Grand Valley Solar

COSEIA all set for 2012 Solar Power Colorado conference and expo

2012-02-06T12:11:00.001-07:00

COSEIA all set for 2012 Solar Power Colorado conference and expo

Theo Romeo

Feb 02, 2012

On Feb. 09, Colorado’s solar industry puts all its chips on the table.

The 2012 Solar Power Colorado conference and expo, hosted by the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association, gets underway next week at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in Loveland, Colo. And there are a few notable changes from last year’s event, which had sold out nearly a week before the doors opened.

First, CEO of Solar Energy Industries Association Rhone Resch will join three other industry heavy hitters—Paula Mints, Navigant's principal solar analyst; Travis Bradford, author of the book Solar Revolution; and national policy expert Adam Browning, executive director of the Vote Solar Initiative—for the “State of the Industry” panel, taking place from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 09.

“We have a huge number of solar leaders who are flying in to go to this event,” said Neal Lurie, COSEIA’s executive director. “That’s a huge vote of confidence in the future of the Colorado solar market.”

Another notable difference will be that Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper will deliver the keynote address this year.

“Having Governor Hickenlooper participate in Solar Power Colorado reinforces his commitment to the state’s solar sector,” said Neal. “We have seen a huge amount of interest in collaborating with local governments to help streamline permit processes and reduce non-hardware costs of going solar.”

In fact, Hickenlooper signed a bill which limited solar permitting fees in the state last July.

The final and maybe most interesting changes to this year’s event are that COSEIA decided to shorten the conference and expo from three days down to two—oh, and there will be gambling.

That’s not a typo.

So why only two days?

“We regained out sanity,” joked Lurie. “Putting together a major conference requires a significant amount of coordination. We’d rather be able to pack in a huge number of fun activities over two days.”

And one of those activities is a casino/networking night.

If you’ve ever been to a trade conference, there is normally some type of networking event. You grab a few drinks, and look for people you know, talk to them, and stare at the strangers around you, who are staring right back.

“It can be hard for professionals to come into a room and meet,” said Lurie. “Playing blackjack or poker can really break the ice.”

In addition to Colorado solar installers, developers, financiers and energy leaders, there will be another group holding their cards close to their chests at the casino night.

“We’ve also seen a huge interest from outside organizations,” said Lurie. “A broad range of solar businesses who haven’t been involved in COSEIA in the past are participating—Trina Solar, Jinko—companies that weren’t here last year. There’s a continued interest in the Colorado marketplace.”

And there should be.

Per capita, Colorado has more solar jobs than any other state. It recently was awarded a DOE grant for solar projects. It’s the home of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and COSEIA has been working its butt off.

Last year, the organization set up an event that connected solar developers and financiers and completed the Solar Thermal Roadmap, which outlined how the state can be a leader in the emerging technology.

So what will 2012 bring to the Colorado solar market?

You’ll find out next week.

Solar Power Colorado is open to the public, and as of this writing, there is still room available. You can register at www.coseia.org.

GE CEO: Solar-Panel Sales to Exceed $1 Billion by 2020

2012-01-27T22:55:00.001-07:00

GE CEO: Solar-Panel Sales to Exceed
$1 Billion by 2020

Posted By admin On November 4, 2011 @ 2:35 pm In ARCHIVES, Feature Articles | No Comments
General Electric Co. (GE) [1] expects sales of its solar power panels to exceed $1 billion annually by 2020, Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt said at Columbia University event in New York with Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Staff-Updated

“I know that by 2020 this is going to be at least a $1 billion product line. We’re going to invest what it takes,” Immelt said. ”We did this with no government funding.”

If his optimistic projection becomes a reality, it will be good news for Colorado workers. The company recently selected Aurora [2]for the site of its new $300 million thin-film solar panel manufacturing plant.

The Fairfield, Connecticut-based company said the new facility will make enough panels using cadmium telluride annually for about 80,000 U.S. homes, or 400 megawatts. The panels be more efficient, lighter weight and larger than conventional thin film panels.

Colorado beat out 10 other states to land the investment, including New York, because of its strong workforce, proximity to one of GE’s existing “centers of excellence” and availability of needed infrastructure.

Victor Abate, head of GE’s renewable energy business said that the work the company has done with its Colorado-based solar team allowed them to “achieve efficiencies in our solar panels in record time.”

In addition, “The Colorado location will allow us to deliver our technology roadmap faster and commercialize industry-leading panel efficiencies sooner,” Abate said.

“We also look forward to continuing to build our relationships with Colorado’s local, state and federal officials who have been extremely helpful as we moved through the site selection process,” Abate added in the release.

Colorado's future in renewable energy dims after years of growth

2012-01-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

Colorado's future in renewable energy dims after years of growth

The Denver Post

Jerry Marizza, new-new energy coordinator for United Power, stands at Colorado's first "solar farm" in Brighton last week. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)
About 1,200 wind turbines are spinning on Colorado's Eastern Plains, hundreds of acres of solar arrays are tilted skyward in the San Luis Valley and the roofs of more than 10,000 homes and businesses sport solar panels.
Since voters in 2004 passed Amendment 37 — which set a state renewable-energy standard — Colorado has built or committed to about 2.5 gigawatts of renewable generation.
That's enough energy to power between 500,000 and 650,000 homes, based on estimates from the wind and solar industries.
The standard, however, is close to being met, and the future for renewable-energy incentives is uncertain. So, the question is: What is renewable energy's future in Colorado?
"Are we going to see the billion dollars in renewable investment that was made in the last five years repeated in the next few years?" asked TJ Deora, director of the Governor's Energy Office.
United Power has started operating a plant in Erie that uses methane gas from landfills to generate electricity. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)to see the billion dollars in renewable investment that was made in the last five years repeated in the next few years?" asked TJ Deora, director of the Governor's Energy Office.
"We aren't going to see a lot of local growth," Deora said.
The last seven years have seen the creation of more than 11,000 renewable- energy-related jobs in the state, according to industry trade groups that warn the growth might stall or reverse.
To be sure, some utilities are pushing ahead with renewable-energy projects, and leasing companies are making it possible for homeowners to install solar panels on their roofs.
"Customers want renewable energy," said Jerry Marizza, new-energy coordinator for United Power, a Brighton-based electric cooperative serving 120,000 people.
United developed the state's first "solar farm" and last year started using landfill gas to make electricity.
Still, Colorado is at a renewable-energy "plateau," said James Newcombe, director of the electricity practice at the Rocky Mountain Institute, an energy-consulting group based in Snowmass. "The landscape will be more challenging for renewables."
Much of the push came from the state renewable-energy standard, which requires investor-owner utilities to generate 30 percent of their power from renewable sources, and municipal utilities and cooperatives to generate 10 percent by 2020.
Those goals are now close to being met.
After creating or contracting for 2.4 gigawatts of wind, solar and roof-top solar generation, Xcel Energy, the state's largest utility, said it will meet the standard ahead of schedule, and with small additions, it will be in compliance through 2028.
Black Hills Energy, which serves Pueblo and southeastern Colorado, also has to meet the 30 percent standard.
The Rapid City, S.D.-based utility is generating 12 percent of its power from renewable sources, said Chris Burke, vice president of Colorado operations.
Black Hills has announced a 29-megawatt wind project and will likely add another 125 to 150 megawatts of wind, Burke said.

Utilities' progress mixed
Two municipal utilities — in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins — have to meet the 10 percent target.
Colorado Springs Utilities is planning to add 50 megawatts of wind and already has 2 megawatts of rooftop solar through its own incentive program.
"Colorado Springs doesn't need any new resources until 2024," said Mark James, the manager overseeing renewable energy for the utility.
In Fort Collins, the City Council has called for a strategic energy plan focusing on local projects, said Steve Catanach, manager of Fort Collins Power & Light.
The city will need between 80 megawatts and 135 megawatts of generation to meet the standard, Catanach said.
Another area where renewable-energy growth has cooled off is the installation of home and business rooftop solar, which was fueled by incentive programs offered by the utilities.
Xcel trims incentivesSince 2006, Xcel has through its SolarRewards program provided nearly $250 million in rebates and credits — from a fund created by adding a 2 percent charge on customer bills.

About 9,600 solar arrays have been installed, but the fund is $51 million in the red, and Xcel has cut back on incentives and capped the program.
"We've shifted our focus to other states, and we've had to trim staff," said Jim Welch, chief executive of Bella Energy, a Boulder-based solar installer.
Bella's current projects include a solar-panel installation on the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City. The company is also working in New Jersey, Delaware and New England.
About 6,100 people in the state are employed in solar energy, according to a study by the nonprofit Solar Foundation.
"Colorado is a leader in renewable-energy jobs, but that's going to change if these issues aren't addressed," said Neil Lurie, executive director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association.
Compounding the loss of state incentives is uncertainty about the future of key federal subsidies — production tax credits for wind and solar, and a program that offered cash grants for projects.
The wind-production tax credit — equal to $22 for each megawatt a wind farm produces — is set to expire in December. The solar tax credit expires next year.
Also set to lapse this year is a federal program, known as Section 1603, that enabled energy developers to get a cash grant instead of tax credits.
The program was started in 2009 when few investors were looking for tax credits.
"The 1603 program made projects easier to develop," said Blake Jones, chief executive of Namaste Solar, a Boulder-based solar installer that is also doing more of its work from Kansas to New York.
"It is just very difficult to plan for the Colorado solar market," Jones said.
Growth opportunitiesDespite the headwinds, renewable-energy advocates say there are still opportunities for renewable energy in the state.
Xcel may soon reach the 30 percent renewable-energy standard, but the state average in 2009 was just 6.5 percent, said John Nielsen, energy-program director for the environmental-policy group Western Resource Advocates.
One of the places for growth is in rural electric cooperatives, another is in solar gardens, in which residents can buy shares, Nielsen said.
Cooperatives must also meet the 10 percent renewable-energy standard, and there are already 25 cooperative projects adding up to 35 megawatts, including the two by United Power.

United Power's "solar farm," begun in 2009, enables customers to pay $1,050 for a 210-watt panel with a 25-year lease — about enough time to pay off the investment.
"We did this as a service and did it grow-as-you-go," said United's Marizza. The farm started out as 10 kilowatts and has now doubled in size as customers joined.
In 2011, the legislature passed a law promoting solar gardens, and industry executives say they hope this will be a growth area.
Some advocate raising the renewable-energy standard above 30 percent.
"In October, Xcel hit a record 55 percent of the electricity on the system coming from wind," said Ron Lehr, western representative for the American Wind Energy Association, a trade group. "Let's keep it going."
Prices get competitiveThe biggest boost for renewables, however, may come as they become cheaper and more competitive with other energy sources.
Solar-panel prices have dropped 40 percent this year to about $4 a watt, and the price for a solar installation is expected to continue to drop, Namaste's Jones said.
The cost that Xcel is paying for wind power has been cut almost in half in the past 10 years to $32 a megawatt-hour, said Deora of the Governor's Energy Office.
That price is close to being competitive with coal and natural gas, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.
"The long-term goal is for renewables to compete without subsidies as part of a balanced energy portfolio," Deora said.
Mark Jaffe: 303-954-1912 or mjaffe@denverpost.com

New solar field under construction in West Windsor

2012-01-16T15:52:00.001-07:00

New solar field under construction in West Windsor

The University has begun installation of the new solar photovoltaic panel field in West Windsor Township after clearing 27 acres of land and obtaining the necessary local, county and state permits and utility company approvals.
The 5.3-megawatt solar field will annually generate 8 million kilowatt-hours of energy and could eventually reduce the University’s carbon dioxide emissions by 3,090 metric tons every year, according to University estimates. This reduction will contribute to the University’s 2008 Sustainability Plan, which aims to bring its carbon dioxide emissions down to the 1990 levels by 2020.

The system was designed by SunPower Corporation, and will be funded and owned by Key Equipment Finance, a Colorado-based firm. Princeton University will host the field and lease the equipment from Key Equipment Finance for about eight years, after which the University will have the option to purchase it at fair market value.

Construction teams first mobilized on the site in early October. In December, they began removing trees, weeds and debris from the field’s soil, which was composed largely of sediment and waste that had been dredged from Lake Carnegie back in the 1970s. The natural matter collected from the site will be resold for composting and animal bedding. “The pleasing thing is, it’s all being reused, it’s not being land-filled or wasted,” said Ted Borer, the Princeton Energy Plant Manager.

Most recently, workers planted the first vertical support piers, which are the steel columns designed to hold up the photovoltaic array. Long beams called “torque tubes” will later be added to these piers, and some will be outfitted with bearings capable of rotation. Of the panels to be installed, 80 percent will be new “SunPower T0 Trackers,” which use a GPS device to follow the sun throughout the day and thus maximize energy absorption. The remaining 20 percent will be fixed in place. As of January 13, over 500 of the 4,000 piers had been installed.

The conduit that will carry power from the field to the campus has been placed under the Delaware & Raritan Canal and Lake Carnegie. A gravel pathway is being built around the site for maintenance vehicles. The University has also held a kick-off meeting with local utilities representatives.

Several dozen people from SunPower and specialty subcontractors are currently working on the site. The peak anticipated staff for the project will be between 80 and 90 people, Borer estimated. “All the labor is union labor,” he added.

The project’s completion has been scheduled for the summer of 2012. “They [SunPower] have a pretty ambitious schedule laid out in front of them, but so far we’re tracking it,” Borer said.

Though the prospect of using solar panels to generate energy for the University has long been on the minds on those in the facilities department, the project became financially possible in 2010 due to a federal grant and various incentives offered under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as well as the revenue-generating potential of New Jersey’s Solar Renewable Energy Certificate Program.

The West Windsor solar panel field will become the third major solar energy-producing site on campus, following the installations of solar panels on the Frick Chemistry Laboratory and the roof of the Research Collections and Preservation Consortium building.

Former Xcel Energy CEO Dick Kelly is now Board Chairman At Solar Giant BrightSource

2012-01-04T22:07:00.001-07:00

Former Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL) Chief Executive Richard Kelly has joined the board of California solar-power developer BrightSource Energy Inc. as chairman, succeeding John Bryson, the company said Wednesday.

Kelly retired last year from Minneapolis-based Xcel, which operates utilities in Minnesota, Colorado and other states.

Bryson was chairman of BrightSource's board before President Barack Obama tapped him last year to become Secretary of Commerce. Bryson was chairman and chief executive of Edison International (EIX) until 2008, when he retired.

Kelly said he was "extremely excited" to join BrightSource, adding that he sees the company as "uniquely positioned" to meet increasing global demand for clean energy.

BrightSource obtained a $1.6 billion govenment-loan guarantee last year to help finance construction of a 390-megawatt solar-thermal power plant in the California desert.

The privately held company plans to build additional solar-power plants to supply California utilities owned by Edison and PG&E Corp. (PCG).

BrightSource backers include VantagePoint Capital Partners, Morgan Stanley (MS), BP PLC (BP.LN, BP), Chevron Corp. (CVX) and Google Inc. (GOOG), among others.

2011 Record US Solar Growth

2011-12-23T13:58:00.001-07:00

Domestic solar energy industry achieved a record for installations and growth in the third quarter of 2011, according to a new report

Released by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the U.S. Solar Market Insight: 3rd Quarter 2011 report reveals that the US solar market installed more than 1,000 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity in the first three quarters of 2011, already surpassing the 2010 annual total of 887 MW.

In the third quarter, 449 MW was installed, a record for quarterly installations and more new solar electric capacity than was added in all of 2009. This also represents 140pc growth over the same quarter last year.

Looking forward, however, the outlook for continued strong growth is uncertain. The market impact of cheap Chinese solar panels and the potential expiration of the 1603 program weigh heavy on the industry. The SEIA report predicts that if there is no extension of the 1603 program, a tax equity bottleneck for projects will happen in 2012, leading to a possible slowdown in installations in late 2012 and into 2013.

“The US solar industry is on a roll, with unprecedented growth in 2011,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. “Solar is now an economic force in dozens of states, creating jobs across America. But our industry needs stable policy on which to make business decisions, and unfortunately an underlying mechanism for financing solar projects is scheduled to expire on December 31.

“To keep the industry growing and creating jobs in the U.S. we need Congress to extend the 1603 program. The 1603 programme has done more to expand the use of renewable energy than any other policy in U.S. history.”

BLM to hold Colorado hearing on western solar plan

2011-12-18T19:59:00.002-07:00

SUMMIT COUNTY —Colorado residents will get one more chance to offer input on a plan that could potentially open more than 111,000 acres of public lands in Colorado for industrial solar development.In response to strong public outcry, the Bureau of Land Management recently reversed its decision not to hold a Colorado public hearing on a supplemental environmental study to the Draft Solar Programatic Environmental Impact Statement in Colorado. The meeting is set for Jan. 11, 2012 at the Inn of the Rio Grande in Alamosa (7 p.m.)
In November and December, 2011, BLM held public hearings in Las Vegas, El Centro, CA, and Palm Desert but no Colorado hearing was scheduled.

Numerous citizens appealed to the BLM on the grounds that Colorado was not being treated fairly under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Nearly all the Colorado lands eyed for solar development are in the rural, high-altitude San Luis Valley, including over 16,000 acres in 4 Solar Energy Zones. The San Luis Valley is home to Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar who oversees the BLM’s increasingly controversial solar development proposal on public lands.

The supplemental study addresses impacts for large-scale industrial solar development that will have significant impacts on a broad range of individuals, communities and environments. The plan will affect areas in the San Luis Valley subject to industrial solar development.

Critics say the proposal also impacts ratepayers and taxpayers who could be deprived of the benefits of locally produced solar energy development as a result of the disproportionate allocation of scarce public resources for remote, centralized solar power plants on public lands.

“We are pleased that BLM listened to that people and reversed its position”, said Ceal Smith, founder of the grassroots, San Luis Valley Renewable Communities Alliance. “Interest in the San Luis Valley is very high and now Coloradans will have the same chance as citizens in California, Nevada and Arizona to express their concerns about the proposed large-scale privatization of public lands for industrial energy development,” Smith said.

“A lot more is known now about impacts and less destructive and costly point of use alternatives for solar development. It’s important that the BLM give full consideration to this new information,” she added.

More than 100 citizens attended the March 7th, 2011 public scoping hearing on the Draft PEIS in Alamosa, CO. Participants included adjacent landowners, ranchers and farmers, local government officials, student and community environmental groups, solar installers and business representatives, global climate change and clean energy advocates and professionals, including 24 individuals who came prepared to speak.

The Alamosa meeting drew more attendance than any of the other public hearings held throughout the country, with the possible exception of the Feb. 8th Indian Wells hearing in California.

The Supplement to the PEIS and other related documents can be downloaded here: http://solareis.anl.gov/documents/supp/index.cfm

The deadline for public comment on the Supplement to the Draft Solar PEIS is January 23, 2012.

Colorado Solar Industry Faces Challenges

2011-12-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

Colorado's San Luis Valley, an alpine desert, is rapidly becoming a leading producer of solar energy in the United States. The sun shines more than 340 days a year in the San Luis Valley. So the solar industry is booming here.

Several solar facilities in the region generate electricity on an industrial scale and others are under construction. Under Colorado law, 30 percent of power used in the state must be generated from renewable sources by 2020. But given the demand for electricity, Alamosa County's year-round sunshine still won't be enough.

Nick Thiel, plant manager of San Luis Solar Ranch, said, “We are sitting on 220 acres [89 hectares] with roughly 110,000 panels, equivalent to a 30-megawatt site,” said Thiel.

The company says that's enough to supply power to more than 7,500 homes.

“In the mornings, when the sun rises over those mountains, their sensors attract the sun, so they move in concordance with the sun. In the morning they face the east, and as the day falls, it will follow all the way to the west until it sets,” said Thiel.

In this valley, solar farms are expanding rapidly, making Colorado the third-largest solar energy producing state in the US, after California and New Jersey.

But the sun is not enough.

Alamosa County, one of the largest in the region, has six solar farms. County Commissioner Darius Allen said 650 hectares have been allocated for solar power and more could be dedicated, if the infrastructure were better.

“Right now, the transmission lines we have in here is pretty much maxed out,” said Allen.

But that's not the only problem. San Luis Valley is an agricultural area producing potatoes, grain, alfalfa and pasture for cattle. Farmers are concerned about land going to the solar industry.

Steve Vandiver is General Manager of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District. He said, “If agriculture goes away here, we have nothing left."

Agriculture in this valley is under another threat. The land, rivers and aquifers under the Valley are drying out. That also affects solar power.

“Some of the bigger plants - the solar thermo plants - take a significant amount of water. You have to dry up a lot of farm land in order to create a water supply that is large enough to support those types of plants,” said Vandiver.

Solar panels also need to be washed because dust accumulates on them.

The water shortage has forced authorities to draw up plans that will close hundreds of wells and retire agricultural land.

“Valley wide we are probably looking at 60 to 80,000 acres [24,000 to 32,000 hectares] that will have to come out of production in the long term,” said Vandiver.

Farmers are concerned. George Whitten is his family's third generation on this organic ranch.

Recently, he and his wife Julie Sullivan, an environmental activist and educator, recruited neighbors in a bid to fight the construction of an 800-hectare solar farm adjacent to their land. They won their case, and the project failed.

“I never thought I would be fighting solar energy, and so it was very bizarre,” said Sullivan.

“It’s giant parabolic mirrors. They are the size of a drive-in theater, and there were going to be 9,000 of those right along that power line,” said Whitten.

The Whittens say industrial sites - even solar ones - should not replace agriculture.

They say instead of saving energy, Americans are trying to figure out how to use more.

Colorado industry group gets $491,000 grant to cut red tape and costs for solar installations

2011-12-04T20:02:00.001-07:00

Colorado industry group gets $491,000 grant to cut red tape and costs for solar installations

The Denver Post

A Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association team today received a $491,000 federal grant to develop a system that will cut red tape and cost for solar panel installations.

"Every municipality has been going about trying to set standards in a piecemeal fashion and that has added to cost," said Neal Lurie, executive director of the Colorado solar association.

Non-hardware costs, such as permitting, installation, design and maintenance account for up to 40 percent of the total cost of installed rooftop system, according to the US Department of Energy, which awarded the grant.

In a report released earlier this year, San Francisco-based SunRun, a company that leases solar panels, estimated local permitting and inspection added $2,500 to the average residential installation nation-wide.

The average residential solar installation is now between $12,000 and $18,000 and half the costs are now for permitting, regulatory, interconnection, customer acquisition, installation, and other similar charges, Lurie said.

The COSEIA team will work with municipalities to develop consistent lists of best practices, on-line tools and other standards, with the goal of cutting application costs by 25 percent, Lurie said.

"The Energy Department is investing in this Colorado project to unleash the community's solar potential by making it faster, easier, and cheaper to finance and deploy solar power," Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement.

The Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association team also includes: the Rocky Mountain Institute, Denver, Boulder County, Fort Collins, Golden, and the American Solar Energy Society.

Reduce your utility bill and receive a tax credit

2011-11-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

Reduce your utility bill and receive a tax credit

The “clean energy economy” is here and growing day by day; thanks in part to the Investment Tax Credit for renewable energy that has stimulated job creation, while encouraging home and business owners to install and create clean power by using solar.

Established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and extended by The Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008, many federal incentives apply to renewable technologies. The federal tax credits have currently been extended to 2016.

In order to qualify for the following systems and receive the federal tax credit in 2011, the system must be installed by Dec. 31, 2011.

• Solar Thermal (Hot Water) Systems receive a 30% tax credit which applies to solar thermal system expenditures with no cap. Products must be certified by Solar Rating and Certification Corporation.

• Residential Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems receive a 30% tax credit which applies to PV system expenditures with no cap. Systems must be installed by a licensed contractor.

• Commercial Solar PV Systems receive a 30% Treasury grant instead of a tax credit for new installations. Business owners may receive a grant from the U.S. Treasury Department instead of taking the Production Tax Credit. Receive a grant of 30% of the cost of the system in approximately 60 days as a direct deposit. This grant can only be taken for systems where construction begins before Dec. 31.

• Commercial Solar PV Systems Bonus Depreciation 2008-2012 plus Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) receive 100% bonus depreciation in 2011, 50% in 2012. MACRS businesses may recover investment in certain property through depreciation schedule; renewable energy technologies are classified as a five-year property.

What is the difference between a tax deduction and a tax credit? A tax deduction is subtracted from income before total tax liability is computed. Tax credit is subtracted directly from the total tax liability. The tax credit is more advantageous to the taxpayer. Example: Tax credit of $1,000 for someone in the 28% tax bracket is equivalent to a tax deduction of about $3,500. Consult your tax advisor for details.

Solar jobs have been created in part because the incentives available to you have increased the demand for solar electricity products and services. According to a recent study by Brookings Institution the clean energy economy employs some 2.7 million workers across the industry in sectors such as solar energy and green construction. Solar photovoltaic installations have grown at a compounded annual growth rate of 61% between 2006 and 2009.

Are you ready to earn your 2011 federal tax credit? Call Atlasta Solar Center and talk with a professional about the incentives and rebates available until the end of this year. Happy holidays!

Solar developers discuss investment needs for Colorado’s solar market

2011-11-14T16:29:00.001-07:00

On Nov. 4, a panel of Colorado-based solar executives met with executives from national and regional banks at the “Solar Finance Roundtable” hosted by the Colorado Bankers Association and the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA).
The solar-financing roundtable, held at St. Julien’s hotel in Boulder, Colo., was a unique opportunity for the various players in both industries to discuss how to help move the solar industry forward.
“Solar-related financing is one of the top pain points in the solar industry today,” said COSIEA Executive Director Neil Lurie.
It’s one of the top challenges that is inhibiting faster growth in solar, according to Lurie.
“Based on the feedback we've heard from the industry and our members, we estimate that about 80 to 90 percent of solar businesses in Colorado lack the financing that they need to be able to broker business deals that helps support customer needs,” he said.
AC Solar, which has installed solar on about 600 homes, half on-grid, half off-grid, could benefit from financing, said Co-Owner JoElyn Newcomb.
“If I had an easy financing program, I would double my size tomorrow,” she said.
At this point she said the company has so much business and limited access to financing that Newcomb only looks at customers that can pay for a system outright.
Still, options are becoming more open for homeowners, said Justin Pentelute, CEO of Syndicated Solar, which focuses primarily on commercial and utility solar development.
“Residential solar is definitely starting to gain. I think right now there's a lot of financing options that make a tremendous amount of economic sense,” he said.
However, he sees a gap in financing available for projects in between residential and large-scale commercial or utility-scale projects.
“We're seeing issues getting anyone approved that's not investment grade,” he said. “That's the biggest issues that we're coming up against.”
Out of 15 solar project proposals generally only one secures financing. That’s despite companies having good balance sheets, according to Pentelute.
There’s also an issue with the products available to support solar financing.
“There are no loans designed for solar,” Pentelute said.
Most loans aren’t designed for periods longer than 10 years.
“It isn't really consistent with the life of a solar asset, which is 25 years,” said Pentelute.
This could be fixed to some tweaks to existing offerings, which sounds easy, but isn’t, he said.
Thus far the best options for commercial clients with a yen for tax equity are capital lease options. For those that don’t want tax equity financing, Syndicated Solar finds that third-party operating leases are a good way to go.
“The power-purchase agreements have been the most difficult to process because there is no standardized agreement. It's really difficult to negotiate when you have three parties going to war on what's acceptable,” Pentelute said.
The need for solar companies to better educate bankers on solar benefits was clear.
“There are plenty of bankers that have no clue what a solar system is,” said Mike Healy, a founder of solar thermal developer Skyline Innovations. “I can't tell you how many conversations started or ended with 'alright so it collects the heat, and then electricity comes from there, and that's how you heat the hot water.' There is clearly an education gap. We need to educate them.”
Such work will help bankers become more familiar with solar.

Solar power showing greater mainstream potential

2011-10-23T21:11:00.000-06:00

NEW YORK — Solar energy may finally get its day in the sun.

The high costs that for years made it impractical as a mainstream source of energy are plummeting. Real estate companies are racing to install solar panels on office buildings. Utilities are erecting large solar panel “farms” near big cities and in desolate deserts. And creative financing plans are making solar more realistic than ever for homes.

Solar power installations doubled in the United States last year and are expected to double again this year. More solar energy is being planned than any other power source, including nuclear, coal, natural gas and wind.

“We are at the beginning of a turning point,” says Andrew Beebe, who runs global sales for Suntech Power, a manufacturer of solar panels.

Solar’s share of the power business remains tiny. But its promise is great. The sun splashes more clean energy on the planet in one hour than humans use in a year, and daytime is when power is needed most. And solar panels can be installed near where people use power, reducing or eliminating the costs of moving power through a grid.

Solar power has been held back by costs. It’s still about three times more expensive than electricity produced by natural gas, according to estimates by the Energy Information Administration.

But the financial barriers are falling fast. Solar panel prices have plunged by two-thirds since 2008, making it easier for installers to market solar’s financial benefits, and not simply its environmental ones. Homeowners who want to go solar can do so for free and pay the same or less for their power.

Last month two of the nation’s biggest utilities, Exelon and NextEra Energy, each acquired a large California solar power farm in the early stages of development. Another utility, NRG Energy, has announced a plan with Bank of America and the real estate firm Prologis to spend $1.4 billion to install solar systems on 750 commercial rooftops.

Nationwide, solar power installations grew by 102 percent from 2009 to 2010, by far the fastest rate in the past five years.

“Every manufacturer globally is looking around for the next major growth market, and the U.S. is the first one everyone points to,” says Shayle Kann, managing director for solar research at GTM Research.

Making solar affordable still requires large tax breaks and other subsidies from federal and state governments. The main federal subsidy pays for 30 percent of the cost of a residential system. When state and other subsidies are added, as much as 75 percent of the cost can be covered.

But prices of solar panels, the squares of crystalline silicon or thin layers of metal films that turn the sun’s rays into electricity, are falling so fast that its advocates now credibly claim that solar will be able to compete with fossil fuels even when the federal solar subsidy shrinks by two-thirds in 2016.

