As most know, Texas, with its 268,820 square miles, is the second largest state in the United States. Most also know that it scores high in the list of states with the largest number of sun days. In fact, according to the Current Results Nexus, Texas has sunshine more than 84 percent of the time from sunrise to sunset. As pointed out by CEO Adam Farrell of Sunmaxx Solar, global provider of solar thermal systems, "the solar potential in Texas is incredible.”
These facts might lead somebody to believe Texas to be a perfect place to exploit the potentials of solar power. A recent article published in SolarDaily.com, however, suggests that people are not taking full advantage. In fact, the state of Texas ranked tenth nationwide in terms of installed solar power generation capacity.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC (News - Alert)), an organization ensuring the reliability of the Bulk-Power System in North America and oversees wind and solar activities, as well as renewable energy plans, points out that “Texas is not maintaining adequate electric reserves to meet the state’s growing demand.”
According to SolarDaily.com, Texas could produce more energy in a month with solar panels than it can through all the oil that can be pumped from its wells. Whether or not this statement is accurate, there is certainly a potential for a larger use of solar power to generate savings for all Texas residents.
Presently, the average annual electricity cost per Texas household is approximately $1,801, which is among the highest in the nation, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey.
Energy experts say Texas can save on its electricity supply by deploying more solar energy, especially during the coming summer months. Using renewable electricity for the home by installing high quality solar panels and/or making use of wind turbines can save residents money. In fact, according to Patriot4Patriots, stated energy costs can be cut by as much as 75 percent.
The organization Patriot4Patriots, whose aim is to help citizens become independent from governments and big companies, believes Texas is wasting an opportunity to lower power bills and gain independence. It would like to see Texas residents find their own way to exploit the potentials given by the sun in their state and produce environmentally-friendly energy while lowering bills and preventing outages. Solar panels and wind turbines are seen as the right solution for a state like Texas.
Patriot4Patriots’s proposal, moreover, does not involve buying costly commercially-available equipment; their aim is to inspire citizens to build their own solar devices. To this end, they have prepared a series of information manuals with step-by-step instructions on how to build solar panels, wind turbines, water and solar heaters. In addition, a series of six videos has been made available to help citizens choose the right material and position the devices in the most effective way.
The cost of each Do-It-Yourself (DIY) project comes in at under $200, and the effort involved to complete the activity is limited (2-4 hours). Those interested in information on this campaign, manuals and videos, can visit the Patriot4Patriots’s website.
Edited by Blaise McNamee