Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

Here are your wEEkly updates:

Peer-to-Peer Requests

Triple-Bottom-Line Accounting
A local government agency has requested information on cities and counties that practice triple-bottom-line or sustainable accounting. If your city or county has implemented triple-bottom-line accounting, or if you have any related resources, please let me know and I will get you in contact with this agency.

News and Opportunities

California Approves First US Energy Efficiency Standards for Computers
The new standards, approved by California's Energy Commission, requires most computers to draw less power while idle. Laptops are only required to see a slight reduction in power draw since they're already designed to be energy efficient. But only 6% of desktops currently meet the commission's standards. On average, noncompliant desktops will have to reduce their idle power draw by about 30% by 2019 and by about 50% by 2021, the commission says.

An Update on California's Distributed Energy Leadership
In a unanimous decision yesterday, California regulators created a new financial incentive pilot that encourages utilities to invest in DERs instead of more expensive traditional grid investments.

Microgrids Continue to Progress - With Some Bumps in the Road
Microgrids increasingly are being seen as a hedge against grid failure and as a way to more efficiently harness renewable resources. However, there is uncertainty for the future of microgrids as they grow at different rates in different areas and with potential decreases in research and development with the new Administration.

NYC Hospitals Reduce Energy Use by 10%
Transitioning to LEDs, solar panels, upgrading air handling units, replacing boilers, and steam trap replacement have been the common projects that enabled hospitals to reduce energy use.

RFP: Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentives Program: Best Practices Pilot
The Strategic Growth Council in partnership with the Office of Planning and Research is soliciting proposals for an effort to support local land use planning related to climate and the State's statutory planning priorities. The program funding in the amount of $250,000 will be available for applicants to apply for up to $50,000. These grants will support the development and/or implementation of a specific portion of a land use plan, land protection or management practice, or development project. Proposals due January 11, 2017.

Job Opportunity: Energy and Water Coordinator, County of San Luis Obispo
The County of San Luis Obispo Department of Public Works is seeking an innovative and experienced individual who is committed to work as part of a team in delivering a broad range of energy-related projects at County facilities. The position covers a wide range of duties, such as energy monitoring and reporting to researching and implementing program/projects in the County's EnergyWise Plan. Applications due December 29, 2016.

Calendar
Click the Calendar link to view all upcoming events.

1/25-1/26 (Sacramento) California Climate Change Symposium 2017
This forum aims to share cutting-edge research addressing the impacts of climate change on the state to inform the state's strategies and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to develop programs to safeguard California from a changing climate. Early-bird registration ends today, December 16th.

2/2/17 (St. Louis, MO) New Partners for Smart Growth Conference
Early-bird registration has been extended to December 16th  for the 2017 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference. This conference is the nation's largest smart growth and sustainability event and has been named one of 12 conferences not to miss by Planetizen. Early Bird registration ends today, December 16th.

3/16-3/19 (Yosemite National Park) Yosemite Policymakers Conference
Join mayors, city council members, county supervisors, city managers, and high-level department heads for the 26th Annual Yosemite Policymakers Conference. This popular conference always features a timely and inspirational program designed to provide the tools and support policymakers need to implement innovative solutions to address society's most pressing challenges. This year's conference will be no different with its focus on sustaining our progress and protecting the American dream.

5/5/17 (Long Beach) The Business of Local Energy Symposium 2017
The Center for Climate Protection along with the Local Government Commission and the Local Government Sustainable Energy Coalition is offering their third Business of Clean Energy Symposium to convene government, business, and community leaders to accelerate California's shift to a clean energy economy and to exchange ideas about Community Choice Energy programs. Save the date - registration will open in January.

​Resources and Reports

2017 Building Intelligence Predictions
Podcast on building intelligence to accelerate savings, equity growth, occupant satisfaction and the arrival of smart, connected cities in 2017.

Re-Assessment of Net Energy Production and GHG Emissions Avoidance After 40 Years of Photovoltaics Development
This report shows strong downward trends of environmental impact of photovoltaic production, following the experience of curve law, and shows a break-even between the cumulative disadvantages and benefits of photovoltaics, for both energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, occurs between 1997 and 2018 depending on photovoltaic performance and model uncertainties.

