2012 Photovoltaic Projects of Distinction Award Presented to Arizona Western College and PPA Partners for their landmark Five-Megawatt Multi-Technology Solar Installation and Program.

San Jose, California, March 21, 2012 –The 5MW multi-technology solar installation at Arizona Western College (AWC) in Yuma, AZ was recognized Wednesday morning by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) as one of the three most unique photovoltaic projects of  2012.  The announcement and ceremony took place at PV America’s annual conference in San Jose, CA.

This system is composed of five one-megawatt sites across the campus, and will offset nearly 100% of the campus’s daytime electricity, while saving the College approximately $62 Million over the lifetime of the contract.

“This prestigious award shows what is possible on our nations Community College Campuses. Having our project recognized with this award proves what a resource our Community Colleges truly are. When complete the AWC Solar Program will provide opportunities for community involvement, valuable research, data and curriculum support for the School and for Arizona. Furthermore, additional incubation sites that new and existing technologies can access will be available for them to measure their performance under Yuma and Arizona’s amazing Solar Resource.” said Bruce Mercy CEO of PPA Partners after the award ceremony.

“These are exciting times for the U.S. solar industry and the recipients of these awards exemplify energy innovation at its best,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. More than 84 projects were evaluated by a panel of independent judges, determining the uniqueness and collective benefit to the community. Judges also looked for innovative use of policy and financing to enhance the project’s impact, according to SEPA and SEIA.

The project was financed and will be owned throughout the 30 year contract by Mainstreet Power, and was constructed by Rosendin Electric.

The installation was facilitated by the APS Renewable Energy Incentive Program, which offers financial incentives to residential and commercial customers.  The Program is funded by APS customers and approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission.

The technologies include CPV panels from SolFocus and GreenVolts, Thin Film panels from Sharp Solar, Mono Crystalline panels from SolarWorld and Poly Crystalline panels from Suntech. The system will utilize single-axis trackers from SunEdison and dual-axis trackers from SolFocus and GreenVolts; the tracking systems allow the panels to continually track the movement of the sun in order to maximize electricity generation. The system utilizes Satcon Inverters.

PPA Partners LLC is a project developer of distributed generation solar programs across North America, specializing in Colleges and Universities interested in saving on their Energy bills, and creating unique learning and revenue generation opportunities.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lori Stofft
Director, Public Relations and Marketing
Arizona Western College
Office: +1 928-314-9595
Cell: +1 928-246-4834
Email:Lori.stofft@azwestern.edu

www.azwestern.edu

Join Arizona Western College in a groundbreaking ceremony for an innovative 5 MW Solar Array to be completed Fall 2011.
This first-of-its-kind array is a landmark project for AWC, Yuma, and Arizona.

Date:

Tuesday,  May 24, 2011

Location:

Arizona Western College
24th Street Entrance, P1 Parking Lot
Yuma, AZ

Agenda:

7:45 Media Registration

8:15 Ceremony

8:45 Breakfast Reception with Vendor Demonstrations, Schoening Conference Center, 3C

This 5 MW array will generate virtually 100% of the college’s daytime electricity needs and will serve as a world-class research and testing site for government and corporate application. Educational and workforce training opportunities for students from Elementary to University will enhance our community and support ongoing economic development.

Why Solar?

According to the “Guinness Book of World Records”, Yuma, Arizona is the sunniest place on earth. This, along with ample land and access to west coast  markets makes Yuma the best place to install the single largest solar array on any U.S. college or university campus.

Combined with the existing rooftop array on the AWC Agriculture and Science building, the total solar installation at the college will be 5 megawatts, and will generate enough energy to cover virtually 100% of the college’s daytime energy needs.

The new 4.995 megawatt array will serve as a foundation for local education and workforce development in renewable energy technology and engineering. The main array will be joined by multiple testing and demonstration sites for manufacturers from around the world to test their latest products.

Array Characteristics

• Energy Generation, Education, Research and Innovation
• Multiple Photovoltaic Technologies, including
  • High Concentration
  • Low Concentration
  • Mono Crystalline
  • Poly Crystalline
  • Thin Film
• Single and dual axis tracking
• State-of-the-art metering and inverter technology
• Private test beds
• Level playing field – consistent test platform

Curriculum

Currently in place:

• First Installer Class graduated Spring 2011
• Green technology embedded curriculum in science, engineering, and career and technical programs
• AWC is working with local high schools and the local workforce development organization to deliver a weatherization program

Planned:

• Cutting edge solar technology curriculum that will include the campus PV array and testing facilities as learning laboratories
• Certificates and degrees in solar technology and solar installation are currently under development with additional classes anticipated to begin spring 2011
• Associate in science degree in renewable energy with transfer pathways to the baccalaureate degree beginning fall 2011

Campus Map with Planned Solar Deployment

Planned solar deployments in orange.

Existing Rooftop Array

• 105.6 kilowatts
• Located on the roof of the AWC Ag & Science Complex
• Data available online, used by K-12 educators around the region
• Photo album here

Download the Solar Array Information Sheet

For more information:

Technical Questions:

Bill Smith, Director of Facilities Management and Planning

928-314-9472

bill.smith@azwestern.edu

Media Requests and Tours:

Lori Stofft, Director of Marketing & Public Relations

928-314-9595

lori.stofft@azwestern.edu

Project Partners:

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sander Levin, D-Mich., unveiled the draft legislation which aims to encourage domestic manufacturing of energy equipment and renewable fuel development.

The proposed legislation would modify the Section 48C advanced manufacturing tax credit to provide an uncapped 30 percent investment tax credit for expenditures to re-equip, expand or modify facilities that manufacture and fabricate solar energy property, fuel cell power plants, and advanced energy storage systems (including batteries for advanced vehicles).

The proposal would extend for two years (through 2012) and codify the direct payment in lieu of tax credit program that was initially created by Section 1603 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for renewable energy facilities (e.g., wind, solar, and biomass facilities), combined heat and power facilities, fuel cells and microturbines that qualify for the production tax credit and investment tax credit. Among other technical improvements, the proposal would clarify that real estate investment trusts may participate in the program.

Under current law, residential fuel cells are eligible for a 30 percent investment tax credit (capped at $1,000 per kilowatt hour of capacity). Commercial fuel cells are eligible for a 30 percent investment tax credit (capped at $3,000 per kilowatt hour of capacity). The proposal would harmonize the capacity limitation of residential fuel cells to the capacity limitation of commercial fuel cells (i.e., $3,000 per kilowatt hour of capacity). Furthermore, the proposal would allow micro-combined heat and power systems to qualify for the 30 percent investment tax credit for residential energy efficient property.

The proposal would also extend the 50 percent investment tax credit for alternative vehicle refueling property for three years (through 2013). The proposal would also make modifications clarifying the availability of this credit for electric vehicle refueling pump property and for property that fuels non-motor vehicles that run on hydrogen fuel cells.

Source: Fuel Cell Today

The Rosendin Electric Solar Division has been contracted to support engineering for the US $50 million Antelope Valley UHSD solar project, as well as assuming full responsibility for procurement and construction.

“With the addition of the Antelope Valley contract, Rosendin Electric becomes one of the largest solar distributed generation EPC contractors in the West,” said Duncan Frederick, director of solar operations for Rosendin Electric. “We have always been committed to delivering alternative energy solutions, and we have an unprecedented track record in wind farm installation. With the addition of this project to our portfolio of solar projects installed over the past year, we are quickly building the same reputation for delivering solar power.”

