Last week, Tucson Electric Power announced that it signed and submitted for review ten purchasing agreements (PPAs). If approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), the PPAs will together total 160 megawatts (MW) of solar energy generating capacity.
The Arizona solar projects would go up in the greater Tucson area and, if all goes according to plan, could begin feeding energy into the grid as early as 2011. All ten are currently in the planning stages and are awaiting approval.
The projects are broken up into three different types of solar generation: three of them will use fixed photovoltaic (PV) panels; four will implement single-tracking devices to harness solar energy; and the remaining three will use concentrated solar power (CSP) technology.
Under Arizona’s Renewable Energy Standard (RES), utilities are to meet 15 percent of their customer’s electricity demands with renewable energy by 2025. Tucson Electric Power’s solar projects would help meet that goal.
The United States Air Force has signed a contract with the Schafer Corporation of Massachusetts to allow a test of concentrating solar power (CSP) at a Maui, Hawaii military site in an attempt to offset a military computer system’s power demand.
Officially titled the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) contract, the project is specifically focused on the expansion of CPV (Concentrated Photovoltaics) technology for land power generation developed in Air Force Space Research and Development programs.
In order to conduct the test, Rising Sun LLC will install a 100-kilowatt (kW) solar PV energy system around the Maui Research and Technology Park. The system will be manufactured by the EMCORE Corporation, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
CSP works by using an intricate system of lenses to concentrate the sunlight on small solar cells of high-efficiency. The efficiency rate of the cells is about 39 percent, and they concentrate the sunlight up to 500 times in an effort to generate more sunlight while still using less silicon than standard solar energy generating systems.
The Schafer corporation will test the CSP technology on the Maui Hi Performance Computer Center, which is one of six supercomputer centers that the Department of Defense has nationwide. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will fund the project.
Three elementary schools belonging to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) this year made the California Board of Education’s list of California Distinguished Schools. Living up to this accolade, the district is demonstrating it can distinguish in the realm of renewable energy, too.
Last month, the district announced it will install solar panels atop nine of the district’s eleven elementary schools in Santa Monica and Malibu. To be installed this fall by PermaCity Inc. and financed by Regeneration Finance LLC, the solar energy systems are expected to supply over two-thirds of each school’s daily electricity consumption, saving the district as much as $5.1 million over the next 25 years. Notably, the project timeline is a relatively short one. A main reason is that, because the solar systems are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, they are not subject to approval by the cities of Malibu and Santa Monica.
The district’s latest announcement ironed out the details of an April meeting about solar installations, and is the latest move in a trend that has seen California elementary schools going solar via PG&E’s Solar Schools Program. Since the PG&E plan set the stage for California solar installations at elementary schools statewide, 125 k-12 schools have gone solar, not including the nine targeted under the Santa Monica-Malibu plan.
Today’s installment of the Solar Power Rundown will be abbreviated because, let’s be honest, everyone has already checked out for the long Memorial Day Weekend. Without further ado…
In New Jersey solar news, Green Power, an Atlantic City project developer, announced it’s pursuing a 74.6-megawatt solar installation that would, according to New Jersey Room, be the largest solar power plant on the east coast.
North Carolina could get 14 percent of its electricity from solar, according to a new report by Environment NC, a non-profit advocacy group, via Greensboro News & Record. According to the group’s assumptions, the state could also create some 28,000 jobs by supporting the North Carolina solar industry. What’s more, the press release is not without snappy sound bytes: “Everyone knows solar energy is clean. There has never been a solar spill,” said Elizabeth Ouzts, State Director of Environment North Carolina and co-author of the report. “The sun is abundant and free in North Carolina. That’s why capturing it can create tens of thousands of jobs right here that can’t be outsourced.”
Speaking of spills, the Gulf of Mexico accident on April 20th has resulted in what scientists believe to be the worst oil spill in U.S. history, via the Los Angeles Times. BP has scrambled to halt the flow of oil from a broken undersea well, having most recently attempted a “top kill” procedure that involved pumping a heavily drilling liquid, or “mudl,” into the well. It’s not yet clear whether this latest attempt will meet with success. On a more somber note, the WSJ has an interactive feature on the victims of the oil rig accident.
