Tuesday, December 22, 2009

At Last...Solar For Everyone

Solar Cash rebates for all Colorado residents including Grand Valley Power (GVP) members will be available in early 2010. Thank you, Santa! The state of Colorado has just announced details of the much anticipated program. Business owners are eligible for a $15,000 cash rebate and homeowners are eligible for $4,500 cash. Yes, free money.

The rebates are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis and the amount of money is limited. So, if you, like me, are a GVP member and have been waiting for this opportunity to greatly reduce the cost of owning your own clean energy source, be sure to call Atlasta Solar right away to start the rebate application process.

Each rebate recipient is required to complete a brief energy audit for the property. Free energy audits are available from Atlasta Solar. (See coupon below.)

Still don't think you can afford to own your own system, even after tax credits and cash rebates? Call 248-0057 for other financing opportunities coming in 2010.

Happy Holidays from Atlasta Solar!

Adrienne Boggess

ATLASTA SOLAR CENTER

2923 North Ave.

(970) 248-0057

At Last...Solar For Everyone

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Pitkin County debates solar-power proposal

Pitkin County debates solar-power proposal

ASPEN, Colo. — Pitkin County, known for its environmental friendliness, is debating how high freestanding solar panels should be built.

A staff recommendation to change the height limit to 16 feet from 10 feet off the ground died on a 2-2 vote Wednesday when the push for renewable energy collided with preserving the mountain community's rural character.

The staff is expected to make another proposal.

Commissioner George Newman says expanding renewable energy is commendable, but the county should address the impacts of facilities on neighborhoods. He says some homeowners are bothered by glare from neighboring solar panels.

But Commissioner Patti Kay-Clapper says defeating the proposal sends the wrong message after county voters approved a district allowing people to take out low-interest loans to install renewable energy systems.

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Information from: The Aspen Times, http://www.aspentimes.com/

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December 3, 2009 - 3:36 p.m. Copyright 2009, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Monday, November 23, 2009

'Going Green' as an investment

I asked my wife to read the last article I wrote in the Go Green section of the Free Press and asked for feedback. She said: “It's great, dear, but I still don't know how much solar costs.”

Using much of the solar jargon I've acquired throughout my career, I tried to explain that every situation is different and there is no one price; it depends on roof orientation, mounting angle, panel size and type, historic household energy consumption, and so on. All she heard was “blah, blah, blah,” and restated “all I want to know is how much it is going to cost me — $50 or $50,000.”

Therefore, I was inspired to give the rough answer for those of you that may be interested in what the investment is to go solar. The “average” homeowner paying $100 per month in electric bills consumes about 11,500 kilowatt hours (kwh) per year based on the current electric rate of 10.5 cents per kwh.

A solar system comprised of 35-40 panels and utilizing 500-700 square feet of roof space should create enough electricity to offset this usage over the course of a typical year. The price of a solar system can vary widely and is dependent upon panel quality, installer expertise, mounting equipment, installation method, and existing electrical arrangement. That being said, the value of a solar system, again using solar industry language, is between $6-$8 per watt installed or in this case right around $53,000; but because of the available renewable energy incentives, this is not the price you will pay.

The current Solar*Rewards rebate from Xcel Energy is designed to pay for nearly half of the system cost BUT THIS REBATE IS A MOVING TARGET and is designed to diminish over time. Because most installers will “float” this rebate, we can subtract it right off the top leaving $30,200, of which 30% or $9,060 will be paid back through a federal tax credit; which means you will invest $21,140 in a solar system worth over $50,000 that will offset $1,200 worth of utility payments the first year.

If a mortgage-type loan is used to finance the investment, monthly loan payments will be about the same as current utility payments but instead of increasing over time they will be FIXED for the loan period and the interest portion could be tax deductible as well. When we account for inflation using historic inflation rates of 7-8, that same solar system will offset around $1,600 worth of expenses in year 5 and $2,300 worth of electricity in year 10.

In other words, the return on investment gains value each year and now as electric rates go up (incidentally according to the current proposed rate case by Xcel Energy, costs are scheduled to go up as much as 13.59% next year for residential customers), you cheer instead of complain as your solar system becomes more valuable.

Additionally, the National Appraisal Institute in joint effort with Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency coordinated a study and found that for every dollar offset by renewable energy or energy efficient measures, home value could be raised by 20.

In the case of our “average” home, the asking price could increase by as much as $24,000 in the first year. So what does it cost to “go green?” Nothing — in fact you can end up making money. It is better to think of renewable energy as an investment in your future rather than an expenditure. What is the return on investment from your current utility payments?

from "Going Green" in GJ Free Press 23 Nov 2009

Scott Wegs

Solar consultant

HIGH NOON SOLAR

569 S. Westgate #4

Grand Junction, CO 81505

highnoonsolar_scott@yahoo.com

970-234-1498

Monday, November 16, 2009

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

XCEL ENERGY TO REDUCE SOLAR PAYMENTS BEFORE 2010!

“GO GREEN” Page Article from Grand Junction Free Press for Monday 2 November 2009

XCEL ENERGY SET TO REDUCE SOLAR PAYMENTS BEFORE 2010!

GRAND JUNCTION BUSINESSES AND HOMEOWNERS ACT NOW!

On 28 October 2009 Xcel Energy submitted its 2010 “Renewable Energy Standard Compliance Plan” to the Colorado Public Utility Commission. As part of this plan, Xcel Energy will reduce its payment to Xcel Solar Rewards customers from $3.50/watt to $3.00/watt. What this means for an average Grand Junction Homeowner who purchases a 5 kilowatt solar system is a loss of $2500.00 towards the purchase of the solar system, or a loss of $5000.00 to the average business owner who purchases a solar system. It is crucial that homeowners and businesses “lock-in” the larger rebate now, and then have 9 months to install the solar system. In addition to the Xcel Energy Solar Rewards rebate, there are federal tax credits, grants, and accelerated depreciation that further reduce out of pocket costs of solar for businesses. If you are not an Xcel Energy customer, the federal incentives still apply, and there will be rebates available from the state of Colorado in 2010. Since 2007, hundreds of Grand Junction homeowners and businesses have purchased solar systems that save them money by producing on-site, clean and independent power. How does it work?
For Businesses, the Xcel Energy Rebate will pay 40-60% of the cost of the solar system. The Federal Tax Credit or US Treasury Grant (Grant only available 2009-2010) will pay another 30% of the cost of the solar system. For businesses, there is accelerated cost recovery for the capital investment in the solar (bonus depreciation is only available for 2009-2010), which returns another 25-30% of the cost of the solar system to the business owner within a 5-6 year period. Yes, in other words, more than 100% of the cost of the solar system can be returned to the business owner within a 5-6 year period. And that does not even include the savings on the utility bill! Homeowners receive the Xcel Rebate and the 30% Federal Tax Credit, which combined can pay for 75% of the cost of the solar system before savings on the utility bills.
Atlasta Solar Center is the leading solar energy installation and distribution company on the Western Slope, and Atlasta Solar is one of the longest operating solar companies in Colorado. Since 1979, Atlasta Solar Center has installed over 1500 solar systems for businesses and homeowners. Atlasta Solar is proud to celebrate its 30 year anniversary in Grand Junction by offering special solar sale prices for 2009. Call now to get your rebate!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Solar savings shine on businesses

Solar savings shine on businesses

By EMILY ANDERSON/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Going solar doesn’t have to mean going broke, according to energy blogger Craig Severance.

Severance, who edits the blog Energy Economy Online and also serves as a CPA, paid for a Toyota Prius hybrid car with savings from installing solar panels on his business. He wrote off the panels as business equipment on his tax forms and received a $26,000 tax credit the first year he used the solar system.

“I didn’t owe any federal income tax dollars for four to five years,” he said Tuesday during a seminar on energy-efficiency tax credits for businesses at Two Rivers Convention Center.

