Vice President, Marketing, HelioPower

90 years since winning the right to vote women are calling for a new revolution.  This week marks 9 decades since the groundbreaking Nineteen Amendment granted women the right to cast a vote in America.  Officially titled Women’s Equality Day by Congress in 1971, August 26^th marks the day the daughters of America could vote.

“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any States on Account of sex,” states the 19^th Amendment to the Constitution.  This language empowered American women to a say in their destinies.  Now women are calling for a different revolution – for clean energy.

Within the clean energy movement, women hold many leadership roles.  By no means an exhaustive list, these leaders include Julia Hamm, president and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), Sue Kateley, Executive Director for the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA), Kristina M. Johnson, Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Dr. Jan Hamrin,  founder and president of the Center for Resource Solutions, and Lisa M. Daniels, Executive Director and founder of Windustry.

In her Ms. Magazine blog post August 23, “Can Rosie Get a Green-Collar Job?” writer Adina Nack highlighted “trailblazers who have already shifted the paradigm in their respective industries—like Geraldine Knatz (executive director of the Port of Los Angeles), Mary D. Nichols (chair of the California Air Resources Board) and Maggie Fox (CEO of the Alliance for Climate Protection).”  She goes on to say “ I’m proud to say that my sister Jaime Nack is one of the women at the forefront of such efforts: Greening the 2008 Democratic National Convention and organizing the upcoming Women In Green Forum, a two-day conference that will launch this September in Pasadena, Calif. to highlight women leaders in sustainability and provide networking opportunities for women entering green careers.”

As Ms. Nack cites in her article, traditionally male dominated industries including construction have lagged behind other industries in numbers of female workers.  Within the clean energy sector, I have many peers in the marketing and communications areas that are women.  Women work in the accounting and finance arenas for renewable energy.  They handle customer service issues.  There are a growing number of female business development professionals, community leaders, project managers, green building professionals, lighting experts, engineers and installers.   And there is room for growth for women in both the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors.

Women’s leadership in the energy efficiency and renewable energy fields are representative of public sentiments supporting clean energy in America.

The national Women’s Survey on Energy & the Environment, the first in-depth women’s survey on attitudes and awareness about energy, revealed “that women want the country to move toward clean energy sources, and more than half (57%) are even willing to pay $30 more per month for it,” reports Living Green Magazine.

The study, commissioned in 2009 by Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) in collaboration with the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE), surveyed a nationally representative cross section of 801 women 18 years or older.

“Women have a huge stake in our nation’s energy future and can play a vital role in moving our country toward clean sources of electricity, such as wind, solar and nuclear, that do not pollute the air we breathe or contribute to global warming,” said Barbara Kasoff, president of WIPP. “With so much resting on the energy and environment policy decisions we make today, every woman’s voice counts now more than ever.”

As reported by Living Green Magazine, the survey found within the general female population:
• 77 percent of women take primary or equal responsibility for paying their electricity bills, including 9-in-10 (91 percent) of unmarried women and 7 in 10 (70 percent) of married women.

• Virtually all women (97 percent) are conserving electricity, and they are doing so through a broad range of steps such as lowering thermostats; turning off lights and appliances when not in use; purchasing energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs; keeping their homes cooler in winter; and installing energy-efficient appliances, doors, windows, or insulation.
• 91 percent of women, including 86 percent of married women, play a dominant or equal role in conserving electricity at home.
• When it comes to the country’s energy policy, twice as many women (43 percent) cite moving to clean energy over any other issue (reliability or affordability of electricity) as their most important goal.
• Women are enthusiastic about solar and wind energy, both clean energy sources: 90 percent and 89 percent, respectively think they should play a very or somewhat important role in our country’s energy future.

Within the ranks of women business owners, the stats are even more powerful.   Living Green Magazine, “Women business owners are at the forefront of leading America toward energy conservation and clean energy. In fact, a majority cite moving to clean energy as our most important energy policy goal, according to a similar survey of 455 women business owners also commissioned by WIPP and WCEE.

On both of these measures, women business owners are even more committed to clean energy than the general female population. They strongly believe wind and solar energy should have an important role in addressing our country’s electricity needs.”