Rosendin Electric recently completed the installation of a 1.2-MW solar array at the Mineta San Jose International Airport with partner Canadian Solar, and is in the process of completing similar projects for the Hollister Wastewater Treatment Project, Hollister Unified School District, San Ysidro School District and the Arizona Western College in Yuma, Arizona. Rosendin Electric will also  complete a 5-MW solar project for the Sunset Reservoir in San Francisco within the next two months.

By:Eric Wesoff

VC heavyweight Vinod Khosla and Bill Gates get behind a wildly unorthodox nuclear reactor design.

“[It's like taking] the entire nuclear infrastructure and collapsing it into one vessel.”
— TerraPower’s John Gilleland at an April 2009 presentation at UC Berkeley

Can nuclear power be considered green?

Greentech Media has been on the forefront of covering nuclear power as a potential clean energy source for several years now.  We have taken detailed looks at small modular reactors (SMRs) and even looked at some activity in fusion science (including SMRs from NuScale and Hyperion, fusion from General Fusion and TriAlpha, nuclear waste disposal from Kurion, Small Modular Reactor report here).

It’s always a contentious issue.

Yes, nuclear power is carbon-free in operation — but uranium extraction and plant construction can hardly be considered carbon neutral.  And yes, it’s baseload power with a low price per kilowatt hour, but it’s very expensive to build and harrowingly difficult to finance.

And then there are the huge and vexing issues of safety and proliferation.

But TerraPower’s wildly unorthodox reactor design actually can consume used nuclear fuel as its power source.  And the firm has just raised a $35 million financing round.

Bill Gates, Massachusetts-based VC firm Charles River Ventures and Khosla Ventures joined in the Round B, according to a Reuters article.

It’s an absolutely audacious VC bet and the entrepreneurs and investors involved deserve credit for sheer (I don’t know if I can say this in a family publication) brass balls, given the staggering technical, regulatory and temporal risks involved.

Background on the TerraPower idea

TerraPower was spun out of Intellectual Ventures (the think-tank created by ex-Microsoft chief scientist Nathan Myhrvold) to develop nuclear reactors that run primarily on depleted uranium. Blll Gates is an active funder and participant in the firm and, based on comments from the CEO, money is not an obstacle.

Switching from enriched fuel to DU reduces risks associated with nuclear proliferation and transportation as well as the amount of nuclear waste. TerraPower’s reactor does, however, need fissile material (i.e., enriched uranium) to initiate a reaction.

TerraPower has at least 20 employees and is run by John Gilleland, a big name in the reactor physics field and the manager of the nuclear program at Intellectual Ventures. Before Terrapower, he was the CEO of Archimedes Technology Group, where he focused on new technologies for mitigating waste from nuclear weapons, reprocessing spent reactor fuel and enriching uranium. Before that, he was at Bechtel and was the managing director at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor program. In 16 years at General Atomics, he headed the construction of an advanced fusion research test bed.

In an April 2009 presentation in Berkeley, Calif., Gilleland described the TerraWave Traveling Wave Reactor (TWR) as embodying a “self-sustaining deflagration of breeding and burning,” with “waves of breeding and burning propagating through fertile material indefinitely.”  The presentation also claims that a “core life of 60 years is practical.”

The firm has hired an all-star team of nuclear engineers to design this revolutionary type of reactor.

In a recently published paper co-authored by Myhrvold, representatives of LLNL, and the Hoover Institute entitled “Nuclear fission power for 21st century needs: Enabling technologies for large-scale, low-risk, affordable nuclear electricity,” the team proposes a “[r]epresentative system-level integration that obviates all fuel supply issues, including the entire set of isotopic enrichment ones, while rendering comparably useful as nuclear fuels all of the actinide elements and isotopes. It entirely avoids transport and reprocessing and the full set of ad hoc waste disposal issues, and completely precludes all those involving proliferation/diversion of fissile isotopes into weapons programs. It provides zero biospheric hazard in the event of either natural or man-made catastrophe. It requires — indeed, admits of — no operator control actions, other than initial start-up and final shutdown commands, so that operator errors are entirely precluded; during the half-century of potentially full-power operational life in between these two commands, it thermostatically regulates in an entirely automatic manner its own nuclear power generation to match the heat removed from its core in a time-varying fashion.”

The team concludes: “We therefore project a bright future for cheap electricity safely obtained in >10 TWe quantities from nuclear power reactors of this new type, moreover over multi-century time frames.”

TerraPower has stated that commercial deployment can begin in less than 15 years.

The firm is considering modular 100 MWe and 300 MWe sizes as well as 1 GWe units.

Regulatory quicksand and long time frames

Introducing a small modular reactor like the NuScale design, a new reactor that still bears a great resemblance to existing light water reactors, is a challenge to the testing and approval process of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  It takes years and years from the date of submission of plans to approval and eventual site permitting and construction.

Introducing a new reactor design like TerraPower, one that operates on radically different physical principles than that of a light water reactor, is a proposition that is saddled with profound marketplace and regulatory challenges.

It is unlikely that some of the investors will live to see the plant actually switched on and operating.  It would seem that the time frame would require a different type of VC fund lifetime instead of the typical eight to ten years.  Clearly, Khosla and Gates want to partner with or license the technology to Toshiba or Areva or Babcock & Wilcox.

Nuclear remains a financial and safety challenge, and nuclear’s detractors make good arguments — everyone from Amory Lovins and his Rocky Mountain Institute to NIRS, the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, are able to point out the cost overruns and safety concerns (more valid objections can be found here).

About 20 percent of U.S. electricity comes from nuclear sources.  Other nations like China, India and France will rely on nuclear for baseload power to an even greater degree going forward.  We can’t just wish it away.

TerraPower will look to partner with firms and nations other than the U.S. where nuclear is less stigmatized — perhaps Russia, China, India or France.

In any case, kudos to the entrepreneurs involved for thinking way outside of the box — and to the investors who are putting their money where their mouth is.

by Debasish Choudhury

After its best year ever in 2008, the world solar market struggled to survive a tumultuous 2009. What looked like a yawning drop for the photovoltaic (PV) market in the first half of the year turned into a solid gain in total amount of systems installed on the strength of strong German sales in the fourth quarter. But despite annual worldwide PV installations rising from 5.8 GW in 2008 to 6.6 GW in 2009, the PV market value dropped by 15.8% to $17.0 billion due to crashing PV cell and module prices.

The U.S. fared better than most countries, with the PV market up an estimated 6.0% in 2009 to $3.5 billion and PV installations rising to 469 MW. An extension of the solar tax credit and new recovery act funding helped to keep the U.S. PV market on a continuing upward trend.

The U.S. represented only 1% of a world solar thermal collector market dominated by China in 2009, shipping 1.0 GW of collectors worth $79.6 million. While still currently focused on low temperature pool heating systems that represented 82% of the U.S. market (by megawatts of collectors shipped) in 2009, SBI Energy anticipates much stronger growth in residential hot water systems heading to 2014.

Worldwide, the U.S. still has the greatest potential to increase its position in the solar market. SBI Energy foresees 900 MW of PV installations in 2010, rising to 7,600 MW of PV installations in 2014 building on renewed interest in solar from utilities and the extension of the solar tax credit. While the ST market will show only moderate growth in the U.S., the PV market segment will continue to shine in the U.S. and the concentrated solar power (CSP) market is set to explode. SBI Energy estimates the U.S. solar panel market will reach $34.5 billion in 2014.

