Companies
Emerson To Provide Power Technology For One Of The Largest Solar Energy Projects In The U.S.
Emerson (NYSE: EMR) has been awarded a contract to supply power technology for one of the largest solar energy projects in the United States. Under an agreement with Wind Turbine & Energy Cables Corp. (WTEC), a leader in the innovation of solar and wind engineered systems, Emerson will provide utility-scale power inverters for a 30-megawatt solar power plant in Webberville, Texas.
Emerson’s power inverters convert DC power from solar arrays into AC power, which is placed directly on the electric grid and is used by homes and businesses. Emerson’s power inverters are controlled through a state-of-the-art inverter management system.
“Emerson’s innovative inverter technology and its leadership in the solar energy market made the company an obvious choice for us as a partner,” said Brian Singh, CEO, WTEC. “Emerson’s strong financial stability and dependable, long-term warranty service capabilities also were attractive to us. It is a tribute to the progress in solar design and technology that enables WTEC, together with Emerson, to be involved at the forefront of successful alternative energy programs.”
Located just outside Austin, the Webberville project is expected to be operational by the end of the year and will generate clean electricity to power 5,000 homes. The project is financed, developed and owned by Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, a global independent power producer that develops, owns, and operates solar power plants worldwide. WTEC is an electrical subcontractor for Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES Americas), which develops, constructs, owns and operates renewable energy projects throughout North America. RES Americas is the engineering, procurement and construction contractor, and will provide operations and maintenance of the facility for five years.
“Emerson has provided over 400 megawatts of utility-scale inverters for solar energy projects worldwide, and we are pleased to supply critical technology to one of the largest and most innovative solar projects in the nation,” said Mark Bulanda, who serves as global leader for Emerson’s solar and wind energy initiatives. “This project demonstrates trust in the Emerson brand, and it reflects as well our commitment to renewable energy.”
The facility will provide electricity for Austin Energy for 25 years under a long-term power purchase agreement. Austin Energy is the ninth-largest public power utility in the United States.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), based in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions to customers in industrial, commercial, and consumer markets through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and tools and storage businesses. Sales in fiscal 2010 were $21 billion. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.
Leading the Nation, California Signs 33% Renewable Portfolio Standard into Law
By Dian Grueneich and Theresa Cho, Morrison & Foerster
Reaffirming California’s strong commitment to the development and utilization of renewable energy sources, Governor Jerry Brown recently signed Senate Bill X1 2, which requires all California utilities to generate 33% of their electricity from renewables by 2020. The new 33% renewable portfolio standard (RPS)—the most ambitious RPS in the country—sends a strong message to renewable energy developers that California will continue to support both short-term and long-term investment in renewable energy sources in the state.
HOW DOES THE LAW WORK?
While SB X1 2 revises a number of details in the existing California RPS statutes, the bulk of its impact for developers will derive from a few key provisions. The bill
• Sets a three-stage compliance period requiring all California utilities—including independently owned utilities (IOUs), energy service providers, and community choice aggregators (CCAs)—to generate 33% of their electricity from renewables by 2020
20% by December 31, 2013
25% by December 31, 2016
33% by December 31, 2020
• Requires the RPS to be met increasingly with renewable energy that is supplied to the California grid and is located within or directly proximate to California. SB X1 2 mandates that renewables from this category make up
At least 50% for the 2011-2013 compliance period
At least 65% for the 2014-2016 compliance period
At least 75% for 2016 and beyond
• Sets rules for the use of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)
Establishes a cap of no more than 25% unbundled RECs going towards the RPS between 2011 and 2013, 15% from 2014 to 2016, and 10% thereafter.
Does not allow for the grandfathering of Tradable REC contracts executed before 2010, unless the contract was (or is) approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
Allows banking of RECs for three years only
Allows Energy Service Providers, CCAs, and IOUs with less than 60,000 or fewer customers to use 100% RECs to meet the RPS
• Eliminates the Market Price Referent (MPR), which was a benchmark to assess the above-market costs of RPS contracts based on the long-term ownership, operating, and fixed-price fuel costs for a new 500 MW natural gas-fired combined cycle gas turbine. Using the MPR, the CPUC would provide above-market funds to cover contract costs that exceeded the MPR
Requires the CPUC to establish a cost limit for each IOU, and authorizes IOUs to stop procuring renewable energy beyond the cost limit
Requires the CPUC to adopt a standard tariff for renewable projects up to 3 MW in size with a 750 MW statewide cap on eligibility for the tariff.
