Solar Forces Unite

Posted on January 9, 2012 by quest

The Solar Energy Industries Association, the national trade association for the solar energy industry, recently announced that it has officially merged with the Solar Alliance, an advocacy organization committed to establishing solar policies at the state level. Effective immediately, the Solar Alliance will operate under the SEIA brand in an effort to present a unified solar industry voice in all advocacy efforts at the state level. Carrie Cullen Hitt, president of the Solar Alliance, is now Vice President for State Affairs at SEIA, and the Solar Alliance team joins Hitt as part of SEIA’s new department for State Affairs.“The solar energy industry is expanding and it is critical for SEIA to mirror this growth and put our resources and expertise into developing state policy that expand markets for solar energy,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. “Adding Carrie Cullen Hitt and her top-notch staff to the SEIA team is a critical step as we continue to scale the U.S. market and move toward our goal of installing 10 gigawatts of solar annually by 2015.”

“We have tremendous opportunities for opening markets for solar across all regions,” said Hitt. “With the Solar Alliance now a part of SEIA, we have the unified voice that is necessary on the policy front – both in Washington and in the states – to really take the U.S. solar industry to the next level.” Additionally, SEIA has established more formalized, collaborative relationships with nearly a dozen state and regional SEIA chapters to coordinate efforts. While the state and regional SEIA chapters remain wholly independent entities, this partnership brings additional resources and coordination on efforts that align with SEIA’s policy goals in the states.

In 2012, SEIA will present a unified voice in policy issues ranging from international trade, extension of the Section 1603 Treasury Program, and improved access for solar developers on public lands to the policy efforts in the states. State efforts will entail a number of different policy efforts including net metering, a financial tool for recognizing value of distributed generation on the grid, and removing barriers to grid interconnection and permitting. The combination of state and federal policy has driven access to energy markets for solar project developers across the country. In 2010, 17 states installed more than 10 megawatts of new solar capacity compared to only four in 2007.

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New SunWater Solar Power In San Francisco Tenderloin

Posted on December 30, 2011 by quest

SunWater Solar and Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) recently announced new solar thermal systems at two affordable housing buildings in the heart of San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. The two systems, consisting of 40 solar collectors and 24 collectors, respectively, garnered a total of $85,867 in California Solar Initiative-Thermal (CSI-Thermal) rebates. One hundred percent of this rebate money was used to fund system components and installation. “Solar thermal systems can greatly reduce water-heating bills for large, low-income housing buildings,” said Justin Weil, President of SunWater Solar. “With CSI-Thermal rebates currently funding roughly 30% of system cost, it’s a sound business decision to invest now in the technology.” The solar power systems benefit low-income San Francisco residents, provide green jobs and help to reduce carbon emissions.

“It’s exciting to see non-profit organizations such as TNDC benefiting from the CSI-Thermal incentive program,” said Nick Stimmel, Senior Program Manager at Pacific Gas & Electric. “PG&E encourages other owners of affordable housing buildings to consider solar thermal for their own properties.” The solar water-heating systems are one element of TNDC’s Green Retrofit Initiative, an effort aimed at making TNDC buildings more energy efficient. Co-sponsored by the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH) and Enterprise Community Partners, the initiative also included boiler replacements, and the installation of energy-efficient lighting and low-flow showerheads and toilets. Fine Line Construction of San Francisco was the general contractor for the project.

“The San Francisco MOH and Enterprise Community Partners structured the financing in such a way that these solar water-heating installations are a highly cost-effective means of reaching Green Retrofit Initiative goals,” said Don Falk, TNDC Executive Director. “The technology makes sense from both a financial and an environmental perspective.” SunWater Solar is a solar thermal integrator that manages the design and installation of commercial solar thermal systems.

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SunPower Expands Its Global Solar Shine

Posted on December 27, 2011 by quest

SunPower Corp the Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, just recently announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Tenesol SA, a global solar provider headquartered in La Tour de Salvagny, France. Tenesol, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Total SA, has operations in 18 countries and solar panel manufacturing facilities in France and South Africa.

“Our acquisition of Tenesol is another step toward differentiating ourselves in the competitive solar market, further expanding our downstream presence and benefiting from the strong backing of Total,” said Tom Werner, SunPower president and CEO. “We said on day one that the partnership with Total would provide strength to our balance sheet, access to new markets and investment in research and development. In six short months, we have seen these benefits accrue to SunPower.””Combining the activities of Tenesol with SunPower is a step forward in Total’s strategy to become a world player in the promising solar industry,” said Philippe Boisseau, president, Total Gas and Power Division. “SunPower brings the world’s highest efficiency, highest reliability technology to market with guaranteed performance. Tenesol’s well-established channels, manufacturing base and complementary global footprint will help expand SunPower’s market reach and accelerate its share gain during market consolidation.”

Under the terms of the agreement, SunPower will acquire Tenesol from Total for $165.4 million in cash. Concurrently with the closing of the acquisition, Total has agreed to purchase 18.6 million shares of SunPower common stock in a private placement at $8.80 per share, a 50 percent premium to SunPower’s December 22, 2011 closing price. The transaction has been approved by an independent committee of SunPower’s board of directors and is expected to close early in 2012 following the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. SunPower expects the acquisition will positively affect its financial position in 2012. After the sale of Tenesol, Total will own approximately 66 percent of SunPower’s common shares.

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California Focusing On 2020 Solar Vision

Posted on December 22, 2011 by quest

Governor Jerry Brown who just recently led the Climate Change Conference At The California Academy Of Science in San Francisco was also on hand for the dedication of Soitec’s new North American solar headquarters and manufacturing plant in San Diego at a ceremony held on Friday, December 16. The governor noted, “The expansion of clean energy businesses is a direct result of legislation mandating that one-third of California’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2020. That’s a goal and we’re going to meet it. In fact, we are going to do better.”The factory is located in San Diego to supply more than 300 megawatts (MW) in solar projects to provide electricity to SDG&E.

