Helio

A 4th of July message from Repower America…

This Independence Day, we have a lot to celebrate — including a major victory for our planet.

The historic vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act in the House of Representatives last Friday moves this bill to the Senate. Now, we must continue to build momentum and work for its passage.

Just as our founders struggled to achieve our nation's independence, we must encourage our leaders to stand up to the entrenched special interests in another struggle of great historical importance — the fight for our energy independence.

Today, our nation lives under the oppressive thumb of foreign oil, dirty energy and a climate crisis that could change life as we know it.

We are held hostage to volatile gas prices, as Americans send hundreds of billions of dollars overseas each year. This dependence on foreign oil leaves our nation vulnerable to unstable and hostile regimes, burdening our military and their families.

And our reliance on dirty energy continues to cost us — average annual household energy spending increased approximately $1,000 between 2001 and 2007.

It doesn't have to be this way, and clean energy is the path we need. Add your voice and declare your energy independence now:

http://www.RepowerAmerica.org/declaration

Thanks for all you do,

Al Gore

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) staff today issued its first annual program assessment report to the State Legislature for the California Solar Initiative, the country’s largest solar incentive program.  The report details the progress of the program and its accomplishments to date.

In January 2007, California launched an unprecedented $3.3 billion program with the goal of installing 3,000 megawatts (MW) of new grid-connected solar in 10 years and transforming the market for solar energy by reducing its cost.  The CPUC portion of the solar effort is known as the California Solar Initiative, and has a $2.2 billion budget and a goal of installing 1,940 MW by the end of 2016. The report, which is required by the State Legislature, highlights the following key findings:

- California has over 500 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) connected to the electric grid at customer sites; this is equivalent to one large power plant. With recent rapid growth, California now has over 515 MW of cumulative installed solar PV capacity at nearly 50,000 sites; 226 MW of this was installed in the past 2½ years under the California Solar Initiative.

- The annual rate for new installed solar capacity in California nearly doubled in 2008 over 2007 (from 81 MW per year to 156 MW per year), a marked increase from the 30-40 percent annual growth rate of prior years.

- Despite the challenging economic situation, installation data suggests that the California Solar Initiative could install at least the same amount of megawatts in 2009 as 2008, with 78 MW already installed through May 2009.

- The program continues to see strong demand, with May 2009 the highest month on record for new solar applications. The California Solar Initiative has over 22,000 solar applications, including both pending and installed systems, which will account for an estimated 373 MW of new solar capacity.

- After 2½ years, the California Solar Initiative has installed 13 percent of the total 10-year program goal, and it has another 8 percent in applications pending installation.

“I think we can all be pleased with the success the California Solar Initiative has demonstrated in driving the deployment of significant levels of distributed solar capacity,” said CPUC President Michael R. Peevey, noting that there are both environmental and financial benefits of going solar.  “This program is delivering on California’s commitment to the solar industry, which has an absolutely essential role to play in our efforts to address climate change.”

Since 2007, the CPUC has launched five program components of the California Solar Initiative, including the general market solar incentive program; a Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment program; a Solar Water Heating pilot program; and two low income programs - the Single-family Affordable Solar Homes Program and the Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing Program. The report presents status reports and accomplishments to date for all five.

The report also provides several suggestions on ways the Legislature might further support the program and its underlying goals, including raising the net energy metering cap to enable additional customers to qualify for this feature, and expanding the low income housing eligibility requirements to increase the number of low income households that have access to solar technologies.
The report is available at www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/Solar/apa09.htm.

For more information on the CPUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.

When the principals of ARCHITECTS hanna gabriel wells were looking to relocate their offices, they made a commitment to minimize their impact on the environment by targeting Net-Zero Energy use.

To achieve their goal, they converted an old auto body shop into a new state-of-the-art office building, becoming an example within the community for building re-use and environmentally sustainable re-development. The building is expertly designed to maximize energy efficiency, featuring emerging technologies such as solar thermal water heating, LED lighting and operable skylights. The office hosts a San Diego Gas & Electric-owned 16 kW photovoltaic (PV) system on its roof, which provides renewable energy to the community. The PV system designed and installed by HelioPower, offsets 104% of the building’s energy use.

This building by and for ARCHITECTS hanna gabriel wells is an outstanding example of energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy generation, making it the first Net-Zero building in San Diego County.

Photo Credit: ARCHITECTS hanna gabriel wells

With 84 solar modules from Sharp, the solar power system will produce 26,400 kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable electricity per year.

For more specific information and more photos of this ground-breaking project, click here.

The historic clean energy bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, H.R. 2454, passed the House of Represenatives today, June 26, 2009 by a vote of 219 to 212.  The bill will now move to the Senate.

