I’ve been interested in solar energy and applications for quite some time and even signed up for their newsletter. If you recall, a few months ago I wrote a post regarding SolFest which is a workshop, live music and awareness event sponsored by the institute. I’m definitely impressed with this organization and all the cool campaigns they partake in to increase awareness for the solar cause. Granted, they are a drop in the bucket in regards to all the great institutions out there raising awareness, but I like to think of them as a bottle of diet pills used to supplement all of the great information and applications out there.

Carriers subsidize consumers purchase of cell phones by getting their customers to agree to 1 or 2 year agreements.

Used to be 1 year but these days 2 year agreements are the norm.

Solar energy equipment sales companies could sell their products to energy companies that could then subsidize the cost of the equipment.  It would be akin to a decentralize energy company.  Instead of having a powerplant, they would have a network of homes holding solar power panels collecting energy (or other forms of energy generating systems such as wind or generators or something).

The company could then keep some of the energy generated by the home owner that is sold back to the grid and the homeowner would benefit from having to buy less actual electricity from the grid themselves.  The entire arrangement could further benefit home owners if the company provided technicians to install and monitor the equipment in an optimal method, possibly even making seasonal adjustments to panels.

I came across one company that is already planning to test a system similar to this model called Santee Cooper in South Carolina.  They require the following for a trial program they are running with a limited number of homes:

Be a Santee Cooper residential customer

Agree to receive power though the Green Energy Buy Backs Program, also known as net billing program, for a minimum of five years

Sign a five-year Solar Homes Initiative agreement

Have owned and occupied the chosen free-standing property for a minimum of one year

Use the property as a primary, single family residence

Complete installation of the solar equipment by December 31, 2008

Santee Cooper program offers financial help installing solar panels

Its not a total solution but a partial solution.  Santee Cooper is essentially helping people get a subsidy of about $17,000 on their equipment.  That kind of support is like finding super bustiers as opposed to just getting a bit of a lift.  That may be a bad analogy, but $17k in essentially what boils down to a subsidy tied to a long term contract could go a long way to making solar energy a reality for many home owners.

I’d like to offer up a suggestion to the churches of the world.  Why don’t you consider installing solar power panels on your church roofs along with a grid tie in.  Think about all those churches all around the world.  They typically have very large roofs and surface areas on those roofs.  They are typically open for business just a few times per week and do not need to be lit up, powered up, heated or cooled during down times either.

They could gather up energy in the form of solar power, not only to reduce their own energy consumption and expenses, but they could also be used to generate income for the church.  A church could probably pay for their investment in solar power much faster than your typical home that uses energy on a much more regular basis. 

Plus, many churches are warming to the concept that protecting the earth is something that coincides with the goals of their religion.  Removing a church off the grid powered by oil, coal and nuclear power and relying on the power of the sun, could go a long ways in conveying the message to the members of their church just how important protecting the earth is.

You will note that I am purposefully straying away from any specific theology here.  I feel that this could benefit all religions regardless of what their theology might be with the possible exception of the Amish (but if I’m wrong and the Amish embrace solar energy please drop me a comment and let me know).  My point is not to try and convince anyone to send out their first communion invitations on recycled paper or anything like that.  Its just to practically look at this option from the perspective of an investment, a cost reduction technique and a means towards demonstrating and communicating the benefits of solar energy.

Anyway this solar powered airplane is an interesting proof of concept that it is possible to build something to move a person through the air as opposed to being limited to solar powered cars that typically look like a teenagers soap box derby dream gone solar and electrical.

So now you have seen it and probably reached similar conclusions to those that I expressed above.  None of us will be marking up our custom printed calendars to wait in line to fly in one of these solar powered planes anytime soon, but the point is to awaken our imagination and keep thinking of new ways to apply the technology.  You never know, the Wright Brothers were bicycle mechanics originally!