9/28/2011
The real lessons from Solyndra's bankruptcy.

S&C company is the first to demonstrate the use of smart energy store to make solar dispatachable and a way of smoothing the intermittency of solar energy.  This is what is needed for the electric utility world to accept solar into its energy mix.


9/26/2011
Rice University researcher has developed a method for producing fibers of carbon nanotubes that can be woven into wire with the resistivity of copper.  If this process can be scaled up then over time we will have a substitute for copper in electrical circuitry.  This is a major breakthrough with promise of improving the conductivity of the carbon wiring to exceed the conductivity of copper reducing the losses in current carrying conductors.

Details on Schneider Electric Recalls Xantrex GT Series Grid Tie Solar Inverters Due to Injury Hazard

Choice Solar will be putting another workshop on about the Knoxville Solar Grants.   This Wednesday the 28th  at the Bearden Beer Market at 4524 Old Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919.


9/22/2011
Many Republicans are lobbying for clean energy in their own districts!

Check out an interactive guide of all of the Solar products/services at Solar Power International 2011.


9/21/2011
3rd Annual Middle TN (Nashville) Solar Tour, October 8, 2011 - 10:00am - 2:00pm

Chattanooga Solar Tour with Inman Solar, October 1, 2011 - 9:00am - 12:00pm

Knoxville Solar Tour, October 22, 2011 - 9:00am - 2:00pm

New modules with Photovoltaics and Solar Thermal combined

Installed solar costs are still falling...

TVA Bets On Rising Demand & Less Electricity Use Could Increase Costs

The top 5 lies about Solyndra

9/19/2011
Solar jobs are increasing much faster than the average!

9/14/2011
A new green building incentive program offered by the city of Knoxville. Knoxville has $220,000 for the program which can go towards energy audits, appliances, and solar PV and solar thermal. $110,000 of the program is designed to go towards solar projects. They have some pretty specific requirements.  The program is hoping to start September 21.   You can go to www.knoxcac.org for more information and applications.

Solar Energy Grants available for Knoxville, TN and Green Building Incentive Program
Ijams Nature Center and Choice Solar and Geothermal will be providing two workshops about this opportunity, focusing on solar energy rebates. The presentation includes eligibility requirements, TVA's Generation Partners program, other incentives available, financial estimates and cash flow, and the steps to take to secure these rebates. 

Sunday, September 18th at 2:00 PM at Ijams Nature Center: 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 
Wednesday, September 21st at 1:15 PM at East TN History Center: 601 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 

Solar leasing is coming to the East Coast (Hopefully TN will be soon!).

Solar Plant to be installed near still leaking Fukushima Nuclear Plant

Energy predictons for the 2nd half of 2011.

9/9/2011

COULD THIS HAPPEN HERE IN TVA LAND?
“Can you imagine explaining the error to your boss if you caused this disruption? That is unless you intended to disrupt a major transmission line thus shutting down a nuclear power station. Nuclear power depends on the power lines that deliver the power to its customers. If the power lines are down, then the nuclear plant has to shut down costing millions of dollars of lost power and many angry customers. This blackout would not affect those of us who have a home interruptible power system. The concept is for a whole-house solar/energy store system that would comprise a backup power source for the home for brownouts, blackouts, and typical local outages. This is the vision of electric power of the future. Your house is connected to the utility line that supplies you your everyday electric power. For the most part, it is reliable and the only pain inflected by the system is the cost of paying your monthly electric bill. But you just installed this whole energy system for your home and now when there is a utility disruption, you never lose power. Instead, your home electric connection separates the connection to the power line and turns on the energy storage system to continue delivering power to your home. Just like the UPS system that you bought to protect your computer. Depending on the amount of energy storage purchased, you can remain with power for hours or even days while your neighbors are kept literally in the dark. Solar helps by recharging the energy storage so that if you have enough solar to provide a full days’ worth of energy, then you are in good shape and will remain so as long as the sun shines. The sun is pretty dependable as it has never failed during the billion years of its operation.


