Louisiana legislature might bump up the Louisiana vocabulary: PV, aka PhotoVoltaic cell

Bedzed PV cells
Originally uploaded by Elephant Soup

If the Louisiana senate agrees, points out Janet Creech, solar and wind rebates for Louisiana citizens are on the way.

"A tax credit of up to 50 percent of the cost of purchasing any solar or
wind power equipment for home use, to a ceiling of $25,000, would be provided by a bill by Sen. Nick Gautreaux, D-Abbeville."

A couple of ideas from Creech and friend Cat at Catdancingproductions.com:

- pole mount PV system is fairly economical.
- a single PV panel on your roof to run a DC attic fan is a very simple
system.
- the first step is to make your home more energy efficient (CFLs, energy star appliances, seal leaks, etc.), then the renewable energy system you build (solar or wind) won't have to be as large and therefore is less expensive.
- grid-tied PV systems are the most popular and less expensive than a stand-alone system (the grid, ie the utility company, takes the place of having the bank of batteries used in a stand alone system and is therefore more economical).

Keep in mind that net metering is available in all of Louisiana and the net meter is supplied to you by the utility company at no charge. The cost of installation is not free, of course, but you can set that up or the utility company can.

The PV illustration above is from London's BedZed community, aka the
Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED). It is the UK's largest carbon-neutral eco-community. Sustainability, both environmental and social, is fundamental to the Peabody Trust mission to fight poverty in London. The Trust works to develop desirable homes and build thriving communities with a long-term future.

BedZED is a mixed-use, mixed-tenure development that incorporates innovative approaches to energy conservation and environmental sustainability. It is built on reclaimed land owned by the London Borough of Sutton, sold to Peabody at below market value due to the planned environmental initiatives.

More background on PVs from the US Dept of Energy here.


It seems someone in this world is using their brains instead of sitting around smoking the last of the fossil fuel deposits.