source: treehugger.com

While the latest Energy Information Administration numbers show that there is a decrease in coal demand in the U.S., coal is being exported to other parts of the world where demand is going up. This recent trend is a good example of why the issue of global warming must be looked at for the planet as a whole, because what matters is the absolute amount of greenhouse gas from fossil fuel sources that we pump into it. Europe and Asia have shown the most dramatic upward trends in coal usage while the U.S. is the only region going down. The reason for the drop in demand for coal in the United States is due primarily to the availability of cheap gas. So while coal demand growth is slowing, coal’s share of the global energy mix is still rising, and by 2017 coal will come close to surpassing oil as the world’s top energy source. Coal needs to be at the top of the priority list for environmentalists and policymakers right now because it is the most carbon-intensive source of energy and has many other detrimental effects to our health and environment.

Source: Coal use declining in the U.S. (yay!) but going up everywhere else (boo!) by: Michael Graham Richard

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.

jl

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.

If your organization would like recognition as a Participating Organization, and you agree to promote the event, the American Solar Energy Society can provide a discount for your members to use.

Qualifying types of organizations include:

• 501(c)3 Nonprofit organizations
• Associations (business, trade or professional) including
  • commercial real estate
  • sustainable business practices groups
  • professional associations
  • chambers of commerce, and others
• Universities, vocational and trade schools as well as their associations
• Government agencies at all levels
• ASES Chapters
• LinkedIn groups
• Advocacy groups (nonprofit)
  

When your group qualifies as a Participating Organization, we will:

• Recognize your organization’s participation on the SOLAR 2013 website (including a link to your organization’s website) and in the program guide at the event
• Provide a discount code for you and your members to use, for registration as well as for exhibit space.
• Provide blurbs, graphics and links for you to use in your communications

To become a Participating Organization your group agrees to promote these SOLAR 2013 opportunities to your membership: 

• Participation as presenters and speakers (call for participation is now open)
• Exhibiting at SOLAR 2013
• Attendance at SOLAR 2013
• Using these types of promotion:
  • Adding a button to your website that links to the SOLAR 2013 website, and
  • Email, newsletter, social networking and other tools that you already use

Click here to get started!

• the 38^th National Passive Solar Energy Conference
• the 8^th ASES Policy and Marketing Conference, and
• the inaugural Young Professionals in Renewable Energy Conference.

The American Solar Energy Society invites participation from professionals with special knowledge in the solar, renewable or sustainability fields. Program selections are based solely on the merit of the abstract or proposal. Acceptance of abstracts or proposals for presentation is based on a review of submitted materials by the designated Solar 2013 review committee. Proposals may include technical papers (to be presented at the conference) as well as forum sessions.

 Technical paper presentations at the conference include:

• Oral presentations – Typically 10-20 minutes per paper presentation (length to be determined and included in acceptance information).
• Poster presentations – Presenters will create a poster to display and will have the opportunity to do a brief overview, followed by discussion.
• “Ignite” presentations – Each presenter has 5 minutes, 20 slides, 15 seconds per slide.

Forum sessions may include:

• Panel discussions organized on a specific topic.
• Demonstrations of technology or techniques.
• In-depth discussion or debates.
• “Shoot-outs” or comparisons of competing (or complementary) technologies.

These are the topical areas for Solar 2013:

Annual National Solar Conference

• Photovoltaics
• Concentrated Solar Power
• Solar Thermal
• Distributed Wind
• Resource Applications and Integration
• Sustainable Transportation
• Water and Energy Technologies
• Cross-Track, Multi-Technology, or Other

Passive Solar Conference

• Emerging Architecture & Passive Building Technologies
• Daylighting, Modeling and Building Automation

Solar and Renewable Policy & Finance Conference

• Finance & Industry Development
• Policy & Sustainability

 Young Professionals in Renewable Energy

The inaugural Young Professionals in Renewable Energy Conference will include sessions from other tracks at Solar 2013. If you would like your proposal to be considered for inclusion, please enter the appropriate information during the abstract submission process. Additional information will be available at solar2013.org.

Continuing Education Credits

Depending on topic, ASES may be able to offer professional continuing education credits for various technical sessions and forums.  Having a session approved for credit can potentially increase attendance and expose your presentation to interested conference attendees.  Presentations that qualify for CEUs will be grouped with other qualifying presentations to enable the entire session to offer credit. If your proposal meets the criteria and is accepted, additional information may be requested from you.

Important Information and Deadlines

• The deadline for submission is November 6, 2012.
• The review process is “blind” – author/submitter names are withheld during the review process.
• Please do not submit multiple formats (e.g., paper and forum) on the same research.
• You will have the opportunity to select your presentation-style preference
• Registration: the presenting author for accepted papers, as well as organizers of accepted forum proposals, must register by February 15, 2013 in order to secure the presentation in the schedule. Other registration information is included in the Terms and Conditions.

The question is no longer if clean energy will become competitive with conventional energy forms of energy; the question is, when will it happen?

The first question from the audience during Q&A vocalized the frustration many feel in the renewable energy world at the political debate around energy in Washington. The issue this question referred to was on subsidies for renewables without recognizing that fossil fuels have been receiving subsides for decades. The list goes on and on.  The audience member urged Steven Chu to lead the DOE to create a new dialog for public discourse around energy. Chu responded that the last thing we want is to let clean energy get bogged down in a political debate. It is on its way to becoming a cheaper form of energy. Conversation should be to phase out all subsidies because technology is going at such a pace where we should not need subsidies. Chu is a scientist, not a politician, and his perspective that politics should stay out of rational decisions about this country’s energy future is probably a wise one. Toxic politics are rendering useless to much of our public discourse about the future. If the energy world can embrace both sides of the aisle in Washington and keep the focus on logical strategies that will support a better future for everyone, their cause will benefit.

Danielle Murray from the San Francisco Department of Environment

A solar revolution is happening one community at a time across the United States.

The last session of the day on Monday in the Energy Access track at WREF 2012 brought together four examples of innovative community engagement programs. All of the programs had a strong educational component and supported the installation of more solar in their area.

Danielle Murray from the San Francisco Department of Environment, a recipient of a DOE Solar America Communities grant, discussed San Francisco’s experience with organizing group purchasing programs around schools and small to medium sized businesses. Aaron Godwin, founder of Kilowatts for Education Consortium, talked about this program’s projects working with kids in Ohio and beyond to educate them about energy. Kevin Bean, champion of Gallup Solar in New Mexico and the Seacoast Area Renewable Energy Initiative in New Hampshire, shared his experiences holding barn raising style community events, but to complete solar PV installations.

There were several elements of the models discussed that had been successful and held potential for scaling. The cost savings achieved through San Francisco’s bulk purchasing program and a new Pre-paid PPA financing option that came out of their work with schools were encouraging outcomes of that program. Kevin Beane’s work with Gallup Solar and the Seacoast Area Renewable Energy Initiative had already demonstrated its transferability through successful implementation in two diverse locations. He admitted it would not work everywhere, but was optimistic that it could be effective in many places across the country.

The Holy Grail continues to be community engagement programs that are effective and can be implemented in a variety of locations without having to reinvent the wheel with every change of context. A successful model that easily scales would be a powerful tool in communities where solar has not yet caught on.