When the National Energy Act came out, we thought it was fine; we didn't see a thing in there that was contrary to our particular program. Now, when we have looked over DOE's proposed rulemaking, almost everything that we are doing, we find, is not appropriate any more. Consequently we have submitted substantial testimony-or we hope it is substantial testimony-as to how we hope those rules will be changed. What I am thinking of in terms of support is where the Federal Government will give us a policy directive which would indicate that it is in the public interests to put things in the rate base such as solar. A policy saying that advancing with utilities in the solar industry is in the public interest, to have the utilities support local installers, to do some training-that to do these things is in the public interest-I think this would set the tone so that the commissions can reference those things in their orders as they proceed to take under consideration the individual utility's approach. The approach that is taken in southern California is clearly going to be different from the one taken in Wisconsin, where we are sitting from the first of December to the middle of March with the average hourly temperature never getting above freezing. Obviously our solar program will be different from that of New Mexico, where they have 360 days of sun. So I really believe that the rule should be policy statements rather than mandates. One of the other things I noticed in option A in the material that was sent to me is that it talked about the fact that the utility should supply long-term debt financing or arrange for it. If that were to be done, that would impose so many difficulties and problems for us it would bring the banking industry right out of the woodwork and would slow us down immensely; whereas, I think, the case that you would put legislation in permitting the banking industry to provide long-term loans or specifying that the utilities could take long-term loans and earmark them for solar, that would be permissive legislation. Then the ingenuity of the various lending agencies could go forward. Leasing by utilities has also been suggested. Unfortunately, the Federal tax laws are such that neither the utility nor the customer can qualify for the tax benefit when leasing. This should be remedied. To give you an illustration of the banking community involvement, when we came out with our proposed conservation program in the gas utility, we put in a program where we would have a conservation rate, we would pay for the interest on all of the loans for our customers who would put in insulation. In the process of doing that, the banking industry intervened very strenuously and suggested that we not do that, that they could do that, and perhaps rightfully so. We expected to use the banking industry but they just felt they wanted it totally left to their control. I believe we have a good program now, but it is an illustration that, once you start putting in mandates, the process is lengthened, not shortened. Mr. OTTINGER. I think that is something that we should consider. I know that Mr. Fish had some questions. I, too, have some additional questions. We would appreciate your indulgence if you could try to answer some of those questions for the record. We will get them to you. I want to thank all of you for your time, your interest, and your help to the subcommittee. We will have to recess now until 2 o'clock. [Whereupon, at 1:10 p.m., the subcommittees recessed, to reconvene at 2 p.m. the same day.] AFTER RECESS [The subcommittees reconvened at 2 p.m., Hon. Richard L. Ottinger presiding.] Mr. OTTINGER. The Subcommittee on Energy and Power, and the Subcommittee on Energy Development and Applications of the Science and Technology Committee are resuming their joint hearings this afternoon on the Solar Energy Domestic Policy review. This afternoon we have a panel directing its attention to Solar Research, Development and Demonstration, Priorities and Strategies. We are pleased to have with us Dr. Ken Touryan, deputy assistant director for research, Solar Energy Research Institute; Dr. Theodore Taylor, solar energy consultant from Damascus, Md.; Dr. Thomas E. Stelson, vice president for research, Georgia Institute of Technology; Dr. Douglas Balcomb, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory; and Dr. Henry C. Kelly, Group Manager for Technology and International Relations, Office of Technology Assessment. If witnesses will come forward. PANEL III-SOLAR RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMON- Mr. OTTINGER. Dr. Touryan, why don't we begin with you, if that is satisfactory. We will include your full statement for the record. You may read or summarize, as you wish. [The biography and prepared statement of Mr. Touryan follow:] SERI BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH K. J. Touryan was born in Beirut, Lebanon. He attended the American University of Beirut from 1953-1956, then subsequently immigrated to the United States where he completed his undergraduate work in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Southern California. He received an M.S. in M.E. from the University of Southern California in 1959, an M.A. in Physics from Princeton University in 1960, and a Ph.D. in Aerospace and Mechanical Sciences from Princeton in 1962. He was at Sandia Laboratories, of the Department of Energy, (formerly ERDA and AEC) from 1962 until August, 1978. His most recent position at Sandia was Manager of Fluid and Thermal Sciences Department, where with his staff of engineers and scientists he engaged in R&D efforts in a number of new energy programs such as: fossil, geothermal, nuclear, and solar, as well as in the area of weapons development. In August, 1978 he joined the staff of the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) as Deputy Assistant Director of Research. He is currently Acting Assistant Director of Research, where he has the administrative and technical responsibilities for overseeing all R&D efforts in solar energy at SERI, which include the following technology programs: photovoltaics, photoconversion, biomass, solar thermal, industrial process heat, storage systems, ocean systems, wind, materials science, and energy resource assessment. He is the author of 25 journal articles on fluid and plasma dynamics and has recently co-authored a book on plasmadynamics. He is the associate editor of two national journals: the Journal of Energy and Journal of Aeronautics and Astronautics. From 1965-1972 he was adjunct professor in the Nuclear Engineering Department at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Dr. Touryan belongs to several honorary societies and is an active member of the American Physical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Amercian Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the American Scientific Affiliation. STATEMENT OF Kenell J. TOURYAN, DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR RESEARCH, SOLAR ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE My name is Kenell J. Touryan. I am Deputy Assistant Director for Research at the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), Golden, Colorado. In this capacity, I help direct the activities of the Research Division; an organization of over 110 individuals whose primary responsibility is to conduct in-house R&D activities in the following technology programs: photovoltaics, photoconversion, biomass, solar thermal, industrial process heat, storage systems, ocean systems, wind, materials science and energy resource assessment. 2. R&D Objectives and Major Thrusts at SERI SERI provides in-house research capabilities both in baseline programs and in DOE programmatic activities. Our R&D objectives are three-fold: (a) to examine advanced technical options for solar energy conversion; (b) supply technical information needed to make appropriate selections among several solar options; and (c) identify and reduce technical and cost barriers to specific solar applications. In addition, we support DOE in the technical management of selected research programs through universities, industry and the national laboratories. SERI is also responsible for developing major solar energy experimental test facilities and coordinating activities in all existing solar energy test facilities. In broad terms, R&D at SERI is divided into near-term and long-term efforts. The former category includes: heating and cooling R&D; industrial process heat; solar thermal technologies; biomass conversion; wind energy conversion; supportive efforts in materials studies; and energy resource assessment. The 54-948 0 - 80 - 8 8. development program is our best opportunity to achieve the DOE cost and efficiency goals in the near future, and must be pursued (6) Finally, systems engineering is required in two areas especially relating to distributed applications. (a) Designs to facilitate the installation and to reduce the high cost of retrofitting solar energy conversion systems must be (b) The large-scale penetration of solar technologies into One attractive future for solar energy is the integration of this Long-Term Recommendation (Beyond 1990) (1) As a specific emphasis in fundamental research in solar energy, we are conducting advanced research in photoconversion. The latter consists of photobiological, photochemical and photoelectrochemical energy conversion research, which are areas of activities not adequately explored and where future payoffs are expected to be significant. The relevant objectives of the photobiological research program for example, are to understand the energy conversion processes of photosyntehsis, mimic nature, and more efficiently produce fuels, chemicals, and electricity.* For details, see SERI/MR-12-207, Institutional Plan for the Solar Energy Research Institute, Fiscal Year 1980-1985, April 1979, pp. 61-75. |