Hocus POTUS

I can check the box of one my goals for my time in Washington: I saw president Obama! Live. If I'd have had a pair of binoculars I would have even recognized him as he walked over from the White House to the Blair House this morning.

Today the president is discussing Health Care reform in a much talked about televised 6-hour meeting with representatives from both parties. I went to the White House to spot some senators and maybe the president himself. The pedestrian area on the North side of the White House, including the Lafayette park, was closed with fences. Even the 'live by the bomb, die by the bomb' protester tent, which has been in front of the White House ever since I first got there (and who knows how long before that), and which stood through three snowstorms this winter, was relocated to a far corner of the park. I encountered the greatest activity on the West side, at Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street. Some 100 protesters and 10 TV crews had gathered there. As 10AM approached, the police started directing everyone further away from where the president would pass. Their authority was undisputed; onze senior officer took ownership of the crossing and with resolute voice and gestures directed his juniors, the protesters and the press, who backed off without complaints.

It all went quite peaceful, except for one man who was put to the ground, handcuffed and arrested by three policemen, while relentlessly shouting "Stop Obama! Stop Obama!" Maybe the police overreacted a little bit, but that uncompromising attitude may as well be safeguarding that undisputed authority. The man's shouts faded as he was led away from the scene. Most protesters were against health care reform. Their signs read things like "Hocus POTUS" (POTUS being the acronym for President Of The United States), "Socialism Failure," "Hands off health care!," "This summit is a shame," "All bills off the table, start all over," and "Obamacare no! America can't afford it." And I saw a couple of Gadsden flags (Enter: the Tea Party?). The most awful sign called for Obama's impeachment and showed Obama with a Hitler moustache next to the words: "One small man, one big disasters for mankind." Apparently, the education system doesn't cover all either. It's a mystery to me why these protesters so fiercely oppose their beloved nation finally doing something about that stain on its civilization.

With the moment of the president's passage coming closer, the outbursts of shouts from the protesters got more frequent and louder. Then, a little past 10, quite suddenly lenses raised and a high-held microphone came wobbling behind some black government SUV's. That should be him. I pierced over the cameras, but in the three seconds he was in view I couldn't tell him apart from his company. Camera crews I was standing behing took their cameras off their shoulders and began packing their stuff. Was this it? The crews had to take their shots 150 m away from their target. "He was walking with Biden," one cameraman said. Thanks for the info, now I can check them both. With a little sarcastic smile on his face,  a German sounds man said: "That was worth waiting three hours in the chilly morning for." I guess he doesn't have to worry too much, as he likely enjoys good and reasonably priced coverage in case he catches a cold.

Why aren’t there any solar PV panels in DC?

After having spent nearly five months in the capital of the United States, I suddenly realized that I hadn’t seen any solar panels on rooftops or facades. This observation cannot be proof that there are none - there likely are some – and, besides, it’s hard to spot rooftop-mounted panels in a city with tall buildings. But I haven’t seen any on normal houses with inclined roofs either. DC is definitely no Germany. By my personal, Northwest European standards, Washington enjoys plenty of sun. And data confirm that Washington has more potential per square meter than also the sunnier parts Germany [7]. So, why is solar-PV so dominantly absent here?

In 2008 some 200 kW of solar-PV capacity was installed in the District of Columbia, bringing the total to 700 kW [1]. The average grid-connected residential PV installation in the US had grown from 2.5 kW in 1999 to 4.9 kW in 2008 [1]. So, there must be around 200 installations in DC…somewhere. That isn’t a lot and, hence, it’s not strange that I haven’t seen any. And those high buildings downtown do not hide many from pedestrians’ eyes, either.

Until now, solar-PV in Washington must have been a hobby for those who could spare something extra for the environment’s sake, or for the thrill of the technology or being energy independent. No serious incentives have been in place for Washingtonians to install solar panels, and an adequate contracting process for supplying excess solar energy to the grid has been lacking [6].

