Solar Marketing Network - New Jersey

September 14, 2003 – Vol.8 No.25

SOLAR MARKETING NETWORK - NEW JERSEY.

While we may think of the power grid as high voltage wires strung between massive steel towers, in reality most of the power grid in the U.S. and elsewhere consists of wire strung between dried out wooden poles and crossbars - a crude 19th century system that brings electricity to our homes and businesses. One falling tree can drag a wire to the ground, splinter a crossbar, or dislodge a pole cutting power to a few or thousands of customers. Aside from the cost to people - spoiled foods, lost work and general inconvenience - the cost to the power company for each repair must be hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Customers eventually pay for those repairs in their monthly bill.

Now in the aftermath of Isabel, with up to 4.5 million at one point without power, there is already discussion of upgrading and rebuilding the power grid because it so easily damaged. But what would this upgrade mean? Newer wooden poles and newer wooden crossbars that too will eventually decay? Underground wires would be cost prohibitive.

Perhaps distributed generation and networked systems such as the solar project described above for Morocco could be a better choice than rebuilding the grid as it is. Smaller, local power networks might be individually damaged in storms, but large power outages would be avoided.

Using a grant of more than $270,000 from the New Jersey Office of Clean Energy’s Renewable Energy and Economic Development program (REED), RWE Schott Solar and partners Madison Energy Consultants, Direct Global Power and others will begin a campaign of awareness to the benefits of solar energy to consumers as well as would-be solar distributors. In particular, energy service companies such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and electrical contractors will be targeted as potential RWE Schott dealers. As dealers, these contractors with one-on-one contact with customers, would be relied upon to market and sell the solar systems. Contractors are often the sole provider of professional advice when it comes to building projects.

And what may one sales pitch be? Individual or networked solar systems might be more reliable, less vulnerable to storm damage, more easily repaired than the power grid.

Though Isabel was not the most powerful hurricane to hit the United States, it may have been the largest in terms of area affected, including New Jersey. Visit RWE Schott Solar at http://www.rweschottsolar.com/ , Direct Global Power at http://www.directglobalpower.com/