Repower America reports "The House of Representatives has just passed a landmark bill that will propel our nation toward a clean energy future. "

Statement from Al Gore, Chairman of the Alliance for Climate Protection:

“Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Leadership of the House, and Chairmen Waxman and Markey have, through their leadership, secured an important bipartisan victory for the American people.

The American Clean Energy Security (ACES) Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation Congress will ever pass. This comprehensive legislation will make meaningful reductions in global warming pollution, spur investment in clean energy technology, create jobs and reduce our reliance on foreign oil.

The next step is passage of this legislation by the Senate to help restore America's leadership in the world and begin, at long last, to put in place a truly global solution to the climate crisis.

We are at an extraordinary moment, with an historic opportunity to confront one of the world’s most serious challenges. Our actions now will be remembered by this generation and all those to follow – in our own nation and others around the world.”

From the Wall Street Journal, June 25, 2009 — President Barack Obama pressed for passage of energy legislation Thursday afternoon ahead of a House vote Friday on a bill to curb greenhouse-gas emissions.

Speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House, Mr. Obama said Washington must not miss the opportunity to work on cleaning the air and at the same time creating new "green" energy jobs. He called the measure "a jobs bill" and said the country for far too long has been too reliant on energy from fossil fuels.

For the full text of this story, click here.

Full Remarks of President Barack Obama
Statement on the Energy Bill
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Washington, DC
Good afternoon.  Right now, the House of Representatives is moving towards a vote of historic proportions on a piece of legislation that will open the door to a new, clean energy economy.

For more than three decades, we have talked about our dependence on foreign oil.  And for more than three decades, we have seen that dependence grow.  We have seen our reliance on fossil fuels jeopardize our national security.  We have seen it pollute the air we breathe and endanger our planet.  And most of all, we have seen other countries realize a critical truth:  the nation that leads in the creation of a clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy. 

Now is the time for the United States of America to realize this too.  Now is the time for us to lead. 

The energy bill before the House will finally create a set of incentives that will spark a clean energy transformation in our economy.  It will spur the development of low carbon sources of energy – everything from wind, solar, and geothermal power to safer nuclear energy and cleaner coal.  It will spur new energy savings, like the efficient windows and other materials that reduce heating costs in the winter and cooling costs in the summer.  And most importantly, it will make possible the creation of millions of new jobs. 

Make no mistake:  this is a jobs bill.  We’re already seeing why this is true in the clean energy investments we’re making through the Recovery Act.  In California, 3000 people will be employed to build a new solar plant that will create 1000 jobs.  In Michigan, investment in wind turbines and wind technology is expected to create over 2,600 jobs.  In Florida, three new solar projects are expected to employ 1400 people. 

The list goes on and on, but the point is this:  this legislation will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy.  That will lead to the creation of new businesses and entire new industries.  And that will lead to American jobs that pay well and cannot be outsourced.  I have often talked about the need to build a new foundation for economic growth so that we do not return to the endless cycle of bubble and bust that led us to this recession.  Clean energy and the jobs it creates will be absolutely critical to this new foundation. 

This legislation has also been written carefully to address the concerns that many have expressed in the past.  Instead of increasing the deficit, it is paid for by the polluters who currently emit dangerous carbon emissions.  It provides assistance to businesses and families as they make the gradual transition to clean energy technologies.  It gives rural communities and farmers the opportunity to participate in climate solutions and generate new income.  And above all, it will protect consumers from the costs of this transition, so that in a decade, the price to the average American will be just about a postage stamp a day.

Because this legislation is so balanced and sensible, it has already attracted a remarkable coalition of consumer and environmental groups; labor and business leaders; Democrats and Republicans.  Now I urge every member of Congress – Democrats and Republicans – to come together and support this legislation.  I cannot stress enough the importance of this vote.  I know this will be a close vote, in part because of the misinformation out there that suggests there is somehow a contradiction between investing in clean energy and economic growth. 

But my call to those Members of Congress who are still on the fence, as well as the American people, is this:  We cannot be afraid of the future.  And we must not be prisoners of the past.  We have been talking about this issue for decades.  Now is the time to finally act.

There is no disagreement over whether our dependence on foreign oil is endangering our security.  It is.  There is no longer a debate about whether carbon pollution is placing our planet in jeopardy.  It’s happening. 

And there is no longer a question about whether the jobs and industries of the 21st century will be centered around clean, renewable energy.  The question is – which country will create these jobs and these industries?  I want that answer to be the United States of America.  And I believe that the American people and the men and women they sent to Congress share that view.  So let’s take this opportunity to come together and meet our obligations – to our constituents, to our children, to God’s creation, and to future generations.  Thank you. 
Source: NRDC.org

SolarPlaza.com June 24, 2009 Interview: Sue Kateley, Executive Director, CALSEIA
CALSEIA’s mission is to expand the use of all solar technologies in California and establish a sustainable industry for a clean energy future. CALSEIA’s biggest challenges for 2009 and 2010 is to expand the market for PV, notably in the untapped distributed generation market and to expand the market for distributed solar thermal for commercial and residential water, heat, cooling, and industrial processes.

