October 2009

Attendees at Solar Power International, the solar industry’s largest trade event held this year in Anaheim, CA, can race to win green energy prizes at booth, #114, announced HelioPower, a leading solar power design and installation firm.  The Solar Power Porsche Rally presented by HelioPower and the Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group gives show attendees a lighthearted moment to learn about the Porsche North America solar power installation project in Ontario, CA and race fellow attendees for prizes.

The Solar Power Porsche Rally will be held at the top of each hour during the show, which runs Tuesday, October 27 through Thursday, October 29 at the Anaheim Convention Center.  The public is invited with free admission Wednesday evening, October 28 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. Hourly race winners will be awarded PowerGenix NiZn Green batteries, the most advanced rechargeable green energy batteries in the world.  A grand prize winner will be selected from all winners for a weekend stay at the Loews Ventana Canyon hotel in Tucson, AZ.

HelioPower is offering a Solar Power Show special for all residential and commercial clients who contract for a solar power system by December 31, 2009.  The company is offering an unlimited $100 off every kilowatt of a residential or commercial solar photovoltaic installation, with a 3 kilowatt minimum.  Commercial clients who contract with HelioPower prior to the end of the year will also receive Helio Energy Solutions energy monitoring for their facility. 

With over 900 exhibitors and an expected attendance of 25,000, Solar Power International 2009 promises to be a vital component for the solar industry’s future growth. More information is available at http://www.solarpowerinternational.com/

Next week, the largest solar energy conference in North America - Solar Power International 2009 - is coming to Anaheim, California! If you're in the area, SEIA invites you to participate by attending the free solar public night on Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center.

You will have access to the SPI expo floor, where more than 900 solar energy companies share their expertise, and to  a series of 5 free workshops on (among other things) how homeowners can "go solar" and how to find your solar dream job. You can find all the details about public night on the SPI website.

HelioPower will be in booth 114.  Come by and find out out about our Solar Power International show special to save on your residential or commercial solar installation.  More details to come…

HelioPower and 1BOG will offer free solar information, including a solar webinar on Thursday, October 22 at 7:00 p.m. PT. To sign up visit: http://solarcoachellavalley.1bog.org/faqs-and-webinar/.

HelioPower's Scott Gordon will be representing the company. Scott has led very successful solar webinars for 1BOG in the company's previous solar San Diego campaign. He has been quoted extensively in the Coachella Valley press about this current solar community discount program.  

Excerpts from recent press quotes from Scott include the following information from The Desert Sun:  

That means a 4 kilowatt system, about 20 panels, will have a net cost of about $10,857, after state rebates and the federal tax credit for solar energy, said Scott Gordon, HelioPower's vice president for residential sales.

The package will also include computer monitoring of the system so any maintenance problems are detected quickly, Gordon said.

For Coachella Valley residents, the break-even point for such a system could range from five years to 12 years, depending on their energy use and their power provider, Gordon said. Southern California Edison customers, who pay tiered rates, would get a quicker return on their investment than east valley residents in the Imperial Irrigation District service area, who pay lower rates, he said.

Governor Schwarzenegger signed two major solar initiatives yesterday, AB 920 and SB 32 which continue California’s drive toward a Million Solar Roofs and create more Incentives to go solar.

"Californians have two more reasons to go solar tonight. Governor Schwarzenegger signed two popular

Porsche Solar Install in Ontario, CA by HelioPower

solar bills designed to give consumers added incentive to invest in a solar roof and help the state achieve its aggressive clean energy goals," said the press statement at Environment California. 

AB 920, authored by Assembly member Jared Huffman (D-Marin) and sponsored by Environment California, radically changes the dynamic between consumer and utility by requiring utility companies to write a check to their customers for surplus solar electricity generated on an annual basis. Previously, under the state’s net metering law, utility companies were allowed to receive surplus solar electricity from their customers for free. AB 920 requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to set a rate at which utility companies shall compensate solar customers whenever a solar system generates more electricity than a home or business uses in a given year. 

“Instead of writing a check to your utility company, you’ll be getting a check back,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, clean energy advocate with Environment California which sponsored the legislation. “Changing the dynamic between utility and customer is key to encouraging more people to invest in solar power while also maximizing conservation and energy efficiency.”

AB 920 was supported by numerous groups and people around the state including the Sierra Club, Union of Concerned Scientists, NRDC, Planning and Conservation League and many more. It was also embraced by officials such as the San Diego Board of Supervisors.

