With the flip of a switch, the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) building in Philadelphia today became host to Pennsylvania’s largest solar energy system. Able to generate over half-a-million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of solar electricity annually, the system will power nearly five percent of all of the building’s electricity needs.

The 455-kilowatt (kW) system rests on 133,000 square-feet of roof space atop the five-story structure. It is made up of nearly 2,000 235-watt solar panels made by Sharp at its manufacturing plant in Memphis, Tennessee.

A $6 million grant allocated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) made the project possible — as did the cooperative efforts of a number of different companies and government entities.

The U.S General Services Administration (GSA) and the VA chose Ray Angelini Inc. (RAI), a commercial solar design firm in New Jersey, to build the project. Founded in 2004, RAI’s solar division has completed systems in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. Most notably, RAI completed the single-roof solar power structure atop the Atlantic City Convention Center, which at the time was the largest such project in the country.

Ray Angelini, President of the company that bears his name, had the following to say about the completed project:

“We are extremely proud to have this signature Pennsylvania photovoltaic project–one of the largest in the State–in our portfolio. This project is a direct result of the GSA’s commitment to green design and construction and the ARRA.”

Back in April of this year, the GSA announced that it had secured $4 billion from the ARRA in order to invest in energy efficiency for federal buildings across the country. The VA’s Philadelphia solar panel installation was bankrolled under that same allocation.

In California, San Diego and San Jose lead the way in the Golden State’s push toward making solar a prevalent source of power throughout the state. But at a smaller scale, there’s plenty of variation (and competition) among California municipalities.

Case in point is Orange County — or, more familiarly, OC.

According to data provided by the California Solar Initiative (CSI), Laguna Beach ranks third among all cities in Southern California’s Orange County in total number of solar homes. This information was relayed by The OC Register, which got the numbers from SunRun, a provider of solar installation services and solar leases that operates in several states, including California.

Laguna Beach solar has reached the rooftops of roughly 80 homes. Relative to the 25,000 or so Laguna Beach residents, this means about 0.8 percent of the city’s homes are now solar-powered. Within the Orange County solar market, only the cities of Los Alamitos and Villa Park, where roughly 1.5 homes are solar-powered, outmatch Laguna Beach.

What’s ahead? The CSI has already helped to install about 350 megawatts (MW) of solar energy in California. In the years to come, the initiative is expected to install enough solar capacity to produce an additional 3,000 MW, likely meaning that the number of Orange County solar installations will continue to rise steadily.

Shares of Tesla Motors Inc., an innovative electric-car maker, began trading today on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol TSLA. At first glance, it may be surprising TSLA finished the day up some 40 percent: the Palo Atlo, California-based company has just one vehicle model currently in production; it has produced a net lost of $290.2 million since its founding in 2003; and there’s no guarantee the firm will get out of the red until 2012.

But Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, has a plan. The 38-year-old entrepreneur believes investors, with the right information, will see Tesla as a bigger opportunity than a risk. More specifically, as an investment, Tesla’s promise may hinge on 2012. That’s the year when the company expects to release its second vehicle, the more affordable, longer-range Model S. The 300-mile-per-charge electric car is set to be priced at $50,000 after federal tax credits — about half the sticker price of Tesla’s high-performance Roadster.

As the company went public today — the first time an American car company has done so since Ford Motor Co. had an initial public offering (IPO) in 1956 — Tesla’s IPO prices was $17, up 12 percent from what was expected. Even as the day showed weakness across the board, Tesla held steady, and was still up 10 percent through early afternoon. Shares finished the day up some 40 percent, a somewhat baffling showing, particularly given that, as noted above, the company has yet to turn a profit.

“A lot of people were puzzled about why we were going public without profits,” CEO Elon Musk. “The reason we are not profitable today is because we are in the midst of expanding with the Model S.”

But Model S expansion could be unplugged if shareholders don’t buy, and Tesla knows it. The day before going public, the car company increased the number of shares on offer by 20 percent, bringing the total to 13.3 million shares. Tesla is hoping to use this new equity to manufacture 20,000 Model S sedans each year at its new plant in Fremont, California.

Tesla’s supporters could also play a role in convincing investors to plug their funds into the company. The electric-car maker recently purchased their Fremont plant from Toyota for $42 million as part of a deal that also has Toyota investing $50 million in Tesla. Tesla also has substantial support from the U.S. government, which provided a $465 million loan intended to help the company expand production of the Model S.