NEW CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
The signing of SB X1 2 is good news for renewable energy developers. The previous RPS, which required a 20% renewable portfolio by 2010, has proven to be a powerful driver of investment in renewable energy.
Since 2003, the RPS has led to the development of 45 new renewable energy projects and 1,702 MW of new capacity. During that time, the CPUC has approved 181 contracts for about 14,000 MW of new and existing eligible renewable energy capacity.
And the trend shows no sign of slowing down. On the contrary, the past few years have seen a dramatic increase in the participation of larger and more experienced developers submitting bids, which has resulted in 100,000 GWh of bids in 2009 alone. The signing of SB X1 2 should provide further momentum to this already fast-developing market.
On the other hand, by eliminating the MPR—a cost-control method—and replacing it with a cost cap, SB X1 2 will compel developers to fit their projects within an IOU’s overall fixed budget for implementing the RPS. This may produce a rush by developers to get their projects on the table before there is any danger of the IOU reaching the cap. In addition, the new law requires IOUs to compare the costs of each proposed project against the costs of the others, which will force more competition in the market.
The new 33% RPS will interconnect with California’s recent substantial investment in transmission infrastructure, which allows for the efficient conveyance of electricity from renewable energy developments. In the past five years, under the leadership of the CPUC, California has streamlined the process of siting transmission lines, and has successfully permitted three major new transmission projects, resulting in more than $6 billion of new energy infrastructure to carry renewable power.
While these transmission lines will deliver much of the renewable power California needs, they are not sufficient to meet the magnitude of the increase in demand caused by the move to a 33% RPS. There is still an opportunity to develop additional interconnection lines that will facilitate the next generation of renewable energy needed to fulfill the mandate of SB X1 2.
Solar Contractors Embrace Pictometry Online™ Aerial Imagery Solutions
Pictometry Online™, a web-based technology providing a vast library of high resolution aerial images, is now offering solar contractors a new quick, easy, and accurate way to assess solar installations.
Pictometry maintains a global image library containing millions of continually updated aerial oblique images of properties across America. When combined with Pictometry software and accessibility, this library transforms into Pictometry Online™ – a one stop web resource where contractors can go to view and measure roof space, determine title and direction of the roof, and even identify shade issues or potential obstacles in installation.
Using a fleet of Cessna aircraft each equipped with a patented camera system, Pictometry’s patented image capture technology captures every square foot of an area in high resolution detail, from both orthogonal and oblique angles, giving Pictometry’s imagery something traditional aerial imagery or even satellite and GPS mapping can’t provide: a detailed metric oblique view of geographic and structural features.
“Determining whether or not a home or commercial building is suitable for mounting solar panels is a big part of the job,” said Kevin Reilley, President of Pictometry Business Solutions. “Pictometry enables solar installation contractors to pre-qualify jobs right from their computer. This saves costly runarounds and speeds up the installation process, saving contractors time and money, while reducing carbon emissions.”
“Our goal is to make it easier and cheaper to install solar panels,” said Reilley. “Pictometry helps contractors reduce costs in assessments, bidding, staging, marketing, sales and support, while increasing their performance and ultimately, customer satisfaction.”
David Henry, Co-Owner and Commercial Project Development Director of Namasté Solar in Colorado, describes how his company uses Pictometry Online™
1) How long have you been using Pictometry Online?
We have been using Pictometry Online for nearly 2 years. Our Commercial Design Team began using it first and found great value, then our Residential Team. Pictometry Online has greatly improved both teams efficiency.
2) What were you using before them?
We primarily relied on Google Earth and onsite visits to take actual measurements. We found Google Earth to be much less versatile, accurate and efficient than Pictometry Online
3) What are some advantages of using Pictometry Online?