A combination of tax credits, grants and rebates can help businesses pay just 20 percent or less of the cost of installing an energy-efficient power system, said Lou Villaire of Grand Valley Solar Center. Stimulus funds helped extend the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 into this year. The tax credit, which is received now as a grant from the U.S. Treasury Department, has $3 billion reserved to help pay for 30 percent of 5,000 alternative power systems across the United States. A rebate from the state for businesses that operate in a rural energy co-op area or from a utility provider can get a company 20 percent to 50 percent of the installation cost back. Plus, energy savings from the system can return 5 percent to 10 percent of the installation cost and keep energy prices from inflating for a solar user that would otherwise have to deal with rising energy prices.

While some want to save the environment, cost savings are what will really drive a business owner to make the switch, Villaire said.

Xcel Energy announced a plan Tuesday for meeting Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard, which requires 20 percent of energy produced in the state to come from renewable resources by 2020. The plan is to add 257 megawatts of new on-site solar power to the state’s energy grid, plus 700 megawatts of wind power and 350 megawatts of utility-scale solar power. In order to accomplish the goal, Xcel plans to drop payments it asks from solar customers from $1.50 per watt to $1 per watt.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Alternative Energy Expo in Delta Friday, Saturday

Alternative Energy Expo in Delta Friday, Saturday

By Sharon Sullivan
ssullivan@gjfreepress.com
Grand Junction, CO Colorado

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Generating electricity with micro-hydro power, building a solar-powered “not-so-big” house, and creating heating and cooling solutions in your own backyard via geoexchange, are a few of the various workshops offered Friday and Saturday at the 2008 Alternative Energy Expo in Delta.

Twenty-six exhibitors from around the state, and 11 alternative energy workshops — all free — will be featured at the energy expo to be held at the Bill Heddles Recreation Center. The expo opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 4:30 p.m. both days.

The event is being hosted by the Western Slope Environmental Resource Council — a Paonia-based organization that works primarily on environmental issues in Delta County. The group is being sponsored in part by the Delta-Montrose Electric Association who held a similar energy expo last year in Montrose.

Other workshops will include biofuels, wind power, capturing coal mine methane to create power, green building, energy efficiency, solar heating, and hybrid and electric vehicles.

People will be able to learn about what types of alternative energy would best suit their needs, said Barbara Silverman of WSERC.

“We’re not dealing with a lot of theory. We’re really trying to give people very practical information,” Silverman said.

The Grand Junction-based Atlasta Solar will be among the exhibitors at the energy expo.

Atlasta will be letting people know about Xcel energy rebates that make installing solar more affordable for both residential and commercial properties, said Andy Whipple, of Atlasta Solar.

Congress recently extended and removed the cap on tax credits for people who want to install solar power on their properties. The amount of credit residential property owners have been able to recoup has been capped at $2,000. Starting in January, homeowners will be able to enjoy the same level of tax credits as commercial properties.

“It’s huge,” Whipple said. “It’s going to be a boost for the industry. It’ll make it that much easier for the average guy to get into it and produce his own energy.”

“It’s the silver lining in the $700 billion bailout package,” Whipple said.

U.S. senators added the tax breaks for alternative energy to the bailout package to drum up support from constituents for the controversial plan, Whipple said.

“Amp Up Your Energy IQ” is the title of a presentation by Randy Udall to be given Friday at 7 p.m. at the Delta County Center for the Performing Arts, 822 Grand Ave.

Cost for this event is $20 for the general public, and $15 for WSERC members.

Randy Udall has directed the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE), a nonprofit organization that promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy since 1994.

“He’s the energy guru,” Silverman said. He’s funny and he’ll definitely have a message about increasing our energy sources and decreasing our dependence on foreign oil.”

To see a schedule of the two days of free workshops visit www.wserc.org.

Pre-registration is not required to attend the event.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Solar power outshining Colorado's gas industry

Solar power outshining Colorado's gas industry
By DINA CAPPIELLO
Associated Press Writer

DURANGO, Colo. — The sun had just crested the distant ridge of the Rocky Mountains, but already it was producing enough power for the electric meter on the side of the Smiley Building to spin backward.

For the Shaw brothers, who converted the downtown arts building and community center into a miniature solar power plant two years ago, each reverse rotation subtracts from their monthly electric bill. It also means the building at that moment is producing more electricity from the sun than it needs.

"Backward is good," said John Shaw, who now runs Shaw Solar and Energy Conservation, a local solar installation company.

Good for whom?

As La Plata County in southwestern Colorado looks to shift to cleaner sources of energy, solar is becoming the power source of choice even though it still produces only a small fraction of the region's electricity. It's being nudged along by tax credits and rebates, a growing concern about the gases heating up the planet, and the region's plentiful sunshine.

The natural gas industry, which produces more gas here than nearly every other county in Colorado, has been relegated to the shadows.

Tougher state environmental regulations and lower natural gas prices have slowed many new drilling permits. As a result, production — and the jobs that come with it — have leveled off.

With the county and city drawing up plans to reduce the emissions blamed for global warming and Congress weighing the first mandatory limits, the industry once again finds itself on the losing side of the debate.

A recent greenhouse-gas inventory of La Plata County found that the thousands of natural gas pumps and processing plants dotting the landscape are the single largest source of heat-trapping pollution locally.

That has the industry bracing for a hit on two fronts if federal legislation passes.

First, it will have to reduce emissions from its production equipment to meet pollution limits, which will drive up costs. Second, as the county's largest consumer of electricity, gas companies probably will see energy bills rise as the local power cooperative is forced to cut gases released from its coal-fired power plants or purchase credits from other companies that reduce emissions.

"Being able to put solar systems on homes is great, you take something off the grid, it is as good as conserving," said Christi Zeller, the executive director of the La Plata Energy Council, a trade group representing about two dozen companies that produce the methane gas trapped within coal buried underground.

"But the reality is we still need natural gas, so embrace our industry like you are embracing wind, solar and the renewables," she said.

It's a refrain echoed on the national level, where the industry, displeased with the climate bill passed by the House this summer, is trying to raise its profile as the Senate works on its version of the legislation.

In March, about two dozen of the largest independent gas producers started America's Natural Gas Alliance. In ads in major publications in 32 states, the group has pressed the case that natural gas is a cleaner-burning alternative to coal and can help bridge the transition from fossil fuels to pollution-free sources such as wind and solar.

"Every industry thinks every other industry is getting all the breaks. All of us are concerned that we are not getting any consideration at all from people claiming they are trying to reduce the carbon footprint," said Bob Zahradnik, the operating director for the Southern Ute tribe's business arm, which includes the tribes' gas and oil production companies. None is in the alliance.

Politicians from energy-diverse states such as Colorado are trying to avoid getting caught in the middle. They're working to make sure that the final bill doesn't favor some types of energy produced back home over others.

At a town hall meeting in Durango in late August, Sen. Mark Udall, who described himself as one of the biggest proponents of renewable energy, assured the crowd that natural gas wouldn't be forgotten.

"Renewables are our future ... but we also need to continue to invest in natural gas," said Udall, D-Colo.

Much more than energy is at stake. Local and state governments across the country also depend on taxes paid by natural gas companies to fund schools, repair roads and pay other bills.

In La Plata County alone, the industry is responsible for hundreds of jobs and pays for more than half of the property taxes. In addition, about 6,000 residents who own the mineral rights beneath their property get a monthly royalty check from the companies harvesting oil and gas.

"Solar cannot do that. Wind cannot do that," said Zeller, whose mother is one of the royalty recipients. In July, she received a check for $458.92, far less than the $1,787.30 she was paid the same month last year, when natural gas prices were much higher.

Solar, by contrast, costs money.

Earlier this year, the city of Durango scaled back the amount of green power it was purchasing from the local electric cooperative because of the price. The additional $65,000 it was paying for power helped the cooperative, which is largely reliant on coal, to invest in solar power and other renewables.

"It is a premium. It is an additional cost," said Greg Caton, the assistant city manager.

