Do you know that this country presently exports more solar energy products than it imports? 

Are you aware that the investments in energy research and development are reducing the cost of alternate forms of energy, that maybe; just maybe, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil? 

Are you aware that the House Budget Committee Chair, Paul Ryan, has submitted his proposal for the 2012 budget resolution that would completely eliminate investments in clean energy technologies of the future. 

Instead it retains the $40 billion in Big Oil tax loopholes.  Also, there would be tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans lowering the maximum tax rate to 25% for individuals and corporations.  According to the April 4^th Wall Street Journal op-ed, his plan “rolls back expensive handouts for uncompetitive sources of energy, calling instead for a free and open marketplace for energy development, innovation and exploration.” 

Ryan has evaded answering the question as to whether he would continue the “welfare” for Big Oil giving those of us the uneasy feeling that the tax breaks and the Big Oil welfare will continue to be a major issue in the proposed house budget for 2012.  Ryan’s budget would slash investments in the research, development and deployment of the clean energy technologies of the future cutting investments in clean energy by half in FY 2012, by two-thirds in 2013 and 90% in 2014 to just $1 billion. 

The federal government invested seed money beginning in 2009 to launch industry here which would benefit the middle class with good-paying manufacturing jobs.  In Michigan, the result of federal policy of investing in storage batteries has attracted 17 battery companies projected to create 63,000 jobs. 

Here in Tennessee we have solar energy and electric car industry during this same period.  We are talking about investments in billions of dollars in building auto plants, battery plants, and polysilicon manufacturing plants that would not have located here if the market for the next generation of autos and for renewable energy had not been stimulated by Federal dollars?   

What will happen if the house budget is passed as proposed by Congressman Ryan is the loss of these jobs now coming into the marketplace continuing the outsourcing of good paying jobs overseas leaving us with lesser employments in the service sector.  The Advanced Research Project Administration–Energy or APRA-E will disappear as funding for this program was eliminated by the House passed budget for the remainder of FY 2011 and likely will be excluded by the Ryan budget as well.  This program has promise for reducing the cost of solar PV to a dollar a watt installed. 

We will lose the technology developed by young start-ups to be produced in other countries.Investors, banks are providing capital to exploit the technology starting companies that will be competing in the world economy with new energy related products that will drastically reduce the demand for oil.  With the emergence of the electric powered cars that do not need gas or diesel to transport workers to and from their jobs, our dependence on foreign oil will lessen and eventually disappear as a strategic concern will give this country a break from its role of policing the Middle-East so that the oil can continue to flow.  Then our defense budget, which is one of the big three spending programs, can be reduced.  Reducing our dependence on foreign oil is our biggest barrier and offers the richest target for improving our balance of trade and providing us with the opportunity to really reduce our national debt. 

 I cannot believe that so many of our citizens can be supportive of this counter-productive policies being offered by our Congress. 

Stephen Levy, Technical Director, TSEA

Stephen Levy

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Stephen Levy, Technical Director

Panasonic has become Japan’s second-largest electronics manufacturer after it completed the acquisition of Sanyo. It seems that the new giant has all the resources needed for such a bold endeavor. Creating a battery that can power up a house it’s not such an easy thing to do. But once such products become available, people will definitely want to use them.

Solar batteries and fuel cells which some of us already use to power up our homes can’t actually store energy. That’s why a lithium-ion battery that can last for about a week before needing a recharge is something else. Such a battery could help you save some money on that monthly electricity bill and it will also contribute to saving our little planet.

No specific details about the future home battery from Panasonic have been given yet. In two years time we should know more about the device and Panasonic will definitely want to periodically show everyone its progress.

Not only could we end up driving hybrid or electric cars by 2011 but we could also use rechargeable batteries to power all our devices in our homes. What do you say, folks, are you ready to switch to eco-friendlier energy sources? Do you think Panasonic will have a product ready so soon?”

Steve - When I first started working on the concept of the self-supporting solar home in the year 2000, it was obvious that there needed to be some sort of energy storage so that the home could have energy during the non-daylight hours.  Beyond the day-light hours, there would be days when the weather turned foul and one had to depend on the energy storage for power to continue powering the home.  The first concept was to create hydrogen by electrolysis, store it, and then pass it through a fuel cell to create the household power when needed.  But the ultimate goal was a simpler energy storage.  That lead one towards the battery.  This is the concept that will make a major impact on our daily lives should it come to pass.  It is a logical extension of the concept of distributed energy storage for everyone.  By the time this concept is adopted by this country the battery storage will be safe and should be affordable.  Affordable in the sense that it could be on lease from your electric power distributor who would own and maintain the energy storage and use the storage for their energy transfer planning. 

The question to our members is what do you think of the idea and how do you envision our future electric power delivery system will keep our lights on and our heat pumps working?

Specifically, the Solar Technology Roadmap would require DOE to appoint a group of experts to create a long-term plan to guide solar energy research and its transition into commercial uses. The panel would be subject to a comprehensive revision every three years. The bill requires that 30% of the DOE solar R&D funding in 2012 be based on the recommendations of the roadmap.

Bart Gordon commented, "I am pleased that we’re considering H.R. 3585, the Solar Technology Roadmap Act sponsored by Science and Technology Subcommittee Chair GABRIELLE GIFFORDS. This bipartisan bill has a number of cosponsors including myself, subcommittee Chair BRIAN BAIRD, and DAN LIPINSKI, as well as committee members MICHAEL MCCAUL and ROSCOE BARTLETT.

I assume solar power is not the first name that comes to your mind when you think of the State of Tennessee; but over the last few years we have really seen firsthand the major potential that solar energy has to create new jobs across the country and reduce our dependency on foreign oil in the process. Recently, two major producers of special materials used in solar panels have chosen Clarksville and Cleveland, Tennessee, as sites for their next large factories, each with over $1 billion investment creating hundreds of jobs, plus many more jobs in larger investment with the supply chain, as well as universities now setting up courses in management for the solar panel industries.

And this is happening all across the State and communities all across our Nation. And that’s why we need a national plan, and that’s why we are discussing this important bill today. H.R. 3585 establishes a comprehensive road mapping process for solar technology research, development, and demonstration activities conducted by the Federal Government in partnership with industry.

The Secretary of Energy is also directed to award grants to carry out these programs by merit-based review specifically to provide awards to industry-led consortia research, development, and demonstration in solar manufacturing. The road map provision in the bill is molded on the successful National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, which has been instrumental in helping semiconductor technology advance rapidly over the past two decades. H.R. 3585 incorporates recommendations of the witnesses who appeared at the Science and Technology Committee, as well as input from a variety of academic, government, and industry experts.

Science and Technology Committee staff closely consulted with the minority in the development of this bill. We accepted several minority amendments, and the vast majority of items in our manager’s amendment in committee were also suggested or requested by the minority.

The bill was voted out of committee on a bipartisan voice vote. H.R. 3585 has been officially endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Solar Energy Industries Association, British Petroleum, IBM, Intel, and National Semiconductor."