There are several advantages. For our Commercial Team, especially as we begin to perform work in new regions, we can easily call up a building roof virtually anywhere in the nation, view very recent images in a very high resolution which not only allows us to see shade structures, but also gas lines, and in many cases we can get a sense of the roof type and to some degree roof condition. Quickly being able to identify project viability while on the phone with our clients is a major timesaving and greatly aids us in the project qualification process.
Secondly, being able to take accurate roof measurements is enormously beneficial, especially as drawing sets can be difficult to get for many buildings that we work on. This allows us to design Photovoltaic systems with more confidence than if we had to rely on Google Earth.
4) Was the system hard to learn?
Absolutely not. Very intuitive to use and many of the features are easy to figure out. There are also helpful guides available right in the program that can step you through how to use all of the features. If that doesn’t work for you, the folks at Pictometry have always walked me through any questions I have had.
5) How is Pictometry used in your particular business?
We are a solar PV systems design and integration firm that works on a national scale. We rely on Pictometry to allow us to quickly view the roof tops of commercial buildings nationwide, and residential homes in Colorado during the project qualification process, and we continue to rely on Pictometry throughout the project cycle for design and project management purposes. Pictometry has increased our efficiency and minimized the amount of time required on-site allowing us to service more clients over time.
6) Can you take us through the procedure of how it is used step-by-step?
We start by entering the project address into the search window and then scan the particular building from all angles, take some area measurements and try and get a sense of overall project viability. We will often use the images available in Pictometry as a layer in AutoCAD so that we can easily create a system layout and site plan. Once the design phase is complete, these images and drawings will make their way into the client proposal. We will continue to rely on Pictometry as the project evolves through the implementation phases and is also very useful in communicating to our Project Managers about the overall project and helps in the creation of an overall site specific safety and logistics plan.
7) If you had to do without Pictometry what would you do?
Let’s just say it would make our business lives much more difficult if we did not have Pictometry.
8) Who makes up the bulk of your clients?
A majority of our work comes from Commercial solar PV clients, with less than half of our work coming from residential clients.
9) How much do you think you save in dollars and cents by using Pictometry?
We haven’t tracked this yet, however, my hunch is that on the commercial side of our business, it has increased our efficiency by at least 20%.
10) Anything else you would like to add?
Overall, Pictometry has been a great value for us. It has played a part in our continued success and not only is the product/service itself very helpful; the customer service throughout our relationship has been very responsive and helpful.
About Pictometry Online™
Pictometry is a leading provider of geo-referenced aerial, oblique image libraries and related software. With customers throughout the U.S. and licensing partners around the globe, Pictometry uses a proprietary image capture process to produce Pictometry Intelligent Images®, so you can See Everywhere, Measure Anything, Plan Everything.® Additional information about Pictometry is available online at http://www.pictosun.com
About Namasté Solar
Namasté Solar is a values-based, employee owned solar electric company dedicated to the betterment of the planet by bringing clean, reliable, and affordable renewable energy technologies to homes, businesses, and nonprofits. See website for more information, http://www.namastesolar.com
Fill ‘Er Up On Sunshine: Chester, N.J., Man Powers All-Electric Car With Solar
Tom Moloughney with his Mini E in front of his home in Chester, N.J. His residential rooftop solar system powers his car.
Tom Moloughney of Chester, N.J., is one of the first in the nation to power an all-electric vehicle with electricity generated from a residential solar system, thus linking two green technologies to create a driving experience that is truly emissions free.
Moloughney, who drives 62 miles round-trip to Nauna’s Bella Casa, the restaurant he owns in Montclair, N.J., in an all-electric Mini Cooper prototype called the Mini E, was recently honored by the Garden State Green Awards for his contribution to the environment. He figures he saves $5,000 a year on fuel and maintenance expenses.
Even more importantly, as the nation anticipates the celebration of Earth Day on April 22, Moloughney is pioneering a new energy future. And probably at few times in the history of Earth Day’s 41-year existence has the need to chart a carbon-free course for the automobile been so imperative.
Mini E Inspires a Green Way of Living
Moloughney, who had always been concerned about dependence on foreign oil, came across the opportunity to participate in the BMW (which owns Mini Cooper) pilot program while surfing the Internet. To his surprise, he was selected to be one of only a handful of drivers in the New York metropolitan region to receive the prototype.
