NOTE: The Georgia Solar Energy Association is a state chapter of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) just as the Indiana Renewable Energy Association is a state chapter of ASES. Although the focus of this article is on the activities of Georgia Power, it also mentions Duke Energy which operates in North Carolina as well as in Indiana.
http://atlantaprogressivenews.com/news/0618.html
By Matthew Cardinale, News Editor, The Atlanta Progressive News (March 31, 2010)
A version of this article originally appeared on the Inter-Press Service website at http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=50862.
ATLANTA, Georgia, Mar 31, 2010 (IPS) - As citizens, businesses and non-profit organisations seek to transition to cleaner power sources like solar and wind, some big energy firms whose business models rely on polluting sources are standing in the way.
In Georgia, the energy company Georgia Power has lobbied for favourable public policies at the Public Service Commission (PSC) and State legislature that are making it difficult for the state's residents to transition to solar power.
IPS learned that the Dekalb County school system wanted to put solar panels on their schools, but could not do it because of state policies like the Territorial Electric Service Act of 1973 which gives Georgia Power a monopoly over the purchase of energy.
"In Georgia, we have about a dozen state policies preventing creation of solar energy," James Marlow, vice chair of the Georgia Solar Energy Association, told IPS. "One of those is the Territorial Act."
"If you're looking at a school, one of the common ways [of setting up solar panels] is using a power purchase agreement or PPA," Marlow said.
Typically, one of the biggest obstacles for businesses and organisations to switch to solar energy is the initial cost of obtaining and installing the panels. A PPA allows a school system, for example, to obtain the panels for no cost from a solar installation company which finances the panels.
Then, the school can purchase the energy from the solar installation company, which would own the panels, for a 20-year period. Marlow said that a PPA client typically pays for the panels after the first five years and then saves money on energy for the next 15, all the while avoiding the use of dirty energy.
However, because of Georgia's Territorial Act, individuals, organisations, and businesses with solar panels can only sell their energy to Georgia Power. This means they cannot enter a PPA with a solar installation company and may have difficulty affording the panels in the first place.
For those who are able to buy or lease their own solar panels, selling that energy to Georgia Power--the only allowed buyer--is subject to the rules of Georgia Power's net metering program. Net metering is where residents and businesses with solar panels sell any excess energy produced by the solar panels to Georgia Power for use by other customers.
"The problem with the current [net-metering] program is... there's a waiting list and it's limited. Net-metering in Georgia has a cap of 100 kilowatt hours," Marlow said, adding that one state in the US South, North Carolina, is taking the lead on solar power. "In North Carolina, that cap is two megawatts."
"We requested a 5 megawatt cap in Georgia. Georgia Power has lobbied to limit that to a smaller number," Marlow said.
But why would Georgia Power put a cap and waiting list on purchasing solar power from Georgia residents and businesses?
The company explains that its ability to purchase solar power from Georgians with solar panels is limited by the proceeds of its "green energy blocks" program, wherein Georgia Power customers are allowed to pay extra to purchase blocks of solar energy.
"We had to cap the amount we would buy back, because there's only so much the program would bear as we rolled it out and it started to be developed," Ervan Hancock, Georgia Power's renewable and green strategy manager, told the Savannah Morning News newspaper in July 2009.
"Georgia Power will only buy solar energy if it's funded through purchase of green energy blocks. Right now they only have 4,500 customers such as the US Center for Disease Control and Warner Robins Air Force Base. The funding from that goes to buy solar energy from your rooftop," Marlow said.
However, Georgia Power charges more for solar power than it does for coal-based power, so there's no incentive for most customers to purchase it. "They [purchasers of the blocks] would pay a slight premium to buy clean energy versus buying coal energy," Marlow said.
Many of the purchasers of blocks of solar energy are government agencies that need to comply with government mandates to support clean energy, Marlow said.
Other states like Colorado have taken a different approach to encourage the use of solar panels. They charge all energy customers 50 cents a month, a very low amount, to support the purchase of solar energy from producers.
According to the Morning News, the Tennessee Valley Authority has enrolled 13,000 green-power customers and has no cap on the annual amount of green energy it will buy from producers. Florida Power & Light "is building three solar facilities that combined will generate 110 megawatts of electricity... Duke Energy in North Carolina plans to invest 50 million in rooftop installations."
To be sure, Georgia Power is only following the regulations established by the legislature and PSC. However, they lobbied for those policies to be enacted in the first place, Marlow said.
"At this point, the utilities are opposed to solar and they're not working to foster its development," Marlow said.
In addition to regulatory tricks, there are more direct ways in which big energy companies like Georgia Power are blocking solar and wind power.
"They are trying to block clean energy by trying to flood the market with cheap, dirty energy," said Erin Glynn, director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign, referring to companies attempting to build two new coal plants and two new nuclear reactors in Georgia alone. As previously reported by IPS, numerous coal and nuclear plants are in planning stages throughout the U.S. South.
"If you build these giant power plants, there will be no demand for clean energy. The clean technologies are here today. People have solar panels. The companies are blocking the market," Glynn said.
Big energy companies are lobbying at the state and national levels to prevent public policies from shifting towards renewable energy production as well. Georgia Power's parent company, Southern Company, employed 63 lobbyists to fight the recent federal clean energy bill.
