More than five years ago NESEA introduced its annual “Zero Net Energy Building Award”, which offers a $10,000 prize for the best example of a building in the Northeast that produces more energy than it consumes. Since then nearly 30 applicants from seven states have been eligible for this prestigious award. With this grant, NESEA plans to tackle three barriers to the widespread adoption of zero net energy buildings: lack of access to examples of successful projects, lack of widespread technical knowledge with respect to how to complete these projects, and perceptions that zero net energy construction is not cost effective. NESEA is taking action by creating a database of zero net energy homes in the Northeast, with a goal of at least 30 case studies by the end of the grant in June 2014. NESEA will also produce a white paper to share the best practices learned from the examples that populate the database and provide training, via a 10-week online course. Participants in the course will learn how to model and undertake a residential zero net energy project. Students who complete Rosenbaum’s course and subsequently undertake a net zero project will be eligible for tuition reimbursement, as well as an additional stipend if they submit their project into the NESEA database. These efforts have great potential to deliver a substantial decline in GHG-emissions from buildings in the Northeast.

Source: Press Release: Breaking- We’re Going To Catalyze The Market for Zero Net Energy Homes

Nothing shows the energy situation in the Philippines better than the lighthouse on the fortress island of Corregidor. The original 19th Century Spanish lighthouse used whale oil lamps to guide ships from the South China Sea into Manila Bay. Electric lights replaced the oil lamps and eventually the lighthouse evolved into the tower shown to the right. Brimming with electronics and powered by solar panels, the tower still guides ships safely into and out of Manila Bay.

Life is hard in the Philippines. Gasoline costs about five bucks a gallon. It takes the average Filipino worker two and a half, 10 to 12 hours days to buy one gallon. Electricity is 25 cents per kilowatt-hour, or about double what Alabama Power charges now. That’s more than an hour’s wages for just one kWh. “Brown-outs” are common. A “brown-out is defined as grid power being shut off for less than 12 hours; longer than 12 hours is a blackout.

At just ten degrees north latitude, there’s a lot of sunshine in the Philippines. “As we enter 2013, we would like to focus on the solar rooftops because we believe this is going to be a major initiative by the [solar] industry in providing solutions to our problems in the energy sector,” said Theresa Cruz-Capellan, one of the founders of the Philippine Solar Power Alliance (PSPA).

Alabama Solar Association (American Solar Energy Society chapter) president and Solarite Morton Archibald will travel to Manila in April to help Filipinos achieve their goal of more rooftop solar.  The two-day class will include the current energy crisis, energy effi­ciency – the best source of new energy, building energy e­fficiency, transportation energy effi­ciency, utility energy effi­ciency, recycling-the third best option, solar – the source of all energy, energy economics, solar hot water, photovoltaics, maintenance and repair, and ways you can implement the lessons learned for today’s energy challenges.

Morton will then proceed to the provincial capital of Tarlac City on Central Luzon about 110 kilometers (70 miles) north of Manila. The economy of Tarlac Provence is primarily agricultural with principal crops of rice, sugarcane, and other fruits and vegetables. Tarlac City supports the surrounding farmers of the province with mills and machinery. My daughter and her husband own a business that manufactures and modifies motor scooters – the primary means of personal transportation there.

“Brown-outs” are very common in Tarlac City. When a brown-out occurs, businesses have to shut down and air conditioning stops. It’s no fun to stay inside in a tropical climate without AC. In other words, all work stops until the power comes back on.

Morton will organize a crew of local workers and train them to install a grid-tied photovoltaic system with battery backup in Tarlac. This will show local businesses how they can keep critical systems operational while the power is out.

Working conditions? We’ll have a view of a volcano across a green pasture as we work. That’s it to the right.

Learn more about the class at www.AL-Solar.org/classes/Manila-2113-Class.pdf. learn more about photovoltaic systems at www.AL-Solar.org/tech.

