Clean Energy

The September issue of National Geographic has a terrific set of articles on solar. "Plugging Into the Sun. Sunlight bathes us in far more energy than we could ever need—if we could just catch enough"  by George Johnson is an in-depth look at the capabilities of solar to light up the world, historic and scientific information and why Europe is so far ahead of the U.S. "Can Solar Save Us?" by Chris Carroll is an essay worth visiting. The articles are supplemented by an excellent photo gallery and several renewable energy graphs.

Excerpts:
With a new administration in Washington promising to take on global warming and loosen the grip of foreign oil, solar energy finally may be coming of age. Last year oil prices spiked to more than $140 a barrel before plunging along with the economy—a reminder of the dangers of tying the future to something as unpredictable as oil. Washington, confronting the worst recession since the 1930s, is underwriting massive projects to overhaul the country's infrastructure, including its energy supply. In his inaugural address President Barack Obama promised to "harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories." His 2010 budget called for doubling the country's renewable energy capacity in three years. Wind turbines and biofuels will be important contributors. But no form of energy is more abundant than the sun.

"If we talk about geothermal or wind, all these other sources of renewable energy are limited in their quantity," Eicke Weber, director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, in Freiburg, Germany, told me last fall. "The total power needs of the humans on Earth is approximately 16 terawatts," he said. (A terawatt is a trillion watts.) "In the year 2020 it is expected to grow to 20 terawatts. The sunshine on the solid part of the Earth is 120,000 terawatts. From this perspective, energy from the sun is virtually unlimited."

Among amendments added to the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) of 2009, H.R. 2454, yesterday is important legislation for the solar power industry.  Yesterday’s votes at the House Energy and Commerce Committee markup of global warming and energy legislation included an amendment passed which ”gives states the ability to adopt 'feed-in tariffs' for renewables.”  This amendment was added by Kathy Castor (D-Fla.).  Florida is ahead of the curve with its adoption of a feed-in tariff program in Gainesville, through the Gainesville Regional Utilities, known as GRU.  GRU is the 5th largest municipal electric utility in Florida.

ACES, a combined energy and climate bill, was released by Congressmen Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.) in May.  A summary of the legislation from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce web site can be found here.

The Wikipedia entry on Feed-In Tariffs gives this definition “an incentive structure to encourage the adoption of renewable energy through government legislation. The regional or national electricity utilities are obligated to buy renewable electricity (electricity generated from renewable sources, such as solar photovoltaics, wind power, biomass, hydropower and geothermal power) at above-market rates set by the government.”

More from Wikipedia, “The German federally managed program that has proven to be the world's most effective practice for boosting adoption of renewable energy technologies. Feed-In Tariffs (REFIT) have been associated with a large growth in solar power in Spain, Germany and wind power in Denmark. These countries now boast the supply of 9%, 5% and 20% of their electricity respectively. These systems involve fixed payments that are guaranteed in the long term; 20 years in the cases of Spain and Germany.”

For points of view on the ACES, here are a few resources:

Solar Energy Industries Association Improvements to the ACES, pdf summary.

Alliance to Save Energy, offers an energy efficiency perspective. From their website, “This legislation represents our first real chance for a national carbon reduction plan in the United States.”

IEEE, the world's leading professional association for the advancement of technology, is conducting its first ever Energy Fly-In to Washington, DC June 15-16.  A review of their energy policy’s can be found here.  From their website, “Energy underlies and connects three converging challenges that face the United States in the early 21st century: security, prosperity, and the environment.  To address these issues, President Barack Obama and Congress have vowed to make energy issues a priority this year.”

Related information:
Tracking of the bill can be found at OpenCongress.org.

Testimony on the bill can be found at the National Resources Defense Fund site.

Projected Senate and House Votes on 2009 Climate Legislation information can be found on E2.org site.

The Desert Sun reports today, "Congressional subcommittee looks at solar development."

Excerpt:

Witnesses in today’s Congressional subcommittee hearing today said it would take multi-agency cooperation to balance expanding renewable energy with environmental and land disturbance concerns.

Today’s nearly three hour hearing, by the Energy and Minerals Resources subcommittee, started around 9:30 a.m. at the University of California-Riverside Palm Desert Graduate Center. Their focus is solar development on federal lands.

Nine panelists, including representatives from the California Public Utilities Commission and Bureau of Land Management, discussed various projects underway as well as specific solar projects.

Many were California specific. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has set of goal of raising its dependency on renewable energy to 33 percent by 2020, as well as cutting global emission levels by almost 30 percent from current use levels.

“These are very, very important goals,” said Julia Levin, the renewable energy commissioner for the California Energy Commission.

“These are also critical for our economy. These will create jobs, these will create new business opportunities for California … and finally give us true energy independence.”

For the full article, click here.

HelioPower joins other environmentally oriented companies to support the city of Palm Desert's Bright Ideas Expo, this Saturday, March 14, from 11am to 3pm. The focus of this family oriented & kid-friendly Expo is: Ideas to save money on your energy bills, and living “green.”