Why should we care whether Tesla succeeds or fails? America’s oil imports currently account for around half of the U.S. trade deficit. The electrification of cars and trucks is one way that, collectively, we could reduce our use of oil. Throw in some solar panels and wind turbines, and we may even get to the point where we’re running a portion of our cars not on oil from abroad or under the ocean, but on clean, domestic sources of energy. All prognostication aside, Tesla’s performance in the months and years to come will be a strong indicator of whether this outcome is realized.

Here at GetSolar, we deal mostly with putting solar panels on or beside buildings. Occasionally, however, we talk about putting solar on other things, like luggage, radios, ipods and iphones, bluetooth headsets, helmets and even summer vacation. This next one, I have to admit, is especially cool and intriguingly practical.

It’s a solar-powered camera strap that, if developed further and configured correctly, could help extend the battery life of your digital SLR camera. A concept work of designer Weng Jie, the solar camera strap is equipped with flexible thin-film solar cells. Its not clear how many watts are in store. To be commercially successfully, the strap would presumably need to generate at least enough power to keep a camera battery topped up. Ideally, we’d hope the strap could charge the batteries outright. But, given the generally low efficiency of today’s thin-films, and the relatively high-power demand profile of digital cameras, this may be asking too much.

Regardless, the product’s simple design is sure to make shutterbugs drool.

Check out Wired, for more.

Due to the success of its recent ENERGY STAR appliance promotion, New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program will provide additional rebates for the purchase of qualified energy-efficient appliances. This latest offer is good for eligible purchases made between July 1 and August 31 of this year, or while funds last. According to a recent newsletter,

“New Jersey residents will be eligible for rebates ranging from $25 to $100 on the purchase of ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers, clothes washers and refrigerators. The rebates are a result of the federal stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.”

As we often say, saving energy is almost always a cheaper — and, in many ways, a smarter — proposition than making energy. So, if you’re considering solar power for your home in New Jersey — or anywhere, for that matter — a good first step is reducing the amount of electricity your household consumes. Hang-dry your clothes. Invest in new windows. Bulk up on insulation. Buy ENERGY STAR-listed appliances… Bottom line is that if reduce your consumption now, you’ll be able to meet more of your household’s electricity needs with that brand-new home solar panel installation.

Circling back to the New Jersey ENERGY STAR rebate offerings, in April we provided an overview of the promotion’s offerings. Just in case your clicking finger is feeling lazy, here’s a brief refresher:

• ENERGY STAR Dishwashers: $25 rebate for models that use 5.8 gallons of water (or less) per cycle and use fewer than 324 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year; $50 rebate for models that use 5 gallons of water (or less) per cycle and use fewer than 307 kWh per year.
• ENERGY STAR Clothes Washers: For purchases made from July through August 31, a $35 rebate is available for a select list of models; a $50 rebate is available for models with a higher efficiency rating
• ENERGY STAR Refrigerators: $75 rebate for models that are 20 percent more efficient than federal standards; $100 rebate for models that are 25 percent more efficient than federal standards; there is also a $50 rebate offered through the New Jersey Clean Energy Program for residents who recycle their old refrigerator (which includes free pick-up!).
• There are “new, higher enhanced rebates available for central air conditioners” — worth up to $600!
• Finally, ENERGY STAR-listed dehumidifiers are eligible for a $25 rebate

See New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program for full details and instructions on how to apply. The program’s Energy Saving Tips for Summer is worth a read, too — anything to avoid that mid-summer $400/month AC bill.

If you’re looking for a sign as to how far the solar energy industry has come in recent years, look no further than Gilbert, Arizona, a town in the Phoenix area that’s aiming to become known for its solar-powered, energy-efficient communities. Last week, Gilbert became home to the Meritage Green Homes community, the first community in the United States whose standard home is 80 percent more energy efficient than the national average.

The secret behind this new community is Echo, a new solar energy solution system that its maker, PVT Solar, claims is more efficient than any other stand-alone solar electric or solar photovoltaic (PV) system out there. According to PVT, the technology produces double the energy of conventional systems, providing enough energy for residents to wash their clothes, bathe and home heating and cooling systems.

The way Echo operates is relatively simple. Whereas most standard PV panels generate electricity from only a small fraction of the sun’s energy and leave the heat unused, Echo sucks up the sun’s thermal energy too, using a computerized fan to move the hot air from underneath the solar panels and applying it toward useful ends, like heating domestic water.

