The first thing you see as you approach Tom Mincarelli's place is the bright blue glint.
It's the sun's reflection from a giant rectangular array in his front yard. The array appears to be motionless, but it's actually slowly moving. Various articulated sensors and servomotors keep it precisely tracking the sun's arc across the sky, all day long. At first glance, it looks like something that fell off a satellite or a space station—and in a way, it is.
Early R&D on solar panels was primarily funded by NASA. They needed a way to provide power to the electronics on board their spacecraft, and running power lines into orbit was not an option. It turned out that solar panels were by far the most cost-effective way to generate electricity in space.
And not only in space, but also here on earth. The technology has matured to the point where it is now possible to run your house on solar power. That is exactly what the big array in Tom Mincarelli's yard is doing: producing all the power he needs, with no monthly bill from Carolina Power and Light.
The second thing you notice at Tom's place is the shed. It's rather large for a shed. It is also unusual due to the lean-to roof and the deck on two sides. Once inside, it's clear that the shed is a work in progress. Framing studs outline the main room, and a loft is perched over the high end. The rough-outs for a bathroom are visible in back.
But what really catches the eye is the front wall. It's almost completely covered by an assortment of high-tech electronics, cabling and pipes. There are boxes of every shape and description, some glowing with bright red LED displays. Each box is connected to several others through a maze of wires and PVC pipe. The overall effect reminds me of a flowchart diagram, or perhaps a too-complicated board game.
Tom cheerfully explains the function of each box, with the love and devotion that only an engineer could bring to the subject. To his credit, he does so in plain English. Amazingly, after he finishes, the formerly chaotic tangle now seems almost logical. I ask him how many of the boxes the average homeowner is likely to need. "Just these three", he replies, pointing to a cluster of three similarly styled components. And North Carolina’s generous solar tax credit of $1500 would just about pay for all three.
We proceed to the main house: a modest cabin with a few haphazardly placed windows. Inside is a single room, partitioned loosely into separate working, eating and sleeping areas. There are few of the amenities normally associated with late twentieth-century convenience. No VCR, no dishwasher—not even a refrigerator.
The house is also a work in progress. Add-ons are planned, including a deck and possibly a gazebo connecting the house to the shed. But progress is slow for the moment. The shed is where all the action is.
I can't help but be struck by the contrast between Tom's rustic house and all the high-tech componentry in his front yard. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of fancy gizmos, just to power some lights and a Macintosh computer? Some people might wonder about his priorities.
But Tom knows exactly what he is doing. He's the founder and CEO for RenaissanceWorks Inc., a renewable energy power company that sells and installs a full range of energy conservation products. He recently moved to Black Mountain after being in business for 10 years in Marshallberg, North Carolina.
As a dealer, Tom knows how important it is to "walk the talk". After all, his clients count on their systems to provide steady reliable power—year in and year out, regardless of tornadoes, blizzards or Y2K. They would expect him to do the same at his own residence.
He also knows that fossil fuel’s days are numbered. Solar, as well as wind and hydropower, are the energy sources for the 21st century. The March 1998 issue of Scientific American contained a special report called "The End of Cheap Oil." One article documented the fact that over half the earth’s petroleum reserves are already gone. The remainder will be increasingly difficult to extract, and thus more expensive.
Air quality in Western North Carolina is steadily deteriorating, due mostly to fossil fuel powered electric utility plants. This issue is becoming increasingly important as the tourism industry, area forests, and local residents feel its effects. Solar power is completely non-polluting, and reduces the demand on utilities—thus contributing in two ways to cleaner air.
So Tom doesn't yet have a stereo, or a giant-screen TV, or a microwave oven. Give the man time; he's only been here a month. You can be sure that when he gets all these toys, he'll have ample power ready and waiting for them.