Even before Town Meeting voted to make Natick a Green Community in the spring, the town has been looking for opportunities to use green technologies around town.
But this year the town has started use the $175,000 boost from the state to lay the groundwork for more green energy projects in Natick.
Natick has opened a relationship with the company Ameresco, which will install, own and operate a photovoltaic solar array on the roof of Kennedy Middle School. The town has agreed to buy the electricity the solar panels generate at between $.03 and $.06 per kilowatt hour, much lower than the current rate of $.18, and saving the town more than $15,000 per year in electricity costs.
In return, Ameresco gets $74,000 from the state Green Communities grant, and rights to trade the state and federal energy tax credits. The solar array will be placed on Kennedy’s roof in the summer of 2011.
Part of Natick’s deal with Ameresco is to explore similar opportunities on the other town-owned buildings according to Bob Bois, the town’s conservation agent.
“Phase two is to evaluate solar and to select solar sites on the other 18 or 19 town buildings, or a solar generation site at the gravel pit,” Bois said.
The Natick Community Organic Farm, which has been using solar greenhouses to grow salad greens through the winters for decades, has had solar panels on the barn roof since 2008. Before the panels were installed, the farm’s electricity costs exceeded $8,000, executive director Lynda Simkins said. This year, the electricity costs at the farm are closer to $2,700, she said.
“It’s been very beneficial for us; it’s very beneficial to put these alternative energy projects on public land, so the community can see them,” Simkins said.
The new Natick High School and the new Senior Center are also being built with energy efficiency as a top priority. The high school is striving for a platinum-level LEED certification - the highest possible designation - and has several energy saving methods planned.
The school will have it’s own solar array, and will feature a “gray water” system that captures an estimated 600,000 gallons of rainwater a year to use for flushing toilets and other non-drinking uses. Rooms in the new school will have smart controls that will shut off lights and regulate temperature, and the building will maximize sunlight for day lighting and heat.
Peter Sanchioni, Natick’s superintendent of schools, said much of the reason the district chose to model the new high school on the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in Whitman was it’s incredible energy efficiency.
“It’s going to cost us less than the current building, thanks to these systems,” Sanchioni said. “We looked at all the models, and this was one of the most energy efficient buildings out there.”
Bois said the town is also exploring the possibility of having an electric car charging station at the new high school; Boise said Natick is looking at several different locations for a charging station, planning for future needs of electric-only vehicles.
Replacing the current fleet of vehicles is another large opportunity for the town to save on energy costs, Bois said. There are 17 vehicles currently in use that will be replaced by either a hybrid/electric vehicle, or a more fuel efficient model.
The town is also replacing older fixtures with more efficient lighting, upgrading motors in water pumps and finding other opportunities to get more energy efficient.
Bois said the town has reduced its energy use by 8 percent since 2005, and greenhouse gas production by 7 percent.
“We’ve taken on the cause, and pushed the envelope,” Bois said. “Those to projects are an example of walking the walk.”
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
US Approval for Solar Development
The U.S. government gave preliminary approval for solar energy projects at 24 sites on federal land in six states, potentially accelerating the development process.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the Environmental Protection Agency, announced the "solar energy zones" during a conference call today.
Approving sites before energy companies seek permission to build on them means developers may avoid such expensive and time-consuming steps as evaluating the potential impact upon the environment and identifying the best use of existing transmission lines.
“We are working hard to rapidly and responsibly develop renewable energy on public lands,” Salazar said today on a conference call. The sites could support up to 24,000 megawatts of solar power on 214,000 acres, he said.
Salazar last month began a similar study of optimal areas to place wind turbines off the Atlantic Coast, resolving potential conflicts with state and environmental regulators over shipping lanes, bird migration paths and tourism.
The streamlined process for approving solar parks on federal may help developers such as BrightSource Energy Inc. and NTR Plc’s Tessera Solar, which are building some of the 1,800 megawatts of projects approved by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management in the past two months.
For solar projects, federal agencies evaluated 675,000 acres for potential development in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.
Environmental groups objected to some of the sites, saying they are too close to national parks or could endanger sensitive wildlife populations. One such area is the 110,000-acre Iron Mountain zone, which is located between the Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Desert National Preserve.