U.S. Solar Energy Market World Data, 2nd Edition by SBI Energy analyzes the manufacturing and sales of the U.S. solar photovoltaic and solar thermal markets within the context of other key solar countries such as the Germany, Spain, Japan and China. The analysis will include definitions, current product offerings and market detail on the following segments:

• Photovoltaic cells and modules
• Vacuum tube and flat-panel solar thermal modules
• Balance of system components including inverters, frames, batteries and charge controllers

About SBI Energy
SBI Energy, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes research reports in the industrial, energy, building/construction, and automotive/transportation markets. To learn more, visit www.sbireports.com.

by Debasish Choudhury

Skyline Solar, a manufacturer of High Gain Solar (HGS) arrays for commercial, industrial, government and utility markets, today announced the first commercial installation of its High Gain Solar (HGS) 1000 system in a new municipal solar power plant in the tiny desert town of Nipton, Calif. The 80-killowatt Nipton plant is an upgradeable solar power system that will provide roughly 85 percent of Nipton’s electricity needs—the highest percentage of solar electricity of any town in the United States.

“As the gateway community to the Mojave Desert, Nipton seeks to be a good steward of the environment. Sustainability is paramount to this endeavor,” said Gerald Freeman, Principal Administrator for Nipton. “It is with this in mind that we are extremely pleased to be utilizing the HGS 1000 as our primary source of energy. And the HGS upgradability is a very attractive option.”

The HGS 1000 system brings a number of breakthrough innovations to the solar industry:

• Cost: Skyline Solar’s HGS architecture delivers ten times more energy per gram of silicon versus traditional flat-panel systems in sunny locations. The system utilizes tracking, cooling and concentration components, reducing the amount of silicon needed by 90 percent.
• Upgradability: The power-producing components of the system are upgradeable, allowing system-owners to “future-proof” their investment and upgrade with new solar panel technologies.
• Reliability: Skyline Solar HGS 1000 arrays combine industry-proven silicon cells, durable reflector materials and single-axis tracking into a complete, easy-to-deploy system.
• Scalability: Built primarily out of commodity materials with globally available manufacturing processes from the PV and automotive industries, Skyline Solar HGS 1000 simultaneously improves financial payback and scalability.

“This is a significant milestone in the development of our company as we strive to bring scalable, capital-efficient solar energy to utility, government and commercial customers,” said Bob MacDonald, CEO and co-founder of Skyline Solar. “Our pre-engineered HGS system is ideal for large energy consumers. Nipton, California, a town now 85 percent powered by clean, renewable solar energy, is a shining example to the rest of the country of how even small communities can help drive America’s goal of energy independence.”

The commissioning of the Nipton plant highlights Skyline Solar’s rapid and strategic growth over the past two years. After securing financing in September 2008, Skyline Solar announced its unique HGS architecture in May 2009, followed shortly by the completion of the company’s first demonstration plant with the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority in San Jose, Calif. In October, the company tapped Cosma, an automotive supplier, as a manufacturing partner as Skyline Solar ramped up to commercial production. More recently, the company was awarded one of the first patents under the US Patent & Trademark Office’s Green Technology Pilot Program, covering key elements of Skyline Solar’s HGS architecture. The Nipton plant is another step in Skyline Solar’s development of upgradeable, pre-engineered solar energy systems that address global demand for scalable, cost-effective solar energy.

For more information, please visit www.skyline-solar.com.

Group urges scale-up in investment, systemic reforms to create jobs, address national security, solve environmental challenges Call for action in meetings with White House and Congressional leaders

WASHINGTON, June 10 /PRNewswire/ — A group of America’s top business executives today released a plan to make America a global leader in energy technology innovation, and in meetings at the White House and with Congressional leaders called for urgent action to begin the national transition to clean, affordable, and secure supplies of energy.

The American Energy Innovation Council (AEIC) — whose members include Bill Gates, chairman and former chief executive of Microsoft; Norm Augustine, former chairman of Lockheed Martin; Ursula Burns, chairman and chief executive of Xerox; John Doerr, partner at Kleiner Perkins; Chad Holliday, chairman of Bank of America and former CEO of DuPont; Jeff Immelt, chief executive of GE; and Tim Solso, chairman and chief executive of Cummins — said in its report, “A Business Plan for America’s Energy Future,” that reforming and strengthening U.S. investment in energy innovation is the most critical element to securing America’s future.

The full report and supporting documents and other materials can be found at www.americanenergyinnovation.org.

“The world faces many challenges, but none more important than taking immediate and decisive action to develop new, inexpensive clean-energy sources that avoid the negative effects of climate change,” Gates said in releasing the report today. “Low-cost clean energy is the single most important way to lift poor countries out of poverty and create more stable societies. The whole world would benefit from this, and the United States can and should lead the way. The time for action is now.”

“We must reinvent our energy future,” said Chad Holliday, who serves as AEIC chairman. “A giant leap in energy technology investments and reform of our current system can make America a global leader in what will be the largest new market of the 21st Century. We have seen huge dividends from similar American investments before — in information technology, defense technology, and medical technology. But up until now, energy investments have gotten short shrift. That has to change if we are to control our energy future. This has to be at the top of America’s agenda.”

The American Energy Innovation Council plan contains five recommendations:

1: Create an independent National Energy Strategy Board

The United States does not have a coherent national energy strategy. Without such a strategy, there is no way to assess the effectiveness of existing energy policies, nor is there a logical framework for the development of new energy technologies. The result of this neglect is reflected in our nation’s history — with oil-driven recessions, environmental degradation, trade deficits, national security problems, and increasing CO2 emissions.

In order to seriously address our energy future, the AEIC recommends the creation of a Congressionally mandated Energy Strategy Board charged with (1) developing and monitoring a National Energy Plan for Congress and the executive branch, and (2) oversight of a New Energy Challenge Program (see recommendation #5).

“Instead of a series of fractured challenges and solutions, we should manage the future of our energy system as an integrated whole, and build a pipeline of technologies that will solve the serious problems our world is facing,” said Ursula Burns, chief executive of Xerox. “These recommendations are the beginning of such a solution. I urge Congress and the President to act on them.”

2: Increase annual investments in clean energy RD&D by $11 billion, to $16 billion per year

The AEIC members recommend that sizable, sustained increases in spending on research, development and deployment (RD&D) of clean energy technologies are necessary to maintain our competitive edge and keep our economy strong. Government investments of $16 billion per year – an increase of $11 billion over current annual investments of about $5 billion – is the minimum level required. For comparison, the U.S. government currently spends approximately $30 billion each year on health research and more than $80 billion on defense research and development. The public investment called for by AEIC would bring U.S. energy investment in line with those of our trading partners and competitors.

John Doerr, partner at Kleiner Perkins, said, “When our company shifted our attention to clean energy, we found the innovation cupboard was close to bare. America has simply neglected to support serious energy innovation. My partners and I found the best fuel cells, the best energy storage, and the best wind technologies were all born outside of the United States. Other countries are investing huge amounts in these fields. Without innovation, we cannot build great energy companies. We need to restock the cupboard, or be left behind.”

3: Create Centers of Excellence in Energy Innovation

In the healthcare, information technology, and defense fields, critical technologies have achieved large-scale market success through multi-disciplinary collaboration among institutions in the private and public sectors. Technology innovation requires expensive equipment, well-trained scientists, multi-year time horizons, and flexibility in allocating funds. This can be done most efficiently and effectively if the institutions engaged in innovation are located in close proximity to each other, share operational objectives, and are accountable to each other for results.

The AEIC recommends the creation of centers of excellence in energy innovation, structured along the lines described above. These centers can drive down the cost of technologies and accelerate their deployment. To function effectively and deliver real results, each of these centers will require annual funding in the range of $150 million to $250 million as a part of the $16 billion total.

