Welcome to the Intro to EPP Spring 2010 Blog!

Hi class! Welcome to our blog site. Please sign up for a free Blogger account if you do not already have one. A couple of weeks into the semester I will send you all an invitation to join this blog. Once you have accepted the invitation you will be able to post to the blog and make comments. Just click on "New Post" in the upper right-hand corner of the page when you are ready to make a blog entry. If you do not see the "New Post" link then you are either not signed in to Blogger or you have not yet accepted the invitation to join this blog.

Please read the blog assignment handout on Scholar and look at my post below on Knoxville's Solar America Cities Grant for an example of what I am expecting from you in the blog assignments.

Knoxville's Solar America Cities Grant

The Solar America Cities program is part of the U.S. DOE’s Solar America Initiative, which has the goal of making solar photovoltaics (PV) “cost competitive with conventional forms of electricity… by 2015.” With this designation Knoxville will receive a $200,000 grant to support its solar energy initiatives, which the city plans to spend on solar panels for a new downtown transit center, a model “zero-energy” home project, and on publicity efforts for the solar energy incentive programs offered by the city’s electric utility, the TVA, and the state of Tennessee.

Map of U.S. DOE Solar America Cities

While this award brings attention to the issue of solar energy in Knoxville, the $200,000 grant represents a tiny fraction of the money that the city must invest if it wishes to take meaningful steps towards energy sustainability. Investing in high-profile demonstration projects such as the solar panels on the transit center are an effective use of this money, as they draw attention to solar power. However, this hard-earned money should not be wasted on simply advertising existing programs. The city, the state, and TVA should advertise their solar energy incentives out of their own operating budgets, and the Solar America grant money should be used on new initiatives. For example, a portion of the money could be spent on rebates to help residents cover the initial cost of installing a PV system on their home or business. Programs like this already exist in Aspen, Colorado and many other cities.

Knoxville should also follow the lead of other cities that have made it easier for residents to invest in solar energy. For example, Asheville waives building permit fees for new renewable energy systems. Other cities, such as San Jose, have eased their permitting requirements for solar panels and solar water heaters. If Knoxville is to truly be a “solar city” then it should adopt similar policies that make it easier for local residents and business owners to install their own renewable energy systems and reduce our dependency on coal-based power from the electricity grid.