Meritage Homes has built its reputation on building energy-efficient homes. Since 2001, each of the company’s homes has exceeded ENERGY STAR guidelines. Notably, each of the company’s new Arizona solar homes in Gilbert will be tested and certified by ResNET-certified energy auditors.

Gordon Handelsman, President of PVT Solar, had the following to say about the new homes in Lyon’s Gate, the private community in Gilbert, where the new homes are located:

Meritage Homes is truly a leader in deploying echo solar power systems in their new Lyon’s Gate community.  They’re delivering what  consumers want in a new home – beautiful styling, quality construction, economic savings and ecological  stewardship.

The best part? Buyers won’t necessarily have to shell out a fortune to move in: some models are priced at starting under $180,000. Chairman and CEO of Meritage Homes, Steven Hilton, attributes the homes’ attractive pricing to local collaborative efforts:

“This community is the result of cooperation between Meritage and dozens of our partners like GE, PVT Solar, DEMILEC, SRP (Salt River Project) and the Town of Gilbert.” Hilton said. “Only through our coordinated efforts were we able to develop homes at these prices with all of these features included. We intend to expand the use of these features in our other communities and work toward their greater adoption across the industry.”

Just one day following its ousting from one international competition, Team USA came back to catpure gold in another.

A group of students and faculty members from Virginia Tech yesterday won grand prize in the ten-day Solar Decathlon Europe in Madrid, Spain, besting 16 other universities from seven different countries.

VT’s team — an interdisciplinary bunch from the school’s College of Architecture and Urban Studies, College of Engineering, Pamplin College of Business and College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences — entered the competition with “LUMENHAUS,” a zero-energy home that is entirely powered by the sun. Ironically, Virginia Tech used its Germanic-sounding entry to narrowly defeat the University of Applied Sciences in Germany, whose students created a solar marvel named IKAROS.

Equipped with north- and south-facing glass walls, LUMENHAUS is built to gain as much exposure to daylight as possible. Perhaps the most unique aspect of Virginia Tech’s solar home, however, is its likeness to a Transformer: its walls are screens that can be removed in good weather, in effect doubling the home’s floor space. Moreover, a large portion of the home is made of recyclable material and is lit within by LED lights.

Had the entrants been judged solely on the basis of how much solar energy their homes produced, Virginia Tech would have come in second, as IKAROS received higher marks in the category. But there were nine other categories on which the homes were graded, including architecture and style.

Almost every one of LUMENHAUS’ different rooms was designed to have multiple uses, including the kitchen, where the counter can be transformed into a bar. And if you’re trying to enjoy a summer dinner outdoors, LUMENHAUS has you covered. The students cleverly rested the dining room table on coasters, giving it stability and making it easily movable.

The first place finish for Virginia Tech has been years in the making. At the United States Solar Decathlon in 2009, LUMENHAUS finished a disappointing 13th out of 2o universities. The Virginia Tech team has been tweaking the home every since, and now have a grand prize to show for their perseverance.

New Jersey’s solar energy rebate program is somewhat fickle, to say the least. In recent months, the state’s Renewable Energy Incentive Program (REIP) has been switched off, then on, then back off again. Last we heard, the solar rebate was tentatively slated to return at the beginning of September — but no one knew at what level, and uncertainty abounded.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities last week moved to provide a bit of clarity. The NJ solar rebate, it seems, will return on September 1, 2010, at the following levels:

• Residential solar installations: $0.75 per watt of installed solar capacity, up to 7.5 kilowatts (kW); notably, home solar systems larger than 10 kW are not eligible for the rebate.
• Public and non-profit solar installations: $0.75 per watt up to 30 kW.
• Commercial solar installations are not eligible for solar rebates.

Previously, the residential rebate level was $1.35 per watt.

As many New Jersey residents know, solar renewable energy credits — or SRECs — provide strong incentive to install solar panels, irrespective of the solar rebate. Put simply, owners of renewable energy systems also own the SRECs associated with their systems’ electricity output. Sell your SRECs, either up front or over time, and you’re looking at a pretty decent return on investment — arguably the best in the entire country. The SREC market is so promising, in fact, that New Jersey homeowners have been proceeding with their solar projects using only SRECs and the federal 30-percent renewable energy tax credit, a combination that, by many measures, provides incentive aplenty.

Back to the REIP rebate news: if you’re considering solar power for your New Jersey home, you may be wondering how to proceed. Do you try for the rebate? Or do you proceed with the installation solely on the basis of SRECs?

