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Fueling New Ideas For Alternative Sources of Energy – Mississippi is at the forefront of researching alternative energy sources in its region.

Power of wind, sun and . . . litter
Energy projects on display in Mississippi

By Greg Harman
Knight Ridder/Tribune: The Sun Herald

When the sky is clear, the sun shines on Donald Hawthorne’s home the same as it does those of his neighbors. Only his home does something more with all that radiant energy — it runs the refrigerator and powers his computer.

Last month, the Mississippi Technology Alliance unveiled three homes around the state, including Hawthorne’s Gulfport home, that are powered by the wind and sun.

While the Gulfport home is run in part by a solar array and solar water heater, providing about 20 percent of the energy Hawthorne uses, the two homes in Booneville and Madison also use wind turbines for some of their power.

The non-profit Mississippi Technology Alliance and Mississippi State University are both looking at energy-generating technologies that could make the state more energy efficient and less dependent on world oil reserves.

Among the alternatives being explored are the familiar solar and wind power, as well as the not-so-familiar technologies of turning wood chips into ethanol and cow manure into electricity.

"We’re looking for ways to work with the resources we’ve got," said Charles "Bubba" Weir, director of Mississippi Alternative Energy Enterprises, a program of the MTA. "We’re trying to find a win-win for everybody."

Even though some nearby states like North Carolina and Florida are also examining the benefits of solar-generated energy, Weir said Mississippi is in the forefront of the region for the variety of research it is conducting.

"We’re kind of a leader in this right now," he said. "We’re looking at other resources we’ve got, like the wood waste and poultry litter."

Tony Jeff, director of the MTA, knows that not all of the research going on may be applicable to Mississippi. But the opportunities are too great to ignore, he said.

Two less traditional projects being pursued are the creation of ethanol and ammonia from wood chip waste and a hybrid solar lighting system that uses fiber optics.

The five-year Gulfport study, a partnership of Mississippi Alternative Energy Enterprises and Mercy Housing and Human Development’s non-profit home buyers assistance program, will last just as long as the solar array’s batteries, said Sister Christine Blair, director of MHHD.

"The greatest barrier to it is the initial cost," Blair said.

Home systems range from $5,000 to $20,000, depending on their capacity. But once purchased, the system means free electricity for life, as long as the batteries are replaced every five years. At $2,500, the batteries being used in Gulfport factor out to about $500 per year, Sister Christine said, or $41.66 per month.

"He’s still saving a significant amount of money," she said. "Probably next to someone’s mortgage, [electricity is] the next highest bill someone has."

And if solar proves itself in the study, Jeff said the next step for the MTA would be to help solar panel manufacturers set up shop in Mississippi.

Copyright © 2003, Chicago Tribune

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/realestate/chi-0311020262nov02,1,2371983.story

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