Melting solar energy myths

By Tom Snyder

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Recently I had another bout of laughter (this is No. 50) concerning the state of Iowa and renewable energy. I am still constantly confused about the non-direction our governor and majority of politicians have decided is the best way to allow solar energy to happen.

I personally had lost sight of the fact that humor and misinformation about solar heat and PV appears the best way to influence people. One of the latest dark humor examples (I have 40 years' worth) was at a national energy fair where Iowa was on a national list as having the least number of renewable energy (solar) projects and next to last with the least number of nationally certified installers in the country. Tiny New Jersey leads the country in such installations and projects.

Talk about an untapped job market and economy.

Then the old myths started to really fly again:

l Solar doesn't work in Iowa because we are too far north. (We have as much sun as Texas).

l Solar heat and Solar heat and PV are too expensive and dangerous. (Both have come down in price and neither is dangerous if done by licensed solar professionals).

l Electrical utilities companies will someday control all access to the wind and sun for electrical production. (Possibly).

l Only plumbers and electricians know solar energy. (They sure ask a lot of questions of solar professionals to make it work).

Not to confuse anyone with facts, but these myths will never be totally accepted or corrected with facts and figures. There are perpetual-motion machines to create free energy, the Earth is flat, JFK and Elvis are alive, and we never put astronauts on the moon.

Then the same old questions: Why have the IBEW (electricians union), plumbers and most construction trades in Iowa lobbied against classes and licensing for solar heat?

Why does “long term heat storage” work in countries farther north but supposedly will not work in the Midwest? Why is solar in Germany half the cost in the United States?

Where did the myth that photovoltaic inverters can't meet safety standards for shutting down come from? This last myth is supposedly what helped defeat legislation in Iowa last spring.

The answers to the above questions seem to be as hard to see as the wind. Some of the answer seems to be in our lack of interest in actually changing our behavior. As humans, we do not like to be “the first” except for “me first” attitude. Finding facts that are not distorted is difficult, so let someone else try it first. The past 40 to 50 years of waiting seems reasonable.

Some of the answer is because of the vast amount of time and money used to keep the established trades, energy companies and politicians across the country in control of our energy future. Renewable energy should not be just about how much money some company can make. It should be about how much money and energy we can save or produce.

Part of the answer is the sharing of questionable and misleading information on the Internet. Everyone has an opinion and is an expert on everything; just don't confuse me with facts.

Some of the answer is because we accept only the “facts” that support our beliefs and that is a very seriously humorous problem.

We need to be open to real facts as we try to control (influence) how solar thermal and photovoltaic will be allowed to become part of our energy mix in Iowa.

Tom Snyder of Dyersville is a solar thermal licensing instructor at Northeast Iowa Community College and operates a business, Alternate Energy System. Comments: www.sunnystuff.net