Instead, the city decided to use the money to develop its own solar projects at its water treatment plant and public swimming pool. The effort will reduce the amount of power it gets from sources that contribute to global warming and make the city eligible for a $3,000 rebate from the La Plata Electric Association.

Yes, the power company will pay the city to use less of its power. That's because the solar will count toward a state mandate to boost renewable energy production.

"In the typical business model, it doesn't work," said Greg Munro, the cooperative's executive director. "Why would I give rebates to somebody buying someone else's shoes?"

The same upfront costs have prevented homeowners from jumping on the solar bandwagon despite the tax credits, rebates and lower electricity bills.

Most of Shaw's customers can't afford to install enough solar to cover 100 percent of their homes' electricity needs, which is one reason why solar supplies just a fraction of the power the county needs.

The higher fossil-fuel prices that could come with climate legislation would make it more competitive.

"You can't drive an industry on people doing the right thing. The best thing for this country is if gas were $10 a gallon," said Shaw, as he watched two of his three full-time workers install the last solar panels on a barn outside town.

The private residence, nestled in a remote canyon, probably will produce more power from the sun than it will use, causing its meter to spin in reverse like the Smiley Building's. The cost, however, is steep: more than $500,000.

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On the Net:

Smiley Building: http://smileybuilding.com/solar/conservation.html

La Plata Energy Council: http://www.energycouncil.org/

America's Natural Gas Alliance: http://www.anga.us.

Durango: http://www.durangogov.org/environmental.cfm

La Plata Electric Association: http://tinyurl.com/ya5qx6x

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Copyright 2009, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Huge US Majority Support Solar

By Ann Rascalli

The dwindling number of politicians and naysayers who still regard renewable energy as a passing fancy may have just gotten smaller; and those holdouts who still reside in that camp may want to keep their opinions to themselves after the latest polling results.

According to the results of a new study conducted by the independent polling firm Kelton Research, 92% of Americans think it’s important for the country to develop and use solar power.

What’s more, solar’s growing popularity extends almost evenly across political parties, with 89% of Republicans, 94% of Democrats and 93% of Independents agreeing that solar energy is an important aim.

The 2009 Schott Solar Barometer found that 77% of respondents also believe the federal government should make solar power development a national priority. Nearly half are considering solar power options for their home or business, while 70% of those hope to make the switch in the next five years. Only 3% already use the sun for energy.

The answers for one particular question revealed solar to be the number one choice if, as president of the U.S., respondents had to choose one energy source to fund. 43% said they would chose solar, followed by the 17% who picked wind, the 12% who settled on natural gas and the 10% who selected nuclear.

Solar is popular, yes, but not a particularly understood form of power. Results of the survey show that only 12% of those polled could say that they were extremely informed about solar power while 74% said they wished they knew more about solar power options.

The study, conducted from Aug. 31 to Sept. 8, was commissioned by German photovoltaic company Schott Solar and the Solar Energy Industries Assn.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Grand Valley Solar Tour Map

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Grand Valley Solar Tour Oct 3 2009

Solar Powered homes will be showcased from 9am to 2pm Free to the public. You are invited to join a self-guided tour throughout the Grand Valley. See how your neighbors are using solar energy and energy efficiency to reduce their monthly utility bills and increase the resale value of the home; Find out how you can too!

GREG (Grand Valley Renewable Energy & Efficiency Group) members are local businesses that work together to ensure the Grand Valleys’ renewable energy needs are represented, and to create more opportunities for sustainability in our community. Current members include High Noon Solar, Atlasta Solar Center, Simplicity Solar, and Ecofly Renewable Energies.

Everyone in the community is invited to the ASES National Solar Tour. Look for our map in the Free Press on Friday, October 2nd or at greggroup.org. It’s a great way to see many solar powered homes in your area and talk to solar professionals. The tour is the world's largest grassroots solar event – “which is a direct result of the efforts of local organizers.”

It takes place annually during the first Saturday in October in conjunction with National Energy Awareness Month. Thank you.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Xcel Explores Potential of Concentrated Solar

Xcel Explores Potential of Concentrated Solar
by Allen Best
09.17.09 - 05:18 pm
Unique Experiment Launched East of Grand JunctionDENVER – Any economic booster’s promotion kit for Colorado cheerily announces the state’s 300 days of sunshine per year.In reality, old sol lounges at some places more than others, and a map posted on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory website shows the sunshine intensity for the West. In comparison to the painful-looking road rash of California’s Mojave Desert, the San Luis Valley in Colorado looks like a bad bruise. Still, it’s the sunniest swath of Colorado. Pockets near Grand Junction, Fairplay and the Four Corners also look bruised, at best.But seen in another light, those bruises look like gold. Some of the world’s best minds have concluded that solar energy remains the most promising of the renewable sources for a long-term energy foundation.In this transformation, Colorado could become a major player. Nate Lewis, a professor of chemistry at the California Institute of Technology, has calculated that an area of southeastern Colorado and adjoining areas of New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas could by itself convert enough solar energy into electricity to meet the nation’s existing needs.As this was the setting for the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, this suggests a rags-to-riches story as the nation pushes to decarbonize its economy.Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest electrical supplier, has already created an eight-megawatt farm of photovoltaic panels near Alamosa in the San Luis Valley.Now, a less familiar type of technology called concentrated solar power is being deployed east of Grand Junction at the Cameo coal-fired power plant, where Abenoga Solar is partnering with Xcel Energy to erect parabolic mirrors on 6.4 acres. The mirrors will redirect the sun’s rays to a central unit, where fluid will be heated to produce steam and hence generate electricity.This is just a tiny step. Cameo, among the smallest of Xcel’s power plants in Colorado, generates 77 megawatts of electricity by burning coal. This new solar unit will add just 1 megawatt.This is the first concentrated solar plant in Colorado, although it’s likely not the last. Xcel has proposed to state regulators adding 280 megawatts of concentrated solar and other cutting-edge technology, including geothermal, to its portfolio, along with 700 megawatts of energy from wind and photovoltaic sources. The company currently produces 54 percent of its electricity by burning coal.The basic technology of concentrated solar has been around for decades. Installations in the Mojave Desert altogether can produce 350 megawatts of electricity. Huge up-front costs have held it back. But now, with coal and natural gas more expensive than 20 years ago, concentrated solar is starting to shine.“It’s a proven technology,” says Chuck Kutscher, one of NREL’s leading researchers in concentrated solar at its campus in Golden. He points to a new 64-megawatt plant near Las Vegas, a 259-megawatt plant being built to supply Phoenix, and proposals –- backed up by cash down-payments -– that could theoretically yield 97,000 megawatts of solar power, most of it from installations in the Mojave Desert.Kutscher points out that energy captured by concentrated solar can be retained for six hours through the medium of molten salt.. Batteries can store electricity produced by photovoltaic panels, but at much higher costs.“It produces power in a way that utility folks are familiar with,” says Kutscher.Costs remain higher than coal or even natural gas. The new plant in Arizona, for example, will produce electricity at an estimated cost of 14 to 15 cents per kilowatt-hour. That’s wholesale. In Colorado, the retail cost of electricity runs about 10 cents a kwh.But while sunshine can be expected to cost the same for decades, natural gas has been subject to wild price swings. A year ago it was selling for more than $13 per million British thermal units; in early September the price was $2.35 at the Opal Hub in Wyoming.Xcel plans to close Cameo, an old coal-fired plant, next year. Before it does, however, this provides an opportunity to kick the tires of this idea of integrating solar with coal for possible application elsewhere. It is the first such attempt in the world.If successful, more electricity can be generated without expanding the carbon footprint, says Randy Larson, senior project manager for Xcel.“Colorado is not the prime location for solar, but it has some very good locations,” says Larson. “Grand Junction is pretty good. Pueblo is good, although not as good as the Mojave.”Leslie Glustrom, director of an activist group called Clean Energy Action, says Xcel has changed its mind about the value of concentrated solar since 2007. “All told, we have a lot to be grateful for,” says Glustrom, who sued Xcel in an effort to block the utility’s construction of a 750-megawatt coal-fired plant called Commanche III, which will go on line later this year at Pueblo.Carol Tombari, author of Power of the People: America’s Electrical Choices, calls concentrated solar a sleeper. She notes significant venture capital has been invested in concentrated solar. “Yes, venture capital sometimes makes mistakes. But on the order of magnitude that has been invested in this, I’d say it’s going to succeed.” How it succeeds still remains in doubt. In theory, solar from Colorado could be used to light Los Angeles. Already, LA gets power from the Pacific Northwest, 1,000 miles away. But the cost of building this new transmission remains a major challenge, both financially and, to an extent, environmentally. The journey to this El Dorado of sunshine-based wealth still has plenty of shadows, says Kelly Murphy, who organizes conferences about energy topics. Even California, with an earlier timeline for increasing its renewable energy portfolio, has struggled to connect metropolitan markets with the energy available in the sun-soaked Mojave Desert, he says.Many energy analysts see concentrated solar being part of a much bigger mix of renewables that together are stronger than the sum of their parts.Hank Price, who manages the engineering for Abenoga Solar in Colorado, sees need for a diverse set of renewable resources. “If you were really thinking, you would throw in hydroelectric, wind and perhaps geothermal, and you could have a nice renewable mix,” he says. The intermittency of wind and other renewables makes them difficult to integrate to create steady so-called base-load generation.
© telluridewatch.com 2009

