The solar industry has come a long way from its commercial beginnings in the 1970s. Photovoltaic (PV) cells, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, supply about 160 megawatts (mW) of electric power in the United States. Solar hot water systems, which convert sunlight into heat, already provide 31 trillion Btus worth of heated water. More than 17,000 commercial buildings and 1 million residences in the United States use passive solar designs to lower heating and lighting costs. Steady advances in technology and recent expansions in production have aided this proliferation.
This could not be a more urgent time to take advantage of these advances. Our dependence on polluting and dangerous fossil and nuclear fuels continues to damage our health and our environment while wasting taxpayer dollars. Fossil fuel use is responsible for air pollution in cities; fuel extractions that harm wildlife and ecosystems; acid rain that damages forests, aquatic life and buildings; and half of the greenhouse gases that disrupt the earth's climate. This pollution has direct consequences. According to the National Resource Defense Council's May 1996 study, Breath-Taking, particulate emissions cause more than 64,000 premature deaths a year nationwide, more than three times the number of annual homicides. It also costs about $30 billion annually to combat and clean up air pollution, according to the Center for the Biology of Natural Systems.
In contrast, solar-powered systems give off no emissions and, aside from the fuels required to produce solar collectors, depend on no other fuel than sunlight. They also create more local jobs than conventional fuels. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar water heater manufacturing alone creates 9.9 jobs for every $1 million invested -- more than created by oil and gas exploration, providing utility natural gas, and coal mining combined.
This double issue of Energy Issues documents 10 cost-effective and
reliable solar applications for the public sector:
* daylighting in office buildings;
* solar street and pathway lights;
* solar highway message boards and flashing arrow boards;
* solar emergency call boxes;
* solar-powered remote facilities and restrooms;
* solar warning signals and sirens;
* solar school zone flashers;
* solar-heated swimming pools;
* institutional solar water heaters; and
* solar ventilation air pre-heating.
The issue is divided into three main sections: Passive Solar, Photovoltaic Systems and Solar Thermal Systems, which describe the technologies and profile real-life, inspiring examples of successful solar systems -- including the exciting demonstrations at the Olympics. At the end we offer suggestions on how to make a solar project a reality.