By Bryan Cordell, special for the Statehouse Report | Many South Carolinians are realizing the economic benefits of investing in solar panels and efficiency improvements for their homes. The benefits, however, go far beyond the savings that individual homeowners experience and include extremely important implications for the resilience of our power grid and, ultimately, our environment – things all South Carolina citizens must do with. worry and benefit equally.
Cordell
As solar technology gains more space in the state of Palmetto, it is important to understand the full spectrum of benefits that solar energy offers. This is especially pertinent now, as utility regulators are deciding the fate of the Dominion’s roof solar proposal and major utilities like Santee Cooper are planning future energy generation.
To start from a system-wide perspective, a major benefit of residential solar energy is that it reduces the need for utilities to build and charge for new power generation facilities. To put it another way – in the long run, residential solar energy reduces the “service cost” of the concessionaire, which also leads to lower costs for customers.
Solar positioned on roofs offers the added benefit of being close to the point of energy consumption and also provides a distributed source of power generation. Energy from roof systems is often used where it is produced, saving energy by reducing energy loss in transmission and distribution lines – lines that usually run hundreds of miles to reach your home.
As a distributed source of energy generation, domestic solar energy also increases the resilience of our electricity grid. Unlike a typical large-scale power generation facility, solar energy on the roof is distributed across the state, making our network less vulnerable to a single event that threatens our access to electricity. With more focus on resilience at the local and state level, including a new resilience office appointed by Governor Henry McMaster, this solar roof benefit should not be overlooked.
Clean energy sources, such as solar, together with energy efficiency measures, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the amount of coal and gas generation – thus mitigating climate change. The effects of this, such as increased floods and storms, are very familiar to Lowcountry residents. In addition to being major contributors to climate change, both natural gas and coal are associated with high levels of pollution and are linked to a myriad of concerns about health and water quality, especially in communities where these plants are located, which are often low-income communities or communities of color.
When the inhabitants of South Carolina generate energy from renewable energy sources (or use less), fewer of these coal and gas plants are functioning, which means that less pollutants are being emitted into the air and water of the city. South Carolina.
It is important that we all do what we can to help transition from SC to clean energy, but that includes taking steps to reduce energy use as well.
Although solar energy does not work for all roofs or homes, simple energy efficiency upgrades and weather protection measures are a viable option for most. Of the $ 2,000 that the average American spends paying annually for energy, 20-40% can be wasted with drafts, air leaks around openings and outdated heating and cooling systems, according to the United States Department of Energy United. Tens of thousands of older homes in our region have been identified as ready for renovation and could easily be upgraded, resulting in savings in excess of cost.
The North Charleston-based Sustainability Institute works with families in the region to heat homes to improve energy conservation and reduce energy bills in these homes. This not only generates long-term savings and makes homes more livable and comfortable, but also reduces the demand for the power grid, especially during extreme weather events.
Upgrades to residential solar energy and energy efficiency are much more than individual solutions to reduce your electricity bill. They are the main ingredients for a diversified energy portfolio, a more resilient and sustainable power grid and, ultimately, a cleaner environment for future generations. They are also an economic advantage, creating thousands of well-paid jobs across our state.
South Carolina needs to fold into a set of policies that protect residential solar energy and energy efficiency programs and allow them to flourish, without stifling these efforts. We need to be encouraging and rewarding customers who choose, not discouraging or penalizing customers. We need to move towards making these options economical for all taxpayers, not making them out of reach. Not only for the good of the individual customer, but also for our energy network, our economy and the environment that we all cherish.
Bryan Cordell is the executive director of the Sustainability Institute in North Charleston. This article first appeared in the Charleston City Newspaper.