by jboullion | Apr 23, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Rachel Zwirlein on Wisbusiness.com:
VERONA – Motorists have used carports for decades to shield vehicles from the ravages of weather, including paint-fading sun. Now comes an idea for using solar-collecting carports to help power vehicles.
Solar Carport Canopy is a product that can provide an innovative solution for businesses looking to economically power plug-in hybrid vehicles while reducing costs and their carbon footprints.
As a contestant in the Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest, Farhat Iqbal of Verona developed the idea for the Solar Carport and was one of 50 entrants to move to the semi-final phase of the competition.
Iqbal is the president of Silica Solar LLC in Verona. The idea for Solar Carport came from her desire to create a tangible way to use solar energy to generate electricity for plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Solar Carport would be leased to individual firms to recharge company-owned and employee plug-in hybrids throughout the Madison area and beyond.
Although it is mechanically and structurally engineered for Wisconsin winds and snow, Iqbal said, Solar Carport can be used in any location where there is a need.
Businesses are going to start looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprints and non-polluting solutions. “Solar is one of the options,” Iqbal said.
by jboullion | Apr 16, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a fact sheet pubilshed by Focus on Energy:
Pole-mounted solar electric systems offer an excellent opportunity for businesses to display a commitment to renewable energy. Also called solar flags, these systems are economical because they tend to be small. Today, solar flags are seen outside business establishments, in parking lots and in city parks. Not only do solar flags generate electricity, they also promote clean energy technology in a highly visible way.
When most people think of solar panels, they think of roof-mounted systems. However, roof-mounted systems are often hidden from view, partially shaded by trees, or not facing the best direction to capture solar energy. Solar flags can be installed in highly visible locations and positioned optimally to capture sunlight. Installing a solar flag does not involve attaching anything to your building, and the occasional maintenance requirements will not include a trip to the roof. Also, unlike roofmounted systems, pole-mounted solar flags do not need to be removed and reinstalled when the roof is replaced.
Solar electric flags can offer great economics and a relatively low cost. They are available in different sizes and prices (see Table 1). Costs tend to be significantly lower for business owners who pay federal taxes. If your electric utility offers a solar buyback rate, your solar flag can pay for itself in less than ten years. What’s more, some utilities offer additional incentives to nonprofit organizations and government agencies.
by jboullion | Apr 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a fact sheet published by Focus on Energy:
Rising energy costs and concern for energy security and the environment are driving forces in a growing trend to incorporate renewable energy technology into residential housing. Focus on Energy and the Wisconsin ENERGY STAR® Homes Program recognize this as an opportunity for builders. The following checklist of building details is a first step to promote and market the construction of new homes that are built “ready” for future renewable energy installations.
PLANNING AHEAD IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO
To maximize the potential benefit of any future solar renewable energy system, the following should be considered when planning and building a home.
1. Reduce loads
Reduce or minimize energy loads where possible through the home’s heating, cooling, water heating and electrical systems. At a minimum the home should satisfy the Wisconsin ENERGY STAR Homes Program building performance standards and, where possible, incorporate ENERGY STAR qualified lighting, appliances and HVAC systems.
2. Maximize solar access
To maximize solar access, face the roof surface and pitch within 30 degrees of due south. The roof should be unobstructed from both the winter and summer sun and have a slope of between 30 degrees and 60 degrees. For more information on solar access, see the Passive Solar Design fact sheet or contact the Focus on Energy Renewable Energy Program at 800.762.7077 for solar site assessment information.
3. Follow zoning laws and applicable codes
Wisconsin State law does not allow zoning or covenants that restrict the use of a solar energy system except for reasons of health and safety. Also investigate applicable Uniform Dwelling Code and the National Electric Code as they pertain to any pre-installation requirements.
by jboullion | Apr 8, 2009 | Uncategorized
Prairie Solar Power & Light, headed by Rich Bannen (in the cowboy hat, third from right), installed the solar system for Reedsburg Utility.
From a news release issued by Reedsburg Utility:
Electric customers in Reedsburg are benefitting from a new application of solar power in the city. The community-owned utility recently installed an array of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels at the Reedsburg Area High School.
Reedsburg Utility installed a dual axis tracker with a peak output of 3.584, providing approximately 6,000 kilowatt-hours of emissions-free electricity each year.
“It is our objective to be a model for the use of renewable energy,” said Jim Schieble, Energy Services Representative. “By supporting community-wide renewable projects, Reedsburg Utility is illustrating the practical use of renewable energy and enticing customers to do the same.”
Solar PV systems collect energy from sunlight and convert it into electricity, providing renewable, emissions-free energy. These highly visible projects demonstrate the technology, while educating the community on their benefits, operation and performance. The solar unit will provide education and student involvement for many years to come at RAHS, said Dave Mikonowicz, General Manager of Reedsburg Utility.
Reedsburg Utility pursued various grant opportunities, including funding from its power supplier WPPI Energy, to help fund the purchase and installation of the solar PV systems. The project is contracted through Prairie Solar Power & Light of Priarie Du Chien and became operational on March 30, 2009.
by jboullion | Apr 1, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a column by Dave Skoloda in the Coulee News:
We’ve been warming our house with the sun using passive solar design for 25 years. Now we’re ready to take the next step, either with solar panels for electricity or solar water heating. So the story in The New York Times about a surge of interest in a new payment system for solar electric was of great interest.
The Times reported that one of the reasons Germany and other European nations are much further ahead of the United States in adopting solar power is the financing technique. In Germany, for example, a homeowner with a rooftop solar system might receive a payment for excess electricity that is fed back into the grid four times that of electricity generated at a coal-fired power plant.
As the Times reported, this makes the electrical consumer rather than the taxpayer responsible for the subsidy for green energy.
Gainesville, Fla., has become the first U.S. city to adopt such a policy. California is considering it and bills to adopt it have been introduced in Washington and Oregon as well.
According to the Gainesville Regional Utilities Web site, the utility had received enough applications to meet the 4-megatwatt program caps for 2009 and 2010. The fixed rate for the 20-year life of the contract starts at 32 cents per kilowatt hour or 26 cents depending on size and application of the installation and decreases over time. For comparison, the average retail electric rate in Wisconsin was 11.69 cents per kilowatt hour, according to the February report of the Energy Information Agency.
A spokesperson for the Gainesville utility said in a telephone interview that the program had attracted mainly businesses (36 for ‘09 and 20 for ‘10) that benefit from the depreciation; residential properties are more likely to choose an upfront rebate on an installation, she said.
The solar program will generate less than 10 percent of the utility’s total needs, she added.
Xcel Energy, which supplies electric power here, gives its Colorado customers an incentive for installing solar panels, but the program called “Solar Rewards” is not available in Wisconsin.
David Donovan, regulatory policy manager for Xcel’s Wisconsin and Michigan district, said that the Colorado program was in response to state mandates. Xcel has an experimental feed-in-tariff program for renewable energy in Wisconsin but it was not sized appropriately for solar and it doesn’t have the subsidy of the Gainesville program. The company is reviewing the policy, he said.
Other solar incentives are offered in Wisconsin under the Focus on Energy program, but not the long-term incentive pricing contract offered in Gainesville.
Still, it’s a start on capturing the potential for solar power.