According to the Women’s Survey on Energy & the Environment, a majority of these same women will be paying the electric bills at home and work.  They are asking the questions that lead to higher adoption rates of solar, wind and other renewable energy sources in this country.

In 1940 my grandmother, Bea Sharp, divorced her husband and moved across the country with her three small children.  She became a “Rosie the Riveter” in the Douglas plant in southern California.  Her demonstration of life lived fearlessly influenced my aunt, who became a nurse in her fifties.  My aunt was there when I needed her one night in a hospital in Glendale, CA.  I come from a long line of women, including my Mom, who have lived life in pursuit of a better life for their children and country.

90 years since women won the right to vote, we are putting forth a different clarion call – one for clean energy, U.S. based jobs for our sons and daughters, a clean environment for our children and grandchildren and an American economy fueled by renewable energy abundance.

On this anniversary of the right to vote I enjoy today, I thank the courageous women (and men) who made this freedom possible.  For the men and women in my own family I am grateful for their courage and tenacity.

I thank the trailblazers who have moved our renewable energy industry forward. My life is blessed with the camaraderie of men and women within the clean energy industry.  We are working fiercely to see a future bright with the fulfilled promise of the clean energy revolution.  Just as our ancestors saw success 90 years ago, we will as well.

You can reach Glenna Wiseman at GWiseman@HelioPower.com

Are you curious if solar will help your family budget?  Maybe you've gone solar and would like your friends and family to enjoy the same benefits you are getting from solar? If yes is the answer for either question then we'd like to invite you to one of our upcoming solar community events.

Our solar community events are designed to be no-pressure, informational

The Needham's in Murrieta watch their meter spin backwards as solar by HelioPower cuts their electric bill.

style meetings.  They will give you, your friends and family members a chance to learn how solar works and if it can help you reduce or eliminate your electric bill.  As our utility bills continue to rise, freeing up the money spent on electricity can help your family's budget and return financial benefits for years to come.

Free community events will be conducted for solar information in San Diego, solar in Corona, solar in Redlands, solar in Valley Center and The Frontier Projects event for solar in Rancho Cucamonga. You can find out about the specific programs available in your region and if solar can assist you in reducing or eliminating your rising electric bill.

To reserve your seat at a solar community event near you click here or call us directly at 1 87-SOLAR-888.

One solar customer's story

From the Needhams’ in Murrieta, HelioPower solar power customers since 2006: Over the past few years we have been seeing our energy bills rise as much as 30% annually with no end in sight. Having always had a passion for energy conservation, we thought it was time to take action. When we heard about the state solar rebate that covers one third of the cost, the $2,000 federal tax credit (is now 30% no cap), and the instant increase in our property value… we figured that even at our age it was worth the investment.

After researching solar providers, we found HelioPower provided the best solar panels on the market and offered the lowest price. The installation was a treat for us. They were the most efficient and neatest installers we have ever seen in action. There was never any mess at the end of the day and it took a short 3 days to install. The panels blend nicely into our roof and if we did not brag about it so much, we doubt our neighbors would ever notice.

About six weeks later we received our rebate check from the state. Our panels were turned on April 19th, 2006 and we have not paid for electricity since. We LOVE to watch the meter run backward, especially with all the heat this past summer. We would recommend HelioPower to anyone interested in Solar Power.

Bill and Peggy Needham

Solar Home in Murrieta, CA

HelioPower Solar Energy Consultant

Like most of my colleagues at HelioPower, I joined the solar industry because of my concern for our environment.  As a recreational outdoorsman, I appreciate the need to escape the city and spend time in our undeveloped wilderness areas as often as possible. The more I understood the detrimental effects on both our environment and our health from conventional energy production, the more I wanted to be a part of the solution! With it’s proven technology, helping homeowners and businesses go solar is one of the fastest and best ways to make an impact.

Although the environment is what attracted me to solar, I find myself spending most of my time discussing money. While almost everyone would agree that we should be environmentally responsible, our own budgets usually are a big determinant in our ability to commit. Fortunately over the last few years, solar electricity generation has become affordable and an extremely attractive investment. Investment in the form of government tax credits and stakeholder subsidies has driven this cost reduction and prices are now the same or lower as utility rates in many parts of the country.

