Archive for Call to Action
Let Our Legislators Know If You Think the President’s Energy Security Proposal is a Good One
Category: Business / Economics, Call to Action, financing, Global, Grants and Incentives, jobs, National, Political, Renewable Energy, Solar, Technology, Tennessee, Training |
International Association of Electrical Inspectors Tennessee Solar PV Workshop
Category: Business / Economics, Call to Action, jobs, National, Renewable Energy, Solar, Solar Performanc, Technology, Tennessee, Training |
Solar PV Training All Day Saturday May 11th
Kemery Company, our newest business member, is having an all-day training program beginning at 8 am and continuing through lunch (included in the price) until 4:30. The location of this training will be the Jubilee Banquet Hall, 6700 jubilee Center Way, Knoxville TN 37912. The cost of the all day training is $90.00 per person. Two or more individuals registering together reduces the price of each reservation to $80. Attendees will get a binder with important information for installing PV systems. Reservations are limited so call Kemery Company at 865-933-6261 or go to the following website which contains more information on the training and the link to the reservation form.
Category: Business / Economics, Call to Action, East Tennessee News, financing, jobs, Renewable Energy, Solar, Technology, Tennessee, Training |
U.S. installs more than 3,300 MW of solar PV in 2012
U.S. photovoltaic installations in 2012 increased 76 percent over 2011 numbers to 3,313 MW, with an estimated market value of $11.5 billion, according to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)’s “U.S. Solar Market Insight 2012 Year In Review.”
Cumulative PV capacity operating at the end of 2012 was 7,221 MW. The U.S. accounted for 11 percent of all global PV installations in 2012. The report predicts the U.S. PV market will grow 30 percent in 2013 with 4.3 GW of new PV installations anticipated during 2013 across all market segments.
Installed prices dropped 27 percent last year and at least 13 percent in each market segment (residential, non-residential and utility).
California led the U.S. in 2011 and 2012 with 1,033 PV installations in 2012, compared to 577 in 2011. Arizona moved up one spot this year to No. 2 with 710 installations in 2012. New Jersey dropped from second in 2011 to third last year with 415 installations in 2012, Nevada jumped from tenth to fourth with 198 installations and North Carolina rounded out the top five with 132 installations.
Category: Business / Economics, Call to Action, financing, jobs, National, Political, Renewable Energy, Solar, Solar Performanc, Tennessee |
Solar Training – Solar Electric Design and Installation (Grid-Direct) in Knoxville Scheduled for April 8 thru 12th
Sustainable Future is excited to help with Solar Energy International (SEI) training in Knoxville April 8th, 2013 – April 12th, 2013. This five day course is great for those wanting to get into the solar industry or those that need to prepare for the NABCEP entry level test. Included in the course will be some “hands on” exercises at the Sustainable Future solar park, with class room work being held at a local hotel. This course will be taught by two very seasoned solar installers who have installed systems all over the country. This course will provide an overview of the three basic PV system applications, primarily focusing on grid-direct systems. The goal of the course is to create a fundamental understanding of the core concepts necessary to work with all PV systems, including: system components, site analysis, PV module criteria, mounting solutions, safety, and commissioning. The course will also cover the basics of sizing a residential grid-direct system, wire sizing, overcurrent protection, and grounding – all of which will be expanded upon in PV202.
Prerequisites: Before participating in the PV101 in-person workshop, students are required to complete the self-paced PV 101 PREP online component (included in price of PV101, you will automatically be enrolled in PV PREP Online at the time you register for PV101).
Date: April 8 through April 12, a five day course
Location: Knoxville, TN
Instructors: Joe Villacci, Kyle Bolger
Tuition: $995.00
Category: Business / Economics, Call to Action, East Tennessee News, jobs, Renewable Energy, Solar, Tennessee, Training |
Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island – RFP Announced For Renewable Energy Project
The Carbon War Room (CWR), Homer Energy, and Reznick Think Energy, LLC (RTE) launched a request for proposals (RFP) today on behalf of Virgin Limited Edition for the provision of renewable energy and energy services on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, home of Sir Richard Branson.
The Request for Proposal has two phases of bids:
Phase 1: Engineering and design solutions for a 750 kW of solar PV in an open field, 8 kW of PV on the Great House, and Solar Carports.
Phase 2: Indicative bids sought for a wind turbine, significant load controls and batteries, and an overall energy supply and management contract.
Virgin Limited Edition will purchase all services and products from one party or multiple products and services from a variety of parties, and the selected bidders will have the ability to take advantage of significant marketing opportunities throughout the project’s lifecycle and beyond. All respondents will be able to access the entire RFP or sections of the RFP after signing a Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA) and paying an administration fee.