A very interesting interactive map online which shows the green economy (and it includes Knoxville, Nashville and Chattanooga).




Community solar is now an option.  Read the comprehensive report on how to go about Community Solar after having learned from other's experiences.

Photovoltaics is among the fastest growing business sectors in the world!


9/7/2011
TVA releases their "new" guidelines for Green Generation Partners.
Bravo, TVA is helping local solar installers with raising new hope that more funding will be made available for modified Green Partners program. The size of the projects are now limited under the existing program to 50 kW or less which will stimulate the residential sector. Even with this modification, residential solar is still out of reach of the majority of customers because of the long payback time. I would suggest that the Green Partners program have a different feed-in tariff for homeowners that install 5 kW or less. The concept is to ensure the payback for residential customers will be seven years or less. Remember, residents do not qualify for depreciation allowances or for tax grants. Their only federal incentive is the tax credit that most cannot use, so it stifles homeowners from investing in solar for their homes. With the present feed-in tariff, it would take a 4 kilowatt system roughly 22 years to recoup the investment. To recover the investment in 7 years, the feed-in tariff for the homeowner would have to be 60 cents per kilowatt hour. That is based on a cost of $6 per watt installed. If the price installed watt decreased to $5, and the feed-in tariff would have to be $0.45. With the present feed-in tariff it the installed cost would have to reach $2 per watt to meet the 7 year payback. At that price, the day of $2 per watt installed is a few years away. It is difficult to imagine that TVA would raise the present feed-in tariff to 60 cents per kilowatt-hour. So, yes, the cost of solar installed on the roof of most homes will be a hard sell until the price of the feed-in tariff is graded to reflect the payback period, or the price of installed solar is drastically reduced. There has to be some middle ground. The injustice is that other sources of energy have substantial subsidies, but with the present political climate, I do not expect any change in the status quo.

Private Investment Dwarfs Government spending in Renewables.
It seems that a little government investment in renewables creates a wave of private investments that move these technologies forward. The winning country will be the one with the most aggressive attack on manufacturing products and lowering cost.


9/2/2011
Solar Decathlon Entry Uses iPad to Monitor Home
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is participating in its first Solar Decathlon, the upcoming U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011, featuring its home "Living Light." Named for its very brightly sunlit double facade glass system, the home's blueprint was inspired by the cantilever barns of southern Appalachia, which have giant eaves to provide shade and a "two-core" design.

The floor plan revolves around the two wooden cores at the base, which allows for an open living space in the center. The home includes one bedroom, one bath, a living room, and a kitchen. More space is available for dining and recreation, along with an outdoor patio area and garden for growing small crops.

The double facade glass system is used for natural lighting and to keep a sealed temperature envelope that allows you to regulate it to your liking, cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The facades are built with an inner insulated glass panel and an outer pane with an air barrier, which also holds the windows' blinds.

The real engine of Living Light is in its 10.9-kilowatt solar array atop the roof that also acts as a shading trellis. This array powers all of the electric appliances including an oven, cooktop, dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer, home entertainment systems (television and sound system), the mini-ductless heat pumps and the ERV, along with the most exciting feature--a home automation system you can run from an iPad. Knoxville expects the home to require just half the electricity generated from the array and suggest using the rest to charge an electric vehicle or even sell back to your utility company.?See the Energy Blog post.


The new micro inverter with double the lifespan of the current market inverter

How close or far we are from having buildings with integrated solar power?

This is an excellent report on  Community Solar. There are more reports from this little known group, Institute for Self Reliance.




8/26/2011
Solar covered parking is all the rage.

Survey of residential adopters of solar on their homes. Just published by SEPA.

“Federal geologists published new estimates this week for the amount of natural gas that exists in a giant rock formation known as the Marcellus Shale, which stretches from New York to Virginia.
The shale formation has about 84 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas, according to the report from the United States Geological Survey. This is drastically lower than the 410 trillion cubic feet that was published earlier this year by the federal Energy Information Administration.”