A recent report from the Centre for Public Integrity (CPI) shows that many big utility companies employed two dozen or more lobbyists to oppose the clean energy bill, while Southern Company had far more lobbyists than any other company.
"We feel it's very important to educate our legislators, and we continue to work with Congress to further address the issues we see as critical to our ability to provide affordable, reliable energy," Southern Company spokeswoman Terri Cohilas told CPI.
Southern Company argues that pursuing renewable energy or taking steps to address carbon dioxide's recent classification as a pollutant will drive up the cost of energy to consumers. However, Marlow believes that dirty and clean energy are quickly approaching "cost parity," and he said there are indirect costs of dirty energy such as high asthma rates near coal plants.
Twenty-nine states have a renewable portfolio standard, which requires that a certain percentage of the state's energy will be renewable by a certain date.
"California and Colorado will require 30 percent comes from renewable by 2020," Marlow said. "North Carolina requires 12 percent. Georgia has no requirement. North Carolina is the only state in the Southeast that has a renewable portfolio standard."
Links added.
Showing posts with label Indiana Renewable Energy Association. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indiana Renewable Energy Association. Show all posts
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Monday, December 28, 2009
Indiana Lawmakers Hopeful About Renewable Energy Bill
Lawmakers hopeful Indiana Legislature can
pass bill to boost renewable energy adoption
By RICK CALLAHAN, The Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS December 28, 2009 (AP)
pass bill to boost renewable energy adoption
By RICK CALLAHAN, The Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS December 28, 2009 (AP)
Legislation that could bring more wind turbines and solar power projects to Indiana has a good chance of passing in the upcoming legislative session after failing in the last session's closing hours, two state lawmakers say.
While the General Assembly seems unlikely to require Indiana utilities to generate a specific amount of electricity from renewable energy sources, it may expand the state's so-called net-metering policy.
That rule allows some customers of investor-owned utilities to send excess electricity produced by wind turbines, solar panels and other renewable sources back into the electric grid and to be charged only for the net amount of power they actually use.
Because those customers get credit on future bills for excess power they produce, it can help offset the cost of installing renewable energy systems and make doing so more attractive.
State Sen. James Merritt, R-Indianapolis, said last week he's optimistic lawmakers will increase the amount of power that can be sent back into the grid and extend that option to businesses, industries and municipalities.
The state's current net-metering policy applies only to homeowners and schools and sets a limit of 10 kilowatts per customer.
Indiana lags well behind neighboring states in its net-metering policy, according to "Freeing the Grid," a report released in November by the renewable energy advocacy group Network for New Energy Choices.
Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky received grades of "B" in that report, but Indiana got an "F."
"They've been making changes and they've improved, but we've remained the same," said Laura Arnold, president of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association's board of the directors.
An expansion of Indiana's metering rules would make investing in wind turbines, solar panels, hydroelectric systems or biomass energy generators more attractive, she said.
Merritt, who chairs the Senate Utilities and Technology Committee, said net metering should be his panel's main issue during the legislative session that starts Jan. 5.
The sticking point in negotiations is expected to be what power limit to set under a revised policy.
That issue scuttled an agreement last session, when Merritt sponsored a bill that would have boosted the net-metering limit to 100 kilowatts and expanded the policy to include businesses and municipalities.
State Rep. Ryan Dvorak, D-South Bend, sponsored a House bill that would have raised the limit to 1,000 kilowatts — about the amount produced by a large wind turbine.
Although those bills passed both chambers, the legislation died in conference committee.
"It really just came down to the numbers," Dvorak said last week. "The Senate didn't want to budge up from 100 kilowatt and we hit an impasse."
He hasn't decided what power level he will propose this season, but Dvorak said he's optimistic about passage because power utilities that once fought net-metering now seem willing to accept its expansion and at least a 100-kilowatt cutoff.
"We're a lot closer and that's why I'm hopeful this year we're going to get an actual meaningful bill through that's comparable to the rest of the country," Dvorak said.
The Indianapolis-based Hoosier Environmental Council favors boosting the state's net-metering limit to 1,000 kilowatts, a level that Jesse Kharbanda, the group's executive director, said would help bring new jobs and development to the state.
A 1,000 kilowatt level also would help the state respond to federal climate change legislation expected to lead to higher energy costs in states like Indiana that get most of their power from coal-fired power plants, he said.
"Net metering helps lay the foundation for a different energy economy for Indiana," Kharbanda said. "It helps Indiana better prepare for climate legislation and can provide new income for struggling corporations."
While moving it the policy's power limit to 100 kilowatts might help individual homeowners and small retail stores install small-scale wind or solar power systems, he said that's well below the level needed to help industries and large businesses with far larger energy demands.
Click here to request updates on proposed net metering legislation in Indiana.
While the General Assembly seems unlikely to require Indiana utilities to generate a specific amount of electricity from renewable energy sources, it may expand the state's so-called net-metering policy.
That rule allows some customers of investor-owned utilities to send excess electricity produced by wind turbines, solar panels and other renewable sources back into the electric grid and to be charged only for the net amount of power they actually use.
