It’s crazy how time flies. We’re in April, and the launch of the iPad is moments away. Soon, I’m sure many of you will be tapping away at energy monitors and stuff. While you’re doing that, make sure to come back and catch up on any March coverage that you didn’t get. Also, if you like what you’re reading, get updates with Twitter or Facebook and share what you like. Here’s the list: Prefab & Homes: Backyard Box Modern Efficient…

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It’s crazy how time flies. We’re in April, and the launch of the iPad is moments away. Soon, I’m sure many of you will be tapping away at energy monitors and stuff. While you’re doing that, make sure to come back and catch up on any March coverage that you didn’t get. Also, if you like what you’re reading, get updates with Twitter or Facebook and share what you like. Here’s the list: Prefab & Homes: Backyard Box Modern Efficient…

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For more information and to register, please click here.

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First Annual Green Finance Series

A Constellation of Events Presented by the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and ACRE at NYU-Polytechnic

Public and private sources of capital talk about current equity and debt programs to fund businesses and projects in the green space. Find out from government and non-government experts how best to fit their offerings with your business projects and investment needs.

Speakers include:

Diana Pangestu of Solar One (NYSERDA Programs)
Kevin Stone of Kevin Stone International, Inc. (SBA & other loans)
Michelle Bhattacharyya of NYC Business Solutions (NYC, Seedco, community based funding)
Michael Huerta, Bright Path Energy (private equity/Wall St capital markets)
Edward Wu, Senior Partner, Cora Capital Advisors
Sean Patrick Neill, Managing Director, Transcend Equity Development Corp.
William G. Lashbrook, III, Senior VP, PNC Real Estate
Betty McCain, VP, Citibank

Moderated by Ann Kayman, CEO, New York Grant Company

Presented at ConEdison, Con Edison
4 Irving Place, 19th Floor

$15/$25, please click here to register.

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March 31,2010 –

Want to know which among the new "high-efficiency" solar cells is the "real deal?" Don’t look at the press-release numbers, suggests Coherent’s Finlay Colville — start by examining their journey in terms of process flows an…….

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In New Zealand, One Cool Habitat is shipping tiny container habitats all across the globe. Whether you’re looking for extra space for a home office, studio, or anything else, this 160 square-foot space comes with a clean slate ready to be customized inside. The habitat is built with a 20-foot container, composite panels, and, of course, strategically placed windows. The base model starts at $29,500, according to Inhabitat. [+] Learn more about One Cool Habitat. Photo credits: One Cool Habitat;…

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Solar, Green Daily

Peder and Julie Nordby, two southern California residents, can proudly announce that both their homes and their beloved Mini E operate “virtually free” of charge. You see, the Nordbys are part of an ever-growing group of people nationwide who have decided to harness the power of the sun. They’ve installed solar panels on the rooftop of their home to meet their electrical needs and can proudly say that they no longer rely upon the grid for juice.

The solar panels located on their rooftop generate 12,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. That much power is enough to power the entire home (9,000 kWh) and their Mini E (3,000 kWh). Generating all of the power consumed for their yearly use makes their home and driving needs a zero-energy-from-the-grid experience.

Yes, there is an upfront cost associated with the solar panels and an additional cost for purchasing an EV over a traditional vehicle, but its trivial when put into perspective. For example, the Nordbys figure the cost of equipment needed to power the Mini E comes in at $8,000. A replacement inverter will need to be purchased for $2,000 every ten years, bringing the total to $10,000. If a conventional vehicle is driven 12,000 miles per year at current gas rates, and driven for 10 years, fuel would cost north of $20,000, a difference of $10,000 which should make up the price difference for a EV over a traditional vehicle.

Upfront cost is a significant concern for many buyers. EVs cost more than traditional vehicles, and solar panels are expensive. But what price tag can you put on making your own electricity, eliminating your dependency on foreign oil and breaking away from the electrical grid? Let’s not forget to mention, no more blackouts from downed power lines. What’s that worth?

[Source: Green Car Advisor]

California couple powers home - and Mini E - with sunshine originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Job openings have been a bit slow of late, given the recession and wintry weather, but it doesn’t take much of a pickup in business to create imbalance between jobs in line to be completed and the skilled workers necessary to get that work done. So groSolar, a leading solar installer, and One Block Off the Grid (1BOG), the famed community-buying organization, have combined to form a job training partnership program that puts job prospects onto solar rooftops and provides installers with an opportunity to teach their skills and gain some cheap labor.

A pilot program in Richmond, California, called Solar Richmond, has been successful and 1BOG and groSolar (installation partner on 1BOG projects) are looking to expand to other communities. Participants attend a series of construction, energy efficiency and solar training programs. Upon graduation from the program, they are placed in temporary, paid, on-the-job training programs.

1BOG, groSolar and the homeowners purchasing a given solar array each contribute to the cost of paying for the trainee’s wages. In the case of 20-year-old Clifton Broussard, as reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, the three parties paid $112 each to pay for Clifton’s experience. While the job is only temporary, it helps to ensure that he will step to the front of the line when the need for help picks up which, said groSolar CEO Jeff Wolfe, is an inevitability.

The Solar Richmond program is part of an overall community-building effort from 1BOG and its partners. It is an effort to maintain a self-sustaining local solar industry, where solar installations in a city will have maximum positive impact in that community. A well-trained, skilled workforce is vital to achieving that goal.

And the installers have no problem passing off their valuable experience and knowledge to a new set of solar workers. Any employer knows the value of finding an employee with an already established set of skills, as training is a major cost to employers in any industry.

Since Solar Richmond started training in August of 2007, some 90 graduates have sought careers in solar installation. 23 have landed permanent jobs and another 32 have found temporary work as extra help for solar contractors. If that success seem moderate, bear in mind that these trainees were looking for work during the darkest times the solar industry has seen since it took off early last decade. The majority of the students have found at least some work, and they are now part of a growing but still small skill set and industry that is destined to continue rising, with 2010 expected by many to be a breakout year for solar power.

Photo Credit: Climate Change Action

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