Tim Solso, CEO of Cummins said, “Creating regional centers of excellence is central to incubating innovation across different fields and institutions. These can be our new hubs of invention. Our company has found that we win in the market by using our technical innovation to meet public standards while also developing products that meet the needs of our customers. The entire American economy can benefit from similar investments in innovation to help address our energy challenges.”

4: Fund ARPA-E at $1 billion per year

The creation of ARPA-E has been a significant development for energy innovation. ARPA-E is challenging innovators to come up with truly novel ideas and “game changers.” The program has high potential for long-term success, but only if it is given the autonomy, budget, clear signals of support, and ability to implement needed projects. It will need long-horizon funds on a scale commensurate with its goals, and a life extension beyond the current federal stimulus. AEIC recommend that a $1 billion annual commitment would be a wise investment as a part of the $16 billion total.

“Ultimately, energy innovation is a matter of national security, and must be treated that way by Congress and the Administration,” said Norm Augustine, former chairman of Lockheed Martin and former Undersecretary of the Army. “This is true because disruptions in the supply of energy and environmental change are among the most likely causes of future military conflicts. DARPA was a huge success in creating high payoff returns on investments in military technologies. ARPA-E — its energy equivalent — can have a similar transformative impact on energy technology, but it must receive adequate funding.”

5: Establish a New Energy Challenge Program for large-scale demonstration projects

America’s energy innovation system lacks a mechanism to turn large-scale ideas or prototypes into commercial-scale facilities. AEIC recommends the creation of a program to fund, build, and accelerate the commercialization of advanced energy technologies.

This program should be structured as a joint venture between the federal government and the energy industry, and would operate as an independent corporation outside of the federal government. It would focus on the transition from pre-commercial, large-scale energy systems to integrated, full-size system tests. The program should be co-funded by the public and private sectors at an initial level of $20 billion over 10 years, with a single federal appropriation.

The Need for Complementary Policies

The AEIC plan also notes “the need for complementary energy policies to drive market adoption of new technologies. A vigorous demand signal will increase the intensity of research, add large private-sector commitments, reduce barriers between the lab and market, and ensure technologies perform better and cost less over time. The United States will not succeed in this field without policies to ensure there are vibrant markets for clean energy technologies. Those policies may include some combination of a price or a cap on CO2, a clean energy or renewable energy portfolio requirement, or technology performance standards. The effect of such policies should be to create a large, sustained market for new energy technology. Our nation cannot succeed without it.”

The report states that increased investment for energy innovation is such a high national priority that it should be undertaken even in the midst of tight federal budgets. The group also notes that options for generating new revenue for energy innovation investment from the energy sector include reductions in subsidies for fossil fuels, license fees for offshore oil and natural gas production, creating an oil import fee, increasing the gas tax or putting a price on carbon emissions. The report does not specifically advocate any of these approaches.

“The U.S. is falling behind because we don’t have the markets or the will – our policies are shortsighted and our markets aren’t set up to reward energy innovation. We have the power to transform our energy future and address many of our economic, energy security and climate challenges with the right policy clarity and robust market demand. You have to do both to drive innovation and compete,” said Jeff Immelt, CEO of GE.

“I am convinced that the right technologies and the right policies we can solve our energy and climate challenges,” said Bill Gates. “But we need a much more serious commitment to do so.”

AEIC Chair Chad Holliday said, “During my time at DuPont, when science linked CFC use and ozone depletion, we knew the world had to change the model. DuPont used this challenge to invent entire new businesses. The United States can do the same to meet our energy and climate challenges. But we must begin investing at a much larger scale now.”

American Energy Innovation Council

Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-business-leaders-call-for-revolution-in-energy-technology-innovation-96017184.html

Source: The American Energy Innovation Council

CONTACT: Paul Bledsoe, +1-202-204-2403, Jim Luetkemeyer,
+1-202-480-9121

Web Site: http://www.americanenergyinnovation.org/

BY STEPHANIE A. WILKEN – SUN STAFF WRITER

One future renewable energy project will be the first of its kind — and it’s one step closer to coming to Yuma County after the Board of Supervisors meeting Monday.

The Yuma Sun previously reported on a planned solar research project at Arizona Western College.

The project will include 5 1-megawatt systems and cover five different types of solar collection that will enable researchers to have data that’s never before been produced, said Bruce Mercy with PPA Partners Inc. (PPA), the lead contractor on the project.

“Nowhere in the country, no where in the world is there a (research) demonstration like this,” Mercy said.

Monday, supervisors authorized PPA to pursue $22 million in Yuma County Recovery Zone Facility Bonds to help finance the $30 million project. The money is a bond that will be repaid by PPA and is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Because the five different systems can run simultaneously and will be in the same area, it will be a unique research facility for solar, Mercy said. And all of the systems are designed for a utility-sized demonstration and test, he said.

PPA will share the data with the college, which could also entice research teams to come.

“The data from this field is probably one of the most valuable components of this project,” he said. “(It’s) one of the greatest carrots that we can put out there.”

There will also be an opportunity for solar manufacturing facilities in the future, Mercy said, citing that manufacturing facilities generally locate within 60 miles of research facilities.

In addition, Mercy said the college is working on developing curriculum including advanced degrees because of the project.

PPA will fund the $30 million through two revenue sources: one from revenues from Arizona Public Service, and another from a federal tax grant.

In addition to being the largest solar array at a college or university, the project at AWC will supply the college with 100 percent of its power — a major cost savings to the college.

In 10 years, the project is expected to save the college $3.5 million, in 15 years save $15.4 million, and in 30 years, the college is expected to save almost $54 million.

And with the bright, sunny days in Yuma County, it’s the perfect place to house the project, Mercy said.

“There should be solar on everything here,” he said.

The project, he said, will have a great impact on solar research.

“We’re taking it to a degree not even considered up to this point.”

The project is expected to go online Dec. 1.

Stephanie A. Wilken can be reached at swilken@yumasun.com or 539-6857.

Source: Yuma Sun

Guest Post by Jack Lundee – follower of all things green and progressive.

Emission reduction, green spaces, and renewable energy are some of the most talked about topics of the 21^st century. With the recent passing of Earth Day, and the undying rally for improved green efforts worldwide, some industry giants are making a large footprint.

Oddly enough, it isn’t the work of highly regarded green organizations (i.e. – Greenpeace and Global Green USA) that’s capturing everybody’s attention, but surprisingly enough extremely large technology companies, like Google for instance. Recently, Google stated that it had invested $38.8 million in two North Dakota wind farms [1]. – “On Friday we made our first direct investment in a utility-scale renewable energy project — two wind farms that generate 169.5 megawatts of power, enough to power more than 55,000 homes.” Rick Needeham, (Google’s Green Business Operations Manager), wrote within that Google is greatly interested in discovering new opportunities to invest in renewable energy projects that really ”push the envelope.”

It wasn’t enough for Google to be the world’s biggest search and advertising company; it’s evident that they truly do want to power the globe. Although, this isn’t the first time that Google has made a large investment in green energy. Back in 2007, Google dove into clean-tech fray, clearly stating that it would spend hundreds of millions of dollars to create alternative energy sources that are cheaper than coal, which as we know it is the world’s dominant fuel source and pollutant. They included that their effort RECTC (Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal), would consist of wind power technologies, solar power, and more.

