Chapter 24 Energy Conservation
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Incentives and rebates
A majority of the states in the U.S. offer
some type of incentive to residential customers
and businesses that install energy saving
devices, including PV systems. Power compa-
nies are offering these incentives to decrease
the demand on existing power generating
equipment.
To qualify for the incentive, the PV system
must be installed by a contractor that is on the
power company’s list of approved contractors.
After the system is installed, the contractor
tells the power company, and the owner is
issued his or her reward.
Incentives may be a certain amount of
money per watt for PV systems. They could
also be a certain amount per square foot for
solar collectors serving as a source for heating
water. The incentives and rebates for each
state can be found in the Database of State
Incentives for Renewables and Effi ciency on
the Web site www.dsireusa.org.
Wind Turbines
Wind energy has been used for centuries
to move ships across lakes and oceans. During
the 19th century, windmills were used in the
U.S. to pump water for humans and cattle. It
was during the oil shortages of the late 20th
century that wind energy began to be used
as a method of generating electricity. Today,
wind turbines are an alternative way of gener-
ating electricity.
A wind turbine, or wind generator,
consists of a tower, spinning blades, and a
generator. The wind turbine in Figure 24-17
is 256′ tall, and the length of each blade is
Figure 24-16. The Arizona Senora Desert
Museum outside Tucson operates lights using
photovoltaics.
Figure 24-17. Each blade on the wind turbine is
about the height of a seven-story building.