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/
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Solar for the Western Slope
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
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
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Two electric associations adding solar facilities to distribution networks
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.
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.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Rays for Rent
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
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
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Going green popular across real estate spectrum
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.
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.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Mesa County Clean Air Public Meeting
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)
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
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
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
Friday, August 27, 2010
Solar Payback
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
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
Friday, August 13, 2010
Palisade orchard goes solar thanks to USDA grant
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
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
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Concentrated solar to get big Colorado spread
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.
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.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Colo. Guard's solar array generating electricity
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
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
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Invest In Mesa County
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/
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/
Friday, July 23, 2010
Children’s center receives solar gift
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Holy Cross part of solar, hydropower study
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.
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.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Coloradans jump at state program to further energy efficiency
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
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
Monday, July 12, 2010
World’s First Hybrid Coal-Solar Power Plant Goes Online in Colorado
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.
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.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Launch of Cameo solar project celebrated
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
SustainAbility: Clean Energy Collective
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.
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.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Ritter’s legacy clean on energy
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.”
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.”
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Writers on the Range: Energy exporters: Stay out of the San Luis Valley
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Xcel wants to reduce solar projections
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.
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.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Holy Cross plan could spur local green energy projects
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
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
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
GarCo commissioners OK solar farm plan at county airport
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.
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.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Wind, solar can help reduce fuel costs 40 percent in western US
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
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
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Abengoa Begins Operation of 50MW Concentrating Solar Power Plant
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
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
Monday, May 17, 2010
Garfield County giving thought to energy improvements district Commissioner Martin wants to put the decision to the voters
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
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
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Solar Sales Position
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
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
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Xcel to Scale Back SLV Solar Plans
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.
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.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Gov. Ritter to sign clean CO energy finance bill
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.
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.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Bill would extend life of Cameo power plant
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.
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.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Colorado to start energy rebate program
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
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
Monday, April 12, 2010
Palisade winery harvest grapes and the sun
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
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
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Going solar good for biz — in more ways than one
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.
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.
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