Renewable Energy for Homes
In a Nutshell
Many individuals are familiar with renewable energy as part of large-scale public policy discussions about electricity in the United States. But renewable energy can be a very local solution too - including for your very own home. Simply, your home relies on the power you buy from your electric utility, however, you can tap into many sustainable, naturally renewable solutions such as solar energy and wind power yourself. Not only do these solutions save you money off your power bill, but they also reduce pollution and negative impacts on human health.
Practical Solution
The “How To”-
The U.S. Department of Energy outlines three technologies for use in home-based renewable energy: solar, wind, and hydro. It is important to consider your prioritization of home energy efficiency - if you have already addressed items like performing a home energy audit, updating thermostats, and sealing air leaks, then considering renewable energy investments makes more sense. Building a brand new home is also a great opportunity to address energy efficiency using the whole-house design approach.
For existing residences, property owners should begin the renewable energy process by evaluating the property and structure for maximum benefit as well as to build an investment strategy. The output of this process is a Home Renewable Energy Systems Plan. There are many factors to consider, including what your local municipal and/or county codes and regulations may permit. Furthermore, there are key decisions about power-generating strategies versus energy consumption forecasts. Finally, an important decision will be whether to connect to the power grid or operating as a stand-alone system.
Ultimately this broader systems plan will yield more detailed individual plans for solar, wind, and hydro. Finally, working with your contractors, you will develop a strategy for installing and maintaining the system at your home.
Planning & Zoning-
There is a lot of variety in how local governments treat all three of these renewable energy sources - they are addressed below:
Solar
Many communities already acknowledge homeowner interest in solar panels. Some municipalities have fully embraced the technology, while others feature codes that do not even reference them as a building or zoning code item. Click here for a database of sustainability ordinances in the St. Louis region, including solar ready ordinances. In municipalities with codes that make no reference to solar, one of the largest barriers to the local use of solar power is difficult and challenging municipal regulations, more than purchase cost or the amount of sunlight. The American Planning Association has released a Planning Advisory Service (PAS) report on Planning for Solar Energy.
Wind
Although many cities and counties have been addressing wind turbines and even fielding applications to develop wind farms in their areas, it is less common for a municipality to have thoroughly addressed distributed wind, or small wind turbines for homeowner use. The APA also has a PAS report on Planning for Wind Energy.
Micro-Hydroelectric
Homeowner-installed small-scale hydroelectric energy generation is the least common of these three options. However, if a property and structure siting allows for access to a flowing natural waterway, then it could be an excellent opportunity for local homeowners. While there will be municipal and/or county permitting processes and other regulations, typically any electrical generation from natural waterways is primarily managed by the Federal Energy Regulation Commission. The FERC provides information on the application and approval process. Furthermore, although similar resources do not currently exist for Missouri or Illinois, the Energy Trust of Oregon produced a handbook that explains from step one to completion the process for permitting small hydroelectric systems in their state - the process and many of the steps will be very similar in the St. Louis region.
Dollars & Cents-
The technology surrounding solar, wind, and hydro power renewable energy resources is rapidly evolving. The cost of installation is decreasing, the efficiency and productivity of renewable infrastructure is improving, and more and more incentives are being created to transition power generation to renewable technologies. As a result, the cost-benefit analysis of many of these technologies is constantly improving - in some cases the cost analysis models are lagging behind the cost-saving realities being experienced on the ground. However, resources for each renewable technology is presented below.
The state of Missouri has information on renewable energy incentives as well as cost benefit.
Solar
Ultimately solar energy investments pay for themselves. The U.S. Department of Energy offers a Homebuilder's Guide to Going Solar that comprehensively reviews the initial expense, maintenance, and long-term cost savings of using solar power. A 30% federal tax credit is available for solar through 2032, and Illinois offers additional incentives for solar called Solar Renewable Energy Credits, which can result in an additional savings of 20-35% off a solar system.
Small Wind
Analyzing the cost-saving benefits of a small wind turbine at a residential building is highly dependent on a series of factors, such as the size, height, and type of the turbine, as well as how much wind it receives. One of the limitations in the St. Louis region is the amount of energy-generating wind. The U.S. Department of Energy provides a comprehensive Consumer's Guide to to Small Wind Electric Systems that assesses the long-term cost-savings potential of a wind turbine for your home.
Micro-Hydroelectric
The cost-benefit associated with operating and maintaining a micro hydroelectric system varies considerably based on the local specifications of the system and natural body of water. The US Department of Energy provides information on the economics of mico-hydro systems.
Cost Impact on Local Government
All three technologies are similar in that the main impact is on staff time. Staff will have to evaluate existing codes and draft new ordinance language that permits and regulates the use of renewable energy technologies in residential areas. Depending on the approach and the complexity, it could be a relatively simple or more detailed project. However, the only potential for out-of-pocket costs would be the creation of any programs.
Measuring Success-
There are many various ways to measure the success of a home-based renewable electricity system. Most of the success metrics will be for the homeowner.
For the Homeowner
The simplest way to measure success is to track your new power bills against the same month from the previous year - you should be able to note the cost savings (factoring in weather changes, rate increases, etc). Another more detailed approach is to perform an additional home energy audit that measures post-installation performance against the expectations developed during your planning stages. Finally, you can either approach a more system-specific performance metric review yourself, or work with your original contractor to routinely monitor system performance. By tracking maintenance costs and long-term savings, you can ultimately predict your payback rate and date.
For Local Government
The success of these projects will largely be the homeowner's. However, a unit of local government can track how many such installations are conducted in your community, using the building permit database. If homeowners are willing to volunteer the information, a community-wide total of renewable energy produced could be calculated. Tracking city or county promotional programs encouraging and informing the public on renewable energy could be evaluated for activity and interest. Highlighting local success stories and featuring "green homes" as community models is also an effective way to gauge success.
Case Studies
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