In Colorado solar news, Paul Spencer, President of the Clean Energy Collective, defends the green credentials of Holy Cross, a Colorado electricity utility, via Vail Daily. There has been drama in the pages, it seems: “I am perplexed to see the recent comments about Holy Cross Energy and its board of directors in our newspapers, and, in particular, the lack of facts to support the various views. My only explanation is that those who make the comments either haven’t taken the time to properly research Holy Cross’ environmental and clean energy support record or want to ignore this officially published and measured data…” Oh snap! I love it when smart people throw down on the Op-Ed pages of the newspaper.
Finally today, it seems fitting to end the week with some veterans-related news. The latest in an ongoing effort to equip VA hospitals with solar panels (see here and here), the Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded a $15-million contract for the installation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) project at Albuquerque’s VA hospital, via Veterans Today. The New Mexico solar installation could be as large as 3.2 megawatts.
That’s all for this Friday. Hope everyone has a safe, relaxing Memorial Day Weekend. We’ll see you back here next week.
Non-profit organizations across Arizona are set to receive a boost from the state government, which is continuing to demonstrate strong leadership when it comes to renewable energy.
As announced by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer earlier this week, the Arizona Department of Commerce Energy Office has awarded nearly $640,000 in renewable energy project grants for 14 different non-profit organizations statewide. Funding has been available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
14 Arizona Non-Profits Were Awarded Grants
Most of the 14 organizations are located in Phoenix. Two recipients, the Red Cross of Southern Arizona and the Southern Arizona Aids Foundation, are in Tucson (a city where the utility Tucson Electric Power (TEP) offers one of the best solar rebates going), and two are in Flagstaff. All told, 77 applications were received. See left for a rundown of the winning organizations, courtesy of Governor Brewer’s office.
Installations that qualify for Department of Commerce grants include solar hot water heaters, photovoltaic (PV) electric systems and solar daylighting systems. The idea is that, by alleviating some of the organizations’ operating costs (by reducing electricity bills), the grants free up resources so that the non-profits can serve more Arizona residents. Grants to each non-profit organization were capped at $50,000.
“We’re moving swiftly to invest Arizona’s stimulus dollars into projects that should help boost the State’s economy and provide significant long-term energy savings,” said Gov. Brewer in a press release addressing the investment.
The allocation was spurred by a $55.4 million grant through the State Energy Program (SEP) to the Arizona Department of Commerce Energy Office.
What do you get when you cross a solar panel with an energy-efficient window? You may find an answer from Pythagoras Solar, a solar photovoltaic (PV) technology design company.
Pythagoras recently revealed its newest product, the solar window, which the company is calling the “first energy efficient, transparent and high power-density photovoltaic glass unit (PVGU).” Pythagoras has already inked deals with several solar energy system manufacturers, and the new product could hit the market as soon as late 2010.
Gonen Fink, Co-Founder and CEO of Pythagoras Solar, had the following to say about his company’s new product:
“Our new PVGU technology finally bridges the gap between energy efficiency and energy generation — enabling the architecture, engineering and construction sectors to accelerate the deployment of cost-effective distributed power generation and to advance aesthetically-pleasing Net Zero Energy Buildings. Our partners across the value chain are responding very positively to the combination of economic, environmental and aesthetic benefits.”
According to Pythagoras, which has offices in California, Israel and China, the new product will reduce heating and cooling costs by virtue of its energy-efficient design. Because it blocks heat radiation while allowing light through, the window also promises to reduce the need for artificial day lighting. Finally — and this is the best part, in our eyes — Pythagoras’ product produces clean energy. Company reports indicate the window converts about 14 percent of the sun’s rays into electricity. If this figure is shown to holds up in real-world conditions, it’ll be a respectable rate, indeed.
As for the cost? Pythagorus has not made that public. But the company says the system should pay for itself in around five years, considering its ability to reduce the amount of energy that goes into artificial lighting, and heating and cooling.
The promise of these kinds of products — sometimes called building-integrated photovoltaics, or BIPV, is hard to deny. At present, not many BIPV technologies have been widely commercialized for use in the residential solar market. As these products continue to evolve, however, they’re likely to play an increasing role in cutting energy costs while adding to the aesthetic appeal of new-construction buildings.
