Renewable Energy

Comment by Ecolocitizen on September 20, 2009 at 1:02pm

On Energy, We're Finally Walking the Walk
By Lester R. Brown
Published Washington Post, Sunday, September 20, 2009

The United States has entered a new energy era, ending a century of rising carbon emissions. As the U.S. delegation prepares for the international climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December, it does so from a surprisingly strong position, one based on a dramatic 9 percent drop in U.S. carbon emissions over the past two years and the promise of further huge reductions.

Prominent among these carbon-cutting initiatives are stronger automobile fuel-economy standards, appliance efficiency standards, and the potential to heat, cool and light buildings with carbon-free sources of electricity. On the supply side are efforts supporting the development of U.S. wind, solar and geothermal energy resources.

Even though part of this decline in carbon emissions was caused by the recession and higher gasoline prices, part of it came from gains in energy efficiency and shifts to carbon-free sources of energy, including record amounts of new wind-generating capacity. This impressive drop in carbon emissions should enable the United States to push for a steep cut in Copenhagen.

For a country where oil and coal use have been growing for more than a century, the fall since 2007 is startling. Last year, oil use dropped 5 percent, coal 1 percent and overall carbon emissions 3 percent. Projections for this year, based on Energy Department data for the first eight months, show oil use down by an additional 5 percent. Coal is estimated to fall by 10 percent. Altogether, carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels, including natural gas, dropped 9 percent over the two years.
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Comment by Ecolocitizen on September 27, 2009 at 11:34am

Solar Power, Without All Those Panels

A section of roof tiles at this demonstration site — a home in Bermuda Dunes, Calif. — has built-in solar power cells. The job took about four hours, the owner said.

By ANNE EISENBERG
Published: New York Times, September 26, 2009

THE main way for homes to harness solar power today is through bulky panels added to the rooftop or mounted on the ground.

But companies are now offering alternatives to these fixed installations, in the less conspicuous form of shingles, tiles and other building materials that have photovoltaic cells sealed within them.

“The new materials are part of the building itself, not an addition, and they are taking photovoltaics to the next level — an aesthetic one,” said Alfonso Velosa III, a research director at Gartner and co-author of a coming report on the market for the new field, called building-integrated photovoltaics.

Companies are creating solar tiles and shingles in colors and shapes that fit in, for example, with the terra cotta tile roofing popular in the Southwest, or with the gray shingles of coastal saltbox cottages.
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Comment by Steve Seuser on August 31, 2010 at 11:05am

Washington, DC Nonprofit Enters Agreement to Install Solar System
www.buildingfutures.org/category/news

Solar panels installed on Daffodil House’s roof will soon power the lighting in its hallways and stairwells and run its laundry equipment. The new 17 Kw system will maximize available space on the roof of the building. It will be installed in fall 2010 by Bethesda, MD-based installer Solar Solution, LLC.

“The solar photovoltaic system will help Daffodil House achieve important goals. First, it significantly reduces the cost of electricity to the project. As lighting and other technology evolves, this system will power all common areas in the building,” stated Steve Seuser, Executive Director. ” Second, we’re decreasing the environmental impact of Daffodil House. The solar system replaces electricity generated by coal-fired electric plants that serve D.C., which dump carbon and other toxins in the atmosphere.”

Funding for the solar system comes from the D.C. Department of Environment’s Renewable Energy Incentive Program, federal Solar Renewable Energy Credits, and federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credits.

Daffodil House will purchase electricity generated by the system at discounted rates for seven years. After that, it will own the system and generate its own electricity at no cost, saving the project thousands of dollars per year in utility costs.

Comment by Ecolocitizen on December 11, 2010 at 5:20pm

Using Waste, Swedish City Cuts Its Fossil Fuel Use

KRISTIANSTAD, Sweden — When this city vowed a decade ago to wean itself from fossil fuels, it was a lofty aspiration, like zero deaths from traffic accidents or the elimination of childhood obesity.

 

But Kristianstad has already crossed a crucial threshold: the city and surrounding county, with a population of 80,000, essentially use no oil, natural gas or coal to heat homes and businesses, even during the long frigid winters. It is a complete reversal from 20 years ago, when all of their heat came from fossil fuels.

 

But this area in southern Sweden, best known as the home of Absolut vodka, has not generally substituted solar panels or wind turbines for the traditional fuels it has forsaken. Instead, as befits a region that is an epicenter of farming and food processing, it generates energy from a motley assortment of ingredients like potato peels, manure, used cooking oil, stale cookies and pig intestines.

