American Solar Energy Society » Ariel Braude

SOLAR 2013 Call for Volunteers

Ariel Braude — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:47:11 +0000

Willing to lend a hand at Solar 2013? We need volunteers to help at registration, check badges at the technical sessions and events, and do miscellaneous tasks throughout the conference (Monday through Saturday). Compensation is in the form of discounted registration fees, limited free nights in the conference hotels, free publications, membership in ASES, etc., depending on the number of hours you can work (4 to 20+ hours). We train onsite. If interested, please visit http://goo.gl/iZzzF and fill in the form. First-come, first-served basis – we have limited spots available so act now. Thank you!

Solar Rights: Net Metering Under Attack

Ariel Braude — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:33:36 +0000

In Baldwin County, Alabama, adding solar to your roof raises the cost of your utility bill. Photo courtesy of Jodybwiki

Solar Citizen: Building the renewable energy movement from the ground up!

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Solar Rights and Net Metering

Saving money can be straightforward sometimes:

You build a fire in your wood stove and reduce your heating bill.
You grow your own tomatoes and save on your grocery bill.
You produce your own solar electricity and save on your utility bill.

Producing your own power to save money on your electricity bill is made possible because of a process called net metering. Net metering allows a solar producer’s electric meter to “spin backwards” when they generate more solar power than they are using. Without net metering, you can’t reap the full benefits of your solar panel, since you aren’t compensated for the excess power that your panels produce.

“The fact that they are punishing us for producing our own power is ridiculous. It’s un-American.”
– Jeff Max, Baldwin County Resident

Unfortunately, not all utilities or states allow net metering. Or, they have put all sorts of barriers in place to prevent homeowners from being able to net meter.

For example, it is bad enough Alabama utilities only offer 4 cents per kilowatt-hour (kwh) for the solar you produce when the retail rate is 11 cents. But in addition to this raw deal, in Baldwin County, Alabama you have to pay an extra fee just because you are a solar customer!

This extra fee can end up doubling your electric bill over your pre-solar level. This is ridiculous! You should be able to produce your own homegrown power andreduce your electric bill! This 1:1 net metering should be a solar right!

TOOLS FOR ACTION: Protect the Right to Net Meter

The Baldwin County Electric Cooperative has made a mockery of net metering. They have changed the way solar customers are categorized so that putting solar on your roof actually raises your electricity bill!

Click here to send a letter to Baldwin County telling them that solar deserves a fair deal.

Since Baldwin County prides itself on its sunny beaches for tourists, you might mention that you will be looking to other states for your beach vacation this year!

“Baldwin County is Alabama’s largest county, the one that depends on sunshine to draw tourists to the Gulf beaches. Their anti-solar stance appalls me.”
– Morton Archibald, President, Alabama Solar Association

RESOURCES: Understanding Net Metering


Coalition for Solar Rights New to net metering? This website from Vote Solar gives a good introduction to the basics and includes a great video.	Intro to Net Metering Wikipedia actually has a pretty good overview of the concept of net metering, as well as a list of each state’s net metering policies.


Freeing the Grid Freeing the Grid is a policy guide that grades all 50 states on two key renewable energy programs: net metering and interconnection procedures. Check out your state’s grade and learn what can be done to improve net metering in your area.	DSIRE USA Want to figure out the exact net metering rules where you live? This database is the source for you! Search “net metering” to find more info.

SOLAR CITIZEN PARTNERS


Alabama Solar Association Alabama Solar Association (ASA) seeks to educate itself, the public, corporations, policy makers, and governments about the tremendous opportunities and rewards in utilizing the sun’s renewable energy.	d	ACME International Services, Inc. Located in Baldwin County, Alabama, Acme International Services, Inc. is a family owned business that is dedicated to offering the highest quality solar and alternative energy products andinstallation services at exceptionally competitive prices.	d	NY Regional Renewable Energy Conference Join the New York Solar Energy Society for their Regional Renewable Energy Conference & Expo on April 5th, 2013 in Troy, New York. The full-day event includes forums on solar financing, information about NY solarize programs, smart grids, and solar development in the state.

Get Your AIA Learning-Units at SOLAR 2013!

Ariel Braude — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:15:47 +0000

AIA Approves 17 Sessions at SOLAR 2013 for Learning-Unit Credits

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has approved 17 sessions at SOLAR 2013 for learning-unit (LU) credits. The sessions are all part of SOLAR 2013′s Passive Solar Conference.

