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How To Get A Rebate for Using Alternative Energy in Illinois
Renewable Energy Resources Program Helps Fund Residential Solar Power
Alternative Energy is all the rage after the State of the Union speech given by President Bush. If you live in Illinois, you should know there are already rebate programs available.
How To Get A Rebate for Using Alternative Energy in Illinois
Rebates for using alternative energy platforms are handled under the Renewable Energy Resources Program. The program is designed to motivate Illinois residents to use alternative energy by providing financial incentives in the form of rebates for those that modify their energy use.
The Renewable Energy Resources Program has been around for awhile, but new regulations went into effect on January 1, 2006. Under the regulations, rebates for going solar may now be as high as $10,000 for eligible solar thermal systems and up to 30 percent of the cost of solar panel systems. These new rebates, however, have a finite life span. You must apply for either or both of them by April 30, 2006.
Make Sure Your Home Meets the Criteria for the Renewable Energy Resources Program
To get in on these healthy rebates, there are a few requirements you must meet. First of all, you must be eligible. Eligible parties included individuals, businesses, schools, non-profits, and institutions of higher learning. You must also be a customer of utility company, meaning you can not be an off-grid energy residence or structure since the rebates are designed to move utility customers to non-utility energy sources.
Solar panels systems are typically used to produce electricity. If you are going with a solar panel system, the requirements are very simple. The system must be approved by Underwriters Laboratories, a fairly common certification throughout the solar industry. The system must also have a rated capacity of 800 watts for production.
Solar-thermal systems are used to produce heat, often in the form of hot water. If you are going with a solar thermal system for your alternative energy needs, it must be approved by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation or similar certification. The system must produce at least 50,000 BTUs a day or have at least 60 square feet of collectors. Put in simple terms, you need to have roughly a system measuring 8 x 8 feet. If you are using the system for a pool, you only get the rebate if the pool is available to the public for regular use.
While President Bush surprised many by highlighting alternative energy platforms in his recent speech. Alas, Illinois was already heading down that road.
Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com, a directory of solar energy companies. Visit us to read more articles on solar power and renewable energy.
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Article Post:
Energy’s Challenges
Global Challanges for Expanding Energy Demands
The energy challenge certainly ranks at the top of the world’s agenda. What makes it particularly difficult to deal with is that it is created by two forces.
Though not usually put in these terms, one is globalization-and, in particular-the success of globalization. High growth rates, the emergence of large middle classes in countries like China and India, the continuing integration of the global economy-all this is powered by energy. To keep it going requires energy, lots of it.
But the second is the flip side, the consequence of the use of energy. Modern industrial societies have proved that-with willpower, innovation and capital-they are good at mitigating local and regional pollution. And they are continually getting better at it. But the build-up of carbon in the atmosphere is something else. Over the last year or two, a global consensus has come together that this is truly a global problem and that responding is urgent.
It is these cross-cutting concerns-the need for energy, and the need to manage the consequences of energy use-that are creating the energy challenge that will dominate the decades ahead. And the magnitude is daunting. Every day the global economy requires 86 million barrels of oil per day, and that is only 40% of the total daily world energy consumption.
With a challenge so large and so complex, it should not be surprising that there is no single answer. Nor even just a few. Some of the solutions are clearly on today’s list; some will emerge as surprises. And, no doubt, some on which hopes are pinned today may, in the end, just not pan out. That is why Forbes.com’s "Solutions" is so timely. Like other readers, I am keenly interested in seeing what participants with such different expertise and perspectives will offer and how they will rank the choices.
For starters, I will put three ideas on the table. But, before doing that, let us consider the scale of the enterprise. For it is not just the energy the world consumes today, but how much more it will consume in the future. At Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), we've developed new energy scenarios out to the year 2030. The implications are daunting.
In a world of good economic growth, even with greater conservation, world energy demand grows by 75%. This reflects, more than anything else, the tremendous increase in automobile ownership and electricity consumption that will come with rising incomes.
Consumption grows the fastest in Asia, as it comes to represent over half of world GDP. In line with that, more than half of the total growth in oil demand will be in Asia, and two-thirds of the new electric power capacity. There’s nothing theoretical about this prospect. Over the past three years, China has added 200 gigiwatts of coal-fired electric power capacity-equivalent to 20% of the entire installed capacity of the United States.Assuring that the energy supplies are there to underpin economic growth is, in itself, a big and expensive challenge. The International Energy Agency points to a $20 trillion price tag.
