Roger Efird

Tax policies could add jobs, MWs of new solar

* Industry group wants grant program, tax credits extended

* Says policies would create 200,000 new jobs

* Changes could result in 10 GW of new solar installations

By Dana Ford – Tax credits and a two-year extension to a federal grant program for U.S. solar projects would add roughly 200,000 jobs and almost 10,000 megawatts of new solar installations, an industry group said on Wednesday.

Citing research done by EuPD Research, a private research group, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) urged the U.S. government to extend a grant program, set to expire this year, through 2012.

The program, established in 2009 under the U.S. Recovery Act, was meant to help fill the financing void left by shrinking tax equity markets.

Historically, banks have used tax equity markets to fund solar projects by buying government tax credits from the project owners. Those owners use that money from the banks to cover the costs of development.

But as the credit crisis hit the financial markets, banks’ appetite for those tax credits disappeared.

“The market dynamics have not substantially changed from when the Recovery Act was put in place until today, and that says the need to continue these programs is critical,” Rhone Resch, president and chief executive at SEIA, told Reuters.

SEIA is also calling on the government to allow solar manufacturing costs to be claimed as an investment tax credit.

Combining a possible grant extension with the ability to apply for tax credits would create some 200,000 jobs and lead to nearly 10,000 MW of new installations in the United States by 2016, the group said.

According to SEIA, one megawatt is enough to power some 250 average U.S. homes.

Installed solar capacity in the United States jumped 37 percent last year as state and federal incentive programs helped to prop up demand during a downturn.

It was the fourth straight year of growth, but without changes to current policy, Resch said the U.S. solar industry could grind to a halt.

Several of the big solar players, including industry heavyweight First Solar Inc (FSLR.O), have plans to develop large-scale projects under the grant program, and have been working to meet the year-end 2010 deadline.

Many projects are at risk of missing the cutoff because of permitting and other scheduling delays.

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Lewis Griggs on HUMAN SPIRIT AT WORK

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An easy, affordable way to get solar power

SolarShares is the first program of its kind, and the largest in the nation. The new 1MW SolarShares system is in Sacramento County with the capacity to serve between 800 and 1,000 customers. You can be part of this innovative effort to support local renewable energy for a cleaner environment. The SolarShares farm is currently sold out, but SMUD is working to increase the capacity for its local solar power generation.
When you participate in SolarShares, the amount of electricity you receive will vary by the amount of sunshine and by season. You’ll receive higher amounts of electricity when you need it most — on hot summer days. The monthly amount of SolarShares power generated by your system will show as a credit on your bill and reduce the amount of non-renewable power that you pay for, after the cost of your program involvement is deducted. The average monthly cost to participate in the program is expected to be somewhere between $4 and $50 a month depending on your energy use and the size of the system you choose.

How does SolarSharesSM work?
SolarShares is an alternative to owning a solar system that you will need to pay several thousand upfront to purchase, or pay a few hundred dollars a month on a loan payment until the system is paid off. With SolarShares, the fixed monthly fees to participate start at $10.75 per month for a 0.5kW system for small energy users. After your monthly fee, the amount of power generated by your share shows as a credit on your bill — expected to average about $4 a month. And that offsets the amount you pay for electricity produced through other methods. Use the SolarShares estimator to see options for system size and cost.
How does SolarShares affect my bill?
You pay a flat monthly fee to subscribe to the SolarShares system. The flat monthly fee is determined based upon your historical energy use and the size system you choose.
You will receive energy credits to your bill for the amount of solar power your SolarShares subscription generates. Both the flat monthly fee and the energy credits from the solar power will be consolidated on your regular SMUD bill.
I am a renter, live in a condo, or live in a multi-family building. May I join SolarShares?
Everyone is eligible. Because the solar panels are on a local “solar farm,” you don’t have to have your own home to participate. And if you do own your own home, you’re still welcome.

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UPSOLAR RANKS HIGH IN SOLAR QUALITY TESTS

Upsolar receives “very good” from German Öko-Test magazine

The cornerstone of Upsolar’s success has been the rigorous quality-control management system we have developed and its employees’ implementation of these online QC Management standards at all its partners’ manufacturing platforms in collaboration with the third party QC management provider, Bureau Veritas (BV). BV also helps Upsolar to continually improve upon these processes while at the same time conducting audits of all Upsolar products prior to their shipment.

Using top-quality module components from qualified international manufacturers ensures the delivery of a consistently high quality product. All potential components are strictly tested in our in-house state of the art testing center and selected according to their performance and ability to withstand a range of different climatic conditions including high wind and snow loads. End products are also tested in our laboratory in order to achieve a longer lifetime and product safety.

“We are proud of the quality and efficiency of our products and happy to prove that our quality controls and strict component selection were not vain. They enable us to deliver safe solar”, says Mr. Jiang, CEO and founder of Upsolar Co., ltd.

