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This is an interesting study that performs a Life Cycle Analysis of hybrid and electric vehicles, taking into account the cleanliness of the grid in the 50 US states, and also the embodied energy and emissions in the manufacturing process of various vehicles. The authors rightly conclude that the benefits of electric vehicles are dependent on the source of electricity they use to charge.
A couple of things the study does not appear to address are the time of day when cars are charged (many grid locations have higher CO2 emissions during peak loads) , and the presence of any distributed energy generation at the charging location. I am an advocate of marrying electric vehicles with grid-tied pv at the charging location, I think this accomplishes the cleanest charging possible, and also trumps the economics of charging from standard grid-power (not to mention filling up at the gas pump.) It also seems that as more aggressive RPS targets continue to kick in across the nation, the sources of grid electricity will be generally emitting less carbon over the coming years.
Here at Power Trip Energy, we have just ordered a Toyota RAV4 EV, which will replace the bulk of the driving we are currently doing in a 23 year old Toyota pick-up truck and a 21 year old Chevy Astro van. Although this vehicle is smaller than those other two, with the back seat down and a folding ladder in the back we will be able to use this vehicle for site evaluations and other light duty work on single story buildings within 50 miles, which describes about 75% of our projects.
We have 4 kw of grid-tied pv, currently generating about 75% of our electricity here at the Power Trip Energy shop, and we will more than double that generating capacity by the end of the year. This will cover the additional electrical consumption we anticipate from our own electric vehicle and from the other EV drivers who are using our free public charging station to recharge. As we are now seeing more occasions when there are two EVs here simultaneously, we will be adding a second charging station when we add the additional pv.
While we are moving forward with what we perceive to be the cleanest smartest energy generation and usage realistically feasible, we look forward to reading the studies of more researchers. We also look forward to installing pv systems and EV service equipment for you.
by Andy Cochrane | Aug 14, 2013
It is interesting to see how our local practices and observations align with the global market. Nearly all of our projects are served by 4 of these top 10 inverter manufacturers. I can offer quick feed-back on SMA, Power One, Fronius, and Enphase from the small-scale residential grid-tied perspective.
We have been using mostly Power One inverters since they began manufacturing domestically in Arizona in 2010, due to the high efficiency of their transformerless inverters, and the presence of dual MPPT inputs. The two different arrays here at Power Trip Energy are served well by a single Power One 4.2kw inverter.
Prior to 2010 we had used nearly exclusively the SMA SunnyBoy inverters, including two at my house, and the systems at Steve’s and Jeff’s homes. SMA now has an updated product line that is transformerless, dual MPPT inputs, a 15A 120 VAC auxiliary for some emergency back-up, and improved data monitoring. We just installed ou first project using a 5kw SunnyBoy TL series, and if the product proves itself satisfactorily, SMA appears poised to take back some of our market share from Power One.
The Fronius product line is fills some niches among our projects, with their single inverters in the 8-11 kw range, and their three-stage inverters are intriguing.
The fact that Enphase is continuing to increase market share is not surprising despite the high price, due to their first mover status in the micro-inverter segment, and their effective marketing. We continue to be underwhelmed with their reliability and the over-stated ease of installation.
by Andy Cochrane | Jun 13, 2013
Four members of the Power Trip Energy team recently completed some advanced training offered by one of our favorite partners in the industry. We love working with SunPower because they make the most efficient products available on the market, and they also have great training support for their dealers.
Andy, Steve, Jacob, and Caleb all completed the one day Advanced Residential Installation Course and passed the test a week later. Andy & Steve also completed the two day Advanced Residential Design course and test. Even after 10 years in the industry, there is a lot to learn. We were happy to learn more about SunPower’s design philosophies and recommendations for best installation practices.
by Andy Cochrane | Apr 23, 2013
We have enjoyed sales tax exemption for equipment that generates electricity for over 10 years here in Washington State. Come July 1st, that particular party is over and grid-tied pv becomes 9.0% more expensive in our home town of Port Townsend; most municipalities have sales tax rates in the 8’s. We are very close to filling our calendar and will soon be unable to commit to completing projects before June 30.
We will however be able to sell the equipment without sales tax if the buyer receives the equipment on or before June 30, 2013.
For the installation charges to qualify for the sales tax exemption as well, the labor must be performed no later than June 30, 2013. Any labor services performed after June 30, 2013, are fully subject to sales tax.