BMW produced 612 of the cars, which are being road-tested by drivers all over the world. The number of Moloughney’s car, which he received in June of 2009, is 250, which is also the name of his blog: minie250.blogspot.com.
Although he was delighted to be driving an all-electric car, Moloughney quickly realized that his goal of emissions-free driving was being compromised by the fact that the electricity he was using to charge his car was generated by coal- and gas-fired power plants, as well as from nuclear sources.
“I figured that if I could displace gasoline with sunlight, I would truly be driving a zero-emissions vehicle,” says Moloughney, whose license plate reads “EF-OPEC.”
Solar for a True Emissions-Free Experience
In February of 2010, Rumson, N.J.-based solar integrator GeoGenix installed an 8.8 kilowatt solar system on the roof of Moloughney’s home. The 39 SunPower solar panels generate about 10,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, about half of which goes to power the Mini E, which Moloughney plugs in every night.
“I wake up every morning with a full tank,” he says.
Although “range anxiety” — the fear of running out of juice — is a concern of electric car owners, Moloughney says he has never had any problem. Fully charging his car takes about 3.5 hours, which is good for 100 miles, although he has stretched it to 130. He never waits for the car to charge, rather takes advantage of charging “opportunities.”
Moloughney and his wife, Meredith, have a second vehicle, a Chevy Equinox, for long trips, although a national public electric vehicle charging infrastructure is now being installed at convenient locations such as shopping malls, parking lots and highway rest stops that will allow drivers to “refuel” while on the road.
In addition to reducing carbon emissions, Moloughney is also saving money — big time. About half of the energy generated by his rooftop solar system offsets his household electrical usage, which, at an average rate of about $0.18 per kilowatt-hour, saves him about $2,000 per year in household electricity bills.
But when he uses solar to offset gas, he saves even more. He figures it takes six kilowatt-hours of electricity to drive 24 miles, the average mileage for a gallon of gas. With gas prices approaching $4 per gallon, he is thus saving $4 for every 6 kilowatt-hours, compared to a savings of $1.08 (6 x $0.18) in avoided household electricity costs.
And, with energy prices rising, those savings will only increase: “The last time I checked with the sun, he said he didn’t plan on raising his price for sunshine … so I think I’m good there,” he says on his blog.
House That Generates Money
Nor do the savings stop there. Moloughney is also taking advantage of a state incentive to promote the generation of solar electricity. His system generates about 10 Solar Energy Renewable Certificates (SRECs) annually. Since these are currently selling for about $650, they bring him an additional $6,500 in income annually.
The savings from his solar system — not to mention the offset gasoline expenses — thus cover a significant share of the mortgage on his home. “What house do you know of that generates money?” he asks.
Moloughney is due to surrender his Mini E in October, but BMW will replace it with another test model called the BMW ActiveE. And, when BMW introduces its all-electric BMWi3 in 2013, which is the model that the pilot programs are gathering information for, Moloughney will be the first in line to buy one.
About GeoGenix
GeoGenix is an industry leader with a proven track record in residential and commercial solar installations. The firm is an East Coast pioneer of “community solar,” which allows residents of a community to band together to purchase solar for their individual homes at a discount. Selected from a pool of over 400 solar panel dealers in North America, GeoGenix was given the “Outstanding Customer Service” award in 2010 by SunPower. Additional achievements include installing the first “net zero” electric commercial building in the nation. While there are many new entrants in the solar business, GeoGenix has been installing solar since 2001 and has the experience and expertise that have made it one of the region’s most trusted solar installers. For more information, please visit the GeoGenix website and blog, as well as its Facebook and Twitter pages.
Largest Private Solar Project Inaugurated in Sacramento
3 Megawatt Facility Will Help Power Depot Park Business Complex
State, city and public utility officials joined today to inaugurate one of the Sacramento region’s largest private solar power installations – a 3-megawatt (DC) project that will supply electricity to Depot Park, the 3-million square-foot commercial and industrial complex in South Sacramento.
