Silicon Energy Unveils One of the World’s Strongest Extended Warranties for PV Systems
Woodland Park Zoo
Silicon Energy, a manufacturer of world-class solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for the North American market, announced today that it has extended its Silicon Energy Cascade PV System Power Warranties by five years. Based on over two years of field performance data and extensive third-party testing by NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory), Silicon Energy’s decision to extend its product warranty makes it one of the strongest warranties in the industry.
“We are committed to making solar a mainstream energy source with products that are safe, durable, maximize energy production, increase energy harvest, are aesthetically appealing, and support our local economy and environment with smart manufacturing practices,” said Gary Shaver, president, Silicon Energy. “Customers who choose Silicon Energy for their PV systems are choosing best-in-class products, now backed by one of the industry’s top warranties. Our product lifespan, application flexibility and optimized energy harvesting capability make our product a great investment.”
For Silicon Energy’s growing network of partners and contractors who sell and install the company’s PV systems, the extended warranty provides an added incentive for customers who want a long-term system that boasts a 40+ year usable life and innovative design that provides completely sealed wiring to make it extremely safe, a theft-resistant mounting system, the highest industry fire rating, and frameless design that allows water, dirt, snow and ice to easily flow off for optimal light access and energy creation even in extreme weather conditions. The Silicon Energy glass-on-glass construction also enables installations such as awnings, carports, patio covers, and bus shelters. For those design-conscious customers, the company also provides custom color mounting hardware for visual continuity.
Silicon Energy’s extended warranty is available starting July 1st for its Cascade PV System.
· Limited Product Warranty Materials & Workmanship: 5 years
· Limited Power Warranty:
Power Output Table
1-15 years (up from 10 years) ? 90% PMAX
16-30 years (up from 25 years) ? 80% PMAX
In addition to presenting its extended warranty, Silicon Energy recently has been able to reduce its pricing as a result of manufacturing improvements and strengthened vendor relationships.
“When choosing Silicon Energy PV systems, our customers are making a sound investment in solar, their local economy, their environment, and clean energy creation for many, many years to come,” closed Shaver.
About Silicon Energy
Founded in 2007, Silicon Energy delivers the highest quality and durable photovoltaic (PV) modules on the market today. Made in Washington and Minnesota, Silicon Energy’s sustainable approach to doing business offers customers a durably-made, locally-manufactured product that was created without negative environmental impact. The company’s philosophy of supporting the local and US economy and commitment to creating long-lasting, aesthetically pleasing PV allows customers to be confident that they are reducing their carbon footprint through solar installations and contributing to local business. Silicon Energy PV Systems are available through select partners for home, commercial, government and utility installations. For more information about Silicon Energy, please visit www.silicon-energy.com or call (360) 618-6500.
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
Top Flight Completes Largest Solar Array in Chattanooga
(March 9, 2011) Chattanooga, TN – Top Flight, Inc. today announced that it has completed a 200 kW solar photovoltaic system on the roof of its warehouse and manufacturing facility on Central Avenue near downtown Chattanooga. The system is the largest allowable under TVA’s Generation Partners program, who will be buying the power generated from the system at a 12 cent premium to the tier-1 commercial rate.
Inman Solar of Chattanooga was tapped to engineer and integrate the solar solution for Top Flight, which employed all local contractors and labor to complete the project. In total, more than 25 people were involved with completing the project that was funded in part by federal and state grant dollars.
“Projects like this represent a win-win for the customer and the community alike,” said Dan Fossitt, Principal of Inman Solar. “Top Flight gets a great investment that will increase in value as energy prices continue to increase. The community benefits from jobs and from the reduced carbon emissions for 30 years.” He added, “Even the utility will benefit from lower peak energy demand that results from solar projects.”
Solar remains the cleanest of all renewable energy technologies, with zero emissions.
Top Flight General Manager Wejun Robinson is excited about the project. “Of course the investment had to make financial sense first and foremost. But we’re excited to help our country address our dependency on fossil fuels. Solar is a better way to produce power.”
