Stanberry » solar electric

Army Launches Renewable Energy Initiative

stanberry — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:20:21 +0000

Go Army! The US Army yesterday announced a special task force called the Energy Initiatives Office (EIO) designed to speed up deployment of solar and wind power at its bases. The task force is being created to help meet the Army’s ambitious goal of getting 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2025.

“We view ourselves as a target-rich environment for doing a better job with taxpayer dollars and being good stewards of the environment,” said John McHugh, secretary of the Army during a call with the media today. “To meet our longer-term objectives…we have to do better.”

Courtesy Green Tech CNET News

Largest Ever Solar Farm In Vermont

stanberry — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 09:23:17 +0000

The largest solar installation to date in Vermont was commissioned this week as 382 solar trackers came online and into position perpendicular to the sun– using an iPhone!

Produced by AllEarth Renewables, the 382 AllSun Trackers were manufactured just four miles from the site of the solar farm, and make up the 2.2 MW farm in South Burlington.

The pole-mounted trackers use innovative GPS and wireless technology to actively follow the sun throughout the day, producing more than 40 percent more energy than fixed solar.

Using inverters on each tracker to boost energy performance, this project is the largest solar installation in North America to use such a configuration .

This info courtesy of Solar Energy News. Read more here:

http://www.brighterenergy.org/25251/news/solar/iphone-puts-finishing-touch-to-vermonts-largest-solar-farm/

Green Mountain Energy Launches Solar Lease Program in Texas

stanberry — Tue, 03 May 2011 04:20:06 +0000

Green Mountain Energy Company has launched an affordable new lease program to offer installation and service of solar electric arrays on homes. The goal is to encourage the use of solar electricity across Texas by making it affordable and hassle free to get started. The program, launched today, is called Renewable Rewards® Solar Lease program. It includes service provisions, financing, and an energy buy back program. You do not have to be a current customer to use the program, and you can find out more at www.greenmountain.com/solar.

State Department Reduces Footprint

stanberry — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:26:29 +0000

“The Department of State is pleased to announce that it has taken an important step in reducing its environmental footprint by making renewable energy a significant portion of its electric portfolio. The Department has entered into a competitive based energy savings agreement to procure clean energy that is expected to be cost-neutral over the term of the agreement. This action supports the Department’s commitment to be a responsible environmental steward under Executive Order 13514 and enables the Department to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30~35% compared to FY2008 by December 2012, far surpassing our previous stated goal of 20% by 2020. Under this agreement the Department is tapping into the nation’s growing renewable energy market through Constellation Energy, which is investing in wind and solar photovoltaic energy. This innovative solution is a joint effort with Unicor/Federal Prison Industries utilizing their unique contracting and renewable energy expertise — providing reliable clean energy to the State Department at set prices for the next 20 years. The joint effort exemplifies how effective and innovative federal agencies can be when they work together and leverage public-private partnerships. The President announced during the State of the Union the goal of promoting new sources of renewable energy and utilizing the purchasing power of the government to advance this objective — including a goal of 80% clean energy for the nation by 2035. This energy savings agreement demonstrates a concrete example of our nation’s commitment to clean energy technologies and leading by example.”

Clean Tech Growth is Exploding!

stanberry — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:36:53 +0000

Clean tech is following an upswing in momentum similar to what happened with telephones, computers, and the internet; according to research firm Clean Edge, Inc. In the last decade, the industry has blossomed into a real economic heavyweight, and there’s more to come.

Nearly one quarter of all venture capital in the U.S. right now goes into clean tech ventures, compared with less than 1% in 2000. With that kind of investment, we can expect to see this market segment take off. Now that’s progress!

The solar photovoltaics market grew an average of 40% every year over the past decade, from 2.5 billion in 200o to $71.2 billion in 2010. The average cost of installing solar has dropped by almost half. The wind industry grew similarly, with an average of 30% growth per year from $4.5 billion to $60.5 billion last year.

More than 1.4 million hybrid cars are on U.S. roads now, compared to less than 10,000 only ten years ago, and companies involved in green construction and the smart grid are proliferating, according to the report. Thank you, Clean Edge, for the reminder that we are indeed making progress in this arena– and the head’s up that the momentum is building!

Read more in the excellent LA Times article here: http://tinyurl.com/4rb5t7p

Round Rock Couple Creates Five Star Energy Efficient Home

stanberry — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:52:42 +0000

Cripes! Round Rock residents Karen and Dan Cripe have received mixed reactions since moving into their new home in July—from curiosity to awe to confusion. Twenty-four solar panels line the metal roof of their 1,440-square-foot house, the most noticeable feature in their efforts to conserve energy. Almost every aspect of the couple’s home—down to their choice of paint, appliances, faucets and light bulbs—was created with the goal of reducing their carbon footprint.

Our well respected builder friend, Wayne Jeansonne of Solluna Builders, who helped build the house, said it is the first house in Round Rock to qualify for any kind of AEGB rating, let alone receive five stars.

Jeansonne said homes must meet 18 indicators in order to even receive a rating and must rack up 125 points to earn five stars—the highest possible rating. The Cripes’ home received 180 points.