Because those customers get credit on future bills for excess power they produce, it can help offset the cost of installing renewable energy systems and make doing so more attractive.
State Sen. James Merritt, R-Indianapolis, said last week he's optimistic lawmakers will increase the amount of power that can be sent back into the grid and extend that option to businesses, industries and municipalities.
The state's current net-metering policy applies only to homeowners and schools and sets a limit of 10 kilowatts per customer.
Indiana lags well behind neighboring states in its net-metering policy, according to "Freeing the Grid," a report released in November by the renewable energy advocacy group Network for New Energy Choices.
Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky received grades of "B" in that report, but Indiana got an "F."
"They've been making changes and they've improved, but we've remained the same," said Laura Arnold, president of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association's board of the directors.
An expansion of Indiana's metering rules would make investing in wind turbines, solar panels, hydroelectric systems or biomass energy generators more attractive, she said.
Merritt, who chairs the Senate Utilities and Technology Committee, said net metering should be his panel's main issue during the legislative session that starts Jan. 5.
The sticking point in negotiations is expected to be what power limit to set under a revised policy.
That issue scuttled an agreement last session, when Merritt sponsored a bill that would have boosted the net-metering limit to 100 kilowatts and expanded the policy to include businesses and municipalities.
State Rep. Ryan Dvorak, D-South Bend, sponsored a House bill that would have raised the limit to 1,000 kilowatts — about the amount produced by a large wind turbine.
Although those bills passed both chambers, the legislation died in conference committee.
"It really just came down to the numbers," Dvorak said last week. "The Senate didn't want to budge up from 100 kilowatt and we hit an impasse."
He hasn't decided what power level he will propose this season, but Dvorak said he's optimistic about passage because power utilities that once fought net-metering now seem willing to accept its expansion and at least a 100-kilowatt cutoff.
"We're a lot closer and that's why I'm hopeful this year we're going to get an actual meaningful bill through that's comparable to the rest of the country," Dvorak said.
The Indianapolis-based Hoosier Environmental Council favors boosting the state's net-metering limit to 1,000 kilowatts, a level that Jesse Kharbanda, the group's executive director, said would help bring new jobs and development to the state.
A 1,000 kilowatt level also would help the state respond to federal climate change legislation expected to lead to higher energy costs in states like Indiana that get most of their power from coal-fired power plants, he said.
"Net metering helps lay the foundation for a different energy economy for Indiana," Kharbanda said. "It helps Indiana better prepare for climate legislation and can provide new income for struggling corporations."
While moving it the policy's power limit to 100 kilowatts might help individual homeowners and small retail stores install small-scale wind or solar power systems, he said that's well below the level needed to help industries and large businesses with far larger energy demands.
Click here to request updates on proposed net metering legislation in Indiana.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Renewable Energy in Indiana: Past, Present and Future
The 1st Annual Meeting of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association will be as follows:
Saturday, November 14th, 2009
2:00 to 6:00 pm
Library Auditorium
Marian University
3200 Coldspring Rd.
Indianapolis, IN 46222
$15 InREA members
$25 non-members
(includes dinner buffet)
Bring a check payable to: Indiana Renewable Energy Association
The theme for our first annual meeting will be to review the past history, present status and future proposals for renewable energy development in Indiana.
We will present an overview of the activities of our association over the past year including our recent participation in the ASES National Solar Tour. Amie McCarty with Mann Plumbing in Bloomington will present an overview of these solar tours and our plans for 2010 solar tours and related activities.
We will describe the current status of renewable energy development in our state and how we compare to other states in our region and the nation as a whole.
The current status of renewable energy in Indiana will also include a panel discussion of InREA members about professional accreditation. Training and education remains a "hot topic" in this current economic climate.
Panelists include:
David Hippensteel, Riverbridge Electric, North Manchester
David Mann, Mann Plumbing, Bloomington
Mac Williams, Inverde, Fishers
Gary Washington, Solar Usage Now, Ft. Wayne
Lastly, we will conduct a discussion of our plans for the future.
A presentation by InREA member Chris Stribeck with Integrated Development Services (IDS) of Indianapolis is planned on 1) proposed changes to our current dues structure and 2) formation of a sister organization with an IRS tax status that will allow for unrestricted lobbying activities.
Earlier this year, the InREA Board of Directors decided to pursue status with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization that would be both tax exempt and tax deductible allowing both membership dues and contributions to be tax deductible. Pursuing such a tax status will also allow InREA to apply for grants from foundations as well as charitable contributions from individuals.
In response to feedback from various prospective members including electric utilities as well as current members, it was felt that it would be better for direct lobbying activitiess such as advocacy on various energy issues at the Indiana General Assembly be done through a separate organization.
Final steps are underway to complete InREA's application to the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-profit and it is anticipated it will be filed before the end of the calendar year.
Our meeting will conclude with an informal networking session and a dinner buffet.
We hope you will make plans now to join us and to celebrate our first year as the Indiana Renewable Energy Association as the Indiana state chapter of the American Solar Energy Society.
For more information visit the website of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association at www.indianarenew.org.
