Photovoltaics
Solar Evolution-
by John Perlin
Legislation
Financial Incentives
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e-Clips
solar energy news from California
2001.07.31
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Welcome to Solar e-Clips. A weekly summary of news and information about solar energy issues in California. Brought to you by The Rahus Institute and Californiasolarcenter.org ************************************************ Solar News from around the State... PG&E and Santa Cruz couple in power struggle - Ken Adelman, who owns one of the most powerful solar electric systems in California, has had it with PG&E. The utility wants Adelman and his wife, Gabrielle, to pay about $600,000 to upgrade the power lines and other equipment in their rural Santa Cruz Mountains neighborhood so their 31-kilowatt system doesn't overload the power grid. ``That's more than I paid for my house,'' said Ken Adelman, a retired tech millionaire who spent about $400,000 this spring for the photovoltaic system with enough juice for about a dozen homes. They intend to feed their excess energy back to PG&E for credit to ``zero-out'' their utility bill. The state has been so hungry for new power sources it is offering rebates to solar buyers who hook up to the grid. But the Adelmans can't get their $138,317 rebate until PG&E allows them to go on line....CHUCK CARROLL in San JoseMercury News 2001.7.30
No PG&E
doesn't mean no power - Residents in a remote area that straddles
the Alameda-Santa Clara county line use solar panels to power homes. Welcome
to the land of no cellphones, no electricity and twice-a-week mail delivery.
A remote stretch of Mines Road, about 20 miles from Livermore near the
Santa Clara County border, is a settlement of rugged individualists. They
love their privacy, the wild critters that roam these parts and the way
the wind whistles up the canyon in midafternoon. But run a washer, a TV
set or a blow dryer? Forget it. PG&E doesn't go there. "Out here,
it had to be solar," says resident Charlie Westbrook. About four
years ago, Westbrook, a Livermore lab physicist, built his dream house
knowing there was no electricity service to the area. The utility has
never run power into that particularly remote stretch of Mines Road, Westbrook
said. Houses at opposite ends of Mines Road do have PG&E service,
but not these middle-of-wherever dwellers... Linda Davis in CONTRA
COSTA TIMES 2001.7.29 Solar panels put on Santa Cruz city hall roof - SANTA CRUZ -- Crews began this week installing solar panels at Santa Cruz City Hall. In about a week, the system will supply enough electricity to power four homes.The project was made possible by a grant from the Palo Alto Municipal Utility and a rebate from the California Energy Commission. The organizations cut the city's bill for the $133,000 project to $27,000. AP in CCTimes 2001.7.29
Housing or
solar farms: in a quandry over the quarry - Oakland - ...the
issue of Brightfields, a plan to turn part or all of the quarry zone into
a space-age "peaker plant" for solar-generated power. This is
a private proposal put forth by CRC Business Solutions of Oakland and
touted by neighborhood activists like Nancy Sidebotham. Imagine the south-facing
hillside covered in photo-voltaic cells, turning out clean, renewable
energy. Our own Altamont Pass, you might say. Brightfields is a visionary
idea and you can find out more about it at www.oaklandncpc.org.
Unfortunately, the last time I looked, our "visionary" mayor
had exchanged his space-age virtual reality goggles for conservative bifocals....
Gary Turchin CCTimes
2001.7.27
Coliseum considering solar
panels - OAKLAND -- Following the energy-conscious example being set
at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, Coliseum officials are exploring the possibility
of installing solar panels at its sweeping sports complex at 66th Avenue.
Company officials from Powerlight Corp., based in Berkeley, are talking
to Coliseum operators about the feasibility Californians spending more on energy-efficient appliances -Californians are buying more energy-efficient refrigerators and washing machines than salespeople can ever remember, despite a blackout-free summer and assurance from state officials that electric rates should stay put or drop. The rebates are so popular that California's three largest utilities expect to run out of rebate money by the end of summer. The funds usually stretch until after Christmas or roll over into the following year. Golden State residents also are burning their free time taking energy conservation classes at home improvement stores such as The Home Depot, learning how to install more efficient air conditioners or to properly seal ducts that could leak hot or cold air. Karen Gaudette AP in CCTIMES 2001.7.28 [Ed. note: the first step to incorporating solar energy in your home is to make it as energy efficient as possible, thereby reducing the size of the solar system required] Energy expense strains schools
- San Jose plans to include solar panels -Utilities eat into increased
state funding for education, despite efforts by districts to conserve
and a $250 million allocation by the Legislature to help pay power bills.
Even as they rejoice in the record schools budget Gov. Gray Davis is set
to sign into the law this week, Silicon Valley educators are preparing
to chop programs, halt hiring, and freeze salary increases as they brace
for another year of soaring utility bills. District leaders say the $250
million included in the budget to help schools cover their higher power
costs is not nearly enough to patch the holes created in their finances
by electricity bills that have doubled in some cases in two years. ``We
are planning for the worst,'' said Jim Ritchie, superintendent of Moreland
School District in West San Jose. Ritchie said the elementary district
may not be able to hire as many teachers as it might need next year after
dipping into reserves to pay an anticipated $600,000 utility bill....JESSICA
PORTNER in San
Jose Mercury News 2001.7.25 An Eye to the World...
Note regarding dead links: Most publications move stories into their archive after one or two weeks. Use the date provided here with individual stories to help find them after they have been moved. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THE EDITOR TO CONTACT THE EDITOR: BACK ISSUES: ..........................
