As we noted here a few weeks ago, the draft for a new version of U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program was released for…

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Filed under: Etc., Solar, Legislation and Policy, USA

With the cost of fuels and the environmental toll of traditional carbon-based sources of electricity generation quickly climbing, solar power in America has become so popular that the government has placed a moratorium on the building of any such projects on Western public land. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has decided to initiate a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) in conjunction with the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess the “environmental, social, and economic impacts” that solar installations could have on some of the 119 million acres that it manages in six Western states. While the PEIS is being conducted, no new applications for solar plants will be accepted and the 125 applications already received - which could generate up to 70 billion watts or enough power for 20 million homes - will be the object of their scrutiny. All this effort is being undertaken to, ahem, “increase domestic energy production and ensure greater energy security.” According to the New York Times, the PEIS could take two years.

Those folks hoping that the electricity they feed into their Chevy Volts and Apteras in the coming years would be supplied by increasingly carbon-free energy sources may take heart that their voices have not been left out of this process. Comments from the public are encouraged at the Solar Energy Development Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Solar Energy Development PEIS) website. Of course, we also appreciate your comments as well.

[Source: New York Times]

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For everyone who has been wondering about what is happening at Solar One on July 4th, wonder no more. We will once again be working with Rooftop Films to sandwich some great music and short films around the (insert favorite sandwich filling) that are the Macy’s East River fireworks display. Once again we will offer a front row seat for the fireworks - word is we might even have a better view this year if that’s possible), plus great refreshments (some free from 5-7pm). Tickets are $30 and the proceeds go to support Solar One and Rooftop Films - two great non-profit organizations that (we hope) make New York City a more informed and more entertaining place to live. For full details and to purchase tickets, please head on over the the Rooftop Films site for the event.

The event will start at 5pm and everyone needs to be on site by 6pm in order to comply with NYPD rules that will have access blocked off after that time. Please note that in the case of inclement weather, our event will be happening as long as the fireworks are still happening. If the fireworks are moved to a different night (likely Saturday), we will honor all tickets. Otherwise, tickets are non-refundable.

If you have any questions, please call us at (212) 505-6050. Now here’s a photo from last year to whet your appetite.

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Just a little over a year ago, on May 4, 2007, Greensburg, Kansas was smashed by a tornado that pretty much decimated everything. Since that time, the city has made…

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Filed under: Etc., Solar, Legislation and Policy, USA

With the cost of fuels and the environmental toll of traditional carbon-based sources of electricity generation quickly climbing, solar power in America has become so popular that the government has placed a moratorium on the building of any such projects on Western public land. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has decided to initiate a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) in conjunction with the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess the “environmental, social, and economic impacts” that solar installations could have on some of the 119 million acres that it manages in six Western states. While the PEIS is being conducted, no new applications for solar plants will be accepted and the 125 applications already received - which could generate up to 70 billion watts or enough power for 20 million homes - will be the object of their scrutiny. All this effort is being undertaken to, ahem, “increase domestic energy production and ensure greater energy security.” According to the New York Times, the PEIS could take two years.

Those folks hoping that the electricity they feed into their Chevy Volts and Apteras in the coming years would be supplied by increasingly carbon-free energy sources may take heart that their voices have not been left out of this process. Comments from the public are encouraged at the Solar Energy Development Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Solar Energy Development PEIS) website. Of course, we also appreciate your comments as well.

[Source: New York Times]

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National Semiconductor is entering the photovoltaic market with new technology designed to increase the effectiveness of solar panels under variable light conditions. National’s SolarMagic™ technology recoups up to 50 percent of the lost energy, dramatically improving the economics in shaded and other real-world conditions. The SolarMagic technology maximizes the energy output of each solar panel, compensating for much of the energy lost due to shadows from tree branches or power lines, dust and debris, and panel-to-panel mismatch.

Today’s solar installations are disproportionately impacted by shading conditions, which significantly limits the design, location, and energy output of typical residential solar installations. Shading conditions can even invalidate local and government incentives, making these installations cost-prohibitive. National’s SolarMagic technology minimizes the system impact of shading and other outdoor conditions, maximizing the energy output of each solar panel.

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By means of this agreement, Trina Solar will supply Espanyol with 500 KW of photovoltaic modules for the construction of a roof-top PV installation in the club’s new Stadium. Moreover Trina Solar will be the official sponsor of the rear part of the T-shirt of the football team for the next 3 football seasons.

This announcement was held at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona with great attendance of sports, general and renewable energy media. The event was presented by the club’s CEO, Mr. Pedro Tomás; Marketing Director, Mr Adolfo Bara, as well as by Trina Solar’s Vice-President of Sales & Marketing, Mr. Arturo Herrero, and Marketing & Communication Manager for Europe, Ms. Vanessa Membrive.

According to Mr Bara, “For Espanyol it is a great opportunity to work together with a large multinational company like Trina Solar, who has a strong bet on new technologies and renewable energies. It is very important for us that a leader in the solar sector believes in our project”.