The Wilderness Society studied the 24 areas initially suggested by the Bureau of Land Management and identified just five zones where it supported solar development.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the Environmental Protection Agency, announced the "solar energy zones" during a conference call today.
Approving sites before energy companies seek permission to build on them means developers may avoid such expensive and time-consuming steps as evaluating the potential impact upon the environment and identifying the best use of existing transmission lines.
“We are working hard to rapidly and responsibly develop renewable energy on public lands,” Salazar said today on a conference call. The sites could support up to 24,000 megawatts of solar power on 214,000 acres, he said.
Salazar last month began a similar study of optimal areas to place wind turbines off the Atlantic Coast, resolving potential conflicts with state and environmental regulators over shipping lanes, bird migration paths and tourism.
The streamlined process for approving solar parks on federal may help developers such as BrightSource Energy Inc. and NTR Plc’s Tessera Solar, which are building some of the 1,800 megawatts of projects approved by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management in the past two months.
For solar projects, federal agencies evaluated 675,000 acres for potential development in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.
Environmental groups objected to some of the sites, saying they are too close to national parks or could endanger sensitive wildlife populations. One such area is the 110,000-acre Iron Mountain zone, which is located between the Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Desert National Preserve.
The Wilderness Society studied the 24 areas initially suggested by the Bureau of Land Management and identified just five zones where it supported solar development.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Malaysia Solar Panels
IPOH: Malaysia is currently fine-tuning a blueprint to attract high-value capital intensive investments in solar energy production.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Government was working on building strong research and development (R&D) to support innovation in the solar production value chain.
Government agencies will provide the necessary support platform to identify research areas, he said before officiating at the ground-breaking ceremony of Twin Creeks Malaysia Sdn Bhd's RM1bil high-power solar cells production plant in the Kanthan Industrial Area here yesterday.
He said the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry had established a solar R&D laboratory to innovate the next generation thin film and crystalline solar technology.
At the same time, the ministry via Sirim is also establishing a shared solar test centre, which will provide product certification required and lowering the individual cost of establishing solar manufacturing operations, he added.
Muhyiddin pointed out that solar had been identified in Malaysia's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) roadmap as a major growth area for the country.
By 2020, earmarked Entry Point Projects for the solar industry are expected to provide Gross National Income of RM13.9bil and creating 55,000 jobs, he said.
However, it will require about RM28bil in private investments and a further RM2.9bil in public investments, he added.
Muhyiddin said the solar industry has vast potential for growth.
Solar energy is becoming more economically attractive as technology improves and the cost of electricity generated by fossil fuels rises, he said.
It is more economical in the long run to generate solar power even though the starting cost is high, said Muhyiddin.
Muhyiddin said Malaysia had already attracted several companies manufacturing solar panels and providing raw materials to be used in the industry.
Malaysia is an attractive country as we offer good and customised incentives and we also have adequate skilled manpower, he said.
He also noted that Twin Creeks' foray into Perak was another development that has potential and that the state could be the hub to produce solar energy in the future.
Twin Creeks Malaysia is a joint venture (JV) between US-based Twin Creeks Technologies Inc, Perak State Development Corp and a state government subsidiary, The Red Solar (M) Sdn Bhd.
Red Solar executive chairman Datuk Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff said the JV was signed in June this year to manufacture solar cells, using Twin Creeks' patented technology.
Rais Hussin, who is also Twin Creeks Malaysia chairman and director, said Red Solar would be the exclusive distributor for the solar cells and panels produced by Twin Creeks Malaysia for the country and South-East Asia.
Phase one of the plant would begin with a production capacity of 100 MW in 2012, which would be raised to 500 MW in 2014.
The plant will create 1,000 jobs involving 500 semi-skilled workers, 200 in engineering and the rest in management and supervision.
Twin Creeks Malaysia planned to continue with the second phase construction of the plant in 2015 on 15ha stretching to Perak Hi-Tech Park.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Government was working on building strong research and development (R&D) to support innovation in the solar production value chain.
Government agencies will provide the necessary support platform to identify research areas, he said before officiating at the ground-breaking ceremony of Twin Creeks Malaysia Sdn Bhd's RM1bil high-power solar cells production plant in the Kanthan Industrial Area here yesterday.