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Davis
talk touts solar power use- BERKELEY -- Gov. Gray Davis visited a
company that makes solar panels in what he called "the city of solar
power" Friday, where he touted California's commitment to renewable
energy and encouraged residents and businesses to do even more. Renewable
energy is "a part of our present. It's a big part of our future,"
he said. Davis, surrounded by solar panels, spoke at the headquarters
of the PowerLight Corp., which designs, makes and installs large-scale
commercial solar electric systems. It has been the beneficiary of $2 million
in state grants since its start in 1991. Davis boasted that California
gets more of its power -- 12 percent -- from renewable sources than any
other state. He said he supports a California Energy Commission effort
to boost that share to 17 percent by 2006 as a way to help "wean
ourselves away from reliance on out-of-state megawatts." Davis said
the $110 million in state spending on renewable energy demonstrated his
support for more environmentally friendly power and for greater self-sufficiency
in California's power markets... Greg Cannon in 
Michigan
car first in solar race - CLAREMONT -- Using a million dollar car,
a University of Michigan team completed a 2,247-mile sprint down America's
Main Street on Wednesday to win what was billed as the most arduous solar
car race in the world. The student-built M-Pulse took first place in the
American Solar Challenge, traveling Route 66 from Chicago to this college
town in 56 hours, 10 minutes and 46 seconds. The race started July 15
and was divided into 14 stages. The win was a welcome comeback for the
team, which spent 20 frantic days repairing the car after it was severely
damaged in a June crash during a practice run before the race. The sleek
winner beat out 27 challengers to clinch the title. Second place finisher
was the University of Missouri-Rolla team, which actually crossed the
finish line first but ended with a cumulative time 80 minutes slower than
Michigan's. The Missouri team led the race but fell behind in New Mexico.
"We got caught in the clouds," said Eric Pieper, 19, one of
the team's four drivers. The entry from Canada's University of Waterloo
finished third, with a time of 62 hours and 18 seconds. The cars were
powered solely by the sun's rays, which beat down on the arrays of photovoltaic
cells that covered the surfaces of the exotic, single-passenger machines.
At peak, the arrays produced 1,600 watts of power. "The solar cars
put out as much power as a hair dryer," said Bob Mitchell, dean of
engineering at Missouri. Each day, the cars raced from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
And each morning, the teams would pick up where they had left off the
night before. The team with the best cumulative time won. "As long
as there is sun, it is a great race," said director Dan Eberle. On
sunny days, and on flat stretches of highway, the cars, which resemble
airplane wings, hit speeds as high as 70 mph. Thirty cars began the race;
28 finished. The cumulative time of the last place finisher was nearly
83 hours behind the winner. University teams -- including from Canada
and England -- made up all the entries, save two: a car built by students
at a Hacienda Heights high school and one entered by an Italian club.
The cost of the cars ranged from $30,000 to more than $1 million. The
race's primary sponsor is the U.S. Department of Energy. The goal is to
challenge young engineers and scientists to find new ways to solve energy
and transportation problems. The race course followed what remains of
Route 66 through Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona
and California. Andrew Bridges AP in 
Solar
Thermal for Local Energy - A boom in sales of solar photovoltaics
(PV) and small wind turbine systems highlights the role these renewable,
distributed generation technologies can play in today’s volatile
power markets. At a time when electricity rates for local governments
could rise as much as 50 percent, these on-site renewable energy technologies
offer greater reliability, price stability, and environmental benefits
than the electricity purchased from the grid. While the state rebates
have helped fuel the increasing popularity of solar PV and small wind
turbine technologies, not one California consumer has used the buy-down
rebates to reduce the costs of a new solar thermal electric system. Interestingly
enough, some experts predict that solar thermal electric systems could
be an even better technology to address California’s power supply
shortage than solar PV. A variety of solar thermal electric technologies
are not only more efficient in their conversion of sunlight into electricity,
but they offer additional applications that are particularly well suited
to local governments....Peter Asmus in 
Alameda
County Solar PV: An Energy Efficiency Model - Alameda County has always
been a leader when it comes to reducing energy consumption at its own
facilities. Today, in an era of wholesale price volatility, rotating blackouts,
and growing concerns over global climate change, the county’s efforts
to reduce reliance upon California’s stressed grid include the installation
of the nation’s largest rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV) system.
By integrating rooftop solar PV panels with energy efficiency upgrades
and state-of-the-art energy management software, Alameda County is able
to reduce peak power consumption by 20% without any expenditure from its
general fund. “Over the past several years, Alameda County has reduced
electricity use by more than 30%,” said County Supervisor Scott Haggerty.
“We are confident that solar energy is a very smart addition to our
overall energy strategy.” ... Peter Asmus in 
Cooking
with the sun - Chilean village's experiment with solar ovens offers alternative
to widespread deforestation - Villaseca, Chile -- Lucila Rojas remembers
the days when she and her neighbors risked their lives to cook a hot meal
over a wood-burning stove. "We had to steal firewood, because there
was no longer any left in the places where you could freely look,"
she said. "Sometimes we were chased (by landowners), even by gunshots.
I was fed up. I didn't want any more war." So in 1989, Rojas, who
lives in the arid and deforested Elqui Valley, agreed to become one of
four women in this northern village of 300 residents to allow researchers
from the University of Chile to place a solar oven in her home. "We
were guinea pigs," she said. When the project coordinators returned
after four months to take the ovens back, Rojas protested and organized
local women to raise funds for a workshop to make solar ovens. With $700
they earned selling everything from empanadas (meat pastry) to used clothing,
they built 33 solar ovens and have been using them ever since. Casey Woods
for 
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