Economics aside, we must never forget the environment.

By almost every measure, the energy source that causes the greatestdestruction of our environment and degradation of our health is coal. Burning coal generates 54% of the electricity consumed in the U.S. (and 70% in China!) and virtually every step of the process including mining, transporting, burning, and disposing of the remnants represents an environmental as well as human catastrophe.

To start, the most economical method of getting to the coal is by using explosives to literally blow away the surface of earth covering the veins of coal. In 2006, 1.72 million metric tons of explosives were used for coal removal. The remaining contaminated earth is then pushed into adjacent areas destroying life and fouling nearby watersheds.

Next the coal must be broken up and transported via trucks to be burned at the power plants. This uses a tremendous amount of fossil fuel. The trucks also require new roads and introduce tons of exhaust fumes into the mountains of the mostly rural coal-rich areas. Burning the coal to generate electricity then releases millions of more tons of pollutants into the atmosphere. In fact, burning coal is the number one source of air-pollution in the US.

The coal industry, sensing a turning tide, markets the term “Clean Coal.” This is an oxymoron. Their theory is that scrubbers will remove many of the solid particulates that become airborne during combustion. These particulates are then collected into toxic slurry, which is then transported, again via truck to be buried underground further threatening groundwater supplies. Remarkably, some of this by-product called fly ash is used as a soil amendment!

Two recent events underscore the dangers of coal –  the billion ton sludge spill in Harriman, Tennessee in  20o8 and the West Virginia mine explosion that killed 29 miners in April of this year. These events drive home the fact that coal is devastating to the environment and puts human life at risk. As James Hansen, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Sciences, concludes phasing out emissions from coal “is 80% of the solution to the global warming crisis.”

By contrast, solar panels, once assembled and installed, passively sit in the sun producing electricity for decades and emit nothing!

Installing a solar power system today will not eliminate coal-generated

HelioPower solar installation team!

electricity. But millions of homes and businesses installing solar panels as well as other energy efficiency measures over the next decade will reduce our coal dependency significantly!

My mid-life career change into solar was motivated by my desire to positively effect our environment. Every system HelioPower brings online represents a step in the right direction.

We don’t have to drop what we’re doing and go back to the stone age; I’m a firm believer in the possibility of a future of sustainable energy and food sources, one that creates a future where our children enjoy an even higher quality of life than ours! However, to realize this future, we must assume responsibility and become part of the solution. Relatively small steps like eliminating bottled water, buying sustainable foods, and backyard composting, or more substantial commitments like installing solar panels on your home repeated hundreds of thousands and soon millions of times by concerned consumers will start this process. Don’t wait for your utility company or grocer to change their ways – you can help get this green ball rolling in the right direction right now!

Contact Derek at DGirling@HelioPower.com

By Scott Gordon
Vice President of Residential Sales
HelioPower, Inc

There are a lot of folks in California whose homes (and all improvements done to them) fall under the jurisdiction of a Home Owner’s Association (HOA). If you live in an HOA this shouldn’t be news to you. In fact you may have already gone through the process of gathering neighbor sign offs on your proposed home improvement before presenting the complete design package to the architectural committee for approval. If you have not gone through this process and don’t understand how CC&R’s (the Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions that determine what can and cannot be done to your property) can impact your solar power plans, this article is for you!

While I can’t cover all available strategies to move improvements through your HOA’s architectural committee, the purpose of this article is to give you insights and strategies for getting your residential solar energy system approved if you come up against an ornery board member, neighbor, or other impediment.

First, let me lay down the ground rules. In California, The Solar Rights Act of 1978 (and it’s various amendments over the years) states that “Any covenant, restriction, or condition contained in any deed, contract, security instrument, or other instrument affecting the transfer or sale of, or any interest in, real property that effectively prohibits or restricts the installation or use of a solar energy system is void and unenforceable.”