The Expo will be held in the Palm Desert Civic Center Park, located at Fred Waring Drive and San Pablo Avenue. HelioPower local solar energy experts, Matt Rifkin and Matt McPherson, will be at Booth 29!  Talk to our Palm Desert team about how we can help you reduce or eliminate your electric bill and use the city's Energy Independence Program to finance the purchase. 

For more information about the Palm Desert Energy Independence Program, click here.

HelioPower residential solar panel system in Palm Desert, CA

Source: WASHINGTON (Reuters) Feb. 12 For Full Story: U.S. economic stimulus to boost renewable energy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After weeks of debate, Democratic leaders in House of Representatives and the Senate have reached an agreement on an economic stimulus package that would pump billions of dollars into "smart grid" projects and renewable energy.

The $789 billion package, which now must be approved by both chambers, contains $11 billion for modernizing the U.S. electricity grid and developing so-called smart grids. 

Smart grids utilize technology to create more efficient and less costly methods of moving electricity.

Aimed at boosting the nation's economy and creating jobs, the legislation also provides $6 billion in loan guarantees for renewable energy projects such as wind or solar energy development.

Solar industry representatives said the stimulus bill would add 67,000 jobs to the sector in 2009 and a total of 119,000 jobs over the next two years.

"The solar provisions in the bill will allow us to begin hiring, create growth opportunities for small businesses throughout the country and keep the economic engine going," Solar Energy Industries Association President Rhone Resch said in a statement. 

Earlier this week, President Barack Obama stressed the importance of providing tax breaks and loan guarantees for firms that produce solar and wind energy.

Fast Company Magazine brings us an excellent resource to review the projects, including energy, in the Stimulus bill and how the list was generated.  View writer, Chris Dannen, full artile here, "Breaking Down the "Energy" Projects in the Stimulus."

Commercial Solar Power Installation in Poway, CA by HelioPower

Here is an excerpt:

Most of the projects in the the President's $900 billion stimulus package are the kind of public works the government has executed for decades: trains, bridges, and so on. But the "Energy" projects that will be eligible for funding are full of new technologies that have never before been implemented on a large scale. What exactly are they?

According to the House Committee on Appropriations, the House version of the bill reserves "energy" monies for the following project categories.

• $11 billion for R&D devoted to the Smart Grid Investment Program and various energy pilot projects
• $8 billion for loans for renewable energy plants
• $6.9 billion for loans to state and local governments, to help them make general "investments" that will increase their energy efficiency
• $8.7 billion to weatherize HUD-sponsored and moderate income housing
• $2 billion in loans and grants for battery technology
• $1.5 billion for increasing the efficiency of schools and colleges
• $300 million in rebates for consumers who buy Energy Star-rated appliances
• $1 billion to buy alternative fuel cars for federal, state and local government
• $200 million in grants towards electric vehicle research
• $2.4 billion for carbon-capture technology to cleanse fossil fuel energy
• $350 for the Department of Defense to figure out how to power bases and weapons with renewable energy
• $500 million for energy-efficient manufacturing projects
• $300 for reducing diesel emissions.

You can read the House's summary of the bill here.

We know a little bit about the so-called "smart grid" that President Obama is advocating. The smart grid is an energy transmission system that can handle variable energy levels, and can pull energy from homes and businesses as easily as it can send energy there. That makes inconsistent generators like wind turbines and solar panels feasible energy sources, and opens the possibility for hybrid cars and houses to sell back some of their energy to the utility company.

But the details of the other projects are discussed largely in catch phrases and metonyms. To figure out where this money will actually go, you have to dig into the pages of the Main Street Economic Recovery Report, which is a list of potential stimulus projects compiled by the US Conference of Mayors. As I explained in an earlier post, the mayors of America's cities will be the ones sending stimulus ideas to the state-level government, who, in turn, will apply for funding from the Department of Commerce once the stimulus–aka the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act–is signed into law at the end of this week.

But if you want a more Web 2.0 way to explore the mayors' project suggestions, you can check out Stimulus Watch, which has ported the mayors' list, and allows people to vote and comment on the projects.

The mayors' report lists over 1300 "energy" and related project ideas in all 50 states. This is the meat and potatoes of the stimulus package, right here; each idea is summarized with job-creation predictions and cost estimates. It's also the most exciting part of the act, because many of these suggested projects will, if enacted, bring thousands of talked-about "green" ideas to immediate popular use.

Residential solar panel installation in Encinitas, CA by HelioPower

Generous state and utility rebates and now the new Federal Incentive Tax Credit for renewable energy can lift up to 50% off the price of a solar power system for your home or business.  It has never been a better time to invest in a solar electricity system, thus greatly reducing or eliminating your electric bill altogether!

A solar electric or panel system sits atop your roof and generates electricity from the sun!  You use very limited amounts of electricity from your utility company. 

New Federal Tax Credits for buying a Solar Power System just increased to 30% with no cap for either residential or commercial systems. When you combine these AMT exempt Federal Tax Credits with State Rebates, you can save nearly 50% on a new system!