Saturday, November 14th, 2009
2:00 to 6:00 pm
Library Auditorium
Marian University
3200 Coldspring Rd.
Indianapolis, IN 46222
$15 InREA members
$25 non-members
(includes dinner buffet)
Bring a check payable to: Indiana Renewable Energy Association
The theme for our first annual meeting will be to review the past history, present status and future proposals for renewable energy development in Indiana.
We will present an overview of the activities of our association over the past year including our recent participation in the ASES National Solar Tour. Amie McCarty with Mann Plumbing in Bloomington will present an overview of these solar tours and our plans for 2010 solar tours and related activities.
We will describe the current status of renewable energy development in our state and how we compare to other states in our region and the nation as a whole.
The current status of renewable energy in Indiana will also include a panel discussion of InREA members about professional accreditation. Training and education remains a "hot topic" in this current economic climate.
Panelists include:
David Hippensteel, Riverbridge Electric, North Manchester
David Mann, Mann Plumbing, Bloomington
Mac Williams, Inverde, Fishers
Gary Washington, Solar Usage Now, Ft. Wayne
Lastly, we will conduct a discussion of our plans for the future.
A presentation by InREA member Chris Stribeck with Integrated Development Services (IDS) of Indianapolis is planned on 1) proposed changes to our current dues structure and 2) formation of a sister organization with an IRS tax status that will allow for unrestricted lobbying activities.
Earlier this year, the InREA Board of Directors decided to pursue status with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization that would be both tax exempt and tax deductible allowing both membership dues and contributions to be tax deductible. Pursuing such a tax status will also allow InREA to apply for grants from foundations as well as charitable contributions from individuals.
In response to feedback from various prospective members including electric utilities as well as current members, it was felt that it would be better for direct lobbying activitiess such as advocacy on various energy issues at the Indiana General Assembly be done through a separate organization.
Final steps are underway to complete InREA's application to the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-profit and it is anticipated it will be filed before the end of the calendar year.
Our meeting will conclude with an informal networking session and a dinner buffet.
We hope you will make plans now to join us and to celebrate our first year as the Indiana Renewable Energy Association as the Indiana state chapter of the American Solar Energy Society.
For more information visit the website of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association at www.indianarenew.org.
Friday, September 18, 2009
2009 Indy Solar Tour
14th Annual National Solar Tour
Scheduled annually for the first Saturday in October, in conjunction with National Energy Awareness Month, the ASES National Solar Tour is the world's largest grassroots solar event.
The event offers participants the opportunity to tour homes and buildings to see how their neighbors are using solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies, to reduce their monthly utility bills and help tackle climate change.
In 2008, nationwide, close to 140,000 attendees visited some 5,000 buildings in 3,000 participating communities.
Now in its 14th year, this event is coordinated nationally by the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (http://www.ases.org/).
In 2009, InREA (Indiana Renewable Energy Association) will be hosting the first annual Indianapolis tour.
Please join us for the kickoff of our local, self-guided Indy Area Tour at Keep Indianapolis Beautiful at 2 PM.
The Indy Solar Tour will include homes and businesses utilizing renewable energy technologies (PV (Photovoltaic), wind, solar thermal, and passive solar). The sites will be available for public tours from 2 PM to 6 PM unless otherwise noted. For more information, contact Mark Oehler at 317.844.6712 or maoehler@aol.com
This local tour is coordinated by the Indiana Renewable Energy Association (InREA), the state chapter of the American Solar Energy Society. For more info about InREA, visit http://www.indianarenew.org/ or contact Laura Arnold at 317.635.1701 or LauraArnold@IndianaRenew.org .
2009 Indianapolis Solar Tour Sites
KIBI (Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc.), 1029 Fletcher Ave, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46203. 317.264.7565.
KIBI's new award-winning office building includes the following green features: white "cool" roof, 10,000 gallon cistern to recycle rain water, daylighting, rain garden, wind energy, and pervious pavement (allows rainwater to soak through). The building is expected to use 21% less energy than a standard design. KIB was the first civic Indiana nonprofit to receive LEED Gold green building certification.
www.kibi.org/building/index.htm
Schmidt Associates, 320 E Vermont St, Indianapolis, IN 46204. 317.263.6226.
The solar canopy is comprised of 20 @ 150 kW PV (Photovoltaic) panels. The system is grid tied and was completed in August 2006. The solar canopy replaced a deteriorating fabric canopy and so additionally provides a passive cooling benefit to the south façade of the building. It was designed to be educational by making the technology visible (versus putting the array on the roof).
http://www.schmidt-arch.com/
Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown, 10 East Market St, Indianapolis, IN 46204. 317.955.9700.
Located just 1 block from Monument Circle, the Hilton features a 4.05 kWh PV array on the top of the 16-story hotel. The actual electricity produced represents only a small portion of total energy consumption, but does help shave peak demand on highest consumption days. The Hilton is on the national register for historic preservation.
Note: Hourly escorted tours will be offered of this installation. Because of the need to climb a 1-floor spiral staircase, flat shoes are required and casual clothes are recommended. Attendees must be over 12 years of age.
http://www.hiltongardenindianapolis.com/
Henning Residence 10304 Starhaven Court, Indianapolis, 46229. Contact phone: 812.342.7226.