Upsolar’s mission, since the company’s inception, has always been to provide the global PV market an opportunity to purchase a made-in-China product of market-leading quality, at a competitive price. The company focuses on providing an excellent product, which meets all international quality standards, while offering the most competitive prices available from a Chinese manufacturing base.

About Upsolar
Upsolar is a multinational company specialized in the design, engineering and manufacturing of solar photovoltaic modules. Their US office is based in San Francisco, California.

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This is a photo from the World Solar Challenge in 2009.The World Solar Challenge is a solar-powered car race which covers 3021 km (1,877 miles) through the Australian Outback, from Darwin to Adelaide. Plans are underway for the Challenge which happens in 2011.

The race attracts teams from around the world, most of which are fielded by universities or corporations although some are fielded by high schools. The race has a 20-year history spanning nine races, with the inaugural event taking place in 1987.

The objective of this competition is to promote research on solar-powered cars. Teams from universities and enterprises participate. In 2005, 22 teams from 11 countries entered the primary race category.

The idea for the competition originates from Danish-born adventurer Hans Tholstrup. He was the first to circumnavigate the Australian continent in a 16-foot (4.9 m) open boat. At a later stage in his life he became involved in various competitions with fuel saving cars and trucks. Already in the 1980s, he became aware of the necessity to explore sustainable energy as a replacement for the limited available fossil fuel. Sponsored by BP, he designed the world’s first solar car, called Quiet Achiever, and traversed the 4052 km (2,518 miles) between Sydney and Perth in 20 days. That was the precursor of the World Solar Challenge.

Recently some engineering  students from De LA Salle University in the Manila introduced a solar powered vehicle; the “Sikat” is a racecar with a flat body, a narrow single seat, and three wheels the size of a big pizza. Philippines is among the top carbon emitters in Southeast Asia. Engineering students created a solar-powered car to inspire others to take pollution more seriously.

See the Video Here.

GREEN NEWS WALL

Chevron Tests Emerging Solar Technologies in Central California

See video and read story here.

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The world’s largest solar-powered boat aims to be the fastest such vessel to cross the Atlantic Ocean and the first to cross both

the Pacific and Indian Oceans when it embarks around the world in 2011.

Planet Solar was recently showed in Germany.

See the Video Here.

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GE Sees Bright Future for Thin Film Solar Technology
Increasing Investment in Promising Thin Film Photovoltaic Technology; Engaging Global Resources to Deliver Best-in-Class Product

NISKAYUNA, N.Y.—March 18, 2010—With the race on in earnest to have the most efficient, low-cost solar module on the market, GE (NYSE: GE) announced it is focusing its research and development efforts on thin film photovoltaic (PV) technology in conjunction with PrimeStar Solar Inc., the startup firm in which GE is a majority investor. Working closely with PrimeStar technology experts, the company is bringing to bear the full scale of its four Global Research operations to address each of the challenges required to bring a new product to market.

“After having completed an exhaustive survey of the PV landscape, we determined that thin films were the optimum path for GE,” said Danielle Merfeld, GE’s solar R&D leader. “Specifically, the CdTe technology from PrimeStar has great potential. Bringing together world-class materials expertise, unique materials and systems modeling and design capabilities and state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor solar testing facilities, GE researchers are innovating across our four global research centers— literally around the clock—to deliver a breakthrough product to market.”

The GE/PrimeStar product is being developed at PrimeStar’s headquarters in Arvada, Colo. A team of PrimeStar technologists with more than 100 years of combined thin film deposition expertise is working closely with GE researchers, who are focused on several key areas in order to achieve best-in-class technology. These include device efficiency, reliability, production and installation costs and manufacturability. Hundreds of technologists in Germany, China, India and the United States are working on GE solar technologies today—addressing these challenges in the following ways:

The team in Munich, at the heart of the global solar industry, is utilizing world-class indoor and outdoor solar system test facilities where they study finished module performance to identify and address degradation mechanisms and packaging issues. In addition to the focus on the module itself, this team also brings deep expertise at the system level. This allows them to define system-level optimized features and metrics for the module.
In China, where most of the world’s CdTe raw materials are found, researchers at GE’s China Technology Center in Shanghai are focused on CdTe materials and the impact they have on device performance. Improving material quality and developing advanced materials characterization techniques are key topics being addressed by the Shanghai team.
In India, GE is leveraging extensive modeling capabilities at its John F. Welch Technology Centre in Bangalore. Unlike the exclusively experimental approach favored by many in this field, GE believes that dramatic improvements in the device performance and reliability will be realized through a deeper understanding of the materials and basic physics of the device. The team in Bangalore is tasked with building comprehensive models to help guide advanced device design.

Finally, GE’s research team in Niskayuna, N.Y., is working on all facets of CdTe module development, including material growth, device development and robust process development. Their technical expertise cuts across diverse fields such as surface chemistry, laser processing and plasma physics. Equally diverse is their product development experience, which they have derived from GE’s other technology-focused businesses such as Healthcare, Lighting and Batteries.