Monday, September 14, 2009

Xcel seeks to expand solar rebate program

Xcel seeks to expand solar rebate program

By EMILY ANDERSON/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Xcel Energy filed a request Monday with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to expand its Solar*Rewards program and meet the requirements of the Renewable Energy Financing Act of 2009.

The act, also known as Colorado Senate Bill 51, goes into effect today. The act intends to make alternative energy more affordable and accessible to consumers by increasing the amount the state can loan for clean energy projects and expanding the loan pool to more projects.

Solar*Rewards offers rebates to solar power users. The rebate amount depends on the size of the system.

The law also allows the owner of a solar power system to sell electricity to people that have the solar equipment on their property if the equipment supplies no more than 120 percent of the average electricity amount used by the typical Colorado household or business in a year. That’s why Xcel is proposing changing its energy cap on new metered solar power systems to the 120 percent limit and allowing a rewards customer to buy solar-generated electricity from a company.

Xcel would also like to change the Solar*Rewards program to include all 100 to 500 kilowatt systems that apply for a Solar*Rewards contract. These large systems did not always win a contract with Xcel in the past.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Cameo Plant and Solar

First-of-its-kind solar operation going up next to Cameo plant

By EMILY ANDERSON/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
Thursday, August 27, 2009

Xcel Energy’s Cameo Station will have a new neighbor during its last anticipated year of operation.
Xcel and Abengoa Solar broke ground on a solar power plant Thursday in a field west of the coal-fired Cameo plant. Abengoa Solar, which is based in Seville, Spain, but has a U.S. headquarters in Lakewood, will hire 25 construction workers to build a demonstration solar plant from September through the end of the year.
It will be the first solar plant in the world to combine solar and fossil fuels to produce electricity, Xcel said. The demonstration year will give Xcel and Abengoa a chance to see if it’s efficient to use the two together.
Combining operations could allow the Cameo plant to use 900 fewer tons of coal in 2010 and reduce the plant’s carbon dioxide emissions by 200,000 tons, according to Xcel project engineer Randy Larsen.
The demonstration plant will remain in operation for one year. After that, the plant may move or cease operation, Xcel Energy Supply President David Wilks said. If the demonstration year proves successful, it’s not likely the solar plant will stay in Mesa County, Larsen said.
Plans for the solar panels are up in the air after the end of 2010, but the Cameo closing is all but certain, Wilks said.
“Plants have a certain lifetime, and this one is 52 years old,” he said.
The solar plant will not directly generate electricity by itself, which is what makes it different from previous ones. Instead, the plant will aid the Cameo coal plant in producing electricity.
Coal is heated to run a turbine that generates electricity. The solar plant will heat water with the sun’s rays. That will produce steam to help heat the boiler where the coal goes. The hot air from the boiler churns the turbine that helps the plant’s generator create electricity. This method is called concentrating solar power (CSP) technology, said Hank Price, Abengoa’s vice president of technology development in North America. Abengoa’s Colorado employees developed the technology.
Solar power will help add 50 degrees to Cameo’s boiler, meaning less coal is needed.
Each panel included in the solar plant will consist of parabolic metal structures with mirrors on them. The mirrors are designed to follow the sun as it crosses the sky from dawn until dusk in order to collect the maximum amount of sunlight.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Mesa State New Solar Dorm

Students begin to fill new dorm at Mesa State

By EMILY ANDERSON/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

The new Mesa State College residence hall on North and Cannell avenues will open to a full house this school year.
More than 100 people attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday for the $21.3 million, three-building, 93,524-square-foot complex, which will house 304 students. It has a two-story central building with common areas, a four-story building on Cannell Avenue with 24 apartments housing six students each, and a five-story building on North Avenue with retail space on the first floor and 32 suites housing five to six students apiece on the other four floors. A second-story skywalk connects the buildings.
Each building has the same amenities as other residence halls, plus environmentally friendly technology such as solar panels, motion-sensor lights and a connection to a geothermal field that is serving the college’s teaching and business classroom building.
Even with the new rooms, Mesa State is bursting with on-campus residents. The number fluctuates each day, Housing and Residence Life Director Chip Thomas said, but 20 to 25 students could end up staying in hotels this year until rooms become available for them.
Thomas said he hasn’t seen much of a decrease in upperclassmen choosing to live on campus, even though Grand Junction’s apartment vacancy rate increased recently. The trend is likely more about convenience than rent, Thomas said.
“You can park here, you can walk to campus, everything’s here,” Thomas said, adding the residence halls have free laundry, cable and Wi-Fi service.
Fall-semester classes start Monday at Mesa State. Some students have moved into the halls, including more than 100 in the new complex, but most students will move into on-campus housing this weekend.
Email EMILY ANDERSON

Monday, August 10, 2009

Xcel drops proposed surcharge on solar customers

DENVER — Xcel Energy has withdrawn a proposal for a surcharge on Colorado homes and small businesses with solar panels.

Xcel, the state's largest electricity supplier, initially said it wanted to charge solar-equipped customers to help pay the cost of distribution and transmission lines to their homes and businesses.

Xcel said Tuesday the proposal had caused "significant customer confusion." The utility told state regulators it was dropping the plan.

Gov. Bill Ritter welcomed the move, saying the fee would have been a step backward and would have threatened jobs in the solar-energy industry.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission had scheduled a hearing on the proposal for Wednesday.

___

August 4, 2009 - 2:13 p.m. Copyright 2009, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Contact the CO PUC Now!

UNFAIR RATE INCREASE PENALIZES XCEL ENERGY
CUSTOMERS WITH SOLAR PV SYSTEMS!

Xcel Energy Proposes Discriminatory Rate Hike to Penalize Solar Energy Households
Residents with grid-tie solar systems connected to Xcel Energy will be subject to a SOLAR PENALTY under a proposal currently under review by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).

PUBLIC ATTENDANCE AT THE PUC’S PUBLIC HEARING IS IMPERATIVE!

Every residence with a solar system will be charged a ratcheted MINIMUM MONTHLY CHARGE— regardless of how much electricity is generated by the solar system in that month. If a solar household purchases electricity from Xcel Energy in ANY twelve-month period, Xcel will charge the customer for that same amount of electricity as A MINIMUM CHARGE EVERY SINGLE MONTH FOR THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS—even in months when you are producing all of your own electricity! If you purchase electricity from Xcel Energy in more than one month, the new minimum monthly charge will be pegged to the month in which you purchase the GREATEST number of kilowatthours! These charges are IN ADDITION to the current minimum $7.50 per month already paid by solar customers! Xcel Energy is proposing its third increase in residential rates this year, and on top of that—targeting residential solar customers in particular. Under Xcel Energy’s proposal: THIS PROPOSAL WILL PENALIZE COLORADO RESIDENTS FOR INSTALLING SOLAR SYSTEMS AND REDUCE SOLAR SYSTEM “PAYBACK” DRAMATICALLY. IT IS A NEGATIVE NATIONAL PRECEDENT THAT REJECTS THE SPIRIT OF AMENDMENT 37 AND STALLS THE CREATION OF THE NEW ENERGY ECONOMY!