The Solar Rights Act goes on to state “installation of a solar energy system… shall not be willfully avoided or delayed. Any entity, other than a public entity, that willfully violates these provisions is liable to the applicant or other party for actual damages and must pay a civil penalty to the applicant or other party in an amount not to exceed $1,000.” Pretty cut and dry, right? Well, here’s where things get a little murkier.

Section 714 of California Civil Code does give municipalities and HOAs some wiggle room by giving these parties ‘reasonable restrictions on a solar energy system’ and it is within these reasonable restrictions that a troublesome HOA board can deny or restrict a residential solar system. Under Section 714, reasonable restrictions are defined as “restrictions on a solar energy system that do not significantly increase the cost of the system or significantly decrease its efficiency or specified performance”. The term ‘significantly’ is further defined as “an amount not to exceed $2,000 over the system cost as specified and proposed or a decrease in system efficiency of an amount exceeding 20 percent as originally specified and proposed.” What this means is that an HOA can restrict your solar power system if they don’t increase the cost by more than $2,000 or reduce its output by more than 20%.

Let me stop here for a moment and say that 99% of HOAs we deal with in California approve solar electric systems without a hassle of any kind. Most boards are aware of the Solar Rights Act and/or support renewable energy in their communities. So chances are quite good (especially if you’re not the first solar home in your neighborhood) that your solar power system will get rubber stamped by the board.

For those of you in the 1% minority of HOAs, prepare for a fight. These boards are usually comprised of individuals with anachronistic views of solar energy that fear that solar will detract from the natural beauty of the neighborhood, and they will do whatever it takes to impede your solar installation. These individuals, when presented with The Solar Rights Act, will build their opposition around the ‘reasonable restrictions’ clause of Section 714. The HOA’s most common tactic is to require you, the homeowner, to move the solar panels to a spot where they won’t be visible by your neighbors or to surround them with some type of landscaping if the system is ground mounted. Another common tactic is to require you to buy a certain type of solar panel that the HOA finds to be aesthetically pleasing. If the HOA is particularly opposed, they will play a game of ‘beat the clock’ with your installation hoping that either you will give up on solar or your rebate reservation will expire before installation. ‘Beat the clock’ is a particularly effective tactic if the architectural board only meets monthly or the board can’t seem to get a quorum at its monthly meetings.

Providing that you don’t give up and continue to fight for your right to

Residential solar in Laguna Niguel by HelioPower

go solar, the HOA will often solicit the advice of a third party ‘independent’ solar contractor to review your design. Of course, the HOA (which is using your dues money to pay for this independent assessment), will try it’s best to influence this independent third party. One tactic I’ve seen several times is to have the third party design a system that falls within the ‘reasonable restrictions’ clause. For example, an HOA in Laguna Niguel recently tried this with a customer of mine by asking another solar contractor to design a system that fit entirely on the back roof. The HOA’s goal was to eliminate any solar on the front of the house. Of course, the other contractor was able to oblige by reducing the system’s production by 18% (less than 20%) and because the system was smaller, it was also cheaper. As a result, the HOA thought it had gotten its way and went so far as to show up at an onsite meeting to review the other contractor’s design with me and my customer.

Well, that meeting didn’t work out quite the way the HOA planned. The other contractor had missed a critical shading factor in its design. A seven foot chimney to the south of the array eliminated nearly half of the back roof from consideration (Please see my blog “The Ravages of Shading” to better understand why this would be a problem). How could the other company have missed this tall chimney? The other company tried to design the system from a satellite image so they could save the trip out to the customer’s location. Once this company was made aware of the chimney’s existence, their design was rendered null and void and the HOA (after five months of stalling tactics) was forced to approve the original design.

Solar in Indian Wells, CA by HelioPower

Another HOA we’re working with recently approved a solar installation in Indian Wells provided the customer change from ‘front contact’ solar panels to ‘back contact’ solar panels because they didn’t ‘feel the reflective silver strips fit into the look’ of the neighborhood. They went on to say that they had gone to great effort to solicit ‘solar industry experts’ who insisted that ‘back contact’ panels could be installed for the same price as the originally proposed system. Well, the fact is that this customer was originally proposed the panels the HOA likes, but opted for a less costly solution. The solar system the customer chose was in fact over $7,000 cheaper than the system the HOA wants. The HOA in this case was in clear violation of the Solar Rights Act and was forced to allow the customer to go with the less expensive panel after a bit of wrangling.