It’s sometimes tough to make the connection between search and alternative energy, but with Google at the forefront of campaigns like this, it certainly makes me feel a bit more comfortable. With enough energy to power nearly 55,000 homes, Google is making a tremendous impact on sustainability for our planet. Non-profits and other similar collaborative units have been doing their part in supporting green initiatives since the beginning of the movement. For instance, Niranjan Shah and Globetrotters Engineering Corporation work closely with the USGBC (US Green Building Council) to improve building standards and provide LEED based architecture. Although, it’s the unpredictable, long tail efforts of cash cows like Google that are helping substantially. Much like the individual, businesses must play their roles in promoting sustainability.

Google entered into green technology development in startup companies and its own consumer energy tracking tools, although, they hadn’t quite moved into actual working energy fabrication. This could infer future investments by Google, perhaps leading to the acquisition of their own wind powered turbine that would facilitate their own business needs.

Backlash: Senate may tighten Buy American rules for renewables, limit EPA authority

The Senate has seen action on two key proposals in the areas of clean energy and climate change.

American Renewable Energy Jobs Act

On March 2, 2010, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Bob Casey (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Jon Tester (D-MT) requested that stimulus spending on a renewable energy program stop until rules are in place to ensure that the grantees of federal funding for these projects spend that money on domestic construction materials. The senators opined that some three-quarters of the $2 billion spent on wind energy through the stimulus went to foreign companies.

“A critical Recovery Act priority is investment in the domestic renewable and clean energy industry, not investment in foreign manufacturers,” the senators wrote in a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. The letter requested a moratorium on the distribution of section 1603 grant funding and award of any further grants until an amendment to the stimulus package passes. Section 1603 of the Recovery Act allocates 30 percent cash grants for energy property in lieu of federal tax credits.

The following day, the senators introduced legislation, called the American Renewable Energy Jobs Act, requiring that stimulus funds be given only to those clean energy projects that rely on materials manufactured in the United States and/or create a majority of jobs in the country.

The bill would amend the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which released $800 billion designed to jumpstart the U.S. economy. The new amendment would require the U.S. Departments of Energy and the Treasury to award stimulus grant funds only to clean energy projects that create or preserve jobs in the United States.

“Buy American” legislation intended to benefit the U.S. economy and employment through the use of U.S. government funds has been in place for decades with respect to U.S. government contracts.

Because it is largely impossible for high technology or complex manufactured goods to be made exclusively in the United States, the Recovery Act’s original limitation on construction projects was expanded to permit the acquisition of steel and manufactured goods from the United States’ trading partners—which do not currently include China.

The Recovery Act’s “Buy American” provision did not apply to Section 1603 projects and was directed to construction and construction materials used on public works. The American Renewable Energy Jobs Act proposes to expand the “Buy American” provision to include restrictions on all U.S. trading partners, and to extend the provision to private enterprises.

Senator Schumer has raised similar objections in the past. Last fall he protested that a $1.5 billion Texas wind power project would create 3,000 jobs in China but only 300 in the United States. The developers of the wind project responded by planning a wind turbine factory in the United States, which is projected to create 1,000 new jobs.

The Department of Energy, which administers the clean energy stimulus program, stated that suspending the clean energy grants program now would require immediate layoffs at U.S. manufacturing plants.

In related news, the DOE awarded another $100 million in grants under its ARPA-E program this week, which represents the third round in the $400 million initiative to accelerate innovative projects that could transform U.S. energy policy.

The Treasury has not commented on the proposed legislation, but has previously released responses to frequently asked questions that explicitly state that “Buy American” provisions do not apply to section 1603 grants.

EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Regulatory Authority

In an interesting development regarding climate change, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced legislation on March 4, 2010, to place a two-year moratorium on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from stationary sources such as factories and refineries. Rockefeller’s bill is one of several recent congressional efforts to limit the EPA’s efforts to address climate change under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

Congressional efforts to curb the EPA’s authority to regulate such emissions stem from the EPA’s endangerment finding in December 2009, which stated that greenhouse gases endanger public health and the environment.

The finding followed the 2007 Supreme Court of the United States decision that greenhouse gases satisfied the CAA definition of air pollutants. Upon issuance of the endangerment finding, the EPA found that it had the authority to finalize greenhouse gas emissions regulations under the CAA.

The finding effectively indicates that the EPA will pursue a significant amount of new regulation affecting emissions from numerous industrial sources under the provisions of the CAA.

In September 2009, the EPA also pushed forward with addressing climate change under its CAA authority by issuing final, mandatory greenhouse gas reporting rules and releasing proposed rules that would require certain stationary sources to obtain CAA construction and operating permits under the EPA’s New Source Review.

“This legislation…[will give] Congress the time it needs to address an issue as complicated and expansive as our energy future. Congress, not the EPA, must be the ideal decision-maker on such a challenging issue,” Rockefeller said. President Obama has repeatedly stated that Congress is the preferred authority to set mandatory, U.S.-wide limits on greenhouse gas emissions, but the EPA is poised to move forward with regulation in the absence of legislation passing this year.

While Republicans have made similar efforts to curb the EPA’s regulations on climate change, Rockefeller’s effort is significant because it may highlight growing dissent among Democrats over the prospect of EPA’s efforts to address climate change without explicit congressional approval or legislation addressing greenhouse gas regulation.

Holly Roth is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and is based in the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office. She provides legal representation, litigation and advice with respect to a broad range of federal, state and local government contract, subcontract and related regulatory compliance issues. Ms. Roth can be reached at +1 202 756 8396 or hroth@mwe.com.

Brandon H. Barnes is an associate in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and is based in the Firm’s Washington, D.C., office. He focuses his practice on environmental law. Mr. Barnes can be reached at +1 202 756 8130 or bbarnes@mwe.com.

AWC Solar Array Installation

Between March 2010 and February 2011, AWC and PPC Partners will install a solar array second to none on the main campus of Arizona Western College. Primarily designed as a testing and educational array, the installation will allow AWC to harness the area’s climatologically unique features to generate its own energy, and then some.

AWC is poised to become a leader in renewable energy technology and engineering education, with support from corporate partners.

Get ready to turn the page on history in the sunniest place on earth: Yuma, Arizona*.

Details

• 5 megawatts makes this array currently the single largest at a U.S. college or  university
• Will test the 5 different commercially available photovoltaic technologies
• Low to no water consumption requirement
• Most participating technologies boast small cradle to grave footprint – 97% recyclable components
• Most participating technologies use existing materials, no toxic or rare items making manufacture both economically supportable and sustainable
• 3^rd Party Solar Monitoring will control data feed
• Planned deployment: east and south of main campus

Green Clean Renewable Energy

• Will cover 100% of the college’s energy needs
• Will save the college over $3.5m in the first 10 years, $15.4m over 20 years

State-of-the-Art Workforce Development and Curriculum

• Student and faculty access to cutting-edge technologies
• Curriculum in development, including
  • Occupational certificate
  • Workforce training
  • Associate’s of Applied Science
  • Partnerships with University for Bachelor, Master’s

Powerful Partnerships Nationally and Globally

• Arizona Public Service is supporting installation
• Interested companies include
  • Signet Solar (Germany,California)
  • SKYLINE Solar (California)
  • SolFocus (California)
  • Del Solar (China, California)
  • Canadian Solar (Canada, China)
  • Satcon Energy Systems (Canada, California)
  • RayTracker (California)

Puts Yuma on the Map

• Yuma offers the most beneficial Solar Days in the U.S. – 354 generating days a year
• *Guinness Book of World Records named Yuma, Arizona the sunniest city on earth
• Yuma’s access to west coast, ample land make this a superior site for solar development
• Creates world-class site for research and testing at the corporate and government levels

AWC — The Brightest Place On Earth

PPA Partners, Inc. and Arizona Western College To Develop 5 MW Solar Array Comprised of 5 Different Technologies, 1 MW Each – Slated To Be Largest At Any College

Contact:

Yuma, Arizona (March 2, 2010) PPA Partners, Inc. and Arizona Western College announced an historic collaboration on March 2nd, for a 5 MW multi technology solar project on Arizona Western College’s Yuma Campus. The 5 MW deployment deemed “Solar with a Purpose”, will be comprised of the five commercially viable PV technologies, all optimized by tracking and state of the art Inverters, installed by the same EPC so that the installation and the Balance of System (BOS) will as well, be identical.