An AIA member can earn up to 13.5 AIA Learning Units by attending the full conference (4.5 per day, 3 sessions).

“By attending, an architect can come up to speed on the state of the art in solar and sustainable design, and get all the required AIA Learning Unit credits for an entire year,” said David Panich, chair of the Solar Buildings Division at the American Solar Energy Society.

The SOLAR 2013 schedule includes forums and technical sessions highlighting topics ranging from Active Solar to Zero-Net-Energy, and everything in-between, including:

Building Integrated Solar Technologies
The Solar Side of Zero-Net Energy
Passive House” design and performance
Daylighting Design
Building Performance Modeling and Design Tools
Solar Access and Zoning

Plus, this year’s Emerging Architecture keynote lecture will be presented by Travis Price, FAIA on “The Mythic Modern: mythology, ecology and technology..the spirit of place”. Join other architects and solar professionals after the lecture at the Pratt Street Ale House for a special Passive Solar social and networking party.

Approved Sessions

United States Department of Energy Research and Development Roadmap for Building Integrated Solar Technologies Wednesday, April 17, 2013, 8:30 am – 10:00 am, 1.5 HSW LU

Daylighting Quantity and Quality Wednesday, April 17, 2013, 8:30 am – 10:00 am, 1.5 HSW LU

Management and Design Strategies for High Performance Building Enclosures + Construction Phase Moisture Management Wednesday, April 17, 2013, 1:15 pm – 2:45 pm, 1.5 HSW LU

Daylighting Design Wednesday April 17, 2013, 1:15 pm to 2:45 pm, 1.5 HSW LU

Passive House Power: “Net PLUS Now” Wednesday, April 17, 2013, 3:15 pm – 4:45 pm, 1.5 HSW LU

Climate, Design and Green Building Standards Wednesday, April 17, 2013, 3:15 pm to 4:45 pm, 1.5 HSW LU

Passive Solar and Sustainability Design Tools Thursday, April 18, 2013, 8:30 am – 10:00 am, 1.5 HSW LU

Daylight from Above Thursday, April 18, 2013, 8:30 am – 10:00 am, 1.5 HSW LU

Solar Access and Zoning Thursday, April 18, 2013, 1:15 pm to 2:45 pm, 1.5 HSW LU

Material Assemblies & Building Elements Thursday, April 18, 2013, 1:15 pm to 2:45 pm 1.5 HSW LU

PHIUS+ Passive Building Certification – Performance & Quality Assurance that Works Thursday, April 18, 2013, 3:15 pm – 4:45 pm, 1.5 HSW LU

Passive Confernce Ignite! Thursday, April 18, 2013, 3:15 pm – 4:45 pm, 1.5HSW LU

Building Performance Modeling and Monitoring Friday, April 19, 2013, 8:30 am to 10:00 am, 1.5 HSW LU

Moving Toward Zero-Net Energy Friday April 19, 2013, 8:30 am to 10:00 am, 1.5 HSW LU

The Solar Side of Net-Zero Energy Buildings Friday, April 19, 2013, 1:15 pm – 2:45 pm, 1.5 HSW LU

Controls, Building Automation and User Interface Friday, April 19, 2013, 1:15 pm – 2:45 pm, 1.5 HSW LU

The Mythic Modern – Mythology, Ecology + Technology…the Spirit of Place Friday, April 19, 2013, 3:15 pm – 4:45 pm, 1.5 HSW LU

WORKSHOP 04: PEAK LUXURY Saturday April 20, 9:00 AM-1:00 PM, 4 HSW LU

Read SOLAR TODAY’s March Issue!

Ariel Braude — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 22:57:17 +0000

SOLAR TODAY‘s March issue is online. Read the full issue, search by key word and share articles. Click here to go directly to the issue.

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

PV at the Polar Ice Cap
The Tower of Power’s triangular design means strength to withstand the arctic blasts and maximum solar harvest without mechanical tracking.
By Tracy Dahl

Energy-Positive Homes in Devens, Mass.
Super-efficient construction and declining PV prices mean renewable energy to spare at this community of affordable houses.
By R. Carter Scott

A Day in the Life of a Solar CEO
For OneRoof Energy’s David Field, success in the competitive third-party financing industry depends as much on innovation and risk as on solid investors.
Text and Photos by Mary Beth McCabe, D.B.A.