Related, check out this three-minute plug from Pythagoras:
Happy hump day, everyone. There’s a ton to read about today, including: plans for a new solar energy plant in Taiwan; admission by BP of a fundamental mistake in the Gulf oil rig accident; and a big, new, cow-powered renewable energy project that is slated for construction in China.
President Obama is in California today, touring the facilities of Solyndra, a California solar-panel maker that last year received a $535 loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell yesterday vetoed an energy bill put forth by Democrats, via the Hartford Courant: “[t]he proposal — which drew no Republican votes — would have created a state-run power purchasing division, which Rell said would increase costs. Energy committee co-chairwoman Rep. Vickie Nardello, D-Prospect, strongly disagreed Tuesday.”
In Texas solar news, it appears the Chinese solar-panel maker Yingli Green Energy (NYSE:YGE) can’t make up its mind over whether to build its new manufacturing plant in Austin or Phoenix, Arizona, via the Austin Business Journal. The proposed facility would the lucky host city represent 300 new jobs and an investment of nearly $20 million.
In related news, Yingli Green Energy and Trina Solar (NYSE:TSL), another China-based manufacturer of solar panels, both reported first-quarter profits, after reporting net losses for the same period a year ago. See YGE’s earnings overview and TSL’s earnings overview.
In Asia solar news, Taiwan Power Company — a state-run utility — intends to build the island’s biggest solar energy installation, via Bloomberg Businessweek. The five-megawatt solar power plant will be sited in the southern part of the island. Good pull quote: “[b]udget for it [the solar project] won’t be a problem.” If only we heard that more often…
In Gulf oil spill news, BP said a “fundamental mistake” may have been made just prior to the blowout that caused the oil rig, Deepwater Horizon, to catch fire and sink. There was a “very large abnormality” — a clear warning sign — prior to the accident. You can read all about it in a memo released by two U.S. lawmakers, via FT’s Energy Source.
What do you get when you mix a quarter-million Chinese cows, GE (NYSE:GE) and an Austrian biogas technology firm? A boatload of manure, 38,000 megawatt-hours (MWhs) of electricity a year, and significant emissions reductions, via GreenBiz. Oh yeah, and a partridge in a pear tree.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that it has allocated $60 million in 2010 energy grants for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Beginning in 2003, the program has each year offered grants and loans to farmers and other producers, tribal government entities, rural electricity cooperatives and public power utilities. The aim is to promote renewable energy and encourage economic activity in rural America.
On paper, a REAP grant may not exceed 25 percent of the costs of eligible projects, which include solar hot water systems, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, wind turbines, geothermal systems and anaerobic digesters, among other energy technologies. Energy efficiency improvements are also eligible. Grants are limited to $500,000 for renewable energy systems and $250,000 for energy efficiency improvements.
In practice, however, smaller projects may stand a better chance at receiving REAP funding: according to the USDA, “projects seeking REAP grants of $20,000 or less are greatly favored.”
REAP also makes available guaranteed loans worth up to 75 percent of a projects cost, with a minimum loans size of $5,000 and a maximum size of $25 million. A combined loan and grant under REAP may not exceed 75 percent of the project’s cost.
The deadline to apply for REAP loans and grants for the 2010 funding cycle is June 30. To qualify, applicants must operate in a USDA-designated rural area.
REAP was originally called the federal Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program, which began in fiscal year 2003. It was founded by the USDA on the heels of the 2002 federal Farm Security and Rural Investment Act, and was allocated $23 million a year through 2007. A major switch came in 2008, when the Food Conservation and Energy Act changed the program’s name to REAP.
About 88 percent of REAP funds are expected to be used by rural small businesses looking to buy new energy efficient systems or make smaller energy efficiency changes. Again, the application deadline is June 30, 2010. Don’t miss your chance to qualify.
**Note that businesses — such as farms and other rural commercial entities — that install a renewable energy system in 2010 may qualify for a treasury grant worth 30 percent of project costs.Since companies are not permitted to participate in more than one federal grant program, the treasury’s program may be a better option of the two for the current year. [Ed.: Please see updates below in the comment section.]
Friedman’s Home Improvement store in Sonoma, California, last fall took advantage of California solar rebates and federal tax credits to make the switch to solar.