“Over the past 10 years the industry has made the case that we needed to increase scale so we could reduce prices,” says Arno Harris, CEO of solar developer Recurrent Energy, a subsidiary of Sharp Corp. “We’re seeing it happen.”

The falling prices have made it easier for solar installers to raise the money needed to grow. And they’ve made solar power systems so affordable they can appeal to homeowners who want to save on their electric bill, not just reduce their environmental impact.

Tim Johnson, a high school math teacher in Philadelphia, had wanted to put solar panels on his roof for years. Like many people concerned about the environment, the thought of powering his home without burning fossil fuels had a strong appeal. But with two kids in college, he couldn’t justify spending $15,000, after subsidies, to do it.

But since March, he has generated 50 percent to 75 percent of his electricity with a set of solar panels on his roof, saving 20 percent on his electricity bills. His upfront cost for the system: $0.

Instead of buying and installing the panels himself, he signed up with SunRun, one of a handful of companies that build, own and maintain solar systems on homes. These companies earn money by charging customers for the power the panels produce.

Johnson pays SunRun $52 a month, and he pays his traditional utility for whatever extra power he needs from the grid. In all, he pays $60 to $100 a month for power; he used to pay $90 to $120.

SunRun can charge Johnson a competitive rate because federal and state subsidies pay for a portion of the installation. Also, the arrangement allows SunRun to take advantage of one of solar’s big advantages. Because it is generated near where it is needed, it doesn’t have to pass through hundreds of miles of wires, transformers and other equipment. The power price SunRun has to beat in order to entice customers like Johnson is an expensive retail rate, bloated with transmission and distribution charges that home solar doesn’t incur.

It would be cheaper over the long run for a homeowner to buy and install a solar system because he would not have to pay a company like SunRun for financing, service and maintenance. But these plans have growing appeal because they don’t require homeowners to lay out thousands of dollars up front.

In California, which leads the nation in solar power installations, 51 percent of the residential solar systems installed through the first three quarters of this year were sold with these plans, up from 12 percent in 2009.

SunRun and competitors such as SolarCity and Sungevity are expanding into more states, including Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Last month, Google announced it would create a fund that local installers in every state can tap so they too can offer no-money-down plans.

Some installers are teaming up with big hardware chains Home Depot and Lowe’s in an effort to expose solar to customers who might not otherwise consider it.

“Awareness is still one of our biggest problems,” says Lynn Jurich, co-founder and president of SunRun, which has a partnership with Home Depot.

Solar panel prices have been declining for years because of lower costs for polycrystalline silicon, the main raw material for most solar panels, and larger-scale manufacturing, especially in Asia. In the last six months, demand has dropped sharply in Germany, the world’s biggest solar market, in response to shrinking subsidies. This has created a global glut of solar panels and accelerated the decline in prices.

Solar panels, which are priced based on the amount of power they can produce during full sunshine, sold for $1.34 per watt in mid-September, according to data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That’s down from $1.90 at the beginning of 2010. In 2008, they sold for $4 a watt.

The glut has been gut-wrenching for companies that make solar panels. Many of them remain profitable and are growing. But three U.S. panel makers have filed for bankruptcy in two months, including Solyndra, a solar panel maker that received a $528 million federal loan.

Falling profit margins are scaring investors. The stock price of First Solar Inc. has fallen from $170 in April to $53.77. Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. has fallen from $11 to $2.07 over the same period.

The Solyndra bankruptcy has sparked a political uproar. Republicans have accused the Obama administration of pushing for Solyndra’s loan for political reasons and have used the bankruptcy to question Obama’s plan to help boost the economy by subsidizing clean energy projects.

The market will not get any easier for small solar panel makers. General Electric Co., Samsung and other big companies are entering the market. This should increase supply and bring down costs even further. GE announced this month that it would build the largest panel factory in the U.S., near Denver.

But what has been treacherous for solar panel makers has been a boon for companies that market and install solar systems, for companies that make electronics and other parts for solar systems, and for solar customers.

To be sure, solar is growing from a very small base. All of the panels now installed across the nation produce enough electricity to power 600,000 homes, or about as much electricity as one large coal-fired power plant.

There are 30,000 megawatts’ worth of solar projects awaiting approval in the U.S., according to the American Public Power Association. Not all of them will be built, either because of regulatory or financial hurdles. But even if only half that is ultimately built, it would be five times what is already installed.

“We’re going in the direction the planet and the industry needs to go,” says Harris.

AP

GE to Build Largest Solar Factory in U.S. in Colorado

2011-10-18T10:03:00.001-06:00

In perhaps its biggest solar move since acquiring PrimeStar Solar [7], General Electric Co., (NYSE: GE [8]) announced plans to build America's largest solar factory in Colorado.

The plans to build the factory were actually made this past April, but a location had not been settled on until recently. Aurora, Colorado - a suburb of Denver - is the energy giant's choice, due to proximity to testing lines and available space. However, considering the current climate for solar panel production [9], the venture is a risky one.

Low-cost photovoltaics have led to considerable fallout in the solar market. Some of the biggest solar panel producers in the U.S. recently succumbed to bankruptcy [10] - due in large part to the reduced prices coming out of Asian markets. [11] Many of them having also received large government loans.

But GE intends to drop prices even further and still turn a profit, looking to its successes with wind as an example.

Says Vic Abate, GE's Vice President of Renewable Energy [12], ""It's a challenging industry for sure, but the cost of solar had to come down for it to become a mainstream power source."

The factory - which will be larger than 11 football fields and pack an annual capacity of 400 MW (enough to power 11,000 homes) - will be built without government subsidies and will produce "thin film" panels from cadmium telluride.

Similar to panels built by First Solar [13], they are less efficient at converting the sun's rays into electricity than traditional crystalline silicon panels, but are cheaper to manufacture and therefore produce power at a lower cost.

Atlasta collecting solar ‘artifacts' for eventual public display

2011-10-07T20:29:00.000-06:00

Atlasta collecting solar ‘artifacts' for eventual public display

More than 30 years ago Virgil Boggess, the owner of Atlasta Solar Center, started collecting solar energy products as part of his growing business and because he liked to see how all of the solar technologies work.

Since that time, the Atlasta Solar Collection has grown dramatically to more than 100 pieces, all reflecting the evolution of an industry for a half-century.

Now, this Colorado Solar Collection is looking for a catalog, a home to display the products to the public, and further donations of solar energy technologies from around the country. Once the Colorado Solar Collection finds a local Western Slope home, it will be the world's first historical tour of the U.S. solar industry for the last 100 years.

Several weeks ago, this column had an article about the history of the solar thermal industry in the U.S. It was noted that the U.S. solar thermal industry is more than 100 years old. The discovery and development of solar electric began in the early 1800s when the French physicist Edmund Becquerel uncovered the “photoelectric effect.”

In 1923, Albert Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for his theories about the photoelectric effect. And in 1954 the U.S. solar electric industry began as researchers at Bell Labs demonstrated the first practical applications of photovoltaics (PV). Other manufacturers got in the game including AT&T and Westinghouse.

Hoffman Electronics produced the first commercial applications for PV priced at $1,500/watt. To put this into perspective, most current major manufacturers of PV can now sell solar electric panels for as little as $1.50/watt. Solar electric is now 1,000 times less expensive than 60 years ago.

The Atlasta Solar Collection has some of the earlier 20-40 watt PV panels manufactured by Solarex and ARCO Solar (once part of the Atlantic Richfield Oil Corporation) made in the early 1970s. Solarex is now part of the global energy conglomerate British Petroleum.

Among the one hundred or so items currently in the Colorado Solar Collection, there are several of some the most efficient solar thermal panels ever manufactured, which were manufactured by Colt, the same company that manufacturers rifles. Other unusual solar artifacts include gas-powered (through expansion and contraction of the gas) automatic greenhouse skylight openers, a pumpless solar thermal system that uses parabolic troughs, Tri-Tech “Air Hair” solar thermal space heating systems, air heating window units; and “SolaRoll,” an EPDM rubber solar water heating unit.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE COLORADO SOLAR COLLECTION?

For the time being, all of these artifacts of scientific and technological history have half a home with Atlasta Solar. However, Atlasta Solar has requested that the (GVSC) Grand Valley Solar Center (a local nonprofit solar advocacy organization) to find a permanent home for the collection in Mesa County. Atlasta Solar has also asked the GVSC to request donations of other solar-manufactured articles from Colorado residents. If you have any older solar products that you would like to donate (or have removed), please call Atlasta Solar at . The long-term goal is to collect, catalog, and give public display to the world's first solar collection of the last century of the U.S. solar industry right here in western Colorado.

Solar State of the Week: Colorado

2011-10-03T07:03:00.001-06:00

Solar State of the Week: Colorado

The Colorado market is almost evenly split between the residential, non-residential, and utility sectors.

State incentive programs drove the Colorado PV market to more than double in 2010, resulting in the installation of 53.6 megawatts of capacity.

The state market maintained a relatively even split, with 18.7 megawatts of installed capacity from residential, 15.9 megawatts from non-residential, and 19.1 megawatts from utility. Installations in the residential sector were mainly driven by the allowance of third-party-owned systems and incentives from the Governor’s Energy Office rebate program. In the utility sector, SunPower’s 19-megawatt Greater Sandhill project was completed in Alamosa County, becoming the largest solar energy project in the state.

The next few years will see additional large-scale utility projects coming online in the state. SunPower’s San Luis Valley Solar Ranch, a 30-megawatt photovoltaic installation, and Cogentrix’s Alamosa Solar, a 30-megawatt concentrating PV project, are both currently under construction and expected to come online in 2012.

Though Colorado had the third highest cumulative installed capacity at the end of 2010, the outlook for solar installations in the state is uncertain. Xcel Energy, which is responsible for over 75 percent of PV installations in Colorado, announced in February that it was making substantial changes to its “Solar* Rewards” customer-sited PV incentive program. The utility plans to cut rebate levels from $2.00 per watt to $0.25 per watt for systems under 100 kilowatts.

Until the PUC issues approval for these new rates, rebates will be frozen, and this poses a substantial risk to Colorado’s residential and small commercial market through 2011.

US government backs Abengoa’s solar project with $1.2 billion loan guarantee

2011-09-20T19:36:00.001-06:00

US government backs Abengoa’s solar project with $1.2 billion loan guarantee

Despite the high-profile failure of solar developer Solyndra earlier this month, Abengoa has successfully secured a $1.2 billion loan guarantee from the US government to move ahead with Mojave Solar Project.

The 280 MW concentrating solar power (CSP) plant will cost an estimated $1.6 billion in total and should be completed in 2014. The Department of Energy (DOE) offered a loan guarantee earlier this summer.

Construction has already started on the project, which is located 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles near Barstow, California.

Once operational the plant will generate enough power for more than 54,000 households and will prevent the emission of over 350,000 metric tons of CO2 a year. One of the largest utilities in the US, Pacific Gas & Electric, has agreed a 25-year power purchase agreement, which is awaiting official confirmation.

Abengoa has also just started operations at the first of two CSP plants in southern Spain, which it has built jointly with Germany energy company E.ON.

Helioenergy 1 and Helioenergy 2, which will come online later this year, will produce enough power from 121,000 mirrors spread over 220 hectares to supply 52,000 households.

The DOE has also finalised a $90.6 million loan guarantee to Cogentrix for the 30 MW Alamosa Solar Generating Project in Colorado.

The high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) facility, which uses concentrating optics and multi-junction solar cell panels controlled by a dual-axis tracking system, will produce enough power for 6500 homes and avoid 43,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions a year.

A $150 million loan guarantee has also been granted to 1366 Technologies to develop a multicrystalline wafer manufacturing project that could reduce the costs of solar manufacturing.

The innovative process could produce 700-1000 MW of silicon-based wafers a year at half the usual cost. The first phase of the project will be carried out at the company’s facility in Lexington, Massachusetts, but 1366 Technologies is looking for other sites for the next phase.

Meanwhile, Greece has unveiled a plan to increase its installed solar capacity to 2.2 GW by 2020 and 10 GW by 2050, according to Reuters.

The financially troubled nation hopes to attract up to €20 billion in investment through the ‘Project Helios’ plan.

While Greece has sunshine for an average 300 days a year and receives 50% more solar radiation that European solar champion Germany, it has a mere 200 MW already installed.

And further afield, Australia’s first utility-scale solar power project is under way in Western Australian.

The First Solar project, which is being backed by Verve Energy, GE Energy Financial Services and the Western Australian Government, will see a 10 MW facility built on 80 hectares of land 50 km southeast of Geraldton.

The output from the Greenough River Solar Farm, which is expected to be operational mid-next year, will be bought by the WA Water Corporation, which is building a new Southern Seawater Desalination Plant.

Electric utility ‘demand charges' penalize commercial businesses

2011-09-09T06:50:00.001-06:00

Electric utility ‘demand charges' penalize commercial businesses

Why is the topic of utility “demand charges” important? In most cases, utilities are monopolies that are guaranteed a certain amount of profit.

However, sometimes the method whereby utilities gain this guaranteed profit has little to do with the actual cost of the product they supply. Electric utility “demand charges” are an example of this widespread market distortion. This means that if you have a business, up to two-thirds of your bill may have little to do with the actual energy you have consumed.

WHAT ARE UTILITY DEMAND CHARGES?

Over a hundred years ago in the early days of electricity generation, utility service areas were small, sometimes only a few city blocks. Peak power requirements came in the early evening when people came home from work and turned on their lights. At this time lighting was typically the only electricity loads that homes had.

When another house was added to the utility service area, additional electricity generation capacity had to be installed to meet the new demand. New and existing utility customers were required to pay a fee to cover the costs of this additional generation. Nowadays, utilities can forecast service demand with great precision, and thus do not need to add additional generation capacity to meet the power demands of your existing business.

Power generation now is generally comprised of base load power plants, intermediary generation and peaking power generation. Base load power generation usually consists of coal-fired power plants, nuclear plants, and traditional hydroelectric.

Intermediate power generation is often comprised of older costlier coal plants, and some lower costs natural gas generation.

Peaking power is usually natural gas generation that can be brought online and offline quickly according to peak power demands.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO REDUCE DEMAND CHARGES?

Demand charges can unfairly penalize certain commercial electricity customers; and electric utility demand charges especially penalize premium peak power produced from solar. What can you do at your business to reduce these antiquated utility demand charges?

First, be certain that your business is using the correct utility rate. A simple rate analysis may demonstrate that your business can use another available utility rate without demand charges.

Rate analysis done by Atlasta Solar has found numerous instances where commercial customers fell well below the threshold of utility demand charges, yet the utility continued to charge the customer hundreds of dollars a month for demand charges.

Simply switching to another electricity rate structure can immediately save you hundreds of dollars a month.

Two, the use of newly available and inexpensive automated energy monitoring equipment can keep you attuned to the power demands of your business. If you can measure it, you can manage it.

Three, relatively easy methods of managing power demand such as staging lighting and motors can keep your demand charges much lower.

Investing in solar power can decrease or eliminate your energy charges and reduce your demand charges dramatically. Solar power can generate all of the energy your business needs. Investing in solar power can also allow you to take advantage of a new solar power rate from the utility, which cuts your demand charges in half and pays you a premium for the solar power that you produce and use.

Electric utility demand charges are a century old obsolete method of measuring power that unfairly penalizes certain commercial customers. It is time the utilities change their outdated methods of valuing electricity. Solar power is peak power and clean power and must be valued as such. Call Atlasta Solar Center today at 970-248-0057 to have a rate analysis completed for your business.

http://www.gjfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110909/COMMUNITY_NEWS/110909965/1027/RSS&template=printart

The Solar Thermal Story

2011-08-26T07:44:00.001-06:00

Solar electric has been getting all the headlines lately, yet there is another type of solar energy that has been affordable and available in the U.S. for more than 100 years. The technology is a solar thermal system and it is primarily used to provide domestic hot water (DHW).

The first U.S. large production solar DHW system came in the late 1800s. Clarence Kemp patented a method to combine the old practice of exposing metal tanks to the sun with the use of the solar box. He called his new solar water heater the “Climax.”

Kemp sold his solar water heaters in California — where over 1,600 units were in service by 1900. In 1909, William J. Bailey patented an improved solar water heater. He separated the solar water heater into two parts with a heating element exposed to the sun outside and an insulated storage tank in the house. Households could now have solar-heated water day and night and the next morning.

Bailey's “Day and Night” solar had a motto “Sunshine Like Salvation is Free.” From 1909 through 1918 Bailey sold more than 4,000 systems in California. Later, after the solar boom in California, Floridians purchased and shipped more than 100,000 solar water heaters between 1930 and 1954. Half of Miami homes had solar water heaters. In the early 1950s electricity became cheap in Florida and electric utilities gave away electric water heaters to gain market control. By 1973, there were only two full-time solar water heating companies left in the U.S.

In 1973, the Organization of Oil Exporting Companies (OPEC) started an oil embargo against the U.S. The Solar Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act passed in 1974, which established the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) and led to the solar thermal boom of the 1970s and 1980s. SERI later became the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) based in Golden, Colo. During this time, installing a solar system on your home was considered a patriotic act.

The federal and state solar thermal tax credits that existed from 1979 to 1986 started a nationwide boom in solar hot water systems that helped establish hundreds of manufacturers and thousands of contractors and distributors.

In Grand Junction alone in 1985, there were 25 solar companies (there are now 8-10 solar companies in GJ). After the tax credits ended in 1986, there was one GJ solar company that stayed in business, Atlasta Solar Center, which is alive and well today.

After 1986, over 95% of all solar companies nationwide went out of business. Between 1978 and 1986 there were 1 million solar thermal systems installed in the U.S — 1 out of every 65 households. By contrast, there are only about 150,000 grid-tied solar electric systems installed in the U.S. — 1 out of every 1,000 households.

Today, solar water heating has strong growth. In 2006, solar water heating installations more than doubled compared to 2005 due to the residential federal solar tax credit. Then in 2008, installations grew 56%. Solar (DHW) prices and technologies continue to improve. Some of the old solar DHW systems look like a science experiment and were overcomplicated (see photo 1). New, more attractive, evacuated solar tubes can be flush mounted on the roof (see photo 2).

A new solar DHW system can now be purchased for as little as $2,500, and can save hundreds of dollars a year. Solar electric systems typically cost 10 times that. Atlasta Solar has been installing and servicing solar DHW systems for more than 30 years.

Survey says Coloradans are fed up with oil companies, want more renewables

2011-08-24T14:24:00.000-06:00

Survey says Coloradans are fed up with oil companies, want more renewables
By Scot Kersgaard | 08.24.11 | 8:39 am

Coloradans blame market speculation and oil companies for high gas prices, and the vast majority say the best way to bring prices down is to crackdown on market manipulation, according to a poll released Tuesday.

The Checks and Balances Project commissioned Colorado pollster Chris Keating to conduct research that shows that 79 percent of Coloradans favor a crackdown on oil price speculation and market manipulation to reduce gas prices. The survey showed 77 percent of Colorado voters think reducing oil consumption through efficiency would also be an effective way to reduce prices.

“Coloradans are tired of paying for their gas twice: once at the pump and again through their taxes,” said Matt Garrington, deputy director of the Checks and Balances Project. “It’s clear car and truck drivers in this state want solutions to this problem now, including a crackdown on market manipulation, a balanced approach to energy development and an end to taxpayer handouts for oil companies.”

Garrington told The Colorado Independent that the surveyors asked open ended questions along the lines of “Why do you think oil prices are so high? and What could be done to bring prices down?”

“We didn’t lay out policy options to choose from. We just asked people what they thought,” he said.

According to Garrington, Coloradans strongly favor ending taxpayer subsidies for oil companies. Seventy-two percent of Coloradans say ending oil company subsidies and transferring those subsidies to companies that are developing wind and solar power would be an effective strategy for the nation.

Garrington pointed to a ThinkProgress study that shows how market manipulation affects the price of oil. The study shows that while the effect of speculation varies, it can increase the price of oil substantially.

“It’s time for oil and gas companies to stand on their own two feet,” said Garrington. “Coloradans understand that we simply can’t afford to pay billions in taxpayer subsidies to Big Oil. It is simply immoral to continue the Big Oil gravy train when Americans have been asked to sacrifice billions in cuts to Medicare.”

To reduce gas prices, he said seven of 10 Coloradans favor diversification of the sources of energy by creating a national renewable electricity standard that requires 20 percent of electricity to come from sources like solar, wind and geothermal power.

The live telephone poll conducted May 24-26, 2011 by Keating Research, Inc. as an internal messaging survey. It was released to the public on the eve of the Americans for Prosperity “Running on Empty” Colorado tour stops that promote increased oil drilling. The Checks and Balances Project criticized the group as a front for Big Oil and noted that billionaire oil refinery tycoons David and Charles Koch fund the organization.

“The Americans for Prosperity tour is running on empty ideas. Instead of investing our energy dollars into drilling deeper and putting Colorado land and water at risk, we need to build cars that can go further on a gallon of gasoline and to tap into the clean energy of the wind and sun – energy sources we have right here in Colorado that never run out,” said Garrington.

Results of the survey were based on 603 interviews with registered Colorado voters statewide. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.

Responding to additional questions by email, Garrington said this about why the poll was conducted and why it is being released now, several months after the polling was completed.

“Checks and Balances was interested in learning where the public was at on gas prices and subsidies in the context of the larger political debate happening in Washington. We chose to release the poll in response to the Americans for Prosperity tour, which is backed by Big Oil and the Koch Brothers. AFP is using gas prices to try and take political advantage of the American public and leverage more handouts for Big Oil – this time in the form of our public lands, drinking water, and air quality.”

The Grand Valley's first solar farm began producing electricity Aug. 1.

2011-08-14T14:06:00.001-06:00

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — The Grand Valley's first solar farm began producing electricity Aug. 1.

Two years ago the rural electric cooperative Grand Valley Power began looking into how it could promote solar energy to its customers.

The utility broke ground in May for the 88-solar panel farm at 714 29 Road.

Rooftop solar arrays on private homes usually cost $15,000 to $20,000 — a hurdle for many of its members, GVP energy service administrator Derek Elder said.

For a $950 one-time upfront leasing fee of the 235-watt panel, a co-op member can receive electricity for 25 years. At current electricity rates that means a person would recoup his investment in 22 years.

“The reality is rates will go up,” Elder said. “As rates go up, the (rate of) return will come down.

“A lot of our solar grid-tie customers (who install solar arrays on their homes) are retired or getting ready to retire and are on a fixed income and are looking to control their expenses (against future rate increases) as much as possible.”

One 235-watt panel at maximum production is enough to energize three 75-watt lightbulbs, Elder said. Members will see the amount of electricity produced monthly noted on their utility bills, along with an average $3.60 credit per panel.

Residential customers can purchase up to a 10 kwh system, or about 40 panels. An average household needs about 20 panels for its entire electricity use, Elder said. A person can buy one panel per year if they want.

“They can build their system to their comfort level,” Elder said.

“If a person wanted to go up to 40, and consumed only 20, they'd receive a credit at the end of the year for the excess (energy).

People who install solar panels on their rooftops also receive credit for extra electricity produced.

“The advantage of the solar farm, we break it down panel by panel,” making it affordable for people, Elder said.

Once all 88 panels are leased, the co-op will use funds to build phase two. The site currently energizes 20 kwh.

“At this site we have the capacity to build up to 130 kwh,” Elder said. “If that fills up we'll take the same model and replicate the model on other property.”

Customers who move after they've purchased a panel are allowed to transfer that solar credit to a new address as long as it's a Grand Valley Power account. If the person moves outside of Grand Valley Power service area, the credit either stays with the property or can be transferred to another Grand Valley Power account.

Grand Valley Power serves outlying areas of Fruita and Grand Junction, from the Utah state line to the rural areas of DeBeque. The co-op includes 17,000 meters.

Atlasta Solar of Grand Junction installed the farm's solar panels.

“They did a good job and it looks nice as well,” Elder said.

A ribbon-cutting of the new solar farm takes place 10 a.m., Friday, Aug. 12, at 714 29 Road. Grand Valley Power is also celebrating its 75th anniversary with an open house and annual meeting, 4-8 p.m. at 845 22 Road. Grand Valley Power was formed in 1936, by a group of rural people in the lower Grand Valley who had been unable to secure electric service from existing utilities, due to unavailability at the time, or high construction costs to the individual user.
The utility began Aug. 1, 2011, producing solar power at its solar farm at 714 29 Road. Eighty-eight solar panels were installed on two-thirds of an acre by Atlasta Solar Center.
Grand Valley Power customers can protect against future rising electricity rates by purchasing one or more of the farm's panels ($950/each). As electricity rates go up, customers will recoup their investment in solar sooner.

GO&DO
What: Grand Valley Power solar farm ribbon-cutting AND 75th anniversary open house and annual meeting

When: Fri., Aug. 12 — ribbon cutting at 10 a.m.; celebration, 4-8 p.m.; BBQ buffet meal served 5-7 p.m. with the meeting.

Where: Ribbon cutting - 714 29 Road

Open house and meeting - 845 22 Road

Info: 242-0040, www.GVP.org

New Solar Farm Open For BusinessOffers Low-Cost Solar Energy

2011-08-14T13:55:00.001-06:00

New Solar Farm Open For BusinessOffers Low-Cost Solar Energy

Dann Cianca dcianca@kjct8.com
POSTED: 6:46 pm MDT August 12, 2011

Embed this VideoxEmailFacebookDiggTwitterRedditDelicious Link
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- A Grand Valley company is offering to lease you a little piece of sunshine. And they guarantee you'll make your money back over time.

Grand Valley Power held a ribbon cutting at their new solar farm on 29 Road today. The farm is unique because it allows people to lease a solar panel for $950. That is much less than the $20,000 that it costs to install a solar system at your home.

Derek Elder of Grand Valley Power says that it's a good opportunity for more people to become involved in solar power.

"It opens it up for renters to participate in solar. It opens it up for people who don't have their houses oriented properly. People who might have shade trees around their houses."

This is the first solar farm of its kind in the Grand Valley and the fourth in Colorado. It will be expanded based on interest and builders hope that usage will be high enough to warrant future farms.

Hidden Cost Savings: The Top 9 Public Benefits Of Installing Solar Power

2011-08-03T13:43:00.000-06:00

Hidden Cost Savings: The Top 9 Public Benefits Of Installing Solar Power

Jessica Lillian, Monday 01 August 2011 - 21:59:43

Even as the costs of solar power continue to decline, a widespread perception from the public and many policymakers that solar is "too expensive" remains stubbornly in place - much to the frustration of advocates and industry professionals.

A new study challenges this assumption by delving into the numbers to compare the actual costs and benefits of solar power projects. The results confirm several key widespread public benefits of solar power and could provide the industry with a valuable weapon in the public-perception fight - a battle that remains crucial for long-term viability and growth.

The report, authored by Richard Perez at the University of Albany, Ken Zweibel at the GW Solar Institute and Thomas E. Hoff of Clean Power Research, focuses on tangible benefits that solar power generation delivers to utilities, ratepayers and taxpayers.

"It is clear that some possibly large value of solar energy is missed by traditional analysis," the report says.

Notably, these advantages apply to a wide population, thus providing a rebuttal to the "what's in it for me?" argument. Many other well-known recent studies on solar power's benefits focus on real - but not public - benefits. For instance, the average taxpayer may not care that his neighbor's rooftop PV array has raised that home's value or that the solar sector has created jobs for other people.

The new study, titled "Solar Power Generation in the U.S.: Too expensive or a bargain?," finds that, in all, solar PV installations deliver $0.15/kWh to $0.40/kWh to ratepayers and taxpayers.

Although incentives have proven to be a vital driver of solar power growth, the report's authors argue that the gulf between "inexpensive" conventional energy and "expensive" solar is smaller than often portrayed, especially when solar's public benefits are taken into account.

"This large apparent 'grid-parity gap' can hinder constructive dialogue with key decision makers and constitutes a powerful argument to weaken political support for solar incentives, especially during tight budgetary times," the authors wrote.

Instead, according to the report, incentives can be viewed as a logical means of transferring value from the public - which is enjoying solar's $0.15/kWh to $0.40/kWh benefits - to those who invested in the solar plants creating those benefits.

Where did the public-benefit dollar figure come from? What are these benefits, exactly? The report breaks down solar power's public value into the following nine accrued benefits (based on an analysis of relatively non-sunny New York City):

1. Savings on wholesale energy ($0.06-$0.11/kWh, of the total $0.15/kWh-$0.40/kWh). Locally generated electricity from solar installations reduces the amount of power utilities must purchase at higher prices on the wholesale market.

2. Reduction of demand-response expenses ($0.00-$0.05/kWh). "PV installations can deliver the equivalent of capacity, displacing the need to purchase this capacity elsewhere, e.g., via demand response," the report explains.

3. Savings on energy losses within the distribution system ($0.00-$0.01/kWh). Electrical losses typically incurred when energy is moved from large power plants to local loads can be avoided with distributed solar plants sited close to the load.

4. Reduced need for feeder equipment upgrades ($0.00-$0.03/kWh). Because distributed PV can deliver capacity at the feeder level, it can reduce the wear and tear on transformers and other feeder equipment.

5. Hedge against fuel-price spikes ($0.02-$0.03/kWh). "Solar energy does not depend on commodities whose prices fluctuate on short-term scales and will likely escalate substantially over the long term," the report says.

6. Grid security aid ($0.03-$0.06/kWh). Solar power's ability to closely mirror peak power demand can help reduce the chances of blackouts that can occur when the existing power system is overly stressed. Power outages currently cost the U.S. economy approximately $100 billion annually, according to the report.

7. Health-related and environmental gains ($0.03-$0.06/kWh). The deployment of solar power displaces the greenhouse gas emissions, mining-related consequences, water contamination, and other environmental- and health-related damages associated with fossil fuels. The $0.03-$0.06/kWh figure cited is "certainly a conservative range," the report adds.

8. Long-term taxpayer benefits from reduced fuel-price volatility ($0.03-$0.04/kWh). Using an estimate of a 150% rise in fuel-based generation costs by 2036 (deemed a conservative estimate), the report found that the "insurance hedge" of solar generation contributes a significant long-term value (in addition to the short-term fuel-price hedge value mentioned earlier).