JOIN US IN TAKING ACTION:
1. Contact your solar installer to confirm your attendance at the PUC’s public comment hearing on Wednesday, 5 August, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at 1560 Broadway, Suite 1550, Denver, 80202.
A public outcry must be heard at the PUC to stop this proposal before it becomes energy policy
in Colorado. A large crowd of concerned—and polite--solar owners is our best defense against
this outrageous proposal. Remember that we are speaking to the PUC as it considers Xcel Energy’s proposal. Xcel Energy made the proposal, not the PUC.

2. While it is best to show up in person, you can send an email to register your objections with the PUC. http://dora.state.co.us/pls/real/CCTS_oweb/complaint_form Re: Docket # 09AL-299E

3. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact your solar installer or check out the website of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (CoSEIA): http://www.coseia.org

Friday, July 31, 2009

Xcel Proposes 'back-up power" fee for solar homes

Xcel proposes "backup power" fee for solar homes

DENVER — Solar panels used to power homes in Colorado are emissions free and having access to traditional fossil-fuel generated backup electrical power is also free, for now.
Xcel Energy is seeking to change that by proposing a rate increase for solar customers that the state's largest power supplier said pays for providing electricity in case those homes need it.
Xcel is proposing a 2.6 cents per kilowatt hour fee based on the generating capacity of a home's solar panels. The proposed fee would be along with actual electricity used and a $7 to $8 service fee now charged to cover meter reading and billing.
Current solar customers would be exempt.
The Public Utilities Commission will hold a hearing on Xcel's proposed fee on Aug. 5.
Members of the solar panel industry oppose the fee, saying homeowners installing solar panels allow Xcel to add carbon-free energy while using existing infrastructure, saving the company money on construction and transmission lines.
They say installing panels also helps Xcel meet a state mandate that the compnay generate 20 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020.
"It's going to have a tremendously negative effect on the solar industry in Colorado if Xcel's proposal is approved," Blake Jones, president of Namaste Solar in Boulder told the Daily Camera. "Solar-system owners are actually providing a benefit to the utility, to the grid and to other rate payers."
Solar customers are net-metered, which means they receive credit for excess electricty produced by the solar panels that flows into Xcel's power grid.
Jones said Xcel could become the first utility to charge net-metered solar customers a fee for having access to electricity in the grid.
"This is something that's not happening anywhere in the country," Jones said. "This is not a good thing. This is not part of the vision we have for Colorado's new energy economy."
Xcel spokesman Tom Henley defended the proposed hike.
"We have to build the system so the customer can use as much energy as they want," Xcel spokesman Tom Henley said. "Right now, solar customers have this backup to the grid for free."
___
Information from: Daily Camera, http://www.dailycamera.com/

July 25, 2009 - 4:10 p.m. MDTCopyright 2009, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Higher cap by utility panel could help Rifle increase solar energy

Higher cap by utility panel could help Rifle increase solar energy

By DENNIS WEBB/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

Saturday, July 04, 2009

The city of Rifle’s hopes of fully powering a new waste- water treatment plant with renewable energy are in the hands of a state regulatory commission.

The city is waiting for the Public Utilities Commission to decide whether to lift a 2-megawatt-per-customer cap on net metering of renewable energy. An administrative law judge has made a recommendation in the city’s favor.

Net metering allows customers with their own renewable energy installations to be credited for energy they produce that exceeds their consumption of a utility’s power.

Although the cap doesn’t affect most consumers, Rifle has the largest municipal solar installation in the state. It includes a 1.7-megawatt array for the treatment plant and a 0.6-megawatt system for a raw water intake plant.

It would take a 4-megawatt system to fully power the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

Mike Braaten, the city’s government affairs director, raised the issue with the state as the PUC began considering a much broader rewrite of rules pertaining to renewable energy standards approved by state voters in 2004.

Denver and Boulder also have joined in voicing concern about the cap, in Denver’s case because it has a large solar array at Denver International Airport.

Some cities recommended an exemption for municipal customers.

Xcel Energy supported a cap consisting of the lesser of 2 megawatts or 120 percent of a customer’s average annual electricity consumption.

In April, as part of a larger package of renewable energy rule recommendations, Administrative Law Judge Ken Kirkpatrick wrote that the 2-megawatt cap is “somewhat arbitrary” and that a larger limit is warranted.

He recommends imposing only the cap of 120 percent of average annual use, no matter how large a system that allows. Braaten said that standard would meet Rifle’s needs.

The PUC is scheduled to act on the renewable energy rule revisions later this year.

Xcel spokesman Mark Stutz said the utility is not opposing the judge’s recommendation on the cap.

However, he said the concerns that Xcel raised about a larger cap continue to be relevant. Increased renewable energy capacity adds to Xcel’s challenge of providing backup electricity when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.

In his recommendation, Kirkpatrick called that concern valid, but said it involves engineering and operational issues, and the cap is primarily an economic one.

Stutz said Xcel is testing batteries and molten salt as means of storing renewable energy, along with a system to use wind to produce hydrogen, which could then serve as a fuel source.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Cost shouldn’t be utility’s only consideration

Grand Valley Power has issued a strongly worded statement opposing the cap and trade legislation working its way through Congress. In this statement, it becomes clear that the overriding mission of Grand Valley Power is to provide least-cost power to its customers without other considerations.

Grand Valley Power purchases all its power from XCEL Energy. XCEL Energy generates power from a variety of sources, with coal plants contributing over 50 percent of this mix. The mean use GVP customer, the one that uses only 750 kilowatt hours of power a month, is secondarily responsible for the combustion of 10 pounds per day of coal and the subsequent discharge of carbon dioxideinto the atmosphere.

There is an excellent analysis of the climate crisis currently on newsstands, issued by National Geographic, called “Energy for Tomorrow.”

Only diehards are continuing to deny that the 6.8 billion human inhabitants of this planet bear some responsibility for climate change. The U.S. coal industry has or will receive half a trillion dollars to start the transition to cleaner electricity, yet some power suppliers are aggressively fighting this transition. Why?

What is Grand Valley Power’s responsibility as a secondary power distributor? Should REAs hold to least-cost mission statements, without factoring in any of the end costs related to their industry? Should power producers be required to utilize carbon sequestration, coal gasification and other processes to generate cleaner electricity or be penalized for their emissions?

Is cap and trade the best possible platform of change? There are many who support a straight carbon tax as far better solution. If you want to write your congressman, that would be my recommended suggestion.

I am a customer of Grand Valley Power, as a residence and as a business. I adamantly oppose Grand Valley Power’s position on this issue.

Fred Pittenger, CEO
Simplicity Solar
Grand Junction

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Solar Industry to See Faster than Expected Growth

Solar industry to see faster than expected growth

By CHRIS KAHN AP Energy Writer
NEW YORK — The solar energy industry will grow faster than expected during the next few years as American utilities invest heavily in large-scale solar farms, analysts with Barclays Capital said Tuesday in a research note.
Barclays analyst Vishal Shah noted that demand for utility-scale solar projects could eventually make up half of the U.S. market. Major utilities could install about 5 gigawatts of solar photovoltaic projects during the next three years, the analyst said.
Solar power is still a tiny player on the American electrical grid, however.
The utility-scale projects currently in operation in the U.S. provide 444 megawatts of energy to the grid according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. That's enough to power 2.8 million homes, and it's only a fraction of the power generated by another alternative energy source, the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station near Phoenix.
That amount is expected to jump more than 12-fold in the next few years, however, with dozens of new solar plants under development in California, Arizona, Florida and Hawaii.
Shah said SunPower Corporation, First Solar Inc., Suntech Power Holdings Co. and Yingli Green Energy will be the primary players in utility-scale projects in coming years.
Because of the banking meltdown, the expansion depends heavily on the promise of billions of federal stimulus dollars that Congress earmarked for solar in the past year.
Power companies have had trouble raising money for major projects, and they still don't yet know how they can access federal grants and loan guarantees.
SEIA spokeswoman Monique Hanis said the Treasury Department and the Department of Energy are expected provide more information this summer.
"The sooner we can get some guidance, the sooner we can get moving on these projects," Hanis said.
___Copyright 2009, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Monday, June 1, 2009

VOTE SOLAR!