So while we normally enjoy a healthy philosophical and political debate, please withhold your comments as to whether having sales tax instead of income tax is “fair” or “regressive.” We are too busy installing to think about it right now. Maybe we’ll take a couple of days off in July to ponder that question.
by Andy Cochrane | Apr 18, 2013
SunPower’s E-Series modules take the top 3 spots in the respected Photon field test. One of SunPower’s claims is that their lower temperature coefficients produce better real world results than can be demonstrated in the lab. These field tests are more third party support for those claims. Way to go SunPower! We are happy to be partners with this company.
by Andy Cochrane | Apr 8, 2013
Click on the link below to preview PSE’s new net metering bill, which will greatly simplify the presentation of the pertinent information for net metering customers. The new bills will not require a hand crafted “addendum”, and importantly, PSE will now have the ability to automatically deduct the correct dollar amount for customers set up with automatic withdraws.
All net metering customers will be getting new account numbers, and the function of the meters will be clearly labeled on the bill. Its been a long time coming, but we recognize the difficulties involved for such a mammoth organization, and we compliment PSE on their efforts to make the net metering bills more clear, and eliminate the expense of generating these bills by hand by upgrading their billing software.
We also appreciate this excellent graphic which will help us explain the billing to our clients. Good work, PSE!
by Andy Cochrane | Apr 2, 2013
We have had several clients recently with concerns about their Home Owners Associations and whether they will allow the installation of solar on the roof. The answer is of course they will! In case your HOA is uninformed of the law, you can help them fulfill their legal obligations by discussing RCW 64.38.055.
This law has been in place since 2009 and makes it clear the HOA may not prohibit installation of solar panels that make electricity or heat water. It does allow the governing documents to make these stipulations:
a) No part of a roof-mounted solar energy panel can go above the roof line;
b) On arrays facing the street, the array must conform to slope of roof and the top edge must parallel the ridge; or
c) Frames, brackets and conduit must be painted to match roof scheme, or if ground-mounted, the array must be shielded unless shielding degrades performance of the array by more than 10%.
Any HOA governing documents that do not conform with this law are void and unenforceable.
We would welcome the opportunity to help you educate any HOA boards that are not acting within the spirit of the law.
The link to the on-line RCW is here http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=64.38.055
by Andy Cochrane | Mar 27, 2013
Tuesday January 15, 11am – 12noon, Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Lawrence St (Lawrence & Tyler St), Uptown Port Townsend
At an upcoming workshop next week, local economic development professionals will speak with Norm Olsen of the Iowa Energy Center of ISU regarding the possibilities and feasibility of local energy production.
The Workshop Chair will be Laura Lewis, County Director, WSU Extension Jefferson County.
The panelists include:
Peter Quinn, EDC Team Jefferson (Jefferson County)
Norm Olsen, Iowa Energy Center of ISU (Ames, IA)
Jim Hansen, Ravenna Capital Management (Seattle, WA)
Graeme Sackrison, Thurston Energy (Lacey, WA)
The full schedule of public and professional Energy Lunch activity at PTCC on Tuesday, January 15th is as follows:
11:00 AM: Workshop on Local Economic Development in Energy
12:00 PM: PTCC Meeting Room Available for Brown Bag Lunch and General Discussion of Local Energy Topics of Interest
12:30 PM: Key Speaker on “Farm Energy:” Norm Olson, Iowa Energy Center of ISU (includes Q&A)
1:30 PM: Continuation of General Discussion of Local Energy Topics of Interest
2:00 PM: Farm Energy Workshop
As the population of the county continues to grow, and as the Jefferson PUD becomes our electrical utility, our community will be faced with many choices in regards to energy. Will we be able to enact efficiency measures sufficient to prevent the need for additional energy resources? If our energy needs grow and exceed our allotment from Bonnevile Power Administration, where will we go to get that energy? Will we successfully utilize the abundant renewable energy that surrounds us in the form of the sun, wind and water?
As a part of our mission here at Power Trip Energy, we are proud to facilitate public education and discussion of these topics through sponsorship of these Energy Lunches.
Please participate to inform yourself and make your opinions heard!
by Andy Cochrane | Jan 11, 2013
This space will host opinions from the folks at Power Trip Energy regarding renewable energy topics, mostly from the perspective of a small solar installation company. Some topics will be national or global, but will mostly relate to our beloved northwest corner of the country.
by Andy Cochrane | Jul 21, 2012