Also participating in the factory dedication were San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, Jessie J. Knight, chairman and CEO of San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) and California Public Utilities Commissioner (CPUC), Timothy Simon. They were joined by governmental officials and over 300 community and business leaders that attended the dedication event. “SDG&E has signed more contracts using CPV technology than any other utility in the world – a distinction we’re proud of,” said Jessie J. Knight, Jr., chairman and CEO of SDG&E. “At the time we began our talks with Soitec, we realized we had a unique opportunity to negotiate not only a good contract for solar energy at prices that competed head-to-head with other technologies, but also to solidify an agreement that would bear fruit for years to come in new local jobs and overall economic benefits. From a reliability and grid stability perspective, this technology is far superior to other typical ground-mounted arrays.”

“Soitec‘s new facility will create hundreds of well-paying jobs and build on San Diego’s growing reputation as one of the world’s leading clean-technology clusters,” commented San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. “We are so honored and proud to welcome Soitec to the San Diego community, and I know that San Diego’s collaborative business community will continue to work with Soitec to ensure the company’s success and prosperity.”

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Beyond Solar Lighting Up The Developing World

Posted on December 19, 2011 by quest

The United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the Global Economic Symposium and others have all issued reports supporting – A rural family in Africa burns around 60 liters of kerosene a year to light their home. The average kerosene lamp in Africa spews a ton of CO2 in less than 10 years. Solar lighting can replace kerosene and wood, and improve the health of the people and the environment. Last year QuestPoint interviewed Jeff Olshesky, a cofounder of Beyond Solar a US based organization whose mission is to improve the educational, medical, and economic well being of individuals and communities in the developing world by providing solar powered electricity. He and co founder Trevor Knauf had just completed a project with D. Light Design, a solar lantern manufacturer in New Delhi with distribution capabilities throughout India, and South Orissa Voluntary Action, a registered non-government organization in the Indian state of Orissa.

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I recently spoke with Jeff Olshesky of Beyond Solar who completed its third project providing solar power in the eastern province of Zambia. Beyond Solar partnered with Dwankhozi Hope, to provide solar powered lighting in three separate rooms in a primary school. Their earlier projects involved the distribution of pre-assembled solar powered lanterns to hundreds of families in multiple villages, while utilizing a hybrid micro-finance model that required the beneficiaries to pay for a portion the products they received. In Zambia, they installed solar panels on the roof of a school building to power lights and three laptop computers. Financing was provided in a joint effort by Beyond Solar and Dwankhozi Hope. While the planning of this project began months in advance, the actual time required to complete the project, after arriving in Zambia, was five days. Jeff said while the benefits to the school is fairly apparent…the real reward is to me and the deep feeling I get from making a real difference in the world. They are in the midst of planning the next project in Zambia One potential project would be to install a small, roof-mounted solar lighting system in each of the neighboring villages. This would provide a “study room” for the students whose distant proximity from the central school prevents them from returning to the school in the evening. Another potential project that would bring income to the area would be a solar-powered water pump that could irrigate a cash crop such as cotton. These and many other potential projects would greatly improve the quality of life for the members of the Dwankhozi School District. The challenges to execute them will be difficult but equally rewarding as well.

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Meanwhile, Empowered by Light a west coast non profit partnered with Lemnis who has supplied more than a thousand Pharox Solar Kits to schools in rural villages also in Zambia. Through its Solar: Zambia project, Empowered by Light hopes to donate a total of 5,000 solar-powered lights to communities in the rural parts of the country. Providing inexpensive electric lighting encourages nighttime activities such as studying and reading and can displace open-flame kerosene lamps and candles, saving money and eliminating the hazards of fire, burn and respiratory disease. “Our hope is that the educational benefits of our project will ultimately gain the attention of elected officials and encourage them to provide the same service to their own people,” said Marco Krapels, Co-Founder of Empowered by Light.

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Maui Welcomes The Power Of Solar

Posted on December 15, 2011 by quest

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center and SolarCity celebrated the installation of a large solar project to provide renewable power on-site at the Center. The 463-kilowatt system, with close to 2,000 panels, is one of the largest to date on Maui. Maui Arts & Cultural Center President and CEO Art Vento said, “We are proud to have this large scale solar installation at the MACC. As a non-profit it is essential to find ways to reduce overhead in order to maintain our ability to provide the maximum products and services delivered to the community. This installation will meaningfully reduce our energy costs, and contribute to a more sustainable environment by significantly reducing our carbon footprint,” said MACC President and CEO Art Vento.

SolarCity’s photovoltaic installation is a component of the MACC’s overall environmental plan. Initiated five years ago, the MACC’s plan targeted reduced energy consumption and upgrades to higher-efficiency equipment, as well as integration of biodegradable products and an integrated recycling plan.As part of the power purchase agreement, SolarCity installed the system at no cost to MACC, and MACC will pay for the solar power the panels produce at a rate lower than they currently pay for electricity. The project for MACC is one of the first major commercial projects completed by SolarCity in the state of Hawai’i. The construction of the project was completed in partnership with Honolulu Builders, LLC, and is being interconnected to the utility grid by Maui Electric Company Ltd.

“We’re honored to be able to provide an organization that serves Hawai’i like MACC with a green energy solution and look forward to additional opportunities to spread economical solar powered energy to other non-profits across the state,” said Pete Cooper, SolarCity’s regional director in Hawai’i.“A dedication ceremony on December 14, 2011 included a traditional Hawaiian blessing and remarks by Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie, Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa, and representatives from the project partners.

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