The Benefits of Solar + Storage for Commercial and Public Buildings
A combined solar + storage system can firm and smooth the energy used onsite, reducing demand charge risk due to solar intermittency, and results in more reliable reduction of energy and demand charge-related electricity expenses. Additionally, a combined solution can enhance the resilience of a building's power supply, a key consideration for critical facilities in the face of increasingly common power outages in some areas.

The Challenge of Decarbonizing the U.S. Power Sector: Encouraging Innovation and Aligning Stakeholder Interests
This working paper describes current U.S. power sector trends and relevant environmental goals, ways that technology innovation could proceed or be interrupted, and three emerging low- and zero-carbon technologies generally considered leading options for meeting the decarbonization challenges. It concludes with ideas from a range of experts to meet GHG reduction goals and accelerate innovation to advance low-carbon generation.

 

And that's all for this week! 

Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

Here are your wEEkly updates:

1. EE Coordinating Committee Update: Interested in how agricultural energy efficiency programs will provide funding in coming years? The Agricultural Subcommittee meeting is going on today – click here to learn how to join in person or by phone/web.

2. For a weekly round up from the Coordinating Committee, click here.

3. More on EE Program Planning: as the business plans for future EE programming develop, the CPUC shares additional guidance on what those business plans should look like. To learn more, click here.

4. Save the Date: Weatherization Program Development: The Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) is hosting a public comment opportunity on the design of the Low Income Weatherization Program (LIWP) June 2^nd. More information is available here.

5. Save the Date: Upcoming Codes and Standards: BayREN will be holding a Forum on June 22^nd covering what’s new in the 2016 codes and standards (which become effective January 1^st). To learn more, click here.

6. Evaluating EE Programs: The U.S. EPA is holding a webinar on May 23^rd to share best practices in planning and budgeting for EE program evaluation. For more click here.

7. EE and Clean Energy Results and Best Practices: The U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge partners are showing powerful results, and the Challenge released a Progress Update this week to show it. The Better Buildings Challenge is also kicking off three new Accelerator programs, focusing on low-income, CHP, and wastewater. See more on the Partners, and the results, here.

8. New Low-Income EE/Renewable Resources: PG&E is joining the Better Buildings Challenge’s new Low Income Communities Accelerator, bringing more resources to disadvantaged communities – learn more here.

9. ESA Program Boost to Mitigate Blackout Risks: SCE and SoCal Gas will be offering more through a $250 million add to the Energy Savings Assistance program – learn more here.

10. New List of All Climate Change Investments Released by ARB: for more, click here.

11. Water and Climate: A new report from the UN states that water is the climate challenge.  For information on big opportunities for water savings in California shared by an engineering firm in the recent public sector subcommittee meeting, new resources from San Diego County Water Authority, and more on what local governments are doing to reduce water consumption, click here.

12. Roadmap for Microgrid Commercialization: Interested in microgrids? The CEC, CPUC, and CAISO are holding a workshop May 24^th to kick off development of a roadmap for microgrid commercialization in California. Learn more here.

13. Deep Retrofits for Small Businesses: Congratulations to the Association of Bay Area Governments for being awarded funding under the U.S. DOE’s Commercial Buildings Integration Program! Learn more here.

14. EE and solar installed in Yuba City: Congrats to Yuba City for completing installations of solar and energy efficiency measures in 16 city facilities. For more on what they’re saving through their energy performance contract, click here. For more on performance contracting in California, click here.

15. California’s Solar Ordinances in the News: Environmental Leader covers how requirements for solar help grow the solar market and the ability for solar to provide a direct return on investment. For more click here.

16. EJAC meeting online: If you missed the Environmental Justice Advisory Committee meeting this week, you can watch it online here.

17. Best Practices in Multi-Family EE Programming: reaching EE savings in multi-family residential can be challenging, but holds great opportunities. Learn more on best practices in program approach from ACEEE here. For more multi-family resources, click here.

18. New numbers on DR: Greentech Media finds more than 9.3 million customers in the U.S. are enrolled in demand response.

19. EVs Spread in Sonoma: Learn more about how Sonoma Clean Power is growing its electric vehicle footprint in 500 new charging stations here. For more on electric vehicles, click here.

20. Job announcements: San Francisco State is hiring for a Senior Director of Facilities Operations and a Senior Energy Manager! Learn more here.