“As we work towards increasing our energy independence and promoting renewable energy resources, this bill will encourage more people to invest in renewable energy,” said Assembly member Jared Huffman, author of the bill. “This goes a long ways towards California meeting its goal of the Million Solar Roofs initiative under SB1 and clean air standards established under AB 32, as well as ensuring that consumers get a fair return on their investment.”

SB 32, authored by Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-Chino) and sponsored by the California Solar Energy Industry Association, establishes a new feed-in-tariff program for the state. A feed-in-tariff policy requires utility companies to purchase solar electricity at a set rate over a twenty-year period. It has the potential to incentivize massive solar installations on large, unused spaces, such as parking lots and warehouses. This program has been used with much success in places like Germany.

“Watch out. California is about to give Germany a run for the money,” said Del Chiaro. “Every warehouse roof, every parking lot, every unused sunny space can now become a mini-power plant generating pollution free solar electricity all while making money for the property owner.”

“Solar feed in tariffs have given many commercial property owners in other parts of the world strong financial reasons to go solar,” said Steve LoRusso, Vice President, Sales for HelioPower.  “With these bills California property owners now have more reasons than ever to consider a solar power generation system as a cost effective, even now profitable, component of facility development. We look forward to working with more property owners to go solar with these incentives in place.”

Offering area residents the lowest price per watt for solar energy in the Coachella Valley, 1BOG selected HelioPower to lead it's solar group discount program in the desert.  The announcement was made yesterday by the desert's leading newspaper, The Desert Sun, in its piece, "Solar energy marketer kicks off local campaign."

Homeowners looking to buy solar panels often face a complicated, stressful process of researching solar installers

and manufacturers, scheduling home evaluations, and analyzing quotes and warranty programs. By organizing interested homeowners into a community and selecting an installer partner based on a rigorous vetting process, 1BOG can harness the group's solar purchasing power to negotiate winning rates, while eliminating each homeowner's need to shop around for the best deal.

“Teaming up with HelioPower for the Coachella Valley solar program will bolster local efforts to reduce the region’s energy consumption and reliance on non-sustainable energy sources. By streamlining the process to offer a simple and affordable alternative energy option for local residents, we are lowering the barrier to entry for solar adoption,” said Dave Llorens, Co-Founder and General Manager of 1BOG. “Every program we run is a significant step towards our goal of making solar energy widely accessible to create a new norm for powering homes.”

For each regional program, 1BOG invites local installers to bid for the project. After a rigorous, month-long evaluation of local installer companies, 1BOG selected HelioPower as partner for this Coachella Valley program, to service the local community with timely installation of quality solar products. 1BOG's strict evaluation process eliminates the need for homeowners to research installers and technology options themselves, while at the same time securing installation costs that range from 10-20% below market rates by aggregating local demand.

HelioPower founded in 2001, was also selected as 1BOG’s installer partner for the San Diego program that ran in May 2009. Heliopower was selected for its unbeatable pricing on four special product packages, as well as its track record of successful installations and reliable warranty offering. For details about the different packages available, visit: http://solarcoachellavalley.1bog.org/campaign-costs.

"Exposure to extreme desert conditions means that homes in Coachella Valley use 150% more power than the average home in California, which is incredibly expensive and harmful to the environment. Being selected as 1BOG's Coachella Valley partner is not only a huge win for HelioPower, but it's a much-needed kick start for the region's health and economic success," said Scott Gordon, Vice President, Residential Sales for HelioPower. "We are thrilled to work with 1BOG's solar group model again because we will be able to show this community how easy and cost-effective it can be to go solar."

The Coachella Valley 1BOG program is available now to local homeowners in the entire Coachella Valley from Desert Hot Springs to Coachella through December 12, 2009. For more information or to sign up, visit http://solarcoachellavalley.1bog.org/

HelioPower and 1BOG will offer free solar information, including a solar webinar on Thursday, October 22 at 7:00 p.m. PT. To sign up visit: http://solarcoachellavalley.1bog.org/faqs-and-webinar/

HelioPower client, Steve Fleischman in Rancho Mirage, was quoted in the Desert Sun article.  Fleischman got bids from five or six other companies, but he said “(HelioPower) was the one that came forth with the right information. Their analysis was correct; what they said is truly happening.”

Fleischman said his 10 kilowatt system has cut his electric bills from about $3,200 a year to under $1,000.