Despite all this talk of a renewable energy future, the energy bill moving through congress doesn't do much for solar. (Want to learn why? Read our recent article on the topic). In the words of 80s songstress Bonnie Tyler, "we need a hero!"

Well, I think we just found her. Meet Senator Stabenow (D-MI), the new solar champion in Congress. She's stepping up to make sure the energy bill doesn't leave solar in the dark. She's introduced an amendment that would require utilities to add small-scale renewable resources such as solar to their electricity mix.

The amendment is already facing serious opposition from utilities that see solar as harmful to their profit margins. Surely we can make more noise than old energy. Let your Senators know that business-as-usual is not good enough. Solar needs to be a bigger part of our national energy future.

Senator Stabenow's amendment would increase the amount of solar we have deployed today by 224,900% by 2020. Declare your support for a solar future, today!

The Vote Solar Initiative
300 Brannan Street, Suite 609
San Francisco, CA 94107
www.votesolar.org

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Grand Junction Solar Tour

June 06, 2009 11 am - 5 pm
Free to the public. Press Conference: 166 N. Cherry St., Fruita (home on tour) at 2pm

this event is for those people curious about what solar systems look like, how they work, what the return on investment is, or just want to “check out” how this technology can benefit them. High Noon Solar is offering a self-guided tour of 16 area residences and businesses across the Grand Valley that incorporate solar electric systems. High Noon Solar has partnered with MVM Mortgage Group and will have representatives at designated locations to answer solar and financing questions. Maps will soon be available on High Noon Solar’s website.

569 S. Westgate Drive, #4, CO
970-241-0209
www.HighNoonSolar.com

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Cost Of Installed Solar Photovoltaic Systems Drops Significantly Over The Last Decade

enlarge

A new study on the installed costs of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the U.S. shows that the average cost of these systems declined significantly from 1998 to 2007, but remained relatively flat during the last two years of this period. (Credit: Image courtesy of DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

ScienceDaily (Mar. 3, 2009) — A new study on the installed costs of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the U.S. shows that the average cost of these systems declined significantly from 1998 to 2007, but remained relatively flat during the last two years of this period.

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) who conducted the study say that the overall decline in the installed cost of solar PV systems is mostly the result of decreases in nonmodule costs, such as the cost of labor, marketing, overhead, inverters, and the balance of systems.

“This suggests that state and local PV deployment programs — which likely have a greater impact on nonmodule costs than on module prices — have been at least somewhat successful in spurring cost reductions,” states the report, which was written by Ryan Wiser, Galen Barbose, and Carla Peterman of Berkeley Lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division.

Installations of solar PV systems have grown at a rapid rate in the U.S., and governments have offered various incentives to expand the solar market.

“A goal of government incentive programs is to help drive the cost of PV systems lower. One purpose of this study is to provide reliable information about the costs of installed systems over time,” says Wiser.

The study examined 37,000 grid-connected PV systems installed between 1998 and 2007 in 12 states. It found that average installed costs, in terms of real 2007 dollars per installed watt, declined from $10.50 per watt in 1998 to $7.60 per watt in 2007, equivalent to an average annual reduction of 30 cents per watt or 3.5 percent per year in real dollars.

The researchers found that the reduction in nonmodule costs was responsible for most of the overall decline in costs. According to the report, this trend, along with a reduction in the number of higher-cost “outlier” installations, suggests that state and local PV-deployment policies have achieved some success in fostering competition within the industry and in spurring improvements in the cost structure and efficiency of the delivery infrastructure for solar power.

Costs differ by region and type of system

Other information about differences in costs by region and by installation type emerged from the study. The cost reduction over time was largest for smaller PV systems, such as those used to power individual households. Also, installed costs show significant economies of scale. Systems completed in 2006 or 2007 that were less than two kilowatts in size averaged $9.00 per watt, while systems larger than 750 kilowatts averaged $6.80 per watt.

Installed costs were also found to vary widely across states. Among systems completed in 2006 or 2007 and less than 10 kilowatts, average costs range from a low of $7.60 per watt in Arizona, followed by California and New Jersey, which had average installed costs of $8.10 per watt and $8.40 per watt respectively, to a high of $10.60 per watt in Maryland. Based on these data, and on installed-cost data from the sizable Japanese and German PV markets, the authors suggest that PV costs can be driven lower through sizable deployment programs.

The study also found that the new construction market offers cost advantages for residential PV systems. Among small residential PV systems in California completed in 2006 or 2007, those systems installed in residential new construction cost 60 cents per watt less than comparably-sized systems installed as retrofit applications.

Cash incentives declined

The study also found that direct cash incentives provided by state and local PV incentive programs declined over the 1998-2007 study period. Other sources of incentives, however, have become more significant, including federal incentive tax credits (ITCs). As a result of the increase in the federal ITC for commercial systems in 2006, total after-tax incentives for commercial PV were $3.90 per watt in 2007, an all-time high based on the data analyzed in the report. Total after-tax incentives for residential systems, on the other hand, averaged $3.1 per watt in 2007, their lowest level since 2001.

Because incentives for residential PV systems declined over this period, the net installed cost of residential PV has remained relatively flat since 2001. At the same time, the net installed cost of commercial PV has dropped — it was $3.90 per watt in 2007, compared to $5.90 per watt in 2001, a drop of 32 percent, thanks in large part to the federal ITC.

“Tracking the Sun: The Installed Cost of Photovoltaics in the U.S. from 1998–2007,” by Ryan Wiser, Galen Barbose, and Carla Peterman, may be downloaded as a PDF. The research was supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (Solar Energy Technologies Program) and Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (Permitting, Siting and Analysis Division), and by the Clean Energy States Alliance.

Adapted from materials provided by DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Show Me The Green

Who needs 100 days? By Day 93, better known the celebration of “Earth Day,” there was a lot to celebrate with a restored national commitment to protecting our economy and our natural places.

And while most of the press will spotlight the big political fights, the new record on energy, the economy, and conservation offers many positive reasons to observe the first 100 days.

A highlight was Day 7, when the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency reconsidered a previous biased decision preventing 14 states from reducing CO2 from cars and light trucks.

On Day 29, Colorado was the location to sign into law the single largest green funding initiative in American history, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which doubles America’s commitment to renewable energy production, improves the wise use of existing fuels, increases energy efficiency, and invests in clean transportation — all while creating 1.5 million energy jobs.

On Day 38, a national budget was unveiled that sets the stage for a national energy independence plan that reduces CO2 emissions and drives the nation to a modern and balanced energy economy.

That’s only three of dozens of environmental first days; yet, there is more work to do. The renewed national promise of energy innovation, invention, and independence lies before us.

During the first 100 days, the nation has set itself on a new direction when it comes to protecting our national heritage, natural preservation, and growing the economy through reconstruction and efficiency while reducing waste. I hope that the next 1,325 days are as productive as the first 100.

Lou Villaire
The Grand Junction Free Press, Letters to the Editor, Friday May 8 2009

Monday, May 4, 2009

Encana Energy Expo in Rifle to feature Natural Gas Technology and Alternative Energies

Sponsored by EnCana and free to attendees, the 7th annual Energy Expo gives an up-close look at the technology and skilled workforce responsible for developing clean domestic energy in Western Colorado. It takes place Wednesday, May 6th, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Garfield County Fairgrounds.