But things seem to be changing. Only recently, in 2008 and 2009, local government moved forward and put in place more serious regulation. In October 2008, the Clean and Affordable Energy Act (CAEA) amended the renewable portfolio standard (RPS), requiring utilities that supply Washingtonians to have at least 20% renewable energy in its electricity sourcing portfolio in 2020, including 0.4 % solar [2]. In 2009 a rebate scheme was opened for distributed solar and wind installations [2]. Under this program, there will be $ 2 million available each year from 2009 to 2012. The aim is to support at least 100 installations per year. The scheme is budget neutral to the city government, as it is paid by a surcharge on natural gas and electricity consumer bills. This budget neutrality is a success factor that the scheme has in common with the successful German feed-in system. However, a second success factor was not copied: the rebate scheme is not open-ended. The sum is limited to $ 2 million per year, which appeared to be way too little to meet the demand. Only two months after the program was opened, the city had to close it for the year, because the applications had exceeded the allotted funding [3].

The incentives program allows $3/W for the first 3 kW installed capacity, $2/W for the next 7 kW and $1/W for the next 10 kW. With an average system size of 4.9 kW, the subsidy is $ 12,800 per system. With the apparent demand for the subsidy, can we safely expect full use of the yearly $ 2 million over the next years? In that case, assuming people don’t install systems when they can’t get a rebate, we could see around 150 systems added in the District each year. So, solar systems will expand quickly, but it might take a while for those beautiful blue panels to claim their presence in views of Washington.

In addition to the incentives program, there’s a net metering regulation, allowing a PV owner to supply excess electricity to the grid and let his meter spin backward. The utility only charges the net energy delivered over a billing period. And then there’s a 30% federal tax credit for consumers who install solar electric systems [2]. (I should calculate if the stimuli make a financially compelling case for buying a PV-system.)

In 2020 solar power should generate 0.4 % of DC’s electricity. Taking current electricity consumption in DC buildings as the baseline, which is 11.4 billion kWh per year, 0.4% would amount to 46 million kWh [4]. This would require 30 MW of installed solar PV capacity, which is 43 times the present day total. With the rebate program adding 0.7 MW a year, the target is not going to be met. However, this likely is too linear a projection for 2020. Anticipating higher fossil fuel prices, maybe some price on carbon and cost reductions in solar PV, the future looks brighter. But 0.4%?! Come on…

The most famous DC solar panels are ones that aren't there anymore. Jimmy Carter installed a set of solar water heaters (not PV) on the White House's West Wing in 1979, but Ronald Reagan later removed them. They are on a Unity College cafetaria in Maine now, but out of service. Under Bush jr., in 2003, a modest PV system was installed on the White House's maintenance building. Photo credit: www.whitehousemuseum.org

[1] Larry Sherwood, “US Solar Market Trends 2008,” Interstate Renewable Energy Council, July 2009
[2] http://www.dsireusa.org
[3] http://www.mdv-seia.org/dc_news.html
[4] District Department of the Environment, “District of Columbia Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory – 2006 Calendar Year Baseline.”
[5] http://www.solar4power.com/solar-power-insolation-window.html
[6] Washington Post, 2/11/2007, "Going solar isn't easy in the District.
[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insolation

Born to run

Anxiety to run - long and free - is all over me. Got it from the book Born To Run by Christopher McDougall, which I finished yesterday. The irony is that the author's asking the question "why does my foot hurt?" led him through intriguing explorations and adventures resulting in this book (which I highly recommend). Now I'm inspired, but my foot hurts. Two snow storms last week have left miles of winter wonderland trails in DC's parks; I'd better not trot them. The author makes a strong case for 'barefoot' - or less guided - running, the way the people run who have never worn shoes and have never been manipulated by running gear commerce. But the tips for staying injury-free don't help much to get rid of one. Patience.