He said the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry had established a solar R&D laboratory to innovate the next generation thin film and crystalline solar technology.
At the same time, the ministry via Sirim is also establishing a shared solar test centre, which will provide product certification required and lowering the individual cost of establishing solar manufacturing operations, he added.
Muhyiddin pointed out that solar had been identified in Malaysia's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) roadmap as a major growth area for the country.
By 2020, earmarked Entry Point Projects for the solar industry are expected to provide Gross National Income of RM13.9bil and creating 55,000 jobs, he said.
However, it will require about RM28bil in private investments and a further RM2.9bil in public investments, he added.
Muhyiddin said the solar industry has vast potential for growth.
Solar energy is becoming more economically attractive as technology improves and the cost of electricity generated by fossil fuels rises, he said.
It is more economical in the long run to generate solar power even though the starting cost is high, said Muhyiddin.
Muhyiddin said Malaysia had already attracted several companies manufacturing solar panels and providing raw materials to be used in the industry.
Malaysia is an attractive country as we offer good and customised incentives and we also have adequate skilled manpower, he said.
He also noted that Twin Creeks' foray into Perak was another development that has potential and that the state could be the hub to produce solar energy in the future.
Twin Creeks Malaysia is a joint venture (JV) between US-based Twin Creeks Technologies Inc, Perak State Development Corp and a state government subsidiary, The Red Solar (M) Sdn Bhd.
Red Solar executive chairman Datuk Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff said the JV was signed in June this year to manufacture solar cells, using Twin Creeks' patented technology.
Rais Hussin, who is also Twin Creeks Malaysia chairman and director, said Red Solar would be the exclusive distributor for the solar cells and panels produced by Twin Creeks Malaysia for the country and South-East Asia.
Phase one of the plant would begin with a production capacity of 100 MW in 2012, which would be raised to 500 MW in 2014.
The plant will create 1,000 jobs involving 500 semi-skilled workers, 200 in engineering and the rest in management and supervision.
Twin Creeks Malaysia planned to continue with the second phase construction of the plant in 2015 on 15ha stretching to Perak Hi-Tech Park.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Solar Projects for New Jersey
Solar energy is the cool, new kid in the Lehigh Valley and northwest New Jersey right now.
Roughly 20 solar energy projects have been proposed or finished in the region during the last year."(We) have more projects going on now than we ever have," said Jennifer Beattie, a marketing coordinator for Vanguard Energy Partners, a New Jersey-based company that opened a Bethlehem office in June.
Residents, worried about solar farms' effect on their property values and other issues, are less-excited about the trend.
Read the complete report: Several of region’s solar power projects spurring opposition.
Immobile solar panels serve the purpose, but solar panels that track the sun are more space-efficient and equally effective, according to Leo Day, of Quality Industrial Services.
His company represents MGK Solar, the Brookville, Pa.,-based business.
"Most of the systems that you see out there are fixed systems ... that’s what they’re used to seeing," he said, referring to people who express concerns about the footprint created by a solar farm. "They don’t really know of anything else. What I’m trying to do is offer an option."
Roughly 20 solar energy projects have been proposed or finished in the region during the last year."(We) have more projects going on now than we ever have," said Jennifer Beattie, a marketing coordinator for Vanguard Energy Partners, a New Jersey-based company that opened a Bethlehem office in June.
Residents, worried about solar farms' effect on their property values and other issues, are less-excited about the trend.
Read the complete report: Several of region’s solar power projects spurring opposition.
Immobile solar panels serve the purpose, but solar panels that track the sun are more space-efficient and equally effective, according to Leo Day, of Quality Industrial Services.
His company represents MGK Solar, the Brookville, Pa.,-based business.
"Most of the systems that you see out there are fixed systems ... that’s what they’re used to seeing," he said, referring to people who express concerns about the footprint created by a solar farm. "They don’t really know of anything else. What I’m trying to do is offer an option."
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Solar Tax Credits and Politics
Solar and wind advocates hailed the United States Senate’s move Thursday night to extend for another year a key incentive program for big renewable energy projects. But they warned that another provision of the tax compromise under consideration could devastate the industry.