8/24/2011
No more Doom and Gloom in the Solar Industry!

Look at the updated costs for current energy plants.   Solar is looking better and better (25% reduction from last year).  Coal and Nuclear are getting Much more expensive each year.

When is enough enough? In May, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal (the 26th wealthiest person in the world, according to Forbes Magazine) said in an interview: “We don’t want the West to go and find alternatives. The higher the price of oil goes, the more they have incentives to go and find alternatives.” He believes that keeping the price of oil at around $70-$80 a barrel will keep oil consumers (just about everyone on the planet) happy enough to stay put with the current sources of energy that rake in big profits for the petroleum industry.

8/21/2011
Here is a unique concept that bring a new dimension to the layout of solar arrays of cells other than the flat panel. Just another example of nature has it right

Training for solar jobs at Austin Peavy State University.

Solar PV prices today and forecasted for the near future by one of the leading experts

8/17/2011
Choice Solar is expanding to East Tennessee.

8/16/2011
It has come to our attention that TVA is planning to decrease the feed-in tariff for the Generation Partners Program from $0.12 to $0.05. This decrease of more than half of the value of the program will hit the solar industry in Tennessee hard, causing few new installations, businesses to go under, and people to lose their jobs. We must fight to keep this program alive!

On Thursday August 18th, TVA will have a board meeting that is open to the public. It will take place in the Knoxville TVA headquarters in the West Tower Auditorium at 400 West Summit Hill Drive at 8:30 AM. We strongly urge all of our members to attend this meeting and speak out against any cut in the Generation Partners Program. You can sign up to speak at http://www.tva.gov/abouttva/board/speak.htm.

We have put together a flyer explaining the proposed program cuts to the Generation Partners program. 


Now that summer's just about over, make sure you save September 28th on your calendar for our next TEICC meeting at the Tennessee Technology Center in Knoxville, 10 am - 3 pm.  The agenda will include presentations from TVA and ORNL on the new small modular reactors and a presentation on the Vol State Solar Initiative.

Hybrid Solar System makes Hydrogen (rather than electricity).

Young naturalist is issued a solar patent.


8/15/2011
TVA explains that fewer customers are in green switch, so we need to cut the green generation program.

8/15/2011
TSI's new program will distribute $1.15 million in solar grants for businesses, non-profits, and agricultural operations. Applications are being taken by TSI and projects are to be completed by the end of the year.


8/15/2011
TVA meeting this Thursday morning will be voting on next year’s budget which may include more investment in nuclear power plants. Meanwhile, the board is seriously considering cutting back the solar partners program feed-in tariff that could cripple our fledgling solar installation businesses. It seems to me that from a standpoint of the following points, more consideration should be given to aggressive solar increases in TVA plans.

1. Shutting down nuclear reactors because of river water temperature can be expected to be a continuing problem costing the ratepayers tens of millions of dollars for each incident.

2. Strong storms cause nuclear plant shutdowns in anticipation of losing power delivery lines.

3. Loss of support power for a nuclear plant can also cause crippling plant shutdowns

4. Do we know the effect of immense heat releases from cooling towers of large nuclear plants on the local environment? Fog? Local atmospheric changes during the hot summer months?

5. The cost of present day nuclear plants coupled with the long lead times results in a “crap shoot” as to the needs of power in the long term.

6. If we adopt 30% solar PV for the TVA region for the same time period, we can provide growth of power support on an as-needed basis with the majority of the investment staying here in the valley creating new jobs.

7. If we did adopt that 30% goal, how would this adoption affect the need for large nuclear plants?

8. Would smaller nuclear plants located near its supply regions be a better solution than large single plants?

9. China has chosen to use thorium based reactor designs for its future power plants; which country’s plans are safer and less costly?

