In a press release today, solar-powered light manufacturer Sol, Inc. announced that the first phase of its Haiti relief effort has been completed. The company has already shipped approximately one third of its first 130 solar light systems and is looking for air or sea shipping partners to assist with the rest. While the bulk of the company’s $300,000 effort has yet to be realized–i.e., installed–Sol, Inc. did get some emergency systems up right after the initial devastating earthquake:

Solar lights donated by Sol, Inc. have already been installed at University Hospital, International Airport, UN Logistics Base and Hotel Montana within days of the disaster for quick, immediate and reliable illumination for victims and volunteers.

Two representatives from the company have been on the ground in Haiti since January 19 installing lights and ensuring that their systems are being put to use where they’re most needed.

Sol, Inc & local Haiti team erect solar powered light

The New York Power Authority announced on Wednesday a statewide solar plan with the potential to power 15,000 homes from the sun by 2014, in the form of its 100 MW Solar Photovoltaic Initiative. The NYPA has called for proposals from developers to install, own and operate solar photovoltaic arrays on primarily publicly owned buildings, such as schools, local government facilities and municipal electric utilities. The electricity generated from these solar panels would then be sold to the NYPA under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA), with development for the initiative beginning this year and set to finish in 2014.

From the press release:

Richard M. Kessel, NYPA president and chief executive officer, said: “Through this solar initiative, the New York Power Authority is working toward Governor Paterson’s 45 by 15 goal and helping build the solar industry in New York State. This initiative will advance the development of the solar industry and clean energy jobs throughout the state, will further help diversify our energy sources and incorporate green power educational opportunities for our schools.”

The Governor’s “45 by 15″ program aims for New York to obtain 45 percent of its electricity through “energy efficiency and clean renewable energy,” a target that even California would find challenging, given its widely expected inability to meet its own RPS goal of 20 percent by 2010. Will the NYPA be up to the challenge? With its recent Request for Proposals (RFP), the power organization is indicating that it is casting a wide net for bids: projects in Western New York, Northern New York, Central New York, Southeast New York and New York City are all eligible. The deadline for RFP responses is April 22.

“A sustainable future for New York requires bold initiatives which will increase the deployment of clean energy,” Governor Paterson said. “The New York Power Authority’s advancement of this, the largest solar initiative in State history, aligns with the State Energy Plan’s direction to increase in-State energy supplies. In doing so, this initiative will support growth in the clean energy industry and promote job creation, diversify our energy portfolio and support our energy independence.”

New York, the next hotbed of solar? We’ll keep our ears to the ground.

President Barack Obama last night delivered the State of the Union Address. The President focused on the economy, above all, emphasizing his administration’s efforts to shore up the economy and create jobs. Clean energy was mentioned a number of times, and solar in particular got a shout-out about two-thirds of the way through: “And no area is more ripe for such innovation than energy.  You can see the results of last year’s investments in clean energy — in the North Carolina company that will create 1,200 jobs nationwide helping to make advanced batteries; or in the California business that will put a thousand people to work making solar panels.”

In the GOP response, Virginia’s new governor, Bob McDonnell, also emphasized jobs and energy, though he made no specific reference to solar: “All Americans agree, this nation must become more energy independent and secure. We are blessed here in America with vast natural resources, and we must use them all. Advances in technology can unleash more natural gas, nuclear, wind, coal, and alternative energy to lower your utility bills.”

Gwendolyn Bounds expounds on the benefits of “cheap hot water” in a Wall Street Journal article on solar water-heating systems. If you like what she has to say, follow her on Twitter.

SEKO Worldwide announced yesterday that it recently added a 31-kW photovoltaic (PV) system to its Portland, Oregon facility. The system — which was installed by Eugene, OR-based Grape Solar –  is expected to produce 80 percent to 90 percent of the facility’s electricity demand.

In a real-world example of “green-jobs” creation, General Motors will open a manufacturing plant in Baltimore, MD, where it will make electric motors. The $246 million investment is expected to create 200 jobs in the short term, a number that could grow to as many as 1,700 further out. Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley emphasized he and his colleagues are “focused on one thing and one thing only: creating and saving as many jobs for as many Maryland families as we can.”