21. Job announcement: California State University is hiring for a Sustainability Program Assistant! Learn more here.

22. A 1-Question Survey: Build It Green is looking for answers, or specifically, one answer, on local government interest in energy ordinance tracking. To help them out, click here.

As always, you can keep track of relevant events by connecting to the EE Events Calendar, and find more resources being added daily on the EECoordinator website.

That’s all for this week!

2015 UC Solar Symposium

You are invited to this year's  University of California Advanced Solar Technologies Institute Research Symposium. 

2015 UC Solar Research Symposium
Friday, October 16th, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
California Public Utilities Commission Auditorium
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102

This symposium is designed to promote public knowledge regarding present and future UC Solar research initiatives, and to examine the current state of the solar energy industry in California and beyond. For more information, or to register, go to:

http://ucsolar.org/2015-solar-symposium

There is no cost to attend and lunch will be provided.
Featured presenters include:

Rob Oglesby, Executive Director, California Energy Commission (CEC)

Brad Heavner, Policy Director, California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA)

Kim D. MacFarlane, P.E., Civil and Environmental Engineer, E. & J. Gallo Winery

Roland Winston, UC Solar Director and Distinguished Professor of Engineering and Natural Sciences, UC Merced

Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

1.  Proposed Decision on Energy Efficiency Portfolio for 2016 and Beyond

Administrative Law Judge Edmister’s Proposed Decision Re:  Energy Efficiency Goals for 2016 and Beyond, Energy Efficiency Rolling Portfolio Mechanics, and Guidance for Changes to 2016 Energy Efficiency Program Portfolios.  The full text of this decision is made available through the link provided below. 

http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?docformat=ALL&docid=154225993

In the event of problems with this e-mail or internet link, please contact Shonta Bryant-Floyd at sbf@cpuc.ca.gov, telephone # 415-703-5242.

2.  AB 2188 Ordinance Adoption

The Solar Permitting Efficiency Act, signed into law by Governor Brown in September 2014, requires California cities and counties to adopt an ordinance that creates an expedited solar permitting process by September 30, 2015. The Solar Permitting Efficiency Act modified specific statutes that compose the Solar Rights Act and requires cities and counties to substantially conform their streamlined permitting process to recommendations contained in the current version of Spring 2015 Second Edition of this Guidebook lays out a safe, standardized, and streamlined permitting process for small residential photovoltaic (PV) and solar water heating systems (SWH) that can be adopted by most local governments with only minor changes to reflect local requirements.

To support local governments in achieving the ambitious goals set by the Solar Permitting Efficiency Act, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) has been working to remove barriers that constrain expansion of small-scale renewables. The Solar Permitting Guidebook is an important step toward this goal. The Guidebook explains current requirements for small residential solar PV and SWH installations, describes key steps in the permitting process, and recommends ways to improve local permitting. It also includes several template documents that local governments can customize for their own use to improve permitting. The Guidebook can also provide useful information to solar contractors and property owners.

Please visit the OPR webpage to view the Solar Permitting Guidebook, download editable Toolkit documents, and find additional information and resources related to solar and renewable energy. For more information, please contact Carolyn Angius at Carolyn.Angius@OPR.CA.GOV.

3.  Google tool to Help Install Solar Rooftop Panels

A team of Google engineers just released a tool called Project Sunroof to handle those concerns and more. They adapted the high-resolution aerial maps from Google Earth to estimate the total sunlight a rooftop receives throughout the year. The tool then tells you how much you can expect to save with solar panels under different financing plans (you can plug in your current electric bill for a more refined calculation) and connects you with local companies that do installations.  The tool covers limited communities at this point, but will be expanded in the future.

And that is all for this week!  

The Green Teams Part III

See? It's just so pretty! Photo Source: http://levisstadium.com/

I was in San Francisco for Super Bowl XLVII; it was devastating. I’ve never seen the city so depressed. There’s hope for 49ers fans, though, as well as a new, shiny stadium. Santa Clara is their new home and, boy is it beautiful. It’s crazy efficient, too! There is a 20,000 square foot green roof… I know, SO cool. The stadium is using reclaimed water for drinkable and irrigation purposes and has incorporated recycled materials into the design. The stadium is also partnering with local vendors to create farm-to-table options for ticket holders. How awesome is that? And in addition to these already ground-breaking inclusions, a local company called SunPower is partnering with the new Levi’s Stadium to supply enough solar panels to produce sufficient electricity to compensate for all the power used for home games each year. True story.