In these volatile economic times we continue to be faced with escalating electricity costs. When you invest in a solar power system your budget is insulated from continued electricity rate hikes. For example, starting in January 2009 SCE will increase your rates by 25% to 30% as a result of higher natural gas and transmission costs. This marks the third rate increase in just four years!

Additionally, a solar electric system will increase the value of your home or business. A recent study from the Appraisal Institute demonstrated that the selling price of homes increased by $20.73 for every $1.00 of decrease in annual utility bills. Using this math, a solar electric system often pays for itself the day it’s installed.

Call the HelioPower sales team at 1-87-SOLAR-888 to get a free on site analysis and customized quote for your rooftop solar power system. 

By Glenna Wiseman

With the extension of the Federal Investment Tax Credits for solar, the mood was jubilant.  Rhone Resch, president of SEIA, relived the exhausting 18 month journey the industry took to get the credits in place.  The legislature turned in a Hollywood style ending in its passage as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.   His retelling of the amazing collaborative effort presented a cathartic opportunity for the industry to take a deep breath, fully embody the triumph and now move onto the hard work yet to come.  In fact Resch reiterated a laundry list of objectives SEIA sees as critical to the growth of the solar industry.  Ending his speech, he recalled the recent "Drill Baby Drill" call of the oil industry, urging the industry to replace it with "Go Solar, Baby, Go Solar!"

Talking with veterans of the industry at large, several mentioned the show reminded them of the "dot com" rush.  Lots of investment bankers rooming the aisles looking for the next big idea, etc.  Described as the "solar rush" by some, the industry is indeed poised for heavy growth over the next decade. If this industry matures as most do, you will see consolidation in the ranks and those investing in solar power systems are wise to look to strong entities to supply panels.

Many believe solar to be the "right technology at the right time and place" as our country looks to green up its energy sources and free up the grip of foreign oil on our economy and national security interests. 

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger walked the show prior to its official opening.  "Of course we are now facing tough economic times, but that's why we need to focus on solar and the environment," he said as reported by TheStreet.com.

The environment and the economy are cental themes in Thomas Friedman’s new book, "Hot, Flat and Crowded."  World-renowned author, journalist and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Friedman focuses on the role of environmental efforts in his new book, seeing this strategy as central to our financial well-being, among critical benefits.  You can join his online group discussion at http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/.

Breaking news, Wednesday, September 24, 2008 from RenewableEnergyWorld.com: "US Senate Passes Renewable Energy Tax Credits, House Could Pass Bill This Week:"

HelioPower commercial installation for Dos Molson in Poway, CA

The United States Senate on Tuesday voted by an overwhelming majority to extend the Production (PTC) and Investment Tax Credits (ITC). The tax measure was passed by a vote of 93-2. Now it goes back to the U.S. House of Representatives where it could be approved later this week.

Under the legislation, the PTC will be extended for one year and the ITC will be extended for eight years. The extensions would be at least partially paid for by a change in the tax code for the oil and gas industry. The bill also contains removal of the US $2,000 cap for residential solar installations. The US $18 billion package is part of a larger tax bill worth approximately US $148 billion.

Already an innovator in its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, the city of Palm Desert is one step closer to realizing its goal of reducing citywide energy consumption by 30 percent before 2012. Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed Assembly Bill 811 into law as an “urgency measure,” for the first time allowing city and county governments throughout California to provide loans to property owners planning home or business improvements that will reduce energy consumption. The bill, termed locally the Energy Independence Program, was written and lobbied for by Palm Desert’s civic leaders.

Palm Desert’s City Council is has passed a program to put the bill into effect locally as quickly and simply as possible, and has already heard from more than 275 residents who are interested in participating.  The Council approved the Energy Independence Program at its regular meeting on August 28. The city plans to provide loans for as little as $5,000, with no upper limit, for improvements such as efficient air-conditioning, dual-pane windows, pool pumps, solar panels, or white roofs—anything that will reduce electricity consumption and is considered a permanent fixture. The city will provide low-interest loans requiring no credit checks or other qualifications other than the title to improved property. The loans will be paid back as part of the property tax bill—meaning if the home or business is sold, the loan stays with the property.

“Three years ago, we set a lofty goal of reducing our energy use by 30 percent, and now we have the means to accomplish it,” said Councilman Jim Ferguson, who spearheaded the passage of the Energy Independence Program. “During the summer months, when temperatures regularly reach over 100 degrees, Palm Desert residents can pay over $1000 a month for electricity. This program will empower them to explore renewable energy sources and make meaningful changes for the environment as well as their own finances.” 

The city has enlisted the expertise of EcoMotion, a consulting company that also advises cities such as Anaheim and Santa Monica on their environmental initiatives. Under the leadership of president Ted Flanigan, EcoMotion will coordinate and help facilitate the loan program. Flanigan will also work to document Palm Desert’s carbon footprint and suggest further improvements to the city’s already aggressive energy- and emissions-reduction programs.

For more information please see, http://www.cityofpalmdesert.org/.