It’s one small step for America — and one giant leap for clean energy.

A recent study found that jobs in America’s emerging clean energy sector are growing more rapidly than jobs in the fossil fuel industry. The study, conducted by the Pew Charitable Trusts, found that while employment in the traditional energy sector grew just 3.7 percent between 1998 and 2007, jobs in clean energy technologies grew by 9.1 percent.

Clean energy jobs are diverse — as are the salaries. They include engineers, plumbers, administrative assistants, construction workers, machine setters, marketing consultants and even teachers, with salaries ranging from $21,000 to $111,000. This sector has a ways to go in catching up with the number of workers employed by traditional energy, however. In 2007, the fossil fuel industry employed 1.27 million workers; clean energy provided 770,000 jobs.

Pew defines a clean energy economy as one that creates jobs, businesses and investments while expanding clean energy production, increasing efficiency, conserving natural resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste and pollution. Pew includes five categories in its definition of a clean energy economy: clean energy, energy efficiency,  environmentally friendly production, conservation and pollution mitigation, and training and support.

Increasing consumer demand, venture capital investments, and federal and state policy reforms are expected to dramatically expand green jobs, Pew reports. Already, investors are spending more on alternative energy sources than on fossil fuels. Federal and state reforms are also under way. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocated $85 billion for direct spending and tax incentives for energy and transportation programs.

States are also jumping on the bandwagon. So far, 23 states have adopted initiatives that will help reduce pollution from power plants, 46 states have offered tax incentives for renewable energy use and energy-efficient systems, and 29 states and the District of Columbia now require electricity providers to derive at least part of their power from renewable energy sources. Pew’s website has an interactive state-by-state map where you can learn more about green jobs in your area.

Interested in one of these green jobs? Check out Great Green Careers, a website that connects employers and job seekers.

Well, blow us away. Despite the economy, wind energy soared in 2008. The U.S. market for small wind turbines (with capacities of 100 kilowatts or less) grew by 78 percent—17.3 megawatts of new capacity—in 2008, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). The group expects to produce 1,700 megawatts by 2013. 

The small wind turbine market has blossomed since the implementation of  President Barack Obama’s federal stimulus plan, which gives homeowners a 30 percent tax break (with no cap!) for installing the wind turbine before December 31, 2016. 

The U.S. market for wind energy is growing.  Photo By Diogo Martins/Courtesy Flickr.  

The United States sold almost half of the small wind turbines installed worldwide last year, netting $77 million of the $156 million made globally. Of the 219 companies that manufacture small wind systems worldwide, 35 percent are based in the United States. Many of them predict that the U.S. market will grow 30- fold in as little as five years. 

This fall, Honeywell will up the ante with its EarthTronics’ Honeywell Wind Turbine, which could make residential wind power more practical—and affordable. The $4,500 turbine, a 2009 New Product Launch Spotlight Award and 2008 Green Product Innovation Award winner, uses magnets on the edges of the fan to generate a current instead of using gears. The 95 pound fan-like turbine, which can be mounted on a rooftop, generates 2,000 kWh per year—15 to 20 percent of an average American family’s electricity usage. It will be available at Ace Hardware stores in October. 

Tempted? Wind may be a sweet solution to our dependence on coal and oil, but we urge you to do your homework. This new technology isn’t a slam dunk. Just a few pros and cons: 

The good news 

• According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), a wind turbine can lower your electric bill by 50 to 90 percent. (Curt and Christine Mann, owners of a wind turbine in Atlanta, estimated they’re saving 15 to 20 percent.)

• A wind turbine operates automatically and has a 20-year lifespan.

• A residential wind turbine can counterbalance about 1.2 tons of air pollutants and 200 tons of greenhouse gases over its lifetime.

• A wind turbine pays for itself in 6 to 15 years, depending on the quantity of wind in your region and how much you use your other power source. 

The bad news

• Wind can be turbulent, and the smaller, residential wind turbines lose performance ability in greater turbulence. Also, in greater turbulence, more stress is put on the gears, creating vibrations that make it noisier.

• The Warwick Wind Trials Project found that wind turbines were often shut off because residents were irritated by the noise.

• Wind turbines often work below their rated capacities, according to a study by Environmental Building News (EBN). A 12-foot Windside turbine in Indiana was rated at 10 kWh, but, according to a test by EBN senior engineer David Toso, it produced only 33 kWh in four months—approximately a quarter kWh per day.

• Residential wind turbines are much less cost effective than larger, free-standing turbines. They cost between $6,000 to $22,000 installed, according to AWEA.

Whether or not wind is the answer to our energy needs remains to be seen. What’s exciting right now is that we’re debating options that aren’t coal and oil. Let’s hope the conversation keeps moving in that direction.