Look, you have a say on your future by addressing the TVA program through the policies adopted by the board of directors of TVA. There are new board members who may have a difference in opinion in the director the TVA administration wants to head. We have to stop paying for blunders and increasing fuel costs. Part of the answer is solar adoption by TVA and its distributors in an effective and meaningful way. If you feel to same way, then do something!


8/3/2011
$50 million to aid solar manufacturing.

Undergrad builds largest solar farm in the state of Michigan.


7/30/2011
I had no idea that Schneider Electric had a plant in Tennessee.  They now have a huge, functioning PV array.   Did they buy a company or were they in Stealth mode? What irritates me is that corporations can take a tax grant but the average citizen has to take a tax credit. Why should corporations have an advantage over the common citizen? Ask yourself.

7/20/2011
Do we need a FIT or REC's?

Steve Levy's Response.

7/19/2011
The added benefits of solar keep mounting up!  It also reduced your heating and cooling expenses.

Solar Powered highways? Why not use the empty space around highway intersections and on-ramps to generate clean power? It would make use of otherwise unusable space and get visibility for solar.

7/16/2011
The West Tennessee Solar Farm is coming out of the ground!

Investments in green energy are UP!

Researchers are now storing the sun's heat in a chemical way instead of electricity, which can lead to more energy.

7/15/2011
Right now the best batteries for solar are lead-acid, but newer battery technologies are on the drawing boards that should provide the solar installation with the added benefits of storing the energy during daytime hours and then releasing the energy when needed. The present cost of batteries are: for lead-acid, deep cycle batteries, about $0.50 per watthour and $2 per watthour for lithium batteries. The goal is to reach $0.10 per watthour. Once this goal is reached, a battery assisted solar system will give the individuals and utilities a dispatchable power source.  Battery systems can actually save money in a grid tied system.

7/12/2011
Investment in renewable energy last year amounted to a record 211 billion dollars, a rise of 32 percent over 2009 and 540 percent over 2004.

Post a resume in the solar field, or look for a job.

7/7/2011
Florida FPL customers max out the rebates in only 14 days.   This is a problem that we need to avoid here in TN!.

7/7/2011
This article explains why the “gold rush” in solar is occurring in Ontario Canada and the threat to its existence. The content explains why adopting natural gas as an alternative to coal will not stabilize energy prices and why the adoption of renewables is not the immediate panacea that many believe in. Long term effects justify the adoption of renewables in terms of the health of our future generations. The important information is in the footnote as to what the local government is paying for solar in terms of solar production. The fundamental point to be made is the need for a balance in the payments for solar production that will sustain and grow our solar installations in Tennessee and the TVA valley.


7/4/2011
U.S.-Based Renewable Energy Production Surpasses Nuclear Energy Production

7/3/2011
IREC just released the latest "US Solar Market Trends"

6/29/2011
Knoxville Energy for Everyone, our new solar/efficiency program.  check it out.


6/29/2011
World's largest solar array planned in the SE united states.

6/28/2011
We are looking for members to volunteer to man the TSEA booth at the TSI/TVA convention in Nashville on
August 9 & 10.  If you will be at the convention and would  like to man the booth for a while please contact Stephanie at (865) 974-9218 .   As far as the actual two day conference on the 9th and 10th, our exhibit will be open from 7:30 AM to 8 PM on the 9th and 7:30 AM to 3 PM on the 10th.

6/27/2011
Haslam ponders the role of the TN Regulatory Agency.

6/24/2011
Sharp just finished a new PV installation at their facility in Memphis.

6/23/2011
Bank of America announced the world's largest single effort of $2.6 Billion dollars to finance solar installations at ProLogis warehouses in 28 states around the country. This is a major step forwards with 733 megawatts of new solar!

6/16/2011
News Flash:  Even though thousands of houses had their roofs damaged or destroyed in the hail storms a few weeks ago, none of the solar panels installed in Tennessee have been damaged.

President Obama released "A Policy Framework for the 21st Century Grid" for a smarter and more secure grid.