“I launched ‘Greenwise Sacramento’ because I believe this area has the opportunity to be the greenest region in the country and a hub for investment in clean technology,” said Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. “Today’s dedication demonstrates that good environmental policy can be good economic policy. The scale of this project shows that while Sacramento has the sunshine to create renewable energy, we also have the collaboration and the imagination to think big and turn a Brownfield site into a renewable energy showcase. Congratulations to all those involved!”
The 12,600-panel array will produce enough power to meet approximately 40% of the annual electricity needs at Depot Park, the former Sacramento Army Depot. The installation is one of the largest ground mounted-tracking solar projects in California and the only one located at a Superfund Site within a redeveloped military facility.
“California solar projects not only provide an efficient and affordable source of energy, they provide jobs to high skilled Californians,” said Joel Ayala, Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. “The investment that Chint and Astronergy have made in California is an historic achievement and our hope is that we can develop further opportunities, both here in Sacramento and across the state.”
“SMUD considers this investment in clean energy a down payment on a low-carbon future.” said Renee Taylor, SMUD Board President. “Projects such as these align with SMUD’s vision to promote responsible and sustainable economic development and renewable energy. SMUD has been a solar leader for more than two decades.”
The Depot Park Solar Project will save more than 3,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, equivalent to:
• Removing 696 vehicles from the road
• Powering 728 average homes in California
• Avoiding the need to burn 6,335 barrels of oil a year
“This project reflects our commitment to attracting clean technology industries and to lowering the carbon footprint of our own operations,” said Dick Fischer, president of U.S. National Leasing, owner and manager of Depot Park. “It serves as a shining example of both alternative energy ingenuity and green energy remediation of a previously contaminated Brownfield site. It promotes both the state’s climate change initiatives and the city’s effort to attract green industry businesses to Sacramento.”
The project’s success was assisted by development partners East West Bank; Chint Astroenergy, a China-based energy equipment manufacturer; SPG Solar, designed and installed the solar energy system; the California Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the City of Sacramento and its Greenwise Initiative.
“We applaud U.S. National Leasing and Depot Park for investing in their future and the local community. This sizeable solar power system is maximizing land space that cannot be used for other applications by converting a Brownfield into a Brightfield and has created nearly 100 green jobs in the community,” said Chris Robine, president and CEO of SPG Solar.
“East West Bank is always in the forefront for advancing environmental sustainability. We have financed quite a few solar projects in California recently which helped improve energy efficiency and benefited the communities. We are pleased to partner with the public-private partnership team to bring the Depot Park solar project live,” said Don Danh, senior vice president and manager of emerging markets at East West Bank.
The Depot Park solar installation operates as a “peak shaving” efficiency project, leveling surges in electricity demand during peak usage times and reducing the Park’s overall demand for electricity from SMUD. Reducing this peak electricity demand during the hottest times of the year provides many benefits to the SMUD electricity grid, including reduced demand for power generated from fossil fuels and reduced investment in new sources of generation.
About Depot Park
The Sacramento U.S. Army Depot was constructed beginning in the mid – 1940’s as a central west coast U.S. Army logistical and electrical equipment manufacturing center. The U.S. Army closed the facility in 1994 and transferred it to the City of Sacramento for redevelopment. Financial difficulties caused the city’s first development partner, Packard Bell, to transfer the facility to U.S. National Leasing, LLC (USNL) in 1999. Since 2000 USNL has relieved the City of it’s commitment to invest $20 million in the closed Army facility and USNL has itself invested over $25 million in the redevelopment of the facility. As a result, the approximately $7.5 million the City owed the federal government for the purchase of the property has been forgiven. Today, there are nearly as many people employed at Depot Park as there were when the Army closed the facility in 1994. The Depot Park provides a home for over 120 commercial and industrial tenants within 3 million square feet of industrial warehouse, manufacturing and office space located on approximately 300 acres of land. More information is at http://www.depotpark.com/.
About SPG Solar
SPG Solar is a leading national developer of distributed solar power systems for large commercial, industrial, government and public energy users. Headquartered in Novato, California, SPG Solar has been providing unique solar energy solutions to its customers for over a decade. The company prides itself on unique and custom solar solutions such as developing SPG Solar’s Floatovoltaics™, the world’s first floating solar system and offering SPG Solar’s Structured Finance, a team providing a full array of financial resources and expertise. SPG Solar currently manages more than 1,500 solar system installations from coast-to-coast. For more information on SPG Solar and distributed solar power, please visit www.spgsolar.com.