 

A hulking 10-year-old plant on the outskirts of Kristianstad uses a biological process to transform the detritus into biogas, a form of methane. That gas is burned to create heat and electricity, or is refined as a fuel for cars.

 

Once the city fathers got into the habit of harnessing power locally, they saw fuel everywhere: Kristianstad also burns gas emanating from an old landfill and sewage ponds, as well as wood waste from flooring factories and tree prunings.

 

Over the last five years, many European countries have increased their reliance on renewable energy, from wind farms to hydroelectric dams, because fossil fuels are expensive on the Continent and their overuse is, effectively, taxed by the European Union’s emissions trading system.

 

But for many agricultural regions, a crucial component of the renewable energy mix has become gas extracted from biomass like farm and food waste. In Germany alone, about 5,000 biogas systems generate power, in many cases on individual farms.

 

Kristianstad has gone further, harnessing biogas for an across-the-board regional energy makeover that has halved its fossil fuel use and reduced the city’s carbon dioxide emissions by one-quarter in the last decade.

 

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Comment by Steve Seuser on April 6, 2011 at 6:25pm

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-05/solar-energy-costs-may-alr...

Solar Power May Already Rival Coal, Prompting Installation Surge

April 6 (Bloomberg) -- Solar panel installations may surge in the next two years as the cost of generating electricity from the sun rivals coal-fueled plants, industry executives and analysts said.

Large photovoltaic projects will cost $1.45 a watt to build by 2020, half the current price, Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimated today. The London-based research company says solar is viable against fossil fuels on the electric grid in the most sunny regions such as the Middle East.

“We are already in this phase change and are very close to grid parity,” Shawn Qu, chief executive officer of Canadian Solar Inc., said in an interview. “In many markets, solar is already competitive with peak electricity prices, such as in California and Japan.”

Chinese companies such as JA Solar Holdings Ltd., Canadian Solar and Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. are making panels cheaper, fueled by better cell technology and more streamlined manufacturing processes. That’s making solar economical in more places and will put it in competition with coal, without subsidies, in the coming years, New Energy Finance said.

“The most powerful driver in our industry is the relentless reduction of cost,” Michael Liebreich, chief executive officer of New Energy Finance, said at the company’s annual conference in New York yesterday. “In a decade the cost of solar projects is going to halve again.”

Installation Boom

Installation of solar PV systems will almost double to 32.6 gigawatts by 2013 from 18.6 gigawatts last year, New Energy Finance estimates. Manufacturing capacity worldwide has almost quadrupled since 2008 to 27.5 gigawatts, and 12 gigawatts of production will be added this year. Canadian Solar has about 1.3 gigawatts of capacity and expects to reach 2 gigawatts next year, Qu said.

“You have to get better at it as well,” said Bill Gallo, CEO of Areva SA’s solar unit. The French company could shave another 20 percent from the cost of making its concentrating solar thermal technology, and the same proportion from building and deploying plants, he said.

Electricity from coal costs about 7 cents a kilowatt hour compared with 6 cents for natural gas and 22.3 cents for solar photovoltaic energy in the final quarter of last year, according to New Energy Finance estimates.

Comparisons often overstate the costs of solar because they may take into account the prices paid by consumers and small businesses who install roof-top power systems, instead of the rates utilities charge each other, said Qu of Canadian Solar.

“Solar isn’t expensive,” he said “In many areas of the solar industry you’re competing with retail power, not wholesale power.”

Rooftop solar installations also will become cheaper, the executives said.

“System costs have declined 5 percent to 8 percent (a year), and we will continue to see that,” SolarCity Inc. CEO Lyndon Rive said in an interview. The Foster City, California- based company is a closely held installer and owner of rooftop power systems.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ehren Goossens at the BNEF Summit in New York at egoossens1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net
Find out more about Bloomberg for iPhone: http://m.bloomberg.com/iphone/

 

Comment by Steve Seuser on April 19, 2011 at 3:41pm

Ever wonder if significant investments are worthwhile for homeowners who then decide to sell their homes?  Research from California suggests these investments more than pay for themselves when homes are sold.  See this post from One Block Off the Grid (1bog.org):

http://howsolarworks.1bog.org/solar-economics/  (you don't have to
sign up, just x the pop-up)

 

Steve

Comment by Steve Seuser on April 19, 2011 at 3:43pm

The future of solar power in Washington, D.C. is on the chopping block. The fledgling solar community and green businesses in Washington need your help.

Pepco is getting its renewable credits (SRECs) from outside of D.C. instead of from clean energy on the grid right here in D.C.—including more solar panels. The impact has been devastating—threatening to shutter green businesses, kill jobs, and make it too expensive to put solar on more rooftops in D.C.

