News for May 20, 2003

John Perlin soaks in the sun at Earl Warren Fairgrounds in Santa Barbara
and offers up some observations in the 'Partly Cloudy' article below

Partly Cloudy - Tomorrow may offer a greater chance of sun [Santa Barbara]

Mandatory solar power cut from California Senate bill [SB 289]

Soaking up the sun -The CA Senate weighs a bill to have half of homes built after 2006 have solar power. [SB 289]

Roseville powers ahead with Power Park project, will include Solar

Short-circuiting California - Where to now?

Power to the people: Surviving the long, hot summer [Ralph Cavanagh]

A PLACE IN THE SUN - Watsonville orchard blossoms into nation's largest low-energy subdivision

Cow Manure & Solar to power Harper Lake Energy Park

Santa Cruz County’s largest solar-power project soaks up the sun

City buildings rely on renewable power sources [Santa Cruz]

Fronius to ramp up presence in US grid connect market [Inverters]

5 California Projects make AIA Top Ten Green Projects

City of Livermore expected to issue PV system bid package

PG&E Gives Record $2.3M Solar Rebate to Oroville

IN BRIEF

In Remembrance of Jack Stone, editor of NREL’s NCPV Hotline - Jack did a great job digging up and distributing solar related stories from all corners of the globe. He made my job easier in collecting stories relevant to California. Definitely will be missed. Read this tribute to Jack on the NREL website

Cal State Hayward Plans MW-sized Solar Electricity System- One of the largest solar electricity systems will be constructed at the Cal State Hayward campus this summer, according to California State University authorities. The 1.05-megawatt on-site solar system will deliver approximately 30% of the campus' peak electricity demand during the summer months. The system will generate about 1.45 million kilowatt hours annually, producing enough electricity in the daytime to power the equivalent of more than 1,000 homes. [source: LATIMES 2003.5.10]

SDREO Delivers 11th SELFGEN Program Incentive Payment - On April 25th, SDREO (San Diego Regional Energy Office) delivered the 11th incentive payout for a SELFGEN program participant. SDREO has issued over $4,997 million in incentives on these projects, which have added over 2.3 MW of capacity to the San Diego Region electrical grid. Click here for details on SDREO SELFGEN incentives funding and payment status.

Assembly Bill 1685 drafted to extend PUC Self-Generation Incentive Program - AB 1685 was introduced by Assembly Member Leno, and recently amended in Assembly on April 24, 2003. This bill would require the Claifornia Public Utilities Commission, in consultation with the Energy Commission, to administer a self generation incentive program for solar electricity generation until January 1, 2008. The current program is due to expire end of 2004.

On the horizon: a virtually perfect solar cell [Lawrence Berkeley Labs] - An unexpected discovery at the Dept of Energy's Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) may push the implementation of PV's sooner than later. A serendipitous discovery by the lab about the electronic properties of Indium Nitride may eventually yield high efficiency solar PV's, by making use of the entire spectrum of the suns radiation. While research the properties of the LED's (light emitting diodes) researchers found that band-gap energy of Indium Nitride is 0.7 electron volts, much lower than the 2.0 electron volts previously expected. The Band-gap energy is the amount of energy needed to free an electron from its atom; a solar cell material can only capture sunlight at energies equal to or greater than its band-gap energy. The lower band-gap energy of Indium Nitride means that it can capture sunlight at much lower energies than expected, so the material is able to capture low-frequency, red or infrared light, in other words a broader spectrum of radiant energy. This discovery may lead to 2 layer PV's that can be 50% efficient in converting sunlight-to-electricity. (source: BIPERUSA May 2003 newsletter)

CPA Announces Availability of $30 million in Industrial Development Bonds -The California Power Authority (CPA) has announced the availability of $30 million in tax-exempt industrial development bond (IDB) authorization in 2003 for energy efficiency and clean energy loans to qualifying manufacturers. Tax exempt interest rates now range between 4-5% for firms with good credit with terms of 10-20 year terms. Loans are available to manufacturers for either: 1) energy improvements to their production facilities (efficiency, energy management systems, waste heat recovery, cogeneration, distributed generation), or 2) new or expanded production facilities for manufacturers of clean energy systems and components (wind, solar, microturbines, etc.). Loan sizes are $2 million - $10 million. Loan Applications are due no later than August 1, 2003. For more information, contact Ms. Jeanne Clinton, CPA's Deputy Director of Conservation & Distributed Generation at E-mail: jeanne.clinton@dgs.ca.gov or phone: (916) 651-9800.

Events

Solar Home Tour 2003 - San Diego May 31st - On May 31st, the San Diego Regional Energy Office (SDREO) will host the San Diego Solar Home Tour 2003. For one day, local residents open their homes to the public so they can learn about the benefits of solar power. The Tour will showcase homes all over San Diego County that use solar technologies including solar water heating, solar pool heating and photovoltaics (solar electricity). The Solar Home Tour 2003 will take place on Saturday, May 31st, 2003 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. During this time the public can visit any one of the home sites on the Tour. The Solar Homes Tour 2003 Web site includes pictures, solar system descriptions and directions for all the homes on the Tour. In addition, the site features basic information about solar energy, rebates for solar energy and links to other relevant sites. Tour participants will receive an energy-saving compact fluorescent bulb while supplies last and a chance to win solar prizes, such as solar-powered flashlights and battery chargers. The public can get information for the event at the website or by calling 858-244-1195.