Read the full article, with details about their energy saving, sustainable building choices at :

http://tinyurl.com/4neewje

Clean Energy Firm: The Way of the Future

stanberry — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 19:57:04 +0000

President Barack Obama touted gains made by a Wisconsin renewable energy firm as the kind of innovation that will bolster the United States.

Obama, in his weekly address on the White House website, appeared in a video from the Orion Energy Systems factory in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a site he visited earlier this week.

He returned to the theme of driving American innovation through a mix of government action and private initiative that he outlined in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday.

“I’m here because this business and others like it are showing us the way forward,” Obama said in the weekly address.

Obama said in the coming days he will highlight “innovators across America” who are relying on new technology to create jobs, and allow U.S. firms to beat competitors.

“We’ll win the future by being the best place on Earth to do business. That is what we are called to do at this moment. And in my State of the Union, I talked about how we get there,” he said.

To spark innovation, the United States will need to invest in education, infrastructure and online networks, Obama said. He also advocated for tax breaks for company research and the need to set a goal for the United States to obtain 80 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2035.

Orion relied on a small business loan and clean energy incentives to open its factory in a Manitowoc facility vacated by another local employer years ago, Obama said.

The factory now employs 250 workers who build clean energy systems with solar power and other sustainable technology.

Read the full text from Reuters Green Business section here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/29/us-obama-address-idUSTRE70S3H120110129

Renewable Energy+Texas=Jobs and Revenue!

stanberry — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 03:09:26 +0000

There is a wonderful article from Triple Pundit (Planet, People, Profit) that elaborates on the many ways Texas is perfect for a rousing renewable energy future. Plus, the Lone Star State has already met its goal of having 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity 15 years ahead of schedule.

Now an independent foundation released a report stating that Texas’s renewable energy future could include almost 23,000 jobs a year and $2.7 billion in local and state tax revenues. Could clean tech follow high tech and biotech as Texas giants?

The report, announced earlier this week at the State Capitol in Austin, is the work of the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation. In sum, the study proposes the state could become a catalyst for the renewable energy industry, and envisions three scenarios:

For an approximate $13 increase in residential energy bills, the state could gain a 20% growth in its renewable energy capacity, which in turn would create the best possible scenario, the presumed 22,900 additional clean energy jobs added annually. State revenues would also reach the aforementioned $2.7 billion mark. Many residents would probably balk at this—or would the “price of a postage stamp” daily argument work?
In a baseline scenario, a statewide $4 utility bill increase would create about 6000 new jobs annually, and net a 15% percent increase in Texas’s renewable energy capacity. Texas would also gain close to $1 billion in revenues, with the state and municipalities splitting that gain about 80-20%.
If Texas stays the course, there would be some modest growth in job creation, economic growth and tax revenues, but nothing approaching the baseline or best-possible scenarios

Read the rest here: http://tinyurl.com/2ubknlr

Austin Energy Solar for Schools Program

stanberry — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:45:42 +0000

Through the highly successful Solar for Schools Program, Austin Energy has set an ambitious goal of completing nearly 50 solar installations at schools in the Austin Energy service area by the end of 2010. The utility recently completed an additional six schools, bringing the total number to 28. The estimated savings for those 28 schools is 120,744 kWh annually and is expected to reduce Austin Energy’s peak demand by 17 kW. Another 20 solar systems are expected to be installed at schools throughout the year.

Read the full article here:

http://www.austinenergy.com/About%20Us/Newsroom/Press%20Releases/2010/solarSchools.htm

Green Jobs Rise as Sustainable Building Increases

stanberry — Mon, 31 May 2010 21:33:08 +0000

In the Energy Policy Examiner, Clifford Bryan writes about the many green jobs that are showing up as sustainable building practices increase demand for green construction workers.

The factors that differentiate “green” construction derive from a new set of expectations relating to structures and their function. Green buildings aim to maximize efficiency in their use of water, energy and other resources, to minimize waste, pollution, or other contributions to environmental degradation, and to create environments that contribute to health and productivity.

The Green Jobs Guidebook (Environmental Defense Fund 2008), thought by many to be the definitive green jobs report to date, lists 41 job classifications directly related to green building. Among them: Green Building Project Design and Development; Green Building Design and Engineering; Green Building Operations; Energy Efficiency Services and Installation. Other green jobs that relate to construction include: Solar Power Installation; Maintenance, Development and Manufacturing; Wind Power Installation; Geothermal Operation and Development; Plant Environmental; Health and Safety Facility Positions; Environmental Consulting; Municipal Waste Treatment and Recycling.

In addition to new methods and materials, the culture of the green construction site can be different. According to Bill Stough, “maximizing energy efficiency and material efficiency so there is less waste being generated on a construction site – the waste that is generated on the construction site is reused to the maximum extent possible.” For example, deconstructing a building in preparation for new construction is another aspect of high performance building standards that requires special training. Recycling of building materials and debris left over from clearing the site earns points for green building certification through programs such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. In addition, secondary jobs are created in the marketing of the refuse – jobs for processing the material and making it ready for use in other, less valuable products, called “downcycling”