I could cite numerous other examples of HOAs blocking solar installations for aesthetic and other reasons. So what do you do if you find yourself with an unreceptive HOA board that frowns upon solar? First, you need to lead the fight. The HOA will not listen to your solar contractor or return his calls in many cases. This is your fight and your solar company will have your back. Second, show your HOA the Solar Rights Act. This piece of paper will make the problem go away 99% of the time. Third, prepare cost and efficiency comparisons between what you want and what the HOA will allow. Be prepared to do a bit of education here since most HOA boards lack solar expertise. This is the best way to leverage your solar contractor. Fourth, have your contractor provide you with photos of other installations they’ve done that are similar to what he’s proposing for your home. After all, the HOA is mainly concerned with the system’s aesthetics, so if you can put their worries of an ugly solar array to bed, then they will likely approve the system. Lastly, if all else fails, you may need to bring in some legal firepower or get creative in some other way. Some things I’ve seen others try are: having your neighbors sign a petition supporting your solar power system as designed; calling the media out to your home to help ‘enlighten’ the board; getting yourself elected to the board to effect change from within, and lastly recalling the board outright.

In sum, if you live in an HOA community, you need to know your rights as they pertain to installing solar energy on your home. Familiarizing yourself with the law and the common tactics your HOA will employ to turn the law to their favor (or wear you down in the process) will inevitably speed system approval with minimal hassle. Your solar contractor should be able to help you navigate this process if you hit a roadblock, but always remember this is your fight, and ultimately you should win it. If you happen to be the first in your HOA to push solar through an uncooperative board, your neighbors will owe you a tremendous debt as they seek to reign in their energy costs in the future.

Scott Gordon can be reached at Sgordon@HelioPower.com

Solar panels are glossy, slick, technical equipment not normally associated with heartfelt emotions.  Even the noble financial and environmental benefits rightfully proclaimed at solar power system unveiling ceremonies don’t engender moist eyes.  Yet today the activation of a solar electric system brought about sentiments not usually ascribed to the celebration of clean energy generation. 

Today the Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego brought together a group of supporters and solar industry partners to celebrate their new solar power system.  Theirs is the first solar panel system for the Ronald McDonald House organization in California.  All the truly wonderful benefits were relayed to the group assembled.  And it was the impassioned statements of a mom that brought the group (or at least many of us) to tears.

Kim Abramson spoke on behalf of the 20,000 families of sick children who are helped at the new facility for Ronald McDonald House in San Diego.  The window she opened into the world of the families who are helped there inspired all of us in attendance. 

With 11 month old son Colby close by, Kim described the journey of her family.  Colby was born with a rare heart condition.  During the first months of his treatment she and her husband slept in their car during breaks from the hospital, not realizing there was any assistance. 

“People tell you what an adventure it will be,” said Kim of parenthood.  “No one prepares you for the roller coaster we’ve been on." 

During the four months they stayed at the House, she learned “every volunteer and House staff member is so genuine, so kind. They don’t realize the difference they are making.”

You can see the “difference they are making” shining in the eyes of the staff members at the Ronald McDonald House Charities. 

Bill Lennartz of Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego welcomes crowd to solar event

Bill Lennartz, President and CEO of the House, welcomed all to the event with genuine enthusiasm.  “I’m so delighted to see all of you at this important milestone for our House and for the community – the beginning of solar electric power for our beautiful new House and for our families” he said.  “We are the first Ronald McDonald House in California to go solar and officially today, our House is running on solar electric power.”

His big smile was matched only by the sun itself.  After burning away early morning coastal fog, the sun appeared.  As if on cue, it made a dramatic entrance in time to light up all 518 solar panels on the roof. 

In addition to the solar power system milestone, the new House facility is celebrating its one year anniversary. The organization itself is 30 years old in the San Diego area.  With its new “green” House the capacity of the charity has gone from 12 bedrooms serving 3600 families annually to 47 guest rooms capable of providing respite to 20,000 families.