This project was made possible in part by a solar installation grant from The Tennessee Solar Institute. The Tennessee Solar Institute is part of the Volunteer State Solar Initiative, a comprehensive solar energy and economic development program that was established using $62.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding received by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. Additional funding came from a federal grant for renewable energy projects. In total, the project received about 60 percent of the project cost from the grants.
The system will result in savings of over $50,000 per year. The reduction of carbon and other harmful emissions that results from this installation is the equivalent of taking more than 35 cars off of the roads, or the amount of carbon that is absorbed annually by 40 acres of forest. The electricity generated will also save the region over 156,000 gallons of water every year that is consumed in traditional electricity generation.
For more information about this system or solar energy in general, please call 423-248-2162 or visit www.inmansolar.com or www.topflightpaper.com.
About Top Fight
Top Flight, Inc is a leading manufacturer and marketer of school and office supplies. Top Flight products include a broad variety of fashion and added-value notebooks, filler paper, envelopes, and organizational materials that are sold in over 20,000 retail stores nationwide. Top Flight is committed to environmentally responsible manufacturing and has been certified by SFI (Sustainable Forest Initiative) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). Founded in 1920, Top Flight, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned company headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Learn more about Top Flight at www.topflightpaper.com.
About Inman Solar
Inman Solar is a full service solar photovoltaic (PV) systems integrator serving commercial and residential customers in Georgia, Tennessee and the entire Southeast. They offer engineering, installation, maintenance and consultation services for residential, commercial and utility scale projects. Inman Solar specializes in solutions that maximize return on investment, while being environmentally and socially responsible. For more information, visit www.InmanSolar.com.
About Tennessee Solar Institute
The Tennessee Solar Institute (TSI) is a center of excellence between the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory that brings together scientists, engineers and technical experts with business leaders and policymakers to help speed the deployment of solar technology. Its mission is to advance the understanding of solar innovation and to inspire new ideas that speed the development and implementation of solar-based technology in Tennessee. TSI is housed at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. For more information, visit http://solar.tennessee.edu.
Acknowledgment: “This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under Award Number DE-EE0000160.”
Southern California Edison Connects 32-Acre, 5 Million Watt Solar Array to its Grid
ROSEMEAD, Calif., Feb. 24, 2011 – Southern California Edison (SCE) today connected the state’s largest investor-owned utility photovoltaic plant to its Central Valley power grid. The new generating station, the utility’s first ground-mount PV installation, covers 32 acres of land SCE has leased from the city of Porterville, Calif. It adds 5 million watts of peak capacity – enough power to serve 3,250 average homes – to SCE’s network of 11 solar stations.
Construction and testing of the 29,426-panel solar array near the Porterville Municipal Airport took about six months and created 125 jobs. The new Central Valley solar station is connected directly to the utility’s neighborhood power circuits and benefits all SCE customers in the region.
“Our hope when we launched SCE’s Solar PV Program was that it would help California achieve its ambitious renewable energy goals, while increasing industry knowledge about solar PV efficiency and interaction with local distribution circuits,” said Mark Nelson, SCE’s director of Generation Planning and Strategy. “That hope has become a reality.”
In addition to building its own network of 40-50 solar stations, SCE is signing power purchase agreements with independent producers willing to construct a similar number of solar plants collectively. The combined installations are expected to create some 1,200 jobs in all.
“It is more than exciting for Porterville to take this first step with SCE. Hopefully, in years to come, a solar project like this will be commonplace,” said Mayor Ronald Irish.
About Southern California Edison
An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.
ZenithSolar, a Combined Heat and Power Provider Signs Landmark Agreement with Chinese Government
KIRYAT GAT, Israel / LANZHOU, China – February 22, 2011- ZenithSolar Ltd., provider of the world’s most efficient combined heat and power solar system, announced today that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Energy Bureau of Gansu Provincial Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China for cooperation in the development of combined heat and power (CHP) solar stations in the Gansu province. The MOU was signed at a ceremony in the provincial capital Lanzhou.Zenith Panel
Under the agreement, ZenithSolar will provide the technology for the installation of two 10 megawatt (MW) cogeneration plants based on ZenithSolar’s Z20 CHP system. The Gansu province of China has a population of near 30 million and is located in northwestern China approximately 1,200 kilometers from Beijing. The Gansu Province lies at the edge of the Gobi desert and has the best solar energy conditions in China and among the best anywhere in the world.
