No more excuses -- it's time to start using green technology

By Ken Harwood

Is green technology catching up with the rhetoric of the past?

In my 1970s hippie days, I was an advocate for a greener planet. Solar power could be harvested by coiling black hose in a glass box and preheating water for the laundry. Detroit had secretly suppressed plans for a car that ran on water. The 1973 oil embargo would soon show us that wind was the real answer, and finally, if we dug deep enough we could tap Earth’s core for enough free geothermal steam to meet all of our heating needs.

We were sure we had all the answers and only the media and corporate big brother were holding us back.

Fast forward 30-plus years — today, I write for the media to promote economic development, which I believe will come from the private sector. I am not a fan of government mandates or programs that pour huge sums into technologies that are less effective than my solar water heater was in the ’70s.

Requiring a company or a developer to add costs to a project with no benefit to the bottom line is not good for business or jobs. That said, we all need to realize that this isn’t the ’70s anymore, and real technologies are advancing that are (circle this) good for business.

So here’s the deal. Politicians should stop reading now; we will use new green technology because it is the right thing to do, not because of mandates, embargoes or new taxes.

On the other hand, entrepreneurs, businesses and developers need to set aside the notion that going green adds unnecessary expense and inconvenience. We all need to research the green technologies that have real cost benefits and learn how to sell these innovations to the customer so we can incorporate them into today’s projects.

Here is a primer. I’ve even included a few sure-fire billion-dollar ideas of my own.

Solar

Low-E, argon-filled windows are a sure bet. They add 10 percent over the cost of traditional windows with a payback of less than five years. Electricity-producing photovoltaics are now integrated into standing seam roofing panels. The return on investment is less than 10 years. Watch for new flexible solar panels that can be more easily incorporated into everyday building materials like shingles or siding. Larger projects may not be a good fit for Wisconsin, but six western states have been approved for utility-scale solar plants.

The billion-dollar idea: Improve battery technology, making solar sustainable when the sun is not available.

Wind

GE has bet the farm on this one as wind turbines come of age. These units are now more cost effective and efficient. Turbines are becoming mainstream and will become more and more prevalent. For Wisconsin, the lease payments alone for wind turbines could generate millions for farmers and landowners. The future includes units over water that maximize the potential of the technology.

The billion-dollar idea: Incorporate the turbine units into an environmental landscape to eliminate the negative aesthetic impact on a community or region.

Geothermal

Estimates on energy savings vary widely from 30 percent to 70 percent, but the technology is well proven. Several major projects have incorporated geothermal into their plans, including the Epic campus in Verona and the new Institutes for Discovery on the UW-Madison campus. Every HVAC contractor in the area has geothermal heat pump technology in their inventory for both home and commercial applications.

The billion-dollar idea: Build huge geothermal fields that can be shared by multiple projects.

Alternative fuel

I must confess, I am not a biofuel guy. Burning food in cars makes little sense, and the switch grass or corn stover dream is, to me, the alchemy (lead to gold) science of the 21st century. I did see the hydrogen fuel cell powered FCX Clarity from Honda and fell in love. The fuel-cell technology creates electricity from hydrogen, the electricity powers the car, or your home for that matter. If hydrogen is still a few years out, the bridge may be new hybrid diesel-electric buses, bulldozers, trucks and cars that generate electricity using efficient diesel engines. Because the drive train is electric, the jump to fuel cell should be easy; in fact, a Mercedes bus has both generators installed from the factory. Caterpillar’s D7E (diesel-electric) bulldozer costs about 20 percent more and will pay for itself in about two and a half years based on a 30 percent reduction in fuel use. I have suggested in the past that Wisconsin use UW research, existing manufacturing capacity and other resources to lead the hydrogen/electric charge.

The billion-dollar idea: Hydrogen derived from natural gas or solar power efficiently produced on-site or in the home.

Conclusion

I feel like wearing tie-dye and listening to the Grateful Dead. Actually, I am wearing tie-dye and listening to the Grateful Dead, but that is another story. What we need to know now is that some of the technology has indeed caught up with the rhetoric of the past. The opportunity exists to make a real positive impact on the environment and our future.

The billion-dollar idea: Green Technology is here now, and it is actually good for the bottom line. As Jerry Garcia said, “What a long, strange trip it’s been.”
 

madison.com ©2009 Capital Newspapers. All rights reserved.