9. Economic boost. The job-creation benefits of solar power have been demonstrated in numerous studies. Moreover, "Job creation implies value to society in many ways, including increased tax revenues, reduced unemployment and an increase in general confidence conducive to business development," the report explains.

Photo credit: U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Copyright © 2000-2011 SolarIndustryMag.com
( http://www.solarindustrymag.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.8418 )

Innterview with Ron Binz

2011-07-28T08:19:00.000-06:00

By: Rebecca Cantwell

Many people think of utility regulation as an arcane and dull realm. But things were pretty lively when Ron Binz served as chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission from 2007 until April 2011. He led the Colorado PUC in implementing the many policy changes championed by Gov. Bill Ritter and the legislature to bring forward Colorado’s “New Energy Economy.” Binz talked with Smart Energy Living shortly after leaving his post as chief utility regulator.

Q. You presided over big changes in state policy. What do you feel best about?

A. It would be hard not to say that at the top was our implementation of the Clean Air Clean Jobs act. It was a legislative directive for the Commission, in one fell swoop, to clean up the coal emissions of Xcel and Black Hills. Typically plants are cleaned up in onesies and twosies. This was a comprehensive look at the whole coal fleet and was probably alone in the nation to treat it at one time in terms of hazardous pollutants and carbon emissions. It was a huge case with 34 legal parties and hearings that went on for several weeks.

Q. What will it mean for the average Coloradan, good and bad? For example, it will increase rates, correct?

A. Rates will increase between now and 2020 no matter what. We estimate our decision to retire old coal plants and replace them with new natural gas plants will result in rates that will be only about 3 percent higher. It’s an impact, but the benefits in reduced smog and reduced particulates that, for example, create haze in natural parks, are all desirable. We built in a hedge against future carbon regulation when we switched from coal to a fuel that causes less carbon emissions.

Q. When will we see some results?

A. The commission order of December 15, 2010 specifies what will happen to a bunch of power plants. Nothing happens until next year when the first closures happen. Closures and conversions of coal plants will happen through the end of 2017. Familiar icons like the Cherokee coal plant in the northern metro area that is now emitting steam all winter will be converted to natural gas. By doing that, we will cut one of the largest sources of hazardous air pollution in the Denver area.

Q. What does the fact that this was so difficult and unusual say about the way utilities are structured and regulated?

A. Utilities going forward will have to be different kinds of businesses. This case showed us how much more nimble utilities will need to be. We were responding to an EPA requirement to clean up carbon. I’m proud we could show that a state could move quickly to implement something like this and, with the cooperation of the utility, achieve a good result.

Q. You came in for a lot of criticism along the way though.

The criticism I took was for being involved in legislative process in shaping the bill so that it would be good for consumers. I did that at the request of the governor, who knew the commission had expertise in rates. My involvement was not in the beginning but at end of it when most components had been agreed to. The opponents to the legislation were trying to upset the process any way they could and they settled on criticizing me for getting involved in the legislation. In my experience, the involvement of a chairman is usual, not unusual.

Q. One of the conundrums of recent energy policy is that to achieve energy efficiency, you are trying to get utilities to sell less of the product they make money selling. What do you think works?

A. Beginning in 2007, we moved in a direction toward a more aggressive pursuit of energy efficiency for the utilities. We required twice as much efficiency – twice as much kilowatt savings or energy not used –as the law required.
We adopted aggressive goals in 2008 when we made that decision. Xcel and Black Hills and all the gas companies began to develop energy efficiency programs within the utility, like rebates for air conditioners and refrigerators and a whole bevy of programs. The theory is that the energy saved by the utility is less expensive than building plants to create that energy.
That policy chugged along for a couple years and then in the fall of 2010 , we encouraged Xcel to increase energy savings by an additional 30 percent. We told them, “ You’ve been doing good --now let’s have more of a stretch goal.” Xcel preferred a slower growth pace. Their proposal was to increase by 8 percent over what they had been doing. But the commission basically agreed with the push goal of a 30 percent increase in efficiency.

Q. What do they get out of the deal?

A. If Xcel achieves these goals, it is rewarded handsomely. They get their costs recovered quickly and a bonus on top. That treatment is designed to counteract the built-in disincentive of not wanting to save electricity because the company is in the business of selling electricity. We try to change the benefit-cost equation by making energy efficiency the most profitable thing they can do.
Now Colorado is in middle of pack nationally on energy efficiency. I hope the commission continues to push this. It does make so much sense to use the utility to pursue energy efficiency.

Q. Where do you see utility regulation heading?

A. I think regulation needs to continue evolving. The model of regulators simply deciding the rates, that is probably soon to be displaced by something different. We can look at experiences of price cap regulation where you set a cap and let the utility do what it needs with its costs and investments to stay below the cap. You set a price and let them decide what they need to do. This model has been shown to produce more efficient results. We need a mode of regulation where the focus is on the price to customers.

Q. What impact will the trend toward individuals and communities owning their own sources of power have on utilities?

A. That is beginning to happen and will mushroom – the homeowner-provided solar panels and the wind tower on commercial property. Those are instances where customers are putting in production equipment or leasing it. That will cause the utility to lose load and lose customers and they don’t like that. The more of that that happens, the more pressure on the utility. As a general matter, I think we will see the utilities move into the business of providing rooftop solar systems.

Q. Since the utilities are monopolies, will they drive others out?

A. As long as regulators don’t let utilities use their monopoly status, the competing firms should be able to get along. It has worked in telecom. Generally the new players have done very well, and we can imagine something similar in electric power. But more generally, the pressure from distributed generation, or community power, is a good thing and will keep pressure on the utilities to do a better job.

Q. Colorado came a long way on renewable energy under your tenure. How would you characterize the transformation?

A. Renewable energy is now really woven into the fabric of Colorado. When you flip on a light switch, one kilowatt hour out of seven is produced by renewable energy and we are heading to one out of three, and at a cost that is acceptable. Customer bills went up but not a lot and polling shows customers are happy to have renewable energy in the mix. We moved from a “least cost’’ strategy to one that realizes the environmental effects of what we do and makes it a greater component of decision making. And this happened with the “greening’’ of Xcel Energy. The same company that opposed the Colorado Green wind project in 2003 was the leading wind provider in the U.S. by 2010. So it’s been a happy coincidence of regulators, the governor, legislators and the utility who saw the business sense in that. Colorado is a beacon for how you can move steadily and strongly towards renewable energy.

In addition to his work leading Colorado’s utility regulation, Binz was also an active member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, serving as Chair of NARUC’s Task Force on Climate Policy, and as a member of both the Energy Resources and Environment Committee and the International Affairs Committee. Binz now heads Public Policy Consulting (www.rbinz.com).

The myths of solar debunked: Part 2

2011-07-27T08:33:00.001-06:00

The myths of solar debunked: Part 2

JULY, 14 2011
HEIDI IHRKE
HIGH NOON SOLAR
569 S. WESTGATE DR. #4
GRAND JUNCTION, CO 81505
970-241-0209
WWW.HIGHNOONSOLAR.COM
The myths on solar continue being refuted this week in part 2 of a 3-part series. Our next article will focus specifically on financial myths associated with solar.

MYTH #1 Solar needs to be installed at a weird angle on my roof.

This myth, once again, had some past truth to it but isn't relevant for most of today's installations. Solar hot water panels were usually installed at a 54-degree angle to optimize winter solar gain, when the sun is low in the sky. This is because solar hot water panels cannot store heat on an annual basis, just on a daily basis, so the angle is put at the one required for winter heating, a high angle and one that required the panels being lifted away from the roof.

Solar electric panels work in a much different way since the utility grid can store excess power generated. The optimum angle for solar electric panels, on an annual basis in Grand Junction, is 30-39 degrees, depending on your information source. However, installing panels flush to the roof (the most common roof angle around the Grand Valley is about 20 degrees) only loses 4% production annually. This can be accounted for when designing the system, leaving the end product working as expected and not looking like an eyesore.

MYTH #2 Solar has to be installed facing south.

This one may get an initial rising of eyebrows from the “solar purists,” but it relates strongly to the last myth.

First, due to declination in Colorado, the perfect orientation for solar panels is actually right around 10 degrees east of south. That aside, many people don't have south facing roofs or, if they do, they may be very shaded. Should these people just get disqualified from solar or get a system that is lifted at a strange angle to the roof? Of course not.

Solar can be mounted to the east, southeast, south, southwest or west roofs. Efficiency loss to mount a system directly east-facing versus south is around 14%; for west the loss is 18%. A good designer will simply make up for this by adding another panel or two to the array that, ultimately, will allow the system to produce the same amount of annual power as the south-facing solar system.

MYTH #3 The power that goes into manufacturing a solar electric panel never actually gets made up by the energy it, in turn, produces.

This one is easy because there are a lot of studies on the subject. The term we are talking about here is Energy Payback Time (EPBT) or how long it takes for a solar panel to make more electricity than what went into creating it.

This term is used in all energy production techniques and is something that gets reviewed heavily by investors and developers for technologies such as oil shale. If you have to use more energy to get a product than that product then makes, why do it? Each solar panel has a different EPBT, due to different techniques in manufacturing, but for SunPower high efficiency 72 cell modules, the payback is 1.4- 3.8 years, depending on global location of installation.

MYTH #4 Climate change isn't real.

OK, this one isn't a specific solar myth but being active in the renewable energy field means I should address it nonetheless.

Perhaps it will mean a letter to the editor from someone who has learned “facts” from individuals paid by the industries dependent on folks believing global warming is a hoax to keep their bottom line secured, but that's the way that goes.

You think we would have learned a thing or two when this happened 50 years ago with tobacco companies after data revealed a link between smoking and lung disease. The tobacco industry just hired actors that were dressed up as doctors who gave advice that the reports were false. Nothing to see here; keep smoking away.

Ninety-eight percent (yes, that many) of climate scientists throughout the world have reached consensus that global climate change is happening. When 98% of medical doctors tell me not to do something because it will kill me, I listen to them. They are the experts, not the actors dressed up like them.

Nine of the 10 hottest years in history have occurred in the last 13 years. Watch the evening news to get regular updates on this situation, including all the “freak” numbers of tornadoes, mega-floods, droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes. The Arctic ice cap reached its record low volume last year. Climate change is real and, as Al Gore puts it: “Wishful thinking and denial lead to dead ends.”

http://www.gjfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110715/COLUMNISTS/110719992/1068&parentprofile=1059&template=printart

The myths of solar debunked: Part 1

2011-07-27T08:32:00.001-06:00

The myths of solar debunked: Part 1

JULY, 7 2011
HEIDI IHRKE
HIGH NOON SOLAR
569 S. WESTGATE DR. #4
GRAND JUNCTION, CO 81505
WWW.HIGHNOONSOLAR.COM
970-241-0209

There are a lot of myths that surround the solar industry. Part of this is because it is a variable technology that has been used to power everything from construction warning signs to space stations to Walmart. Plus, the industry has a long history surrounding tax incentives, rebates, feed in tariffs and, sometimes, the lack of all of these. Today, I hope to put some of the myths surrounding solar to rest.

MYTH #1 You need to have batteries if you want a solar system.

This one used to be true, back in the day, so its no wonder people still hold it as fact. That said, it is still a myth with today's solar applications. Cabins, boats, RVs and the like used to be the main reason people got a solar system. Wherever utility lines didn't run but power was needed, solar was the solution. These battery systems are called ‘off grid' applications. Solar panels charge batteries and you have power for cloudy days and nighttime. They are still relevant systems, as long as grid power isn't currently available. However, if your home or business is already getting power from ‘the grid,' you don't need to go ‘off grid' to reap the rewards of solar. Solar systems with the utility grid already in place is called ‘grid tie.' Grid tie uses no batteries. None. Solar produces electricity that's used in the home and, if it's more than what the home needs, it turns the utility meter backwards. This excess power gets saved in the utility grid for rainy days and nights, when solar doesn't produce. After a year of this give and take, putting extra solar into the grid, then taking it back out when you need it, can produce a year -end electricity usage from the power company of zero.

MYTH #2 It has to be a perfectly clear day for solar to work.

Solar panels certainly work better when its sunny out but they also work better when it's cold out, just like any electronics. The prime condition for a solar panel to perform in is a cold, sunny, winter day in the high elevations. You can't get much better than that. That said, we have 3 other seasons and many places where solar is installed that is at sea level and maybe doesn't ever see winter. Solar panels produce power even in lower light conditions, such as cloudy weather and early morning. Some panels are actually designed to work better in these hot or low-light conditions, such as the SunPower brand solar panels, which incorporates a patented design called Maxeon Technology. This technology translates as less efficiency lost every day due to heat or cloudy conditions, meaning more power actually gets made using the same size panel as a comparable, less efficient model. The high heat situation is especially important for Grand Junction applications, where the summer days are long and hot.

MYTH #3 Solar could never work in a place like Minnesota.

First, review the last myth we just talked about. Second, Germany has the same solar radiation access as Alaska but has installed more solar than all of the United States. In Minnesota, the design simply incorporates more ways to shed snow and higher tilt angle due to latitude. Otherwise, it cranks away nicely there.

MYTH #4 Solar is ugly.

I could make the argument here that gas wells and coal mining looks ugly too, it's just not found in your backyard as often. However, I agree that a lot of solar systems that used to be installed and, unfortunately, still do get installed by some contractors, certainly do look ugly. This is the fault of the contractor rather than the product, though. Solar panels can easily be flush mounted to east, south or west roofs (south being the most efficient) and don't have to be picked up at funny angles to work. Solar can even be used in dual purpose applications, such as a carport (you may have seen FCI Constructor's new solar carport on I-70B Loop recently) or as an awning. Some solar panels, such as SunPower panels, are all black to be more aesthetically pleasing and easier to integrate with roofs.

MYTH #5 Some Homeowners Associations (HOAs) don't allow solar.

Colorado's solar access laws, which date back to 1979, prohibit any residential covenants that restrict solar access. HB 1270 of 2008 extended the law to protect installations of wind turbines that meet the state's interconnection standards, and certain energy-efficiency measures including awnings, shutters and other shade structures, garage fans, energy-efficient outdoor lighting, retractable clotheslines, and evaporative coolers. Some exceptions are made to allow for aesthetic requirements that do not significantly increase the cost of the device or decrease its performance.

http://www.gjfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110707/COLUMNISTS/110709998&template=printart

Spreading the word in Mesa County about energy efficiency

2011-07-11T09:32:00.001-06:00

A team of 11 AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps members recently began a five-week service project in Mesa County to support a partnership between public and private entities dedicated to energy efficiency.

The AmeriCorps NCCC team will be canvassing neighborhoods, talking with residents at farmers' markets, and introducing new energy efficiency services to business owners throughout the county.

Their goal is to promote the Grand Valley Energy Alliance's “Red Door Challenge” program that gives residents opportunities to save 25% or more on their home utility bills.

The Grand Valley Energy Alliance is made up of local jurisdictions, utility companies, and other public and private organizations.

Once residents have signed up, the local utility company, Xcel Energy, will work with its partners Lightly Treading, Frost Busters and Coolth, as well as Energy Wise, to implement energy audits that point out ways homeowners can take action.

Common issues include improving ventilation, sealing and insulating, and improving lighting and windows. These audits, valued between $300 and $450, are being offered for a reduced price through rebates and stimulus money, or could even be free for low-income qualifying homes, courtesy of Housing Resources of Western Colorado.

The AmeriCorps team will also be promoting energy efficiency services offered through the “GreenBack$” program, a collaboration of the GJ Chamber of Commerce, the Palisade Chamber and the Fruita Chamber. The program is designed to encourage Mesa County businesses to make decisions that save them money and resources.

“The work that this enthusiastic team is doing will be invaluable to our local efforts to be more energy efficient,” said Kathy Portner, neighborhood services manager for the City of Grand Junction, one of the project sponsors.

Information about the residential program is located online at www.reddoorchallenge.com and information about the business program can be found at www.greenbacksproject.com.

— Free Press Staff Report

U.S. solar installations up 22 percent in 2010 over 2009

2011-07-07T13:23:00.002-06:00

U.S. solar installations up 22 percent in 2010 over 2009

Chris Meehan CleanEnergyAuthority.com
JUL 07, 2011
A newly released report from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) found that the there were 124,000 solar installations—including photovoltaics (PVs), concentrating solar power and solar thermal—in the U.S. in 2010. That’s an increase of 22 percent over 2009. And 2011 is likely to beat that.
Each of the leading states grew their solar installation significantly as well, according to the IREC report, U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010.
“The amount of PV capacity installed in Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Texas installed in 2010 was at least double the capacity installed in each state in 2009,” the report said. “California remains the largest U.S. market, with about 28 percent of the U.S. installed capacity completed in 2010. However, this is a significant drop in market share from the 49 percent recorded in 2009.”
New Jersey and California are likely to remain the top two states in terms of solar installations, said report author Larry Sherwood. IREC has been producing the report for four years now and monitoring the data for longer, he said.
Among the trends Sherwood saw for 2010 was significant adoption by utilities.
“I think the biggest change in 2010 is the growth in the utility-sector installations, which were pretty much non-existent five years ago,” he said. “I would say it’s likely to become the largest sector.”
However, Sherwood doesn’t expect growth in the utility sector to totally dominate the other solar markets, residential and commercial.
Although the federal incentives have helped spread the adoption of solar throughout the country, local solar incentives and rebates are also important to growing the solar industry, according to Sherwood.
“By where the installations are happening, you can see that they’re an important part of the package,” he said.
Looking forward, the growth trends are expected to continue in 2011, particularly in the utility sector, according to the report.
“Costs are going down and the supply of modules is pretty strong, so I think you’re going to see the prices continue to go down,” Sherwood said.
He also anticipates that the other costs related to solar, the soft costs, will come down, just not as quickly as the drop in module cost prices.
Pictured: Annual Installed Grid-Connected PV Capacity by Sector (2001-2010).

Rifle's Community Owned Solar Array Largest In Nation At 3,575 Panels

2011-06-25T21:30:00.001-06:00

A cooperative effort between Holy Cross Energy, the Clean Energy Collective, and Garfield County produced the nation's largest community-owned solar array in Rifle, Colorado, on Tuesday.

The array sports 3,575 solar panels and is expected to produce in excess of 1,500 megawatt-hours each year for Holy Cross Energy customers that buy into the co-op.

Holy Cross customers can buy in for $3.15/watt or $725 per 230-watt panel. The fee covers all maintenance and operations costs for 50 years. Customers can later sell, transfer, or donate their panels at a fair market value.

Former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, a green-energy activist, told The Glenwood Springs Post Independent, "Our ability to move to a clean energy economy in Colorado is a product of the political will that the people of the state have, to really try and find clean energy solutions... This is a way for people to have affordable power and to be able to participate and feel good about how they're generating their energy."

The Clean Energy Collective also sources energy from micro-hydro, geothermal, wind, and biomass.

Bills back trend of rental solar panels

2011-06-18T21:06:00.000-06:00

Bills back trend of rental solar panels

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON – More and more Coloradans are opting to lease solar energy systems for their homes to avoid the large up-front cost of buying solar panels.

To facilitate the practice, Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., is backing a bill to reduce the risk to companies that want to rent solar equipment.

Meanwhile, Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill Friday to reduce the permitting fees that local governments charge installers.

Colorado already ranks as a top market for the solar business. The state government provides a number of loans, tax exemptions and rebates for system installation. The state also has the third-highest number of solar installers affiliated with the American Solar Energy Society, according to FindSolar.com.

However, solar panels still remain largely out of reach for residential ownership. Prices for a complete system can range from $10,000 to $40,000 even after state and federal rebates and incentives, according to Cooler Planet, a Seattle renewable-energy company.

To address this problem, several companies have started to offer solar power financing services, where instead of buying panels, homeowners use company-owned equipment and pay for the power they use.

Although there are no savings guarantees, customers often will pay less for the leases and the electric bills than they previously paid for electric bills alone.

“This business model is making it so that solar is affordable for millions of Americans,” said Susan Wise, a spokeswoman for SunRun, one of the nation’s largest solar-power service companies, which also provides service in Colorado.

“This is just a much better way to go solar,” she said. “You don’t actually want the equipment. You just want the clean power.”

SunRun doubled the number of customers it serves from 5,000 to 10,000 between early 2010 and 2011, Wise said.

Close to half of all solar customers in Colorado use a solar lease-type model, as opposed to owning their own panels, according to Neal Lurie, the executive director of Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association.

“I think that solar-related financing programs, including solar leases, are going to see significant growth in the months ahead,” Lurie said. “This model barely existed just a couple years ago. The fact that they have close to 50 percent of solar customers participating in solar leases reinforces the fact that it just makes it easier for customers.”

Udall wants to encourage further growth in the solar market, which currently accounts for just 1 percent of the nation’s electricity supply.

Along with Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., he sponsored legislation that would allow the Department of Energy to ensure the value of leases for residential solar energy panels. Whitehouse introduced the bill, S. 1126, on June 1.

The bill allows companies that lease solar panels to pay a premium to join the program, and they would be protected if homeowners defaulted on the cost of the lease or the system didn’t produce enough energy. Because the companies would pay a premium, the cost of the program to the taxpayers would be zero.

The senators hope the program would encourage more companies to offer such leases and bolster the solar-energy market.

“By making solar energy more accessible to people, you stimulate manufacturing, you create jobs, you also create an interest in solar energy,” Udall spokeswoman Jennifer Talhelm said.

At the state level, Wise said that rebates and other incentives are making it possible for solar leasing to exist.

“We still very much need subsidies in order to make this work,” she said.

Wise said that in the future, the industry’s goal is to be subsidy-free.

A major area that needs to be addressed is inconsistencies in solar permitting practices from municipality to municipality, Wise said. Such differences, on average, add about $2,500 per installation.

“If you can streamline permitting processes across the industry and have a standard process with online submission forms you will significantly reduce the cost of solar,” she said.

Efforts are under way at both the national and the state level to address this issue. The Department of Energy and the White House are enlisting local governments to design a streamlined permitting process that they would encourage cities to adopt.

In Colorado, Hickenlooper on Friday signed into law legislation that would ease the state’s permitting process. It limits the cost of solar permits and related fees to the local government’s actual cost to issue the permit, not to exceed $500 for a residential installation.

“I think this is ground-breaking legislation that is likely to become a national model that other states will follow,” said Lurie with Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association.

By Karen Frantz
Durango, CO Herald Staff Writer
Reach Karen Frantz at herald@durango herald.com

Colorado Solar Growth a Boon for Economy and for Homeowners

2011-06-11T21:28:00.001-06:00

Colorado Solar Growth a Boon for Economy and for Homeowners
Thursday, June 2nd 2011 9:30 AM
By GetSolar Staff.

Colorado hardly has the same kind of reputation for solar power as sunny southern California, or Arizona with its vast deserts. However, a report from the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation shows the growth of Colorado solar installers has far outpaced most of the nation.

Like many other states, Colorado has experienced difficult economic times in recent years. However, the renewable energy sector grew to 19,000 workers last year and was the only industry to add jobs in the state. Between 2005 and 2010, the sector grew by 32.7 percent, which was more than triple the national rate of 10 percent.

"Colorado ranks fourth nationally in the total number of clean-energy jobs and we're still growing and adding jobs," said Tom Clark, Metro Denver EDC executive vice president.

The state has benefited greatly from a strong research presence, hosting the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Ecotech Institute, a school dedicated to renewable energy, also opened in Aurora, Colorado, last year and already boasts 230 students in wind and solar power programs.

Certain Colorado home owners in Xcel territory can earn up to $1.75 per watt under the revised (March 23, 2011) Xcel Energy Solar Rewards Program, according to the DSIRE database. Colorado customers who install solar may also be eligible for several other solar and renewable energy incentives from either the state or the utilities. The growing solar power sector in the state reflects a competitive marketplace, helping to reduce up-front costs for new residential solar systems.

GE Sees Solar Cheaper Than Fossil Power in Five Years

2011-05-31T21:42:00.001-06:00

GE Sees Solar Cheaper Than Fossil Power in Five Years

By Brian Wingfield - May 26, 2011 Solar power may be cheaper than electricity generated by fossil fuels and nuclear reactors within three to five years because of innovations, said Mark M. Little, the global research director for General Electric Co. (GE)

“If we can get solar at 15 cents a kilowatt-hour or lower, which I’m hopeful that we will do, you’re going to have a lot of people that are going to want to have solar at home,” Little said yesterday in an interview in Bloomberg’s Washington office. The 2009 average U.S. retail rate per kilowatt-hour for electricity ranges from 6.1 cents in Wyoming to 18.1 cents in Connecticut, according to Energy Information Administration data released in April.

GE, based in Fairfield, Connecticut, announced in April that it had boosted the efficiency of thin-film solar panels to a record 12.8 percent. Improving efficiency, or the amount of sunlight converted to electricity, would help reduce the costs without relying on subsidies.

The thin-film panels will be manufactured at a plant that GE intends to open in 2013. The company said in April that the factory will have about 400 employees and make enough panels each year to power about 80,000 homes.

Solar-panel makers from Arizona to Shanghai are expanding factories to add more cost savings that analysts say will sustain the industry’s expansion. Installations may increase by as much as 50 percent in 2011, worth about $140 billion, as cheaper panels and thin film make developers less dependent on government subsidies, Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecast.

Solar Costs Dive
The cost of solar cells, the main component in standard panels, has fallen 21 percent so far this year, and the cost of solar power is now about the same as the rate utilities charge for conventional power in the sunniest parts of California, Italy and Turkey, the London-based research company said.

Most solar panels use silicon-based photovoltaic cells to transform sunlight into electricity. The thin-film versions, made of glass or other material coated with cadmium telluride or copper indium gallium selenide alloys, account for about 15 percent of the $28 billion in worldwide solar-panel sales.

First Solar Inc. (FSLR), based in Tempe, Arizona, is the world’s largest producer of thin-film panels, with $2.6 billion in yearly revenue.

Smart Grid
Little also said the U.S. transition to a full smart grid will take “many, many years” to develop.

A complete smart grid would consist of millions of next- generation meters installed in businesses and homes, appliances that adjust their energy use when prices change, and advanced software to help utilities control electricity flows, he said.

“I think it’s going to be a long time before we can realize the full potential of the smart grid,” he said. “But it is coming.”

GE this year plans to introduce the “Nucleus,” a device that will let consumers track their household electricity use with personal computers and smart phones. The company also is investing in its appliance and lighting unit, including $432 million for U.S. refrigeration and design centers announced in October.

Utilities need to have incentives to put in place devices that save energy, and Congress needs to provide greater certainty on tax policy surrounding renewable energy, Little said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Wingfield in Washington at bwingfield3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Larry Liebert at lliebert@bloomberg.net
.

Goldman Unit Gets $90.6 Million Loan Guarantee for Colorado Solar Farm

2011-05-24T20:53:00.001-06:00

Goldman Unit Gets $90.6 Million Loan Guarantee for Colorado Solar Farm

By Andrew Herndon and Brian Wingfield - May 10, 2011 Cogentrix Energy LLC, a unit of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), received a $90.6 million conditional loan guarantee from the U.S. Energy Department to build a solar plant in Colorado.

The 30-megawatt Alamosa Solar Generating Project will use concentrating photovoltaic technology that focuses the sun’s rays to increase output, according to a statement today from the Energy Department.

The concentrating solar plant near the city of Alamosa will have optical equipment and multijunction solar cells from Amonix Inc. that boost conversion efficiency to about 40 percent, or nearly double that of conventional photovoltaic panels, the agency said. It will also use a dual-axis tracking system to follow the sun’s movement throughout the day and maximize power production.

Public Service Co. of Colorado, an Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL) utility, will purchase all of the generated electricity, which is expected to be enough to power more than 6,500 homes.

Cogentrix operates 17 power plants in the U.S. and one in Turkey, fueled mainly by natural gas and coal. It expanded into solar with the February 2009 purchase of two solar-thermal facilities in Daggett, California, that have 43 megawatts of capacity.

The Energy Department’s loan guarantee program has committed more than $7.5 billion in loan guarantees for solar energy projects.

To contact the reporters on this story: Andrew Herndon in San Francisco at aherndon2@bloomberg.net; Brian Wingfield in Washington at bwingfield3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net
.

Xcel exceeding renewable energy goals in Colorado

2011-05-16T22:38:00.000-06:00

Xcel exceeding renewable energy goals in Colorado

Chris Meehan

May 15, 2011

Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) is adding in more than enough wind and solar power in Colorado to meet current requirements under the state’s renewable energy portfolio law. Under the law, Xcel and other investor-owned utilities must source 30 percent of its electric from renewable resources by 2020.

The company said today (May 13) that it was filing its 2012 Renewable Energy Standard Compliance Plan with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. In a press release the company said the filing shows that Xcel Energy is well ahead of targets to meet the renewable energy standard. The plan was not available for review at the time of writing but will be available via the commission’s Website, according to Xcel. “We won’t post it online until they have it,” said Xcel spokesperson Michelle Aguayo.

The filing is a 10-year outlook of how Xcel plans to comply with the renewable portfolio standard. It also seeks approval for its plans in the next two years, according to Aguayo.

Among other things, Xcel will double the amount, in terms of megawatts, of customer-sited or distributed generation, according to Aguayo. Under law, Xcel is required to source 3 percent of its renewable energy from such systems.

To exceed the requirement, Xcel will add-in 30 megawatts of customer-sited generation for each of the next two years through its Solar*Rewards program. “The 30 megawatts is double the amount of customer-sited electricity above what is needed to meet minimum compliance with the renewable energy standard,” the company said in a press release.

In the filing the company is proposing a plan to balance its Renewable Energy Standard Adjustment (RESA) fund. RESA is a 2 percent fee assessed on customers’ electric bill to fund renewable energy development in Colorado. But under the way the program is currently administered the utility has spent more on renewable energy than covered under RESA.

Xcel also is seeking to diversify its portfolio of renewable generation. “We’re going to continue to invest in Solar Rewards but we’ll look balance the portfolio with other renewable sources,” Aguayo said.