“To watch that meter go backward, you have a sense of empowerment,” he said. “It's yours.”

For The Desert Sun article, click here.

by Scott Gordon
Vice President, Sales, Residential, HelioPower

San Diego area solar installation by HelioPower

Few SDG&E customers realize what happened today with the solar rebate, but it just dropped below 2MW. This means there is less than 2MW (1.96 to be exact) at the current $1.55/watt. In less than one month, the rebate will drop to $1.10/watt! I can hardly believe it since the last drop occurred at the end of June. This is one of the quickest rebate triggers I’ve experienced in my three years in the solar business. So what does the impending drop mean for you?

Let’s say that you’re thinking about buying a 6KW system for your home. At the current rebate tier, you’d receive somewhere around $9,300 in rebate money. That’s a nice chunk of change. How does this change at $1.10? The same system would only receive a $6,600 rebate. That’s a drop of $2,700!

So, if you’re serious about going solar it is in your interest to act quickly and reserve your rebate at the current tier. Once your rebate is reserved, you have one year to install your system. HelioPower can help you by providing a turnkey custom system and expedite your rebate paperwork, but you have to act fast.

In case you’d like to see where the SDGE trigger is currently, you can visit: http://www.csi-trigger.com/

Energy-efficient building incorporates LEED guidelines and includes 160 kW Mitsubishi Electric solar power system installed by HelioPower and owned by San Diego Gas & Electric

Sony Electronics Inc. will bring employees, government officials, community members, building partners and representatives of San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics, Inc. and HelioPower together today to celebrate the opening of their new 455,000 square foot “green” headquarters in San Diego. 

The building, constructed in a two years, was built with an emphasis on employee comfort and energy

Sony Electronics headquarters with Mitsubishi solar panel system installed on parking structure by HelioPower

efficiency.  A 160-kilowatt (kW) DC Mitsubishi Electric panel solar power system was collaborated under the SDG&E Sustainable Communities Program was installed by California-based solar integration company, HelioPower.  The solar power system was installed on the employee parking structure, utilizing an innovative and attractive design which averted the need for space allocation for a large central inverter.

The Sony Electronics building will house 1,400 of the company’s 2,000 area employees.  It was designed to exemplify the best in energy conservation technologies.  Energy saving strategies include the solar power system on the parking structure, energy-efficient air conditioning and heating and the use of recycled materials in the carpeting and furniture.  Drought-resistant landscaping was also used and all the construction debris was recycled.  The building’s design and construction process incorporated many environmental features according to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification requirements.

“Sony is committed to reducing our impact on the environment,” said Greg Aveni, facilities director for Sony Electronics. “We are doing this by implementing methods to reduce energy-use, such as installing solar panels for our new San Diego building and waste from our day-to-day operations, while at the same time finding ways to develop more energy-efficient products.”

The Sony Electronics project is one of many San Diego-based energy-efficient projects on which SDG&E has collaborated.  The utility supports energy- efficient and sustainable programs for commercial construction, and provides cash incentives and technical assistance to builders wanting to build energy-efficient buildings. In addition, SDG&E works with these builders to develop utility-owned solar panels for their projects that provide this renewable, solar energy back to the local community. 
 
“Sony Electronics’ forward-thinking approach to energy efficiency and renewable energy in their daily business practices is something their employees and our community can be proud of,” said Alex Kim, director of customer innovations for SDG&E. 

The 160kW DC installation consists of 867 Mitsubishi Electric 185-watt photovoltaic (PV) modules and is expected to produce 230,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.  In addition to the clean energy created by the solar panels, Mitsubishi Electric’s eco-friendly modules use 100-percent lead-free solder and are manufactured according to strict environmental standards. 

“We're proud to be a part of Sony Electronics’ new headquarters building and commend them for designing an innovative and low-impact facility for their employees.  This is an excellent example of a building that can gain immediate benefits from solar power,” said Gina Heng, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric’s photovoltaic division. 

Designing and building the PV system on the Sony Electronics’ structure was a yearlong engineering project that involved electrical, structural and utility engineers. By working closely with all relevant parties, solar power system installer, HelioPower, was able to design a system that met Sony Electronics’ needs and SDG&E's requirements for an aesthetic, highly productive and safe PV system.  One of the innovations was to meet the requirements for a covered parking structure with the solar power system installation.  HelioPower was also able to integrate the 160 kW DC array with 21 field-distributed SMA inverters; eliminating the need for a large central unit for which space was not available.