The Henning residence has a recently installed 4 kW PV system using 20 Sanyo Hit 210 panels mounted on a Unirac Rail System. Materials sourced and system installed by EcoSource, Inc. (http://www.ecosource-inc.com/).
Mirise Residence, 3325 W CR 100N, Bargersville, IN 46106. Contact phone: 765.702.0231.
This rural home features a 20 kW grid tied PV system and a 10 kW wind system. Within ½ hour of downtown Indianapolis, this is one of the largest residential systems in Indiana. The system was installed by ECI Wind and Solar LCC (http://www.eciwindandsolar.com/) .
Gange Residence, 7920 Farrell Lane, Indianapolis, IN 46280 (near 79th and Spring Mill Rd).
This urban home features a 1.3 kW PV system with tracking system and solar domestic hot water system. Installed in 2007, this installation was featured on Channel 13.
Conner Prairie, 13400 Allisonville Rd., Fishers, IN 46038. 317.776.6006.
Note: The Conner Prairie is open to 5 PM on Saturday, October 3rd. Please visit this site before 4:30 PM.
This installation includes a 45 ft Skystream wind turbine near Lenape Village and an Uni-solar PV array on the roof of the Welcome Center. To gain entrance, mention “ASES Solar Tour” and show a copy of this guide. The solar array is viewable from the employee parking lot (head left at the entrance to the Welcome Center). A better view of the array is available from the “1859 Balloon Voyage” exhibit, but at an additional fee payable to Conner Prairie. Discount coupons for the Balloon ride are available from participating BP AM/PM stores.
http://www.connerprairie.org/
Broad Ripple Brewpub, 842E 65th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46220. Contact phone: 317.809.4383.
The Broad Ripple Brewpub recently installed a solar thermal system that uses Apricus evacuated tube technology and heat exchangers to heat water to temperatures up to 170ºF. The heated water can be used for domestic hot water or space heating. The system was installed by IDS (http://www.idsustainability.com/) .
http://www.broadripplebrewpub.com/
The Indiana Renewable Energy Association is the Official Indiana State Chapter of the American Solar Energy Society. For more info, http://www.indianarenew.org/ .
Several of the installations in this tour were partially funded by grants from the Indiana Department of Energy and Defense. (www.in.gov/oed/) .
CLICK HERE for Indy Solar Tour brochure with photos and maps to individual sites.
See separate Tour Directions, for suggested driving direction to each site.
Scheduled annually for the first Saturday in October, in conjunction with National Energy Awareness Month, the ASES National Solar Tour is the world's largest grassroots solar event.
The event offers participants the opportunity to tour homes and buildings to see how their neighbors are using solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies, to reduce their monthly utility bills and help tackle climate change.
In 2008, nationwide, close to 140,000 attendees visited some 5,000 buildings in 3,000 participating communities.
Now in its 14th year, this event is coordinated nationally by the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (http://www.ases.org/).
In 2009, InREA (Indiana Renewable Energy Association) will be hosting the first annual Indianapolis tour.
2009 Indy Solar Tour
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
2 pm to 6 pm
Please join us for the kickoff of our local, self-guided Indy Area Tour at Keep Indianapolis Beautiful at 2 PM.
The Indy Solar Tour will include homes and businesses utilizing renewable energy technologies (PV (Photovoltaic), wind, solar thermal, and passive solar). The sites will be available for public tours from 2 PM to 6 PM unless otherwise noted. For more information, contact Mark Oehler at 317.844.6712 or maoehler@aol.com
This local tour is coordinated by the Indiana Renewable Energy Association (InREA), the state chapter of the American Solar Energy Society. For more info about InREA, visit http://www.indianarenew.org/ or contact Laura Arnold at 317.635.1701 or LauraArnold@IndianaRenew.org .
2009 Indianapolis Solar Tour Sites
KIBI (Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc.), 1029 Fletcher Ave, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46203. 317.264.7565.
KIBI's new award-winning office building includes the following green features: white "cool" roof, 10,000 gallon cistern to recycle rain water, daylighting, rain garden, wind energy, and pervious pavement (allows rainwater to soak through). The building is expected to use 21% less energy than a standard design. KIB was the first civic Indiana nonprofit to receive LEED Gold green building certification.
www.kibi.org/building/index.htm
Schmidt Associates, 320 E Vermont St, Indianapolis, IN 46204. 317.263.6226.
The solar canopy is comprised of 20 @ 150 kW PV (Photovoltaic) panels. The system is grid tied and was completed in August 2006. The solar canopy replaced a deteriorating fabric canopy and so additionally provides a passive cooling benefit to the south façade of the building. It was designed to be educational by making the technology visible (versus putting the array on the roof).
http://www.schmidt-arch.com/
Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown, 10 East Market St, Indianapolis, IN 46204. 317.955.9700.
Located just 1 block from Monument Circle, the Hilton features a 4.05 kWh PV array on the top of the 16-story hotel. The actual electricity produced represents only a small portion of total energy consumption, but does help shave peak demand on highest consumption days. The Hilton is on the national register for historic preservation.