About East West
East West Bancorp is a publicly owned company with $20.7 billion in assets and is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “EWBC”. The Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, East West Bank, is one of the largest independent commercial banks headquartered in California with over 130 locations worldwide, including the U.S. markets of California, New York, Georgia, Massachusetts, Texas and Washington. In Greater China, East West’s presence includes a full service branch in Hong Kong and representative offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Taipei. Through a wholly-owned subsidiary bank, East West’s presence in Greater China also includes full service branches in Shanghai and Shantou and representative offices in Beijing and Guangzhou. For more information on East West Bancorp, visit the Company’s website at www.eastwestbank.com.
GE Launches New Digital Magazine – First Issue all Solar
Photo Credit: General Electric
General Electric (GE) has just launched a new weekly digital magazine called Txchnologist. The first issue, devoted entirely to solar energy, is entitled Solar Power, A Look at the ‘Sun Motor’ from Past to Future.
Articles include:
1) Polar Solar
2) Data Points: Solar’s Declining Cost Per Watt
3) Unexpected Solar Cities
4) Comment: Solar’s New Era of Optimism
5) Space Race: Will Space-Based Solar Take Off?
6) Hawaii’s Solar Paradox
7) The Take: A Quirky History of Solar Power
8) How it Works: CdTe vs cSI
Future issues promise to offer “an optimistic, but not utopian, take on the future and humanity’s ability to tackle the great challenges of our era through industry, technology and ingenuity.”
Looking forward to it GE!
SunLight General Capital Announces Completion of Solar Installation at Bergen County Municipal Facilities
$3.5 Million Project Built at No Expense to Taxpayers
HACKENSACK, N.J. (March 17, 2011) — SunLight General Capital, the region’s premier solar energy developer and financer, today announced the completion of two solar electric power generating projects in Bergen County, N.J. Installed at county municipal facilities at a capital cost of $3.5 million, the projects were completed at no expense to Bergen County taxpayers, and will generate approximately 850,000 kilowatt hours each year.
Installed by renewable energy installation contractor Pfister Energy, the project allows Bergen County to purchase electricity at a discounted price. Over a 15-year period, the county is guaranteed savings of approximately $250,000, and as much as an additional $1 million if utility prices continue increasing at historic rates.
Under the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), SunLight General financed and owns the solar electric generating projects — a rooftop facility at the Prosecutor’s Office in Paramus, NJ and a large and innovative parking canopy structure at the County Seat of Government in Hackensack, NJ — and will provide clean, renewable energy to Bergen County, at prices substantially lower than the utility rates.
“With the installation of these projects completed, Bergen County will begin reaping the benefits of this cost effective and environmentally responsible solution to its energy needs,” stated Stacey Hughes, managing partner of SunLight General Capital. “We are one of the only solar developers with in-house access to financing through our investment fund, SunLight General Solar Fund, and we were therefore able to deliver a timely and cost-effective proposal to Bergen County. Our mission is and will continue to be to promote environmental responsibility and energy independence, while at the same time offering significant cost savings to our public and private customers.”
The Bergen County project is part of a large wave of solar installations being constructed to provide electricity to New Jersey municipalities. These projects benefit from New Jersey state laws to promote solar energy as well as federal stimulus money. New Jersey is at the forefront of the solar revolution in the United States, and more solar capacity is currently being installed each month in New Jersey than any other state, including California.
“In addition to immediate savings on the power price, Bergen County will benefit from the certainty of known fixed priced escalation of the power cost, at a rate well below that of the utility,” stated Edouard Klehe, another managing partner of SunLight General. “After a public RFP, the County selected the partnership of SunLight General and Pfister Energy as they offered the best combination of proven expertise to finance, engineer, build, and complete this project in a timely manner, coupled with a proposal that offered the most significant savings to the taxpayers of the County.”
Not only do these construction projects bring much-needed jobs to the state, but also the clean energy produced is comparable to saving 670 tons of carbon dioxide per year or 130 acres of forestland.
