we have booked, most stocks, the views, the most comments, etc. Consider also the videos have been seen the most. Often, we publish articles that we will know a big hit: statements by controversial solar legislation. But sometimes readers but not necessarily groundbreaking surprise us by one solid interest in articles that we felt we were.

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Internal Department popular target for renewable energy on public lands

The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) announced on October 10 that the Department of the President objective achieved authorizing 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy on public land. DOI met the milestone with his assertion that the site chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind energy project in Southeastern Wyoming suitable for wind energy development. The project is a proposed complex that could generate up to 3,000 megawatts of power. Developers expect the proposal and create an estimated 1,000 construction, operation and maintenance jobs, where Summit construction, employs 114 permanent workers and makes enough energy to generate almost 1 million apartments.

The Commission approved the Bureau of land management, to continue for the Sierra Madre and chokecherry wind farms and infrastructure with site-specific environmental analysis. Additional environmental reviews will be needed for the turbine layouts. The proposed project would comprises two sites to exist to 1,000 wind turbines on approximately 219.707 hectares land about 10 miles south of Rawlins. It is developed in phases and are operated by power company of Wyoming LLC. If constructed, the wind, which have complex should a footprint of less than 2,000 hectares.

Since 2009 DOI has solar authorized 33 renewable energy projects, including 18 utility-scale facilities, seven wind parks and eight geothermal plants with associated transmission corridors and infrastructure projects to make a connection enabling it with established power grids. If built, represents more than 10,000 megawatts this projects electricity or enough electricity, makes available more than 3.5 million homes. You support would also an estimated 13,000 construction and operation according to project developer jobs. See press release DOI.

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