The Community Word

With the rising cost of fuel and energy, many people are thinking about alternative ways to harness their energy, all while lessening their carbon footprint. One popular option is to use renewable energy to power their houses and cars. Renewable energy options all come from the sun, either directly or indirectly, and will be available to us for as long as the sun is shining. This is in direct contrast to fossil fuels, which are nonrenewable and will be depleted in a couple hundred years.

Even more important than the depletion of fossil fuels is the destruction they cause the planet and environment. The burning and use of fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas, are pollutants and the leading cause of global warming.

Carbon dioxide is produced from the burning of fossil fuels and the consumption of gas products, including fuel. Urban areas, where population and energy use are the greatest, are responsible for 75 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. The release of these emissions into the atmosphere is the greatest contributor to global warming.

Experts believe that global warming is a very real and destructive phenomenon. If the United States, and the rest of the world, continues to emit large levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the Earth’s temperature will rise. The ice shelf in both poles will melt and the sea level will rise 20 feet, which will cause massive flooding of America’s coastal region. Also, over one million species of plants and animals will become extinct by 2050 if carbon dioxide emissions do not decrease.

This irreversible destruction to the planet is why it is important to use alternative energy resources, especially renewable resources. The nation is slowly starting to use more renewable energy resources, but the number of users still needs to increase. Renewable energy accounted for only 9.5 percent of electricity generated in 2006, according to the Energy Information Administration. In the same year, roughly 40 percent of the nation’s energy came from petroleum, 23 percent from natural gas, 23 percent from coal, 8 percent from nuclear energy, and 7 percent from renewable resources.

The use of wind energy in the United States is growing more rapidly than any other renewable option, mostly due to the numerous wind farms that have been constructed in the past couple of years. The amount of electricity generated using wind power increased 45 percent between 2005 and 2006 and by 21 percent between 2006 and 2007. In 2005, wind turbines generated roughly 17.8 billion kilowatt-hours, which can power over 1.6 million households. However, that number accounts for only 0.4 percent of the nation’s electricity production.

Wind energy is a popular choice among other renewable energy options because it doesn’t cause air or water pollution, it can be used on a small or large scale, and every location in the nation experiences enough wind to create energy. Ideally, large open spaces are needed to effectively convert wind into enough energy to use on a citywide scale, which makes it expensive to provide wind energy to urban areas due to the necessity of cables to transfer the energy great distances.

Officials in Woodford County are trying to give the residents in El Paso an alternative energy option through wind by building a large scale wind farm with 12 turbines. The plan is meeting resistance over the placement of the turbines. Residents think the location of the turbines will be an eyesore on the landscape and will stunt future growth of El Paso.

Instead, the county board is now considering implementing solar energy as an alternative energy source. The solar panels can be placed on flat roofs, such as schools, where they are out of sight from the residents. Woodford County is currently in talks with companies that deal with solar energy systems.

There are two main ways to convert solar energy into mechanical and usable energy: using photovoltaic (PV) solar cells or solar thermal collectors.

PV solar cells directly convert sunlight into usable energy and do not use any movable parts. An example of a PV solar cell in action is on a calculator or non-battery operated digital watch. The PV cells can operate independently to power a household or business or they can be linked to a power grid.

The Solar Thermal method of converting sunlight into usable energy uses collectors to trap the sun’s heat, and then the collected heat. This method is used with another method of heating, like a central heating system or water heater.

Solar energy is not new to Central Illinois, but it isn’t an extremely popular way to acquire electricity. U.S. Census data from 2000 shows only eight households in Woodford county, six households in Tazewell County, and two households in Peoria County use solar energy for heating.

Opponents of solar energy use in the Midwest do not believe the area is sunny enough to harness enough energy to make it effective and cost efficient; however, some experts believe it is possible and some residents are making it work with solar energy. One option is to generate solar energy during the day and then buy it back at night, since electric companies are required to buy back electricity from households and businesses that produce their own electricity. There is even a Peoria-based company, Midwest Green Energy, that specializes in installing solar and other renewable energy systems. If residents are thinking about switching to a renewable energy source, then it is always best to consult an expert and receive an estimate on installation and how much usable energy can be expected.

For those who are interested in learning more about renewable energy and other alternative energy sources, there are several upcoming events.

The Illinois Solar Energy As sociation (ISEA), the Illinois chapter of the American Solar Energy Society, offers Solar 101 and Wind 101 workshops throughout the state on various dates. They already made a couple of stops in Peoria earlier in the year, but nearby upcoming dates are scheduled for November in Normal and Champaign. Advanced registration is required.

The ISEA is also holding the 2008 Illinois Solar Tour on October 4th. This event, part of the National Solar Tour, is sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society and is in its 13th year. Participants tour homes and businesses that use some type of renewable resource option; it doesn’t only focus on solar energy options. The tour is self-guided, and participants choose visit. Tour-goers learn how to make their existing home more energy efficient, tips on how to add renewable energy options in their lives, and techniques on how to minimize impact on the environment. There are over 200 tour locations across the state.

For more info about the Illinois Solar Tour or upcoming workshops please contact the ISEA at www.illinoissolar.org, email contactisea@illinoissolar.org, or call 312-376-8245.

The Illinois Renewable Energy Association is hosting the 7th Annual Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainable Lifestyle Fair on August 9th & 10th at the Ogle County Fairgrounds in Oregon. The fair will have over a 100 booths and exhibits, as well as food, live entertainment, and children activities. Fair-goers will have an opportunity to attend 60 different workshops throughout the weekend and listen to keynote speakers. The fair is open from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Adult admission is $7 or $10 for both days, children ages 12-16 are $3 or $5 for both days, and anyone under 12 is free. ISEA members are free with proof of membership. For more information please visit www.illinoisrenew.org.