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I had the opportunity to go to the Jacob Burns Film Center to see a preview showing of the Al Gore movie, An Inconvenient Truth, which reports on the existing state of global warming. No matter where you stand politically, the former vice president makes a very compelling argument that now is the time to act environmentally. People have asked me how I liked the film. To be quite honest, there is nothing to enjoy about it. The topic is serious and quite frightening even if you only believe a portion of his hypothesis. I didn’t vote for him, but I do vote for seeing the film.
Since our built environment uses 50% of the energy that our country produces, architects can have a major role in educating and altering the amount of fossil fuels consumed by the buildings that we design and renovate. This was the background for asking Leigh Seddon, a leader in the environmental energy movement, to present photovoltaics at our recent chapter meeting.
Leigh Seddon founded of Solar Works Inc twenty eight years ago to promote and install alternative energy systems which take advantage of solar power. His lecture addressed the simple question of whether photovoltaic systems make sense in New York and the Northeast for residential and commercial projects. With existing tax incentives and grants, residential projects have a fairly quick payback in the 6-8 year range with systems that have been running for three decades without major maintenance. In fact, Leigh basically stated that the northeast is a great environment for photovoltaic systems because rainwater self cleans the panels and the amount of solar rays rivals California and is better even than San Francisco. A typical residential home would require a 5000Kw system which with the incentives could be installed for $15-20K and supply the energy required for the entire year. These systems get hooked up to the power grid and owners have the opportunity to sell energy to the power companies at times when energy creation exceeds demand. Commercial applications can also be successful financially, but the fewer incentives are currently available in New York State.
Photovoltaic systems are exciting technology which really has developed since the systems we installed on our roofs to heat water in the 1970’s. As we continue to create facilities that require energy to heat, cool, and electrify, all of us have a responsibility to educate ourselves, our clients, and our communities on ways to reduce consumption of fossil fuels. We need to take advantage of the alternative technologies that have been developed and will provide for a better, sustainable environment for us in the future.
Erik A. Kaeyer
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