Note: Hourly escorted tours will be offered of this installation. Because of the need to climb a 1-floor spiral staircase, flat shoes are required and casual clothes are recommended. Attendees must be over 12 years of age.
http://www.hiltongardenindianapolis.com/
Henning Residence 10304 Starhaven Court, Indianapolis, 46229. Contact phone: 812.342.7226.
The Henning residence has a recently installed 4 kW PV system using 20 Sanyo Hit 210 panels mounted on a Unirac Rail System. Materials sourced and system installed by EcoSource, Inc. (http://www.ecosource-inc.com/).
Mirise Residence, 3325 W CR 100N, Bargersville, IN 46106. Contact phone: 765.702.0231.
This rural home features a 20 kW grid tied PV system and a 10 kW wind system. Within ½ hour of downtown Indianapolis, this is one of the largest residential systems in Indiana. The system was installed by ECI Wind and Solar LCC (http://www.eciwindandsolar.com/) .
Gange Residence, 7920 Farrell Lane, Indianapolis, IN 46280 (near 79th and Spring Mill Rd).
This urban home features a 1.3 kW PV system with tracking system and solar domestic hot water system. Installed in 2007, this installation was featured on Channel 13.
Conner Prairie, 13400 Allisonville Rd., Fishers, IN 46038. 317.776.6006.
Note: The Conner Prairie is open to 5 PM on Saturday, October 3rd. Please visit this site before 4:30 PM.
This installation includes a 45 ft Skystream wind turbine near Lenape Village and an Uni-solar PV array on the roof of the Welcome Center. To gain entrance, mention “ASES Solar Tour” and show a copy of this guide. The solar array is viewable from the employee parking lot (head left at the entrance to the Welcome Center). A better view of the array is available from the “1859 Balloon Voyage” exhibit, but at an additional fee payable to Conner Prairie. Discount coupons for the Balloon ride are available from participating BP AM/PM stores.
http://www.connerprairie.org/
Broad Ripple Brewpub, 842E 65th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46220. Contact phone: 317.809.4383.
The Broad Ripple Brewpub recently installed a solar thermal system that uses Apricus evacuated tube technology and heat exchangers to heat water to temperatures up to 170ºF. The heated water can be used for domestic hot water or space heating. The system was installed by IDS (http://www.idsustainability.com/) .
http://www.broadripplebrewpub.com/
The Indiana Renewable Energy Association is the Official Indiana State Chapter of the American Solar Energy Society. For more info, http://www.indianarenew.org/ .
Several of the installations in this tour were partially funded by grants from the Indiana Department of Energy and Defense. (www.in.gov/oed/) .
CLICK HERE for Indy Solar Tour brochure with photos and maps to individual sites.
See separate Tour Directions, for suggested driving direction to each site.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Can green rush yield gold?
Contractors, manufacturers hope clean-energy incentives,
mandates lead to more business
Indianapolis Business Journal
August 08 - 2009
by Chris O’Malley - comalley@ibj.com
http://www.ibj.com/html/detail_page.asp?content=43468
Federal stimulus funds and greenhouse-gas legislation have the potential to spark a green version of the Gold Rush. Or, perhaps—as with the energy rush of the 1970s gone bust in the 1980s—fool’s gold.
But environmentalism is more ingrained in corporate America, this time around. The prospect of greenbacks for green energy products and services has a growing number of contractors seeing gold in solar,wind and energy consulting.
“Truly, since the stimulus money was announced, we’ve heard from a lot of these [companies]. I would call it a significant number,” said Eric Burch, spokesman for the Indiana Office of Energy Development.
Among those panning for green gold are Antony Rhine and Richard Witka, managing partners of Indianapolis-based Sestertii, which recruits workers for the utilities industry.
A few months ago, they created Sestertii Solar Inc., a division to sell solar power systems engineered by Brighton, Mich.-based The Green Panel. Since then, they’ve been making the rounds of customers attracted to solar for varying reasons.
“One is they want to save the world. Two is to save money,” said Rhine of potential customers. Three is the perception that “it’s going to get their customers’ attention” to be green.
Ultimately, it may be incentives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that clinch the deal. The incentives include renewable-energy grants for 30 percent of the cost of solar or other renewable generation.
Sestertii Solar has yet to strike a big deal. But Rhine and Witka have been busy making presentations. They’re also seeking partnerships with architectural firms and construction companies.
They’ve even pitched the idea of a towable solar array that construction firms could place at remote job sites to power construction trailers and tools.
Helping pique interest in renewable power, in addition to tax credits under the recovery act, is the almost-certain prospect of more expensive electricity from the grid.
Ostensibly to reduce global warming attributed to human activity, a cause of warming not all scientists accept, the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed for Senate consideration a so-called cap and-trade bill aimed to discourage carbon dioxide emissions.
The American Clean Energy & Security Act would establish the trading of permits for the right to emit carbon. Some utilities will invest in renewable power such as wind. But it and other renewable fuels are still more expensive per kilowatt than coal to generate electricity.
Energy-intensive companies that didn’t give much thought to energy costs before “are going to have to look at [implications],” added Rhine.
Selling answers
Or companies can hire someone like Jeff Ton to look at the energy implications.
The former chief information officer of Lauth Property Group last January started his own firm, Confluence Dynamics. Ton conducts a comprehensive analysis of a firm’s energy usage and tailors a plan to reduce it. He also offers workshops on green building techniques.