The L.A. Times reports that Fremont, CA-based Solyndra will sell some of its unique, cylindrical photovoltaic (PV) panels in Belgium. At 1.9 megawatts, the 10-system deal is Solyndra’s biggest project to date.

Suntech Power (NYSE:STP), a Chinese maker of solar panels, announced Goodyear, Arizona as the location for its first U.S.-based manufacturing facility, according to The Arizona Republic. Suntech had previously announced its intention to open a facility in Arizona, but declined to name a specific site.

Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL) announced a 40-megawatt deal with ITEC in Germany, suggesting that, despite planned cutbacks in solar subsidies in that country, solar equipment sales will continue in 2010.

Finally, as world leaders meet in Davos, Switzerland for their fancy annual meeting sponsored by the World Economic Forum, the WSJ reports that engineering giants Siemens and ABB predict strong demand growth for renewable energy technologies — this despite the worst economy in decades.

A joint venture of solar panel manufacturer Suniva and storage developer GS Battery aims to bring battery back-up (but still grid-tied) solar into the limelight once again. Inefficient battery storage has encouraged small-scale solar generation to rely entirely on the grid for auxiliary power. Battery systems can cost nearly twice as much as straight grid-tied systems, depending on the needs of the system, and the batteries themselves are often not eligible for cost-reducing solar incentives. (Though beginning this year, battery systems are eligible for the 30 percent federal ITC.) They also take up a ton of space, which is something many homes and small commercial installation sites don’t have on hand. The Suniva-GS system will use deep-cycle nanocarbon batteries to achieve high performance. The demo system will be 30 kw in capacity with a 3,000-amp hour battery component.

Let’s get into the battery vs. grid-tied debate a bit further. Up until ten or fifteen years ago, home solar energy systems with a battery storage component were the norm, even though utilities in the United States have had to allow independent electric generation facilities to connect to the grid since 1978. But it wasn’t until 2005 that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) introduced interconnection standards for systems under 20 MW, making it much easier for states to build their own such standards and speed up the installation and permitting process for solar energy systems.

Interconnection standards do not net-metering make: it’s up to an individual state to require its utilities to compensate independent electric generators for the energy they feed into the grid. Most states do now have net metering laws in place (all but six states offer some form of net-metering, whether state mandated or in some cases by the utilities’ own initiative–the Pew Center on Global Climate Change maintains an easy to read map of which is which).

Not all net-metering programs are created equal: in some, you get compensated for your net-excess generation (NEG) at the rate at which you purchase electricity from the grid, an even exchange and perfect offset. In this instance, the utility is basically acting like a perfectly efficient “battery”.

In some net-metering programs, however, the utility is allowed to compensate you for your NEG at a rate lower than that at which you purchase electricity from them. This can be either a lower-tier rate or, worse, an avoided cost rate. “Avoided cost” is the estimated cost of production per kilowatt-hour (kWh) that the utility avoids paying because, well, you’re producing that kWh for them for free. So they pass on their savings to you, but not a penny more. In this type of net-metering program, you’re not getting full value for every kWh of electricity you produce. It’s therefore more cost-effective to store any NEG on-site and either use it when you need it or–and this is where smart-grid technology and time of use meters are game-changing–sell it back to the utility when you can get a better price for it. Here’s where efficient, more affordable batteries could seriously make a positive difference to solar’s ROI.

All of which is to say, we’ll be keeping an eye on Suniva and GS Battery’s collaboration, as well as on other new battery solutions as they emerge.

The brand-new Massachusetts program designed to encourage commercial solar development in the state is officially closed to new applicants for the first block of funding. How long did it take for the $4 million Block 1 to sell out? Well, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center opened up to solicitations for the first block of funding at 2:00pm today; and the email to Massachusetts Solar Stakeholders announcing that sufficient applications had been received went out at 5:38pm today. So I guess I exaggerated above–it took over three and a half hours to sell out.

Of course, the projects that applied for funding today have been on edge for months waiting for this new program to come through after Massachusetts ran out of solar funding last year. There was quite a build-up to get through. And because applications that don’t get funded this time around will not be held over to Block 2, new projects have the same chance of success as older ones.