Renewable Energy to the Rescue
As we seek lessons in Hurricane Sandy, Florida’s SunSmart Emergency Shelter program offers a model for disaster recovery.
By Bill Young

Power Forward at SOLAR 2013
The 42^nd ASES National Solar Conference gets down to business in Baltimore, Md., April 16–20.
ASES staff

Innovators
Making a Market for Solar Financing
By Seth Masia

Investing
Renewable Energy Under Attack
By Rona Fried, Ph.D.

The trade
Small Wind Installation Procedures and Checklists
By Mick Sagrillo

New Products
Mounting and Tracking Systems

System Accomplished
Building Above the Flood
By Seth Masia

READ THIS ISSUE

There are several ways to read the issue online:

Subscribers/ASES members: Log in to your member account here, and click on the “SOLAR TODAY Digital” link in the left sidebar. Or, look for your print copy in the mail.

Read on e-reader: Find this issue soon on iBooks or the Kindle! (additional charges apply)

Not a subscriber or member? Sign up today and don’t miss an issue (print and digital versions available).

PV Generation Potential for November and Comparison of Tilted vs. Flat-Mount PV

Ariel Braude — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 23:34:25 +0000

The PV Power Map is a report of national solar resource availability as illustrated by the monthly energy output of a nominal 1-kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic (PV) system, installed southerly facing with 30-degree tilt, by location. As illustrated by the first map, PV energy production in November 2012 was above average across the entire southern half of the United States as drought conditions in that region continued, while a series of Pacific storms caused PV energy production to dip across the Northwest.

The orientation of installed panels can have a significant impact on energy produced, particularly in winter months. This is illustrated in the map, “Energy Gains with Tilted Panels,” which shows the increase in energy production achieved by tilting solar panels 30 degrees as compared to positioning panels with zero tilt, or horizontally.

As illustrated by the map, tilt-mount PV systems generally have the greatest benefit in northern states, which experience lower sun angles during the winter. This gain is dampened where clouds are prevalent. For the month of November, relatively sunny conditions in the upper Midwest and northeastern United States led to the highest gain in energy production with tilt-mount vs. horizontal-mount PV, with as much as an 80 or 90 percent increase in some locations.

To use the PV Power Map to calculate the generation potential of a PV system in a given location, multiply the power output indicated on the map by a project’s capacity, in kilowatts. The result is the total estimated power output for the month. PV Power Maps can be seen for the entire year at pvpowermap.solartoday.org.

The PV Power Map is created with power output estimates generated by SolarAnywhere services from Clean Power Research; these include simulation capabilities and hourly satellite-derived irradiance data with spatial resolutions from 1 to 10 kilometers. The calculations are based on a PV system with a total 1-kW nameplate rating that is configured as five 200-watt PV panels with a 1.5-kW inverter; fixed, south-facing panels with 30 degree tilt; no shading; panel PVUSA Test Conditions rating of 178 watts; and inverter efficiency of 95.5 percent. Visualization and mapping provided by GeoModel Solar. Access free historical irradiance data at solaranywhere.com.

ASES Board Elections

Ariel Braude — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 18:02:49 +0000

The American Solar Energy Society will conduct its Board of Directors elections via electronic survey during the month of March, with new Directors named prior to our Solar 2013 conference in Baltimore in mid-April. We are soliciting candidates now and we would love to hear from you – either self-nominating or suggesting a candidate who you know is interested. The deadline for nominations is February 22, 2013.

Candidates must provide a one paragraph biography and one paragraph explaining their interest in serving on the ASES Board.

While technical and policy backgrounds in the solar industry have been common on the Board, expertise in finance, conference implementation, publishing, fundraising, and other disciplines would be welcome as well.

Directors generally meet in person three times per year (traveling at their own expense) and participate in monthly teleconferences. As with most non-profit boards, there is an expectation to participate in fundraising efforts.

We welcome your interest – be a part of our team as ASES embarks on its exciting new Solar Citizen program to expand solar markets. Please send nominations, with bio and interest statement, to election@ases.org by February, 22, 2013.

We hope to see you in Baltimore! Click here to sign up for the conference and book a room.