75 Green Businesses You Can Start to Make Money and Make a Difference. Glenn Croston
Solar power is booming, with production of solar photovoltaic panels increasing a whopping 40 percent a year from 2000 to 2005 (The Economist, March 10, 2007), and reaching $15 billion globally in 2006 (The Clean Tech Revolution, Pernick and Wilder, 2007). This growth is stimulated by rebates, tax incentives, and consumers’ desire to do what is right. Germany and Japan are leading the way in solar-panel installation, and California has pledged to install solar panels on 1 million roofs in the next ten years. Although solar power produced only 0.04 percent of the world’s electricity in 2004 (International Energy Agency), this percentage is growing rapidly.
RELATED TREND
Photovoltaics (PVs) are not the only form of solar power. Other solar panel systems that heat oil or generate steam to produce power are resulting in large-scale production of power by utilities, but for the residential market or commercial rooftops, PVs are still the only way to go.
Solar power has a lot going for it. Once installed, photovoltaic panels sit silently on the roof generating electricity for up to 30 years without any moving parts and with little maintenance. Panels can be installed almost anywhere, and new materials, such as solar roofing tiles are less conspicuous in building designs. Producing solar electricity doesn’t have a fuel cost, as sunlight is still pretty much free and doesn’t produce carbon dioxide, noise, or pollution. With power like that, what’s not to love?
IN THE LONG RUN
As new solar-power technologies get better and cheaper, solar panels increasingly will be integrated on building surfaces. As this happens, builders will incorporate renewable-energy production in home design.
Things are looking sunny for solar power, but it’s not out of the woods yet. Even with incentives and rebates, its cost is still a major factor for many. The $25,000 or $30,000 price tag for the average photovoltaic system remains a fair chunk of change for most, and a shortage of silicon held back production and increased prices of panels in 2006. But these limitations are passing. Panel producers are ramping up production, financing is improving, and costs will fall as production continues to increase. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the cost of electricity produced by solar panels is expected to drop to about $.08 to $.09 per kilowatt-hour in the next ten years, low enough to compete with natural gas or coal.
RELATED TREND
Many eco-entrepreneurs are working on new thin-film technology and solar concentrators to drive down the cost of solar power and increase efficiency. Novel financing models to reduce the cost barrier are another area of innovation.
As production of solar power continues to grow rapidly and becomes increasingly competitive with electricity from other sources, who is going to install all of these systems? Today, most photovoltaic systems in the United States are installed in those states that boast the biggest rebates and tax incentives to consumers. If more states join those programs, or nationwide incentives become more attractive, expect the solar wave to spread, creating opportunities for eco-entrepreneurs to install the panels as fast as the industry can produce them.
OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE
It’s a fact: Photovoltaic panels work best when they are cool. Unfortunately, some of the places with the best sun for solar—like the Southwest—are hot, thereby decreasing the efficiency of solar panels. Improving the efficiency of panels by cooling them might be a simple way to increase their power output. For example, one hot day, I sprayed the panels on my home with water and power generation went up 36 percent, if only for half an hour until the panels heated up again. ❦
INDUSTRY INFO
See the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) for the solar industry’s perspective and support for solar companies. Check their website at seia.org. The American Solar Energy Society is another resource (ASES.org).
To install solar panels, the ideal worker needs a strong background in construction and electrical skills, with certified training specific to solar panels. The solar industry is growing so quickly, though, that businesses are having difficulty finding trained installers. Gerald Zepeda at Sun Light and Power of Berkeley, California, says, “We often hire people with construction, plumbing, electrical, or similar experience and train them ourselves,” helping employees achieve certification by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). Zepeda also says he looks for individuals who are committed to a green lifestyle, walking the walk that matches what they do for a living. Once workers get started, the company is motivated to keep them trained to stay abreast of this rapidly evolving field.
Van Jones, founder of Green For All, may have one answer for deploying renewable energy in America’s cities and keeping the green wave growing. Millions of people in cities continue to be left behind by economic and environmental progress while manufacturing jobs move overseas. Training these people for new “green collar jobs”—installing solar power and other forms of renewable energy—can help the renewable energy industry keep up its rapid growth, get these people on track to rewarding careers and lives, and help the country and planet in the process. Too often, job training provided by schools and the government has been focused on old industries that are shrinking rather than growing. Green collar jobs, on the other hand, cannot be outsourced, provide viable skills, and craft a career path for the future. As Jones says, this situation is not just creating jobs, but building “green paths out of poverty.”
GREEN LEADER
Lyndon Rive, CEO of SolarCity in Foster City, California, told The New
York Times, “It is hard to find installers. We’re at the stage where if we continue to grow at this pace, we won’t be able to sustain the growth” (February 1, 2008).
INFORMATION RESOURCE
The U.S. Department of Energy lists training programs on its Solar Energy Technologies Program website at www1.eere.energy.gov/solar.
Although solar installers are doing their best to train the workers they need, in-house programs cannot keep pace with the continuing growth of the industry. Training programs are already springing up at universities, community colleges, and even high schools. Vocational schools and programs like the one incorporated in electrical training at the Electrical Training Institute of Southern California also provide models for training.
INFORMATION RESOURCE
The U.S. Department of Energy lists training programs on its Solar Energy Technologies Program website at www.eere.energy.gov/solar.
One accessible opportunity for eco-entrepreneurs is to establish new training programs for renewable energy workers. Starting a new school for this is not a one-person operation and requires people from a variety of backgrounds. Those with experience in renewable energy would do best collaborating with others who have experience in education and business, making the most of everyone’s skills. New schools can specialize in renewable-energy training by partnering with solar companies; taking over existing in-house training; and ensuring a continued stream of workers. To attract students and gain an edge, schools should emphasize practical training with the latest technology and offer job placement.
To get started creating a solar training program, you need to have a strong grasp of the technical and business aspects of the industry. Becoming certified by a group such as the NABCEP is one way to accomplish this, and getting the necessary background by working in the industry, taking courses, talking to industry veterans, going to conferences, and even taking someone else’s training program to see how it works. Online courses are offered by some programs,