Xcel says it’s close to meeting Colorado target for renewable energy

2011-05-14T09:06:00.001-06:00

Xcel says it’s close to meeting Colorado target for renewable energy
Denver Business Journal - by Cathy Proctor
Date: Thursday, May 12, 2011, 2:13pm MDT

Related:Environment, Energy

Xcel Energy Inc. believes it will substantially meet Colorado's year-old mandate of having 30 percent of its electricity come from renewable sources by the middle of 2012, eight years ahead of the 2020 deadline.

And that could mean a slowing of Xcel’s rush to build large wind and solar farms in the state, or buy power from such farms, in order to meet the mandate.

“It will probably put a damper on wind project development activity in Colorado, but probably not a complete stop because Colorado has a good wind resource,” said Steve Dayney, CEO of REpower USA Corp., a German wind turbine manufacturer which has its U.S. headquarters in Denver.

Minneapolis-based Xcel (NYSE: XEL) — Colorado’s largest utility, serving 1.3 million customers in the state — may still add renewable energy resources to its power portfolio in the form of new wind or solar power farms in the years ahead.

But such additions will be driven by questions of cost-effectiveness, or new rules made by Congress or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed to curb carbon dioxide emissions, and not by the need to hit a state-mandated target, said Robin Kittel, Xcel’s director of regulatory and policy analysis.

“We have what we need for renewable resources, but we’re not in a static world,” Kittel said. “If Congress was to enact carbon legislation, or the EPA to exercise its authority to regulate carbon, it becomes a larger picture than just a compliance picture with a state goal.

“Also, there are supply-and-demand components — such as if there’s an oversupply of wind turbines in the marketplace, or solar panels, such that the cost of the systems are very cost-effective. It’s too dynamic out there to call it one way or another,” she said.

On Friday, Xcel will file a “Renewable Energy Standard Compliance Plan” with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. The proposal will detail how Xcel plans to meet the state’s 30 percent standard during the next 10 years. The utility will ask approval only for actions its planning in 2012 and 2013.

That plan will detail Xcel’s progress toward meeting the 30 percent mandate. And it could signal a slowdown in its effort to support more wind and solar development projects here.

“There may be projects under development [whose power] will be sold into other regions. But the big fish in this pond, in Colorado, is Public Service Company [Xcel’s Colorado arm],” REpower’s Dayney said.

Or, state officials could look at raising the 30 percent standard, said Ron Lehr, a Denver-based consultant for the American Wind Energy Association, based in Washington, D.C.

“If they think they’re done at 30 percent, then it’s time to go to 40 percent,” Lehr said. “It’s a minimum standard, you’re encouraged by law to go beyond the standard.”

Xcel has built, or bought power, from several wind and solar farms in Colorado in recent years.

At the end of 2010, Colorado had 1,252 megawatts of wind power in operation, up from 32 megawatts in 2000. All but 60 megawatts of the 1,252 total are used by Xcel and its customers.

Two more wind farms, each with 250 megawatts of capacity, will start operations this year — with all the power going to Xcel, according to Craig Cox, the executive director of Interwest Energy Alliance, based in Lakewood, which represents wind energy companies.

“I’ve been very pleased with Xcel’s proactivity in renewable energy development,” Cox said. “Xcel is one of the leading renewable energy utilities. I believe they can and should continue to do more.”

Xcel also gets 27.2 megawatts of solar power from two existing solar plants in the San Luis Valley. The company will buy power from two additional large-scale solar power plants — each generating 30 megawatts — that will start operation by the middle of 2012.

And its Solar*Rewards rebate program has paid $178 million in rebates, through the end of 2010, to help pay for 75.9 megawatts of smaller solar power systems perched on residential rooftops or a customer’s property, according to the utility.

Colorado’s renewable energy standard mandates that Xcel get 30 percent of the power it sells to customers from renewable energy sources — such as wind or solar farms — by 2020.

The law, signed by then-Gov. Bill Ritter in 2010, measures progress toward the standard by the amount of “Renewable Energy Credits” or RECs the utility owns and spreads the RECs across three categories.

One REC corresponds to one megawatt of power generated from renewable energy for an hour. The law also adds a 0.25 credit for each REC generated in Colorado.

The 30 percent mandate means that in 2020, when Xcel expects to sell about 32.3 million megawatt-hours of power, Xcel will need to have:

• 8.7 million RECs in the first, biggest category — called “non-distributed generation,” which translates into large wind farms, Kittel said.

“We have more RECs than what we need for compliance in the non-distributed generation bucket,” she said.

That’s because Xcel can “bank” extra RECs — RECs the company owns over and above incremental targets leading up to the 30 percent by 2020 mandate — for up to five years and dip into the account as needed, she said.

• Xcel also needs 485,000 RECs in a second bucket, called “wholesale distributed generation,” or wind or solar farms generating 30 megawatts of power or less, Kittel said.

Xcel expects to have that amount of RECs by the middle of 2012, Kittel said.

A 30-megawatt solar power plant, built by Iberdrola Renewables Inc. in the San Luis Valley, is expected to start operation by the end of 2011. A second 30-megawatt power plant, built in the valley by Cogentrix Energy LLC, based in Charlotte, N.C., is expected to start operations by the middle of 2012. Xcel has signed contracts to buy all the power produced by the two solar plants.

• Xcel also needs another 485,000 RECs in a third bucket, called “retail distributed generation,” or solar power systems perched on rooftops or on a customer’s property.

Xcel believes it will be compliance for this category in the “near future,” Kittel said.

The utility expects it will need to acquire more RECs in the third category, via rebates for small-scale solar power systems through the Solar*Rewards program, for a few years. But Kittel said she didn’t know how long that would be.

“We’ll still need more in the long run but we don’t know how much,” Kittel said.

As for a 2 percent charge on each customer’s monthly bill, a charge intended to help pay for renewable energy resources, Kittel said that’s not likely to disappear quickly.

Xcel will file its next long-range resource plan, its forecast of energy needs and the power plants needed to satisfy that demand, in October.

And Xcel had advanced about $51.4 million into the renewable energy fund — over and above what the 2 percent charge collected from customers — as of January in order to pay for renewable energy. The company will be repaid that money via the 2 percent charge.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CU a finalist for national lab to study sun.

2011-04-27T22:59:00.001-06:00

CU a finalist for national lab to study sun.
The Denver Post

Posted: 04/27/2011 01:00:00 AM MDT

The University of Colorado has been named one
of two finalists for the headquarters of the
National Solar Observatory, whose mission is to
advance knowledge of the sun.

The National Solar Observatory is operated under
the auspices of the Association of Universities
for Research in Astronomy under a cooperative
agreement with the National Science Foundation.

CU-Boulder provost Russell Moore said CU is
delighted to be named a finalist to host the NSO,
which would employ up to 70 scientists,
engineers and staff with an estimated annual
payroll of $20 million.

The University of Alabama in Huntsville is the
other finalist

Grand Junction Earth day Events

2011-04-20T19:17:00.001-06:00

Earth Day, Arbor Day events planned

Plant a tree, save a world ... or at least make it a greener, more leafy place.

Earth Day (http://www.earthday.org) is April 22, and Arbor Day is April 29 (http://www.arborday.org). In the Grand Valley, a number of celebrations are planned to commemorate the two events.

Get an early start on Arbor Day with events from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 16, at the Fruita Community Center, 324 N. Coulson St.

This Arbor Day celebration will feature a student poster/art contest, adult art contest, demonstrations, tree planting, children’s activities, and tree giveaways.

Call 858-0360 for information.

The 10th annual SouthWest ArborFest will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at Lincoln Park.

Events will include a chili competition, arts, crafts, entertainment, touch-a-truck, food, experts answering tree and gardening questions and free tree seedlings while supplies last.

Call 254-3866 for information.

Earth Day at the Botanical Gardens will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens, 641 Struthers Ave.

Begin the day with a Community Exercise Expo with local fitness groups and circuit training from 8–9:30 a.m. Bring the kids for a separate workout designed just for them.

A Riverfront Trail bike ride will be from 9:30–10:30 a.m., and kids are encouraged to decorate their bikes.

A concert from 5–11 p.m. will feature four acts: Dem Bones, Jack + Jill, Lil Sum’n Sum’n and Atonga Groove Alliance.

Tickets for the Earth Day events are $1 per person (free with evening concert ticket).

The evening concert ticket for a family of four is $20 in advance or $25 at the gate. For families with more than four members, add $2 per person. Individual concert tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the gate.

Tickets can be purchased at Alpine Banks, the Botanical Gardens, and Ecofly Solar, 2526 Broadway.

Go to http://www.gjearthday.com/ or call 257-7408 to learn about the day’s activities.

A puppet show titled “Every Day is Earth Day” is planned at Mesa County Libraries’ Central Library.

Shows will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 20; 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 26; 10 a.m. Thursday, April 28; and 10 a.m. Saturday, April 30, at the Central Library, 530 Grand Ave.

Call 243-4442 or go to http://www.mesacountylibraries.org for information.

US Solar Energy Industry Experiences Record-Breaking Growth in 2010

2011-04-03T20:51:00.000-06:00

US Solar Energy Industry Experiences Record-Breaking Growth in 2010

Posted 01 April 2011 @ 11:34 am BST

The U.S. solar energy industry had a banner year in 2010 with the industry’s total market value growing 67 percent from $3.6 billion in 2009 to $6.0 billion in 2010, according to the U.S. Solar Market InsightTM: Year-in-Review 2010 released today by the Solar Energy Industries Association® (SEIA®) and GTM Research. Solar was a bright spot in the U.S. economy last year as the fastest growing energy sector, contrasting overall U.S. GDP growth of less than 3 percent.

In total, 878 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) capacity and 78 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) were installed in the U.S. in 2010, enough to power roughly 200,000 homes. In addition, more than 65,000 homes and businesses added solar water heating (SWH) or solar pool heating (SPH) systems.

The U.S. PV market made the most significant strides in 2010, more than doubling installation totals from 2009 according to the latest U.S. Solar Market InsightTM report. This expansion was driven by the Federal section 1603 Treasury program, completion of significant utility-scale projects, expansion of new state markets and declining technology costs.Solar Power For Your Home

The section 1603 Treasury program helped fourth-quarter installations surge to a record 359 MW and was critical in allowing the solar industry to employ more than 93,000 Americans in 2010. Originally set to expire at the end of 2010, the 1603 Treasury program was ultimately extended through 2011.

In addition, market diversification was a distinguishing characteristic of U.S. solar energy development in 2010. Sixteen states each installed more than 10 MW of PV in 2010, up from only four in 2007. The top 10 states for PV installation in 2010 were: California, New Jersey, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Florida, North Carolina and Texas.

Cost declines were also an important factor in the 2010 solar expansion, as technology costs fell and the industry matured further, capitalizing on greater economies of scale and improved installation practices. In the residential and commercial-property segments, installed annual PV system cost declines of 8 percent and 11 percent respectively spurred record build-out.

“The U.S. PV market saw a breakthrough in 2010 and is emerging as a global demand center for both suppliers and project developers,” said Shayle Kann, Managing Director of Solar at GTM Research. “The U.S. Solar Market InsightTM: Year-in-Review 2010 examines the conditions that led to the past year’s growth and pinpoints future demand, industry trends and market challenges for 2011 and beyond.”

“This report shows that solar energy is now one of the fastest growing industries in the United States, creating new opportunities for both large and small businesses. Every day, Americans across the country are going to work at well-paying, stable jobs at solar companies, from small installers all the way up to Fortune 500 companies,” said Rhone Resch, SEIA president and CEO. “This remarkable growth puts the solar industry’s goal of powering 2 million homes annually by 2015 within reach. Achieving such amazing growth during the economic downturn shows that smart polices combined with American ingenuity adds up to a great return on investment for the public. The bottom line is that the solar energy industry is creating tens of thousands of new American jobs each year.”

Along with analysis of the U.S. PV market, U.S. Solar Market InsightTM: Year-in-Review 2010 provides visibility into the CSP and solar heating and cooling markets. The 75 MW Martin CSP plant installed in Florida is the largest to come online in nearly 20 years and foreshadows a pipeline of more than 9 GW of CSP projects under development. In addition, for the first time in 2010, the federal government approved permits for CSP plants on public land.

Meanwhile, the solar heating and cooling markets grew in 2010. The top five states for solar water heating installations in 2010 were California, Hawaii, Arizona, Florida and Puerto Rico, while the top five for solar pool heating were Florida, California, Arizona, New York, and Illinois. Fluctuating natural gas and heating oil prices will determine the future of these markets.

Report: Colorado’s Solar Permit Processes Lag Behind Best Practices

2011-03-25T09:48:00.001-06:00

Report: Colorado’s Solar Permit Processes Lag Behind Best Practices

Mar. 24, 2011 (Business Wire) — The Vote Solar Initiative (Vote Solar) and the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA) today released a report and online interactive map rating solar permitting practices in 34 cities and counties across Colorado. Local solar permitting practices have a significant impact on the cost of solar energy systems for homes and businesses.

The new report indicates that, although practices vary widely by municipality or county, the average fee for Colorado solar permitting is nearly twice as high and seven times longer than national permitting best practices. The findings reinforce the need for Colorado to adopt the standardized, streamlined solar permitting practices contained in the Fair Permit Act of 2011 (HB10-1199) and to keep working to simplify permitting processes to drive down costs for consumers.

“With a clear policy commitment to renewables in place, Colorado has become one of the nation’s most promising solar markets. However, the state has an inefficient permitting landscape that directly undermines its renewable energy and economic development goals. Removing red tape and unnecessary fees from the solar permitting process is one simple and effective way that local governments can support Coloradan investment in clean energy,” said Gwen Rose, Deputy Director of Vote Solar and lead author of the report.

Added RJ Harrington, COSEIA’s Policy Director, “While there are certainly examples of leadership on the issue, many of Colorado’s cities and counties have permitting processes that add extraneous costs for solar customers and add unnecessary administrative work for solar installers and public agencies alike. Coloradans need the Fair Permit Act to help clear the way for solar adoption and economic development.”

When a Colorado energy customer invests in a solar electric or solar thermal system, that resident, business or other organization must first apply for and obtain a permit from the local government. According to best practices, this process should be transparent, standardized, expeditious, and reflect the municipality’s actual cost of review and issuance. As today’s report indicates, costs still vary widely by municipality due to different permitting plan review processes and other extraneous fees. This has resulted in piecemeal, local permitting practices that are often costly, complex, non-transparent and time-intensive.

The Fair Permit Act (HB 11-1199) is designed to reduce Colorado’s local solar permitting costs and clear the way for increased in-state investment in solar and related economic development. Specifically, the Colorado Fair Permit Act would:

• Extend existing $500 and $1,000 permit fee limitations to the plan review and permit issuance process for solar energy systems under 2-megawatts (MW) in size – these are currently set to expire on July 1, 2011

• Reduce unnecessary costs by limiting’ plan review and permit issuance fees to their actual costs for solar energy systems larger than 2 MW in size.

• Promote transparency by ensuring local governments clearly and individually identify all fees and taxes assessed on an invoice.

Using industry-standard best practices as a benchmark, Vote Solar and COSEIA assessed each city for the time and cost associated with solar permitting. The report found that permit fees for an average-sized residential solar system can cost a whopping $2,000 and take as many as 20 business days. The average cost of a solar permit in Colorado is $495 compared to a best practice fee of $250 or lower. Additionally the average time-to-issuance in Colorado is seven business days, significantly longer than the recommended over-the-counter practice. However, those local practices vary widely across the state. Breckenridge, Colorado Springs, Denver, Denver County, Grand Junction and Pueblo lead in solar-friendly permit practices. Meanwhile, Arapahoe County, Aurora, Commerce City, Douglas County, Erie and Longmont showed the most need for improvement.

Colorado is the second state in Vote Solar’s Project: Permit, a campaign to highlight and improve solar permitting practices in cities nationwide. To view the Project: Permit map, full Colorado report, and best practice guidelines, visit: http://votesolar.org/solar-map/

About the Vote Solar Initiative: Vote Solar is a non-profit grassroots organization working to fight climate change and foster economic opportunity by bringing solar energy into the mainstream. Since 2002 Vote Solar has engaged in state, local and federal advocacy campaigns to remove regulatory barriers and implement the key policies needed to bring solar to scale. www.votesolar.org

About the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association: Established in 1989, COSEIA is the nonprofit association leading Colorado’s solar industry. Its mission is to expand the use of solar technologies across Colorado. COSEIA advances solar policy, removes market barriers, highlights emerging trends, and improves education and outreach. www.coseia.org

The Vote Solar Initiative

Rosalind Jackson, 415-817-5061

rosalind@votesolar.org

Agreement Reached on Solar*Rewards Program

2011-03-25T09:44:00.000-06:00

Agreement Reached on Solar*Rewards Program

After long days of negotiations, Xcel Energy has finally agreed to restart its Solar*Rewards program as early as next week, pending PUC approval this Friday, March 18th. The negotiated agreement had to address three primary goals:

- Provide greater predictability and stability for solar businesses and customers
- Address the program cash flow challenges
- Reduce the program's nearly $100 million debt load

All three goals have been met and COSEIA, along with coalition partners, was able to negotiate the up-front incentive payment to $1.75/watt + $0.04/kWh performance-based incentive over 10 years for the small customer-owned category (Xcel was proposing $0.25/watt + $1/REC).

Third-party owned and mid-sized programs will move immediately to a performance-based incentive (PBI), paid over a 20 year period:

- Small third-party owned systems $0.16/kWh PBI
- Mid-sized systems $0.15/kWh PBI

As with before, all incentives will ratchet down over time based on capacity installed to help balance the program budget. See chart >

Xcel's proposed 10 MW of additional capacity was also negotiated up to 60 MW over the next year when Xcel's 2012 RES Compliance Plan is implemented. The negotiated restart of the program will be March 2011.

The shift from up-front incentives to performance-based incentives will not be easy one, but is necessary to address the cash flow crunch and avoid another shut down of the program. Shifting to PBI's paid out over a 10 year time frame for the customer-owned category is easier to finance and will give businesses time to establish financing arrangements.

The agreement also includes language that prohibits Xcel from taking unilateral action without PUC approval -- and of course we, as an industry, need to do our part to live within our program's means. Funding is not unlimited.

Xcel's actions have come at a significant cost and we're going to continue to do everything possible to promote a more stable marketplace during these challenging times.

PUC Says Progress Being Made on Solar Negotiations — But More Time Needed

2011-03-13T21:51:00.000-06:00

PUC Says Progress Being Made on Solar Negotiations — But More Time Needed

Posted By admin On March 11, 2011 @ 4:31 pm In ARCHIVES, Feature Articles | No Comments

Negotiations between Colorado’s solar industry and Xcel Energy concerning restarting the utility’s Solar*Rewards rebate program are progressing, Xcel told state regulators late Thursday. However, additional time is needed to reach a final agreement, according to the utility’s filing at the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.
Several stakeholder groups have been involved in this week’s negotiations, led by the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association which has warned that keeping the solar incentives at the reduced level will devastate the industry. Environmental and business groups are also at the table. Stay with Colorado Energy News for the latest on this huge issue.
By Ann Rascalli

If an agreement could, indeed, be reached within that time, the commissioners said they would consider approving a settlement. Without an agreement, the commissioners said they may take steps to resurrect Xcel’s Solar*Rewards rebate program in some form on a temporary basis until long-term decisions can be made.

The rebate issue broke out in mid-February when Colorado’s largest utility abrumptly cut solar rebate levels from $2.35 per watt to $2.01 per watt, and the following day stopped taking new applications for the Solar*Rewards program — at least until Xcel reopens it.

Since then, sales of PV systems in the state have virtually dried up, according to the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (CoSEIA), and the trade group warned that layoffs across the industry are coming.

Xcel has asked the PUC to cut the rebate levels to $1.25 per watt. CoSEIA wants the commission to keep rebates flowing — at some level — until the regulatory agency make a decision to approve or deny Xcel’s request.

“The PUC is moving very quickly on this issue, reinforcing the fact that they see the need to get this resolved before there’s any more economic damage to this industry,” said Neal Lurie, CoSEIA’s executive director. The Solar*Rewards program is funded by a 2 percent surcharge on the monthly bills of the utility’s Colorado customers, a small price to pay for clean energy say supporters.

“We’re happy to come to the table with the solar industry to try to reach an agreement,” said Michelle Aguayo, a spokeswoman for Xcel. “It’s always been our goal to get this program restarted in a form that is fair and equitable.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article printed from Colorado Energy News: http://coloradoenergynews.com

Xcel works to be wise stewards of renewables

2011-03-13T21:49:00.001-06:00

Xcel works to be wise stewards of renewables

Heidi Ihrke of High Noon Solar unfortunately paints a very inaccurate picture of Xcel Energy’s recent decision to modify its Solar*Rewards program in Colorado, in her March 1 letter to the editor. In fact, Xcel Energy remains committed to creating a clean energy future for Colorado, but at a reasonable cost.

Colorado voters approved a Renewable Energy Standard in November 2004 to kick start, but not fund into perpetuity, the on-site solar industry. Xcel Energy now collects 2 percent of customers’ bills each month to support that standard — which has gone to the on-site solar industry through Solar*Rewards, for $178 million through 2010.

At the time we stared Solar*Rewards in March 2006, the goal was to keep customer costs for a new system at about 50 percent. Recently, however, incentives have been paying upwards of 75 percent of the total cost. This provides for fewer megawatts of generation and is unfair to those who have already installed solar systems over the years.

Xcel Energy must be wise stewards of its customers’ investment in renewable energy. We’re not shutting down Solar*Rewards, we’re asking to reset incentives to take advantage of the drop in costs associated with on-site solar systems.

Xcel Energy has 78 megawatts of on-site solar on its system in Colorado; it has committed to installing up to another 59 megawatts this year. We have more than 2,200 installations still to be completed from just last year, or about a half dozen a day. To question our commitment to on-site solar is otherwise ridiculous. Simply stated, the on-site solar industry will have more than enough work in the next several years.

The question on-site solar installers should be asking themselves is: Why give larger incentives to fewer customers, when spreading those enticements out to a greater potential base of consumers can only serve to increase business for the industry?

FRED EGGLESTON

Local Government and Community Affairs Manager

Colorado PUC Tells Xcel, Solar Sector To Reach Agreement On Rebates

2011-03-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

Colorado PUC Tells Xcel, Solar Sector To Reach Agreement On Rebates

SI Staff, Monday 07 March 2011 - 20:57:37

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has instructed Xcel Energy and representatives from the state's solar market to work out an agreement regarding rebates for installed solar systems. The decision follows Xcel's decision to make controversial modifications to its Solar*Rewards program.

Xcel and the state's solar sector were given seven days to reach a settlement, the Denver Business Journal reports. If no agreement is reached within that time frame, commissioners may issue a temporary decision until a longer-term agreement can be reached.

SOURCE: Denver Business Journal

Xcel’s cut in solar rebate hurts economy, energy

2011-02-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

Xcel’s cut in solar rebate hurts economy, energy

As a small business owner, employer and proud resident of the state of Colorado, I used to also be able to say I worked in the No. 2 state for solar jobs per capita in the United States. That was until Xcel Energy inexplicably decided to cut its entire solar compliance plan last Wednesday, reducing its rebate structure by more than 90 percent for the state of Colorado.

Not only did Xcel reduce the rebate, effective immediately, but now the solar industry is in a holding pattern until the PUC rules on the validity of this reduction, with no new applications for solar allowed with Xcel Energy.

When asked in an informative meeting held by Xcel the day after the announcement if they had considered loss of jobs when they made this decision, an Xcel representative blatantly said, “No, no we didn’t.”

Colorado voters have sent a clear message that they want to increase clean-energy use to help promote economic development in our state. Allowing Xcel to control its own solar program is a conflict of interest. As a monopoly utility, Xcel has a financial stake in disrupting and delaying solar growth in a state where voters have made a strong voice in support of renewable energy.

The PUC needs to stand strong in support of small businesses that are looking to lose 2,000 to 3,000 jobs by year’s end if resolution does not come in this matter.

Considering the prospect of $4 to $5 per gallon cost of gasoline as conflicts continue to flare in oil-rich areas, renewable energy should be the last thing on the chopping block.

HEIDI IHRKE

High Noon Solar

Grand Junction

Grand Junction Sentinel 28 February 2011

Xcel Energy blasted for burying bill to up small-scale renewable energy projects

2011-02-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

State's largest utility accused of unhealthy obsession with fossil fuels, full-scale centralized energy facilities

Backers of a bill that would have prompted the study of a “feed-in-tariff” program in Colorado to connect renewable energy generators to the grid say the state’s major utilities quietly killed the legislation in committee last week because of their “continuing love affair with fossil fuels.”

HB 1228 (pdf), sponsored by Rep. Judy Solano, D-Brighton, was shot down in the House Agriculture, Livestock, & Natural Resources Committee, mostly because of the no votes of seven Republicans. Publicly owned Xcel Energy, the state’s largest utility, and the Colorado Rural Electric Association – representing most of state’s rural electric co-ops – opposed the bill.

“Xcel’s business model relies too heavily on the building of large central generation facilities that have major inherent liabilities for grid security and environmental impacts,” said consultant Becky English of Denver-based Rebecca English and Associates, who worked with Solano for the past eight months on the bill. “Distributed generation of clean renewable energy is the wave of the future; feed-in tariff is the market-balancing policy mechanism that gets us there.”

Feed-in-tariff (FIT) is being used in parts of Canada and Germany, where it allows individual property owners and businesses to generate power using small-scale solar, wind, biomass or hydro installations and sell that electricity back into the grid at a premium rate that’s absorbed by all ratepayers. FIT is meant to encourage investment in renewables and promote “grid parity” between renewables and fossil fuels.

But Xcel officials successfully argued they’re already on-track to accomplish greater parity through the state’s ambitious renewable energy standard (RES) of 30 percent by 2020 – the second highest in the nation behind only California.

“A feed-in tariff would be duplicative of the Renewable Energy Standard Adjustment (RESA), which is the current charge on customer bills devoted to paying the incremental cost of renewable resources,” said Xcel spokesman Mark Stutz. “A feed-in-tariff is a more expensive, less efficient method for accomplishing what we are already achieving under the current [RES].”

But English and other FIT backers say an RES is merely a goal while feed-in-tariff is an actual policy mechanism that’s proven in other parts of the world to help jurisdictions meet or exceed their renewable energy goals.

“FITs create a bigger market,” said Jim Burness, CEO of SolSource, a Colorado solar installation firm. “Under our recently-departed system, solar was only available to those who either had cash, or great credit. Since FIT payments come from the utility, it allows anyone with a good [renewable energy] resource to participate, thereby exploding the market.”

Burness was referring to Xcel’s highly controversial recent proposal to cut off all new applications to its Solar Rewards program and reduce current rebates from $2.35 a watt to $1.25 a watt. Solar industry advocates say the move could cost more than 2,000 Colorado jobs. The move prompted protests by clean energy advocates in Denver over the weekend.

English says FITs would be one way for Xcel to repair its battered image on the small-scale distributed energy front.

“Xcel’s corporate responsibility reputation is on the ropes due to the company’s continuing love affair with fossil fuels, its abuse of the solar industry, and its ongoing resistance to meaningful amounts of locally produced, clean distributed generation,” English said.

Utility scale wind and solar projects come with one major drawback. The best areas for generating renewable energy on such a large scale tend to be in remote rural areas far from the major cities that need the electricity. That has caused a transmission bottleneck and sparked legal battles over power-line location such as the Trinchera Ranch lawsuit in the San Luis Valley.

Finally, Xcel’s Stutz said “feed-in tariffs face legal issues in the United States that remain to be worked out. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory [NREL in Golden] says that feed-in tariffs will not work in the U.S. without changes to federal law or to existing Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [FERC] precedents.”

But English counters that an NREL official who’s studied FIT policy appeared at last week’s hearing and testified that feed-in-tariff could work under existing laws and FERC rulings.

Regardless, HB 1228 appears dead for now, leaving proponents to weigh their limited legislative options.

Take Action to Prevent Xcel Energy from Suspending Solar Rewards

2011-02-25T06:54:00.000-07:00

TAKE ACTION TODAY: Can you write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper urging Xcel to restart the Solar*Rewards program and to better educate the public about this important issue?

Here are a few key messages to highlight:

- Colorado voters have sent a clear message that they want to increase clean energy use to help promote economic development. The program had been working well. Spurred by the passage of Amendment 37, there are now 5,300 solar jobs and more than 400 solar businesses in Colorado. Colorado is now the #2 state in the U.S. for solar jobs per capita.

- Xcel Energy is using its monopoly to disrupt the market for clean energy and choke off competition. Xcel is now the 2nd major utility to suspend its solar program. Black Hills Energy in Pueblo suspended its solar program in October, which led to a 90% decrease in solar sales and significant job losses while customers wait for incentives to return. The Colorado economy can't afford a devastating similar crash statewide. An estimated 2,000-3,000 Colorado jobs will be lost by the end of the year unless there is a rapid restart to the state's successful solar programs.

- Every industry needs a stable marketplace to compete. Xcel's Solar*Rewards program was on schedule, slowly ratcheting down incentives as solar costs decreased. Incentives were reduced nearly 50% during the past two years as solar electric costs decreased by 40-50% during the same period. The program has worked. The key was that program changes were predictable, incremental and transparent so consumers and businesses could react.

- Xcel Energy administering its own solar program is a conflict of interest. As a monopoly utility, Xcel has a financial stake in disrupting and delaying solar growth and destabilizing the clean energy marketplace. A monopoly shouldn't be allowed to pull the rug out from under Colorado's small businesses and while putting thousands of jobs at risk.

- Colorado needs an independent 3rd party administrator to oversee its solar program. Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy have demonstrated that they are either incapable or unwilling to ensure a stable marketplace for healthy competition. That's why other states have implemented an independent solar program administrator to avoid these conflicts of interest. Colorado should too.

- The Public Utilities Commission should deny utility requests to gut clean energy programs. The PUC should seek to restart Xcel's and Black Hills' solar programs quickly, before any more economic damage is done, and begin a fair and transparent stakeholder process to ensure stable marketplace.

