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!

A nationwide misinformation campaign is underway to dismantle state-level policies critical to the growth of wind and solar. Panelists at the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) National Solar Conference, taking place in Baltimore April 16-20, will unveil the misinformation at the heart of these efforts, and address ways to counter the opposition.

Boulder, CO, March 21, 2013 — Special interest groups opposed to renewable energy and funded by fossil fuel interests, including the billionaire Koch brothers, are stepping up their misinformation campaign to repeal or weaken bipartisan Renewable Electricity Standards (RES) – also known as Renewable Portfolio Standards – in states across the US this year.

The nationwide effort to prevent adoption of renewable energy technologies is spearheaded by the Washington, DC-based American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a source of policy templates crafted by special interest groups and corporations and distributed to ALEC members in state legislatures nationwide. Sample legislation proffered by ALEC – such as the “Electricity Freedom Act” – has resulted in copycat bills to repeal or weaken existing renewable electricity standards sponsored by ALEC members in states like Kansas, North Carolina and Ohio this year.

The language found in ALEC’s legislative template makes no mention of the external costs imposed by fossil fuels, such as volatile fuel prices, air pollution, climate change and environmental degradation. Additionally, the legislation does not account for the benefits of job creation and risk mitigation.

Renewable electricity standards now in place in 29 states and the District of Columbia, require utilities to generate a certain percentage of their electricity using renewable energy 
technologies. While the standards vary from state to state, they have contributed to a doubling of the electricity generated by non-hydro renewable energy in the last five years. And that rate of growth is increasing, adding tens of thousands of jobs and creating the fastest-growing sector of the US economy in the process.

The panel discussion of political attacks on renewable energy includes:

• Jeffery Wolfe (Moderator), Founder and Chairman, groSolar
• Emily Duncan, Director of Government Affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
• Lisa Graves, Executive Director of the Center for Media and Democracy
• Gabe Elsner, Director of the Checks & Balances Project
• David Anderson, Outreach Coordinator for Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists

About the American Solar Energy Society

Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation’s leading association of solar professionals and advocates. Our mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. ASES leads national efforts to increase the use of solar energy and other sustainable technologies through the publication of the award-winning SOLAR TODAY magazine, the ASES National Solar Tour – the largest grassroots solar event in the world, and the the ASES National Solar Conference. For more information about ASES and the SOLAR 2013 conference please visit http://www.ases.org/solar2013.
# # #

Contact:
Seth Masia
smasia@ases.org
303.443.3130 x109

Lili Francklyn
lfrancklyn@ases.org
303-443-3130 x 107

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.

“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. 

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!

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.

Theme: The Renewable Energy Landscape in 2013

Day and Time: Wednesday, April 17th: 10:30 am-12:00 pm

Come Join us for Wednesday’s plenary session at SOLAR2013 and have the honor of listening to distinguished speakers Kevin Knobloch, Eric Martinot, and John Byrne!

Economics & Politics of Clean Energy & Climate Science
Kevin Knobloch: President, Union of Concerned Scientists

Kevin will be speaking from 10:30-12:30 pm. He is knowledgable about a range of environmental and national security issues and brings 32 years of experience in public policy, government, advocacy, and media to his job as president of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

The Road Forward: The REN21 Global Futures Report
Eric Martinot: Report Author, The REN21 Global Futures Report

Eric will be speaking from 10:30-12:30 pm. Dr. Martinot has worked in renewable energy for 25 years and is an internationally recognized scholar, writer, and teacher on the subject. He is report author of the pioneering REN21 Renewables Global Futures Report, and was lead author from 2005-2010 of the REN21 Renewables Global Status Report, an annual synthesis of markets and policies.

New Energy For a New Climate: Risks & Progress
John Byrne: Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, University of Deleware

John will be speaking from 10:30-12:30 pm. Dr.Byrne is the distinguished Professor of Energy and Climate Policy and Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy (CEEP) at the University of Delaware. He is also Chairman and CEO of the Foundation for Renewable Energy & Environment (FREE).

Boulder, CO, March 14, 2013 — The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) welcomes Jochen Flasbarth, President, German Federal Environment Agency, and David Wedepohl, Markets & Communications Director of German Solar Industry Association at its annual National Solar Conference, SOLAR 2013, in Baltimore, April 16-20. ASES will explore the German policies and financial incentives that have led to rapid growth in the country’s renewable energy installations, exceeding the expectations of policy analysts and investors around the world.

On Thursday, April 18, Jochen Flasbarth will join Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, in a plenary session on Climate & Resiliency. Other speakers include Alice LeBlanc, former head of the Office of Environment and Climate Change at American International Group (AIG) and Patricia Hoffman of the Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. Behind Germany’s rapid development of renewable energy is a goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2020. That goal is linked to producing 35% of electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and 80% by 2050. German goals also include reduction in fossil fuel imports and sustainable economic growth.

David Wedepohl will speak on “Building the Solar Industry” on Friday, April 19, along with Rhone Resch, head of the Solar Energy Industries Association; Tony Clifford,  CEO of Standard Solar; and Laura Jones, a partner at Hunton & Williams and an expert on tax incentives for renewable energy. Wedepohl will also participate in a panel session that explores which German policies might be appropriate in the United States.

The key driver behind the rapid expansion of renewable energy in Germany has been the Feed-In-Tariff (FIT), a long-term contract guaranteeing revenue for solar producers over a twenty-year time-period. The FIT, which pays more than the retail cost of electricity, has encouraged hundreds of thousands of German farmers and homeowners to earn income by owning grid-tied solar. Germany encourages the development of distributed energy, as opposed to central power production, a policy which has boosted economic development in rural areas and made them into net energy exporters. Because the country has focused on eliminating red tape and cumbersome permitting requirements, the cost of a PV system in Germany is half what it is in the United States. Germany’s solar industry now employs upwards of 300,000 people, more than its auto industry.

About the American Solar Energy Society:

Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation’s leading association of solar professionals and advocates. Our mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. ASES leads national efforts to increase the use of solar energy and other sustainable technologies through the publication of the award-winning SOLAR TODAY magazine, the ASES National Solar Tour – the largest grassroots solar event in the world, and the the ASES National Solar Conference. For more information about ASES and the SOLAR 2013 conference please visit http://www.ases.org/solar2013.

Learn more about the German speakers here.

Contact:
Seth Masia
smasia@ases.org
303.443.3130 x109

Lili Francklyn
lfrancklyn@ases.org
303-443-3130 x 107

SOLAR2013

State budgets are strained and federal government support for solar programs is dwindling; the ASES conference will explore ways that solar can continue to be financed without subjecting the industry to roller coaster market conditions. Other themes include the impact of net metering policies, the challenges of grid integration, the burgeoning movement to develop community solar projects, and efforts to bring solar to a more diverse economic population. Here are the highlights:

Finance

Policy