Condo Media - May 2023 - 25

renewable
energy
options
COMMON RENEWABLE energy
systems in residential condominiums
today use solar energy, though geothermal,
wind, and hydropower systems
may be installed in the correct circumstances.
Associations and unit owners
can also take steps to use renewable
energy produced by solar farms, wind
farms, hydropower dams, and geothermal
powerplants, or to use bioenergy
and hydrogen energy as replacements
for certain fossil fuels in their existing
heating and cooling equipment.
When discussing the installation of
personal and association renewable
energy systems, solar energy stands
alone as the giant star in the arena.
The use of solar photovoltaic (PV)
systems is overwhelmingly the most
common form of renewable energy
used in condominiums in New England.
Solar PV systems use the sun's rays to
generate electricity and offer all of the
benefi ts of renewable energy use with
a straightforward and generally nonintrusive
installation plan. A solar PV
system can be installed on a building
roof or in a yard - anywhere where the
installation will be supported adequately
and where the system will receive
adequate sunlight to generate energy.
Other renewable energy systems may
also be considered for associations and
unit owners, or use of their power may
help reduce an association's carbon
footprint. Geothermal energy, which
uses the renewable heat source found
under the surface of the earth, can be
used in personal heat pump systems
to directly heat and cool a building's
heating and air conditioning system.
It can also be used to generate electricity
using steam, and such use is common
in powerplants. Associations may be
able to seek out renewable energy from
a geothermal powerplant, or an association
with the right unit confi guration
may be able to allow owners to install a
personal geothermal system.
Wind and
hydropower renewable
energy
systems use wind
and water to produce
electricity, respectively.
These systems often require large
spaces for installation and access to
appropriate amounts of wind or water
to provide energy. With the right
confi guration of condominium land,
an association may be able to consider
wind or hydropower energy systems,
but it may be easier for an association
to seek out renewable energy
generated by a larger wind farm or
hydropower system.
Associations may
also be able to use
renewable bioenergy
and hydrogen
power to reduce their
carbon footprint. Bioenergy is generated
from recently living organic materials in
crop, food, and forest wastes and is used
to provide alternative fuels, which are
then burned as fossil fuel replacements.
Hydrogen power is produced from various
renewable sources and can be used in
fuel cells to produce power for nearly any
application. As with geothermal, wind,
and hydropower, associations may be able
to seek out power generated from existing
bioenergy and/or hydrogen systems.
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May 2023 CONDOMEDIA 25
Condo Media - May 2023

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