SOLAR TODAY

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

Rethinking Solar Water Heating in an Age of Booming PV
SWH could relieve utility stress about the challenges of integrating so much PV, so fast.
By Jill K. Cliburn and Joe Bourg

Affordable Net-Zero-Energy in Outlying D.C.
By minimizing construction and utility costs, the North Pointe homes in Frederick, Md., offer low-cost living  quite a feat in metro Washington, D.C.
By V. Paul Zanecki

Relieving a Glaring Problem
Proper design and siting of solar energy installations is probably the most effective way to mitigate potentially hazardous glare.
By Clifford K. Ho

Squeezing Utility Bill Savings from Commercial PV
Net metering or power purchase agreement? It depends on the customer and utility, but a study of North Carolina commercial customers finds that selling the PV generation yields the best savings, thanks to onerous net-metering charges.
By Kacey Hoover

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
Acting Against Coal
By Seth Masia

Investing
Japan’s Big Leap Forward
By Rona Fried, Ph.D.

The trade
Model Zoning Ordinances for Small Wind Turbines
By Mick Sagrillo

New Products
SOLAR 2013 Products Preview

System Accomplished
Do-It-Yourself Pays Off for UPS
By Seth Masia

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The Alliance Commission, chaired by Senator Mark Warner and National Grid President Tom King, is a blue-ribbon group of two dozen private sector executives, including finance, utility and technology firms. It includes Dan Arvizu, director or NREL; Mike Eckhart, mangaging director and global head of environmental finance at Citigroup; retired General Wesley Clark; former New York Governor George Pataki; and Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund.

The report, among other steps, advocates enabling institutional investors to buy energy efficiency financial obligations on a large scale, using securities based on uniform contract structures (in place, for instance, of investing in fossil-fuel limited partnerships and investment trusts). And it suggests that mortgage lenders should consider household energy and transportation cost savings, which reduce the cost of owning a home, when underwriting. The fact that a homeowner can afford a larger monthly mortgage payment may make for reduced risk and a more attractive loan.

Here’s the report’s own outline of steps to be taken to double America’s energy efficiency:

Make financing more easilyavailable for energy efficiency projects:

• Make more capital available by enabling institutional investors to buy energy efficiency financial obligations on a large scale using securities based on uniform contract structures and better performance data.

• Establish state and local programs for financing of efficiency measures, which may use repayment on utility bills or on property tax bills (the capital could be provided by institutional investors).

• Consider household energy and transportation costs when underwriting mortgages to allow for larger or more attractive loans for homes with lower monthly costs.

» Advance energy productivity through federal tax reform:

• reform federal energy efficiency tax incentives so that they focus on high efficiency technologies and measures and on promoting innovation and market transformation.

• Adjust commercial and industrial depreciation schedules to encourage investments that can boost energy productivity.

Support energy productivity innovation and market adoption:

• Increase federal investment in basic and applied research, development, demonstration, deployment, and technical assistance.

Governments lead by example:

• Apply innovative best practices to government buildings and vehicle fleets.

• Make all cost-effective efficiency improvements to federal buildings using private financing and public funds.

To download the full report, go to:

http://ase.org/sites/default/files/full_commission_report.pdf

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.

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

Southwestern Smarts
This resource-wise house in Santa Fe, N.M., takes vernacular architecture to the next level to achieve near net-zero-energy.
By Mark W. Chalom

Keys to Successful Solar Water-Heating Programs
To encourage adoption, address the big obstacles: high upfront cost and a lack of consumer awareness.
Jordan DiGiorgio, Jeff Curry, Christie Howe and Mark Thornbloom, P.E., with Chip Bircher

5 Insights for Marketing Solar to Hispanics
Green attitudes and behaviors of the nation’s fastest-growing market might surprise you.
By Dr. Mary Beth McCabe, Dr. Ramon Corona, Dr. Richard Weaver

An Angle on Solar and Wind Variability
What is the best match to U.S. loads that could be achieved with wind power and PV? NREL’s load-matching model calculates the answer.
By Victor Diakov

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ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

Big Ideas in Solar
10 game-changing innovations for financing, cost parity and consumer adoption.
By Seth Masia and Gina R. Johnson

Think You Know Solar-Responsive Design?
Take the Quiz
By Norbert M. Lechner

Connect with Local Solar Leaders 

Don’t miss your opportunity to participate in the ASES National Solar Tour, Saturday, Oct. 6, in most locations.
By Gina R. Johnson

Going Deep for Energy Savings
The deep energy retrofit of a 1960s affordable housing property in Boston had an ambitious goal: to reduce energy consumption at least 72 percent.
By Heather Clark

Securing Land for Large-Scale Solar Projects
California restricts development of millions of acres of agricultural land under the Williamson Act. What are the options for overcoming this barrier?
By Mathew J. Swain and Ashley E. Breakfield

Investing

Renewable Energy Hits Milestones

The Trade

Small Wind Turbine Labeling and Shut-Off Directions

System Accomplished

Solar for The Big House

New Products

Solar Power International Showcase

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Perspective
PV Power Map
Advances
Inside ASES

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).

Choose the Low-Hanging Fruit
PV may be the sexy strategy, but solar-responsive design is cheaper and, by reducing a building’s energy consumption, more sustainable.
November/December 2011

For Aggressive Efficiency, Choose Passive Solar
Every south-facing window is a basic passive solar space-heating system. The challenge is minimizing heat loss while maximizing solar energy collected throughout the day.
January/February 2012

Shading for Energy Savings
By reducing the need for air conditioning, this design technique goes a long way in saving money and energy.
March/April 2012

Playing the Angles for Solar-Responsive Design
Solar geometry provides the tools for effective passive solar heating, shading and daylighting.
May 2012

Daylighting Illuminated
A good design will provide ample quality daylight, saving energy and money.
June 2012

White is the Greenest Color
Selecting light-colored roofs and walls is one of the easiest ways to save energy and money. So why don’t we see more white roofs?
July/August 2012

Think You Know Solar-Responsive Design?
Take the quiz to see how much you’ve learned. Access the September 2012 issue by logging in to your member/subscriber account here, or look for your print copy in the mail. Not a subscriber? Sign up today!

Norbert M. Lechner is an architect, professor emeritus in the College of Architecture, Design, and Construction at Auburn University, LEED-accredited professional and ASES Fellow. He is an expert in energy-responsive architectural design with an emphasis on solar-responsive design. Lechner’s book, Heating, Cooling, Lighting: Sustainable Design Methods for Architects, is used by more than a third of all architecture schools in the United States and in architecture schools worldwide. The book is also very popular with professionals. He is a sought-after speaker, giving keynote lectures and workshops at universities and conferences around the world.