“Connecting the output of a PV power plant to the utility side of the meter is a complex process.  Rigorous utility interconnection standards must be followed as a separately derived service entrance is our point of connection to the SDG&E electrical grid,” explained Jonah Liebes, vice president of operations for HelioPower.  “Unlike many installations, this is not a 'Net Metered' solar system. As such, the energy from the solar system by-passes the Sony Electronic meter and is funneled directly into the utility grid and distributed locally. Sony and their neighbors will certainly use the renewable energy collected by the system, but indirectly via the SDG&E grid.”

The Sony Electronics building is located at 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 92127.

HelioPower client, James Price, made local news in Lompoc this weekend.  His ground mount solar power system was on display in the city's first ever, "Central Coast Solar Tour."  The tour, part of the national effort to showcase solar power systems, featured four solar power systems in the Lompoc and Santa Maria

area.

Covering the event, Lompoc News writer Glenn Wallace, posted this article, "Residents look to solar energy for savings" featuring Price's solar experience and savings record.

In August 2008 something funny began happening to Jim Price’s electric meter — it started going backward.

“There it goes — tic, tic, tic,” Price said watching the digital display flash an arrow to the left instead of the right.

Occasionally the display flashes all zeroes, indicating he is using less energy than the backyard solar panel system is actually pumping into the electrical grid, to be used by his neighbors and local businesses. His energy bills — they used to be more than $120 a month — sport more zeros.

Price’s house was just one of five around Lompoc partaking in the National Solar Tour on Saturday.

Jim Riggens, an Air Force retiree and self-described environmentalist, helped bring the tour to Lompoc, and to five other sites in Santa Maria, as part of the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) national education and publicity campaign.

Riggens is trying to get his neighbors to consider solar energy.

“What struck me was why, in a place where you have so much sunshine, how few roofs have solar panels?” Riggens asked.

One of the biggest misconceptions most home owners seem to have is that a solar panel system is too exotic or prohibitively expensive, Riggens said.

“It’s very common for builders. It’s off the shelf. It’s not in a laboratory, and it’s not experimental,” Riggens said.

And as for the money? Riggens just points to Price.

Installing the 4,400-watt, solar panel system in his back yard cost $34,531, Price said. However, after last year’s city and state rebates, and a $2,000 tax credit from the federal government, his final cost became $19,250.

“Yes, there is an investment, but in the long term, he’s flattened down his energy costs,” Riggens said.

On average, Riggens and two of the solar panel installation experts on the tour all said current rebates and tax credits have improved, and the panels now cost less. Within seven to 10 years most systems finish paying for themselves. Since the systems have no moveable parts, they are expected to easily function without major repair for 25 years, meaning quite a few years of profit for people such as Price.

According to Riggens, there is also a property tax exemption for home value increases based on improvements such as a solar panel system.

“So it’s a better return on your investment than redoing that kitchen with granite countertops.”

On top of the money saved, Riggens said there was also the thousands of pounds of carbon emissions home owners could be saving the environment as well.

“There’s two types of people who put in a system,” said Mary Kammer, Lompoc’s utility conservation coordinator. “Those who want to be green, and those who want to beat the system.”

Whichever their motives, so far there are 15 residential solar panel systems installed in the city, with another two in the process.

Lompoc is one of the few cities in California to actually buy electricity back, so Price and anyone else with a bigger system and smaller usage will be receiving a check at the end of the year for generating more than he uses, according to Kammer.

Lompoc Councilwoman Cecilia Martner was on hand at the Price house to learn more about solar power herself. She praised him for “having the vision to move ahead with something like this.”

“The sun is right there, and it’s free,” said Martner.

“Nature provides us with all these things, and all we need to do is make use of them,” Price added.

A home on Moonglow Avenue in Vandenberg Village represents what Riggens called a holistic approach to green design.

The owner, who asked that his name be withheld, said he and his wife had designed the home to include many energy-efficient features, including 100 percent energy generation from his panels, as well as a solar-powered hot water heater and heating system. The couple also had the house plumbed to use shower and sink “greywater” for irrigation.

“We decided to go ‘green’ now because of what might be coming up with energy prices,” said Keith, the Moonglow owner.

Riggens said he plans on having the solar tour become an annual event, and eventually hopes to extend it to include from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo.

For more information about solar power, or to find solar installation firms in the area, visit www.ases.org.

For more information and additional photos of the Price solar install, click here.