- The public is invited to attend the Rally for Clean Energy Jobs this Friday, February 25 at 12pm, at the Colorado State Capitol building, west steps to show their support for increasing clean energy in Colorado.

Feel free to personalize your letter to the editor, but be sure to highlight some of these key points.

Thank you for your continued involvement. We can't do this alone. And thanks for sending a letter to the editor of your local newspaper today.

Best regards,
Neal Lurie
Executive Director, COSEIA

Xcel Energy Cuts Rebates

2011-02-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

Date: February 16, 2011
Topic: Solar*Rewards change filing
Today, Xcel Energy filed an application with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) requesting
a reduction in the on-site solar rebate from $2.00 to $0.25 up-front payment, for systems up to 100
kW. Effective immediately, we have lowered our purchase price for Renewable Energy Credits (RECs).
Between the February 16 and Commission decision on lowered rebate
Until the PUC makes a decision on our filing, we will accept up to 3 MW of Solar*Rewards applications
with REC pricing according to the chart below. Applications will be considered for approval until the
capacity limit is reached.
REC Payment Amounts
Systems Customer-Owned Third Party Developer
Small 1¢/watt DC upfront .1¢/kwh produced (1/10 of 1¢)
Medium
(Tiers 1 & 2)
$1/MWh produced $1/MWh produced
Application kW is counted toward the capacity at the time of submission.
The $2.00/watt Rebate is still applicable.
Why We Filed For This Change
Solar*Rewards was established to encourage customer adoption of on-site solar and to make sure the
technology is included in Colorado’s energy mix. The program has been successful and we want to
continue to offering it to our customers.
Since the program began in March 2006 and through the end of 2010, you’ve installed 76 megawatts
of solar energy under the program. And we’ve distributed $178 million in rebates to customers.
The solar industry continues to grow, and the technology is becoming more affordable. As the cost of
on-site solar drops, we need to be able to adjust the incentives accordingly.
Customers pay for Solar*Rewards through a two percent charge on their electric bills. We are
responsible for ensuring these funds are used wisely
Next Steps
We will hold a meeting for installers
Thursday, February 17
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Xcel Energy offices at 1800 Larimer, Room 03G01 (Denver, CO)
Call-in number: 612-330-7955, ID 4715
We will file a Renewable Energy Standard Compliance Plan with the CPUC this spring that
outlines the future of the program for 2012 and beyond. The plan includes Solar Gardens
projects as well.
Please refer to xcelenergy.com/solar for more information and regular updates Or contact us at
solarprogram@xcelenergy.com.

Ecotech Institute unveils new green campus

2011-02-08T17:09:00.000-07:00

Ecotech Institute unveils new green campus

Amanda H. Miller

FEB 04, 2011

A new trade school dedicated to training the next generation of green-technology workers opened a solar panel-clad campus in Aurora, Colo., last week.
The 62,000-square-foot facility is a state-of-the art building fitted with wind turbines, solar photovoltaic panels and solar trees in the parking lot.
The solar and wind features on the building will provide about 10 percent of its energy needs, said Glenn Wilson, Ecotech Institute academic dean.
The solar trees in the parking lot are one of the school’s most prominent and visible green feature, which advertises the greater purpose of the school.
“People will be able to charge electric cars into those solar trees,” Wilson said. “They’ll be able to charge them there.”
The Ecotech Institute was founded by the Education Corporation of America, which owns and operates trade and community colleges around the country.
“They saw a need for an educational institution that would prepare students for green technology careers,” Wilson said.
He said the Education Corporation decided to locate its new school in Aurora because Colorado is rich with universities and research institutions like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, doing good work and research in green technology. There are also a lot of companies entering into commercial enterprises involving green technology, Wilson said.
“Colorado is also a great environment for renewables research—lots of sun and wind,” Wilson said.
The school opened two years ago and has been functioning in a temporary location until the start of this semester last week, Wilson said.
When the new building opened last week, about 200 new and returning students filtered through the doors. The building is large, and there will be a lot of room for expansion over the next few years as the school grows and becomes more well-known throughout the country.
It is the first school of its kind, devoted completely to green technology education, Wilson said.
The building will prove to be a tool for students in their classes, Wilson said.
“They’ll be able see a solar installation and monitor its energy production so they can better understand how the technology works,” Wilson said.

New solar power plant up and running at CSU

2011-02-03T20:48:00.001-07:00

New solar power plant up and running at CSU

Feb 1, 2011 By The Associated Press

Fort Collins, Colo. (AP) — Colorado State University says a 5.3-megawatt solar plant on its Foothills Campus in Fort Collins has started producing electricity.

CSU says the plant started producing power in December. Fotowatio Renewable Ventures owns and operates it, and CSU is buying power produced by it at a fixed rate for 20 years. Xcel Energy Inc. is buying renewable energy credits from the plant, which CSU says helped offset construction costs.

The plant will provide one-third of electricity needs on the Foothills Campus, about three miles west of the main campus.

CSU says that according to the most recent statistics compiled by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, the project is one of the largest at a U.S. university.

Copyright © 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ..

Renewable energy standards target of Colo. GOP

2011-01-31T21:03:00.000-07:00

Renewable energy standards target of Colo. GOP
By The Associated Press
Monday, January 31, 2011

DENVER — Colorado Republicans are lobbing their first shot at renewable energy requirements they say are hurting consumers.

The state Senate starts work today on a bill undoing a requirement passed last year requiring that utilities get 30 percent of their electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar by 2020. Senate Bill 71 would roll that requirement back to 10 percent, a renewable energy standard utilities already exceed.

The higher renewable energy standard passed last year allows utilities to charge customers up front for the expense of switching to cleaner energy. Republicans say that it’s driving up power bills and hurting consumers.

However, the Republicans’ plan faces long odds in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COSEIA prepares for 2011 Solar Power Colorado expo

2011-01-22T19:07:00.001-07:00

COSEIA prepares for 2011 Solar Power Colorado expo

Theo Romeo
Jan 22, 2011

Colorado’s solar industry grew by 91 percent last year. Let’s just let that figure sink in. That number is according to the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association, or COSEIA, which is throwing the biggest business-to-business solar conference and expo in the state next month.
Solar Power Colorado, taking place Feb. 9 – 11 in Loveland, Colo., will highlight the state of Colorado’s solar industry and will include panel discussions focusing on the current challenges for the state, future technology and what the future will bring.
One of the major challenges, according to Neal Lurie, COSEIA’s executive director, will be dealing with the sudden blow that Black Hills Energy, a utility provider in the southern portion of the state, dealt the solar community when it unexpectedly cancelled its solar rebate program, which up and died in October, 2010.
“COSEIA is working aggressively as part of a stakeholder process with Black Hills Energy to restart its solar program as quickly as possible,” said Lurie. “We have also started a working group to identify the best options available to restart the solar program so we can bring these recommendations to Black Hills.”
And although other utilities in the state, like Xcel Energy, haven’t pulled the rug out from under the industry yet, Lurie and COSEIA are aware of the difficulty new projects face from start to finish, which will be a hot topic at the event.
“One of our major areas of focus is addressing the problem of excessive permit fees and complexity,” said Lurie. “Fees by state and local governments can cost thousands of dollars and can limit job creation. We’re working with legislators to pass the Fair Permit Act to help reduce fees, cut the red tape and promote economic development.”
But all news is not bad news for Colorado’s solar industry. The growth, for one, is a good sign, but the former governor, Bill Ritter, a champion of renewable energy in the state, was recently replaced by John Hickenlooper, the only gubernatorial candidate last year who didn’t refer to the green economy as mythical. Hickenlooper has said publically that he will continue in the direction Ritter was heading in terms of renewable support.
“We’re looking forward to partnering with Governor Hickenlooper to support clean energy development in the months and years ahead,” said Lurie. “We have already met with his staff and have ongoing communication with members of his team. We see tremendous opportunities to work toward our common goals to promote economic development, job creation and to reduce red tape.”
One of the possible solutions to some of the red tape has been a straight-forward feed-in-tariff program, one modeled after Ontario’s. Energy leaders met last week to discuss how the program works, and how/if it could be applied to Colorado’s system.
Lurie and COSEIA are taking it slowly, though, and neither endorsing adoption nor passing on the program until the jury is in.
“Some countries and regions have found feed-in tariffs to be an effective tool for increasing the use of renewable energy,” said Lurie. “Many citizens in Colorado are exploring the pros and cons of a feed-in tariff in our state. COSEIA is involved in these discussions and will continue to evaluate if this is the best approach for Colorado. Our goal is to promote a stable marketplace for businesses to compete, and view feed-in tariffs as one of several mechanisms that could be considered.”
The annual Solar Power Colorado, which is open to the public, will be held at Loveland’s Embassy Suits Conference Center, Feb. 9 – 11. To register for the event, please go to COSEIA’s website

Solar Power Colorado to highlight state of the industry

2011-01-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

Solar Power Colorado to highlight state of the industry
By NCBR staff

LOVELAND — Solar Power Colorado, the largest business-to-business solar conference and expo in the state, will takes place Feb. 9 through 11 at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in Loveland.

During the conference, executives of some of Colorado’s largest solar employers — including Abound Solar, Advanced Energy, SkyFuel, Ascent Solar and others — will share their views on how the solar industry is changing, current challenges, new technology, and what to look for in the year ahead during the State of the Industry panel discussion.

“Colorado’s solar industry is changing at an unprecedented pace,” said Neal Lurie, executive director of the nonprofit Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association, which produces the annual event. “Solar Power Colorado helps business leaders understand the latest changes to better position their organizations for the tremendous opportunities ahead.”

Colorado’s solar industry has grown significantly during the last several years and now supports about 5,300 solar jobs, more than 400 solar businesses, and has contributed more than $500 million in private investment to the Colorado economy, according to Lurie.

Solar Power Colorado is open to business leaders, professionals, career changers and the general public. For more information and to register, go to www.coseia.org.

Andy's Liquor: largest solar powered liquor store in CO

2011-01-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

Grand Junction, CO (KKCO)-Drop by Andy’s Liquor Mart on First Street and you'll find the standards, liquor, wine and beer but you'll also find some thing else, deep roots. "We've been in business in Grand Junction for over 30 years," says store manager John Olds. Olds has been working at Andy’s for more than half of that. "I've been here 17 years," he says. Olds will tell you things have changed in the last few years. Olds says, "Customer base is getting more knowledgeable, especially about wine and liquor and of course the micro brews are a big part of the beer business." And Andy’s has made several transitions to keep up with the market. They've hired a buyer to concentrate solely on those micro brews; they also brought Joe Giordano on board as the wine manager. "I love talking to people about wine," says Giordano.

Giordano says like most liquor, wine is all about preference and how you pair it. "Comparison with food is extremely important because they compliment each other," says Giordano. The best compliment you can give him says Giordano is repeat business. "The biggest joy I get out of is when somebody comes back in and they say, 'Joe that case of wine was great.' You know what I mean, or 'that bottle went fantastic with the meal everybody loved it, mix me up another case,'" he says.

Andy’s has also made another huge change; a new building but the biggest improvement is the hardest to see. "We're the largest solar powered liquor store in Colorado," says Olds. A TV screen inside the store shows what the 378 panels are doing outside; helping Andy’s stay in business for several more decades.

If you know of a business that should be featured on our program give us a call at the station 970-243-1111 or send an email to aaron.luna@nbc11news.com.

Colorado Ski Town's Solar Array Almost Operational

2010-12-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

Colorado Ski Town's Solar Array Almost Operational

Wednesday, December 29th 2010 18:39

By GetSolar Staff.

Telluride, Colorado is known as one of the premier ski destinations in the U.S. Small in size, the little town is nestled amid the Rockies in the southwest corner of Colorado. Recently, town officials announced that after more than a year in the making, a solar panel system is almost operational at the regional wastewater treatment plant there.

The photovoltaic system is comprised of 480 solar panels and its engineers expect that it will go online sometime in the next few weeks. The solar panel system is the first large-scale, net-metered, grid-tiered array within the San Miguel Power Associations service area, according to town officials. Don Jones, the owner of Controlled Hydronics Inc., the contractor tasked with the installation, tells the Telluride Watch: "It should be operative in the first week in January."

The $600,000 solar power project was funded in part by a $150,000 grant from the state's Governor's Energy Office. Moreover, the town of Mountain Village, whose wastewater is also treated at the plant, recently contributed $157,000 in financing. Upon completion, the photovoltaic system is expected to produce roughly 205 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually - about 10 percent of the plant's energy use.

Town officials affirm that the solar panel system will save about $14,000 a year in energy costs, helping the town to reach its goal of lowering its 2005 carbon emissions by 20 percent by the year 2020.

Function comes first at new dental office

2010-12-19T09:04:00.001-07:00

Function comes first at new dental office

By Penny Stine
Friday, December 17, 2010
GJ Sentinel

From the outside, the new office for Oral Health Partners at 2552 F Road may not look remarkable. It’s a basic box: four walls in a rectangular shape with a roof on top.
But ask Dr. Glen Dean about the building and it becomes obvious that this dental office is the result of 31 years of practice, a lot of thought and asolid partnership between Dean, Blythe Group + Co. and Shaw Construction.
“The interaction with Dr. Dean was fun because of his excitement and enthusiasmabout the project,” said Dave Hall, construction manager with ShawConstruction. “This was personal. He was absolutely hands-on.”
Blythe Group + Co. began working with Dean more than a year before the first signs ofconstruction started.
“Dr. Dean had specific needs related to his practice,” said Mike Archbold with Blythe Group + Co. “He was extensively involved throughout the entire process.”
As apediatric dentist who serves several handicapped clients, Dean wanted the building to be wheelchair accessible. He also wanted the rooms to be private, functional and equipped with the latest technology.
The new building has 9,000 square feet, with 10 examination rooms. One room was designed to be more accommodating to patients in wheelchairs. All rooms have six inch, insulated interior walls.
Acoustic doors separate thechildren’s operatories from the rest of the practice, so if a child is nervousand crying, the sound won’t carry to the waiting room or other examination rooms.
Each examination room has three monitors with separate controls. A patient can watch TV while the dentist is scrutinizing x-rays on the monitor behind the patientchair.
A large, 42-inch monitor on a separate wall can be utilized to showx-rays to parents, display educational materials or simply have interestingpictures designed to put the patient at ease.
All of the examination rooms are interchangeable, although one is slightly wider for wheelchair accommodation. The practice uses a roll-in cart system that insures that the dentist will have the correct equipment for whatever procedure needs to be performed. Every treatment room is also equipped with nitrous oxide, which requires extra ventilation.
A large sterilization room in the middle of the building gives staff plenty of room to work in an environment designed with their safety in mind. Hands free foot controls in the sterilization room and at the sinks in all operatory rooms insure that germs aren’t spread via traditional faucets.
“It’sprobably the most technologically advanced medical building I’m aware of in the valley right now,” Archbold said.
In addition to the high-tech features and amenities designed for patients’ comfort, the building also is designed with sustainability and high building performance in mind.
The building has a geothermal heat exchange unit for heating and cooling. The large windows on the south side of the building allow the sun to warm the building in the wintertime, but the wide overhangs will prevent the sun from overheating the building in the summertime. Insulated solar shadescan also block the sunlight when necessary.
The tall, wide hallways are flooded with natural light from the overhead light wells, but the bright red walls keep it from looking like a dentist office. The photovoltaic array on the roof will supply some of the electricity needs in the building.
In the waiting room, adults can enjoy a little peace and quiet on one half while children play in a separate area.
Dean has already hired six additional people to work in the office and anticipates two more will be starting soon. When fully staffed, the practice will have six dentists, which also includes one orthodontist.
The project superintendent, Rick Wilson with Shaw Construction, estimates that 15 to 20 different subcontractors worked in the building.
About 10 to 12 people worked at the job site any given day during construction. In today’s uncertain economy, all were happy to be part of the $2 million construction project.
The Oral Health Partners building should function at a high level, keeping the practice compliant with both Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) standards.
It should also meet the needs of patients and staff, providing great dental care in high-tech comfort.
The staff hopes to be in business in their new facility on Monday, Dec. 20.

Ritter praises Rifle for sustainable development projects

2010-12-14T22:51:00.001-07:00

Ritter praises Rifle for sustainable development projects
By Dennis Webb
Thursday, December 9, 2010

RIFLE — Seemingly everywhere you turn these days in the Rifle area, solar projects are popping up in quantities that rival the natural gas drilling rigs dotting the horizons.

This city at the center of Garfield County’s natural gas fields and the region’s come-and-go oil shale industry has been pushing hard to promote itself as an alternative-energy hub as well. It also has been focusing on further diversifying its economy by pursuing sustainable development projects downtown.

The accomplishments to date of the city — and more broadly the clean-energy undertakings of communities through Garfield County — were celebrated Thursday at an event headlined by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, who initiated programs that helped make them possible.

Local officials praised the role Ritter played, but he said places such as Rifle have themselves to credit for the state’s decision to get involved in their sustainable community initiatives.

“It was because of what was already going on in Rifle,” Ritter said.

In April, Ritter announced Rifle was one of four communities in the state chosen to kick off the Sustainable Main Streets Initiative. It’s aimed at helping communities overcome challenges such as vacant storefronts and aging buildings to achieve long-term downtown stability and prosperity.

Later in the year, the federal government chipped in a total of $1.28 million in funding for the four communities’ projects.

Ritter said he has been impressed by the desire of a city so tied to a traditional, boom-and-bust-oriented extractive-energy industry to want to diversify and create an economy that sustains itself for decades to come.

The city has been moving on several fronts, such as creation of an Energy Innovation Center on a uranium mill tailings reclamation site.

The center is focusing on trying to bridge the gap between conventional and alternative fuels and intends to showcase emerging fuel technologies.

The center is still in its infancy, but a commercial composting facility is in the works, and this year test crops were grown there as part of a project involving Colorado Mountain College and others to evaluate the energy potential of switchgrass and other grasses.

The city has installed 2.3-megawatts’ worth of solar panels at that site and another location in town, paying no money upfront under an agreement in which it committed to long-term purchases of power.

At the time of their completion, the combined panels represented the largest municipal installation in the state, and the second-largest system overall.

Rifle also joined with Garfield County, the county’s other municipalities and other participants in successfully obtaining $1.6 million in funds from Ritter’s New Energy Communities Initiative.

The result has been $700,000 in solar installations across the county along with other alternative-energy, conservation and other projects by the participants.

Ritter on Thursday commemorated the completion of one such solar installation, at the newly completed Rifle Branch Library of the Garfield County Public Library District. That project was expected to provide half the library’s power. Instead, it’s covering more than 100 percent of the building’s needs, meaning its meter is running backwards, library officials are reporting with glee.

TOUR OF DOWNTOWN

Also Thursday, Rifle Mayor Keith Lambert took Ritter on a brief tour of downtown to show some of the projects being undertaken through the Sustainable Main Streets Initiative, under which participating communities benefit from the targeted resources of several state agencies.

The tour included a historic theater being renovated by the city, and a city-owned former lumber store site slated for redevelopment for such possible uses as restaurants and shops. Lambert also proudly showed off the city’s popular Centennial Park, which has LED lighting funded by Ritter’s New Energy Communities Initiative.

Transit-oriented development and a walkable downtown full of attractions are among city leaders’ other visions for Rifle.

Those leaders aren’t discounting the continued importance of traditional energy development to the city’s economy.

But Lambert said the dream of a more diverse energy and economic future for Rifle, initially voiced by a small number of city leaders several years ago, has come to be embraced by the city at large.

“There’s a feeling in the community as well that this is our destiny and this is our future,” he said.

Michael Langhorne, who has volunteered to spearhead the city’s sustainable downtown program, praised Ritter’s efforts to have state agencies “come to the table” with the city in its efforts rather than standing as bureaucratic obstacles.

“This kind of partnership is very vital for rural communities,” he said.

He said it also will be important for the administration of Colorado’s next governor, John Hickenlooper, to keep the Sustainable Main Streets Initiative going.

In an interview, Ritter said he hopes Hickenlooper will continue something along the lines of that initiative and also continue with the clean-energy efforts Ritter shepherded while governor.

“The governor-elect and I talked about Colorado’s potential as a hub for a clean-energy economy. There’s more to do, and I think he’s dedicated to doing that,” Ritter said.

With Ritter’s time as governor drawing to a close, local beneficiaries of his clean-energy initiatives seized the opportunity Thursday to thank him for those initiatives and share some of the results with him.

“We’re helping every sector in the region to save energy,” Glenwood City Council member Shelley Kaup said of the work being done by the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative, whose board she heads.

Alice Laird, director of Clean Energy Economy for the Region, the nonprofit that administers that initiative, told Ritter, “We cannot describe the enormous positive change it’s made in the region. It’s brought our region together in a very tangible way.”

For Lambert, it has been gratifying to see the accomplishments occurring at the regional level and within Rifle itself.

“It’s all happening, and seemingly it’s like becoming a star overnight. It hasn’t been overnight. It’s been a long process, but we’re reaping the rewards,” he said.

Van Gundys Goes Solar

2010-12-08T19:45:00.001-07:00

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO)_Van Gundy's recycles more than 4 million pounds of scrap metal every month and now they'll have the help of the sun to do it.

On Friday, the recycling center cut a giant check in half to demonstrate the more than $10,000 it will save a year with a new 85,000 kilowatt solar plant.

Van Gundy's says it strives to be a clean, safe and efficient recycling facility and not just another 'scrap yard.'

"The system should pay for itself in about three years, so it really, the benefit of it far out ways the expense of installing it" says Dean Van Gundy.

The solar power plant is one of the Western Slopes largest.

Atlasta Solar Center installed it.

Latimer House offsets electricity bill with solar donation

2010-12-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

Latimer House offsets electricity bill with solar donation

By Sharon Sullivan
Free Press Staff Writer,

High Noon Solar gave a solar power system last month to Hilltop's Latimer House that will equal a donation of about $375 a year for 30 years — unless electricity rates go up. If that happens the savings will be greater.

The solar donation consists of 16 solar panels mounted to the roof of the Latimer House. The 3.2 kilowatt solar grid tie will offset the nonprofit organization's electricity bill for years to come, said Heidi Ihrke, co-owner of High Noon Solar.

The Latimer House provides shelter and other services to victims of domestic violence.

“This is a substantial donation,” said Karla Kitzman, Latimer House program coordinator. “It will be an ongoing, cost-savings every year.

“Having a donation like this will have a great impact to the longevity of our program.”

High Noon has given solar panels to different nonprofit organizations each year for the past three years.

The Latimer House gift makes the second solar donation by High Noon in 2010. The business gave a system earlier this year to The Western Slope Center for Children, a nonprofit dedicated to providing services to child sexual abuse victims and their families.

Each donation helps to offset the nonprofits' electricity bills by generating a portion of their electricity via the solar panels.

“This year we wanted to focus on the humanities,” Ihrke said. “In the past we've given to the arts (KAFM Community Radio, The Art Center). This year we wanted to focus on people.”

Copyright 2010 Grand Junction Free Press. All rights reserved.

A prescription for better lighting

2010-11-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

“Why did you install lighting here in the first place?”

As simple as the question is, that's about how infrequently it is asked, which, is a shame because it's an important question.

The answer to the question is that lighting is for people and, more often than not, it's installed to help people work more effectively. “To help people achieve optimal performance.”

The location of the light source would also be important, in so far as the distribution of light and the direction that beams of light take in reaching the task surface and our reader's eyes. If the lights shine more or less like the high beam headlights of an oncoming car, the reader will have the right amount of light, perhaps, but the nature or quality of that light will not be what's required to permit the fastest possible, error free reading.

Consider the average administrative office worker. The cost of the energy used to provide the electric illumination that person needs to get the job done could be as little as $30 per year, depending on the lighting system being used and the prevailing energy costs. How much is that person paid? Probably $30,000 per year as a minimum, including wages, taxes, and fringe benefits.

If better lighting could help improve that worker's productivity by just 1 percent, the saving would amount to $300, a benefit equivalent to a theoretical 1000 percent energy saving. Or if better lighting could eliminate a glare source that was leading to headaches, neck aches, and eye strain, and thus eliminate one sick day each year, the benefit involved-a savings of about $115, would have a value equivalent to an almost 400 percent lighting energy savings.

Just realize that everywhere that lighting is used, it has a purpose. It almost always is a “people purpose,” meaning that people will be able to perform more effectively-faster, with fewer errors, safer, etc. — with better lighting. Accordingly before you authorize a lighting system change to lower energy consumption and costs, be certain to evaluate how the change will modify the area lighting and as a consequence affect people's performance.

High efficiency lighting, first and foremost, is designed to optimize peoples' performance and thus maximize overall investment on return. In many facilities where lighting is five years old or older, evaluating the need for an energy-motivated upgrade also gives administration the ability to evaluate the potential impact of high-benefit lighting.

In parking lots better lighting can help prevent auto/auto and auto/pedestrian accidents. More effective lighting can also reduce the incidents of vandalism, auto break-ins and assaults among other crimes facilitated by darkness.

Particularly when it comes to outdoor applications, lighting can sometimes permit reductions in security patrols without compromising safety. At some facilities the value of a ten percent security patrol reduction could be two to three times that of the cost of the lighting used to achieve it.

Talk about the concept that lighting is for people! In fact, when an electric illumination system is designed well, it can actually help you better achieve your mission, while lowering the amount of money spent on energy, on people, on insurance, on paperwork, ect.

When considering energy conservation always consider the task at hand and is there a more employee productive product or retrofit available.

Grand Junction Free Press, Matt Thesing is the owner of One Souce Lighting located in Grand Junction.

Solar Thermal Alliance of Colorado holds stakeholder's meeting

2010-11-21T22:08:00.001-07:00

Solar Thermal Alliance of Colorado holds stakeholder's meeting

Allie Gardner

Tuesday afternoon in Denver was a fitting day for the first stakeholder’s meeting of the Solar Thermal Alliance of Colorado, a perfect example of the many reasons Colorado is a prime state for solar thermal technology. Plenty of abundant sunshine and warm days, not to mention cool nights and cold groundwater temperatures, make Colorado the American epicenter for solar thermal technology.

Why then has the state largely ignored solar thermal’s potential?

That’s the question and motivation behind the formation of the Solar Thermal Alliance of Colorado (STAC), a strategic alliance committed to advancing solar thermal technology in Colorado. STAC was initiated by the executive directors of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA) and Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) and will be composed of leaders in the solar industry, innovators, utility representatives, agricultural organizations, energy professionals, economic development committees, environmental coalitions, and other key stakeholders.

“We’re addressing something historic here and something that has the power to truly change Colorado,” said Neal Lurie, executive director of Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association. “There is a tremendous opportunity here both environmentally and economically. We’re seeing an acceleration in clean energy across the country but we haven’t yet seen Colorado keeping pace on the solar thermal side of things.”

During the meeting, Laurent Meillon, president of Capitol Solar Energy, gave a presentation on the benefits, opportunities, and challenges associated with solar thermal technology in Colorado.

“I have been in business for over twenty years, and I have never seen an opportunity like the potential for solar thermal in Colorado,” he said. “Solar thermal could address over half of energy needs for homes in addition to providing local labor and manufacturing opportunities. The opportunities far outweigh the challenges.”

The Solar Thermal Alliance of Colorado will be creating and implementing a roadmap over the next year that will guide them in their mission to bring solar thermal technology into the spotlight in Colorado. The New York State Solar Thermal Consortium established a similar guide, the New York Solar Thermal Roadmap, which will serve as an example for STAC to follow.

“We want to make Colorado a global leader in solar thermal technology,” said Lurie. “That’s why we’re here today, to start thinking about how we can identify both roadblocks to success and opportunities for growth. We believe this is the foundation, the beginning point of the development of a broad-scale alliance.”

Pictured: Full house heating system with boiler interface. Image courtesy of Capitol Solar Energy

Conference Solar Power Colorado

2010-11-11T15:04:00.000-07:00

Solar Power Colorado

Colorado's Largest B2B Solar Event
Embassy Suites Conference Center
Loveland, Colorado | February 9-11, 2011

Welcome to COSEIA's Annual Solar Conference
Colorado's largest business-to-business solar conference and expo keeps getting better. COSEIA's annual solar conference has a new name - Solar Power Colorado - and will provide an exhibit hall that's twice as big and with more industry insights than ever before.

If you're looking to identify new market opportunities, network with industry professionals and grow your business then you need to participate in this event. Solar Power Colorado takes place February 9-11, 2011 in Loveland, Colorado (near Fort Collins).

We Need Clean Energy Now

2010-11-01T21:34:00.001-06:00

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — The world is moving forward with renewable energy. In every major industrial country, serious financial interests in partnership with governments are putting gigantic solar, wind and biomass projects together to create a new era of clean, pollution-free energy.

The Far East, South America, Japan, Spain and Canada, and so many more countries are developing significant carbon-saving projects, creating new industries and jobs for millions of workers. Sadly the U.S. is lagging far behind, running at the back of the pack. Last year Italy, a country smaller than the state of California, installed more solar power than the U.S.

Why are we behind, stifling opportunity to create tens of thousands of new, long-term, good-paying jobs? Perhaps the toxic political atmosphere we are now engaged in reflects the underlying cause: A persistent denial by segments of the body politic that we have a problem with our environment.

Many, even if they acknowledge a problem, would prefer that private forces alone tackle the issue. Others see a significant role for government to play. In reality, it takes both private and public efforts to advance renewable energy. As it happens, all across the world, dozens of countries are succeeding with public/private partnerships where we are not.

The whole premise of building a renewable energy industry and transforming our economy to meet the rising energy demands of an ever-increasing populated world is that our climate is being destabilized and pollution is on the rise. The observations that global temperatures are rising is connected to another observable condition: Greenhouse gases, which are produced from cars and electricity production for houses and industry, are accumulating at a rapid and unnatural pace in the atmosphere. Too much carbon is the culprit.