As with most things, we try to counsel a conservative approach. The last time the New Jersey Clean Energy Program opened, it received over 1,000 new applications — literally in a matter of hours. As a result, the REIP was shuttered shortly thereafter. One can only assume, then, that when the rebate program reopens on September 1, the office will again be hit by a deluge of applications. There’s no guarantee, in other words, that you’ll be able to secure solar rebate funds for your project.

So, if you’re interested in installing solar panels for your New Jersey home, we’d suggest that you start by looking at SREC-only proposals (i.e., proposals that don’t take into account solar rebates). If that looks good to you, proceed. If the proposal doesn’t meet your financial or budgetary criteria, but you’re still interested in pursuing solar, go ahead and factor in the newly announced $0.75/watt rebate. But do so with a grain of salt. As stated before, there’s no guarantee yours will be among the applications accepted under the next cycle of funding. If it’s not accepted, your application would likely be rolled into the next funding cycle — which will be even further out and, doubtless, at a lower per-watt rate. All the while, you’d be missing out on generating SRECs, which (as noted above) deliver real value to owners of renewable energy systems.

The French food retailer Casino Group, and its renewable energy subsidiary GreenYellow, have signed another deal with SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWRA, SPWRB) to buy 20 megawatts (MW) of solar panels from the San Jose, California-based manufacturer. According to the press release, the panels in question are SunPower’s E19 solar panels, which are said to offer a world record efficiency of 19 percent.

The panels, which are due to be installed atop Casino Group buildings by the end of 2011, will turn previously under-used roof space into clean energy. The deal brings to 35 MW the cumulative capacity of Casino Group’s solar installations, which include a 15 MW deal inked with SunPower one year ago. All told, Casino Group will have photovoltaic (PV) solar installations at 18 separate company properties, on rooftops and parking lots.

Howard Wenger, President of Utility and Power Plants for SunPower, had the following to say about the deal:

“We are delighted to partner with Casino to further expand their use of solar power in France, increasing their total commitment to more than 35 megawatts. We are confident that, with SunPower’s proven performance and reliability, Casino and GreenYellow will continue to achieve considerable return on investment over the 25-to-30-year lifetime of the solar panels.”

See SunPower’s GetSolar profile.

Here it is, your moment of solar power for this Friday…

Florida’s state legislature decided to not renew the state’s solar rebate under the Florida Solar Energy System Incentives Program. While the news comes as a disappointment, the rebate program has long been de facto defunct, having been closed to new applicants due to lack of funds.

In other solar rebate-related news, the second block of funding under Massachusetts’ Commonwealth Solar II Rebate Program was closed Wednesday. The next round — or “block” — of funding is expected to open in early July. As we’ve found with most state-sponsored solar power subsidies, fund go fast. So if you’re even thinking about doing a Massachusetts solar home installation, you best shake a leg. You can start with five things to do before you get solar.

Check out Idaho’s latest bid to become known for more than its potatoes. (I say this with nothing but love for Idaho.)

The wrangling over proposed energy legislation continues in DC. A point of discussion is whether national energy policy should put a price on carbon — as envisioned under a cap-and-trade bill passed by the House last fall — or, alternatively, promote the use of solar energy and wind power via a national renewable energy standard.

If you’ve watched any of the World Cup matches, chances are you’ve seen the following logo along the sidelines. (You’ve definitely seen this one.)

Anyway, this is because the solar-panel maker in question — China-based Yingli Green Energy (NYSE:YGE) – isn’t messing around. Under a sponsorship deal, the company’s logo shows up along the electronic perimeter at all 64 games. Each go, it flashes in 30-second increments for a total of 8 minutes of air-time each game. Yingli also has the right to show its solar wares near the stadiums. What’s the tab for some eight and-a-half hours of visibility?

[Yingli's Vice President Jason] Liu declined to say how much Yingli was spending on the sponsorship deal, but said the marketing budget for the World Cup equaled just a small part of the company’s annual revenue, which reached 7.25 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) last year. Chinese media have reported the sponsorship was costing at least $20 million.

What do you get when you mix Cate Blanchett, Australian actors and solar power? This.

Also in Australia-related solar news, Trina Solar (NYSE:TSL) is expected to power Australia’s largest rooftop solar installation for the University of Queensland, via PRNewswire.

Finally today, I’ll leave you with a brief story on the University of Arizona Solar Race Car Team.

That’s all for this week. Hope everyone has a relaxing weekend — we’ll see you back here on Monday.