“We are very excited to have reached this co-operation agreement with RCD Espanyol” remarked Mr Herrero, “since it means participating in the building of an ecological football stadium, pioneer in Spain and an example to follow around the world. For an international PV module manufacturer like Trina Solar, this commitment confirms the clear bet of the company for a sustainable expansion as we become a reference in the sector in Europe. We are very proud to count on this flagship PV installation and to work together with a well-known Spanish Premier League football team such as Espanyol, performing very well in the Spanish Liga, one of the most important football leagues in the world.”

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Solar-power generation in Pima County would more than double by the end of the year — and could more than double again the following year — if the city of Tucson, the University of Arizona and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base attract bidders for four large solar projects.

The two largest projects — a photovoltaic array on up to 350 acres at the base and a similar-sized array at the city’s water recharge site in Avra Valley — would each generate at least 1 megawatt (a million watts) of power initially.

In all, the three governments are planning a minimum of 3.1 megawatts of solar generation, which could eventually grow to 10 or more megawatts. Currently, about 1,500 kilowatts of power (1.5 megawatts) are generated from solar panels in Pima County.

Most of the projects would be power-purchase agreements, in which contractors would build and own the systems. They could claim tax and environmental credits and recoup costs with the sale of power to the governmental entity.

“These are really big — some of the largest ones in the country,” said Dennis Dickerson, environmental planning coordinator for the Pima Association of Governments. “The good news is people have really realized we’re looking at an energy transformation,” he said.

Rising energy prices and increased efficiency have combined to make solar-power generation more economical, he said, though the arithmetic still depends on federal tax credits that run out at the end of this year. That’s why the UA and one of the city’s projects require that installation be completed by the end of the year.

Both the city and UA plan expansion of the projects if solar-energy tax credits are extended by Congress. Governments can’t use tax credits, but contractors can claim them and reduce the cost for purchase of the systems or the power they generate.

The UA is currently prevented from generating more than 500 kilowatts of power from solar under the terms of its agreement with Tucson Electric Power. Both sides want to change that agreement, which would need approval from the Arizona Corporation Commission, said Tom Thompson, assistant to UA Senior Vice President Joel Valdez.

“We’re all working to change those rules,” said TEP spokesman Joe Salkowski. “When those rules were written, the prospect of large-scale photovoltaic generation was not on anybody’s radar,” he said.

Thompson said the university would prefer to start small anyway. “The idea is to put on suitable university roofs a small number, to begin with, of photovoltaic generators and see how it goes,” he said… read the rest

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Gathered around a mock roof in the middle of a workshop at the Louisiana Technical College Jefferson campus this week, 13 potential solar panel installers analyzed a quartet of photovoltaic panels mounted in a continuous row. The group had spent the past two days in class learning the basics of solar technology installation, and they seemed ready to put their skills to use.

“Do they have to be all together like that?” asked Larry Chan, chief electrical inspector for the New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits, who attended the course to familiarize himself and his department with solar technology. “See, now I would spread them apart, so there’s room to walk between them.”

Some group members nodded their heads, and they discussed other options for making the panels more accessible. The solar students finished the first part of the training course Wednesday; by the time they complete a second training series in mid-July, they will be solar installers certified by the federal Department of Energy and ready to supply the New Orleans area with renewable energy.

The training course, the first of its kind in the New Orleans area, was partially funded by a $200,000 grant from the Department of Energy, which was given in June 2007 to a total of 13 “Solar Cities” across the country to encourage the use of solar power. The grant was divided between the city’s Office of Recovery and Development Administration; the New Orleans branch of Global Green USA; the Alliance for Affordable Energy, which organized the training course; and New Orleans-based sustainable design consultancy FutureProof.

The city and other recipients are matching the grant with in-kind services, said John McGowan, who last month signed on as energy director for the city of New Orleans. The grant also includes technical support and training from the Department of Energy’s “Tiger Team,” a group of energy experts throughout the country, including the Florida Solar Energy Center, which provided instructors and materials for the training course.

As Louisianians face unprecedented state and federal tax credits offering up to $12,500 off the cost of solar panel systems, solar technology has yet to become a significant trend. A barely-there solar business infrastructure (there are currently five certified solar installers in the entire state, said Forest Bradley-Wright with the Alliance), a lack of public information about the technology and the financial hump of buying a solar system, even with the tax credits, are the main obstacles the grant will tackle through programs such as the solar installation course, McGowan said… read the rest

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The Bureau of Land Management has placed a two year moratorium on new solar power projects proposed for building on public lands.

“Faced with a surge in the number of proposed solar power plants, the federal government has placed a moratorium on new solar projects on public land until it studies their environmental impact, which is expected to take about two years.”

The Bureau of Land Management says an extensive environmental study is needed to determine how large solar plants might affect millions of acres it oversees in six Western states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

Now, this won’t affect any pending proposal–apparently there are about 130 in the works. But at least on face, this ban doesn’t appear to make a lot of sense. It seems to me that there isn’t any reason why the BLM couldn’t study the environmental impacts of solar power while still allowing new proposals–as new information is gathered, the EIR’s for new projects could just be changed accordingly. At a time when we’re giving due consideration to opening up new oil and gas projects on public lands, a freeze on solar power seems counterproductive.

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