The Energy Expo is a great opportunity for people who live and work in the area to talk one-on-one with representatives from EnCana and numerous other local operators, contractor companies, work force-training groups, government and regulatory agencies and alternative energy companies.

“There have been a lot of changes in the last year, in the way Colorado’s energy resources are developed,” said Kathy Friesen, Education Advisor and Expo Director. “The Expo continues to be an educational forum for the community to gain first-hand knowledge about the natural gas industry, environmental initiatives and alternative energy. We encourage everyone to come out and ask questions.”

Emerging technology exhibits are a critical component of the Expo and this year is no different with EnCana debuting one of their natural gas fleet vehicles, the Honda Civic GX. EnCana recently launched its Drive NGV employee program and hasintroduced a small fleet of business and commuter-use natural gas powered vehicles to its employees to help increase awareness for the virtues of natural gas and its versatility as the cleanest commercially available fuel choice.

With more than 80 exhibits, the 7th Annual Energy Expo is on track to be the most informative expo yet. For more information, please contact EnCana at (970) 2....

EnCana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EnCana Corporation. With an enterprise value of approximately US$40 billion, EnCana is a leading North American unconventional natural gas and integrated oil company. By partnering with employees, community organizations and other businesses, EnCana contributes to the strength and sustainability of the communities where it operates. EnCana common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ECA. For more information, go to www.encana.com ^[2] or call 866-896-6371.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Solar Powered Fruita Fat Tire Festival

Fruita Fat Tire Festival Schedule

Here's the shedule for the 14th Annual New Belgium Brewing Fruita Fat Tire Festival presented by US Bank and supported by Shimano & the City of Fruita

Thursday April 23, 2009

Expo set-up, VIP Party for industry and participants registered by April 23.
Registration for the festival will occur from 3-6 pm at the Civic Center.

Friday April 24, 2009

Expo, Beer Garden, Rides, Party 6-10pm - No Cover. Registration 10-6 pm at the Civic Center. Daily schedules posted at the Info Tent!

Saturday April 25, 2009

Clunker Crit, Expo, Beer Garden, Rides, Party 6-10pm - No Cover, Registration 10-12 noon at the Civic Center. Daily schedules posted at the Info tent!

Sunday April 26, 2009

Enjoy the trails before you head home!!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

DMEA June 18 2009 Energy Expo

Mark Your Calendars for the Western Colorado

ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONFFEEREENCEE & EXPO

June 18, 2009

Topics :

𐂾 Adding power to our economy through energy efficiency

𐂾 Saving money in schools & other public buildings

𐂾 Achieving high rate of return on investment in efficiency in

commercial buildings

𐂾 Examples of energy efficient businesses in Western Colorado

𐂾 Daylighting (conventional & fiber optic)

𐂾 High-efficiency heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC)

𐂾 Utility efficiency programs

𐂾 Government policies to accelerate energy efficiency

𐂾 Grants, loans and other financing for energy efficiency

𐂾 Energy efficient new homes and home energy retrofits

𐂾 Plug in” hybrids, electric vehicles and more!

More than 50 displays of energy efficient

products, companies, vehicles and information!

Special Evening presentation featuring:

Don Juhasz

U.S. Army , Chief of Energy and Utilities Program

Sponsor, exhibitor, or speaker information:

Tom Polikalas: 970-240-1245 or public.relations@dmea.com

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Grand Junction Earth Day 2009 Celebration

2nd Annual Earth Day Celebration

The time is upon us again to ramp up and get ready for the Earth Day celebration! High Noon Solar has volunteered to organize and help host the 2nd Annual Earth Day Event in Grand Junction because we understand the need for our community to stay involved with one another, as well as to get reliable information about ecologically friendly choices. Plus, it was great fun being involved with so many like-minded individuals last year! Thank you to all of those who participated in the event last year to make it such a success. Earth Day 2009 is shaping up to be even larger than last year. For one, we will NOT be competing with the Arbor Day Festival at Lincoln Park. The Arbor Day Festival will be held the weekend after Earth Day this year. Earth Day 2009 will be held April 18th, Saturday, from 11am- 5pm at the Mesa County Fairgrounds. We have all the entertainment we can fit into the schedule already-- entertainment this year includes Flat Top Reed, the 17th Street Band, Sandy Lind, Khubsurat Ruh Middle Eastern Dance Troupe, and a couple more that are still wiggling into time spots. Many thanks to our wonderful performers!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

"High Noon at Grand Junction’s Energy Expo! Your reporter Hears it From All Sides"

High Noon at Grand Junction’s Energy Expo! Your reporter Hears it From All Sides

March 3, 2009 @ 3:53 am

By Sharon Sullivan, CEN Contributing Reporter

Grand Junction homebuilder, Bonnie Peterson, talks excitedly about energy, and Colorado’s potential to solve the nation’s demands for it. Four years ago Peterson and Kathy Hall, Western Slope representative for the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, organized what has become an annual event: Grand Junction’s [1] Energy Forum and Expo.

“Western Colorado has all sorts of energy resources: gas, oil through shale - who knows where we’ll go with that, coal, a ton of forest if we ever get to the point we can develop biomass, sunshine, uranium,” Peterson said. “We want to provide opportunities for people to be educated in all of these arenas.”

Approximately 1,000 people attended the fourth annual free Energy Forum and Expo, February 27, at the Two Rivers Convention Center. The event featured a panel of energy-related speakers and vendors, mostly associated with the oil and gas industry.

“This region is the breadbasket of energy opportunity - fossil fuel as well as the new energy economy,” said Reeves Brown, executive director of Club 20, a civic and political organization, who helped host the event. “We think it’s smart to try and position this region and this community on the forefront of evolving energy technologies.

Most of the speakers said while alternative energies need to be explored, they will not replace oil and gas anytime soon.

Keynote speaker Michael Economides, a chemical and petroleum engineer, chairman of a natural gas firm, and author of “The Color of Oil,” was back this year by popular demand of the largely pro-oil and gas industry crowd. Economides’ speech often mocked the press, Venezuelan
president Hugo Chavez, and especially former Vice-President Al Gore for his views on global climate change.

The press wants to talk about solar and wind which may account for more than 1 percent of energy needs, Economides said. “Get it (solar) out of your mind. Your electricity bill will be $10,000 a month. That’s what solar energy will do. There are no alternatives to hydrocarbon energy sources in the foreseeable future.”

“That’s preposterous,” said Lou Villaire, a salesman with Atlasta Solar, one of two solar companies exhibiting at the Expo which featured 59 vendors. “He’s employed by the oil and gas industry, but he puts himself up as an independent researcher.”

“Ten-thousand dollars? He needs to come and talk to some of our customers,” said another Atlasta salesman Andy Whipple. What Economides fails to mention, Villaire said, is that solar would be more competitive if the government took away the huge oil and gas subsidies. Economides seemed to backpedal slightly when asked to comment further on the “$10,000 a month” solar bill. “Solar is good. With a subsidy we can make everything possible. If government gives away money, that’s different,” Economides said.

The country’s energy needs can’t be solved until transportation issues are addressed, Economides said. If trends continue, by 2011, the U.S. will be importing more oil than it uses for transportation. But ethanol is not the answer to increased needs for fuel, Economides said. Ethanol is the “largest scam in energy history,” because you end up with a negative energy balance producing it, according to Economides.

Former Congressman Charlie Stenholm, spoke at the forum in favor of ethanol, although he said he didn’t always believe in it. “I opposed ethanol. I couldn’t explain to my oil and gas (constituents) why we should subsidize the competition,” Stenholm said. But he changed his mind about ethanol. “If corn is more valuable in the marketplace as fuel as opposed to food, that should determine where it goes,” Stenholm said. Stenholm also mentioned the potential of oil shale for solving the nation’s appetite for oil. “You are sitting on the OPEC of the world with your oil shale production right here in Colorado,” Stenholm told the audience.