President Obama also announced new initiatives to upgrade the electricity grid to a smart grid, including a $250 Million loan program for smart grid deployments in rural regions.

6/15/2011
Inverter energy losses are cut in half!

Increases in Thin film efficiency!

Sun chasing solar panels.

6/10/2011
Georgia may be becoming bullish on solar!

6/6/2011
Solaredge and new PV safety features.

Chevron is installing PV systems for Educational Systems.

Summary of the The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness act of 2011 (pending legislation).
Competitiveness Act of 2011.

Community Solar Power.  Is this solar financing the future of solar adoption in the U.S.? California is the leader in adopting new financing schemes here in the United States. Interesting that Shell is one of the largest providers of solar energy in the states.


6/2/2011
Plan now to participate in the FREE 2011 Tennessee Solar Solution Conference sponsored by TVA and the Tennessee Solar Institute.  It will be in Nashville, August 9-10, 2011.
The Tennessee Valley Solar Solutions Conference will feature national-level keynote speakers, technology
presentations, industry updates, Tennessee Valley solar initiatives information, breakout discussions,
vendor displays and networking opportunities within the solar field

5/27/2011
The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2011 was introduced in Congress and referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.  It would set national guidelines for building energy codes, appliance standards, worker training, building efficiency financing, and industrial efficiency.

Contact your State Senators to support this Act!

On Monday, May 23, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies released a draft of its fiscal year 2012 agriculture appropriations bill. A number of mandatory renewable energy programs - including the Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP) would be completely eliminated by the legislation. REAP would lose $75 million.

Contact your State Representatives voice your disapproval at gutting the USDA grants.


5/25/2011
 A good consumer's solar guide from NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

5/24/2011
The most efficient flexible solar cells ever made.

5/19/2011
Other states around Tennessee are stepping up their support for solar energy.  Recently Georgia doubled their solar tax credit yearly limit.

5/13/2011
New roof coating decreases air conditioning energy use by 25%.

5/10/2011
Top 5 Reasons to Get Your Training At the ASES National Solar Conference

Thursday May 12,  Webinar on New Opportunities in Commercial PV System Design and Development with Module-level Data.

 

Thursday May 19 Webinar  on Why Consumers Love Dynamic Pricing for Electricity

5/1/2011
Check out the Whitehouse plan for future energy production and usage

A free solar training course will be held at the Chattanooga career center.

How to compute the correct size for your solar Photovoltaic system.

5/1/2011

Tuesday May 17 is the CLEAN ENERGY GRANT WRITING

This workshop offers the opportunity to cultivate grant writing skills and obtain information regarding the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as other clean energy grant prospects.

Thursday May 19 DISCUSSION: CLEAN ENERGY IN EAST TENNESSEE

Please join us for an open discussion on clean energy in East Tennessee. Voice your thoughts on alternative energy, the clean energy economy, and clean energy expectations of the future. Share how you have incorporated clean energy technology into the home and workplace.

4/26/2011
How will TVA will spend the 350 million dollars that they must spend on clean energy projects?

4/26/2011
The SOLAR act  that was recently reintroduced to congress.

4/21/2011
Solar cells boosting the price and value of your house

4/20/2011
Development of Clean Energy Technologies Escaped the Budget Ax

4/20/2011
Latest on USDA REAP grants from Nashville.

4/20/2011
SEIA state of Solar Report for 2010.

4/20/2011
TVA reaches an agreement with EPA - $3 to $5 Billion in environmental upgrades and 28 closed coal power plants!

4/19/2011
Save green with a solar metal roof.

4/19/2011
The Case for Moving U.S. Nuclear Fuel to Dry Storage Nuclear waste pools are packed more densely in the U.S. than those at Fukushima, with no removal plan in sight.

4/19/2011
Just How Green Is Natural Gas? Not green at all, reports a study suggesting that the methane released by fracking and drilling makes it worse than coal.