Built atop a parking structure that serves the world famous Children’s Hospital of San Diego, the building is sustainably constructed.  The solar installation is part of the Ronald McDonald House of San Diego’s pursuit of U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The House was built according to strict green building standards, using a combination of high-efficiency mechanical systems and envelope and lighting design; it uses 17.5 percent less energy than a typical building in California. Materials used to create the building contain significant amounts of recycled content, and the building provides recycling collection stations to all house guests and employees.

Today’s event provided a wonderful backdrop for the California Center for Sustainable Design to present the McDonald House their “Solar Partners Recognition Award” presented by Katrina Perez, Non-Residential Program Manager.

Lending their support not only to the day’s events but to the project itself were Dr. Georg  Schlueter, a renewable energy expert who initiated and guided the solar power project, Jim Coleman of PV Powered, the solar inverter equipment company and Robert Lombardi, President of 4G Development, the buidling’s construction firm.

Steve LoRusso, Vice President of Commercial Sales for HelioPower, addressed some of the issues non-profit organizations normally have to overcome to empower their properties with solar panel systems.

“The challenge was to deliver a financial model that could meet their green building goal, improve their LEED certification and reduce their operating expense,” said LoRusso.  “The challenges were great, but the goal was even greater.  As a non-profit they had no appetite for tax credits and depreciation benefits that typically drive solar investments.  With the help of our sister company, Helio Micro Utility, we structured a financial model to start saving right away; those savings that are better spent on the needs of families that Ronald McDonald House was built to serve; savings that will continue to benefit the families in residence for the next 40-50 years.  A model for sustainable building others in the community of San Diego should emulate.”

HelioPower, who engineered and constructed the project, Canadian Solar and PV Powered all reduced service or product costs to bring the cost of the Ronald McDonald House project down. 

Managing cash flow was a huge issue for an organization that depends on donations.  “If Ronald McDonald House were to buy this solar power system outright at the time they entered into the agreement with HelioPower they would have paid about $600K with about a $100K non-profit rebate,” explained LoRusso who has been in the solar industry since its beginning.   “They would have needed to come up with the $600k up front and collect back the rebate over 5 years.  As a non-profit, they had no way to monetize the tax credit or MACRS depreciation.”

“HelioPower working with Helio Micro Utility created this unusually small power purchase agreement (PPA) because, after all it was for Ronald McDonald House,” explained LoRusso. “They save a on the cost per kWh thru the five year short term of the PPA, with the real savings happens starting in year 6 when they realize 100% of the solar benefit.”

Number crunching of another sort, the kind of energy figures the solar industry reviews to measure our growth, was discussed at the event by Mike Miskovsky, General Manager of the U.S. Division of Canadian Solar.

“We are one of the largest solar companies in the world with offices around the globe producing solar products for projects that span from this McDonald House to a 15 megawatt solar farm in Mahora, Spain,” opened Miskovsky. 

In closing, he talked of the kind of inspirational numbers represented by the row of young children, who were attending House students.  These kinds of numbers are “the reasons that inspire us,” he said.  “Nonprofits around the world are reaping the benefits of solar electric system installations – from vast energy and cost savings to sweeping environmental benefits. Ronald McDonald House of San Diego is a shining example of an institution utilizing solar energy which, in turn, helps others.”

Those others and their stories of desperate journeys to heal ill children and the angels who help along the way…well, they'll bring you to tears. 

Ronald McDonald House family, Kim Abramson and son Colby surrounded by Mike Miskovsky of Canadian Solar, Bill Lennartz of the House and Steve LoRusso of HelioPower. 518 solar panels powering the Ronald McDonald House shine in the background.

 Ms. Wiseman can be reached at GWiseman@HelioPower.com

Ronald McDonald House of San Diego will serve more than 20,000 families this year alone, and the solar electric installation will help offset the electrical needs of the families with clean energy. This month, the House celebrates the one-year anniversary of its 47-bedroom House for overnight guests and its Family Care Center, which serves as a day-time refuge for anyone with a child in a San Diego hospital.