The agreement is focused on two planned facilities which are to be located in the cities of Jiayuguan and Jinchang and to commence their installation during 2011. One of the installations will be used to provide electricity and process heat for an industrial plant and the other for a large neighborhood.
Under the terms of the MOU, the Energy Bureau of Gansu will recommend the use of ZenithSolar’s CHP system for other locations in the Gansu Province after the successful operation of the two pilot plants. The Energy Bureau also announced that in concert with the introduction of the CHP technology a scientific research center will be established to provide training for government institutions, enterprises and individuals to focus on the development of new solar energy technology.
“ZenithSolar is honored to initiate the Gansu project in a province of China that is demonstrating leadership, vision and a long term commitment to renewable energy, said Roy Segev the CEO of ZenithSolar Ltd. We look forward to the collaboration in order to turn the Gansu project into a reality and thereby contribute to China’s ambitious renewable energy goals.”
“We are very pleased to be partnering with ZenithSolar, a leader in solar CHP technology, in developing the first significant solar project to adopt advanced CPV technology in China,” said Mr. Wang Yongqian, Chairman of Gansu Foreign Affair Office.
The Gansu project represents the first large-scale solar collaboration between China and the Israeli company ZenithSolar in the field of CHP solar energy. “ZenithSolar’s system has proven its reliability and effectiveness in providing electric power and heat for over a year in an existing facility in Israel and we view the Gansu project as a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate the technology on a global scale,” said Roy Segev, CEO of Zenith Solar Ltd.
ZenithSolar Fast Facts
* Combined heat and power generation with 72% efficiency
* zero emissions environment
* one field (of 220 Z20s) at sunny climates can:
* generate 2,000MWh of electricity and 4,000MWh of thermal energy per year
* replace 1,900 tons of fossil fuel per year
* prevent pollution of 3,200 tons of C02 pollution per year
* offset the pollution of 1,200 vehicles per year
About ZenithSolar
ZenithSolar has developed a modular and easily scalable combined heat and power (CHP) high concentration photovoltaic system (HCPV). The core technology is based on a unique, proprietary optical design to extract maximum energy with minimal land usage. The highly efficient system provides high electricity output combined with heat at temperatures well suited for domestic hot water use. In addition the heat can be used for industrial process applications as well as other cogeneration applications. Zenith Solar has a unique, cost effective mass production capability based o the use of readily available materials and a vertically integrated supply chain.
For more information please visit: http://www.zenithsolar.com/
SoloPower Receives Offer Of Conditional Commitment for a $197 Million Loan Guarantee from U.S. DOE to Build Thin Film Photovoltaic Module Factory
SAN JOSE, Calif., February 17, 2011 – SoloPower, a San Jose, California-based manufacturer of flexible thin film solar cells and modules, announced today that it has received a conditional commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office for a $197 million loan guarantee. The funds will support construction of a facility that, when completed and at full capacity, is expected to produce approximately 400MW of thin film Photovoltaic (PV) modules annually.
“This announcement is the latest confirmation that when it comes to energy policy, Oregon is on the right side of history,” said U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon. “The project in Wilsonville will hire hundreds of highly skilled, highly paid Oregonians to manufacture the latest in renewable energy technology. Oregon is already an epicenter for renewable energy projects. A loan guarantee to help companies such as SoloPower get important projects off the ground is the right approach that will keep Oregon where it belongs – at the forefront of technology. I look forward to working with the folks at SoloPower in putting Oregonians to work creating the products that represent the future of renewable energy.”
SoloPower CEO Tim Harris added, “We appreciate and commend the DOE’s emphasis on supporting innovative, clean-tech companies as a way to further the goal of energy independence while stimulating employment and helping secure our nation’s manufacturing base in this important emerging industry.” Mr. Harris stated: “This backing allows us to rapidly ramp up our production and to promote the spread of clean, distributed solar power to the rooftops and on the ground, while providing hundreds of quality manufacturing jobs using some of the most advanced technology in the world.”