But how to meet these needs and, at the same time, cope with carbon? We will hear many ideas in the course of this roundtable, but let me point to three.
The first is a renewed emphasis on energy efficiency, whether in the established infrastructures of the U.S. and Europe, or in the ones that are now being built in China and India. Energy conservation, efficiency, savings-whatever you want to call it is-is a very large resource in itself. It is, without doubt, the biggest near-term way to reduce CO2. The United States is twice as energy efficient as it was in the 1970s. Why not double that again? China has made energy efficiency one of its top priorities, but implementing it is not proving easy. Expect more to come on this front.
The second is what I've taken to calling the "great bubbling." This is the surge in research and development and innovation that is now taking place all along the energy spectrum-whether in conventional sources or for renewables and alternatives. These research dollars-whether from government, industry, research organizations or the new entrant, venture capital-are adding up. If this level of commitment is maintained, the impact could be considerable, even dramatic. But the timing is not easily predicted. One of the imperatives is to continue to develop not just renewables, but the commercialization of renewables, which ultimately need to demonstrate that they are competitive in the marketplace.
The third is to push for the development of carbon capture and storage technologies. Though there is much hope for them, they are still at the early stages. Pilot efforts are underway. To have a major impact, these technologies will have to prove doable on a very large scale. A good deal of effort will also be required to figure out how to price and regulate such aspects as the sequestration of carbon underground.
The future will evince how much-and how many different things-will have to be done meet this double challenge. Whatever the solutions, markets will be central, for they will bring forth the ingenuity and creativity to get things done and, hopefully, more quickly than would otherwise be the case.
Daniel Yergin, chairman of CERA, received the Pulitzer Prize for "The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power" and the United States Energy Award for lifelong achievements in energy and the promotion of international understanding. Vist CERA at http://cera.ecnext.com.
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Article Post:
Some Pros And Cons Of The Most Popular Forms Of Alternative Energy
Exciting New Sources of Alternative Energy Have Advantages and Disadvantages
By Ian Callis
Solar Energy
Our sun is the greatest source of energy we know about it today, it comes to us freely and is efficient. It is very possible that solar power can replace traditional electricity sources in many places, especially where there is abundant sunshine. Unfortunately not all places are ideal for solar power. In the areas at high latitude there is not enough sunlight in a day to produce efficient energy, and the same for places where it rains a lot.
Wind Energy
Wind is very efficient at producing electricity. Obviously you need a lot of wind, like along coast lines and at high altitudes. Wind power could replace up to 20% of our total electric consumption in the foreseeable future. Wind is a clean source of energy with none of the harmful byproducts like carbon dioxide. However the huge blades of the windmills do pose a danger to birds and you need a lot of room to build a sufficient number of windmills.
Hydroelectric Energy
This type of power is mainly sourced from river dams. The production of electricity from the water movement is clean and it does not produce waste material. However, the ideal type of places to build this is very limited and it is very expensive to build the dams.
Tidal Energy
Tidal energy works much in the same way as hydroelectric energy, but on a smaller scale, and it uses the natural tides of the ocean. There are several drawbacks though. Because of the sometimes violent and unpredictable nature of the ocean, they can not be constructed in many places. So far only about 9 places have been identified to build this kind of power plant. Plus these power plants can have a negative impact on migratory birds and also fisheries.
Biomass
Biomass can be used to produce an alcohol that is comparable to coal and can be used to replace our gasoline needs. The biomass may consist of fermented animal waste, agricultural crops, grains and other natural products. However, using the resulting fuel still produces greenhouse gases.
Geothermal Energy & Nuclear Power
Other forms of energy such as fusion, geothermal and nuclear power can power the world, but they all have some negative impact on the environment.
It seems all forms of alternative energy have some drawbacks, but they all are better options to replace our current dependency on coal and oil.
Ian Callis is a writer and website publisher, including the alternative energy tips website where you can find news, articles and other resources about alternative energy sources, like using the sea to create energy. Feel free to visit us at http://www.alternativeenergytips.info
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