I think (I hope!) the publicity of this installment as well as the one at the Pocono Raceway will help convince solar-naysayers that this great country we live in CAN produce ample amounts of renewable energy and maybe we should start viewing it as a reliable and clean supplier of grid power. I understand there’s a high initial cost, but there are loan and third party programs out there, among others. If solar can be implemented and rewards can be reaped on such a huge scale AND in a setting we all enjoy and support daily as a united community, we should be able to incorporate it on a smaller scale, too, without so much backlash, don’t ya think?

Speaking of renewable energy on a large scale, Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians, installed solar way back in 2007 (the stadium was one of the first in the US to do so). The Indians have really been getting after energy savings through green initiatives. The stadium was also the first in the MLB to install a wind turbine. Installed last year, the turbine incorporates LED lights and kiosks for fans to learn about wind energy. See Mom, sporting events can be educational, too! Furthermore, staff attends an annual class about the stadium’s newest green practices, encouraging them to implement their knowledge at home and in their communities. Start on a small scale and cause a chain reaction… I’ve always believed this is the way to get people on board to save the environment!

The Indians also have some great ideas for future projects, which include following in the footsteps of the 49ers and building a green roof. I know I’ll probably be judged and condemned for saying this, but even though popcorn and hotdogs are the staple snack at baseball games, I am a sucker for fruit right off the tree and veggies right out of the ground. I would be more than happy to pay $20 for that and be able to pick it myself IN THE STADIUM than pay that kind of money for some processed meat and watery beer (sorry Keystone and Miller Light lovers! I’m really just not into it. The commercial above is more up my alley.).  Want to read more about the Indians and their energy-saving super powers? See pages 69-72.

NHL fans, I have not forgotten about you! Plus, even the NCAA is implementing sustainability programs. The big leagues aren’t the only ones who get to have all the fun! Stay tuned, loyal followers. More energy efficiency in sports to come!

The Green Teams Part II

I try to be energy conscious and waste as little as I can. Then again, I am lucky to live in a part of the country that allows me use public transportation (or walk) to almost any destination, does not have air conditioning in any apartments and has compost and recycling bins nearly everywhere. (For those of you that don't know, I moved to Seattle! and am happily still working full-time for the Clean Energy Organization.) I never use a hair dryer for more than a few minutes and only run big appliances (laundry, dishwasher) after peak hours. My microwave and stove get used once a day, max. But this is energy use on a very small scale for one very small person. 

SCREAMS inefficiency Photo Source: www.politifact.com

So what happens when, instead of being in charge of just your own energy use, you’re suddenly in charge of hosting tens, even hundreds, of thousands of fans (who are hungry and thirsty, cold or hot, and may be seated far from the action of the game) in a stadium that holds all of these people, food and ticketing staff, security plus the stars of the event and their managers, coaches, team owners, etc? Not only is there a need for several food and beverage booths, powerful HVAC systems, jumbotrons, surround sound speaker systems, expansive locker rooms, and numerous multi-stall bathrooms, but everything (and by everything, I mean every nook and cranny) has to be brightly lit and perfectly air conditioned. That sentence included A LOT of energy-draining things, which can only mean that the energy needed to power all of them is nothing shy of A TON. And as I mentioned in Part I of this mini-series, it seems hypocritical to live as I do and work where I do when I also snatch up every opportunity I get to go to one of these events.

We energy-enthusiast sports fans got lucky, though, because the industry has been significantly decreasing its energy use for a few years now. At this massive scale, energy use will always be high, but hosting these events in a LEED building or incorporating solar panels does make a difference. Take the Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania for example. In 2010, 40,000 solar panels were installed; they power the entire facility and cut the raceway’s annual energy bill by over $500,000! That’s a lot of savings! It was also the first raceway to participate in the Dream Machine program, which provides a fast and easy way for fans to recycle. You can read more about these and other green initiatives here; and think about incorporating similar practices yourself because as the Raceway itself declares, “it’s not that tricky”.

