Aruna’s Place, a preschool in Sudbury, Mass., went solar with the help of Sol Solution, a nonprofit that helps groups go solar throughout the state.

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

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Solar for Schools

More than 500 K-12 schools in 43 states have installed solar panels, helped by the fact solar panel prices have dropped by more than one-third over the past three years.

Schools find that going solar helps them: (1) save money on utility bills, (2) create educational opportunities, and (3) reduce their carbon footprint.

Some schools install large systems that produce a significant amount of their power, such as the Porterville United School District in California. Porterville installed solar in six schools and expects to reduce energy costs by $44 million over the next 25 years. In Morris County, N.J., the  Morris County Improvement Authority is now installing 3.2 megawatts (MW) of solar on 19 public school and county government buildings.

Other schools choose small demonstration systems, as educational demonstration projects. The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation has awarded over $2,100,000 in grants to more than 220 schools to install 1 kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic (PV) demonstration systems. Many schools raise money for their own demonstration projects.

A number of organizations can help your school go solar. The Solar Foundation has established the Brian D. Robertson Memorial Solar School Fund to help schools start a solar project. You can contact them for support on your solar school project.

TOOLS FOR ACTION:  Take Your School Solar

Want to help take your local school solar? Not sure where to start? We can help! Solar Citizen has partnered with Community Power Network to start a Solar-for-Schools working group. Click here to learn more and sign up.  

Join our working group and take your school solar!

The group is for people, like you, who want to install solar on a school. We will meet weekly via phone, and work through the process of going solar together. We’ll help you figure out the best approach for your school, connect you with experts in your area, and support each other through the process.

No experience in solar is necessary! All you need is an interest in taking your school solar. We will help with the rest.

Interested in joining the Solar-for-Schools working group? Click here to sign up. 

RESOURCES:  Learn More

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Solar on Schools Resource GuideThe Solar Foundation and Community Power Network produced a two-page info sheet on solar for schools. It gives a good overview on key issues related to solar on schools. A great guide to help you orient yourself as you begin a project.		HELiOS ProjectThe HELiOS Project is an all-volunteer, grassroots organization committed to reducing fossil fuel use in every K-12 school in California. Their website provides all sorts of resources and they can help your school start a solar project!		Solar for Schools Resource GuideCommunity Power Network has put together a guide to help schools understand the process of going solar. The guide includes information on evaluating your roof, finding an installer, and paying for a system.

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Making the Grade With Clean Energy: Case Studies of California Solar SchoolsEnvironment California produced a report that gives an excellent overview of solar projects in the state. The report also details how students have benefitted from hands-on solar learning opportunities and includes recommendations for policy changes that would support more solar in California schools.		Financing Solar School ProjectsThe National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) has produced an excellent report detailing the financial options schools have at their disposal as they go solar. The report explains various approaches and includes templates, signed project documents, and other reference materials for users to download and adapt.		Database of Renewable Energy Lesson PlansThe U.S. Department of Energy has put together an Energy Education program that includes a database of lesson plans, labs, projects and other activities for grades K-12.

SOLAR CITIZEN PARTNERS

The Solar Foundation

The Solar Foundation is a nonprofit working to demonstrate the global benefits of solar energy through research and education. We are on the front lines, catalyzing solar markets, and helping people recognize the value of solar as a clean, renewable energy source that promotes greater use of domestic energy resources.

The HELiOS Project

The HELiOS Project is an all-volunteer organization committed to reducing fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in every K-12 school in California. We help schools develop solar projects to reduce electricity bills without putting pressure on the general fund. Our website is full of information to help you take your school solar!

New Hampshire neighbors and solar professionals work together to install panels as part of a neighborhood solar barn raising. Neighbors learn about the installation process and professionals meet future clients.

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

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Do-It-Yourself Solar

Even if a traditional solar PV system is outside of your budget, or your state has no incentives or big market barriers to solar, you can still take advantage of solar energy with a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) solar project. Creative people are using solar to tackle problems large and small across the globe!

DIYing a solar system can be a chance to learn more about how the technology works, experiment with a new design, or go solar for a fraction of the cost. There are hundreds of DIY solar project options, ranging from putting together a simple DIY solar charger to installing a complete system, or even building a solar panel from scratch!

There are also groups of solar enthusiasts all over the country that are building their own solar systems. New Vision Renewable Energy in Philippi, West Virginia is helping community members build panels for their homes using a timebank approach. Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative uses a barn-raising model where members help each other with the installation process. Some groups partner with solar installers, offer discounts on materials, and loans on tools and equipment for members to use while installing their systems.

DIY projects are also a great way to build an organization, educate students and engage your neighbors about solar. It is a great tool for building the renewable energy movement from the ground up!

TOOLS FOR ACTION:  Send Us Photos of Your Projects

We’re collecting photos of DIY projects from all over the country. Have you installed a system or invented a new use for a solar panel? Send us a photo with some information about your project and we’ll post it in our ASES Facebook page.