Tracy Boyd, of Shell Exploration and Production Company expounded on the topic of oil shale. Shell’s Mahogony Research Project seeks to extract oil from shale by gradually heating up the rock underground over a four-year period. The company is studying oil shales’s commercial feasibility through its Research, Development and Demonstration project in northwestern Colorado.

”The reserves here (in Colorado) are so rich,” with significant potential for solving the nation’’s energy needs, Boyd said. Seventy percent of the oil shale lies beneath federal lands. Someone from the audience asked Boyd about the project’s water consumption - a concern of many that live in western Colorado’s desert region. Oil shale water consumption is unknown, Boyd said. “Opponents use that against it. They are right, but over time we’re getting a handle on it. Three-to-one (three barrels of water to one barrel of oil production) is the number we use for general planning purposes.

”There are higher estimates but we in the industry don’t buy those numbers.” Shell has acquired water rights on the Yampa, Colorado and White rivers. “So when one basin is low, that year we can switch off to another river’s basin, Boyd said. Another person from the audience asked if the future price of oil would support the cost of oil shale development, which isn’t expected to take place commercially for several years. “I can’t answer that. I really don’t know,” Boyd said.

George Glasier, of the Canadian-based Energy Fuels Inc. spoke about his company’s plans to develop the region’s vast deposits of uranium for nuclear power. Uranium mining and milling in Colorado was discontinued in the 1980s due to declining uranium prices. The meltdown at the Three Mile Island reactor in Middletown, Pa., in 1979 and the 1986 explosion at the Chernoby plant in Russia factored in the market decline of uranium. World leaders plan to double the amount of energy it derives from nuclear, in the next 20 years, Glasier said. These days touted by proponents as “clean” energy, companies like Energy Fuels is poised to revive uranium mining in Colorado.

But that doesn’t take into consideration the radioactive waste generated by the uranium milling.

All the waste generated by the U.S. would fit on a football field 30 feet high, Glasier said. “Granted it’s highly radioactive, but (the waste) is not great in quantity.” Disposing of the tailings (the sandy waste material after the milling process) is key, Glasier said. “You want no leakage for thousands of years. You have to prevent the slurry from seeping into the ground water.”

Deciding what to do with the high-level radioactive waste is a problem, a political problem, Glasier said.
We’ve been working on the Yucca site (a proposed nuclear waste repository in Nevada) for 20 years. Nevada still doesn’t want it,” he said.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Obama shines light on solar energy

By GARY HARMON

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The spotlight on renewable energy couldn’t have been trained on a better target when President Obama signed his stimulus bill into law, said a Grand Junction man who has long been involved in solar energy.

“It was significant for Colorado” that the new energy economy was boosted by the president during the signing ceremony, said Lou Villaire of Atlasta Solar Center, 2923 North Ave.

As with the rest of the energy industry, “We’ve been hit with the economic downturn,” Villaire said.

With the coming of spring, and new tax advantages related to solar energy, the prospects for the solar industry appear to be brightening, Villaire said.

One particularly important aspect of the measure for Grand Valley residents calls for more tax credits to be available for solar-thermal installations, projects that use solar energy for heating residences and domestic water.

“The two often work well together,” he said.

The cap of $2,000 on tax credits for such residential installations now could be as high as $10,000, Villaire said.

That expansion accompanies tax advantages for using solar energy to generate electricity that were included in the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, he said.

Steps to increase the use of solar energy are important, but just as significant are the measures making incentives available for the purchase of energy-efficient appliances that will reduce consumption immediately, he said.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Renewable energy expo shows many ways to save the world

By Sharon Sullivan
ssullivan@gjfreepress.com
Grand Junction CO, Colorado,

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — The new energy economy is going to create thousands of Colorado jobs, and a number of local businesses can benefit from that, said Kevin Wodlinger, marketing manager for Cumulus Media of Grand Junction.

The Build Green, Live Green sustainability forum and renewable energy expo at Two Rivers Convention Center Wednesday was an idea that took root after Wodlinger attended a sustainability conference at the Governor’s Energy Office last May.

“One of the missions at the (Cumulus) radio station is to find solutions to various problems,” Wodlinger said.

“The price of energy was identified as a problem,” Wodlinger said. “The Western Slope has an abundance of renewable energy, while at the same time energy prices are rising.”

Representatives from various “green”-type businesses, from cloth diaper promoters and nontoxic dry cleaners to solar power and insulation companies, exhibited their products and services at Wednesday’s energy expo.

Even Grand Valley Magazine was there to show off its product made with recycled paper and vegetable-based, nontoxic inks.

High Noon Solar’s Greg Schaefer said his voice was getting hoarse by Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s been a nonstop stream of interest,” Schaefer said. “There’s been a line at the table all day.”

Andy Whipple manned a table for Atlasta Solar Center on the other side of the room.

“My voice is hoarse from talking so much,” Whipple said. “It’s exciting.”

Thirty years ago Atlasta was the only solar business in town. Today there are four solar companies in the valley, plus more in outlying areas.

Simplicity Solar of Grand Junction and Ecofly of Palisade — the Grand Valley’s newest solar business — were also busy answering questions throughout the day.

Energy services companies that do “high-performance contracting” were there to talk about their services providing energy audits for organizations. Through audits, energy-saving measures are identified, which when implemented more than pay for the cost of the improvements.

Various speakers gave presentations throughout the day, including Kathy Portner, Grand Junction’s neighborhood services manager. Portner spoke about what the city is doing to save energy.

“We’re doing performance contracting in all of our buildings,” Portner said. The city is also planning to add photovoltaic solar on Two Rivers Convention Center and the visitors center, Portner said.

The city has a team called Grand Junction CORE (Conserving Our Resources Efficiently), which is starting to implement a number of projects to save energy, Portner said.

Erwin and Elke Knirlberger of Grand Junction attended the energy expo to learn more about various services available in the area. The couple is interested in possibly installing solar on their Debeque property.

“I’m an old recycler. We have to do something. We have to start somewhere,” said Elke Knirlberger. “So we do what we can and trust other people to do the same.”

Dave Dick of Mesa powers his home with solar and wind power. He’s been adding onto his solar system over time, he said.

“No matter how many holes we poke out there, natural gas is not getting any cheaper,” he said.

Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Upcoming Renewable Energy Related Events

Renewable Energy Forum Contractors Expo, Wednesday 28 January 2009 9am - 5PM

Two Rivers Convention Center 159 Main St.Grand Junction

We will share sustainable initiatives which are moving our Western Colorado communities into an efficient, new energy economy. Please join others from municipalities, counties, school districts, and colleges west of the Continental Divide for this dynamic and informative event.
For More Information Please ContactKevin Wodlinger: 970-623-8500 / kevin.wodlinger@cumulus.com

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CoSEIA Annual Meeting and Conference: Colorado Solar Summit '09 Thurs, FR, Feb 6-7, 2009

Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel1550 Court PlaceDenver
CoSEIA is bringing the Solar and Renewable industries together again for a full three days of meetings and workshops. Join us as we make our voices heard and come together to chart a course for Solar and Renewable industries!

Rally at the Capitol on Friday afternoon, February 6, for clean energy and good jobs!
www.coseia.org

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Grand Junction Energy Forum and Expo
Two Rivers Convention Center, 159 Main St, Grand Junction
Friday, Feb. 27, 2009Forum: 9am-3:30pmExpo: 8am-4pm

WHY AN ENERGY FORUM & EXPO?
Western Colorado has evolved to become the center of interest in the national energy picture. Almost every known energy resource exists in abundance in this region. Western Colorado is now stepping forward to bring together the brightest minds, the latest technology and the most visionary participants to discover together how we might meet the energy needs of our children and grandchildren.

JOIN US for the Fourth Annual Energy Forum & Expo in Grand Junction, Colorado for a stimulating educational look at the energy industry–today, tomorrow and in the future.

http://www.energyexpoco.com/

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Grand Junction Home & Garden ShowExhibitorFebruary 29-March 2/2008Two Rivers Convention CenterGrand Junction, CO