4/18/2011
California's new bill that madates that 33% of their energy come from renewables by the year 2020. It is the most powerful and ambitious bill of its kind.

4/18/2011
 Wacker Chemie Corp breaks ground in Cleveland, TN for 1.5 billion dollar hyper-pure silicone plant.

4/18/2011
Google Invests $168 Million towards the World’s Largest Solar Power Tower Plant

4/18/2011
EPA announces that their environmental education grants are now available

4/18/2011
Industry Leaders believe that $1 per watt is feasable.

4/6/2011
Organic gardening and how local farmers are making a difference.

3/29/2011
Six Memphis-based companies that have received a portion of $7.27 million in Solar Innovation Grants from the Tennessee Solar Institute.

3/29/2011
The first ever artificial leaf, which uses photosynthesis to produce energy. It is 10x more efficient that natural photosynthesis and can be used to produce energy for homes.

3/22/2011
An interesting video and website about thermal runaway caused by bad batteries. http://www.batteryresearch.com/learn_thermal-runaway.html

3/19/2011
The opponents of solar energy have a lot to say.  Go to this site and read the Comments.   http://mediamatters.org/research/201103180039   The obvious key to answering their criticisms is to add energy storage to all levels of our energy delivery system.  That means storage at the residential, commercial, distribution and transmission levels.  Fortunately, TVA has long and moderate term storages in the pumped water store at Raccoon Mountain and the natural gas turbines that take up to 15 minutes to get on line.  With battery storage filling in the 15 to 30 minute gap, we will have a rugged and secure electrical power system that will be adaptable to the smart grid whenever it becomes available. The cost of energy storage is worth the price in its ability to deliver power quickly and reliably. The recent inventions in battery storage thanks to the increased DoE funding as lead to important improvements in energy storage price reductions, lower maintenance and longer life.  Personally a goal of $100 per kilowatt hour is possible for distributed stores in the near future and should be addressed by the powers in charge as a goal for complementing our need for a robust electric power delivery system.  I recently attended the World Renewable Energy Storage Conference and Expo coming away with a stronger commitment to do what I can to bring the $1 per watt solar forecast to reality.  Personally, I believe that we do need base plants and if nuclear is the best bet and the least offensive of our major power sources, then so be it.

3/15/2011
Steve Levy gave an interesting presentation at the Photovoltaic Convention in Florida. You can see the presentation here (large .pdf file).

3/14/2011
Lets support the EPA’s rulemaking with the battle coming up between foes of regulations on carbon emissions and the public who have to breathe the air at all times. Let’s each write to the EPA and our federal legislators and tell them that we are for cleaner air.

3/14/2011
TVA's Integrated Resource Plan.   (How they plan to do energy for the next 30 years).  Interesting reading.

3/14/2011
How solar batteries will play a large role in reducing the cost of solar.

2/22/2011
This article is about a solar company named Sunworks who is a non-profit solar company bringing solar into underserved areas for the good of society.

2/22/2011
Look at this Article on the growth of Solar in the Southeast. 

2/22/2011
An interesting Article on TVA's budding Renewable Energy consciousness. 

2/15/2011
Steve Levy gave an interesting presentation on the possibility of getting the cost of solar down to $1 per watt.  He is advocating a large Photovoltaic Plant in Tennessee.  You can see the slide presentation here (large .pdf file).

2/10/2011
Vanderbilt University and Metro Water Services will soon embark on a wind and solar energy project and testing facility.

2/10/2011
The largest solar electrical generation plant within the seven-state Tennessee Valley Authority is now operational in Jackson, TN.

2/10/2011
Solar Farm in Brownsville, TN gets Federal approval

2/4/2011
Tennessee has no Renewable Energy Credit market at the moment.  All it takes is the political will to pass a standard.  Look at what New Jersey has done in the past few years with their Renewable energy standard. 


1/30/2011
How much would a "Renewable Energy Standard" raise our Electrical rates?   The study is shocking.  Not quite what was expected!