“The Ronald McDonald House ensures families in San Diego receive the necessities they need as they care for their sick child , and we are so pleased to be able to provide our high-quality modules to this pivotal community facility,” said Mike Miskovsky, U.S. general manager of Canadian Solar, Inc. “Through its leadership in California implementing a renewable energy solution, the Ronald McDonald House of San Diego will reap significant financial savings while contributing to environmental sustainability for years to come.”

The Ronald McDonald House of San Diego solar electric system will produce

an average of 147,846 kilowatt hours (kW/h) per year. The environmental offset is equivalent to curtailing the release of 151,420 pounds of carbon dioxide each year, or planting 554 new trees and sequestering the carbon dioxide over their lifetime.

The solar installation was designed and constructed by HelioPower and financed by Helio Micro Utility, and consists of 518 Canadian Solar CS6P-220P polycrystalline modules. These modules are among the top-ranked in the industry in PV USA (PTC) ratings, which are quickly becoming universally accepted standards for measuring real-world module energy production and performance.  PV Powered, Inc., an Advanced Energy company, supplied the 100kW inverter. Canadian Solar, HelioPower and PV Powered all donated price reductions to benefit the charity.

“Ronald McDonald House decided to pursue solar energy to create a healthy and sustainable environment for the children and families we serve, and to help greatly offset power costs,” said Bill Lennartz, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House of San Diego. “Our partners have been vital to our success as a resource to families in some of the most challenging times of their lives, and we are excited to now be producing clean solar energy to help us provide care to even more families.”

The solar installation is part of the Ronald McDonald House of San Diego’s pursuit of U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The House was built according to strict green building standards, using a combination of high-efficiency mechanical systems and envelope and lighting design; it uses 17.5 percent less energy than a typical building in California. Materials used to create the building contain significant amounts of recycled content, and the building provides recycling collection stations to all house guests and employees.

“This is the first Ronald MacDonald House in California to go solar,” said Steve LoRusso, vice president of commercial sales at HelioPower. “Working with our affiliate company, Helio Micro Utility, we developed the critical solar financing structure that worked for them as a nonprofit entity and supported their green building goals.”

“Ronald McDonald House of San Diego makes life easier and more comfortable for many families in need. We are honored to be a part of helping so many people by providing our inverter, with its field-proven reliability and uptime, to this important solar installation” said Erick Petersen, VP of Sales and Marketing at PV Powered.

Solar home in Corona, CA. Solar installation by HelioPower.

like a big challenge. You might, however, change your mind in light of the following statistics.  According to the U. S. Census Bureau figures, there were 69,865,957* homes in the year 2000 considered “detached, single family.”  As you ponder the miniscule percentage 10,000 of these homes represents, powering that many households with solar starts to sound like a modest goal.  Particularly when you consider  solar as an energy source currently accounts for less than 1% of our national electrical energy needs.**  

The 10,000 solar roofs challenge is a recently launched cause “seeking 10,000 homeowners across the nation who want to power their homes with clean, solar energy in 2010.“  From the cause page: Now more than ever is the time to embrace renewable energy as a cleaner and safer option to coal and oil. The Gulf oil spill and the coal mining accident are the most recent reminders of the risks involved with dirty fossil fuels. These disasters have hurt the environment, local economies, and taken human lives.

The campaign is supported by SunRun, the nation’s leading residential solar financing company and solar installation firms including HelioPower.

“SunRun is supporting 10,000 solar roofs because it’s so important for Americans to realize that they do have a choice about where their energy comes from,” said SunRun President, Lynn Jurich.   “Our society relies heavily on coal and oil, no question.  Individually, we can decide to power our homes with clean renewable energy.   Many homeowners today can switch to solar for no upfront cost and no hassle.  It’s hugely important for everyone to realize that this is one way that they can make a big difference. 10,000 solar roofs in 2010 would go a long way to reducing pollution and our dependence on dirty energy sources.” 

For more information about the solar roofs challenge and to support the cause see: http://www.causes.com/causes/484512

Sources:

*  U.S. Census Bureau/Census of Housing

** SEIA 2009 State of the Industry Report

the event is presented by the Riverside Public Utilities.  Visitors can talk to Mayor Loveridge about going green, learn how to get a solar rebate, learn how you can buy green power, see how the city of Riverside uses solar power and have the kids make solar power art for Father’s Day.