The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society commissioned a “Tiny House” with help from donors and volunteers over the 2012 summer. The Tiny House was built for the 2012 Eco-Experience at the Minnesota State Fair. The goal of this house is for educational purposes as well as to show the versatility of a house this size. The Tiny House is 18′ long, 8.8′ wide and 13.9′ high. Some of the interesting and innovative characteristics of this house are solar thermal panels for hot water, solar PV for electricity,  solar air heat panels, a solar tube for interior day lighting, and energy efficient windows on all sides of the house. The house is made out of cedar siding, a metal roof, knotty pine for the interior walls, and the floor is finished in wood Pergo. Lastly, inside the house features an enclosed bathroom area, a kitchen, storage benches, a reading nook, a sleeping loft for a queen sized bed, and numerous DC lights powered by the PV panels. The house is estimated to cost around $40,000 and can be mounted on a foundation once it is lifted off the trailer that is pictured.

Learn more about the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society here.

A Note from the Executive Director

In this month of Thanksgiving, there is much to be thankful for. Here are some of the recent gifts CRES is most appreciative for:

 

Lorrie McAllister

Executive Director, CRES

Das Haus Pavilion a Success

Sustainability Park Highlighted

In October, over 1500 visitors toured Das Haus as Denver hosted the pavilion at Denver’s Sustainability Park on the 12th and final stop of a North American tour.

CRES AROUND THE STATE

Denver Area: Toward Low Cost Solar Water Heaters

Speaker Series and Networking 11/15

NOTE SPECIAL DATE!

Solar water heating means free hot water for many years, yet the up front costs are currently a barrier to widespread adoption of this technology.

Join CRES on November 15th when Jay Burch relates recent progress and plans for the future as this presentation lays out potential pathways to radically reducing the cost of solar water heaters (SWHs) for single-family residential applications. In order to attain significant market penetration, the simple payback must be reduced to 7 years or less.

For more information on this presentation, go to http://www.cres-energy.org/events/

Jay Burch, Ph.D. is senior physicist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, with over 30 years experience in the areas of modeling and measurement of thermal systems. His main research area is the reconciliation of thermal simulation models with measurements, for both buildings and solar hot water systems.

He has managed the research in the Solar Heating and Cooling Program since 1995, including the U.S. Department of Energy initiative supporting industry-led development of low-cost polymer-based solar water heaters which can be installed under $3000. This project resulted in market entry of two low-cost solar water heaters. He is now leading a recently-started NREL-industry collaboration for ultra-low-cost solar water heaters, with goal of an installed system cost of under $1000 without rebates, excluding uncontrollable soft costs.

Spotlight Presentation: Denver Energy Challenge

The Denver Energy Challenge is a free energy program provided by the City and County of Denver and is available to help residents and businesses cut energy waste, while saving money and increasing indoor comfort and air quality. Free energy advisors are provided along with access to exclusive rebates and low-cost loans which can also finance solar when you participate.

11/15 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. at CRES Office, 3245 Eliot St., Denver, CO 80211

Cost: Members are FREE; Non-members pay $10

Northern Colorado: Financing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

NCRES’ next program is Tuesday, November 13th: Financing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for the Home: ENERGY STAR Mortgages, PowerSaver Loans & Refinancing

How do I pay for this? The financing of home energy efficiency improvements or adding renewable energy systems has been a major challenge to homeowners achieving their goals.  Stephen Ponce-Pore of the Bank of Colorado will demonstrate financing options for making these improvements for existing homeowners, via refinancing, as well as new home mortgages.  Come learn about your options for increasing the comfort and reducing the operating costs of your home.

At the Bank of Colorado, Stephen initiated the development of the Colorado ENERGY STAR Mortgage, which formed a partnership with the Governor’s Energy Office and Colorado ENERGY STAR Homes to provide reduced mortgage rates to homeowners that renovate their homes for energy efficiency and for the buyers of new ENERGY STAR Homes.  He recently led the bank in its successful bid to become the only Colorado based bank to offer the new FHA PowerSaver Loan.

Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Odell Brewing Company Tasting Room, 800 E. Lincoln Ave., Fort Collins
Admission: $5.00 for non-members

More info

DUCRES: 24 Hours of Reality and the Role of Renewable Energy

Mark your calendars for the next DUCRES general meeting and speaker event on November 14th from 7:30 – 9:00 PM.

David Bowden, a former President of CRES, will speak to DUCRES about how renewable energy projects and policies can help to combat the increasing impacts of global climate change. Mr. Bowden is a passionate renewable energy advocate with a background in Television editing and production including PBS NewsHour. Our November 14th meeting coincides with a 24 hour global webcast from former Vice President Al Gore called 24 Hours of Reality: The Dirtiest Weather Report. The webcast plans to demonstrate how global climate change and extreme weather are affecting our lives and our planet. It seems the timing of this webcast is perfect in light of Hurricane Sandy.