The 5 representative technologies are High Concentration Solar, Low Concentration Solar, Thin Film, Mono Crystalline, and Poly Crystalline.
Technology Partners are still being finalized but Sol Focus, Skyline Solar, Signet Solar, Del Solar, Ray Tracker and Satcon are all in discussions with PPA Partners for inclusion in the Project.

“We know of no other solar project where all 5 technologies are showcased at utility scale, installed by the same group, at the same time with the same equipment, tracked and optimized, under the best solar resource in the Country… the data generated by the project should be very interesting.” Stated Bruce Mercy, CEO of PPA Partners of Morgan Hill, California.

“From the multiple technologies that will keep pace with changes in the industry, to the constant data that will be available both in the classroom and to manufacturers, this array has the potential to not only change the face of the economy in Yuma, but to impact solar education and research on a national and global level,” said Arizona Western College President Dr. Marc Nigliazzo.

“Draker Laboratories will provide the monitoring system for the project and in conjunction with Satcon’s Solstice Inverters; we should be able to get to a level of detail unheard of in commercial systems. The data generated from the project will be comprised of meteorological, solar resource, energy harvest, and a host of other information from cell temperature, to string level views, and be extremely valuable to researchers, manufacturers, utilities and other entities”, added Mercy.

The array at the College will be the largest at a domestic College or University, and will provide the College with 100% of its power from clean on site generation.

Additionally they are developing a solar demonstration/incubation area where emergent technologies, manufacturers, researchers, and industry can place a 20 kW system in a private secured enclosure, complete with video feeds, and identical BOS components from the larger project, and even staff to help work with the technology for optimization. Monitoring would as well be from Draker Labs.

“Access to the data from the main 5 MW field will only be available to those participating in the Project, the College, Select Research Groups and those that have a space at the demonstration/incubation area. Yuma has the greatest solar resource in the US, what better place to demonstrate solar and test technology than the area with 352 sun days per year, even the Guinness Book of World Records lists Yuma as having the most sun days and hours”, stated Mercy.

In addition, they are working on a cutting edge solar curriculum, with certificate, AA, BA/BS and continuing educational and advancement courses and components, and a 10,000 sq ft Commercial Scale Solar Technology Lab and Facility.

“Not only will this collaboration present a great opportunity to the Yuma community, it will also open opportunities for universities around the world to partner and collaborate with Arizona Western College through joint curriculum as well as research and development. It is not possible to duplicate the solar resource available in Yuma at say UC Berkeley, MIT or University of Illinois.” said Mark Weiss, President of PPA Partners.

“PPA Partners and Arizona Western College, hope to present a new model on how we transition to a renewable energy economy with significant export positions and to help America train a new workforce and assist and incubate American Technologies to successfully compete in the new Global economy.” Added Mercy.

PPA Partners is in the process of negotiating with its financial partners and anticipates final funding for the project in the next 60 days.

PPA Partners is a technologically agnostic PPA and creative funding solution company offering comprehensive solutions across the entire renewable energy development and financing value chain, specializing in innovative technologies, uniquely structured projects and financial products.

PPA Partners is based in Morgan Hill in Northern California’s Silicon Valley.

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Contact:

AWC Announces Historic Solar Array Installation, Curriculum, Partnership

Yuma, Arizona (March 2, 2010) – In the next 11 months, Arizona Western College will install the single biggest solar array on a U.S. college or university, in collaboration with PPA Partners, Inc.

Combined with the existing rooftop solar array on the AWC Agriculture and Science Complex, the total solar installation at the college will be 5 megawatts, and will generate enough energy during daylight hours annually to cover 100% of the college’s energy needs.

The new 4.995 megawatt array will also be a testing site for manufacturers from around the world, as well as the foundation for local education and workforce development in renewable energy technology and engineering.

The unique characteristics of the planned array make the project truly historic.

“From the multiple technologies that will keep pace with changes in the industry, to the constant data that will be available both in the classroom and to manufacturers, this array has the potential to not only change the face of the economy in Yuma, but to impact solar education and research on a national and global level.” said AWC President Dr. Marc Nigliazzo

The planned installation includes multiple photovoltaic technologies, private test beds for corporate and government comparisons, and access for students and researchers. Curriculum is in development for related education ranging from workforce development and occupational certificates to an associate’s degree. Plans to partner with four-year university programs for Bachelor and Master’s degrees are also underway.

Financial incentives from APS’s Renewable Energy Incentive Program are helping defray nearly half the cost of the solar system.  APS also has been working closely with AWC and PPA to bring the project to fruition. ”It takes a collaborative effort to ensure that the many benefits of renewable energy are leveraged in our community. This project takes us one step closer to creating a sustainable energy future for Arizona,” noted Andrea Bereznak, APS Community Development Manager.

Additional benefits to the installation include local and regional access to the participating companies that are pioneering solar technologies, manufacturing and installation.

For community members who are interested in more information about the solar installation, there is a community meeting planned for Wednesday night, March 3, at 6:00pm in the Schoening Conference Center in the College Community Center (3C).

For more Information contact Lon Stofft. AWC Director of Public Relations & Marketing, at 928-314-9595, 928-246-4834 or lori.stofft@azwestem.edu

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Determining the realities of what is possible at your site or project can be as difficult as ascertaining the best technology options. We review available space, and existing equipment and infrastructure, attempting to utilize existing equipment whenever possible. We review all possible sites, working with Industry standard practices to give you good information and make the most logical recommendations possible for your facility.

System Design

We evaluate your corporate energy goals, site options, existing equipment, and review your financial parameters. We determine what technology or technologies best fit this project. Then and only then do we design a/or several systems that meet or exceed your stated goals. There are no cookie cutter approaches; each system design is as unique as your business.

Energy Audits

We evaluate your usage and energy patterns, we analyze your utility bills, and then we run the spreadsheets on multiple scenarios, with a variety of technology options at varying levels of generation to determine the best scenarios for you.

We can as well audit energy bills for accuracy and negotiate on your behalf for preferred rates prior to finalizing a generation platform.

Contractor Selection

We commonly generate RFP’s for our customers along our identified technology recommendations. We then interview all applicants and review all proposals, bringing our top 3 to the table for your final approval, ideally providing the most cost effective and reliable solution available.

Financial Analysis

Determining the best financing options for you is a crucial step in the overall process. Whether a lease is best or an outright purchase makes the most sense, or any number of other unique renewable financing options should be utilized, we provide you with the resources and the information to make the most advantageous choice in the situation.

Project Management

One of the final pieces of the puzzle is overall project management. Overseeing the selected contractors and engineers, working with permitting and regulatory groups, coordinating with you and your staff to achieve the best solution, at the best price, on time, with minimal interruptions to your business and work flow.

In recent years, leasing has taken on many new and creative formats, there is the standard equipment lease, tax leases, modified tax leases, capital leases and any number of variations brought forth to assist in the deployment of renewable technologies. Leasing is a solid position for acquiring a renewable technology for your business, in our evaluations, meeting with your CFO and tax advisers will allow us to place the preferred options in front of them. Payback varies dependent upon the options chosen from 5-15 years.