What is the strategy of your organization and what is your biggest challenge for 2009 and 2010?

CALSEIA’s mission is to expand the use of all solar technologies in California and establish a sustainable industry for a clean energy future. CALSEIA’s biggest challenges for 2009 and 2010 is to expand the market for PV, notably in the untapped distributed generation market and to expand the market for distributed solar thermal for commercial and residential water, heat, cooling, and industrial processes.

Do you expect the market volume of new installed PV power in California in 2009 to grow compared to 2008? What are your estimates for 2009 and 2010 in MWp per year?

We don’t make these kinds of estimates.

Which PV market segment (residential, commercial, utility) will perform best in 2009 and 2010 to your opinion?

I hope that all market segments perform well. And I hope that we get going on solar thermal this year too. All of the markets are poised to improve. As our financial markets recover and our economy gets moving again we should see an uptick in residential and commercial sales and installations. The distributed solar utility segment is a new market segment – I think most of the activity is scheduled to occur in 2010. Southern California Edison’s new program was approved by the State Public Utilities Commission yesterday, which will create 250MW of utility-owned solar generation and 250MW of privately developed solar generation.

What system price development do you expect to see for this and next year?

I think the industry’s challenge on price is complicated and certainly this industry has made great strides to reduce costs at all levels (components, installation, etc.) – particularly impressive to accomplish while other industries are raising prices. On one hand, the industry is expected to lower its installed cost ($/kWh or $/therm) to be competitive with traditional energy deliveries. However, the manner that we calculate the future cost of energy deliveries is not straightforward, where customers pay separate fees for energy and transmission/delivery (T&D). Solar technologies have energy, T&D, local emission reductions, climate change, and environmental values that are frequently not counted in the equation when estimating solar energy costs.

Will thin-film technology see a break through in 2009 or 2010 in residential or commercial applications in California?

Demand for all of the solar technologies in California appears ready to grow to greater levels, particularly in light of announcements from our utilities to procure solar energy generation (500 MW each: Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison and 77 MW in San Diego Gas and Electric. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has also announced an aggressive program to increase renewable generation). I suspect that we will see more of all of the various solar technologies deployed in California.

It was written that California's government risks a financial "meltdown" soon. Do you believe that financial incentives for solar will be secured?

California’s state incentive program in the retail energy market is through a ratepayer subsidy. The market for utility scale solar is driven by several factors: the need to meet renewable energy procurement targets, greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, and a genuine effort by the utilities to procure more renewable generation. It is not part of the State budget process. We see the economic activity and jobs for in-state solar projects as part of the State and local government budget solutions.

What is needed now to spur market growth in California?

I think the biggest issue we have facing us in California is a need to bring the policymakers together to ensure that the policies they adopt and enforce are synchronized. I think our permitting challenges are well described in many venues: we have significant and costly permitting barriers. Some are difficult to comprehend; one county has a proposed ordinance to require solar equipment be painted a camouflage color. Within homeowner’s associations, they come up with all kinds of unusual requirements or simply attempt to ban the installations altogether. These kinds of things can raise the cost of solar so high that it can’t be built at all, just the opposite of what the California is trying to accomplish.

Where will your organization be in 5 years time?

CALSEIA will be advocating for high-quality, long-lasting, solar products installed by professionals with the highest ethical standards. These principles will ensure a growing market for solar products that deliver clean, reliable solar energy to its customers.

Thank you for the interview!

Sue will be one of the experts speaking at The Solar Future in California conference on 14 July 2009.

More information and registration for The Solar Future in California Conference: www.solarenergymarketcalifornia.com

From Green Inc, a New York Times blog dedicated to Energy, the Environment and the Bottom Line, comes this post, "More Studies Extol Virtues of Green Jobs."

Following on the heels of a study from the Pew Charitable Trusts last week, two more reports from a broad coalition of environmental groups and research institutes suggest that clean-energy investments have the potential to kick-start the economy and employ millions of workers — particularly those at the lower end of the economic scale.

In a statement accompanying the release of the two reports — one authored jointly by the Center for American Progress and the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; the other by the institute, the green jobs advocacy group Green For All and the Natural Resources Defense Council — the researchers assert that a “$150 billion investment in clean energy could create a net increase of 1.7 million American jobs and significantly lower the national unemployment rate.”