Photo Source: grit.com

I've been playing tennis for nearly two decades now and learning that the US Open Tennis Center in Queens has been going green since they launched a pilot program in 2008 with NRDC (thanks to the amazing Billie Jean King, see pages 24-26) made me very ecstatic indeed! Initiatives cover recycling, transportation, energy management, and many more facets of the jam-packed two-week event, including event merchandise. The Center reduced water flow by 75 percent (!!!) in 2011 with new low-flow faucets; all match balls are reused in summer camps or donated to community organizations; all tennis ball canisters are taken apart so each metal and plastic component can be recycled separately and correctly. Plus, the Center composts almost all of its waste, down to the cooking oil. What does this amount to each year? HUGE savings and hundreds of tons of waste diverted from landfills. Can’t beat that!

NFL and MLB fans, stay tuned for Part III!

Solar And Water: A Growing Combination

*Editor's Note: I was cleaning out the SJVCEO blog archives last week and came across this draft post authored by the one and only Sandy Nax!  Going by the date of the draft I can only figure that Sandy had worked on this prior to his departure from SJVCEO in May 2012 and never had a chance to hit the 'publish' button. So, Sandy I hope you don't mind our using your words one more time!  -CBK

Many people equate solar power with rooftops, and that's true. More property owners - commercial and residential - are installing solar panels over their heads to cut power bills and carbon footprint. Check out what Toys 'R' Us is doing in New Jersey.

But solar energy is popping up all over the place. In backpacks. With the military in Afghanistan. On parking structures and as window coverings. And, increasingly, on or around water.

Solar is appearing at wastewater treatment plants, vineyard irrigation ponds and in settling ponds at gravel mines. There is even research into getting solar power from the ocean.

This New York Times story, which I read in the San Jose Mercury News, notes that solar panels are sitting atop pontoons at Far Niente in Wine Country. It quotes a winery official saying that vineyards are expensive real estate, and placing a solar array on the pond means no vines are removed.

Solar energy systems also are gaining a following at wastewater treatment plants here in the San Joaquin Valley, where power bills run high in the blazing summer.

The cities of Tulare and Madera use solar at their plants. Learn more about those projects here and here. Water transfer is expensive, and solar can help cut costs. We keep hearing that more cities are considering following suit. This Sign on San Diego story has more on how solar works at such plants.

Opportunities for solar will become even greater as technology improves, costs decrease and it becomes more mainstream. Water-related solar increases those possibilities even more.

Sandy's now in Sacramento working for the California Department of Toxic Substances Control and still managing to write...a lot.  Seriously, Google it! 

Photo of solar on pond at Far Niente Winery by winebusiness.com

Whitepapers: PV inverter performance in desert-like locations

Wow, unique desert challenges addressed through rigorous testing!

On April 25, 2012 SMA America, LLC publish a study on how outdoor installed PV inverters held up under extreme weather conditions found in the desert. Conditions such as sandstorms and enormous temperature swings produce a whole new set of challenges for developers of PV inverters. Dust and sand is prevalent in the ambient air and tends to create serious obstacles in solar PV inverters installed outdoors, but with the new technology developed and rigid testing the inverter’s seals protected it from harmful dust deposits.

I don’t know about you but this stuff gets me excited. I’m really enjoying watching alternative energy develop in front of me.  We are indeed watching history in the making, but let’s not forget that energy conservation, although not the most attractive option is the best way to become energy independent. Check out the full story at the link below.

http://images.msgapp.com/Extranet/95679/ResouceCenter/Whitepapers/PV_Inverter_Performance_Desert_Locations.pdf

--Dee Cox

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/walmartcorporate/5249870103/

Money Monday: Top 5 Reasons to Go Solar!

It's a Money Monday guest post because Dee is on the trail of some money for the SJVCEO in form of an EPA grant!  Graciously our colleague, Shalon Anderson has put together a post on the Top 5 reasons for going solar on your home. Some of you may know Shalon, at least by name, through the US Green Building Council Central California Chapter.  In addition to her work for USGBC CC, Shalon works in support of many of our clients in the non-sustainability fields at PESC.  Shalon was interested in trying her hand at blog writing and we're fortunate to be the only blog business in the office!   How is this a Money Monday post?  Well,  that's answered in reason #1!

Thinking about solar for your home?

By Shalon Anderson

There are many myths out there about solar panels. “They’re too expensive, They don’t last long, It’s a waste of time.”

Well- the truth is, there are many reasons why installing solar panels on your roof can save you money and reduce your energy dependence! Solar is one of the very few household purchases that will actually pay for itself. There is no better way to save money AND increase the value of your home at the same time.