1/26/2011

“The University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Lab have teamed up to develop the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education which combines energy science and engineering. Students will also take courses in related disciplines that their field will likely intersect. The goal is to educate and train future leaders armed to tackle domestic energy problems.

Students may chose to study nuclear energy, environmental and climate science, bioenergy and biofuels, renewable energy, energy conversion and storage, distributed energy and grid management, neutron science and computational science. They will also have to take courses in management, economics, R&D as well as broader technology and engineering coursework in order to prepare them for future job opportunities.

“More and more of the technology, the policy, the economics of energy-related things are going to dominate more and more careers of students,” says Lee Riedinger, physics professor and director of the center, in a recent interview with Knoxnews.com.

Thirty-eight faculty from UT and ORNL will lead the program. Students can also take advantage of the program’s emphasis on entrepreneurship. Riedinger is encouraging students that are interested to start their own companies as part of their educational experience at UT.

“It may mean the students will just take a course or maybe some courses for business administration or they may want to dabble with working with their professor at UT or Oak Ridge and use the fruits of their R&D to set up a small company. We’re not sure how that will go,” he said.”

1/26/2011
New Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations are now available in Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville. Check out  some pictures of the charging stations in Knoxville. 

1/20/2011

Hello to all Partners and Interested Parties:

I wanted to provide an update on the Renewable Energy for America Program as it relates to Tennessee. Historically, this program has been funded with Mandatory and Discretionary funding. We have only received indication that we will have mandatory funding at this point. The allocation levels for Tennessee are as follows:

$767,563 in REAP Grant funding for grant requests over $20,000

$461,018 in REAP Grant funding for grant requests of $20,000 or less

$1,592,000 in REAP Guaranteed Loan funding

As far as I know discretionary funding in the program will be under consideration by Congress. At this point we can only rely on Mandatory funding levels. I will keep you updated on the status of any discretionary funding in the program.

I would like to emphasize that the “$20,000 or less” funding allocation provides an excellent opportunity to fund your renewable energy or energy efficiency project as this funding is not very competitive. Currently we have very few applications requesting $20,000 or less in REAP Grant assistance. If you or someone you know can take advantage of this funding I encourage you to do so. Once again this is for renewable energy or energy efficiency grant requests of $20,000 or less (25% of total eligible project costs) for small businesses and agricultural producers in rural areas (population of 50,000 or less)

At the beginning of the fiscal year we anticipated an earlier release of our allocation so we had decided to set multiple deadlines with the first deadline set at 12/1/2010. However, the National Office informed us that the Notice of Funding Availability would be published (tentatively) in late March. This would allow a deadline in late May, which is similar to last year. So the next deadline for the REAP Program will be the deadline stated in the Notice of Funding Availability when it is published. I will keep you informed about it’s release date.

We have been accepting applications and will continue to do so, my advice is to work on getting your application in now in advance of the deadline published in the Notice of Funding Availability.

Please work with the Business Programs Specialist covering the County your project is located in. Our Area Office information can be accessed at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/tn/TN-Contacts.html

Best Regards,

Will

Will Dodson | Energy Programs
Rural Development - Tennessee State Office
U.S. Department of Agriculture
3322 West End Avenue, Ste. 300 | Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: 615-783-1350 | Fax: 615-783-1393



1/12/2011
REAP funded for 2011 (at least):
In the September 29, 2010 report prepared by the Congressional Research Office, “Previewing the Next Farm Bill: Unfunded and Early-Expiring Provisions,” page 8, there is a provision labeled Section 9007 labeled “Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

The comments states that, “$55 million For FY2009, $60 million in FY 2010, and $70 million in each of FY 2011-2012, to remain available until expended.” It is labeled as “full” which in this case refers to manditory budget authority at least during the last year of the farm bill, but no baseline beyond 2012. Another label “fixed” the cost is specified by statute and equals the five-year funding provided in 2008 farm bill.