Ton estimates he will have shaved about $6,000 off the annual $130,000 electric bill of one of his clients. Part of the solution was to consolidate a number of the client’s energy-gulping, heat-generating computer servers.
While at Lauth, Ton was involved in emerging technologies to bring energy efficiencies to buildings the commercial developer built.
In this economic climate, many businesses don’t want to invest big bucks in energy-efficient infrastructure, he said.
“But there’s still a lot of low-hanging fruit. You can drive the costs out without a huge capital investment,” Ton said. “The hurdle is the perception it’s expensive, that you’re pitching a retrofit.”
That’s in contrast to much of the glitter in sustainable building, such as construction of LEED-certified buildings, short for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standard.
They can be an environmentalist’s dream. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful’s headquarters in Fountain Square, for example, sports vertical wind turbines and cisterns to capture water for irrigation.
Such top-to-bottom projects are still the exception. So companies that can install renewable generation systems, such as Indianapolis contractor Ermco, are also marketing energy-efficiency. At Ermco, it’s through the company’s newly formed “Green Energy Group.”
The Ermco unit also scouts for business such as switching out a company’s fluorescent lighting for more efficient systems, or installing sensors that shut off lighting when a room isn’t occupied.
Ermco conducts energy audits that can run 10 pages and provide details such as how long it will take for improvements to provide a payback and an estimate of carbon dioxide reduction, said David Peterson, business development manager at Ermco.
He said the, “Let’s be simple about it” approach recognizes that many firms aren’t in the mode to spend big money right now on projects such as a $12 million solar panel system for which Ermco recently worked up an estimate.
Those lucrative jobs will come eventually, Peterson said. “Green is the buzzword. We’ve always done it, but now it’s hot.”
Back to future
Laura Arnold has seen this before. The president of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association remembers how the energy crisis and policies of President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s helped spur renewable energy dollars. Arnold was a founder of the Indiana Solar Energy Coalition, helped lobby for a state solar tax credit in 1980, and—while working for the city of Fort Wayne—helped lasso a federal grant for solar retrofit of a fire station.
“We’ve been there, done that, got the Tshirt,” she said. “There were lots of things going on at that time.”
Today, there’s been an evolution to the extent renewable energy is part of a broader, “rather amorphous” green movement that includes everything from organic cotton clothing to on-site power production, she said.
The IREA Web site sports a surprising variety of contractors and installers of renewable energy generators, such as solar and wind units. A few, like SunRise Solar in St. John, actually make renewable-energy products—in this case, solarpowered attic fans.
“There’s certainly a lot of interest. There’s a high curiosity factor, is how I’d describe it,” Arnold said. “We still need to get over the hump. There are people who still think renewable energy doesn’t work in Indiana.”
But in other states, there are believers, and that’s good for companies that sell product outside the state.
“Our biggest sales are coming with states with [renewable power] incentives,” said Bill Keith, president of SunRise Solar. “I sell more in New Jersey than in the state of Arizona.”
And Keith sells them in far-flung places, such as Hawaii, Israel, the French West Indies and Singapore. The company the former roofer founded in his garage has zoomed to $4 million in annual sales from $39,000 in 2003.
The company employs just five people, but contracts with Indiana manufacturers for components and assembly of its solarpowered vents, which start at $495.
Keith said some of the companies he hires to provide parts and assembly are in the devastated recreational vehicle industry. The Hoosier Environmental Council estimates that renewable-energy legislation could benefit 1,300 companies in Indiana.
“I’ve got to think that’s grossly understated,” Keith said. “There are a lot of little industries [to benefit]. It’s like the space race. I kind of feel like we’re at that point right now with clean-energy legislation.”
The HEC cites a report by the Renewable Energy Policy Project, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying group, that estimates Indiana has the potential to land 39,221 new jobs and $6.3 billion in investment in renewable-energy manufacturing.
A traditional manufacturer with operations in Bloomington and Logansport already has tapped into that potential.
Carlisle Industrial Brake and Friction has begun supplying to California-based Clipper Windpower, a maker of wind turbines, the brakes used to control the swivel and turn of the modern-day windmills.
Now the company expects potentially 25 percent of its future product pipeline could be in wind power, said Senior Sales Engineer Scott Eberle. He even gets questions from individuals building small wind turbines (they’ll want to use Carlisle’s trailer-brake product line for those).
“The opportunities for Indiana are really quite significant,” said Jesse Kharbanda, executive director of the HEC.
Cashing in on green
A sampling of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act incentives to invest in energy efficiency and renewable power.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Two Northern Indiana "Green" Businesses to be Showcased at Meeting June 13th
The Indiana Renewable Energy Association will highlight two "green" Nappanee-based businesses for installing solar systems and taking additional energy conservation steps. An open house will be held this weekend for auto dealership McCormick Motors and fur buying and trading company UNL Furs.
June 9, 2009
Indiana Renewable Energy Association (InREA) will host a public open house Saturday, June 13 for two "green" Nappanee businesses, highlighting the installed solar systems and additional energy conservation steps taken by the businesses. State Representative Wes Culver will speak at 12:00 noon at McCormick Motors, followed by presentations on renewable energy, and lunch will be served. McCormick Motors, a Nappanee auto dealership, will be open from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm. UNL Furs, a fur buying and trading business also of Nappanee; will be open for tours from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.