Now many dispute these assertions for a variety of reasons. Yet, the vast majority of scientists and people agree that this is happening now and they also agree on the primary cause. Even noted climate change denier, Bjorn Lundburg, wrote a new book recanting his previous assertions on the denial of anthropogenic causation of climate change. The tide of denial is receding; here's why:

Parts of our atmosphere act as a blanket, trapping just enough energy from the sun to keep the surface of the planet at the optimal temperature for life to flourish. Many of these parts, including water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) absorb heat, contributing to the greenhouse effect.

Other synthetic components have been added to the mix, like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and hexafluoride (HFCs). These are not natural, but produced by industry.

The problem is that all of these compounds are increasing rapidly in the atmosphere. This is measurable and quantifiable. For example, historical levels of CO2 over the time where human civilization has flourished, have been measured at around 275 parts per million. Today, the number stands at 390 PPM and is rising 2 PPM each year. Projected levels based on current growth put them at anywhere from 450 PPM to 600 PPM within 25 years. Temperatures will rise in direct correlation with the increase in carbon content as will climate instability and uncertainty.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major component of the carbon cycle. For many thousands of years it has been a stable component of the atmosphere. It is used by plants during photosynthesis to make sugars used in respiration to enable plant growth. Consider carbon in the use of cars and trucks. One gallon of gasoline weighs 6.3 pounds. A carbon atom has an atomic weight of 12 and each oxygen atom it combines with weighs 16 for a total atomic weight of 44. Gasoline is 87% carbon and 13% hydrogen. Calculate the carbon footprint of the burning of one gallon as follows: 44/12 or 3.7 X 5.5 (6.3 Lbs X 87%) = 20 pounds of CO2 for each gallon of gas burned. Now let's see, how many cars are on the planet? Do the math.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is another weak greenhouse gas and pollutant that cars produce. As the number of cars increases, so does the amount of CO produced. CO is a very dangerous gas that comes directly out of the tailpipe of every combustion engine on the planet. It modulates the production of methane in the atmosphere and ozone in the troposphere, impacting global warming and climate change.

How about electricity production? For every 1000 kilowatts of coal-fired electricity consumed, 3.48 pounds of sulfur dioxide and 5.8 pounds of nitrogen oxide is generated creating smog and acid rain, .2 pounds of fine particulate matter aggravating lung and respiratory problems especially in the elderly and children, .12 pounds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in smog and some 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide gas (the greenhouse effect) is spewed into the atmosphere.

The average U.S. residential house consumes around 920 kilowatt hours per month or rounded up to 12,000 KWH per year generating some 25,000 pounds of carbon gas (CO2) emissions each year from coal-fired production. We need clean energy now. Together, let's build a clean, renewable energy economy and keep the jobs here at home.

Visit the Environmental Protection Agency website (the EPA Household Emissions Calculator) to calculate your individual impact on the environment.

----------------------------

Jeff Evans

Simplicity Solar

747 W. White Ave.

Grand Junction, CO 81501

314-2679

simplicitysolar.com

Palisade Boasts First Solar-Powered Pharmacy

2010-10-28T10:57:00.001-06:00

Palisade Boasts First Solar-Powered Pharmacy
Source: marketwire.com

Syndicated Solar in collaboration with Palisade Pharmacy successfully installed Western Colorado's first and only solar powered stand-alone pharmacy. The new solar powered pharmacy is proud to tout their 13 kW solar array which is anticipated to offset nearly 50% of their total energy consumption equaling an estimated $2,400
savings per year. Palisade Pharmacy’s initial investment was recaptured within the first 90 days from install made possible by the Xcel Energy solar rebate with the complimented assistance from Federal Grant 1603. Walt Jorgenson, who owns the pharmacy, has lived on the Western Slope since 1978 where he has operated the business. For over 32 years he has played an intricate part in the health and well being of the community. Palisade Pharmacy employs approximately 15 full time employees. Walt is passionate about renewable energy and with the ever-rising energy costs, decided to install the state of the art Photovoltaic system.

Black Hills Freezes Its Solar Rebate in Colorado

2010-10-23T20:29:00.000-06:00

In Unexpected Move, Black Hills Freezes Its Solar Rebate in Colorado
Posted by Adam Sewall at getsolar.com Wednesday, October 20th 2010

Black Hills Energy, a Colorado utility company, on Monday announced the suspension of it solar energy rebate program through the end of the year, issuing the following notice on its website:

Black Hills solar rebate suspension noticeThank you for your interest, indeed. Prior to the announcement, Black Hills’ solar rebate program offered homeowners who installed solar panels a rebate of $2.00 per watt — plus a one-time renewable energy credit (REC) payment of $0.50 per watt. The rebate, in other words, helped lower the cost of installing solar energy systems within Black Hills’ service territory.

Colorado solar installers were caught off guard by the news, according to The Chieftian. The timing, moreover, appears to be less than ideal. “It’s discouraging that Black Hills is doing this [suspending the solar rebate] just as the solar-power industry is taking off in the Pueblo area,” Scott Estep, owner of Casa Verde Energy, told the Chieftain.

All is not yet said and done, however. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission must review Black Hills’ decision, which was apparently made in part due to “financial losses” incurred by the utility. Another factor at play is that Black Hills has reached its obligations under state law to get a specified portion of its electricity from solar resources. If state regulators OK the suspension of the rebate program, it may well return in coming years. When it does, however, it will most certainly be reintroduced at a lower level than the $2.00 per watt homeowners (and businesses) enjoyed previously.

As for all you Coloradans who aren’t Black Hills customers are concerned, fear not: as far as we know, Xcel Energy’s Solar Rewards rebate program is still kicking, as is the Governor’s Energy Office’s Recharge Colorado program. If you’re wondering which option is right for you, all you need to know is: if you’re a customer of Xcel Energy, you apply for that rebate when you install solar panels; if you’re NOT an Xcel customer, you’ll want to explore the Recharge Colorado option.

Finally, regardless of whether you live in Colorado — or beyond — the moral of the story is: don’t wait to install a solar home energy system because you don’t know when helpful solar rebate programs in your area might be paused, delayed or axed entirely.

Iberdrola Renewables Announces Solar Power Sale in Colorado

2010-10-18T21:42:00.001-06:00

Iberdrola Renewables Announces Solar Power Sale in Colorado

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct 12, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Iberdrola Renewables today announced a power purchase agreement for a solar power facility to be located near Alamosa in southern Colorado. Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo), an Xcel Energy company, has agreed to purchase the entire output of a 30 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic project under development in the north end of Alamosa County, Colorado.

Iberdrola Renewables' expertise as one of the nation's leading wind power project developers and operators has prepared the company to develop and deliver a variety of solar technology solutions. The sale, from what is expected to be one of Iberdrola Renewables' first solar projects in the U.S., signals the company's expansion into the solar power business for its utility customers. After being selected in a competitive bid process, the agreement with PSCo marks Iberdrola Renewables' sixth transaction with Xcel Energy companies, representing over 400 MW of clean power.

"We look forward to our partnership with Iberdrola Renewables and to the continued development of solar resources in the San Luis Valley," said Tom Imbler, vice president for Commercial Operations at Xcel Energy. "This part of Colorado has been identified as one of the best locations in all of the U.S. for the securing energy from the sun, and Iberdrola Renewables' investment shows the potential of this region of our state, now and well into the future."

Iberdrola Renewables is developing the San Luis Valley Solar Ranch, and will own and operate the project. It is expected to begin construction later this year, with operation scheduled for the end of 2011. The solar facility is located on 320 acres of former agricultural land near the town of Mosca, which is considered to have one of the best resources in the country for solar power. The project will create employment opportunities and provide revenue for schools, health, fire, and other critical services in Alamosa County.

"It is a unique pleasure to enter into the solar power business, and once again partner with the Xcel Energy family of companies, whose vision for clean energy is helping drive new renewable technologies in many parts of the country," said Martin Mugica, executive vice president for Iberdrola Renewables. "Tapping into limitless, homegrown sources of power is how Iberdrola Renewables will continue to grow, and meet the needs of its customers."

Xcel Energy (XEL 23.70, -0.06, -0.25%) is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company with regulated operations in eight Western and Midwestern states. Xcel Energy provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and services to 3.4 million electricity customers and 1.9 million natural gas customers through its regulated operating companies. Company headquarters are located in Minneapolis.

Iberdrola Renewables Inc. is an American company, headquartered in Portland, Ore., with over 850 employees. It is part of the Iberdrola Renovables global group, the world's leading provider of wind power with more than 11,000 MW of renewable energy in operation around the world, and more than 3,800 MW of that wind power located in the U.S., now bringing its expertise into the solar industry. www.iberdrolarenewables.us.

SOURCE: Iberdrola Renewables

Tessera Submits Second Proposal for Colorado Solar Plant

2010-10-10T19:24:00.001-06:00

Tessera Submits Second Proposal for Colorado Solar Plant

Posted by GetSolar Staff in Sunday, October 10th 2010

After having its initial proposal for a 200-megawatt (MW) solar facility in Colorado’s San Luis Valley rebuffed on account of noise concerns from neighbors, Houston-based Tessera Solar is trying again. This time, the utility scale solar developer is proposing a 145-MW plant in the same Saguache County region.

The plant would take up over 1,500 acres in the San Luis Valley and use 5,800 sun-capturing dishes to generate power. Power from the plant would likely be sold to one or more local utility companies through long-term power purchasing agreements (PPA’s), but Tessera is far from that step. Saguache County Commissioners will hold a public hearing to debate Tessera’s newest application before voting on whether or not to approve it later this year.

There are several factors working in Tessera’s favor. The new plant would create approximately 40 new clean energy jobs and bring in an additional $1.5 million in tax revenue each year.

Tessera made headlines earlier this week when the U.S. Department of Interior announced the approval of the company’s new solar energy plant in California’s Imperial Valley – one of the first two solar plants in the nation to be built on public land.

Wells Fargo Expands Popular Solar Home Equity Credit Program

2010-10-08T14:32:00.001-06:00

Wells Fargo Expands Popular Solar Home Equity Credit Program

GetSolar Staff. Wednesday, October 6th 2010 09:00
Wells Fargo & Company is expanding a promotion which works with California and Colorado solar installers to help give consumers financial incentives to put solar arrays on their homes.

The program is simple - when qualified customers use a home equity loan or a line of credit worth more than $15,000 to finance the installation of a solar energy system, they get up to $1,000 in cash incentives back.

Wells Fargo is working with three Southern California solar installers: Acro Energy, REC Solar and Verengo Solar - as well as a few Colorado solar installers.

"Through everyday actions and being aware of the ways our decisions affect the environment, we can all contribute to environmental protection and regeneration," said Mary Wenzel, director of Wells Fargo Environmental Affairs. "As a community-based financial institution, one of the ways we can help is by offering financial solutions that help our customers save not only time and money, but also protect our environment."

Improving solar financing in order to help consumers afford the up-front, fixed costs of a solar installation is one of the most important ways financial companies can help promote renewable energy.

In the end, such initiatives will go much farther than higher-profile solar installations at corporate headquarters - although those help as well!

SunPower, Financing Firm to Team Up On Colorado’s Largest Solar PV Plant

2010-10-03T15:54:00.001-06:00

SunPower, Financing Firm to Team Up On Colorado’s Largest Solar PV Plant

Posted by GetSolar Staff in Thursday, September 30th 2010

Colorado’s largest solar photovoltaic (PV) plant to date is slated for construction in Alamosa County and begin, if all goes according to plan, will be producing power by the beginning of 2011.

The Greater Sandhill Solar Project, as it is called, will be built by SunPower Corporation and have a generating capacity of 17 megawatts (MW) — enough to power roughly the equivalent of 6,700 average American homes for a full year. When completed, it could be the second largest solar PV plant in the United States, according to the Valley Courier, local newspaper in Alamosa County. That’s a title the project won’t enjoy for too long, however, as many larger projects are in the works in other states, like California.

The project’s origins go back to 2008, when Xcel Energy requested proposals for a PV plant in Colorado. SunPower’s proposal, apparently, was the most enticing. Then roughly two weeks ago the wheels really started turning. That’s when SunPower representatives held an open informational session with residents of the san Luis Valley to review the details of the plan. A public hearing between SunPower and Alamosa County commissioners is scheduled for mid-November, and construction should begin shortly after that. The plant is predicted to create roughly 50 new clean energy jobs in Colorado.

Another sign of progress came today, when Wilmington Trust announced it will serve as collateral agent for the Greater Sandhill Solar Project, meaning it will be responsible before the receipt, transfer, distribution and investment of funds pertaining to the project.

As noted above, Greater Sandhill may not hold claim to being Colorado’s largest farm for long. Iberdrola Renewables is already planning a PV project within the state that expected to have a 30-MW generating capacity. It will be built in two phases, and though Iberdrola is still seeking permits to build on public lands, it plans to begin construction next summer.

Colorado NREL Industry Growth Forum Looks for a Game-Changer

2010-09-28T19:33:00.000-06:00

NREL Industry Growth Forum Looks for
a Game-Changer
Posted By admin On September 28, 2010 @ 2:08 am In ARCHIVES, CLEANTECH, Events, Feature Articles | No Comments

By Joe Verrengia

PowerPoint? Check. Business plan? Check. Elevator speech? Check.

Breath mints, aspirin and antacids? Triple check.

Preparations are nearly complete for the 23rd Industry Growth Forum [1] held in Denver beginning Oct. 19th by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Entrepreneurs at the Growth Forum take the stage under
hot lights to make their best pitches to panels of discerning judges — venture capitalists (VCs), public officials and fund managers — who have seen and heard it all before, often in more promising economic times. All the while, a digital clock reminds them that time is running out.

It sounds a lot like the cleantech version of “America’s Got Talent,” without the sequins and singing. Expect the judging to be just as tough.

“In this economy, the judges will be looking for more innovation, a game-changing technology,” said Lawrence “Marty” Murphy, Forum chairman and NREL’s manager of Enterprise Development.

“There isn’t as much capital available now as in years past, so when VCs make an investment they want to make a bigger investment that could result in large returns,” Murphy said.

HEAVYWEIGHT EVENT FOR CLEAN ENERGY STARTUPS

NREL’s Industry Growth Forum has grown into the largest national venture event focused exclusively on companies developing clean energy products to serve the electricity, buildings, and transportation infrastructures. This year, 200 clean energy entrepreneurs applied. Their products and plans were scored by 135 investors and other experts, and 34 were selected to compete as presenting companies. Since 2003, presenting companies have collectively attracted $3.4 billion in capital.

Among the 34 finalists, this year’s emphasis is energy efficiency, energy management software, thermoelectric, Smart Grid and building technologies. In contrast to previous years, there will be relatively fewer presentations on solar, wind and biofuels.

“A few years ago people were seeing a lot of deals on photovoltaic (PV) technologies,” Murphy said. “So if you have a PV company at the Forum this year, you’d better have a pretty innovative idea.”

Emerging companies will get 10 minutes apiece to make their case.

Then comes the hard part — answering the judges’ questions and absorbing their critiques. The winners will be announced at the concluding luncheon on October 21.

The top prize is the $25,000 Best Venture Award, which includes $10,000 in cash and NREL in-kind services valued at $15,000. Last year’s Best Venture was Ecovative Design [2], which grows and forms biodegradable packing materials.

Two Outstanding Presentation awards, each valued at $15,000 in cash and in-kind services, also will be announced.

DELIBERATE DIALOGUE

A new opportunity in this year’s schedule is a One-on-One Partnering and Pitch Session on October 19, the first day of the forum.

The session provides scheduled, facilitated meetings between investors and entrepreneurs, as well as potential partners and government officials. The One-on-Ones are open to all registered Forum attendees. Innovators and companies that applied to compete as presenting companies receive initial consideration for slots on the investors’ schedules.

[3]

Investors range from small venture capital firms to large corporations such as Honda and Chevron.

“The big companies are looking to invest in a late-stage project as a strategic partner,” Murphy explained.

The forum is part of NREL’s broader strategic efforts to accelerate the commercialization of clean energy innovations and assist entrepreneurs in their search for investment capital and other resources.

Each year the applicants provide the Laboratory with an indication of early cleantech trends which helps officials gauge how they can better serve the entrepreneurial sector [4] and foster new companies based on NREL technology [5].

“We want to grow clean energy talent based on the most innovative ideas and the best business plans,” said NREL Robert Writz, an NREL commercialization project manager who is coordinating events at the Forum. “By the end of the event, we will see strategic partnerships and investments emerging.”

A CRASH COURSE FOR ENTREPRENEURS

NREL launched the Forum in 1995 as a way to facilitate discussion about new technologies by venture capitalists, public officials and clean energy entrepreneurs face-to-face.

Many early-stage clean energy firms were failing because they were unable to make the leap from public sector financing to private sector funding. Young companies needed assistance developing a business pitch and to be schooled in the expectations, requirements, and processes for raising private sector capital, Murphy said.

Similarly, the clean energy investment sector needed realistic information about the emerging technologies, time-to-market, and the associated risk profile.

Instead of following the trend of five minute tête-à-têtes popularized during the dotcom financing boom of the 1990s, Murphy said the Forum deliberately tried to be more about relationship-building and capacity growth.

“There was an information gap between the entrepreneurs and the investors that was a ‘valley of death’ for new products and companies,” Murphy said. “A lot of good technologies were not getting commercialized. The Forum bridged that gap and it continues to do so.”

Even if entrepreneurs are not selected to present at the forum, Murphy says applying to the event and attending the sessions can be a crash course in entrepreneurship and provide extensive networking and partnership opportunities.

The Application Process — For many entrepreneurs it’s the first time they have articulated their goals, business model and elevator pitch to someone other than family and friends. “When they see the remarks of the reviewers, it’s a wake-up call,” Murphy said.

Preparing for the Forum — Each presenters is mentored by an expert to refine the presentation, business case and elevator pitch with an eye towards attracting investment.

The Forum Pitch — The entrepreneurs learn in a few minutes whether judges think they did their due diligence in anticipating what judges — and investors — need to know. “There’s no substitute for this real-time feedback,” Murphy says. “This format allows the clean energy community to clearly hear the concerns and interests of the investment community.”

Article printed from Colorado Energy News: http://coloradoenergynews.com

URL to article: http://coloradoenergynews.com/2010/09/nrel-industry-growth-forum-looks-for-a-game-changer/

URLs in this post:

[1] 23rd Industry Growth Forum: http://cleanenergyforum.com/
[2] Ecovative Design: http://www.ecovativedesign.com/
[3] Image: http://coloradoenergynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/20100922_igf4.jpg
[4] entrepreneurial sector: http://coloradoenergynews.com/technologytransfer/entrepreneurs/entrepreneurs.html
[5] NREL technology: http://coloradoenergynews.com/technologytransfer/

Solar for the Western Slope

2010-09-22T20:34:00.001-06:00

As a fast-growing and reliable source of jobs on the Western Slope, the renewable-energy industry should be our focus. Job growth continues in solar design and installation — and these jobs are more sustainable than those that rely on fossil fuels that will not be around forever.

The recent “Rally for Jobs,” sponsored by the oil and gas industry, was nothing more than an effort to avoid regulation. Those jobs are, and have always been, limited.

Most of us want to be energy independent and want jobs that will last for our children and grandchildren. Fossil fuels can’t make that promise. Renewable sources like solar can.

In the solar industry, we are continually learning more and making this resource more efficient and affordable. That means more growth, more jobs and a future that is cleaner and more sustainable. Not even the best public-relations machine can produce that for the oil and gas industry.

HEIDI IHRKE High Noon Solar

Two electric associations adding solar facilities to distribution networks

2010-09-18T16:30:00.001-06:00

Two electric associations adding solar facilities to distribution networks

By William Woody
Thursday, September 16, 2010

MONTROSE — Electricity providers in Montrose and Ouray counties are pushing to increase solar infrastructure and provide their customers and members with a renewable energy source harnessed from Colorado’s 300-plus days of sunshine a year.

The Delta-Montrose Electric Association and San Miguel Power Association have plans to build large solar panel arrays within their service areas as public interest for photovoltaic, or solar, systems has grown.

In Montrose, DMEA plans to build a 10-kilowatt array next to its offices with another 10 kw system planned for a separate location.

The program is designed for customers to have access to renewable energy by purchasing panels of the array, said Jim Heneghan, renewable energy engineer with DMEA. Heneghan said this process will allow customers who can’t afford to install a home system to have access to solar energy and help offset monthly consumer expenses. He said the average installation of a home solar system is around $30,000, while the cost for purchasing a solar panel with DMEA would be in the area of $1,000.

“You can purchase just one panel. It’s a good way to spread out those purchases over a period of time,” Heneghan said.

Last month, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter announced DMEA was one of 23 recipients of a New Energy Economic Development, or NEED, grant. DMEA received $60,000 for construction of the array.

Heneghan said construction is planned for December and DMEA members will be able to start investing in the project in January.

In Ouray County, a two-megawatt photovoltaic array will be built near the intersection of U.S. Highway 550 and Ouray County Road 10. The facility will be built by SunEdison, which will sell the power generated by the array to the San Miguel Power Association at a discount.

The project will be built on a 20-acre site leased to SunEdison by Angel Ridge Ranch LLC. The facility is set to be operational by next spring, according to the association.

The project will be reviewed by the Ouray County Planning Commission and the Ridgway Planning Commission at a meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

SunEdison will have an open house from 5:30 to 7:30 this evening at the Ouray County 4-H center, which is a few hundreds yards south of the light on U.S. Highway 550 in Ridgway.

The San Miguel Power Association, according to its website, also is researching the idea of a community-funded solar garden, which would give its customers an option to lease a solar panel or purchase part of the panel’s output. The association’s board of directors will consider the project in the near future.

If interest grows and purchases of DMEA solar panels take off, the company plans to build additional arrays of varying sizes from 10 kw to 20 kw.

“Our board suggested that they wanted to have a goal of 5 megawatts (of solar),” Heneghan said.

DMEA is considering building solar arrays in other communities in its service area if demand from those communities grows.

Rays for Rent

2010-09-13T19:11:00.001-06:00

Rays for Rent
In some places, leasing solar panels can make more sense than installing a system yourself
By REBECCA SMITH

Stewart Templer loves the shiny new solar panels on the roof of his 1,875-square-foot ranch-style home in Surprise, Ariz.—especially since they didn't cost him anything. He's leasing the system from SolarCity Corp. under a 15-year contract.

View Full Image

Andy DeLisle/Wonderful Machine for The Wall Street Journal
Stewart and Jackie Templer at their Arizona home, with the solar panels they are leasing.

The system, installed in May, has helped the retired physical-education teacher and his wife cut their monthly electricity cost by nearly 35%. Instead of paying the local utility an average of $130 a month, he says, they write a monthly check to SolarCity for $68 and pay $15 to $20 to the utility for the extra juice they need, such as at night when the panels aren't producing electricity.

The leasing cost for their five-kilowatt system will tick upward in coming years, but won't exceed $102 a month, Mr. Templer says.

"Anybody who lives in this area who doesn't do what we've done is crazy," says Mr. Templer, who is 72. "The sun is out 300 days a year here, so why not use it?"

A Popular Arrangement
Lease arrangements like the Templers' are a rapidly growing part of the solar market. They enable homeowners and businesses to get the benefits of solar power without having to spring for the full cost of the expensive systems, which easily can run $20,000 to $50,000. The risk: Solar-equipment costs may continue to fall and the government may heap on more subsidies down the road—which could make a long-term lease more expensive than buying a solar system outright in future years.

Journal Reports

Read the complete Energy report .

In a typical lease arrangement, the leasing company and its investors cover the cost of installing rooftop solar panels, and pocket the lucrative tax credits and public subsidies available for new alternative-energy installations. The homeowner agrees to pay the leasing company a predetermined price for the electricity the system produces; the rate is pegged to be at least 10% lower than prevailing electricity prices in that area. Customers buy any additional power needed from the local utility at the going rate.

Currently, leases run 15 to 20 years, and the lease agreement transfers to the new owner if the property is sold. A SolarCity spokesman says he doesn't know of any cases in which a house has been sold and the new owner hasn't assumed the lease. When leases end, the company assumes owners will either renew for five-year periods, at prices to be negotiated then, or the company will remove its equipment free of charge.

Anheuser Busch embraces solar power at their Newark, NJ brewery. Steve Gelsi reports.

If a customer breaks a lease, the company says it would pursue normal collection methods for all the payments remaining on the lease. It also would retrieve the solar panels from the home in default. So consumers can't just walk away from contracts without penalty.

No national statistics are available, but a study by California officials of its market found that residential lease-type arrangements grew by 155% last year, helped by falling equipment costs. That outpaced growth of 50% in the total residential solar market. The analysis found that 40% of California's solar capacity now is owned by third-party investors—not the people on whose property the systems are located.

Despite the growth so far, only a handful of companies, such as SolarCity, are offering leases. SolarCity, based in Foster City, Calif., operates in nine states—California, Arizona, Oregon, Colorado, New York, Texas, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Hawaii. These states offer the magic combination of factors allowing the company to compete effectively against utilities: a good sun resource, high prices for local grid power and substantial local subsidies for solar power.

Lyndon Rive, SolarCity's president and chief executive, says that 80% of its 8,000 customers use lease agreements, with either a fixed monthly payment or power-purchase agreements, or PPAs, in which they pay for each kilowatt-hour of electricity used, at a slight discount to local rates.

SolarCity says a five-kilowatt home system in California will produce 625 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month, enough to meet the daytime need of most homes. The consumer might pay 22 cents to 28 cents a kilowatt-hour—about $138 to $175 a month—depending on the ease of installation and the value of local incentives, or slightly less than the top tier of utility prices.

For instance, Kathy Breed, who works in the environmental-stewardship department of Union Bank, recently put a 7.2-kilowatt solar system on her 3,000-square-foot home in Escondido, Calif. It would have cost $48,000 to buy, she says, but instead she's able to lease it for $130 a month on a 10-year contract. The price she pays will rise 3% a year but won't exceed $200 a month. She had been paying $200 to $250 a month for regular utilities, with the highest bills in the summer.

With the solar system, "during the summer, I don't have a utility bill," she says, adding she's "absolutely happy" with the arrangement. Her system makes more than she needs in the day, and she gets a credit that covers the cost of power consumed off the grid at night.

Outside the Home
Solar-leasing deals can range in size from household rooftop systems to more elaborate arrangements. Kaiser Permanente, the big nonprofit health-care organization, recently agreed to put 15 megawatts of solar panels on 15 hospitals in California. Citigroup financed the deal and collected the public subsidies, including a 30% federal tax credit, as the equity investor working alongside developer Recurrent Energy.

John Kouletsis, Kaiser's director of strategy and planning, says Kaiser will make payments totaling $95.6 million over 20 years. Initially, it's a break-even proposition, but he says he believes Kaiser will save money over time, as grid costs increase. And he says there's another reason to act.

"At Kaiser, we've always been about public health and the prevention of illness," says Mr. Kouletsis. Pollution from coal- and gas-fired power plants can cause respiratory problems, including asthma, and other illnesses.

Cities are cashing in, too. Lancaster, a high-desert city northeast of Los Angeles, recently signed a deal with SolarCity for 2.5 megawatts of electricity under a power purchase agreement. In some cases, it's getting a "two-fer," with panels making electricity and providing shade for city parking lots. The price Lancaster is paying—10 cents a kilowatt-hour for a 15-year term—is 37% less than what the city had been paying its local utility.

Robert Neal, public-works director, says Lancaster has so much sunshine that panels are 25% to 30% more productive than typical for U.S. installations. "Businesses are struggling here, and unemployment is high," says Mr. Neal. "So there's real value for the city to enter into contracts so it knows what the cost of power will be in coming years."

Copyright 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit
www.djreprints.com

Going green popular across real estate spectrum

2010-09-04T14:10:00.000-06:00

Going green popular across real estate spectrum

Just a few years ago, making a commitment to help the environment meant recycling your plastic bags and glass bottles. But today that concept can be taken much further, to the products we buy, the cars we drive, and even the homes we live in.

Now builders have the know-how to make your home healthier, more energy-efficient and more cost-effective by using green materials and technologies. Here are some questions you may want to ask if you are interested in hiring a professional who is also committed to the cause.

• Have you completed any special education or training courses on this topic? Some states and local agencies offer training and even certificate programs for builders who are serious about putting green technologies to work for their clients.

• How can we use the latest technology to reduce costs and boost comfort? This could include using specific kinds of insulation, a special ventilation system, or even solar panels to supplement traditional energy sources.

• What kinds of appliances and home systems should we use? When you think green about all parts of the home, from the toilet (water conservation) to the windows (are they energy efficient?), is when you can make the most difference. An experienced green builder should be able to recommend the products and fixtures that are best.

• How do you reduce, re-use, and recycle? Find out if the builder uses materials made from recycled materials when they are available and recommended. Also, inquire how he disposes of waste materials from the construction site.

Going green when you are building a new home is a worthwhile and serious undertaking. Learn as much as you can about the topic and the builder to ensure a smooth process and productive result. For more information on green building, visit the Green Advantage website at http://www.greenadvantage.org/index.php

Rick Thurtle is a broker associate with Century 21 Homestead Realty. He utilized the resources of 21online.compreparing this story. You can contact Rick at 254-3922 or at www.RickThurtle.com.

Mesa County Clean Air Public Meeting

2010-08-29T15:25:00.001-06:00

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission will take public comment this month on plans by Xcel Energy to meet new emissions requirements.

The Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act, which passed the Legislature in April, requires Xcel to develop plans for several criteria, including a 70–80 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide levels by 2017.

Xcel Energy has proposed to eliminate 903 megawatts of coal generation by closing its Valmont plant by the end of 2017 and Cherokee plant by the end of 2022. Xcel then would run its Cherokee plant and one of its Arapahoe units on natural gas.

Xcel also plans to install emission-control equipment at its Pawnee and Hayden power plants.

The plan would cost about $1.3 billion to implement over the next 12 years. Xcel is proposing a new emission-reduction adjustment clause that would allow it to begin recovering those costs on Jan. 1, 2011.