For FY 2012 the REAP program is unfunded, and if it is to continue, then funds must be redirected from other lines in the Agriculture budget. Even with this, the distribution of the $70 million to the states is unknown at this time. We are seeking guidance on the exact amount Tennessee should be granted in the FY2011 bill.
Steven Levy


1/14/2011
SOLAR 2011 - Sponsor/Exhibit Opportunities
Sign up today to be part of this national conference in NC



Don't miss this incredible opportunity – Participate in SOLAR 2011 and your business or organization will reach an estimated 5,000 potential customers during one of our nation's largest sustainable energy conferences! Join NCSEA for residents of North Carolina and join TSEA for residents of Tennessee. Attend the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) National Conference on May 17-21 at the Raleigh Convention Center. Contact TSEA at info@tnsolarenergy.org for more information.


1/12/2011
Check out the new Educational Resource on our Basics page


1/10/2011
From: Davis, Don
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2011 6:37 PM
Subject: An assessment of the 30% Cash Grant and 100% Bonus Depreciation passed with the tax bill

I know that some confusion still lingers with respect to the 30% Cash Grant. Now we have an extension of the 30% tax credit and the 30% Cash Grant. On top of that we now have a one year bonus depreciation. The best option for someone planning to invest in a renewable energy project is to go straight to their tax advisor before he/she gets busy with the tax prep season and ask how all of these rules will apply to their tax return. Examples really help us understand but the assumptions involved may not apply and when you lower assumptions the payback period and return on investment numbers become less favorable. So, here is a link to the best summary I have seen on the subject:
http://www.klgates.com/newsstand/detail.aspx?publication=6857


1/6/2011
Pathway Lending is again accepting applications from Tennessee businesses for its Energy Efficiency Loan Program. This second round will remain open until all funds from the Energy Efficiency Loan Program are committed on a first come, first serve basis. The key to issue is the qualifications of the applicants; details are posted on their website http://www.pathwaylending.org.  Half the $50 million dollar fund was committed on the first round leaving about the same amount for this round.


1/6/2011

USDA Official has acknowledged the "back door" for companies to use Both the USDA grant  AND the 1603 Treasury grant (in leu of the Tax Credit).  . Will Dodson, Director of Energy for the Rural Development, the department of Tennessee which oversees the USDA program for Tennessee recently related to Steve Levy in an email...

"When applying for REAP Grant assistance a small business or agricultural producer must show a match of 75% to the 25% grant request that consists of any source other than Federal Grants. Our regulations do not allow a Federal grant matching our REAP Grant as part of that 75%. However, after the project is complete the grantee files for the Treasury Credit (convertible to a grant this past year and this coming year). This is allowable since the match would already have been shown in the application to us and it would be after the grant is awarded.

Typically what we see is that the applicant provides the match with their funds or borrowed funds when applying with us and after they finish the project they file for the Treasury Grant. Our National Office states that this is their business and our regulations have been met in that case."

Hope you are well,

Will Dodson

1/3/2011

USDA Rural Development Renewable Energy and Business Enterprise Grant Funding
Application Dead-lines. USDA Rural Development is seeking applications to increase the
production and use of renewable energy from farmers, agricultural producers and owners of
rural small businesses to purchase renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency
improvements through the Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP). To assist with this,
the REAP grant, guaranteed loan, and combination grant/guaranteed loan application quarterly
deadlines have been announced for Fiscal Year 2011. The first two windows for REAP
application submissions are December 31, 2010 and March 31, 2011. Eligible projects include
installing renewable energy systems such as wind turbines, solar, geothermal, biomass,
anaerobic digesters, hydroelectric, and ocean or hydrogen systems. Funding may also be used
to purchase energy-efficient equipment, add insulation, and improve heating and cooling
systems. Contact your local Rural Development Office for more information.




Check out the Comparison of Fossil Fuel Subsidies to Renewable Subsidies: