Institutional Obstacles to Distributed Power Generation

It would be beneficial for the planet, America and humanity if the big Electric Generating Companies helped to develop the equipment used for Distributed Power Generation, evolving their old centralized models. It would be excellent for the US government not to authorize any more centralized power plants that contaminate or emit any gases. This prohibition would apply to nuclear plants, as well as fossil fuels (Coal, LNG, Oil) and bio-fuels including ethanol. They all produce damages to the planet and mankind.

Solar energy is the most abundant energy in the planet and it is free to all. Solar provides us with light and warmth. It provides the energy for all plant life and growth. It should be harness by individuals for their homes. If energy is free from the Sun, why must we pay for our electricity? The technology to harnesses Solar Power has already been invented and it can be used for both power generation models, the centralized and the distributed power generating models.

Centralized Power generation is the existing and only power generation model we have. Under this model, the energy provider is the local utility company that generates its power through very large plants, uses about 3% of the land for electrical transmission via high tension cables, and charges everyone its electricity consumption forever. On the other hand, Distributed Power Generation Model is where every house, office, building or industry generates it own electricity from the sun once they have installed their Solar Home Appliance. Currently this distributed model has not prospered because of the obstacles that have been placed by current market players, specialty interest groups and USDOE. They all lead us to believe that the home power generation is based on photovoltaic panels or film. The Photovoltaic panels or films are extremely inefficient, expensive and probably the wrong technology for the home. The Solar American Initiative from the US Department of Energy (USDOE) has focused on thermal Solar to power up big plants using steam.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) analyzes all energy sources, but never emphasizes the need to develop the solar power generator for the home. This technology is capable of providing energy independence and greater economic well being to all nations. IEA's "keep-you-job" approach, limits its recommendation to the reduction of fossil fuels without an emphasis into solar. It also fails to recommend distributed instead of centralized power generation to avoid all polluting and gas emitting technologies. Of course, IEA mission is to protect foreign oil supplies, maintain the world's oil stockpile for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country members, and to steer countries to develop other centralized power generating sources.

Entities dedicated to power-generation, power research and regulations, have so far succeeded in maintaining the status quo for the centralized power generation model. Government programs are responsible in guiding the home power generation market towards inefficient and expensive Photocells systems. A Photovoltaic Panel 4 kilowatt system for a home cost 41,000 dollars. Of course, the state and federal tax credits and incentives may bring down the homeowners final cost, but still recovering this expense from saving in the electric utility bills, require 8 years at a rate of $1,500 a year.

Large power companies may cite future investments in Solar, Wind, Thermal, Tidal, hydro as a possible source for growing their capacities. However, they have invest a very small fraction of their prior investments in these energy sources. They seem to drive technology towards building very large plants. At best, they would use solar-thermal to generate steam to move the very large power generators. By using Solar-Thermal they show the world they are good environmental stewards and they know and use renewable clean energy as their strategy for growth. With a more profound analysis, they seem to be at odds in using a technology that could be scaled down to the home levels, like the Solar home appliance, capable of producing 2.5 to 3.0 Kwh.. These large utility companies wish to maintain their way of life and will spend millions into advertisement, promises and lobbying to get everyone to agree to their solution, like the "Clean Coal" option, or "America's Coolest Clean Fuel" for Liquid Natural Gas, or Nuclear which is "Non Gas emitting" and therefore safe to use. They may also go negative in trying to hide any technological progress solar appliances may have to avoid home market and distributed power generation developments. Apparently, these companies do not evolve their damaging linear models and systems into sustainable, production and distribution system capable of reducing the values of the investments.

Solar power generating technology for powering up a home is available, but it is ignored, as if this technology was inadequate for its use. Developing an active home appliance that harnesses electricity from the sun, may be easier than it sounds. Its major components are: a solar collector for heat, a Stirling engine, a power generator and a battery storage/retrieval bank. This equipment will turn all centralized power generation obsolete. As soon as this home technology gets integrated, those who install it will be able to generate the electricity they need without the steep billion dollar investments required by the centralized power generation model.

We need a new breed of entrepreneurs and government, not currently related to the current Power generation model, to approach the home solar power appliance, and manufacture the technology that could be sold through major home appliance retailer like Sears, Home Depot Lowe's. Distributed Power generation and the elimination of the centralized electricity distribution model is the way of the future, regardless of how much current Power players would like to hide it. This new solar home appliance and distributed Power generation model, places all people of the world in equal footing. China and India would not need to invest so heavily into Nuclear and Fossil fuel plants to further endanger our planet.