As part of their study, P.E.R.I. and the Center for American Progress provide a state-by-state breakdown of where jobs are most likely to be generated.

And Robert Pollin, James Heintz and Heidi Garrett-Peltier — researchers at P.E.R.I. — wrote on the center’s Web site on Thursday that the estimated 1.7 million jobs could make a significant impact on the nation’s jobless rate:

These job gains would be enough — on their own — to reduce the unemployment rate in today’s economy by about one full percentage point, to 8.4 percent from current 9.4-percent levels — even after taking into full account the inevitable job losses in conventional fossil-fuel sectors of the U.S. economy as they contract. Our detailed analysis … calculates that roughly 2.5 million new jobs will be created overall by spending $150 billion on clean-energy investments, while close to 800,000 jobs would be lost if conventional fossil-fuel spending were to decline by an equivalent amount. It is not likely that all $150 billion in new clean-energy investment spending would come at the expense of reductions in the fossil-fuel industry. However, we present this scenario to establish a high-end estimate for reductions in conventional fossil-fuel spending, and the net gains in employment that will still result through spending $150 billion per year on clean-energy investments.

For the full post, click here.

California Solar Initiative (CSI) rebate levels have now moved to Step 4 for residential solar electric systems in the Southern California Edison territory. The Step 4 rebate is $1.90 per AC watt.
 
New CSI applications will be processed at the $1.90 rate. As an example, a 4.2 kW AC system (4,200 watts) would now receive a maximum rebate of $7,980. (Rebates are diminished slightly if the solar array is shady or not aimed in the optimal direction.)
 
The Step 4 rebate level will last until the capacity goals are met, most likely sometime next year. It's always better to work with your solar contractor to get a rebate reservation in sooner rather than later. Reservations may last up to one year.
 
The 30% uncapped federal tax credit still applies to the balance of the system cost after rebate.

Sources:
California Solar Initiative
Solar Santa Monica, June 2009 Newsletter

HelioPower, a leading solar power design and installation firm in California and Nevada, has signed the first solar power project in the 1BOG solar group purchase program in San Diego.  One Block Off the Grid (1BOG) launched its solar San Diego campaign on May 18, securing a discounted price of $6.09 per DC watt for its members.

“We’re proud to announce we’ve already sold several 1BOG systems in north San Diego County, having signed our first contract on June 1,” said Scott Gordon, Director of Sales for HelioPower. “1BOG has negotiated an incredible installation price for its San Diego participants and people are taking advantage of it. Those who hope to get the best deal will act before San Diego Gas & Electric’s solar power rebate drops next month.”

HelioPower was chosen along with groSolar to install the solar San Diego systems priced through the 1BOG program.  HelioPower is working in the northern San Diego area with groSolar installing projects in the central San Diego region.  1BOG has successfully launched statewide group solar purchasing programs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sonoma County.  Outside California it has active campaigns in New Orleans, La. and Denver, Colo. Upcoming community programs are launching in Phoenix, Ariz., Sacramento, Calif. and Washington, D.C.

“The pricing from HelioPower was the lowest we’ve seen in any of our group purchase campaigns run thus far,” said Dave Llorens, 1BOG General Manager. “We were impressed by HelioPower’s request for proposal response,” he continued, “We also look for companies who truly embrace environmental awareness in their operations.  We inspected the HelioPower southern California offices and warehouse, and saw how they run their business and green their supply chain.  We were excited to see their attention to even small details like pre-removing boxes from panels to ensure they are recycled.  It made our decision easy.”

More information on the San Diego campaign can be found at:
http://solarsandiego.1bog.org.

In its webinar this week for solar power system buyers in San Diego, 1BOG, One Block Off the Grid, marketing director, Brad Burton, was joined by Scott Gordon, Director of Sales at HelioPower. The webinar gave participants an opportunity to review information and pricing related to the Solar San Diego discount pricing program currently being offered by 1BOG. 

The webinar is available in its entirety by clicking here.

"I very much enjoyed presenting the 1BOG Solar San Diego program with Brad Burton. As Brad mentions during the webinar, at $6.09/dc watt the Solar San Diego campaign pricing is by far the best 1BOG has negotiated to date," said Scott Gordon.  

"This means unprecedented savings when you purchase your solar power system through the program," Gordon continued.   "I liken this to the Costco Car Program. When you buy a car through Costco, a magic book appears from under the salesman’s desk at the auto dealership. Because Costco did all of the negotiating ahead of time, you experience a pleasant non-haggle purchase experience without having to get multiple quotes from multiple dealers. In a similar fashion, the 1BOG campaign saves consumers time and money by simplifying the solar power system purchase process for the public at large. Of course, those hoping to see the greatest savings will act before SDGE’s rebate drops from $1.90 to $1.55 per watt."