Purchase

Dependent upon your businesses structure and financial position an outright purchase is quite often a great option. Offering the shortest payback position of from 4-6 years. Then the electricity generated from the system is free for the duration of its functional lifetime.

Power Purchase Agreements

Power Purchase Agreements have been utilized by Utilities and large corporate energy users for years. In recent years, they have been offered to Renewables, most notably Solar, Wind and Fuel Cell systems.

A PPA allows for a system to be engineered and sited at your facility typically with no upfront costs, providing reduced electrical rates from day one.

Maintenance and equipment replacement is handled by the PPA group, terms usually are from 10-25 years with annual increases substantially less than your utility. Ownership, REC’s, rebates and tax credits remain with the PPA group. Some offer a purchase option at the conclusion of the agreed upon term, dependent upon your contract.

First we offer an initial consultation on site or by phone at no charge. This includes a cursory analysis of your energy goals, your facility, your usage and energy patterns, and what you perceive the end result to look like both from a performance position as well as from a financial position. We then submit to you a general guideline of what is possible based on the information you provided us.

If you chose to engage us post this step we offer two forms of engagement, totally dependent upon your actual utilization of our services.

First, should you need someone to analyze your energy bills, or look over the varying bids of companies you have contracted with or plan on contracting with, help with regulatory processes, etc on a piece by piece basis, we have an hourly charge dependent upon what we are doing.

Second, we offer a more turnkey approach where we do the analysis, generate RFP’s for the chosen services, interview contractors, decide directions with you in the choice of those contractors, work with finance to get the best possible financial scenarios for you, and then project manage and oversee the project for you. In this form of engagement we are compensated by a small percentage of the total project. Atypically due to our experience in the industry, the RFP process, and our on site expertise, you will still actually save money, even with our compensation, over contracting this yourself.

At the time of our original analysis, we will formulate a plan based on your expressed goals etc, and let you know which would make more sense for you.

Our primary goals are to be your unbiased information resource, give you the benefit of our experience, and to assist you in the acquisition of renewable generation resources for your facility.

What is The Process?

The Process is remarkably simple and easy.

First call our offices and schedule a free, no obligation appointment.

Dependent upon your location one or more of our staff will come to your site to meet with you or conduct a preliminary phone analysis with you.

We will review your current or proposed energy usage, your facility, available space, your existing energy utilization patterns and what an optimum solution looks like to you.

From there we will prepare a preliminary cost and technology assessment for you. It will give you a realistic cost analysis and what technology options can potentially achieve your expressed goals.

Assuming you are in line with the technology recommendations and financial analysis, we will prepare a services agreement and cost estimate.

Upon acceptance, we will perform a much more exhaustive analysis, meet with your utility provider, meet with your facilities personnel, local permitting authorities, and generate quotes from several technology integrators to confirm our preliminary analysis and give you the true bottom line costs.

Dependent upon our agreed upon scope of work from our services agreement, from here we can arrange financing based upon your directions, and project manage the installation through to completion and commissioning.

Why Should I Use PPA Partners?

PPA Partners consulting practice is first and foremost your renewable energy information source.

Sifting through the hype, the conflicting information, and the sales pitches can be difficult for anyone. Our staff of industry experts is here to help you evaluate the technologies currently available to you in the marketplace, serving as your personal renewable energy advisors giving you factual information regarding the benefits and potential drawbacks of each technology. From there we determine the options for your project and present you with the various scenarios that fit your site spatially, financially, and that achieve your desired result.

We can at your request take it even further, generating and issuing RFP’s, interviewing contractors, bid analysis, and even providing project management from the permitting phase through final construction and commissioning.

We are above all here to help you implement an energy generation strategy that will carry your project or company forward conserving resources and finances in the most sustainable position possible.

What Is The First Step?

First call our offices and schedule a free, no obligation appointment.

Dependent upon your location one or more of our staff will come to your site to meet with you or conduct a preliminary phone analysis with you.

We will review your current or proposed energy usage, your facility, available space, your existing energy utilization patterns and what an optimum solution looks like to you.

From there we will prepare a preliminary cost and technology assessment for you. It will give you a realistic cost analysis and what technology options can potentially achieve your expressed goals.

Are There Size Limits?

There are no size limits; we are primarily here to help you determine viability, cost and system sizing. If post analysis it makes sense to engage us we will let you know, if not you will have an unbiased perspective on what is possible at your property and what it will cost and what to expect. That alone will allow you to make much more informed choices regarding technologies, contractors, and financing. If during your process you have more questions and needs than originally outlined, we would be happy to help.

I’m Not Even Sure Where To Start, Can I Still Use Your Services?

Actually, quite often we hear this from our customers; this is a perfect place to start.

Just call our offices and schedule the free, no obligation appointment.

We will review your current or proposed energy usage, your facility, available space, your existing energy utilization patterns and what you hope to achieve.

From there we will prepare a preliminary cost and technology assessment for you. It will give you a realistic cost analysis and what technology options are available to you….in plain English, and dollars and cents.

Can You Help Us With Financing The System?

This is a very important aspect of our service, our expertise as well stretches to the myriad of possibilities available in the financial community. Quite often there are as many ways to finance your project as there are technology options. Whether you are looking for a straight purchase or a variety of creative financing solutions we as well analyze and assist at this important step in project fulfillment. Numerous Lease, Power Purchase Agreements and other options are available to provide you a renewable solution, with costs that make sense in the short and long term.

Hydrogen is also found in many organic compounds, notably the hydrocarbons that make up many of our fuels, such as gasoline, natural gas, methanol, and propane. Hydrogen can be separated from hydrocarbons through the application of heat – a process known as reforming. Currently, most hydrogen is made this way from natural gas. An electrical current can also be used to separate water into its components of oxygen and hydrogen. This process is known as electrolysis. Some algae and bacteria, using sunlight as their energy source, even give off hydrogen under certain conditions.

Hydrogen is high in energy, yet an engine that burns pure hydrogen produces almost no pollution. NASA has used liquid hydrogen since the 1970s to propel the space shuttle and other rockets into orbit. Hydrogen fuel cells power the shuttle’s electrical systems, producing a clean byproduct – pure water, which the crew drinks.

A fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat, and water. Fuel cells are often compared to batteries. Both convert the energy produced by a chemical reaction into usable electric power. However, the fuel cell will produce electricity as long as fuel (hydrogen) is supplied, never losing its charge.

Fuel cells are a promising technology for use as a source of heat and electricity for buildings, and as an electrical power source for electric vehicles. Fuel cells operate best on pure hydrogen. But fuels like natural gas, methanol, or even gasoline can be reformed to produce the hydrogen required for fuel cells. Some fuel cells even can be fueled directly with methanol, without using a reformer.

In the future, hydrogen could also join electricity as an important energy carrier. An energy carrier moves and delivers energy in a usable form to consumers. Renewable energy sources, like the sun and wind, can’t produce energy all the time. But they could, for example, produce electric energy and hydrogen, which can be stored until it’s needed. Hydrogen can also be transported (like electricity) to locations where it is needed.

In most locations the upper 10 feet of the Earth’s surface maintains a nearly constant temperature of between 50° to 60°F (10° and 16°C). Geothermal heat pumps can tap into this resource to heat and cool buildings. A geothermal heat pump system consists of a heat pump, an air delivery system, and a heat exchanger, (a system of pipes buried in the ground near the building). In the winter, the heat pump removes heat from the heat exchanger and pumps it into the indoor air delivery system. In the summer, the process is reversed, and the heat pump moves heat from the indoor air into the heat exchanger. The heat removed from the indoor air during the summer can also be used to provide hot water.