The company’s 40,000 square-foot store is now being partly powered by a 234-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) system, according to the North Bay Business Journal. According to Friedman’s Chief Financial Officer David Proctor, the rooftop solar installation is expected to pay for itself by way of monthly energy bill savings in six or seven years.
Friedman’s decided to go with the solar energy system is because it aligns with the growing green business practices of the company — in 2008, the store received certification from Sonoma’s Green Business Program. Federal solar incentives and California rebates helped, too.
Some of the cost of Friedman’s $1.3 million solar installation was alleviated by the federal renewable energy investment tax credit, which is worth 30 percent of total systems costs, after rebates. California, for instance, offers a cash rebate for commercial solar projects. Known as the Expected Performance Based Buydown rebate, the incentive is available to those who own a solar energy system smaller than 50 kilowatts (kW). Once the system is up and running, qualified buyers receive a lump sum rebate that is determined by system’s expected performance.
For those who own a system between 50 kW and 1 megawatt in size, California offers a Performance Based Incentive (PBI) that is paid out in monthly payments for five years, based on the actual energy output of the system.
For their part, Friedman’s managers seem happy with their decision — and are excited to see how things go this summer, when the system will see the longest days of the year for the first time. ”It is wonderful in the summer,” said Proctor, according to the North Bay Journal. “You have maximum solar impact during the max demand time. I have been watching month over month and in April I started to see the shift from less solar impact to more.”
More and more Americans are discovering that they can significantly reduce their electricity bills by installing a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system. In fact, with the right mix of solar rebates, tax credits and a number of other variables — like net metering and a high unit price for electricity from the grid — installing a PV system can truly be a great investment.
But before we get carried away, let’s review some basics. You may live in a state — like Arizona or California or Massachusetts or Pennsylvania or Colorado — where helpful solar incentives are available. You may pay a relatively high per-kilowatt hour (kWh) rate for your electricity, which means that, all else equal, a solar PV system would pay for itself quicker than it would where power from the grid is cheap. You may have even come into some money recently, and are looking for a reliable, medium- to long-term investment. But if you a’int got a good roof, you a’int gonna be doing a rooftop solar installation.
What, then, makes a roof good for solar?
(1) Orientation. Here in the northern hemisphere, southern exposure to the sun is ideal. You can, however, orient panels to the southeast or southwest without substantially decreasing performance. You can read more about the orientation (azimuth) and inclination (altitude) of solar panels here. And, if you really want to geek out, you can estimate your own numbers here.
The roof below, to take an example, has two south-facing sweets spots for solar:
(2) Age. Relatively new roofs are the best. Simply put, PV panels last a long time — like decades. You don’t want to put panels on an old roof, only to remove them five years down the line to install new shingles.
(3) Roof space. Some people are surprised to hear they don’t have enough south-facing roof space to accommodate a PV system of any appreciable size. A very rough rule of thumb: these days, you can fit one kilowatt (kW) of panels on about 100 square feet. Currently, the average U.S. system size is about five kilowatts. So, well, you do the math…
(4) Simplicity. Things like skylights, chimneys, ducts and roof contours can add to the complexity, difficulty and cost of a solar installation. The most straight-forward surface, from a solar design and installation perspective, is a flat, unadorned roof.
(5) Shade. Trees and tall buildings are bad. Simply put, solar panels need sun — specifically between 9 am and 3 pm — in order to achieve optimal performance.
In other words, if your property looks like this from space (don’t laugh)…
…a rooftop solar installation is probably not your best option.
So, if you’re looking into a rooftop solar PV system, take a few minutes to ponder these points. While you’re hanging around the house this Memorial Day weekend, take periodic note of the amount of sun hitting your roof throughout the day. If you’ve got a tall tree that casts a big shadow through the middle part of the day, chance are you’ll have to decide between the tree and the new solar panels.
The good news is that we find most homes have roofs that are decent for solar, while only a handful of roofs are not good at all. If you’ve got a brand-new, unshaded roof, however, with clear southern exposure and a flat, simple design, consider yourself among a lucky few who can rightfully brag about how good their roof is for solar. Not that this will make you particularly popular at this weekend’s BBQ…
hagoras recently revealed its newest product, 