Maybe, this forced time off serves me well, letting it sink a bit. O, am I easily influenced by books. Born to Run has left me with the conviction that running is the best thing you can do to stay healthy and happy and I can't wait to get some of it. But only three years ago, reading Midas Dekkers' "Lichamelijke Oefening" seriously took away all my running ambitions for a while. Dekkers claimed that there is no scientific proof that running long and hard has any health benefits; it would only cause injury, look stupid and consume valuable time that had better be spent on intellectual exercise. Now, who's right? I think I should take some distance and compare the two accounts. But from what I remember there is plenty agreement in the two. Also Dekkers recognizes the need for sufficient exercise, not much, but more than is built in in present-day modern society. And one should eat healthy. The peoples that are natural runners or get sufficient exercise in daily life and hardly show wealth related diseases such as diabetes, heart and vessel diseases, forms of cancer, etc. are usually poor, too, and do not have access to copulent, fat and meat-rich menus. Both authors stress that the single most important reason to exercise more than is required for health reasons should be fun. And both warn not to push too hard, to not overdo it. Following these principles, allegedly, can save you a lot of stress and bring you more fun, and much more distance.

(foto source: http://www.allwedoisrun.com/tarahumara.htm)

Because it's right

Came across this 1994 Donella Meadows column, which in the wake of the De Wit Parliamentary Inquiry on the financial crisis is worth rereading, I think.

In that same archive on the Sustainability Institute website, there are many more little gems to read.

3 maart: GroenLinks Den Haag

Stem 3 maart GroenLinks in Den Haag from GroenLinks Den Haag on Vimeo.



Zie ook de GroenLinks Den Haag Stadsgids. Blits en belangrijk.

Washington Auto Show

The past couple of days you could see the same new Chevy models being test driven around my block many times. GM invited visitors to the Washington Auto Show in the neighboring Convention Center for a test-drive in one of their models. As I happened to be one of those visitors on Friday, I happily used this chance to experience a hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicle (Chevy Equinox, see the model in the picture). After signing up, I passed some ten people waiting for their turn in the Camaro, Chevy's muscle car, as their was no one waiting for the fuel cell car. After circumdriving my own block I was pleased by the silence in the car and had experienced a powerful acceleration upon pushing the throttle shortly. Nevertheless, I must admit feeling slightly disappointment. The test drive had been pretty...normal. This was just a fine car, but nothing spectacular for me as a driver. The benefit for the environment is not obvious behind the wheel, but the insecurity of not knowing where to refuel is. I guess I'd have to reason hard to let the distant environmental benefit make me accept the insecurities and higher prices the first small series. A clean car is not a mobile phone, which gives you additional functions, clear and direct benefits. If it's not money, how else could sufficient new buyers be seduced to choose a clean vehicle and let the market take off?

At the Auto Show in several other places one could find confirmation that the environment is an important theme, but not yet a real buyers' concern. Compared to the American models, the big European ones, like the larger Volvos, looked small. Going small was clearly a road less taken by the producer than hybridization, as most brands now showed at least one or two hybrids, but quite often as a fuel saver in a big SUV or truck. Of the hybrids, Toyota's Prius is still the most fuel efficient, according to the fuel economy labels, which were present on every vehicle on display. An average sized Dutchman like me (6 foot 1.2 inch) still has to bend his neck sitting in the backseat. My impression after scanning fuel economy labels randomly is that very few automakers are ready for the coming 35 mpg fuel economy requirement.

Plug-in hybrids were only on display as concept or demonstration models. Chevrolet showed its Volt, which should enter selected markets later this year. According the long-legged girl presenting the model, it can do 40 miles in full-electric mode, allegedly enough for 76% of American daily commuter trips. A range-extender on board can kick in and generate electricity from regular gasoline to make the car go for another 200 miles. The Volt looked quite nice to me, but not as hot as its big brother on the other side fo the aisle: the Cadillac Converj concept car. There was very aerodynamically shaped electric sports model with (just like the Volt) a range extender. What's more, natural materials were used for the interior, like mulched and compressed bamboo and organic LED displays. Very very nice, but, unfortunately, whether this concept car will ever make it to the showrooms remains a question. As the lady presenter told the audience, most questions are about its color.