A Phone Call for Climate Change: How To Install Renewable Energy in Your Home

Photo of a field near by father's house in North Salem, NY. Taken by jodimarr @ flickr, used courtesy of Creative Commons license.

My father has a problem. He wants off oil. And he’s willing to make the investment on his house to do it. The thing is, he can’t get anyone to call him back.

At a time when large segments of the American social spectrum -– investors, citizens, even politicians –- are awakening to the reality of climate change, and the pressure of rising fuel costs, here’s a man with the best of intentions, with an eagerness to learn, and the willingness to wait a few years to see a return on his investment.

Standing on the lawn of my father's house in northern Westchester County, NY, you get an immediate sense of the potential energy of the place, resting as it does on the crest of an east / west facing ridge. While the price of oil shows no signs of abating, the sunshine and wind, in adundance here, has a marginal cost approaching zero. You would have to be an idiot not to want to capture it.

And yet, he can’t find anyone who’s willing to call him back. Not for a favor, mind you. He wants to pay them money to help him save money on fuel costs, and reduce his carbon emissions in the process.

In speaking with other people, I realize that my father’s story reflects a series of barriers delaying the implementation of efficient energy technology in the homes across the Northeast, if not the United States. As I underatand it, there are a few problems.

Lots of will, but lack of knowledge: Despite their eagerness, for many families, this is the first time they’ve considered technology like solar, wind or geothermal. The technology is unfamiliar and, in many cases, complicated.

Lack of skilled workers: Just as homeowners are unfamiliar with much of this technology, so too are many contractors. Given that the market has, historically, been in low demand, many contractors are overworked. To compensate, they are hiring more workers. But this takes time. And even then, you have to wait for the supply chain to catch up. And so, like in many skilled sectors, the availability trails behind demand.

Location specific: Unlike oil and gas, which is available and used consistently across the country, renewable energy is site specific. Consistent wind, for instance, is more available in certain regions of the country than others. The same with solar, and, to a lesser, extent, geothermal. The needs, and appropriate recommendation for each house, will depend on a variety of factors internal to the home and externally in the environment.

Poor political will: Recently, the Senate let a package of renewable energy tax credits expire. The lack of foresight involved in this decision is negligent, and the result is, best case, a rush to complete projects before the credits expire, worse case, a refusal by banks to fund renewable energy projects. The tax credits were an important mechanism for injecting much needed capital into a growing market. The market will continue to grow, but the growth will be smaller, and more difficult.

And so what should you, as a homeowner, do? I have a few suggestions.

Have your home assessed for energy leaks: Most homes were not built air-tight. Most likely, your home is like a bucket, with lots of holes. They leak air, and heat, constantly. If you’re concerned about the price of your heating bills, you should be concerned with the way your house contains its heat. Heating a leaky home with renewable enrgy is like putting spring water into a bucket riddled with holes -- it may feel better, but it doesn't fix the root problem. For more on this EERE has a good site on both DIY home energy audits, and professional energy audits. Click here.

Set your expectations: You should decide what you want to get out of introducing renewable energy to your home. Do you want to simply reduce your energy costs? Or do you want to go completely carbon neutral? It’s the decision between a few tweaks, and a complete overhaul.

Find someone you trust: One of the most important decisions you can make is to find a contractor you trust. You need to find someone who will not only assess the specific needs of your house, but take the time to tell you about the technology. Most often, this will require inviting

Know what you’re buying: It’s a large investment of time and money, and you should, by all accounts, know as much as possible before making a decision.

Expect a slow return on investment: Whenever people make an investment, they want to do: how quickly will they recover their money, in this case through energy savings? Each of the technologies have different payback periods. Goethermal generally has the shortest payback period, with solar and wind in second and third, often depending upon the scale of the project.

How about you?

Has anyone else tried to install renewable energy in their home, only to be frustrated by the process? Or has anyone done it successfully? If so, please share what you learned!

(Photo credit: Taken by jodimarr @ flirck, used courtesy of Creative Commons license.)