When I meet with clients in my office for the first time to discuss their desires for a “green” house design, they seldom talk about pivotal (but boring) things like insulation levels or conscientious weatherization detailing. In fact, they very often know very little about what might make the house itself “green.” Invariably, though, they do discuss alternatives to conventional energy production; solar electricity, hydronic in-floor heating and solar hot water are almost always mentioned. That’s a good thing because our buildings are responsible for the lion’s share of our societal energy use and consequently play a huge role in our present pollution and environmental degradation problems. To help us all get a bead on our energy use options, I recently sat down with Ole Sorensen of Solar Dynamics, a renewable energy system design and installation company based in Asheville.

CS: Most of my clients say they want to take advantage of alternative energy technologies, but in my experience few know what that really means. What is “alternative energy”?

OS: I try to stay away from the word “alternative.” To me, “alternative energy” is coal and propane. In the final analysis, the only energy sources that make sense, the ones that need to be our primary sources, are those that can be part of a sustainable lifestyle. As it turns out, almost all renewable energy on this planet comes from the sun. Every half hour enough energy from the sun hits the earth’s surface to power human civilization for a year. In other words, we don’t even need to be efficient, we just need to commit to tapping this basically infinite resource in its various forms.

The most basic solar energy is direct sunlight, which can be used to heat buildings through passive solar design. Direct sunlight can also be used to heat water or some other liquid to create domestic hot water and energy for in-floor hydronic heating. We can also turn that same sunlight into electricity using photovoltaics (PV). Windpower and hydropower are other forms of electricity whose power source is the sun. The energy held within ocean waves is another largely untapped source of solar energy that is starting to be commercialized for electricity production.

There is constant and exciting innovation in the world of renewable energy technology. However, the tech stuff is only half of the equation to creating a sustainable approach to energy. The other part is lifestyle adjustment. Billy Jonas has an environmental song that my kids and I love that repeats the line, “It all comes from the groun-duh.” It’s a basic and profound point. All we have is this one Earth. Duh. We simply have to find a balance between what we take and what we leave behind.

CS: Our whole paradigm in this country is based on trying to get ahead, seemingly at any cost. How do we go about changing the paradigm?

OS: We are already in the middle of the paradigm shift. It’s you and I and all our fellow citizens who create change, and most people today want sustainable energy. There’s a demand for it. The problem is that in many cases the solutions are not available to everyone because they are too expensive. Since I got into this business, PV (solar electric) panels have gone from 12 to 20 percent efficiency. In other words, panels now transform 20 percent of the solar energy that hits them into electricity. That’s an amazing technological improvement in a short time, but clearly there is a lot more energy there for us to capture. We simply need more research and development money to reap even greater improvements in efficiency that will allow prices to come down even further. If we really got behind renewables, we could be getting a lot more and paying a lot less.

Another problem is one of scale. As with most things, the smaller the system, the more you pay per unit. PV is just too expensive for most people to put on their houses right now, and that’s why most PV installations are commercial. It’s the same with wind power. Commercial wind companies won’t even consider a project unless it’s in the 10 to 20 million dollar range. I think we need more options than simply residential and large commercial. We need community and neighborhood renewable power plants, large enough so that they are affordable but not so large that we necessarily have to wait for the large power companies to get on board.

CS: Okay, so far you’ve been talking about the big picture, which is of course very important, but it can also be a formula for inaction because we tend to feel overwhelmed with the scale of the problem. You started your business to be part of the solution and your solution is making renewable energy available to residential customers. How does someone go about making renewable energy a part of their present or planned house?

OS: When someone comes to me, the first thing we do is discuss their dream. Every situation is unique and depends on a client’s energy consumption, square footage, sun or wind exposure, budget and current tax credits. Honestly, people almost always begin with dreams of a lot of technology, then we start talking price and many people back off. We then look at their budget for the thing that will make the biggest difference. I like to look at it in terms of a “sustainability budget.” Let’s say you have $15,000 in your sustainability budget. In other words, you want to invest $15,000 now in moving toward energy sustainability. You’ll get this money back in utility bill savings over time, but it’s an upfront expenditure.What’s the best way to spend that money?

Well, energy production isn’t the first thing to consider. That’s my dilemma as a renewable energy installer. I need to keep in business, but I also have a responsibility to the planet and society. So when someone comes to me with limited funds, I tell them first to reduce their energy needs by building smaller and by creating an efficient building envelope. In other words, installing more insulation and paying attention to weatherization. Next, I tell them to choose construction methods that will create a long-lasting, durable building that won’t require a lot of maintenance. Then we talk about reducing energy usage because the less energy you use, the more affordable your renewable energy system will be.

At that point, you’re ready to talk about energy.

CS: One of the common complaints I hear about renewable energy systems is that the exposed machinery is “ugly.” What’s your response to that criticism?

OS: Personally, I can get ruthless when it comes to aesthetics. If the most efficient car in the world looked like a piece of cheese, I’d drive a piece of cheese. Take solar panels as an example. At our latitude and with most roof pitches, it’s going to be more efficient to raise roof-mounted panels at an angle to the roof. However, sometimes customers want their panels to lie flat on the roof because they feel it looks better. If our analysis tells us that this will result in only an insignificant reduction in system efficiency, we’re happy to do it. If, on the other hand, that isn’t the case, then we feel the need to stand our ground and install the panels at an angle to the roof. In the end, this always results in a much happier customer. We have to hold on to the big picture: our goal of sustainability. If it means getting over a perception of what you consider to be ugly, then so be it.

Education is the key. When people complain about how ridgetop wind power systems will adversely affect their “viewshed,” I tell them that there won’t be a viewshed without wind power. I like to say that sustainability and denial are archenemies. They just can’t work together. We have to decide to let go of our denial and embrace sustainability.

To contact Ole, and for more information on Solar Dynamics, call 828-665-8507 or 828-231-9106, email ole@solardynamicsnc.com, or visit www.solardynamicsnc.com.

Clarke Snell is the author of two books on alternatives to conventional construction, The Good House Book and Building Green, and is a regular columnist for New Life Journal as well as a member of the NLJ Green Home Experts Board. He administers Think Green Building, LLC (www.thinkgreenbuilding.com), a consulting and design network that offers innovative housing design, architectural engineering for solar/natural resource management, energy modeling/analysis, land analysis and 3D modeling, and consulting for all green projects.

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