Don’t just take my word for it, let’s review the top 5 reasons why installing solar panels on your home makes financial sense.

1. GO GREEN! Installing solar panels offers a “greener” alternative than energy obtained through utility companies. Once your solar panels are installed, (roughly 3-5 days depending on the size of your home) you will immediately begin to save $$$$ on electrical costs. These savings will rack up for years to come!

2. AFFORDABLE! Most solar dealers offer little to no money down for initial  costs. Financing is available for homeowners and it’s always a good idea to check out the local incentives and rebates in your area. They’re out there! What happens if you move or sell your home? No need to fret! Nearly all solar contracts can be transferred over to new owners at no cost. See your local solar dealer for full details.

3. RELIABLE! Solar panels are built to withstand years of direct heat. On sunny days, the solar panel’s battery is charged giving you hours of efficient power after sundown.  According to gosolarcalifornia.org, photovoltaic (PV) panels should last 20-25 years or longer. Maintenance is quick and easy, with nothing but a spray of the good ol’ garden hose needed once every few years.

4. NO FUSS! There is no interruption of solar power in the dim light or on overcast days. Solar panels are built to work with your general utility grid in times of harsh weather. You can connect to the grid when needed, so no loss of power will be experienced. You can continue with your normal activities without a sweat. In times of blackouts, solar panels will automatically turn off to prevent interference with utility company repairs. 

5. WHY NOT? There’s no reason not to consider solar panels! They can be installed in a timely manner with no modifications needed inside or outside of your home. Your roof will never  be subject to damage because solar panels actually protect the part of the roof they cover. It’s a good idea to have your roof inspected for any necessary repairs that may be needed prior to installation. Once installation is complete, all appliances will go back to “business as usual”. There is no need to purchase new appliances or acquire any special electrical outlets.

Your green home is just a phone call away! Be sure to make a list of questions and concerns for your sales person. Contact your local solar panel dealer for more insight and tips on how you can start saving money today! You can also visit the California Energy Commission for the latest in energy news and activities. 

Photo Credits: Toyota UK and Wayne National Forest

Space-based clean energy could alter the future

Harry Harrison at his best.

Clean and cheap energy has been percolating in innovators' minds for centuries.

Far longer ago, alchemists and wizards sought the source of ultimate power somewhat differently, calling it magic.

The economic consequences of cheap clean energy would be tremendous. Imagine energizing rural Africa or infusing India's poorest neighborhoods with uninterrupted inexpensive power. All that brain power just waiting for an opportunity to connect with a money-making idea could make substantial changes in technological development, not to mention economic might.

So far, however, that pursuit remains unrealized. Recall cold fusion? How about the mythic magnetic power generator, a device that purports to produce "free" electricity.

Alas, it's a crock. So far, anyway.

Pursuing clean energy

That doesn't stop the pursuit of some nearly free energy source. Or the daydreaming. Or the bona fide research bringing existing clean energy technologies more in line with the cost of conventional carbon-creating fuels.

Writers regularly take on the challenge, imagining star travel as the likely result of conquering energy. Isaac Asimov's universes were fueled by atomic power. Even Albert Einstein and Otto Stern envisioned a hidden source of power in all things. They called it Nullpunktsenergie, which was later translated to zero-point energy. Imaging that is one thing. Tapping it is another.


With this in mind, I decided to do some research. For mean that meant looking up the sci-fi masters. Of course, clean energy wasn't the only thing on my mind. Reading offers equal-opportunity inspiration.

Back to the barn

Used book stores exude a musty eclectic chic. Often they're stuffed with type-packed cast-offs just waiting for somebody to give them another look.

At the recently expanded and somewhat aptly named Book Barn in my town of Clovis, Calif. I tagged along as my high school English teaching wife, Peggy, scoured the shelves for teen lit. Werewolves, vampires, angst and drama. The usual stuff.

Meanwhile, I hit the science fiction shelves. I dug around in the recesses of my memory for authors I once read and scanned the carefully sorted titles. Good lord, Gardener F. Fox had a couple of books. He wrote in the style of the incomparable Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Barbarian. Fox's publisher didn't have anything on the author in the series of skinny little paperbacks available, so it's not surprising he's totally out of print today.

I nabbed one, even though it read like something I had consumed before. Many times before.