The Commonwealth Solar Stimulus program is only for solar panel installations 5-200kw in size, so small residential systems can still apply for funds from the $1 million allocated to the Commonwealth Solar II Rebate program.

Solar goes to outer space. Again. Via CNNmoney.com, EMCORE Corporation (NASDAQ:EMKR) was awarded a contract by ATK Space Systems to manufacture, test and deliver solar panels that will be used to power the Orion spacecraft, which is being developed by Lockheed Martin.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland vowed in his State of the State address to revitalize America’s rust belt. How? By leading the way in solar and wind energy technology, reports Cleveland.com: “There will come a day when Ohio will be the undisputed home of advanced energy. A day when we will have cast off those two tired little words that have been used to put us down: rust belt.” Strickland added, “I believe in Ohio because we will invest in the things we do exceptionally well.” The Governor will have some competition, to say the least. It seems nearly every state has announced some sort of cleantech-focused plan to create jobs and pull their economy out of the doldrums.

Look no further than New York, where Gov. David Paterson today announced a new energy initiative that, by 2014, will increase by a factor of five the amount of solar power generated in state. That is a boatload of solar energy.

What do you do when you have tons of sunshine, but not a drop of water to drink? Use solar power to desalinate ocean water, which is just what Saudi Arabia plans to do. The plan could save the Kingdom up to 40 percent on water and energy costs.

Given the high cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, it may seem oxymoronic to put them up on affordable-housing units. But that’s not stopping Sunwheel Energy Partners, which on Monday announced the successful commissioning of three new affordable-housing solar installations in San Francisco. The systems will reduce electricity costs for the tenants.

You solar-tech wonks out there will be please to hear that Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics will start mass-producing their solar cells this year, as reported by Taiwan News Online.

In other manufacturing news, via Reuters, Chinese solar-cell maker Canadian Solar (NASDAQ:CSIQ) announced it will in 2010 supply 60 megawatts of PV modules to Fire Energy Group, a Spanish company.

In investing news, also via Reuters, BlackRock’s $3.9 billion clean-energy fund is “cautiously” investing in more solar companies — particularly Asian ones. “We’re now cautiously increasing our weightings in solar, it is cautious because we think it’s a u-shaped recovery in demand,” said co-head of the fund Robin Batchelor on Wednesday. He added that the fund managers are focusing on Asian producers because they are believe to have a “structural advantage over some of the European producers.” (I’m no investment guru, but I’m pretty sure that means the Asian firms can do the job cheaper.)

Finally, the Indian climatologist responsible for including in a purportedly authoritative report unsubstantiated claims about glacier melting, explains that his mistake was not politically motivated. In a 2007 report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that the glaciers in the Himalayan mountains could melt completely as soon as 2035.

Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) President & CEO Rhone Resch made a strong show of support for the Arizona solar industry today in an op-ed for the Arizona Daily Star, co-written with Bret Fanshaw, an associate with advocacy group Environment Arizona. The opinion piece does double duty as a defense of SEIA’s push for strong climate and energy legislation–we can assume it’s cap and trade in question here, though the piece does not specify–and as a pro-Arizona solar rally. The state’s indisputably excellent solar resource has made it an ideal locus for solar power plants. Recently, however, development has been slowed or stalled by a heated debate over the long-term environmental impact of solar in the desert, especially as the most efficient solar energy plants use solar thermal technologies. And water is certainly at a premium.

I’ve discussed the desert solar battle on this blog before, so I won’t go into it too much now. Suffice it to say that both sides make some very good points, but the solar industry feels that a loss of momentum now in some of its most promising markets–Arizona and California–would be a tough blow from which to recover. The op-ed puts SEIA’s industry-leading expertise and authority clearly on the side of the developers:

Solar is thriving in 2010, due in large part to policies at the state and federal level. The Arizona Corporation Commission’s Renewable Energy Standard, federal solar investment tax credits, pro-solar stimulus bill provisions, the Bureau of Land Management’s efforts to streamline solar development and state tax credits for solar manufacturing all have the industry poised for robust growth, both in Arizona and across the country.

Resch and Fanshaw call out the cavalry in support of solar development: economic growth, in particular job creation; the ability to develop solar while respecting and preserving natural habitat; the need to begin the shift away from our dependence on foreign oil; and the big gun, climate change.