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Frank Kelly of the Arkansas Renewable Energy Association built a a 1.08kW mobile solar array for disaster relief. Contact him to learn more or purchase the system!			Members of New Vision Renewable Energy build panels using old shower doors and small solar cells.		Greg Seaman installed a basic solar system to power a refrigerator and some electronics on his off-grid house.

RESOURCES:  Don’t Wait — Do it Yourself!

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Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative (PAREI)Pioneers in the Solar Raiser approach to installation. Learn how a group of enthusiastic people in central New Hampshire chose to address their concerns over their economic and environmental future. An Energy Raiser is a neighbor-helping-neighbor energy or efficiency installation that helps each family better manager their energy costs and impact.		Build It SolarAn awesome website with hundreds of free project plans, tools and information to help you build renewable energy and conservation projects. The site includes background information on each technology, tools to calculate anticipated production, and resources for building a system.		Simply SolarSimply Solar is both an online forum and email listserve of people interested in building their own solar air, water, and electric systems. The listserve is a great place to go and ask questions as you’re getting started.

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Semi-DIY Solar SystemsNot ready to build a system entirely from scratch? This article outlines some options for buying a completed system and then installing it yourself.		$4 DIY Solar Battery ChargerLooking for a slightly smaller project? This article provides an easy-to-follow guide for building a $4 charger for a set of reusable batteries or your cell phone.		Solar Air Heating OptionsThis site gives an introduction to four different solar air heater models that you can build for your home.

SOLAR CITIZEN PARTNERS

 

Build it Solar

Build It Solar is a non-commercial website providing design information and plans to people who want to build renewable energy projects.

Arkansas Renewable Energy Association

Arkansas Renewable Energy Association (AREA) is a nonprofit organization designed to encourage energy independence and environmental sustainability. 

GoGreenSolar.com

GoGreenSolar.com supplies green energy products, services, technical support, and financing to help you go green. We help you through the entire solar  installation process!

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DIY Solar DepotFounded by owner Dan Bilbo after seeing a need for DIY solar parts in the market, DIY Solar Depot is a full service wholesale distributor of PV energy projects. We provide a “one-stop” solar buying resource, and can provide you with everything you need for a PV project anywhere in the US.		EartheasyEartheasy is a family business committed to bringing you practical products and information for sustainable living. Our goal is to help you reduce home utility costs and improve efficiency.

Join Us at SOLAR 2013!

Come to Baltimore from April 16-20 for Solar 2013, the annual ASES conference. We’re featuring innovations in passive solar architecture and renewable energy technology; a unique multi-disciplinary perspective on how renewable energy can mitigate extreme weather disasters; and best practices in solar policy and finance. Don’t miss the next generation of electric vehicles at the Expo either! Click here for more information. 

Members of St. Alban’s Parish in Washington, DC were able to install a 14 kW system on their church for no money upfront using a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Photo courtesy of Carlo La Porta

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

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Solar Rights and Power Purchase Agreement

Have you heard of a solar lease or power purchase agreement (PPA)? In many states, homeowners, non-profits and businesses can use these innovative mechanisms to go solar for no money down? Check out One Blog Off the Grid‘s great explanation of PPAs.

PPAs are really important if you are a non-profit, such as a church, school or local government, because they allow you to take advantage of federal tax incentives that reduce the cost of a system by up to 50% of the total cost.

Some utilities however, don’t allow you to have a PPA.  They say that ­only they are allowed to sell you electricity. Recently, in Virginia, Dominion Power issued a “cease and desist” to a University that was trying to go solar with a PPA with a local company!

Visit the Database for State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency to see if PPAs are allowed in your state

TOOLS FOR ACTION: Start a Petition

PPAs not allowed in your state? We can help you change that!

Solar Citizen has partnered with Community Power Network to help citizens take action and demand the right to produce their own power. We can help you start a petition to push for PPAs in your state.

Do you know a church, university, or non-profit that would like to go solar but can’t take advantage of federal tax incentives without a PPA? Help them start a petition to demand the right to have a PPA, too!

Check out the PPA petition that people in Virginia have started!
(and please forward this petition to anyone you know in VA)

RESOURCES: Understanding PPAs

Clean Energy Authority This site gives a good overview of PPAs and how homeowners can use them to finance a solar system. Go! U.S. Department of Energy DOE provides a good explanation of PPAs and the website includes resources and a webinar with additional information on PPAs. Go!

NREL Power Purchase Agreement Checklist for State and Local Governments This fact sheet provides guidance for local and state governments interested in using a PPA as a financing mechanism for a solar project. Go! California Solar Center’s Guide to Solar Power Purchase Agreements This is an excellent, detailed guide that explains PPAs for businesses, schools, nonprofits, and other organizations. It also provides examples of projects that have been completed using a PPA. Go!

 

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TAKE ACTION!

Tell your legislators you deserve the right to produce your own power! Contact  Anya to learn more about starting a petition in your state.

SOLAR CITIZEN PARTNERS

VA Sun VA SUN is a citizens network of solar supporters in Virginia. We are part of a community listserve open to any individual or business interested in supporting solar in the state. Join us!  Go! Community Power Network We are a growing network of organizations and individuals fighting for clean, local renewable energy. Go! Your Organization Here Let us feature your project, campaign, or company in the next Solar Citizen update! Contact us.