As tough economic times hit the renewable energy industry, unsold solar panels are collecting dust in warehouses in many parts of the country. But in Gainesville, Florida, homes, buildings and schools are glittering with brand new panels, installed after the city passed a feed-in tariff law, requiring the power company to buy renewable energy from local producers. Since the law passed in February, Gainesville solar contractors have more work than they can handle. Paradigm Properties, a local real estate company, is installing solar panels on its main building and 50 apartment buildings in Gainesville. Another investor is installing $16 to $20 million worth of 25-kilowatt systems on 80 rented roof spaces around the city. He believes they’ll yield $1.4 million in annual earnings.  

Solar panels are gaining popularity in Gainesville, Florida. Photo By Powerhouse Museum/Courtesy Flickr 

Gainesville is the first U.S. city to institute a feed-in tariff, which encourages entrepreneurial investment in clean energy by guaranteeing a market. Germany implemented feed-in tariffs in 1991, and they’ve been incentive enough for German companies to dominate the green energy market. Several countries have followed suit. 

Feed-in tarrifs are an elegant solution to many issues, and Rep. Jay Inslee of Washington wants to see it work for the rest of the country—not just Gainesville. He’s introduced a bill for a federal feed-in tariff just as they’re beginning to slip into the national conversation. Toby Couture of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory told Washington Monthly that six to eight months ago many of his colleagues had never heard of the tariffs. Now, he says, "Everyone on my team is asking, 'Why aren't we doing this?'"

Until recently, few of us associated the word “green” with “major corporations.” Many companies, however, have made a commitment to green practices—and some even get 100 percent of their energy from renewable sources. The Environmental Protection Agency recently released a list of the top green power purchasers in the United States, and the results might surprise you. 

Several large corporations, such as Whole Foods Market, are purchasing wind power.  Photo By WA State DNR/Courtesy Flickr  

For the second year in a row, Intel Corporation secured the top spot, purchasing more than 1.3 billion kWh of renewable energy from wind power. That’s 46 percent of Intel’s total electricity use, and it keeps about 934,000 pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere—as much as would be emitted from130,000 American homes. 

Although no other company buys as many kilowatts per hour as Intel does, several companies on the list were getting 100 percent of their total electricity use from renewable sources. PepsiCo, number two on the list, and Whole Foods Market, number five on the list, both fall in this category. PepsiCo bought 1.15 million kWh from various sources, and Whole Foods Market bought half a million kWh from solar and wind sources. 

The nation’s top 50 purchasers buy more than 11 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, offsetting as much carbon dioxide as would be produced to power more than 1.1 million average American homes. The companies work with EPA’s Green Power Partnership, which helps more than 1,000 organizations voluntarily purchase green power. Overall, EPA Green Power Partners buy more than 16 billion kWh of green power annually, equivalent to the CO2 emissions from electricity use in more than 1.5 million American homes. Purchase amounts reflect U.S. operations only and are sourced from U.S.-based green power sources. 

Now that major corporations have jumped on board, why not think about switching to a source of renewable energy yourself? Natural Home’s guide to alternative energy will steer you through the different options available and help you decide which one’s best for you.

Last weekend more than 12,000 people flocked to Washington, D.C., for a three-day demonstration to demand the creation of green jobs, cuts in the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and less dependence on fossil fuels. More than 4,000 lobbyists visited nearly every congressional office on Capitol Hill, and nearly 2,500 protestors gathered in front of the Capitol Power Plant, which burns coal to heat congressional offices. 

This mobilization, one of the largest in history, shows that the Americans are taking interest in their environment and energy sources—in a big way. 

Americans want clean energy now. Photo from Natural Home archives.

Coal plants were a major focus of the protestors and lobbyists. Despite claims of “clean coal,” coal-burning power plants, which produce about half of U.S. electricity needs, emit carbon dioxide. (Check out the May/June issue of Natural Home, on newsstands April 14, for more on that.) After the December coal spill at the Tennessee Valley Authority power plant, coal is under even greater scrutiny these days. 

The fossil-fuel industry certainly won’t go down without a fight. Various companies are hiring their own lobbyists and pledging millions of dollars to counteract legislation from green advocates. Yet some legislators are starting to take heed. Four days before the protest, several congressional leaders called for the end of the coal-burning Capitol Power Plant. 

We truly are on the verge of an energy revolution—and you can be a part of it. Our guide to alternative energy breaks down the pros, cons, costs and ideal conditions for various sources of alternative energy. Whether you start small with a few solar lights for your garden or go large with a geothermal system, you can be a part of it.