GE currently provides a range of utility-scale solar solutions, including smart grid power electronics and pre-packaged systems. GE’s Brilliance™ solar inverter offers reliable power conversion technology derived from its industry-leading 1.5 megawatt wind turbine.

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EXPLORE recent Green info below

At a recent press conference Mayor Gavin Newsom

welcomes GA Solar to San Francisco.

SEE the Video Here

EVENTS

GREEN NEWS WALL

GREEN TRANSPORTATION

N THE MIX

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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Read the article:

Building Health Wealth (TM)

by John C. Bish

SOLAR WALL

SunRun

First to Offer Solar For No Upfront Cost in New Jersey Leading Residential Solar Company Makes Solar Affordable for Every New Jersey Homeowner

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TRAINING

WEBINARS Now “LIVE” AND ON DEMAND

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Hear Inverness Valley Inn Owners

Leslie & Alden Adkins interview with QuestPoint n The Mix

on going green.

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Last year I attended the InterSolar North America Conference in San Francisco, it was the second time that the conference was held in the US. The conference attracts solar manufacturers, utilities and stake holders from renewable energy players from around  the globe. Walking around the showroom floor I felt then, as I do now that technological innovation has the potential to transform our society’s current energy puzzle.

One person that has been on the solar frontier for more than 30 years is solar pioneer, Miles Russell, CEO and founder of GreenRay Solar. For a real education and deep insight into America’s experience with energy

LISTEN Here to Miles Russell’s interview with

QuestPoint N The Mix.

An industry icon and innovator, Miles worked on programs with the Environmental Protection Agency and was involved in some of the first utility and federally funded projects on grid tied solar systems. Miles gives credit to former President Jimmy Carter who kicked started the industry during the energy crisis in the 70′s.

Miles Russell started his professional  career at the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Lincoln Laboratory and received his Masters in Science in Engineering from Stanford University.

Now as CEO of GreenRay Solar a venture backed company Miles and his team is pioneering a new solar product innovation that is billed as “the world’s first solar appliance.” It is anticipated to radically improve safety, reliability, drastically cut installation cost and make it easier for consumers to use and monitor their solar systems via computers and mobile devices such as the Apple iPhone.

Listen to  the Miles Russell interview here, and see the video of former President Jimmy Carter’s address to the nation on the energy crisis more than thirty years ago just below.

From the energy crisis of the 70′s to new solar power product innovation, Miles Russell, CEO of GreenRay Solar shares his wisdom.

Read more here.

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Listen to the QuestPoint n The Mix

interview of GREEN ZEBRA founder

Anne Vollen

HERE

The Olympic Village receives LEED Platinum status, making it certified as the greenest neighbourhood in the worid.

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The NISSAN ALL ELECTRIC - LEAF

Nissan, San Francisco Collaborate to Develop Bay Area EV Charging Network

Read about it Here

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Empower Others to Promote Your BusinessPresented By Andrea Sittig-Rolf

Andrea Sittig-Rolf

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Sometimes making a difference isn’t as hard as it seems. When you think about the movement Green, it seems like a big puzzle. Where are all the jobs everybody keeps talking about? By the way author Carol McClelland’snew book Green Careers For Dummies gives you details, insight and plans to get your green career going.

But now, take a look at the impact two non profits have made on our fellow citizens on this spinning hunk of land, sea, and sky we call earth. Jeff Olshesky and Trevor Knauf of Beyond Solar are two self described ‘single guys” who were working for a solar company in southern California and decided they wanted to see developing countries get in on the promise of clean solar energy. In a fairly short period of time and a low budget; they were able to partner with an NGO ( non government organization ) and lighting manufacturer D. Light in India to bring small solar panels and electric lanterns to small remote villages.  Before they got involved these villages were using kerosene for their night time activities.

To hear the effects of the project on the people of this remote area of India, listen to

QuestPoint n The Mix’s interview here.

As Jeff said what’s surprising is how a little light can have such a major impact on those that didn’t have any before.

Now contrast that to the work being performed by Green For All which has partnered with the city of Portland,Oregon. The city of Portland has long been on the forefront of progressive ideas and eco friendly urban planning. The home-weatherization program in Portland, Oregon  can serve as a model for the entire country.

Clean Energy Works Portland is an effort that will cut energy bills, create green jobs, reduce pollution and expand business opportunities. In addition, it will ensure that Recovery Act investment dollars reach those hit hardest by the recession.  The city scale  model  builds an important component of a new clean energy economy.

 Green For All’s  Clean Energy Works Portland includes a revolving loan fund with innovative “on-bill financing” and a Community Workforce Agreement that creates jobs in the communities that need them most.

 Putting together all the pieces of the new green economy can be frustrating, but all one has to do is work on one piece of the puzzle the fits for you. That piece can be in your  home, school, job,  local community or on the other side of the world.

For More GREEN FOR ALL NEWS CLICK HERE

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A Strange Meeting in VIDEO Here

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