The city of Denver wins a prize for streamlining their solar permitting process. Learn how you can lead permitting reform efforts in your community!

 

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

NEWS YOU CAN USE: SOLAR SOFT COSTS

Maybe you have heard the cry for Solar Freedom Now! And you are wondering-what is all the fuss about? Did you know that it costs almost twice as much to install solar in the USA as Germany? Did you know the difference is mainly “soft costs,” like permits, interconnection fees, and other paper work? According to a recent report by SunRun, permitting and inspection add about $2,500 to the cost of a residential solar system.

Did you also know that there is a movement afoot to bring down these costs to help make solar more affordable for all? Denver was recently recognized as the first Solar Friendly Community. Denver’s permitting office can issue a permit at the counter in 15 minutes and for $50, while it can take other cities up to 20 days and cost hundreds of dollars. Denver also offers a special low-interest loan for solar systems to residents that participate in the Denver Energy Challenge and reduce energy use in their home by 15%. The city helped organize a 20% solar group discount offered to 150,000 city, state, and federal employees in Colorado. On January 28th, Aurora, Colorado was the second city to win the Solar Friendly Community designation.

TOOLS FOR ACTION: GRADE YOUR TOWN’S SOLAR PRACTICES

Solar Friendly Communities’ 12 Best Practices: A Roadmap to a Solar Friendly Community offers local communities a menu of options and an easy-to-follow roadmap to make progress in reducing soft costs. Use the wheel to see how your community is doing and email the program for more info!

Here are some fantastic resources on solar soft costs! Tell us what you think! Send us your stories and experiences with solar permitting to ASchoolman@ases.org.

DOE’s SunShot Initiative The Department of Energy’s SunShot initiative has many resources on efforts to drive down the cost of solar energy. Go!		Cutting the Price of Solar Forbes Magazine did an interesting article on cutting solar costs. Go!		ICLEI ICLEI offers “Local Governments for Sustainability” webinars on reducing barriers to solar for local governments. Go!
California Solar Permitting   Guidebook A guidebook to help local governments in California reform and streamline their permitting process. Go!		Solar 3.0! Solar 3.0 initiative is a metrics-driven program that seeks to reduce solar PV soft costs by 50% in targeted communities by 2014. Go!		IREC The Interstate Renewable Energy Council has produced a report on permitting rooftop solar systems. Go!

SOLAR CITIZEN PARTNERS

Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA)  We are an award-winning nonprofit association leading Colorado’s solar industry. Our mission is to expand solar markets and to generate jobs and prosperity for the people of Colorado. Learn more.

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Your Organization Here Let us feature your project, campaign, or company in the next Solar Citizen update! Contact us.

One Stop Green We are a company dedicated to providing practical, user friendly solutions for homeowners and businesses working to reduce waste, produce renewable energy, and implement efficient energy consumption methods. Check out our list of carefully selected products and installers to learn how you can go green today! Learn more.

Why are these homeowners smiling? They’ve just delivered a petition with 3,500 signatures to their local elected officials calling for better solar incentives in their city!

Building the renewable energy movement from the ground up!

We know that most Americans would produce their own clean local energy if it were easy and affordable. We don’t tell you why you should want it. We tell you ­how to get it. We show you who figured it out, and how they did it. We connect you to news and tools to help make it happen on your home, in your town, on your farm, on your church, or on your school.

Tell us what you want to know. Share your projects, success stories and challenges. As more of us join the network, we get stronger and are better able to build more homegrown clean energy.

In the next few months we expect to cover subjects such as:

• Solar soft costs
• Solar rights
• Solar communities

We want to hear from you! Contact: aschoolman@ases.org.

TOOLS FOR ACTION – UNDERSTANDING YOUR SOLAR MARKET

If you are interested in learning more about solar energy or promoting solar policies in your state, you need to first understand how the rules work in your area. When you install a solar system there is an upfront cost that can be partially or completely offset by various federal and state incentives. The following websites will help you!

Solar Power Rocks A breakdown of your state’s solar incentives, that ranks the state’s legislature on their level of support for solar. Go		Freeing the Grid A policy guide that grades states on their net metering and interconnection procedures. Go!		ACORE’s Renewable Energy in the 50 States An executive summary on the status of renewable energy implementation at the state-level. Go!
Clean Energy Authority A website that gives a breakdown of each state’s solar rebates and incentives. Go!		DSIRE USA A very detailed site of renewable energy policies and incentives, and a glossary that explains each type of incentive and regulation. Go!		Use the tools! How does your state stack up? Which tool worked best for you?

SOLAR CITIZEN PARTNERS

Community Power Network  We are working to expand the network of groups and individuals fighting for clean, local renewable energy. Learn more.

Your Organization Here  Let us feature your project, campaign, or company in the next Solar Citizen update! Contact us.

Your Organization Here  Let us feature your project, campaign, or company in the next Solar Citizen update! Contact us.