But a good bill currently under consideration in the D.C. City Council will change that—requiring Pepco to use homegrown renewable power at no additional cost to taxpayers. Unfortunately, the bill has been stalled for more than a month without any action while these green businesses contemplate cutbacks.

This petition will be delivered to the Washington, D.C., City Council. The petition simply says:

"We the undersigned residents of the District of Columbia urge our City Council to pass the Distributed Generation Amendment Act of 2011 to help put more solar on the rooftops of our home city. Let's build DC solar to create jobs, grow DC businesses and protect the environment."

Will you sign the petition? Click here to add your name, and then pass it along to your friends:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=207924&source=mo&id=27033-5717911...

 

Thanks!

Comment by Steve Seuser on May 3, 2011 at 10:58am

Solar Journal

Weeks of April 18 - May 1, 2011

 

 “I call to witness the Sun, which looks down us, that I have told you the truth.”  

    - Phaeton, from Bulfinch’s Stories of Gods and Heroes

 

Please mark your calendars:

Tuesday, May 2, 10:00AM, 6th & Florida Ave, NW join Rev. Dr. Earl D. Trent, Jr. at the ribbon-cutting of the church’s 10 kWh Solar PV installation (Volt Energy, LLC); EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and other dignitaries commemorate DCs first African American solar church. RSVP to Rae Trotman at 202-243-7653 or e-mail to: RSVP@thecarawaygroup.com.

 

Thursday, May 5, 1:00PM, 3510-13th St, NW Mike Healey, of Skyline Innovations will conduct a Solar Hot Water tour of a Columbia Heights multi-family building please contact me at 202.387.5956 if you’d like to come. 

 

Saturday, May 7, 9:00AM - 1:00PM Walter Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place, Room 152A “A Distributed Generation Workshop” sponsored by the Office of People’s Counsel. Lynn Fischer Fox and I will represent the Coops.

 

. . .

 

Thursday, April 21: I meet with representatives of grass-roots organizations “up-to-here” with Pepco and explain that Coop member John Capozzi had introduced a shareholder pro-Solar resolution for the May 20 PHI Shareholder Meeting (here in DC) that the company refused to place on the ballot. They are not surprised. 

 

Later, that evening Tyler Reeves hosts a Meet-and-Greet for Sekou Biddle at the home of Tyler Reeves, here in Mt. Pleasant. Regional S.E.I.A. President Tony Clifford (Standard Solar), Executive Director Anne Polansky and a number of solar installers and other members of the solarati  attend. 

 

Friday, February 22, 6:51AM on WAMU, 88.5FM, Sabri Ben-Achour’s story on the devastation of DC’s SREC markets airs. A good story; but as installers prepare to lay-off staff, move out of DC and cut-off the solar revenue stream to DC government, Bill#19-10 “The Distributed Generation Amendment Act of 2011” languishes in the Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs. 

 

Friday, April 22: I attend a screening of two documentaries, Nuclear Comeback and 4th Revolution at the Goethe Institute, courtesy of John Hanshaw and the DC Film Institute. 

 

The former is color documentary, filmed by New Zealander, Justin Pemberton. It explores the cheerleading of Bruno Comby, of Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy and Ian Hore-Lacy, of the World Nuclear Association. More importantly it takes us to nuclear installations at Sellafield, in the UK (operated for 40 years, decommissioning for another 150 or so); Forsmark in Sweden (it almost melted down, but - hey - past it’s “Sell-by Date” it’s still making big money) and Chernobyl, in Ukraine. 

 

The palpable presence of evil conjured up in the Chernobyl scenes goes beyond inspired lighting and cinematography. The team of “technicians” who monitor the blockhouse at Chernobyl resembled a crew of the damned from an out-take of Peter Brook’s Marat/Sade. 

 

4th Revolution by Carl A. Fechner is stunning. Filmed over a period of four years, it introduces the “Solar Pope”, Herman Scheer, a Social Democratic member of the German parliament. 

Scheer demonstrates that renewables are capable of replacing fossil fuel and nuclear and relieving national economies of the crushing costs and dangers of these polluting and toxic energy sources. The barriers to achieving this, he shows, are all political, not substantive. 

 

The director invites criticisms of Scheer’s analysis from detractors whose arrogance is only exceeded by their capacity for begging questions. He travels to Mali and to China where solar appears to be solving what were thought to be intractable economic and environmental problems. He goes to Bangladesh and shows us how the Grameen Bank’s microloan system and outreach to women helps assures new technologies take root in developing nations. 

