The Future Is Now: Hudson Valley Clean Energy

By Ross Rice

My tires scrunch across the driveway at the brand-new warehouse site for Hudson Valley Clean Energy, just outside of Rhinebeck. It’s a slightly overcast September morning, and after a series of wrong turns [despite excellent directions provided], I’ve finally located the forest-green office building/warehouse not far off of 9G, right near its intersection with Rte. 9. One of the first things you notice is the shiny blackness of the solar cells on the south-facing rooftop. Yep, this must be the place . . .

John Wright steps out the door to greet us. A genial, compact man who looks like he would be equally at home in a board room as with a band saw, he adroitly represents both the business and technical sides of HVCE. Wright saw the light, so to speak, when he assisted his brother-in-law Jeff Irish in installing a small solar photovoltaic [electricity-producing] array at his place in 2002. Wright found himself thinking: “I’d like to have one of these in my house.” As it turned out, Irish, who after 15 years as an electrical engineer with GE [and tired of moving every three years], wanted to settle down, had already realized the potential of this new industry, and was ready to get into it. “I got into the solar business because I could see that it could solve so many problems in the world, and was finally coming down in cost fast enough to eventually replace fossil fuels and nuclear,” said Irish. Wright, who had experience working for AOL and Time Warner on top of his background in construction, made a good fit to form a new company. “ When we started, people didn’t know what these systems were, how they worked, IF they worked. Central Hudson [local utility] wasn’t really familiar with them [Irish’s system having been only the 10th solar system in the territory], so now we’ve created a marketplace in the Hudson Valley, generating
a lot of awareness, and making our own environmental movement.” The timing turned out to be fortuitous, as political winds of change took a more favorable turn.

With all the new assistance, 2003 became a great year to get into the clean energy business. Irish and Wright got office space in downtown Rhinebeck [with a rented garage nearby], and put their shingle out, offering an array of new products: solar photovoltaic systems for electricity, solarthermal systems for hot water, and geothermal systems for heating and cooling. Business, mostly generated by word-of-mouth, started picking up as more people became aware
of the credits and rebates, not to mention the obvious long-term benefits. The new affordability of the technology appealed to people on both sides of the political aisle. “Half of our clients do it for the environmental reasons, the other half for the financial ones. That means we’re getting Democrats AND Republicans,” chuckles Wright, as we walk over to the main “power center” of the new warehouse, which they recently completed and moved into in May.

Th new warehouse/office space makes a perfect showpiece for HVCE’s products. Starting with the photovoltaic system, Wright shows us an example of the PV panels, which contain 6” silicon wafer cells, with tempered glass on the outside. 850 square feet of these panels [in two arrays] line the roof of the warehouse, pointing due south, providing a full 100 percent of the power needs of the building. [Roof pitch and panel direction are not completely critical to performance, as long as the cells get sun exposure from 9 AM to 3 PM.] Two power cables from the arrays connect with two boxes inside that both convert the raw DC power to useable AC current, and contain small computers that monitor the overall input and output, relaying that information to Central Hudson, whose meter sits adjacent. The arrays, cabling, and converter boxes: that’s it. As Wright said, this system was sufficient to provide 100 percent of the warehouse’s needs—but electrical power was only one part of the equation.

Insulation is on the top of the list. “The whole key to performance is a tight envelope: air-sealing, upgrading the insulation. We used all spray-foam insulation here—6” in the walls, 12” in the roof.”

One big advantage Wright and Irish had was that they were building the warehouse from scratch, instead of retro-fitting. This allowed them to put their concrete foundation slab on 2” of Styrofoam, as well as dig the wells for the geo-thermal system: another part of the equation. A small lawn-shaped patch of new grass covers the area where 4 loops of plastic tubing probe deep into the earth’s
surface. An anti-freeze solution is then pumped through the underground loops, returning through the closed system at a mean temperature. In summer, excess heat from the system can be used to heat water—in winter the system uses the earth’s temperature to assist in warming the building. Another element involved is the Heat Recovery Ventilator, which maximizes heat usage, and provides airflow throughout the building’s ductwork, inputting fresh air and exhausting stale air. Other than small pumps and fans, these systems employ very few moving parts [thus very quiet], nothing is burned so no chimney is needed, resulting in a carbon footprint of . . . zero.

The office/conference area of the building is an open area, with comfy cubicles, each with a computer. Only on further inspection does it become apparent that the entire space is lit with bulbsized fluorescents, underscoring the importance of conservation to achieving cost-free power. But what really amazes the casual visitoris the warehouse part of the building: it’s large enough to be impressed that its complete heat/power needs are met by the PV/geothermal combination, but small enough to make you realize how little space the clean energy technology takes up—mostly panels, boxes, tubing, and a variety of connectors. Very simple, elegant . . . but is it actually affordable to your average Hudson Valley resident?

When asked how an average just-gettingby family can get into this at an entry level, Wright answers “Well, solar is relatively easy to retrofit. First thing I’d recommend is to have an energy audit done [by an independent agency], to show how you can make simple changes like light bulbs, insulating air spaces. Then, depending on your budget, you can either do a solar hot water system, which is relatively inexpensive after tax credits, or a smaller solar electric system, that you can then finance 100 percent of, at 3% for ten years.” Geothermal may be possible onsite, but can be tricky to retrofit, as it is necessary to dig deep wells into the earth [HVCE’s wells are 300’ deep]. Once the audit is done, and location feasibilities determined, an HVCE representative will meet with you, with all the necessary forms and information to receive the rebates and tax credits from the state [and yes, the federal government], as well as the low-interest loans available. The system comes with a 5-year warranty, with a 25-year manufacturers warranty on the PV panels. The upshot: it’s doable,and with all the available breaks and HVCE handling all the paperwork, we’d all be crazy not to

Apparently the power needs of the Northeast require that more coal-fired plants are built along the Hudson River. Or so we are being told. Gazing at the warehouse as we walk to the car, in full view or the solar array, I ask Wright if mass withdrawal, using this technology, from the pollution-generating Grid is the
answer, and he demurs. “There are lots of answers: wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, bio-diesel, ethanol….all better than coal and petroleum. Why not do a massive deployment of solar? It’s doable now. We shouldn’t even be entertaining [building these new plants] . . . coal shouldn’t be an option anymore.” Though in the short term coal from lopped-off mountaintops in West Virginia seems like a cost-effective way to power the Eastern Seaboard, it’s clear to anyone who can see the smog that there will be long-term repercussions. Wright and Irish have the right idea…it’s not just a technology they’re trying to sell, but a way of living we can all live with.

Hudson Valley Clean Energy plans two open houses, dates to be announced, to unveil the new warehouse to local politicians, media, and the general public. Those interested in exploring clean energy possibilities can contact them at 845.876.3767.