Charlton Heston's legacy

On the next shelf over, I found several by Harry Harrison, who startled my generation in 1966 with the story, "Make Room, Make Room," which explores the consequences of unchecked population growth. Most recall the somewhat altered movie version, "Soylent Green," starring Charlton Heston in the leading role of detective Thorn and Edward G. Robinson as his roommate Sol. It was to be Robinson's final film.

Harrison has penned a number of novels in various sci-fi sub genres, and many contained themes of social commentary. Although not so much with the "Stainless Steel Rat," a space criminal anti-hero who had a bit of a soft side. I believed I had consumed nearly all of his books but found a couple in the Book Barn that proved me wrong. "Invasion Earth" tells the story of an invasion by aliens by means of a high-stakes con job, and "Skyfall" outlines the struggles of a U.S.-Soviet (the Reds still had stamina in this 1978 novel) project to ship a deep space solar collector into the heavens to provide clean, cheap energy to the the globe.

In "Skyfall," the project isn't easy. In fact, disaster lurks at just about every turn. Not surprising. Actually, the story is somewhat timeless, other than the Soviet connection. Swap CCCP characters for Russians and it could spark interest a decade from now when climate change is a freakish reality, sending residents of island nations and low-lying countries like Bangladesh into their neighbors' garages and outbuildings.

"Skyfall" isn't Harrison's best. It drags. Its characters have all the zip of a lead brick. The pilot is an idiot chauvinist. The U.S. president is a jerk, not as "crooked as Tricky Dicky, but he's craftier." The Russian female pilot is underdeveloped and somewhat two-dimensional. The narrative doesn't zing like most of the author's work.

Space-based solar

But the Prometheus Project sounds great. The idea is to deploy huge unfurling solar collectors where they could collect solar energy without nighttime interruption and beam it via microwave to points on earth. The cost is immense and the project massively controversial. The book's antagonist is a Newsweek reporter who wants to write about nothing but potential doom.

Coretta Samuel, one of the crew, tells him at one point, "Just the physical reality that, at the present rate of consumption, we're going to burn up all the Earth's oil in a couple more years. So we've got to do something drastic about it."

Doing something. Sounds great to me. Back when this book was published, I was thinking about earning gas money for my mini truck and enjoying the spoils of refined fuel while spinning broadies in the East High parking lot in Anchorage.

Current political discourse has all but ignored climate change. That's an issue for our children, apparently. They will have to make the tough decisions because there will be no alternative. Most likely they will curse the previous generation for short-sightedness.

I know I would.

Solar solutions

There is an alternative. Investment in a number of solar projects will reveal over time that there is money to be made in clean energy. There's certainly economic development in clean energy. Spending on facilities that continue to generate money in the form of electricity offer a steady payoff as well as the initial injection of construction jobs.

Just as a wider road or bridge facilitates travel and movement of goods and services, clean energy facilities generate energy without the constant effort of the extraction of natural resources. Drilling will recover only what history has left. Mining for coal will get increasingly expensive as the easy-to-extract sources play out, while oil recovery is already tapping the tremendous technological talents of engineers.

Federal dollars should continue to be funneled into clean energy research. You never know what some grad student will pull out of a beaker after long nights and neuron-firing inspiration.

The National Space Society promotes the concept Harrison wrote about in "Skyfall." Maybe it's not far-fetched. It's definitely massively expensive and would require almost worldwide coordination of resources.

Space Office study

An October 2007 study by the National Security Space Office says the U.S. Department of Energy and NASA have spent about $80 million over the past three decades study space-based solar. In contrast, it says the U.S. government has spent about $21 billion studying nuclear fusion.

The study concluded that space-based solar "does present a strategic opportunity that could significantly advance U.S. and partner security, capability and freedom of action and merits significant further attention on the part of both the U.S. Government and the private sector."

The study also says while significant technical challenges remain, the concept "is more technically executable than ever before and current technological vectors promise to further improve its viability."

Intriguing.

Sounds a little like I read this somewhere. Oh yeah, in just about every book I consume. Hugh Howey is my latest favorite author. His "Bern Saga" series takes energy sources, space travel and future economic and cultural conflict and turns everything inside out. His concepts stretch my imagination, certainly.

Possibly, Howey and others writing quietly in their home offices will change the direction of mankind. For the better.