 

Without disrespect to its forerunners, 4th Revolution is the kind of cinematic tour-de-force the solar movement badly needs. We are talking to the distributors about the possibility of further DC screenings in DC. Contact me if you’re interested

 

Tuesday, April 26, 8:30AM GWU’s Solar Institute’s 3rd Solar Symposium at the Jack Morton Auditorium, 805-21st St, NW, hosted by Ken Zweibel, Director of the Solar Institute. It was astonishing!

 

Keynote speaker, Minh Le, Director of US DOE’s Solar Shot program laid out a plan for establishing a solar energy infrastructure. Scott Sklar, looking like a Mennonite rock star Jackie Mason channelling Herman Scheer, adduced his own proofs of how renewables could replace fossil and nuclear fuels. Bill Powers gave a brilliant critique of CA’s history of planning, siting and regulatory problems with solar. Chris Cook, of Keyes & Fox and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, broke down the broad regulatory issues in SmartGrids, pointing to New Jersey as a road map for the path forward. Clemens Heske, explained the chemical and physical problems of making solar PV more efficient. Stuart Licht, dealing with the even-more-abstruse field of solar thermal hybrids, made it clear for a lay audience. GWU Business School Dean Doug Guthrie offered insights into how China’s successful economic strategy is creating a new capitalist model because of, not in spite of, the fact that government plays a key role. If possible, Richard Perez topped everyone with his proof of costs-vs- values in solar grid parity. 

But, don’t take my word for it, check out the presentations and the symposium video at:

 

http://solar.gwu.edu

 

Several Coop members attended including Dr. Steve Waller, of the Palisades Coop and Richard Blech, of Capitol Hill Energy Coop. During the breaks in the presentations, more than a dozen folks came up to us to ask about forming their own Coops and expressed their support. Kudos to Ken Zweibel, the Director of GWU’s Solar Institute for creating this wonderful and informative event. 

 

Sadly, Sekou Biddle’s bid for the Council failed later that evening.

 

May 2, Anya, Mike Barrette and a group of us gather at the District Building to drop the 2050 petition signatures on councilmembers of the Public Services and Consumer Affairs  committee to vote Bill#19-10 “The Distributed Generation Amendment Act of 2011”. 

 

Bottom line: there is still no date set to mark-up the bill. The utilities are pulling out all the stops to prevent DC rate payers’ dollars going to support the development of solar and renewables in DC. Green jobs, businesses and tax dollars . . . Mayor Gray and the Council appear not to care. Every Councilmember and staffer blew us off with the excuse, “We’re dealing with the budget and there’s no time for anything that isn’t critical” . . . . . a cursory reading of the Council’s legislative schedule for May reveals that 

“Brewery Manufacturer’s Tasting Permit Amendment Temporary Act of 2011” is one of the many critical matters the Council will take up.

 

Here’s mud in your eye!

 

Robert Robinson

robrobin@me.com

 

Comment by Steve Seuser on May 22, 2011 at 10:22pm

The solar energy access subgroup of DCSUN met on May 19, 2011 to discuss the problem of solar energy not being affordable to all residents, organizations, and businesses in Washington, DC.  The goal is to create financing mechanisms to bridge the gap.

Next Meeting: Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. (newcomers are welcome!)
1504 Monroe Street, N.W. (Columbia Heights)

Attendees:

Steve Seuser
Corey Ramsden
Karen Leu
Emily Stiever
Judy Kosovich
Jim Disbrow

At the kick-off meeting on Thursday, May 19, attendees introduced themselves to the group and identified the issues and experiences that drew them to the group. There is a broad range of experience and insight among group members, as well as institutional relationships that may be helpful as we move forward with planning and implementing our goals.

Steve Seuser introduced the overall topic of access to affordable, distributed solar power, identifying the lack of access to affordable financing as a critical barrier preventing many low- and moderate-income people (and organizations) from moving forward with solar installations. Relatively low incomes and potential credit problems play a role in blocking access. In addition, there is a concern that the current leasing arrangements (PPAs) offered by many solar installers charge relatively high interest rates for financing, which is problematic for people with low incomes. There is a need to evaluate and compare various private sector financing arrangements and to make affordable financing widely available.

There was also significant discussion about the overlap between the need for solar energy production and the need for most buildings in D.C. to be made more energy efficient (cool roofs, weatherization, modern lighting and HVAC systems, etc.) and for people to modify their behaviors to reduce energy consumption. It makes sense, for example, to replace roofs with long-lasting reflective finishes and fully insulate attics prior to installing solar panels. The financing for these improvements would best be made as a single loan with a length of loan term matching the savings in monthly utility costs. Borrowers would make loan payments for their capital improvements instead of continuing to pay high monthly utility bills.