5/27 PV Project Financing [San Diego] - 8:00am -11:00am. For: Commercial Photovoltaics Installers and Potential Commercial Photovoltaics Customers. Interest in photovoltaics is high in the San Diego Region. Financing projects is one of the major obstacles to more wide spread adoption of the technology. This free workshop will provide attendees with an overview of financing options for commercial scale (>30kW) applications and discuss specific case studies on how photovoltaics projects are being financed in the region and across the country. Workshop presenters include: A Certified Public Accountant to review the current tax incentives and answer any questions regarding their applicability and calculation; A representative of a company who installs, owns, operates and maintains photovoltaics systems and sells power to the host; A public agency representative who will describe how her agency combined energy efficiency and 400 kW of photovoltaics; All attendees will receive a copy of the U.S. Department of Energy's "Solar Financing Guide: Handbook of Resources," which includes spreadsheets to facilitate the calculation of project economics. Continental breakfast will be served. Sign up now, as space is limited.

6/5 Steven Strong: Integration of Solar Energy in Homes and Buildings [San Francisco] - Thursday, June 5, 2003 - Refreshments from 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm, Presentation from 6:30 pm to approximately 8:00 pm, Location: The Pacific Energy Center, 851 Howard St., San Francisco. Solar architecture expert Steven Strong of Solar Design Associates Inc. will present a broad overview of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) and discuss applications from across the U.S. and the world. The goal of the lecture is to give architects, design, and energy professionals and the general public an overview of how photovoltaics (PV) can be integrated into the design of commercial and residential buildings. Solar Design Associates has more than 25 years experience in the design of commercial buildings and custom homes that incorporate renewable energy systems such as solar electric power. Representatives from Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Self Generation Incentive Program will be on hand to briefly describe solar incentives and answer questions. The Self-Generation Incentive Program provides financial incentives to customers who install certain kinds and sizes, up to 1.5 megawatt, of "clean" on-site distributed generation.

6/21-26 SOLAR 2003: America’s Secure Energy [Austin, TX] - Ten organizations devoted to renewable energy and resource conservation are joining forces to present a six-day event at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. SOLAR 2003 will mark the 32nd Anniversary of the ASES Annual Conference, and the 28th Passive Solar Conference. SOLAR 2003 will have a strong technical component with scores of technical papers, invited sessions and hands-on workshops. Tours will be available to nearby solar sites to educate attendees on deployed technology. The tours will be available to conference participants, government officials and the public. Attendees will be educators, architects, builders, manufacturers, engineers, contractors, installers, scientists, researchers, students and policymakers – along with interested members of the public. All are attracted by the unique opportunity to discover emerging technologies, products and services, see old friends and attend the many timely topical workshops and tours. Agenda & registration details

June-July: Solar Installer Training [throughout California] - SLI is offering solar installer training throughout California. If you are a contractor, an electrician, or affiliated in any way with affordable housing, this class is for you. These day-long classes are geared to those with previous electrical experience who need the code and installation information specifically related to photovoltaic installations. The goal of the program is to increase the pool of qualified installers available to serve the public throughout the state. The recommended prerequisite for attending this class is apprentice or journeyman level electrician status or equivalent experience.The course covers basic PV concepts, site analysis, performance calculations, pv array and balance of system installation issues, special wiring considerations, wiring methods, and issues relating to the NEC code and utility interconnection. Photovoltaic system equipment will be available to demonstrate the principles shared in class. Classes are taught by a pool of experienced instructors who have years of hands-on solar electric experience, including Bill Brooks of Endecon Engineering, Douglas Livingston, veteran PV instructor, Jeff Oldham, Project Manager of the Real Goods Solar Living Center and 20 year PV veteran Douglas Bath. More information and registration details. Remaining Dates/Locations:

6/7 Solar Installer Training , San Francisco
6/11 Solar Installer Training , San Bernadino
6/12 Solar Installer Training , Anaheim
6/13 Solar Installer Training , San Diego

7/11 Solar Installer Training , Hopland
7/12 Solar Installer Training , San Jose
7/18 Solar Installer Training , Lodi
7/19 Solar Installer Training , Sacramento

8/7-10 EcoWave 2003 - Ecological Design: The Unstoppable Wave [Oakland/Berkeley] - A Global Interdisciplinary Conference on the Next Great Wave in Architecture. August 7-10, 2003. Merritt College, Oakland/Berkeley, California. Over 100 speakers and special events, plus architectural and technical
exhibits, eco bookstore, and self-guided Bay Area eco design tours. more information, agenda, and registration details

8/24-30 PV Solar Training on Ohlone Indian Land [California] - Solar Energy International (SEI), along with Hopi solar installer, Debby Tewa [photo rt], will offer a course in basic photovoltaic system design and installation at Indian Canyon, California August 24-30. Indian Canyon is traditional Ohlone Indian land located 1.5 hours south of San Jose. This canyon has been in Ohlone hands continuously for thousands of years, and is a cultural and spiritual center for indigenous people of all nations, living in the San Francisco Bay and Central California areas. This course will culminate in the installation of a 1320-watt stand-alone PV system that, along with a microhydro system will serve the main cabin and office at Indian Canyon. This training is a unique opportunity for Native and non-Native people to work together to provide needed electricity to this site. Speakers with experience in renewable energy on tribal lands will offer presentations, and there will be opportunity to participate in ceremony during and after the workshop. Registration is $550. Camping is available on site, or participants can lodge in Hollister, 20 minutes away. Please contact Vivian Gratton at 831-459-8942, for more information. This project is supported by the Greenville Foundation.

10/7-10 UPEx 2003 [Scottsdale, Az] - UPEx 2003, Solar Electric Power Association, Marriott Mountain Shadows Resort, Scottsdale AZ.October 7-10 - Photovoltaic Experience Conference more details