First the good news for green energy proponents: If the tax bill passes in its present form, developers will be able to receive through 2011 a federal cash grant to cover 30 percent of the cost of solar power plants, wind farms and other large renewable energy projects.
Enacted as part of the 2009 stimulus package, the Treasury cash grant “1603” program was offered as an alternative to a 30 percent investment tax credit that few developers had use for as they typically have no profits to offset. And so-called tax equity investors who would buy those credits from renewable energy developers in exchange for financing their projects largely disappeared as the recession took hold.
The cash grant program is set to expire at midnight on Dec. 31, which led California and federal regulators to green light nearly 3,000 megawatts’ worth of solar power plants over the past three months, with two more projects expected to be approved next week.
But that building boom is likely to go bust unless the cash grant program is extended.
“An extension of the program will keep our U.S. industry growing and help achieve the industry’s goal of installing enough new solar energy to power 2 million new homes each year by 2015,” Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, a Washington, D.C., trade group, said in a statement Friday. “The program has allowed the solar industry to grow by over 100 percent in 2010, create enough new solar capacity to power 200,000 homes and double domestic solar employment to more than 93,000 Americans.”
Of course, this time next year, the solar and wind industries would find themselves in the same exact position. Congress’ failure in past years to enact a long-term extension of a production tax credit for wind developers, for instance, led to a cycle of boom and bust as the tax credit would expire and then later be revived for another year or two.
The industry views cash grants as a more efficient way to fund renewable energy projects than the complicated tax equity market. But in any event, Resch told me last month that if the cash grant is extended another two years, the tax equity market should have recovered enough to provide sufficient financing for solar power plants and wind farms.
Now the bad news: As part of the tax compromise, the Senate is considering allowing companies to claim 100 percent depreciation on capital equipment purchased for the next two years. So far, no concrete language has been written into the bill but the idea is to goose the economy by spurring big-ticket purchases of machinery that can be written off a company’s taxes in one year rather than, say, a decade.
Entrepreneurs like Lyndon Rive, chief executive of SolarCity, a Silicon Valley solar installer, fear that tax equity investors will lose whatever appetite they had for renewable energy projects if they can buy assets that can be depreciated immediately.
“The solar industry is tiny compared to other capitalized assets corporate America buys,” Rive said in an interview. “They won’t buy them because they won’t need to buy them. It will depress demand for solar assets.”
The wouldn’t be a problem next year if the cash grant is extended but would be devastating in 2012 if 100 percent depreciation is available but the cash grant is not, according to Rive.
“It’s great for corporate America but it will be death for solar – it will be worse than financial crisis,” he said.
First the good news for green energy proponents: If the tax bill passes in its present form, developers will be able to receive through 2011 a federal cash grant to cover 30 percent of the cost of solar power plants, wind farms and other large renewable energy projects.
Enacted as part of the 2009 stimulus package, the Treasury cash grant “1603” program was offered as an alternative to a 30 percent investment tax credit that few developers had use for as they typically have no profits to offset. And so-called tax equity investors who would buy those credits from renewable energy developers in exchange for financing their projects largely disappeared as the recession took hold.
The cash grant program is set to expire at midnight on Dec. 31, which led California and federal regulators to green light nearly 3,000 megawatts’ worth of solar power plants over the past three months, with two more projects expected to be approved next week.
But that building boom is likely to go bust unless the cash grant program is extended.
“An extension of the program will keep our U.S. industry growing and help achieve the industry’s goal of installing enough new solar energy to power 2 million new homes each year by 2015,” Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, a Washington, D.C., trade group, said in a statement Friday. “The program has allowed the solar industry to grow by over 100 percent in 2010, create enough new solar capacity to power 200,000 homes and double domestic solar employment to more than 93,000 Americans.”
Of course, this time next year, the solar and wind industries would find themselves in the same exact position. Congress’ failure in past years to enact a long-term extension of a production tax credit for wind developers, for instance, led to a cycle of boom and bust as the tax credit would expire and then later be revived for another year or two.
The industry views cash grants as a more efficient way to fund renewable energy projects than the complicated tax equity market. But in any event, Resch told me last month that if the cash grant is extended another two years, the tax equity market should have recovered enough to provide sufficient financing for solar power plants and wind farms.