“We are pleased to have a prominent state legislator and businessman such as Wes Culver attending our open house,” said Laura Ann Arnold, president of InREA. “He’s an active advocate for renewable energy; he introduced a bill to provide a tax credit for those who invest in a residential renewable energy system, and he supports action to remove the cap that individuals can sell back to utilities on electricity produced by their systems.”
McCormick Motors auto dealership features a solar grid-tied system, connected to the local utility company, installed in February 2009 by Home and Mobile Energy of Middlebury. The installation was partially funded with a grant winning from the Indiana Office of Energy Development Alternative Power and Energy Program. McCormick's has taken many other energy conservation steps including adding insulation, high-efficiency lighting and programmable equipment that is turned on by demand only. McCormick Motors is located at 1255 W. Market Street in Nappanee.
UNL Furs’ renewable energy system, installed in September 2008 by Home and Mobile Energy, includes both solar and wind power applications. These off-grid solar and wind systems provide power for this fur buying and trading business. UNL Furs is owned by Ura Hochstetler and is located at 10558 North, 900 West, also in Nappanee.
The featured presentations on renewable energy will take place at McCormick Motors from 1:00 pm.-2:30 pm. Gordon Moore, owner of McCormick Motors, will discuss his research and implementation of renewable energy and conservation over the past decade. The auto dealership’s renewable energy project was designed in collaboration with an economics class at Goshen College, and serves as an ongoing educational sight for Goshen College.
Following Moore’s presentation, Arnold will talk about InREA’s mission and how to become involved in the promotion of renewable energy.
Leon Bontrager of Home and Mobile Energy and Eric Cotton of ECI Wind and Solar will give a presentation on net metering, explaining the billing arrangement between a utility company and a customer with a grid-tied renewable energy system. The presentation will include discussions on what a customer should look for in an agreement with the utility company, how Indiana compares with other states, how NEC codes affect installations and the difference in regulations between public utilities, co-ops and municipalities.
InREA was formed in 2008 by individuals and businesses supporting renewable energy development in the State of Indiana. The mission of InREA is to promote the use of renewable energy technologies, environmental sustainability and economic development in the State of Indiana. More information is available online at http://www.indianarenew.org/.
Source: Home and Mobile Energy
June 9, 2009
Indiana Renewable Energy Association (InREA) will host a public open house Saturday, June 13 for two "green" Nappanee businesses, highlighting the installed solar systems and additional energy conservation steps taken by the businesses. State Representative Wes Culver will speak at 12:00 noon at McCormick Motors, followed by presentations on renewable energy, and lunch will be served. McCormick Motors, a Nappanee auto dealership, will be open from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm. UNL Furs, a fur buying and trading business also of Nappanee; will be open for tours from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.
“We are pleased to have a prominent state legislator and businessman such as Wes Culver attending our open house,” said Laura Ann Arnold, president of InREA. “He’s an active advocate for renewable energy; he introduced a bill to provide a tax credit for those who invest in a residential renewable energy system, and he supports action to remove the cap that individuals can sell back to utilities on electricity produced by their systems.”
McCormick Motors auto dealership features a solar grid-tied system, connected to the local utility company, installed in February 2009 by Home and Mobile Energy of Middlebury. The installation was partially funded with a grant winning from the Indiana Office of Energy Development Alternative Power and Energy Program. McCormick's has taken many other energy conservation steps including adding insulation, high-efficiency lighting and programmable equipment that is turned on by demand only. McCormick Motors is located at 1255 W. Market Street in Nappanee.
UNL Furs’ renewable energy system, installed in September 2008 by Home and Mobile Energy, includes both solar and wind power applications. These off-grid solar and wind systems provide power for this fur buying and trading business. UNL Furs is owned by Ura Hochstetler and is located at 10558 North, 900 West, also in Nappanee.
The featured presentations on renewable energy will take place at McCormick Motors from 1:00 pm.-2:30 pm. Gordon Moore, owner of McCormick Motors, will discuss his research and implementation of renewable energy and conservation over the past decade. The auto dealership’s renewable energy project was designed in collaboration with an economics class at Goshen College, and serves as an ongoing educational sight for Goshen College.
Following Moore’s presentation, Arnold will talk about InREA’s mission and how to become involved in the promotion of renewable energy.
Leon Bontrager of Home and Mobile Energy and Eric Cotton of ECI Wind and Solar will give a presentation on net metering, explaining the billing arrangement between a utility company and a customer with a grid-tied renewable energy system. The presentation will include discussions on what a customer should look for in an agreement with the utility company, how Indiana compares with other states, how NEC codes affect installations and the difference in regulations between public utilities, co-ops and municipalities.
InREA was formed in 2008 by individuals and businesses supporting renewable energy development in the State of Indiana. The mission of InREA is to promote the use of renewable energy technologies, environmental sustainability and economic development in the State of Indiana. More information is available online at http://www.indianarenew.org/.
Source: Home and Mobile Energy
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