Your Questions About Alternative Energy,solar Power,wind Power,green Energy,
Betty asks…
Why does Michigan receive less solar radiation than South Dakota?
Why do some regions of the US such as Michigan and Northern Idaho experience such low input of solar energy?
admin answers:
Hey Brian, unfortunately Nyx is right on the money, (and a bit sarcastic maybe). It is just a difference in average annual cloud cover. Obviously two locations on the globe at the same lattitude would receive the same amount of, “Solar Insolation,” since the globe simply spins like a slow rotisserie. To illustrate this better, take a good look at Michigan. I don’t know where you got your data, but the site I use is www.rredc.nrel.gov/solar. Compare Grand Rapids to Muskegon, both almost the exact same lattitude, in fact the two cities are just 30 miles apart, yet the solar insolation levels are drastically different. Kalamazoo, Michigan is known as, “The cloudiest city in the midwest,” by some historians, but I don’t know if that is in fact true.
We have a solar and wind powered home along the coast of Lake Michigan, about 2 hours further north than Muskegon, yet our little 1.4 kw array runs the entire house in the summer. The winter is a different story, hence the wind turbine. This is one of the reasons many people in the renewable business recommend a thorough research of your resources in your exact location before getting serious about installing a panel. You can get down to the nittty gritty on the web if you can find the information you need, or better yet, use a device to actually measure your solar or wind resource at your site. This negates any errors due to location.
12 years ago we decided to use some solar, but instead of buying test equipment, or spending weeks trying to get good but questionable information online, we decided to install one panel, one small turbine and some golf cart batteries and actually measure what our little test system would generate, this way we could get actual output measurements instead of solar or wind input data, about as good information as could be had. Home Power Magazine liked our idea so much they ran an article on it in 2000. If you subscribe, you can use their online search to locate the article and read it yourself if you’re interested. Hope this answers your questions Brian, take care, Rudydoo
Lisa asks…
Solar Thermal Energy use in the Great Lakes area?
Examples of Solar Thermal Energy being used in the Great Lakes area (mainly Michigan). Cite sources, please. Thanks.
admin answers:
The world’s largest laundromat in Chicago uses solar thermal to heat its water. Http://www.worldslargestlaundry.com/solar.html
You just missed the annual solar tour in October, here’s a summary of some of the locations in Michigan http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dleg/A2_location_info1_293616_7.pdf.
Here’s a company that provides solar water heating and solar space heating in Michigan and has great examples on their site. Http://www.by-solar.com/index.html
I’m in New England, we have similar weather, and I have a solar air heater and am installing solar water heating to heat my radiant floors. Http://www.altestore.com/gallery/Amy-Beaudet-gallery/v/9358727169/amys_water/
Ken asks…
Do you think Obama’s stimulus bill will help Michigan develop into an alternative energy State?
And help Michigan become independent from the auto industry?
Do you think Michigan is a good state for wind and solar power as an alternative to polluting Coal burning and, dangerous Nuclear energy?
What other resources do you think Michigan could have to it’s advantage, that it has not taken advantage of yet to recover into a prosperous state once again?
admin answers:
No, I think every State will focus on the same jobs, driving up the costs of materials
No, autos are here for the short term unless the “panel’ forces a change.
Yes, Michigan is great for wind if you look at the State’s wind map. Now, I hope they don’t place turbines like those near the shore in Mackinaw City. Solar decreases some in winter but is still 70 percent efficient. Both would make good replacement for coal. Not sure I agree about nuclear being dangerous now that rods have been replaced by ceramic balls.
Not sure, but have a bad feeling about lithium batteries unless more is found in US. Film industry may trade one union for another.
Oakland County appears to be betting the farm on hospitals and healthcare even though both need a major overhaul.
Linda asks…
I am looking for studys in Solar Energy and Windmill Energy.?
Now if I could find a school that offers courses so that I can design and develop solar and windmill energy for residental housing, I was wanting to build a small windmill to supply electricity for my 1800 sqft house also would like to install solar shingles on my house. I would like my house to be self sufficient,The down side is my State of Michigan does not give Tax credit if you can save energy.
admin answers:
Get a copy of the book “LIVING ON 12 VOLTS”… It will tell you all that you want to know.
Jenny asks…
Solar Energy for a 6-Story Apartment Community?
Hey, does anyone know if there are any government grants to install a solar power array on my property’s 6-story senior mid-rise building in S.E. Michigan? Any ideas would be great!
admin answers:
Click on the link below and that will take you to the state of Michigan Energy Office web-site. They have lots of helpful information on the page. Click on wind/solar power on the left hand column. Check out the Michigan Renewable Energy Exchange, and then the publications for financial help for homeowners/business owners. It looks like they only have grants for Solar Energy Demonstrations, to show how solar energy works.
The second web-site is for the Federal Incentives that give you tax credit for installing solar energy. They give you up to $2000 for an Incentive.
So check out the links and Good Luck!
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