Now the bad news: As part of the tax compromise, the Senate is considering allowing companies to claim 100 percent depreciation on capital equipment purchased for the next two years. So far, no concrete language has been written into the bill but the idea is to goose the economy by spurring big-ticket purchases of machinery that can be written off a company’s taxes in one year rather than, say, a decade.
Entrepreneurs like Lyndon Rive, chief executive of SolarCity, a Silicon Valley solar installer, fear that tax equity investors will lose whatever appetite they had for renewable energy projects if they can buy assets that can be depreciated immediately.
“The solar industry is tiny compared to other capitalized assets corporate America buys,” Rive said in an interview. “They won’t buy them because they won’t need to buy them. It will depress demand for solar assets.”
The wouldn’t be a problem next year if the cash grant is extended but would be devastating in 2012 if 100 percent depreciation is available but the cash grant is not, according to Rive.
“It’s great for corporate America but it will be death for solar – it will be worse than financial crisis,” he said.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Solar Promotion in Southern California
Acro Energy Technologies Corp. has joined Wells Fargo to help bring solar energy to Southern California homeowners.
Through the end of the year, Acro Energy and Wells Fargo are offering up to $1,000 in incentives to qualified Southern California homeowners who advance funds from a home equity loan or line of credit in the amount of $15,000 or more to finance the installation of a solar power system.
In addition, Acro Energy is extending to these homeowners its "Instant Solar" rebate program, which pays up to an additional $1,000 towards a customer's electric bills between the time he or she signs a residential solar contract and the completion of the solar system installation. Currently, the offer is limited to customers located in Southern California.
"We're excited to have been selected for this program and to be able to offer even more financing options to our customers," said James Tong, vice president of marketing at Acro Energy. "It's also a big win for everyone when Wells Fargo is promoting solar; it helps counter common misconceptions that solar is unproven or prohibitively expensive."
Through the end of the year, Acro Energy and Wells Fargo are offering up to $1,000 in incentives to qualified Southern California homeowners who advance funds from a home equity loan or line of credit in the amount of $15,000 or more to finance the installation of a solar power system.
In addition, Acro Energy is extending to these homeowners its "Instant Solar" rebate program, which pays up to an additional $1,000 towards a customer's electric bills between the time he or she signs a residential solar contract and the completion of the solar system installation. Currently, the offer is limited to customers located in Southern California.
"We're excited to have been selected for this program and to be able to offer even more financing options to our customers," said James Tong, vice president of marketing at Acro Energy. "It's also a big win for everyone when Wells Fargo is promoting solar; it helps counter common misconceptions that solar is unproven or prohibitively expensive."
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Sanyo Solar Panels for Europe
TOKYO, Dec. 3, 2010 (Kyodo News International) -- Sanyo Electric Co. (OOTC:SANYY) said Friday it will market its new HIT solar cell panels with enhanced energy conversion efficiency in Europe in February next year.
The cell conversion efficiency of the new product is the world's highest at 21.6 percent, 0.5 point higher than Sanyo's conventional products, according to the Panasonic Corp. (NYSE:PC) group firm.
The company has decided to sell the HIT -- short for heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer -- panels first in Europe, where there are many schemes in which electric utilities are obliged to buy renewable electricity as well as high demand for efficient products.
The company has not decided on when to market the product in Japan, it said.
On the global market size of solar cells, Sanyo expects power output to grow to 21 gigawatts in fiscal 2015 from 9 gigawatts in fiscal 2009 ended in March this year due to more demand in such emerging markets as India and China.
The cell conversion efficiency of the new product is the world's highest at 21.6 percent, 0.5 point higher than Sanyo's conventional products, according to the Panasonic Corp. (NYSE:PC) group firm.
The company has decided to sell the HIT -- short for heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer -- panels first in Europe, where there are many schemes in which electric utilities are obliged to buy renewable electricity as well as high demand for efficient products.
The company has not decided on when to market the product in Japan, it said.
On the global market size of solar cells, Sanyo expects power output to grow to 21 gigawatts in fiscal 2015 from 9 gigawatts in fiscal 2009 ended in March this year due to more demand in such emerging markets as India and China.
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