This article was cool in how thorough they were with their explanations. It says over 30% of a building’s energy consumption is used fro heating and hot water – a number that goes up in the winter time. 30% doesn’t even sound like much, but it is in terms of how it harms the environment. We already know from previous readings how the oils used for those heatings can harm the air and we need to look into other solutions. Solar thermal technology can be the answer we were wondering about. It’s renewable, emissions-free and cost efficient. We just need to get it running off the ground, but that’s hard without money incentives and well, without people knowing about it in general, right?
It was interesting to find out that NYC is the most “favorable market” for solar thermal technologies in our state. Everything about our city makes it the perfect candidate for the renewable energy solution while also being a city that the world looks to for innovation and inspiration. The Solar Thermal Pilot Program frames the things that are holding this vision back and outlines what they city has to do such as offering grants to decrease installation costs. I also liked that they used buildings in different boroughs for their data collection/ demonstration projects, this way they can know the highs and the lows.
I understand people’s hesitation about solar panels because the initial costs can be quite a bit. But really, what they lose there, they will make back with how low their energy bills will be afterwards. They literally will save hundreds of dollars as seen by the data. This seems like an agreeable solution. So does the emissions reduction and job creation that can stem from having a solar thermal energy system in our city.