The public comment hearing will be from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Mesa County Commissioners hearing room, 544 Rood Ave.6:00PM - 8:00PM Public Comment Hearing: 10M-245E PSCO Compliance with HB 10-1365 - Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act C3 (Mesa County Commissioners Public Hearing Room 544 Rood Ave,Grand Junction, CO 81502)

Solar lease Vs. Solar Purchase

2010-08-29T15:20:00.000-06:00

Welcome to our inaugural installment of “Solar Talk.” Astralux Solar is pleased to be partnering with Colorado Energy News in presenting this new venue to discuss the most relevant and pressing issues in the solar industry today, and how they may impact you. We hope you will join in the conversation.

By Osea Nelson, Astralux Solar

This first column addresses a topic that has dominated the solar scene this year — SHOULD I BUY OR LEASE MY SOLAR PV INSTALLATION? The decision can be boiled down to two questions. First, what is my investment time horizon? Second, what is my primary reason for going solar?

THE BUY DECISION

Purchasing a solar system enables you, the owner, to fix your power cost at 50% to 90% less than current utility rates today for the next 30+ years (with the savings increasing as electricity rates rise) and increase the equity value in the home or business.

This investment decision requires an outlay of cash upfront, or a commitment to a financing option of some type. It also fits better with an investment plan that includes you living in the house for at least four to five more years. The buy decision rewards the upfront investment of cash with ever increasing return as the rate of energy price increase accelerates and your energy cost drop to zero. Where as the returns on a lease are fixed, returns with the buy decision can continually increase.

As far as the minimal maintenance which would be required is concerned, purchasing a system brings with it the manufacturer’s warranty on the panel and inverters, just as with a lease approach. For the workmanship of the installation, the warranty will vary with each installer, but typically the company will offer coverage of future labor and maintenance costs. With a purchased system, you would be responsible for contacting the installer directly to schedule any repair work, and because it is part of your equity, the responsibility does fall more on the owner.

Specifics:
→ Initial investment or financing: 30-40% of total system cost
→ Investment return horizon: 7-10 years to breakeven for residential, 4-5 years for commercial
→ Future returns: 7-8% immediate ROI, continually increasing returns based on utility rates, increased home equity value ($1 saved = $20 in equity for the property), increased lease rate per square foot and lower vacancy rates (commercial property owner), PR and marketing benefits (business owner)
→ Maintenance: manufactured warranties, installer protection varies by installer; some additional commitment from the buyer

THE LEASE DECISION

With a solar lease agreement, you pay nothing for the system and enter into a contract with the leasing company to essentially fix your power bill at or slightly below current rates. Often the lease agreement may have a rate increase escalator (such as 3% per year), but it will be significantly lower than the typical utility rate increase, so your savings increase over time. The rate of that increase is not as fast as under the ownership scenario, hence the trade off. You do not own the system, nor can you claim its equity value for the home.

Obviously, the leasing decision frees you from the burden of an out-of-pocket cash hit in exchange for less savings down the road and not having ownership of the system. This decision can make sense if you do not have the financial resources to purchase the system outright or you are not as sure about the amount of time you plan on spending in your current property, as the lease can be transferred to the new owners.

Specifics:
→ Initial investment: 0-2% of total system cost
→ Investment return horizon: immediate with $0 down
→ Future returns: fixed electrical bill, protection from future larger increases, increased lease rate per square foot and lower vacancy rates (commercial property owner), PR and marketing benefits (business owner)
→ Maintenance: manufactured warranties, maintenance covered by third party, and since the leasing company is buying the solar production, the lease company and owner have aligned incentives to keep the system maintained; less responsibility for owner

So how to you decide which is right for you? Ask yourself the questions above once more:

Is having a minimal or zero upfront payment the most important for you? If so, the lease may be the way to go.

Is building equity in your home or business and generating a much larger return over a longer period of time the most important? Or, is putting some cash into the project upfront or financing the system ok with you? Then perhaps the buy decision is best for you. Ultimately, it is an investment decision, by leasing a PV installation, you have a greater ROI in the first couple of years, and owning the system delivers a greater ROI over the long-term.

SUMMING IT UP

In the final analysis, multiple factors go into virtually every investment decision, including this one. When you reduce it to the most basic denominator, however, it comes down to timing. The chart below shows the two investments side by side for a 4kw residential system. No matter the size of a system, from small residential to large commercial, the trends in the chart will be the same.

As you can see each investment has its advantages at certain time periods. In the first 1-2 years, the buy decision is going to be more expensive while you wait to realize the tax credits and start eliminating your bill. Over the middle life of these investments (years 2-10), the benefits of leasing and owning the system are relatively similar. As the system ages (years 10-30+) ownership is going to have zero payment, while the lease still has a monthly payment due.

From Colorado Energy News

Solar Payback

2010-08-27T08:47:00.000-06:00

Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest questions on the mind of someone looking into solar-powering their home or business is: “What's the payback?”

It turns out this question has many positive answers!

For those who are motivated by environmental stewardship, payback can come in the form of the positive thought that a single solar (photovoltaic) panel, over its 40-plus year lifespan, will offset the need to burn 50,000 pounds of coal!

For someone looking for a more financially secure retirement, payback is the peace of mind that comes in knowing your budget won't be affected by ever increasing utility rates.

Speaking of “peace of mind,” there is a lot to be said of an investment with a guaranteed return (as long as the sun keeps coming up) as opposed to the anxiety of stocks or other similar investments these days.

For someone looking to add value to their home for resale, it's not hard to see that a solar system that will save tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in utility expenses over the next 40 years will make their home more inviting than, say, any of the others for sale in the neighborhood still powered by a huge, for-profit, utility company.

For those who are simply sick and tired of rate hikes, payback doesn't get any sweeter than the sight of a backwards spinning utility meter!

All of these benefits are really just an added bonus when we look at how the numbers add up. If you presently use 1,000 kiloWatt-hours of energy a month, your last electric bill was around $130 and your annual payments come to about $1,500. At the historical rate of electric bill inflation (6%) you will spend $80,000 over the next 25 years, just on electricity! There is no such thing as “payback” when it comes to electricity coming from utility companies…every dollar you spend is gone forever.

Now let's look at the situation for someone who installs a solar PV system designed to eliminate that electric bill: The panels have a 25-year warranty and have a practical lifespan of 35-40 years. If you are able to take advantage of the current rebates and tax credits, you will likely pay $10-15K for your PV system…so over the warranted life of the system you will see a 500-800% return on initial investment and that number doesn't include increased property value.

If you are installing a solar system on your business, the deal gets even better because in addition to rebates and tax credits, you can also apply depreciation to the solar equipment.

If you ask me, that all adds up to a pretty amazing “payback”!

Greg Schaefer

Energy consultant

High Noon Solar

569 S. Westgate Dr. #4

Grand Junction, CO 81505

Office: 241-0209

Website: highnoonsolar.com

Palisade orchard goes solar thanks to USDA grant

2010-08-13T20:00:00.001-06:00

Fifth-generation farmer Dennis Clark will soon be creating electricity via solar thanks in part to a Rural Development grant Clark secured from the United States Department of Agriculture.

The $44,725 grant will go toward 25 percent of the total project cost, said Scott Wegs of High Noon Solar the company that will install the system for the Clarks.

Clark Family Orchards, 3901 G 1/4 Road in Palisade, grows cherries, apples, peaches, pears and plums. Clark plans to put the solar panels on its packing shed warehouse — “which will help us as electricity costs are soaring,” Clark said.

“We use a huge amount of energy in our warehouse and coolers. We're anxious to have it installed and start generating renewable energy. It'll help offset our electricity costs.”

The solar system will offset roughly 55,000 kilowatt hours yearly, or — at current rates — save about $4,500, Wegs said. With Xcel's new structure the cost savings could be higher, closer to $7,000 a year, he added.

The renewable energy project will also save 116,278 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere annually, Wegs said.

The 2008 Farm Bill, the Rural Energy for America program, allows businesses in communities of less than 50,000, to apply for the USDA grants for energy-efficient upgrades, or renewable energy installation.

Written by Sharon Sullivan
GJ Free Press

Concentrated solar to get big Colorado spread

2010-08-10T23:19:00.000-06:00

Concentrated solar to get big Colorado spread
by Candace Lombardi

Colorado could soon be home to the largest concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar farms in the world .
A 30-megawatt solar plant in the works would cover approximately 225 acres of the San Luis Valley in Colorado on land adjacent to transmission facilities owned by the electricity utility, Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo).

Large-scale concentrated solar panels made by Amonix use Fresnel lenses to maximize the amount of electricity that can be garnered from the sun's rays.
(Credit: Amonix)

PSCo is a subsidiary of the electricity and natural gas giant Xcel Energy, which has signed a contract to have Congentrix, a wholly owned subsidiary of Goldman Sachs Group, to design and build the concentrated solar plant.
Congentrix has garnered all the necessary permits for the project, which is estimated to provide enough electricity to power 6,500 homes annually once completed, but said it has not yet finalized financing.

Assuming Congentrix secures financing shortly, the project will break ground in the first quarter of 2011 and be providing electricity to area residents by 2012, the company said in a statement.

CPV manufacturer Amonix, which will be providing the solar panels for the project, is also connected to the Goldman Sachs Group. It received $25 million in Series A funding from the investment giant, as well as $129 million in Series B funding from other investors including Kleiner Perkins.

CPV solar systems, unlike regular solar panel systems, use lenses or mirrors to maximize the amount of electricity that can be generated from sunlight. Amonix is known for using Fresnel lenses.

In conjunction with the deal's announcement, Xcel Energy has also affirmed that it has a preference for solar over wind when it comes to its renewable energy portfolio.
"Photovoltaic and solar generation have a better match to our peak load than does other intermittent renewables like wind," Tom Imbler, Xcel Energy vice president of commercial operations, said in a statement.

Colo. Guard's solar array generating electricity

2010-08-07T14:26:00.000-06:00

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.—A solar power array is now generating electricity at the Colorado Army National Guard's readiness center in Grand Junction.
The 172-kilowatt system was installed by Bella Energy. The guard says it provides enough power to offset 450,000 pounds of carbon emissions.

Bella is based in Louisville, Colo.

The Associated Press

Invest In Mesa County

2010-08-01T10:49:00.000-06:00

INVEST in Mesa County is a broad-based community initiative being placed on the November ballot to stimulate the economy of Mesa County. This initiative would allow you to voluntarily install a myriad of energy improvements on your residence, business or nonprofit facility.

Among the potential options are improving insulation, a variety of space heating and cooling improvements, high efficiency boilers, ground-source heat pumps, high efficiency furnaces, new lighting, water heating, new windows, reflective roofing, crawl-space mitigation, and wood/pellet stoves. In addition, solar electric, solar thermal and small wind installations would be funded.

The key to this initiative is it is a completely voluntary funding mechanism for retrofitting existing homes and businesses with energy improvements. The payments for the financing would be made through a special improvement district run by Mesa County.

This economic stimulus mechanism has been approved in more than 26 states as a way to get Americans working again. If you work in one of the above industries or believe this is an important way to reinvigorate the Mesa County economy, you should call your local Mesa County Commissioner and tell them that they need to support this issue and get it on the ballot.

For more information or to find out how you can get involved, contact 314-2679. You can also find information on the web at http://www.pacenow.org/

Children’s center receives solar gift

2010-07-23T18:51:00.000-06:00

By Richie Ann Ashcraft
Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Western Slope Center for Children received the gift of solar electricity Wednesday afternoon from High Noon Solar.

The 9.89 kilowatt system will produce 40 percent of the center’s electricity need making it a gift that will continue to give for years to come.

“We’d just like to express our gratitude for this tremendous donation,” said Shari Zen, executive director of the center.

The 43 panel system it tied to a solar grid which doesn’t use any battery storage or other supplements to produce or store energy. This make the system virtually maintenance free.

Retail value of the system is estimated near $65,000.

“People are seeing summer rates going up with Xcel so this system is only going to get more valuable, not less valuable,” said Heidi Ihrke, co-owner of the High Noon Solar.

The company makes two solar system donations to the community a year. Ihrke said this year the center and Latimer House were selected to receive the system based on the good they are doing for humanity. “I can’t think of anything that helps people more than helping children,” Ihrke said.

Zen said the solar system would save nearly $400 per month making it possible to provide more services to children who have been victims of abuse.

“This will provide a cushion in our budget that will help us contain our services,” Zen said.

The Western Slope Center for Children is a child advocacy center that treats nearly 300 children and their families annually who are victims of sexual abuse. No child is turned away. The center houses every aspect of victim needs from forensic medical testing to counseling.

The solar system for the Latimer House should be installed by early fall.

Holy Cross part of solar, hydropower study

2010-07-20T19:42:00.000-06:00

Holy Cross part of solar, hydropower study

By Staff
Monday, July 19, 2010

An electricity cooperative based in Glenwood Springs is one of three Colorado utilities that will be part of a study to quantify the economic effects on power providers from linking rooftop solar energy and small hydropower plants into the grid.

Holy Cross Energy will be a partner in what is the first such study of its kind in Colorado, said the Governor’s Energy Office, also a partner in the study.

Fort Collins Light and Power and the San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative also are participating.

The study complements legislation passed this year requiring Colorado’s investor-owned utilities to generate 30 percent of their electricity from renewable power. Three percent must come from distributed systems such as rooftop solar and small hydropower.

“Typically, adding distributed generation using the sun, water or wind can benefit utilities by reducing or delaying the need to build additional, and costly, utility-scale power plants and transmission,” the Governor’s Energy Office said in a news release.

It also can reduce the need to purchase more costly electricity from other sources during times of peak use, the energy office said.

Coloradans jump at state program to further energy efficiency

2010-07-17T19:06:00.002-06:00

More than 26,000 homeowners and businesses have snapped up about $11 million in state rebates for energy-efficient appliances and home improvements since the "Recharge Colorado" program began April 19.

Mike Smith of Greeley got a $50 rebate, equal to a 13 percent discount, on his new dishwasher. Franktown resident Arthur Lowry is set to get a $3,000 rebate on his $10,000-plus solar water heater.

"When we sold our house in Colorado Springs and moved to Greeley, we needed to get new appliances, so this worked out really well," Smith said.

All the rebates for dishwashers and solar hot-water systems are gone — as are those for refrigerators, clothes washers, tankless gas water heaters and photovoltaic solar panels.

There are, however, still 38,481 rebates for a number of energy-saving items, including insulation, duct sealing, energy audits and residential windmills.

"We are very pleased with the response," said Todd Hartman, a spokesman for the Governor's Energy Office, which runs the program. "We just want people to know there are still some rebates available."

The $18 million Recharge Colorado program is part of $300 million in federal economic-stimulus funding.

People can apply by phone or online and are given a "reservation" for 10 to 30 days — depending on the type of rebate — to buy an appliance or contract for work. Then, they file with the state for the rebate.

Of the more than 26,000 reservations to date, 10,552 claims worth $4.8 million have been processed, according to state data.

Residents of 59 of Colorado's 64 counties have participated in the program.

Jefferson County homeowners received the most rebate money by the end of June — $200,500, or about as much money as Boulder and Denver counties combined.

There were single $50 refrigerator rebates in Ouray and Rio Blanco counties.

Colorado Springs Utilities combined its own rebates with the state's to boost its program, said Gabriel Romero, a spokesman for the utility. El Paso County had the second-highest payout, $117,000.

The program is the first to offer rebates statewide. It is also the first to offer incentives for solar water heaters.

"It is a boost for a really good technology," said Jim Burness, chief operation officer of SolSource, the Denver-based company installing a solar hot-water system at the Lowry home.

The system is designed to cut water-heating costs by 90 percent in the summer and 50 percent in the winter, Burness said. Between the rebate and a 30 percent federal tax credit, the system should pay for itself in 12 years.

Mark Jaffe: 303-954-1912 or mjaffe@denverpost.com

World’s First Hybrid Coal-Solar Power Plant Goes Online in Colorado

2010-07-12T22:56:00.001-06:00

World’s First Hybrid Coal-Solar Power Plant Goes Online in Colorado

by Cameron Scott, 07/12/10

Here’s a case of strange bedfellows: the world’s first hybrid coal-solar power plant is now up and running outside Palisade, Colorado. A joint project between the utilities giant Xcel Energy and Abengoa Solar, the unit of Xcel’s Cameo plant is intended to show that solar power can reduce the environmental impact of coal-fired power plants.

The plant uses parabolic trough solar collectors to heat the water that goes into the coal-fired turbine, which will reduce the amount of coal used at the facility by 2 to 3 percent. For a cost of $4.5 billion, the hybrid plant will produce the equivalent of just one of 49 megawatts from solar power.

It hardly sounds like a bargain to this blogger, but it’s part of the coal industry’s aggressive efforts to keep its irons in the fire as pressure mounts for cleaner energy alternatives. Indeed, several utilities have joined with the Electric Power Research Institute to study the hybrid coal-solar combination in North Carolina and New Mexico, and a solar-natural gas plant is already under construction in the Sunshine State.

Abengoa has pioneered the parabolic trough solar collector, in which glass mirrors which concentrate the sun’s energy into a series of tubes filled with a heat transfer fluid — in this case, mineral oil. When the oil reaches 300°C, it is fed to an exchanger where the heat is transferred to water, bringing it nearly to boiling before it enters the boiler where a coal fire will convert it to steam, driving the turbine that generates electricity.

Launch of Cameo solar project celebrated

2010-07-03T16:30:00.001-06:00

By Emily Anderson
Thursday, July 1, 2010

Xcel Energy’s coal-fired power plant at Cameo and a demonstration solar project that became operational at the site this spring are likely to shut down at the end of this year, according to an Xcel official.

That doesn’t rule out the possibility, though, of solar and other types of energy production occurring at the site in the future, according to Xcel’s vice president of strategic technologies, Mary Fisher.

“No firm decisions” have been made about the site’s future after the scheduled closures, Fisher said, but alternatives to the 53-year-old coal plant will be considered, she said.

An attempt to keep the coal plant and the solar installation going failed in the Legislature earlier this year. Rep. Steve King and Sen. Josh Penry, both Grand Junction Republicans, presented a bill that would have created a moratorium on closing any Colorado power plants blending coal and solar technology until July 1, 2012. The bill timed out on second reading in May.

Fisher said Xcel and partner Abengoa Solar hope to learn as much as they can from the integrated solar project, which uses solar power to generate steam and help decrease the amount of coal needed to produce energy at the plant. Solar troughs built next to the plant have been operational since April and used on a daily basis since June. Xcel hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate the project’s progress Wednesday.

The solar troughs are reusable and could be moved off the site and hooked up to another plant that uses fossil fuels after the demonstration period ends, Fisher said. Because the troughs help generate steam and not power directly, the troughs wouldn’t likely be of much use at Cameo once the coal-fired plant closes, Fisher said.

Mesa County Commissioner Steve Acquafresca said at Wednesday’s event he’d like to see the solar troughs stay in Mesa County if at all possible. If that’s not possible, he’s open to other ideas.

“Mesa County government and, I believe, most of the citizens in this community want to facilitate Xcel with a variety of options for this property,” he said.

SustainAbility: Clean Energy Collective

2010-06-29T20:46:00.001-06:00

SustainAbility: Clean Energy Collective
By Adele Israel
Monday, June 28, 2010

I first heard about the Clean Energy Collective last month at the 2010 Alliance for Sustainable Colorado Regional Sustainability Roundtable in Rifle.

It sounded intriguing, so I did a little research.

The collective provides a way to decrease your carbon footprint, combat climate change and save money on electricity, all in one fell swoop.

For residents of Roaring Fork and Vail valleys, the collective is an offer too good to refuse.

According to its website, the Carbondale-based collective is a “member-owned cooperative venture that builds and operates centralized clean power-generation facilities at the community level.”

Founded by Roaring Fork native Paul Spencer, the energy collective has been compared to community gardens, only instead of growing food locally, they are generating electricity locally.

The collective has three goals:

1. Accelerate the adoption of long-term clean energy solutions (make them easier, cheaper, safer and longer lasting)

2. Provide utilities with lower risk, well-located and more beneficial clean energy generation (smart clean energy growth).

3. Create a manageable and mutually beneficial production partnership between utilities and consumers.

To get involved in this first of its kind effort, you must invest a minimum of $500, but you can lower utility costs and make a move to electricity generated by renewable sources.

These sources include solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and micro-hydro systems.

In cooperation with local utilities, the collective builds and maintains medium-scaled clean energy facilities that are owned by you and your neighbors.

The collective is able to take advantage of the plethora of rebates, tax incentives and monthly power credits to keep costs low and members receive credits on their monthly electric bills.

A lifetime warranty comes with membership.

The collective works in conjunction with RemoteMeter, which “fully integrates with utility billing systems through a versatile integration engine,” according to the collective’s website. “It tracks and applies clean energy production credits directly on customer bills depending on the utility’s policies, manages production surpluses and integrates with facility meters and meteorological data for real time production monitoring.”

The collective has been busy installing a large solar array in El Jebel and has plans for installations in Snowmass and Garfield and Eagle counties. A proposed array at the Eagle County landfill near Dotsero covers 7 acres with 8,000 panels and will be one of the largest arrays in Colorado.

A May 2010 Solar Daily article quoted Steve Casey of Holy Cross Energy, which provides power to most Roaring Fork Valley consumers. “The CEC model provides a unique vehicle for our members to participate and enjoy the benefits of renewable energy generation,” Casey said.

No projects for Mesa County are on the collective’s drawing board, but our area is on its radar.

Spencer told me the Grand Valley is a “fantastic match with solar” and he wants to sit down with representatives from Grand Valley Power later this summer.

In Aspen Times article earlier this month, Spencer stated, “one of my goals is to eliminate every barrier to green energy.”

Once the collective gets up and running in this area then we can “Join the Clean Energy Collective — member owned, nature operated.”

Learn more at http://www.clean energycollective.com.

Adele Israel is a Grand Junction writer who has been involved in sustainability efforts for some 20 years. Have a question or column idea for Adele? E-mail her at msdeli@bresnan.net.

Ritter’s legacy clean on energy

2010-06-26T18:40:00.001-06:00

Ritter’s legacy clean on energy

By Charles Ashby
Sunday, June 20, 2010

Gov. Bill Ritter says he doesn’t care what his legacy will be when he leaves office in January, but it’s clear what that is.

The new-energy economy.

So it was fitting earlier this month, on the last day Ritter had to sign the final bills of his administration, that the governor chose to enact legislation dealing with renewable energy and job-training programs related to the emerging industry in the state.

“What I believe is that we could chart a whole different path on clean energy and that we could become a national model for what could happen in developing clean energy in the United States,” Ritter said. “I’ve signed 56 bills that are public policy matters that do more than just start this. We’ve moved such a long way in the direction of garnering international attention where clean energy development is concerned.”

Momentum for renewable energy began building with a ballot question in 2004 to enact a standard, which required the state’s main power companies to generate at least 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources, such as wind, biomass and solar.

But since Ritter came to office in 2006, he’s pushed that standard first to 20 percent, and now 30 percent, in part because such power companies as Xcel Energy told him they were years ahead in meeting it and would have no trouble doing more.

At the same time, Ritter and the Legislature enacted laws meant to encourage renewable energy use and train Coloradans to work at the wind farms, turbine factories, biomass facilities and solar power plants that have started cropping up around the state.

Some of the state’s leading environmental groups have had a field day over the past few years in seeing Colorado focus on renewable energy as never before.

“One of the most exciting things about having Ritter champion renewable energy is we’ve been able to make huge steps forward on policy matters that’s helped build a movement to doing more, which I think is an important part of his legacy,” said Pam Kiely, program director for Environment Colorado. “Having clean energy on his radar screen has gotten others thinking about it. People have invested a lot into it now, so there’s an incredible amount of momentum.”

Though Kiely worries that momentum might wane depending on who the next governor is, she doesn’t believe it will go away.

Democrat John Hickenlooper and the two GOP candidates for governor said they would continue to focus on clean energy, though each said the state shouldn’t turn its back on natural gas, oil and coal.

Hickenlooper spokesman George Merritt said Ritter has laid the foundation for clean energy, saying Colorado is starting to reap the benefits from it and the next governor needs to carry that forward.

“Colorado has branded itself as an innovator in clean energy,” Merritt said. “We want to build on that as we would every sector of the energy business.”

But the Republican candidates, former U.S. congressman Scott McInnis and Evergreen businessman Dan Maes, said that while the governor’s push to expand renewable sources in the state is laudable, it’s been done at the expense of the old energy economy.

“I appreciate the theory of new and renewable energy and it should be part of our energy platform as we move forward, but Bill Ritter almost destroyed our legacy energy industries — natural gas, oil and uranium — at the expense of his agenda,” Maes said. “It was way out of balance. We must have good access and production of our legacy industries while we develop new energy.”

McInnis echoed those sentiments, saying that electricity from renewable energy is a small part of the state’s resources.

Problem is, it’s not sustainable, at least not yet, he said.

“All energy’s got to be looked at and it’s got to be sustainable,” McInnis said. “We are a long ways off from sustainability on renewables. We’ve got to be realistic about this. Rule No. 1 is you’ve got to protect the ratepayer. You can’t have imaginary goals.”

McInnis said renewable energy won’t reach sustainability unless there’s more of a market for it, but Xcel spokesman Tom Henley said that’s what the renewable standard, tax rebates and other new programs are designed to do.

In addition to creating its own clean-energy sources, Xcel buys electricity from such private renewable projects as solar fields in the San Luis Valley and wind farms on the eastern plains.

“We wouldn’t have agreed to a standard if we didn’t think we could meet it,” Henley said. “We’re strong supporters of renewable energy.”

Ritter said pushing clean energy has helped the state clear the air, create jobs and boost rural economies, something that’s become especially crucial as the nation claws its way out of the worst recession in decades.

He said it would be foolhardy for the next governor to turn his back on all that progress.

“If you look at all of the things that we did, whether it’s energy efficiency or net metering or incentivizing the build-out of transmission lines, we have done the things we said we were going to do,” Ritter said.

“So anybody who looks at the sum total of the jobs and the kind of economic development we’ve been able to do around those jobs and the level of income that’s a result of it, they would be on a fool’s errand to do anything other than wildly promote it.”

Writers on the Range: Energy exporters: Stay out of the San Luis Valley

2010-06-17T10:37:00.001-06:00

Writers on the Range: Energy exporters: Stay out of the San Luis Valley

BY CEAL SMITH
WRITERS ON THE RANGE,
Before utility executives and solar-energy prospectors discovered the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado, it was mostly known for its potatoes, Buddhist hermitages and scrappy water wars. Now our high-desert rift valley is home to a clash between two competing visions for Colorado's renewable energy future.

As utilities and their regulators argue over who is to blame for lagging renewable energy portfolios, a solution can be found right where I live. The San Luis Valley once again points the way towards solar innovation. When the first energy crisis shook the country in the 1970s, back-to-the-land visionaries fired up about solar electricity flocked to the this valley, where cheap land, lax building codes and high-altitude sunny skies offered the perfect solar playing field.

Among them was Marianne North, the daughter of J.K. Ramstetter, an early solar energy inventor from Golden, Colo. Within a decade, North and her small band of solar pioneers had installed over 1,000 solar systems. The many versions including passive, active or hybrid, connected to the electric grid or not, and both air and water-cooled, were all based in the small communities of San Luis, Alamosa and Crestone.

The Solar Energy Research Institute — now the National Renewable Energy Lab in Boulder, Colo. — credited the San Luis Valley back then with inspiring “an explosion in solar energy resulting in perhaps the highest per capita concentration of solar installations in the country.” Energy sovereignty was a shared goal, driven by an ethos of self-reliance common among the offspring of Spanish and Anglo settlers who colonized this remote Shangri–la in the 1800s.

Over time, solar experiments in the valley grew bigger, bolder and more sophisticated. When the 8 megawatt (MW) SunEdison plant went online in April 2007, the valley became home to one of the largest solar photovoltaic farms in the country. Three years later, the valley is close to generating a whopping 63 megawatts of solar electricity, enough to power 100 percent of the average electricity needs of 50,000 people living on its widely dispersed farms, ranches and small towns. To many of us living here, the valley is doing everything right to become the first grid-supported energy-independent region in the nation.

But not if the utility industry has its way.

One of the country's major electricity suppliers, Xcel Energy, along with Tri-State Generation and Transmission, wants to turn this mosaic of wetlands, sand dunes and Spanish Colonial-era rural farmlands into a solar-energy sacrifice zone. Xcel, which brings power to eight states over 17,335 miles of power lines, thinks big when it comes to solar. Solar power companies are proposing giant collector fields — as big as 15 miles square — to fuel its power plants and hook onto the grid. This is an industrial model that's the antithesis of the small-scale, local solar power envisioned by the valley's first energy innovators.

Energy prophet Amory Lovins calls central energy generation the “Victorian steam locomotives” of the new millennium. Here in the San Luis Valley, we propose something better: to distribute community-based power from the sun, with no new powerlines chewing up the scenery. Solar photovoltaics, microturbines, fuel cells and other decentralized clean energy technologies are now evolving faster than you can Google “free the grid.” Collectively, these new micro-grid tools are rendering the energy sovereignty dream a reality. As prices plummet, slapping solar panels on our sun-baked urban rooftops, parking lots, center pivot corners and other unused lands at the point where the energy is used, is now the cheapest, fastest, smartest and greenest path to a renewable energy future.

But Xcel Energy and Tri-State do not share this vision. Instead, they want to rip a 95-mile, $200 million high-voltage transmission line through the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains to siphon energy generated from the valley's sunshine to Front Range “energy markets,” hundreds of miles away.

To an eclectic coalition of solar devotees, farmers, ranchers, scientists, environmentalists, doctors, artists and retirees, this is nothing less than an invasion of solar industrialists. Our goal is to stop the transmission line by banding together: The coalition calls itself the San Luis Valley Renewable Communities Alliance. What we support is state-of-the-art microgrid technologies to empower communities within the valley and across the state to generate their own power on the existing grid.

We're working to create a model of sustainability and self-reliance that can inspire other rural communities. We refuse to give that up to become just another example of an energy sacrifice zone.