SoloPower announced earlier this year that it had come to an agreement to construct its first large-scale high volume manufacturing plant in Wilsonville, Oregon. Retrofit of the existing building is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2011. The factory is expected to provide direct employment to approximately 500 people once it is running at full capacity. About 270 construction jobs will be created to build the plant, and additional jobs are also likely to be generated in the local supply chain.
SoloPower’s family of lightweight flexible modules are certified to both UL and IEC standards with up to 260 Wp/panel, and are being sold in small volumes to leading customers in five countries.
For more information on SoloPower, please visit www.solopower.com
DOE Pursues SunShot Initiative to Achieve Cost Competitive Solar Energy by 2020
Announces $27 Million in Projects to Advance Solar Development and Manufacturing
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced additional details of the Department of Energy’s “SunShot” initiative to reduce the total costs of photovoltaic solar energy systems by about 75 percent so that they are cost competitive at large scale with other forms of energy without subsidies before the end of the decade. By reducing the cost for utility scale installations by about 75 percent to roughly $1 a watt – which would correspond to roughly 6 cents per kilowatt-hour – solar energy systems could be broadly deployed across the country.
This will increase American economic competitiveness and help the U.S. regain leadership in the global market for solar photovoltaics. As part of the SunShot initiative, Secretary Chu announced today that the Department of Energy is awarding $27 million in projects to support the development, commercialization, and manufacturing of advanced solar energy technologies.
“America is in a world race to produce cost-effective, quality photovoltaics. The SunShot initiative will spur American innovations to reduce the costs of solar energy and re-establish U.S. global leadership in this growing industry,” said Secretary Chu. “These efforts will boost our economic competitiveness, rebuild our manufacturing industry and help reach the President’s goal of doubling our clean energy in the next 25 years.”
The SunShot program builds on the legacy of President Kennedy’s 1960s “moon shot” goal, which laid out a plan to regain the country’s lead in the space race and land a man on the moon. The program will aggressively drive innovations in the ways that solar systems are conceived, designed, manufactured and installed.
In addition to investing in improvements in cell technologies and manufacturing, the SunShot initiative will also focus on steps to streamline and digitize local permitting processes that will reduce installation and permitting costs. To achieve the SunShot goal of reducing the total installed cost of large scale solar electricity by about 75 percent, DOE will be working closely with partners in government, industry, research laboratories and academic institutions across the country.
SunShot will work to bring down the full cost of solar – including the costs of the solar cells and installation – by focusing on four main pillars:
* Technologies for solar cells and arrays that convert sunlight to energy;
* Electronics that optimize the performance of the installation;
* Improvements in the efficiency of solar manufacturing processes;
* Installation, design and permitting for solar energy systems.
For more information and to follow the initiative’s progress, visit: www.energy.gov/sunshot
As part of the launch of the SunShot initiative, DOE is also announcing $27 million in awards to nine new projects. This funding includes support for five projects that are receiving $20 million to further develop U.S. supply chains for PV manufacturing. This includes support for companies across the solar energy supply chain, including U.S. material and tool suppliers and companies that are developing technologies that can be adopted directly into current manufacturing processes. More information and a list of awardees is available HERE.
Additionally, DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory is investing $7 million to fund the latest round of the successful PV Incubator program, which helps to shorten the commercialization timeline for promising emerging solar technologies. The companies work closely with DOE national laboratories to scale their technologies and manufacturing processes and move the products from pre-commercial and prototype stage to pilot and full-scale manufacturing operations. More information and a list of awardees is available HERE.
The SunShot initiative builds on the Department’s significant research and development (R&D) efforts in solar energy over the past decade, conducted in partnership with American universities, national laboratories and the private sector. In the last ten years, DOE has invested more than $1 billion in solar energy research that has been leveraged with significant private industry funding to support more than $2 billion in total solar R&D projects. This includes investments by DOE’s Office of Science, Solar Energy Technologies Program, and ARPA-E, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. Innovations in both science and technology have driven the cost of solar down 60 percent since 1995, and have yielded a number of critical breakthroughs in solar PV performance and cost. A fact sheet detailing some of the Department’s past and current work in solar energy is available HERE.