Payment processing was also discussed, including the idea that a utility company (Pepco or Washington Gas) would be an excellent partner to collect monthly payments from people or organizations that receive loans for solar systems and energy efficiency upgrades. This helps borrowers reinforce the connection between these their energy consumption, production, and conservation.

PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) was discussed as a possible financing tool, with concern about the status of the initiative following the refusal by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to support the concept. PACE would in effect preempt all other financing for properties and survive foreclosure. We need to investigate the status and opportunities (if any) for PACE financing in Washington, DC. More info is available at http://pacenow.org/blog/

Solar energy as a strategy to create local jobs was also a strong concern. The installation, maintenance, and local financing systems would create and maintain local jobs of many types. Revenue streams to create these new jobs are created by diverting utility payments into local capital projects. In other words, people stop paying high utility bills, which largely send money out of our community, and instead create their own power, generated by solar panels, and reduce consumption through energy conservation and energy efficiency improvements.  The result would be that a significant portion of their payments would be channeled into local jobs.

At the next meeting, we intend to hold a brainstorming session to discussion potential strategies to move forward as a group.  In preparation, group members agreed to undertake the following tasks:

• Emily:  investigate roles of utility companies in servicing loans, financing renewable energy and weatherization
• Steve:  reach out to City Council, Community Foundation, DDOE, and the Sustainable Electric Utility to assess interest in broad-based financing approaches
• Karen:  research utility rate power purchase agreements and other financing mechanisms for renewable energy production in Germany and Spain
• Judy:  research state and local government options from DSIRE website
• Corey:  also research states and local government financing options; how churches and organizations have participated; financing targeted to nonprofits
• Jim:  begin discussions with Capital Hill nonprofit about solar installation

Next meeting: Thursday, June 2, 7:00 p.m. at 1504 Monroe Street., N.W., WDC 20010

Comment by Steve Seuser on May 22, 2011 at 10:27pm

The rally in front of Pepco on Friday May 20 was  a great event!  There was an awesome turn out, fantastic banners, great chanting and great spirit! The DC Police Department closed off a lane in the street in front of Pepco-- Their flashing bright lights and quiet, calm presence helped make the event even more substantial than it would have otherwise. Pepco sent out a security guard to film the participants. Local TV was there to cover the event.  DC RISE UP was there, with megaphones and bags of coal to pass out to share holders as they entered the building.  Tom Kelly-our fearless DC SUN Pepco trouble shooter—rocked sun shaped temporary tatoos  on his recently bald head! Tom brought his custom printed "Power from the People" signs with lightning bolts to the event.  Thanks to all of you that showed up! YOU REALLY MADE MY DAY!!!

Inside John Capozzi (Ward 7 Coop leader) spoke about his intention to introduce a shareholder resolution to require Pepco to affirmatively address climate change. He spoke about his interest as a shareholder in seeing Pepco embrace solar as a money making enterprise and suggested that Pepco might help finance and or market solar to residential customers. John said that Pepco was missing huge opportunities in this area.

John Rigby Pepco CEO expressed concern and said he wanted to address John's issues before John felt compelled to come back to the shareholder meeting next year! He offered to personally meet with John in the near future!

Inside, Anya Schoolman (DC Sun and MTP Solar Coop leader) spoke about Pepco's roll out of smart meters and smart grid and their apparent hostility to solar in general. She said that as a shareholder she was concerned that Pepco was turning the environmental and solar advocacy community into enemies instead of potential allies in the building of a new energy economy. She mentioned that there had been a number of complaints filed with the PSC. She also mentioned that Pepco's actions were engendering resentment that would translate into real regulatory risk affecting the bottom line of Pepco shareholders.

After the meeting, both John and Anya were approached by a number of senior executives from the Pepco team. Charles R. Dickerson, Vice President, Customer Care mentioned the November 2010 meeting with DC Sun and Pepco management in the office of DC Council member Bowser. Anya replied that there has been zero follow up since that meeting.  Important news however, he announced that the staff of the Green Power Connection Team has been tripled! So maybe Lisa Bladen will have some help, and you won't be put on hold for 45 minutes any longer? I look forward to your reports.

Also,  John Huffman, President of Pepco Energy Services expressed interest in meeting with us and working collaboratively with the Coops. Although PES works on efficiency and solar for large commercial and government buildings we suggested there might be ways to collaborate--for example, by bringing the Solar Coops in on a bulk purchase of PV panels to bring our price/watt down significantly.  We would love your ideas on how we might take advantage of PES new  “interest” in finding common ground with the Coops.

 

posted by Anya Schoolman

Mt. Pleasant Solar Coop and

www.dcsun.org

 

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