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

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).

“We are very pleased to add top-tier companies such as RDI and Trinity to our extensive list of solar professional partners,” said Robert Prigge, Chief Commercial Officer of Clean Power Finance. “These partnerships demonstrate the attractiveness of Clean Power Finance’s model.  In less than two years, virtually every single major partner of the early residential solar finance providers has left exclusive relationships to be able to work with CPF. Our pending expansion into new markets underscores demand by solar companies for finance products they can brand and market to homeowners.”

The unbranded solar finance products available on the CPF Market™ allow partners to put their brands in front of homeowners. This is especially important in an industry that still relies heavily on referrals for business. Partners also benefit from access to a variety of finance products: product choice helps solar professionals close more deals because they can tailor the financing to an individual homeowner’s needs.

Clean Power Finance manages more than half a billion dollars of project financing on behalf of third-party solar investors. The company provides solar professionals with CPF Tools™, the leading solar sales SaaS application, and connects solar pros with institutional solar finance investors through the CPF Market, the online business-to-business marketplace for distributed solar financing.

Clean Power Finance entered the residential solar financing market in California in April 2011. Since then, the company has expanded into eight other states around the U.S. and now works with up to 80 percent of the top residential solar companies in major solar markets.

About Clean Power Finance

Clean Power Finance is driving the mass-market adoption of residential solar by building the online, business-to-business CPF Market™, which connects the solar industry and the capital markets. The company provides solar professionals, manufacturers and distributors with access to a variety of unbranded residential finance products and easy-to-use solar sales quoting and design tools. For investors and lenders, the company makes it easy to invest in residential solar projects that provide reliable rates of return with managed risk. Founded in 2007, Clean Power Finance is funded by Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers (KPCB), Google Ventures and Claremont Creek Ventures. To learn more about how Clean Power Finance can accelerate the growth of your business, please visit www.cleanpowerfinance.com.

Media Contact:

Alison Mickey

amickey@cleanpowerfinance.com

                       #  #  #

Source: Press Release- World’s solar photovoltaic capacity passes 100-gigawatt landmark after strong year

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.

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).