Details: University of Denver, Sturm College of Law in Room 190

This year the New Mexico Solar Energy Association (NMSEA), one of the American Solar Energy Society’s (ASES’) oldest, most active chapters, celebrates its founding 40 years ago with the premier of a 13-part television series at a festive event Dec. 9.

The gala premier, being held at Albuquerque’s South Broadway Cultural Center, will include an annual meeting of the membership and light brunch. The highlight will be screenings of the Renewable New Mexico television series, featuring NMSEA legends including Mark Chalom, Steve and Holly Baer, Windy Dankoff and Chuck Marken (see a trailer here). NMSEA plans to employ the series of half-hour broadcasts, to begin airing on the local community access channel this fall, as an outreach and educational tool. For information or to purchase tickets to the anniversary celebration, contact info@nmsea.org.

ASES commends and congratulates NMSEA for four decades of pioneering research, implementation and public education work. A congratulatory video message from ASES President Susan Greene (above) will air as the lead-in to the Renewable New Mexico televised show.

A message from the President

Hello NorCal Solar Community,

The 9^th edition of our Solar Energy Resource Guide (SERG) is out! It’s an 80-page primer aimed at people new to solar, seasoned professionals, jobseekers, and homeowners and renters who want help determining how solar works best for them. The SERG includes old topics (basics of PV, solar hot water, and passive solar, how to hire a solar contractor, and financing and payback for solar), and we’ve added new content on community solar, solar cooking, Passive House, fire safety, back-of-the-module PV technologies, net zero energy buildings, and more. We offer deepest thanks to our SERG sponsors: Quick Mount PV, Intersolar North America, PG&E and its Pacific Energy Center, Redwood Alliance, Backwoods Solar, Silicon Valley Power, and EcoBranding Solutions. (Email us at info@norcalsolar.org if you’d like one or more copies; we are still setting up the ordering process on our website.)

In May I attended the annual American Solar Energy Society (ASES) conference in Denver. Two tidbits: Ed Mazria, one of the “fathers” of passive solar design, reported that many major architect and engineering firms around the world (which he called the “design brain trust”) are moving rapidly toward designing carbon-neutral buildings. This is a major paradigm shift, and it means more efficient use of energy, more renewable energy, and fewer carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion to operate buildings over their lifespans. Right here in California, the new University of Calif/Merced is to be a carbon-neutral campus.

The second tidbit is more local. Each year ASES names new Fellows of the American Solar Energy Society, people who have moved solar and ASES forward in meaningful ways. Two of the three Fellows inducted in 2012 are long-time NorCal Solar supporters: Jim Augustyn, a solar engineer and author of the solar cat books (based in Berkeley), and Ron Swenson, an innovative big-picture thinker and solar entrepreneur (San Jose/Santa Cruz). In addition, ASES recognized another NorCal Solar member who served as the Chair of ASES: Margot McDonald, professor of architecture at Cal Poly/San Luis Obispo (see photo below). Congratulations!

NorCal Solar took part in the Intersolar conference July 9-13 in San Francisco. We gained some new members – welcome! And we had fun at our various fund-raising events – solar tours and a raffle. Fewer booths than last year in the exhibit hall indicate a solar industry in flux. One large player, Schott Solar, announced just before the conference that it is closing most of its solar business around the world.

Check out our event this month – a tour of a 30 MW PV plant just south of Sacramento, organized and co-hosted by our friends at the US Green Building Council/N. Calif Chapter/Capital Branch. Join us Aug. 23 at 5:30 pm (for details, go to www.usgbc-ncc.org/index.php?option=com_events&type=event&task=details&id=1223&Itemid=109).

Lastly, a plea. Fundraising for things such as networking events continues to be a challenge. Please consider a donation to NorCal Solar, a gift membership for someone, or renew your membership. If you’ve never been a member, consider joining now! Visit www.norcalsolar.org. We will use your generous donation for a much-needed upgrade to our website and for continuing to keep our behind-the-scenes wheels turning. Thank you for all you do.

Here’s to a clean energy future,

Elaine Hebert, NorCal Solar President
elaine@norcalsolar.org

To learn more about NorCal Solar, visit their website.