In the United States, most geothermal reservoirs of hot water are located in the western states, Alaska, and Hawaii. Wells can be drilled into underground reservoirs for the generation of electricity. Some geothermal power plants use the steam from a reservoir to power  turbines or generators, while others use the hot water to boil a working fluid that vaporizes and then turns a turbine. Hot water near the Earth’s surface can be used directly for heat. Direct-use applications include heating buildings, growing plants in greenhouses, drying crops, heating water at fish farms, and several industrial processes such as pasteurizing milk.

Hot dry rock resources occur beneath the Earth’s surface at depths of 3 to 5 miles and at lesser depths in certain areas. Access to these resources involves injecting cold water down one well, circulating it through hot fractured rock, and drawing off the heated water through another well. Currently, there are no commercial applications of this technology. As well, existing technology does not yet allow for the recovery of heat directly from magma, the deepest and most powerful geothermal energy resource.

Many technologies have been developed to take advantage of geothermal energy. NREL currently performs research to develop and advance technologies for the following geothermal applications:

Geothermal Electricity Production

Generating electricity from the earth’s heat.

Geothermal Direct Use

Producing heat directly from hot water within the earth.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

Using the shallow ground to heat and cool buildings.

Wind turbines, are mounted on a tower at 100 feet or more above ground, where they can take advantage of the faster and less turbulent winds. Turbines catch the wind with their propeller-like blades, which is usually comprised of two or three blades mounted on a shaft forming a rotor.

A blade acts much like an airplane wing. When the wind blows, a pocket of low-pressure air forms on the downwind side of the blade. The low-pressure air pocket then pulls the blade toward it, causing the rotor to turn. This is called lift. The force of the lift is actually much stronger than the wind’s force against the front side of the blade, which is called drag. The combination of lift and drag causes the rotor to spin like a propeller, and the turning shaft spins a generator to make electricity.

Wind turbines can be used as stand-alone applications, connected to a utility power grid or even combined with a photovoltaic (solar) system. For utility-scale sources of wind energy, a large number of wind turbines are usually built close together to form a wind plant. Several electricity providers today use wind plants to supply power to their customers.

Stand-alone wind turbines are typically used for water pumping or communications. However, homeowners, farmers, and ranchers in windy areas can also use wind turbines as a way to cut their electric bills. Small wind systems also have potential as distributed energy resources.

We are technologically and vendor neutral, so our sole motivation is to get you the right technology, at the right price, on your timeline.

The Process is remarkably simple and easy.

First call our offices and schedule a free, no obligation appointment.

Dependent upon your location one or more of our staff will come to your site to meet with you or conduct a preliminary phone analysis with you.

We will review your current or proposed energy usage, your facility, available space, your existing energy utilization patterns and what an optimum solution looks like to you.

From there we will prepare a preliminary cost and technology assessment for you. It will give you a realistic cost analysis and what technology options can potentially achieve your expressed goals.

Assuming you are in line with the technology recommendations and financial analysis, we will prepare a services agreement and cost estimate.

Upon acceptance, we will perform a much more exhaustive analysis, meet with your utility provider, meet with your facilities personnel, local permitting authorities, and generate quotes from several technology integrators to confirm our preliminary analysis and give you the true bottom line costs.

Dependent upon our agreed upon scope of work from our services agreement, from here we can arrange financing based upon your directions, and project manage the installation through to completion and commissioning.

The performance of a solar cell is measured in terms of its efficiency at turning sunlight into electricity. Only sunlight of certain energies will work efficiently to create electricity, and much of it is reflected or absorbed by the material that makes up the cell and panel. Because of this, a typical commercial solar cell has an efficiency of 15%-about one-sixth of the sunlight striking the cell generates electricity. Low efficiencies mean that larger arrays are needed, and that means higher cost. Improving solar cell efficiencies while holding down the cost per cell is an important goal of the PV industry, NREL researchers, and other U.S. Department of Energy laboratories, and they have made significant progress. The first solar cells, built in the 1950s, had efficiencies of less than 4%.

Solar cells are typically combined into modules that hold about 40 to 72 cells; a number of these modules are mounted in arrays that can measure up to several meters on a side. These flat-plate PV arrays can be mounted at a fixed angle facing south, or they can be mounted on a tracking device that follows the sun, allowing them to capture the most sunlight over the course of a day. Several connected PV arrays can provide enough power for a household; for large electric utility or industrial applications, hundreds of arrays can be interconnected to form a single, large system.

Thin film solar cells use layers of semiconductor materials only a few micrometers thick. Thin film technology has made it possible for solar cells to now double as rooftop shingles, roof tiles, building facades, or the glazing for skylights or atriums. The solar cell version of items such as shingles offer the same protection and durability as ordinary asphalt shingles.

Some solar cells are designed to operate with concentrated sunlight. These cells are built into concentrating collectors that use a lens to focus the sunlight onto the cells. This approach has both advantages and disadvantages compared with flat-plate PV arrays. The main idea is to use very little of the expensive semiconducting PV material while collecting as much sunlight as possible. But because the lenses must be pointed at the sun, the use of concentrating collectors is limited to the sunniest parts of the country. Some concentrating collectors are designed to be mounted on simple tracking devices, but most require sophisticated tracking devices, which further limit their use to electric utilities, industries, and large buildings.

There are normally no up front costs, to have the system “placed” at your facility.

So you can have Solar, Co-Generation, Fuel Cells and other technologies and have immediate savings with no Capital costs.

Terms are 10 to 20 years+, with better start rates and lower annual increases the longer the contract.

Rates are typically 5-20% below current utility rates with normally a nominal 2%+ yearly increase as opposed to utility published increases of 6.7% annually over the last 20 years.

Sites need to be appropriate for the application.

REC’s and tax benefits are retained by the PPA funding group.

Billing is monthly or quarterly.

Clients need to fill out a full 1003 form (standard loan form)

Client needs to provide 2 years tax returns, 3 trade references, 1 year’s bank statements, and the current years P and L.

Time line from the receipt of the application and additional documents is normally 7-10 business days for determination.

After a positive evaluation of the property and acceptance of the terms and conditions by the client. Typically 30 business days are required to arrange funds, etc.

Minimum size is 50 kW; Maximum is typically 1 MW, dependent upon the technology.

There are substantial penalties for early termination.

As an example we will look at a solar PPA since it is not as complex in analysis.

An industrial user who chooses to have a 1 MW solar generation facility placed on his roof. His current Utility kWh rate is $0.147; we will look at a 5 year cycle of a PPA with normal characteristics. Irradiation allows a 5 hr per day average over the course of the year. Obviously with longer terms, there are better savings, but in this 5 year view of a 10 year contract the argument is compelling.

Sifting through the hype, the conflicting information, and the sales pitches can be difficult for anyone. Our staff of industry experts is here to help you evaluate the technologies currently available to you in the marketplace,  serving as your personal renewable energy advisers giving you factual information regarding the benefits and potential drawbacks of each technology. From there we determine the options for your project and present you with the various scenarios that fit your site spatially, financially, and that achieve your desired result.

We can at your request take it even further, generating and issuing RFP’s, interviewing contractors, bid analysis, and even providing project management from the permitting phase through final construction and commissioning.

We are above all here to help you implement an energy generation strategy that will carry your project or company forward conserving resources and finances in the most sustainable position possible.