Ceal Smith is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News (hcn.org). She is a biologist, sustainability consultant and member of the San Luis Valley Renewable Communities Alliance in Crestone, Colorado.

Xcel wants to reduce solar projections

2010-06-08T13:06:00.000-06:00

Xcel wants to reduce solar projections

By Charles Ashby
Saturday, June 5, 2010

Xcel Energy wants the state to allow it to reduce by nearly half its promise to generate more electricity from solar sources.

The utility company asked the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on Friday for permission to reduce by 48 percent the solar generation targets it agreed to under Xcel’s 2007 Colorado Resource Plan.

Company officials said it wants to reduce to 185 megawatts, from the originally approved 335 megawatts by 2015, the amount of solar power primarily because of the lack of transmission lines in the San Luis Valley.

Karen Hyde, Xcel’s vice president for regulatory matters, said the request is temporary, at least until transmission capacity catches up with power generation.

“Our commitment to the development of solar resources from the San Luis Valley over the long term has not changed,” she said in a statement. “But because we cannot guarantee the ability to move power to the grid when these solar resources become available, we are compelled to step back from our original plans and seek this reduction.”

Xcel had hoped to have a new transmission line in service in the valley by 2013, but delays have made that unlikely, Hyde said.

She said the company is going forward with other aspects of its 2007 plan, including natural gas, wind and solar projects elsewhere in the state.

The company recently announced two major wind-power projects in New Raymer and Limon on the Eastern Plains that are to generate about 500 megawatts of electricity, and it reached an agreement to provide 900 megawatts from two natural gas sources.

It is unknown when the utilities commission will rule on the request.

Holy Cross plan could spur local green energy projects

2010-05-29T16:51:00.001-06:00

Holy Cross plan could spur local green energy projects

Timing of effort during campaign raises concern from utility critic

SCOTT CONDON
ASPEN CORRESPONDENT
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, CO COLORADO,

ASPEN, Colorado — A new initiative by Holy Cross Energy could spur development of solar and wind farms in the Roaring Fork Valley and possibly hydro and biomass plants.

The Holy Cross board of directors voted at its monthly meeting in May to put out two requests for proposals — one seeking production of up to one megawatt of solar photovoltaic power and another seeking up to 10 megawatts of non-solar energy generation.

Holy Cross currently has nearly 1.5 megawatts of locally produced renewable energy in its power mix, mostly from individual solar electric systems at homes and businesses, said Steve Casey, member services and marketing administrator. The utility cooperative has given $2.2 million in rebates to 260 projects that installed renewable power since September 2004, he said.

The two requests for proposals are an attempt to ramp up the locally produced renewable energy. The request for the solar PV projects will probably be issued in late July or early August with the other request going out soon after.

If there are developers out there “raring to go,” there could be green projects producing power for Holy Cross as soon as late 2011, Casey said. The Holy Cross board will review any proposals that are submitted and make sure it can acquire the electricity at a favorable rate for its members before signing agreements, Casey said.

Any proposal that is accepted would be for home-grown projects in the Holy Cross territory, which includes parts of the Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys as well as the Interstate 70 corridor in Garfield County.

One megawatt of solar PV is enough to fully power about 200 homes. Large-scale biomass and hydro projects operate full-time, round the clock, so their production of green energy is even greater. So, if projects with 11 megawatts of power are constructed it would add enough clean energy for thousands of a homes in the Holy Cross service area.

In addition to seeking the green projects, the Holy Cross board voted unanimously on May 19 to offer up to $250,000 in rebates for medium-scale renewable energy projects that produce between 25 and 100 kilowatts of clean power. The utility already is offering up to $600,000 for smaller renewable energy projects installed by its members, primarily home solar PV systems.

The Holy Cross board's votes come at a time when the utility is under scrutiny by environmentalists for its energy efficiency and renewable energy practices. There are elections this spring for two of the seven positions on the board of directors. Incumbents are being challenged by candidates that want more action faster on efficiency and renewables.

Auden Schendler, director of sustainability for the Aspen Skiing Co. and a Holy Cross watchdog, criticized the utility for the timing of its actions on the renewable energy initiatives.

“It doesn't matter if it was a coincidence or not,” Schendler said. “It's easy enough for Holy Cross to ensure an untainted election by simply delaying by a few weeks anything at all that might influence the election.”

Holy Cross members received their ballot by mail in mid-May. They have until June 5 to vote. In the southern district, which stretches from Aspen to Missouri Heights, incumbent board member Bob Starodoj is facing a challenge from Dave Munk. Environmentalists have mounted a letter-writing campaign in favor of Munk.

In the northern district, in the Eagle Valley, incumbent Michael Glass is facing a challenge from William Maxwell and Erik Lundquist.

Schendler criticized Holy Cross for issuing a recent press release “on how green they are during an election where the incumbents are being attacked for not being green enough.” He believes it favors the incumbents, intentional or not.

Holy Cross board chairman Tom Turnbull said the full board's vote on the renewable energy initiatives was “absolutely not” timed to coincide with the election. The management, staff and directors have work underway on a wide variety of projects. Internal factors dictate when they are ready to be acted on, not politics, he said.

A press release was issued about the board's actions because the entire board agreed Holy Cross needs to do a better job of informing members and the public about its activities.

“I see it as a change of philosophy from going about our own business to tooting our horn a little bit,” Turnbull said.

The bottom line of the board's vote is a greener Holy Cross, which is what many of the utility's critics want. But Schendler said that's not the point.

“This election is about co-op democracy more than anything,” he said. “Most members don't vote, but they have expressed a clear interest in ramped up efficiency programs and renewables that isn't strongly reflected in the board.

“In 1993, Holy Cross was about 5 percent renewable,” he said. “Seventeen years later they are at 11 or 12 percent. Given the scale of the climate crisis, that's not quick enough.”

The two candidates for the contested Roaring Fork Valley seat on the board of directors stayed out of the fray.

Starodoj said the board's vote to seek requests for proposals for renewable energy projects wasn't motivated by criticism it has received during the campaign. The board is following a business strategy, not reacting to critics, he said.

“We put a green initiative in effect in 2004, before anybody was even talking about green,” he said.

Munk applauded the board's actions to potentially incorporate more local, green energy production. He declined comment on whether or not he felt the timing was tied to the election.

“I have no knowledge of any motivations regarding the timing of this, and I won't speculate,” Munk said. “I support all communication between Holy Cross and its members — our co-op should be sharing far more information regarding programs, policies and plans.”

scondon@aspentimes.com

http://www.postindependent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100528/VALLEYNEWS/100529878/1083&ParentProfile=1074&template=printart

GarCo commissioners OK solar farm plan at county airport

2010-05-26T21:01:00.000-06:00

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — County commissioners on Monday gave tentative approval to a plan to install a large solar farm at the Garfield County Regional Airport outside Rifle.

The Clean Energy Collective (CEC), a Carbondale-area renewable energy cooperative, is working in partnership with Holy Cross Energy to build the pilot project.

They've identified a site at the southeast corner of the airport that can support an 890-kilowatt solar electric generating station, the CEC's Paul Spencer said at Monday's county commissioners meeting.

It would be the second large solar farm in the Rifle area, following completion in early 2009 of a 2.3-megawatt (2,300 kilowatt) system at the city of Rifle's Energy Innovation Center site on the north side of Interstate 70.

The airport site would be fully owned by Holy Cross customers who choose to opt-in and purchase clean energy in the new community array, Spencer explained. Holy Cross plans to offer customers the same benefits to buy into the system as it would for individual roof-mount systems, including power credits and rebates.

“The CEC will serve as a project facilitator to develop, manage and maintain the project on behalf of Holy Cross and its customers,” Spencer wrote in a project description presented to county commissioners.

“This model will expand the market for clean energy by opening up ownership options to renters, to customers with limited solar access on existing properties, or to people who would like to purchase small fractions of clean energy solutions.”

Airport Director Brian Condie said the site proposed for the solar farm is not likely to be used for aviation purposes for at least 20 years.

Commissioners voted 3-0 to prepare a 20-year lease for the site, with the possibility for two 10-year extensions. If an aviation-related user were to come along in the meantime, the user would have to pay for the relocation of the solar panels.

“This is a good way for Garfield County residents to move toward a clean energy economy, and is more of a free market solution that can be sustainable in the long run,” commented former Glenwood Springs city councilman Dan Richardson, who now works on renewable energy issues for Gov. Bill Ritter's office.

In a related item before the commissioners on Monday, the board decided to wait before it issues a request for proposals to install solar panels on the roof of the riding arena at the fairgrounds in Rifle.

The fairgrounds site was selected as one of the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative projects for a $475,000 solar array that could save the county more than $100,000 in electricity charges over the 20-year life of the project.

The installer who wins the contract would be eligible to use an $87,500 grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs to defray the costs of the installation. However, concerns about how that should be reflected in the contract language prompted commissioners to ask for further revisions before sending the request out.

Wind, solar can help reduce fuel costs 40 percent in western US

2010-05-24T21:00:00.001-06:00

Wind, solar can help reduce fuel costs 40 percent in western US

20 May 2010-- A study says the western United States can accommodate 30 percent wind and 5 percent solar penetration so long as utilities increase coordination of operations over wider geographic areas and change how they schedule generation and interchanges.

GE Energy prepared the report, “Western Wind and Solar Integration Study,” for the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) and the Department of Energy (DOE). It studies the power system operated by the WestConnect group of utilities in the mountain and Southwest states, including Arizona Public Service, NV Energy, Xcel Energy and Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Four of the five states in WestConnect have renewable portfolio standards that require 15 to 30 percent of annual electricity sales to come from renewable sources by 2020 to 2025.

The study examines the benefits and challenges of integrating up to 35 percent wind and solar into WestConnect and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council in 2017. The challenge shows it is operationally possible to displace fossil fuels with wind and solar, reducing fuel costs by 40 percent in 2017 compared to not using any wind or solar.

Carbon emissions would decrease by 25 to 45 percent on the high end as more wind and solar is added. With a natural gas price of $3.50 per MBTU, emissions reductions would be greater because coal is displaced instead of gas. Using wind and solar in utility operations reduces operating costs by up to 14 percent, according to the study.

The report also said that for utilities to achieve lower emissions and prices, they have to spread their operations over wider geographic areas and schedule their generation and interchanges on an intra-hour basis. Extensive additional infrastructure would not be required as long as the changes to operational practices are made, the report said.

NREL and DOE released the Eastern Wind Integration and Transmission Study (EWITS) in April. That study said states along the Eastern Interconnection could switch 20 percent of their power generation from fossil fuels to wind power by 2030 but only with additional investments in transmission specifically from the Midwest.

Read more environmental business news

Abengoa Begins Operation of 50MW Concentrating Solar Power Plant

2010-05-20T20:33:00.000-06:00

Abengoa Begins Operation of 50MW Concentrating Solar Power Plant

05/06/2010
SustainableBusiness.com News

Abengoa Solar, a unit of Spanish corporation Abengoa (ABG.MC), has begun commercial operation of a new 50-megawatts (MW) solar thermal power plant in Spain.

The company said Solnova 1's performance matches the theoretical output of the design, validating the potential of parabolic trough technology for capturing and converting the sun's heat into electricity.

Abengoa Solar built a smaller pilot plant in 2007. And the company has contracts to build two much larger plants in the US--one in California (250 MW) and the other in Arizona (280 MW).

Solnova 1 is made up of around 980,000 square feet (300,000 square meters) of mirrors that cover an area totalling approximately 280 acres (115 hectares). The plant employs technology which concentrates solar radiation onto a heat-absorbing pipe inside of which flows a liquid that reaches high temperatures. This fluid transfers its energy to the water vapor that reaches a turbo-generator, where it expands to produce electricity.

In September 2009, Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) selected Abengoa Solar to add concentrating solar power to an existing coal-fired power plant near Grand Junction, Colorado.

Website: www.abengoa.com

Garfield County giving thought to energy improvements district Commissioner Martin wants to put the decision to the voters

2010-05-17T20:29:00.001-06:00

Garfield County giving thought to energy improvements district
Commissioner Martin wants to put the decision to the voters
JOHN STROUD
POST INDEPENDENT STAFF
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, CO COLORADO,
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — Garfield County is pondering the first step to be able to offer loans to property owners to make energy improvements to their homes or businesses.

But one county commissioner believes the decision to form a countywide clean energy finance district should be left up to voters, not the county commissioners.

“I have a philosophical problem with county government being in the loan and finance business … that's not government's job,” County Commission Chairman John Martin said at a Tuesday work session with Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative (GNECI) representatives to discuss forming the district.

City and town councils of each of Garfield County's six municipalities have signed letters of support for the county to form the district, and to put a question on the November ballot asking county voters to allow bonds to be issued using state and federal grant money to fund the program.

“I'd much rather see a vote of the people to create the district, and to decide on a bonding mechanism,” Martin said.

Tuesday's discussion came as neighboring counties are moving forward with their own plans to offer loans to property owners to make energy improvements, such as solar installations and energy efficiency upgrades.

Eagle County commissioners on Tuesday authorized initial funding for the voter-approved Energy Smart Program, part of a three-county energy improvement district — including Pitkin and Gunnison counties — that was approved by voters last fall.

The program provides fixed-interest loans to property owners for qualified energy improvements. The loans are paid back over a period of time as an add-on to the borrower's property tax bill.

Eagle County voters authorized up to $10 million in bonds to fund the loan program, while Pitkin County agreed to $7 million and Gunnison County's program is for $3 million.

Gov. Bill Ritter is also in Aspen today to sign SB 100, allowing even more flexibility to create cross-boundary energy improvement districts.

The effort also ties in with the goals of another recently passed piece of legislation, HB 1328, the New Energy Jobs Creation Act.

“We are looking to the commissioners to invest in the people of Garfield County to move this district forward and to help put people back to work,” said Rifle Mayor Keith Lambert — who sits on the GNECI advisory board — at Tuesday's meeting with the commissioners.

“This is a mechanism to help allow that to happen,” he said.

Before Garfield County can go to voters to set up bonding to begin to offer loans, it must first take the initiative to form a clean energy improvement district.

County commissioners can form the district by resolution. Or, as commissioner Martin suggested, it can ask voters to both form the district and authorize bonding.

Even though no direct county tax dollars are involved, Martin said he'll have to overcome his philosophical differences with the concept before he can move forward.

“It's still tax dollars, even if it's federal dollars,” he said. “I just don't think this is government's job.”

Commissioner Trési Houpt supports forming the district by resolution.

“The district will only impact those people who opt in,” she said. “This is just a tool to use the money that we've been granted.”

Further discussion about forming the district will take place at the regular May 10 county commissioners meeting.

jstroud@postindependent.com

Solar Sales Position

2010-05-15T12:20:00.002-06:00

Aggressive Solar Sales person wanted for Grand Junction solar company.
Solar sales experience preferred.
Two to three years outside sales experience required.
Best industry pay.
Immediate availability.
Resume and cover letter required.
References Required.

Send Cover Letter and Resume to wslopesolar@gmail.com

Xcel to Scale Back SLV Solar Plans

2010-05-08T22:31:00.001-06:00

Xcel to Scale Back SLV Solar Plans

May 5th, 2010 | By admin | Category: Latest Headlines

ALAMOSA — Xcel Energy will scale back on the number of solar energy plants it hopes to build in the San Luis Valley, citing uncertainty over when a proposed transmission line to export that power could be built.

The utility, which partnered with the Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association in hopes of building the proposed line from Pueblo to Walsenburg and into the valley by May 2013, revealed its revised plans in a filing Tuesday with the state Public Utilities Commission.

ALAMOSA — Xcel Energy will scale back on the number of solar energy plants it hopes to build in the San Luis Valley, citing uncertainty over when a proposed transmission line to export that power could be built.

The utility, which partnered with the Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association in hopes of building the proposed line from Pueblo to Walsenburg and into the valley by May 2013, revealed its revised plans in a filing Tuesday with the state Public Utilities Commission.

Gov. Ritter to sign clean CO energy finance bill

2010-05-03T19:22:00.001-06:00

Gov. Ritter to sign clean energy finance bill
in Aspen on Wednesday afternoon

Gov. Bill Ritter will sign Senate Bill 100 on Wednesday afternoon in Aspen. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village, allows multi-county clean energy finance districts.

The bill-signing event is set for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at The Little Nell Hotel, 675 E. Durant Ave., and everyone interested in clean energy is invited to attend.

SB 10-100 allows local improvement districts for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements to cross county boundaries and include properties in multiple counties, whether or not the counties are contiguous, if county commissioners of the affected counties agree to share district costs.

The bill also expands the definition of renewable energy improvements for clean energy districts to include solar arrays and other renewable energy systems at community locations, rather than limiting eligible systems to those installed directly on a residential or commercial building.

In related news, Gov. Ritter will be in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to share Colorado’s success at establishing a New Energy Economy. Colorado now ranks fourth in clean-energy employment, has the second-highest renewable energy standard for utilities in the nation, and has grown its clean-tech sector by double digits even in a recession.

In Washington, Gov. Ritter will deliver keynote remarks to open the Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference, provide the Environmental Defense Fund’s Board of Trustees with a blueprint of Colorado's New Energy Economy, and make a presentation at the Center for American Progress on the Colorado Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act. HB 10-1365 will convert 900 megawatts of Xcel Energy power production from coal to cleaner-burning natural gas.

Bill would extend life of Cameo power plant

2010-05-02T19:18:00.001-06:00

Bill would extend life of Cameo power plant

By Charles Ashby
Wednesday, April 28, 2010

A bill that made it out of a House committee Tuesday would keep the Cameo Station power plant east of Grand Junction open eight months longer than currently scheduled.

Introduced by Republican Reps. Steve King of Grand Junction and Laura Bradford of Coll-bran, House Bill 1282 is designed to prevent about 100 jobs associated with the plant from going away.

Xcel Energy, owner of the 50-year-old coal-burning plant, plans to close it at the end of this year. Before that happens, though, the company is using it as an experiment to test the use of solar power in operating such facilities.

King and Bradford said they agree the plant needs to close, but the lawmakers wanted to extend its life a bit longer. That’s because owners of the McClane Canyon Mine, which exclusively feeds the plant, are in the process of expanding into a new mine. But that’s not due to happen until mid-2011.

If the plant closed in December, miners and truck drivers who work at McClane would be laid off until the new mine opens, the lawmakers said.

To prevent those layoffs, the bill delays closure of Cameo until August 2011. The bill now heads to the House floor for more debate.

Colorado to start energy rebate program

2010-04-17T19:58:00.001-06:00

Colorado to start energy rebate program
By Mark Jaffe
The Denver Post
POSTED: 04/07/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT
UPDATED: 04/07/2010 01:51:03 AM MDT

The Governor's Energy Office is set to launch an $18 million rebate program for energy-efficient purchases such as appliances, insulation and solar-power systems.

The program is part of $300 million in economic-stimulus funding for states through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The program will open April 19, when a state call center and a Recharge Colorado website go into operation.

Rebates, which can be reserved for 10 to 30 days through the website or call center, will be issued on a first- come, first-served basis.

In states that have already started, the rebates ran out within days.

The $2.6 million Kansas program opened Jan. 19 and closed Jan. 28.

Rhode Island's $1 million program started March 25, and all the rebates were gone by the next day, according to federal Department of Energy data.

The Colorado website will keep track of available state rebates and other local or utility rebates that can also be used. It will also have information on products, tax breaks, contractors and suppliers.

"We want to be one-stop shopping for consumers," said Tom Plant, director of the Governor's Energy Office.

"You get a rebate for insulation and find a local contractor, and that keeps money in the community," Plant said.

Among the rebates for energy-efficient appliances being offered are $50 to $100 for refrigerators; $50 for a dishwasher; and $75 for a clothes washer.

Those rebates can be combined with other rebates.

"That's what the website will help with," Plant said.

Denver Water, for example, offers a $150 rebate for water-efficient clothes washers, and Xcel Energy offers rebates of $40 to $100 on water heaters.

"We think these are complimentary programs," said Peter Narog, Xcel's marketing manager for consumer energy efficiency.

Aurora is using $1 million to offer an added subsidy, doubling Xcel's rebate, said Karen Hancock, the city's environmental-program supervisor.

So for a high-performance water heater, an Aurora homeowner could get as much as a $200 state rebate, an $80 Xcel rebate and an $80 Aurora rebate.

"We're starting with $1 million, but if the program is really popular we'll set about additional funding," Hancock said.

Mark Jaffe: 303-954-1912 or mjaffe@denverpost.com

Selected rebates

The Recharge Colorado program will offer a wide range of energy-efficiency-related rebates using $18 million in federal stimulus money beginning April 19:

Appliances

• Refrigerators $50 and $100 with proof the unit was previously recycled

• Gas condensing furnace $500

• Gas boiler $400

Residential efficiency

• Insulation 20 percent of cost up to $400

• Duct sealing 20 percent of cost up to $75

Renewable energy

• Solar hot water, up to $3,000

• Solar photovoltaic panels, $1.50 a watt for the first 3 kilowatts (those not eligible for Xcel or Black Hills Energy rebates)

• Small wind turbine, up to $1 per watt for first 15 kilowatts

Commercial

• Solar photovoltaic panels, $1.50 a watt up to first 10 kilowatts and small wind turbine up to $1 per watt for first 15 kilowatts

Palisade winery harvest grapes and the sun

2010-04-12T11:00:00.000-06:00

Palisade winery harvest grapes and the sun

When Rick and Padte Turley of Colorado Cellars Winery (Colorado's original winery) decided to start harvesting sunshine as well as grapes, they were delighted to find that Atlasta Solar not only had the highest qualified installers in the Valley, but also the oldest roots in Grand Junction.

Like most of us, Rick and Padte are deeply appreciative of the 310 days of sunshine the Grand Valley is blessed with and, as farmers, they are keenly aware that the way we treat our environment today has a direct correlation with our ability to enjoy our future. However, as business owners, they also needed to make good financial sense of their decision to invest in solar.

At the time Colorado Cellars was the first and only winery to make the decision to use solar electricity for their winery. Since then many have seen the benefits of a solarized winery and have chosen to produce their own power using the sun.

So, when you're out day-tripping this spring, be sure to stop by and have a taste of “Road Kill Red” or any of their 25 other wines and take a peek at Colorado Cellars solar panels soaking up the sunshine.

Andrea Jones

Atlasta Solar Center

2923 North Ave.

Grand Junction, CO 81503

248-0057

Going solar good for biz — in more ways than one

2010-04-03T15:06:00.001-06:00

Going solar good for biz — in more ways than one

BY SHARON SULLIVAN
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER,
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Grand Junction Therapies sells electricity on the side.

“Xcel gives us a check every month,” said GJ Therapies owner Stacey Wood. “They use part of our system.”

The 140 solar panels covering most of the rooftop at 321 Rood Ave. provide more electricity than the business uses. The extra energy flows into the grid for general distribution.

Grand Junction Therapies is one of many local businesses who have found various financial incentives make the installation of solar technology feasible.

High Noon Solar, the Grand Junction company that installed the solar panels at Wood's business, first helped Wood reduce her overall energy consumption by replacing lighting with energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs, and added insulation.

Then, they sized the system by looking at past history usage. Wood wanted to also factor in possible future use in the event other businesses move upstairs.

The system “will be fully paid off in seven years,” Wood said. “After that it will be free electricity for the life of the building.”

Wood's monthly loan payment for the project is equivalent to what she was paying on her monthly utility bill, she said.

“Businesses can be ahead after the first year (of installation),” said Heidi Ihrke, who owns High Noon, along with Cory Sullivan. “It's an amazing investment.”

While some businesses install solar for environmental, or progressive purposes, for others it is a financial incentive, Ihrke said.

“A lot of companies, their main motivator is to get rid of some of their tax burden,” she said.

Businesses can also write off depreciation for tax purposes. “That's a big chunk for business owners,” Ihrke said.

Federal tax credits for commercial systems, grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, rebates from Xcel Energy, plus other financial incentives have made solar more attractive for businesses, as well as municipalities and private citizens.

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES

Not everyone has a system large enough to sell energy to Xcel. But many businesses are installing solar to offset what they pay to their utility company.

All Metals Welding uses lots of electricity. Two years ago owner Chris Muhr hired Atlasta Solar in Grand Junction to install photovoltaic panels to one of its buildings at 175 I-70 Business Loop in Grand Junction. After his out-of-pocket expenses Muhr said the system saves him between $200 and $300 a month in electricity bills. The payoff on that building with a rebate and tax credit will be in about seven years, he said.

In January, Atlasta installed a solar system on another one of Muhr's buildings where he keeps his office and some equipment. The payoff on that system is projected at under four years, Muhr said.

“As a businessman, it makes perfect economic sense,” Muhr said. “It's good for the environment, for national security, and it's good for financial security.”

In 2004 Coloradans voted in favor of Amendment 37 requiring the state's top utility companies provide 10 percent of its retail electricity sales from renewable resources by 2015. Colorado joined 17 other states with similar requirements.

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and lawmakers doubled the Renewable Energy Standard in 2007, to 20 percent by 2015. New legislation in March increased the standard to 30 percent by 2020.

At least 4 percent of the renewable energy generated must come from solar-electric technologies. At least half of the solar requirement must be generated from systems located at customers' homes or businesses.

The excess electricity like what Grand Junction Therapies produces helps Xcel meet their renewable energy standard.

Xcel Energy's Solar Rewards program provide two incentives for customers who install grid-connected photovoltaic systems sized up to 120 percent of the average annual load of the property.

About 4,500 government, business or private residences participate in Xcel's Solar program.

Xcel pays a rebate of $2 per watt (or $2,000 per kW). The renewable energy credit (payment for producing excess electricity) is 55 cents per watt (or $550 per kW).

“Between federal tax credits and Xcel Energy Solar Rewards, you can roughly get the cost of your system cut by half,” said Xcel Energy spokesman Mark Stutz.

SOLAR BOOM AND BUST

President Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the White House roof in 1979.

After Ronald Reagan became president he removed the White House solar panels and put them in storage. Unity College in Maine ended up with the panels, and for 12 years the college used them to heat water for its main cafeteria, said the college's sustainability coordinator Jesse Pyles, in an e-mail.

There were several thriving solar companies in Grand Junction during the early 1980s when federal tax credits were available for installing solar panels.

“Carter said we need to get this industry going. He gave tax credits to the people so we could expand the solar industry,” said Virgil Boggess, who opened Atlasta Solar in Grand Junction in 1979.

The tax credits expired in the mid-1980s, federal support for renewable energy dropped, and all but one local solar business — Atlasta — closed.

Boggess hung in there by temporarily closing his storefront and working out of his home and getting a second job.

“What kept me in business was doing service calls and upgrades,” Boggess said.

Today, with federal tax credits and other incentives again in place, there are several solar companies operating in the valley again.

Solar power returned to the White House grounds in 2003, when the National Park Service requested the installation of solar panels on nearby maintenance buildings to generate electricity and heat water.

FARM BILL SUPPORTS RENEWABLE

Another federal program helps businesses install renewable energy, or upgrade to more efficient equipment in rural communities with populations less than 50,000. As of last Census, Grand Junction still qualified.

In the 2008 Farm Bill, the Rural Energy for America program allows business owners to apply for USDA Rural Development grants which will cover up to 25 percent of the total cost of an energy-efficiency upgrade, or renewable energy installation. The maximum grant for energy-efficiency upgrades is $25,000; for renewable energy installation the maximum grant amount is $500,000.

The program also helps businesses acquire loans to pay for the balance of the renewable energy projects.

“The grant gives the owners equity (like a downpayment),” said Pattie Snidow, Northwest Area Director for USDA Rural Development. “We go up to 25 million in loan guarantees.”

The grant program is available to any commercial (not just agricultural-based) business which is a small business under SBA (small business administration) guidelines, Snidow said.

“It's a good mix of businesses and agricultural producers,” Snidow said.

Last year there were nine grant recipients in the northwest area, including Harry's Peaches in Palisade. Kokopelli Farms in Palisade received the grant in 2008.

Box Canyon Lodge in Ouray was another recipient of the renewable energy grant.

“Anybody can write the grant,” said Snidow, who provides free training.

The next two grant writing classes are Monday, April 5, in Granby, and Tuesday, April 6, in Glenwood Springs. While the training is free, space is limited and an RSVP is required.

To RSVP to the Glenwood seminar e-mail events@CleanEnergyEconomy.net, or online at www.GarfieldCleanEnergy.org.

Monday's seminar in Granby can be reserved by calling (970) 531-2363, or e-mailing info@gcbeda.com.

Snidow's office is currently accepting applications for the 2010 grants. Deadline is April 23. For an application go to http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ia/rbcs_RE-EE_Section_9006.html.

FARM RUNS ON SOLAR

Christine Horn applied for and got the Rural Development grant for her family's orchard in Palisade.

The money went toward two photovoltaic systems to run the irrigation system and the maintenance facility at Harry's Peaches, 664 39 Road.

The family expects the approximately 12 kW system to power 100 percent of everything business-related — “everything involved with the orchard and agricultural production,” Horn said.

“My father (Harry Jackson) is the ringleader here,” Horn said. “He has always been interested in renewable energy. So we looked for a way to go green and be more self-sufficient.”

Simplicity Solar, 784 Valley Court, #B2, installed the orchard's system.

“The reason more businesses are putting on solar, it financially makes sense,” said Alan Deslongchamp, Simplicity co-owner along with Fred Pittenger.

After all the tax credits and rebates, and factoring in the utility bill savings, “by year three the system has paid for itself, and is actually making you money,” Deslongchamp said. “Utilities will go up but yours won't.”

Municipalities are also reaping the solar rewards.

A Palisade company, Eco-fly Renewable Energies, located at the home of owner Anthony Huff, is installing a solar array on the Palisade Civic Center.

“What made this doable for us, we received grant funding (through the Governor's New Energy Communities Program) plus the (Xcel) rebate,” said Tim Sarmo, town administrator.

Syndicated Solar incorporated eight months ago in Grand Junction. The company recently completed a solar project at Grande River Vineyards in Palisade.

For a more information visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (dsireusa.org) for a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives and policies that promote the adoption of solar technologies.