Environment America and the Solar Energy Industries Association have been fighting for a robust climate and energy bill because of what it could mean, not only for Arizona’s economy and environment, but for our country and world. It is important that we continue to move toward a future that provides good jobs and clean energy, while protecting America’s wildlife and habitat. With utility-scale solar power, we can do all three.

But let’s not forget about distributed generation while we’re mired down in this utility-scale struggle: rooftop solar panel arrays like home solar systems and small commercial solar installations are an important piece of the energy puzzle. In Arizona, major utilities APS and SRP both offer strong incentives to help lower the cost of a solar installation. The federal investment tax credit, which was in fact extended on Resch’s watch, will offset a further 30 percent of the cost of solar. Arizona solar installations on a small scale are in many ways a no-brainer: excellent ROI, clean energy, great use of the state’s most plentiful natural resource, and no need to do environmental feasibility studies before proceeding.

Just to prove that small-scale solar energy systems are viable even in less hospitable climes, check out the (relatively) live feed of Resch’s solar home: a 6.05 kw rooftop solar panel installation on his family’s home in Washington, DC. I think this is called “walking the walk”.

San Francisco, CA January 27th, 2010.  GetSolar has opened a limited number of Partner Slots in the New Jersey (NJ) solar installation market for Solar Integration Companies doing business in New Jersey.

GetSolar is a leader in the New Jersey solar market, offering the highest quality residential and commercial leads available.  If your solar company has very high standards, deep experience in the PV market, and can pass our rigorous background verification process, we’d like to hear from you.  Please contact a GetSolar team member to discuss your needs, the program, and to begin the application process.

This opportunity only recently became available, as we have just added several slots to our long established NJ partner program.  We work closely with our partners on marketing, lead generation, and customer service/feedback to provide outstanding channel support.  For further information please contact us at (800) 265-3646 x 703

The Christian Social Union (CSU) in Germany wants to delay by several months planned cuts to that country’s feed-in tariff, reports Reuters. Previously announced cuts to the tariffs led industry analysts to revise down demand estimates for solar equipment, denting solar stock prices. Following news of the proposed delay, Jefferies analyst Paul Clegg upgraded some solar stocks, according to Barron’s Eric Savitz. About half the world’s solar electricity is generated in Germany.

Billionaire Ted Turner will team up with Southern Company, an Atlanta-based electricity provider, to develop solar energy projects in the American southwest, according to Green Tech Media. Turner — who in 2007 sold Turner Renewable Energy to thin-film maker First Solar for $34 million — is the largest individual landholder in America. Some of the projects may be sited on his land.

Public Service Co. of New Mexico (PNM) on Monday complied with a Public Regulation Commission deadline by submitting its renewable energy procurement plan and related documents, reports Business Week. Last year, PNM was rebuked by homeowners, solar energy advocates, and others, for resisting the connection of non-PNM-owned renewable energy projects to the grid. The utility’s new plan could lead to nearly 80 megawatts in new solar energy projects, the equivalent amount needed to power 26,000 homes.

Did someone say micro-inverters? Enphase announces a new 123-kW solar installation at the Truckee Sanitary District in California.

A $4 million federal grant will enable The Solar Energy Consortium, a New York-based nonprofit, to install a solar farm at Stewart Air National Guard Base, relays MidHudsonNews. The solar installation will be the largest in the Hudson Valley to date.

Finally, “solar suitcases”– mini solar generators — are at work in Haiti, powering small pieces of operating room equipment, blood bank refrigerators, communications devices and laptops. Related, see this post on mobile solar power solutions from GetSolar’s Margaret Collins.

In this post, we’re reviewing the solar incentives offered by the municipal utilities of Vernon, Azusa, Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank. Check out Part One of our LA coverage for details of SCE and LADWP solar rebates and for a review of terms.

In order to participate in most rebate programs, the process is usually as follows: find a solar installer, work together to determine the size of the system you’ll need, fill out the forms necessary to reserve rebate funds, install the solar system, apply for the required permits (your installer will often do this part for you) and obtain approval from utility inspectors. Only then will you receive a check in the mail or a credit in your bank account. Unless otherwise specified, only solar photovoltaic systems are accepted for these programs, and the incentive amount you collect will be the rebate rate multiplied by the number of watts of your proposed solar energy system.

