In January 2011, the City Council of New Orleans voted to permit a resident to put solar electric systems New Orleans on the rooftop of his home in the French Quarter (FQ). This vote overturned the previous decision of the Vieux Carre Commission (VCC) to deny the installation. Once constructed, the system will be the first of its kind in the this part of the city.
Any alterations to the outside of buildings in the FQ are subject to approval by the VCC, which is the second oldest preservation district in the country. Tourism in the FQ forms a major chunk of the economy of the City of New Orleans and the Commission is understandably worried about any structural entities that detract from the areas unique charm.
In 2007, New Orleans was one of twenty-five cities in the United States chosen to be ‘Solar America Communities’ by the Department of Energy. Since then, the city has benefited from a USD 200,000 grant to promote solar energy and homeowners have been the beneficiaries of significant tax concessions on their solar installations.
The Ninth Ward of New Orleans was the beneficiary of ten installations, 1.5 kilowatts in size, including the NENA Center on La Manche. NENA stands for the Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association, charged with implementing sustainable programs in the area’s redevelopment in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
There are basically three types of solar systems, grid-tie, battery back-up and battery stand-alone. Of these, the grid-tie is the most easily affordable and the one that provides the earliest visible return on investment. In the daytime, photovoltaic cells convert sunlight into electricity and the meter literally runs backwards because you are not consuming power from the national grid. After dark, when your power requirements are being serviced by the utility company, the meter turns forward. In this scenario, the electricity company is behaving like an electricity storage device.
The second system, stand-alone battery, allows total autonomy from the utility company. Photovoltaic cells in panels convert sunlight into electricity, which charges the batteries, which in turn provide power to the home. This option is good for homes in remote areas or those not connected to the grid.
The battery back-up system is a combination of the two. The home remains connected to the grid and the batteries are used as a back-up source of electricity. This is the best system in areas subject to frequent power outages.
Solar Electric Systems New Orleans
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