Derek Girling, HelioPower solar energy consultant, will be on hand to assist visitors with information about the company’s new One Block Off the Grid community discount purchase program for solar Inland Empire, just announced June 14. 

For more information, click here for the Riverside Public Utilities information page.

By Derek Girling
HelioPower Solar Energy Consultant

Whether you’re a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Independent or Tea Partier, our sun graciously shines on you almost each and every day. However in this year’s election, the sun has come out and publicly endorsed the green parties – both of them!

Who are these two green parties? Well there’s the Green in Your Wallet Green Party and there’s the Green Planet Green Party. The Green Planet Green Party has always been a favorite of the sun and now the Green in Your Wallet Green Party has got the sun’s vote, too!

Installing solar panels is one of the best things you can do to significantly reduce you and your family’s carbon footprint. Your solar array will eliminate literally tens of thousands of pounds of CO2 over its life. As more and more homes and businesses go solar, less dirty oil and coal-fired generation facilities will be built and brought online.

Even if you believe man-made climate change is a hoax, it is common sense to realize that cutting airborne pollutants is good for our planet. As Judy Bonds of Appalachian Voices and Coal River Mountain Watch says, “breathing clean air and drinking clean water shouldn’t be a luxury, but a birthright!” We owe it to our kids and our kid’s kids to do everything possible to clean up the mess our industrialized society has made and get this clean up going as soon as possible. Solar panels are like a great big broom with which to start sweeping!

The Green in Your Wallet Green Party members are the original solar skeptics. They understand the environmental benefits, but have been waiting for solar to be a sound investment as well. Their wait is over. Early adopters of solar gave the solar industry a great jumpstart and helped drive down costs to the lowest ever. Whether you purchase your solar power system outright or utilize one of the several great residential solar financing options or a power purchase agreement to buy green energy, solar will start showing you a financial returns right away.

So while our political parties may split hairs with each other over who has our best interests at heart, when it comes to which party our sun supports, it’s a landslide for the green parties – both of them!

Contact Derek Girling at DGirling@HelioPower.com.

HelioPower’s “The Best Time to Go Solar Just Got Better!” campaign will offer homeowners throughout the IE and Orange County the opportunity to take advantage of 1BOG’s 15%* group discount on home solar panel installation. In addition to great solar power system pricing, HelioPower, a SunRun home solar financing partner, will be able to offer zero down financing to qualified buyers.

"We are thrilled to recognize HelioPower as 1BOG's installer partner, to service 1BOG member homeowners in the Inland Empire and Orange County with top notch solar installations at a great, pre-negotiated price," said Dave Llorens, CEO of 1BOG. "HelioPower has always been a fantastic partner to 1BOG and we selected them for the customer service, track record of successful installs and reliable warranties."

Scott Gordon, HelioPower’s vice president of residential sales, commented on the campaign: “We are very pleased to be the partner selected for 1BOG’s Inland Empire and Orange County campaigns. This most recent selection validates HelioPower as a value driven solar integration company that provides high quality installations at affordable prices. We have already helped over 130 1BOG members go solar in previous campaigns and we look forward to helping 1BOG’s newest members realize their solar ambitions. When we combine 1BOG’s pre-negotiated pricing with SunRun financing, the best time to go solar just got better for those in the Inland Empire and Orange County.”

HelioPower and 1BOG will kick off the Inland Empire campaign with a solar education event, Wednesday, June 16^th. The event will feature opening remarks from Renea Wickman, Democratic candidate for California Assembly District 63, in her first post-primary public appearance. The event will take place June 16^th, 2010 at 6:30pm at The Frontier Project, a USGBC LEED certified green building in Rancho Cucamonga.

To sign up for the HelioPower events please visit here for solar event information. More information about solar in the Inland Empire can be found at the Solar Inland Empire 1BOG website. Homeowners in Orange County can find details about solar pricing, products and local events by visiting 1BOG’s Orange County solar specific information.

Scott Gordon at HelioPower Introduces 1BOG solar Inland Empire and solar Orange county programs