Vernon Light & Power

Residential and commercial customers of the City utility have access to its Solar Energy & Net Metering Program, which offers a rebate rate that declines by 7 percent each year until 2016, or whenever the City is able to generate 2.5 percent of its peak demand from solar. For 2010, a solar photovoltaic installation will be able to fetch $2.42/watt of installed capacity. While no documents about Vernon’s solar incentive are currently available on their website, you can directly contact them for further information. The solar permitting fee is $687 as of July 2009.

Azusa Light & Water

Azusa Light & Water’s Solar Partnership Program offers an impressive solar rebate of $4/watt for residential and commercial customers alike, under the stipulation that the utility gets to keep the Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) attributed to the subsidized system. Should the customer choose to retain ownership of the RECs, this incentive will drop to $2.80/watt and subject to decline over a series of steps, until it reaches $0/watt by 2016. As attractive as the $4/watt incentive is, however, the incentive payment cannot exceed 50 percent of the installed system cost. The solar permitting fee is $1,197—not the highest number found in Los Angeles County, but certainly nothing to scoff at.

Should you retain ownership of your RECs?

RECs represent the “green value” of the electricity produced by your solar panels. Currently, California utilities are not allowed to use the RECs from small (distributed generation) solar installations to count towards state-mandated Renewable Portfolio Standard solar capacity goals. So right now, the RECs attached to your small solar installation have low value. But California may be changing its policy in the near future–as soon as March 2010, in fact, and the value of small-solar RECs may increase dramatically as a result. Discuss your options thoroughly with an experienced solar installer before deciding which choice is best for you.

Note that recipients of CSI rebates through California’s investor-owned utilities do retain ownership of their RECs.

Pasadena Water & Power

All PW&P customers are eligible for the Pasadena Solar Initiative, which offers a variety of rebates depending on the size and nature of your project. EPBB rates for projects 1-50 kw are $3.15/watt for residential installations, $2.00/watt for commercial and PPA-financed projects, and $2.60/watt for government and non-profit projects. An EPBB, as we covered in Part One, is your typical one-time, up-front rebate.

PBI rates apply to solar installations 50 kW to 1 MW in installed capacity and are: $0.476/kWh for residential, $0.302/kWh for commercial and PPA and $0.393/kWh for government and non-profit. This is doled out in five annual payments for the first five years after the project goes live. Rates may decline at any time. Still, PW&P appears to be looking out for its solar customers by reimbursing solar permitting fees, which are $198 in Pasadena and $88 in South Pasadena.

Glendale Water & Power

The Glendale Water & Power Solar Solutions Program is open to all GW&P customers for residential as well as non-residential solar energy installations, offering rebate rates that kicked off at $3.02/watt for EPBB and $0.360/kWh for PBI in 2009 but which have declined since then. The incentives decrease on a yearly basis rather than by step, as for the CSI and LADWP. The incentives for 2010 are as follows:

• EPBB (<30 kw): $3.02/watt with RECs, $3.72/watt without RECs
• PBI (>30 kW): $0.335/kWh with RECs, $0.424/kWh without RECs

The GW&P rebate will cover up to 50 percent of a system’s total costs. However, the lack of solar permitting fees in Glendale is a bonus to which few other cities in Los Angeles County can lay claim (Burbank, below, is another exception).

Burbank Water & Power

All current Burbank Water & Power customers are entitled to opt into the Solar Support Program, which offers rebates for solar electric systems 1 kW to 1 MW in size. The incentives are separated into three levels of rates:

• Tier 1: customer keeps RECs; rebate can cover up to 50 percent of costs
• Tier 2: utility keeps RECs; rebate can cover up to 50 percent of costs
• Tier 3: for non-profits, schools, and affordable housing; rebate can cover up to 75 percent of costs

As BWP’s rebate rates decline by the incentive step rather than by the year, the rebate rate is liable to decrease at any time. The Solar Support Program is currently at Step 1, with 250 kW of capacity remaining.