Interested parties should use the following link to learn more about the RFP: http://reznickthinkenergy.com/news-events
Policies to enhance economic feasibility of a sustainable energy transition
A commentary reported in this month’s Journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences states a unique concept to provide an incentive for shareholders of energy generation industry stocks. Thought is was worth mentioning in our blog because of the what strikes at the hearts of investors: profit and accountability. S. Levy
An important task of contemporary academic research is the design of policy that promotes a sustainable energy transition. Dangerman and Schnellnhuber (1) (D&S hereafter) explain theoretically, and show empirically, that it is very difficult to move away from unsustainable technologies. The role of investment funds that go disproportionally to dominant, pollutive technologies is emphasized. The policy suggestion of D&S is modifying corporate law to make shareholders legally liable for environmental impacts of firms in which they invest. The resulting “legal negative feedback loop” to shareholders’ decisions will alter the allocation of capital investment in favor of cleaner “niche” technologies. According to D&S, this would “balance the shareholders’ zest for unrestricted expansion.” They add that it can have a precautionary effect by discouraging investment away from pollutive industries in an early development phase.
Studies on environmental policy tend to focus on changing the behavior of consumers and producers and give considerably less attention to investors. The D&S proposal is therefore a welcome addition to the literature. Investors receive more notice in research on “environmental innovation” and “sustainability transitions”. A central policy finding here is that a combination of environmental regulation and innovation support is needed to foster a sustainable energy transition . The first will change the costs and benefits of production and thus the profits in the positive feedback cycle of both the dominant and alternative technologies.
Category: Business / Economics, Call to Action, financing, Global, National, Political, Renewable Energy |
42nd National Solar Conference, SOLAR 2013, in Baltimore, April 16-20
Register today at the American Solar Energy Society for the conference details and sign up.
Highlights of the technical session include:
New techniques for making high-performance quantum-dot and nanoparticle photovoltaic cells.
The status of the High Definition PV project, an industry-wide program to reduce the cost of solar installations through plug-and-play standardization.
Several new techniques to reduce the cost of dispatchable power from concentrating solar thermal (CSP) plants, a key development in providing cheap, clean solar power to run municipal grids through the night.
Solar-powered furnaces that generate hydrogen or syngas fuels at high efficiency.
A wide variety of simplified techniques for minute-to-minute and hour-to-hour forecasting of solar farm output, useful for balancing loads across geographic regions.
Efficient new ways to store solar-heated hot water – and use solar heat to drive air conditioners.
Cheap feedstocks for cheap biodiesel.
Hybrid light rail that runs when the grid goes down.
Driving large desalination and waste-water recovery systems with renewable energy.
Promoting Solar PV Deployment Through Micro-Investments
This conference is hosted by the American Solar Energy Society to which TSEA is the Tennessee State Chapter. Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society is the nation’s leading association of solar professionals and advocates. Our mission is to speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy.
Category: Business / Economics, Call to Action, financing, Fun, jobs, National, Political, PV Tech Newscast, Renewable Energy, Solar, Solar Performanc, Solar Thermal, Technology, Training |
Expect Solar Prices to Bottom Out and Begin to Rise Very Soon
The reason that solar panel prices are so low is because the supply of panels have exceeded the demand. The supply was projected on the historical growth of solar which had been rising at a spectacular rate, but governments around the world have fallen into a recession mode and have trimmed or eliminated the supports for the solar industry. Examples here are the elimination of the 1603 grant and the rising need to reduce solar set-asides in the renewable energy credits in many of our states. It started with Spain, then Italy and then Germany. China has cut back on the manufacturing of panels and many of their businesses as well as those around the world have seen their profit margins disappear. The spot price of polysilicon had reached a low of $13 per kilogram; way below the manufacturing cost of roughly $20. The smaller cell manufacturers and the panel makers have been failing narrowing down the supply of panels. The results are beginning to show up with the spot price of polysilicon rising to $16 on the spot market. With the rise in polysilicon prices will come an increase in the cost of cells and finally the cost of panels. So, if you can afford to buy panels, now is a good time. So, unless we increase the demand substantially, the price will remain static or rising until the scale of manufacturing expands significantly.
Category: Business / Economics, Call to Action, financing, Global, Grants and Incentives, jobs, National, Political, Renewable Energy, Solar, Tennessee |
German Power Tumbles to Record Low as Solar Damps Demand
By Julia Mengewein – Jan 16, 2013 12:44 PM ET
Power for 2014 delivery in Germany and France dropped to records as rising solar output is expected to cut demand for other electricity sources.
German power, a European benchmark, fell as much as 1.5 percent, according to broker data compiled by Bloomberg. The equivalent French contract declined 0.3 percent.
Electricity for Germany next year lost 65 cents to 43.30 euros ($57.93) a megawatt-hour, it’s biggest decline since March 6, according to broker data compiled by Bloomberg. The French equivalent lost 15 cents to 46.20 euros.
As much as 18 percent of electricity demand may be replaced by solar panels not connected to Germany’s grid, reducing demand for other sources by 6 to 10 percent by 2020, Per Lekander, a Paris-based analyst at UBS AG (UBSN), said in a research note.
“The unsubsidized solar growth should drive wholesale power prices further down,” he said.
Category: Business / Economics, Call to Action, financing, jobs, National, Political, Renewable Energy, Solar |
