News for September 30, 2003

Dozens of solar homes, businesses open to public for tour[October 4th]

[Right] Solar powered fountain at the Headlands Institute (Marin County). The Fountain was made from mostly recycled materials, even the solar module, which was donated by The Rahus Institute's Solar Schoolhouse program. Headlands Institute is part of a network of outdoor environmental education schools located throughout California. Rahus is working to integrate solar energy education at these schools, through teacher workshops, hands-on activities, and interactive projects like the Headlands fountain. Several solar energy workshops are scheduled at the Fall Conference for Outdoor Educators (AEOE) in Yosemite October 4-5.

Solar & Biodiesel powered Mobile Market delivers Organic Food in Oakland

Solar Cities Summit Surpasses Expectations [San Francisco]

Tor Allen (Rahus) with debut ofthe new Solar Energy Educational Display at the Solar Cities Summit

Million Solar Roof Regional Workshop Highlights Public Awareness, Certification, Industry Perspective

2 California Universities among 2005 Solar Decathlon Teams!

Challenge Bibendum - Clean, lean and 'green' - State-of-the-art vehicles set to compete

Solar Supporter - A house by Kuth/Ranieri in San Francisco's fog belt gathers rays

$11 a plate fund-raiser for the solar candidate

Report on Helios crash expected to take longer

Windmill industry surges since '80s boom [California]

[US] Majority of senators push renewable fuel requirement for power plants

Hummers vs. gas sippers: candidates turn shades of green

BP Schools Competition to Award Solar Panels to Winners [Carson]

Religious groups show love by protecting God's creations

IN BRIEF

Solar Thermal Weds Solar Electric at Heliodyne [Richmond] - Solar hot water (thermal) collector manufacturer Heliodyne recently installed a 10 kW photovoltaic system on their facility in Richmond, CA. Demonstrating that the two technologies work well together - solar thermal to heat water, and photovoltaics (PV) to make electricity to power everything else in the building - this marks the first PV-powered solar thermal manufacturing facility in California.

PV powers Solar Thermal Collector Manufacturing Facility [Heliodyne]

Los Angeles 9-11 Memorial powered by the Sun - GO Solar Company designed, donated, and installed a solar-powered light for a City of Los Angeles memorial dedicated to the victims and families of Californians who died on September 11, 2001. Shell Solar donated a 75-W solar panel to power the solar memorial light.

San Mateo Evaluates Solar Options - City officials are in the process of evaluating how much installing solar panels in places like the senior center and recreation buildings would cost, according to Public Works Director Larry Patterson.

UL Approval for Sunny Boy Inverters: 700 & 1100 - Underwriter Laboratory (UL) has approved the SMA Sunny Boy 1100 W grid-tie Inverter. The 1100's UL approval follows the recent UL approval of SMA's Sunny Boy 700. SMA now offers the Sunny Boy in 700 W, 1100 W, 1800 W, and 2500 W inverters for PV installations.

Santa Cruz city officials invite bids on solar installation — City officials are going solar, again. The Public Works Department is looking for someone to install solar photovoltaic panels on the corporation yard to cut the city’s energy bills. Bids will be due Oct. 14. The $375,000 project is estimated to pay for itself in 14 years. Similar panels have been installed on the City Hall annex building and wastewater treatment plant. The city expects to get an energy rebate of $180,000 and chip in $72,000 from water and refuse accounts. Another $123,000 was earmarked in the capital improvement fund until two weeks ago, when the budget was cut by the City Council. To make up the lost money, the city will ask bidders to finance the project. The timetable calls for selecting a contractor in November and installing the system by February. Chris Schneiter, assistant public works director, is overseeing the project. [source: Santa Cruz Sentinel 2003.9.25]

ACEEE Report Shows Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Can Help Avert Natural Gas Price Spikes - A national study prepared by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Impacts of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy on Natural Gas Markets, was commissioned by the Energy Foundation to determine whether increased use of efficiency and renewables would reduce demand for and prices of natural gas. It suggests that new investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy generation would lower natural gas prices rapidly and help retain manufacturing jobs. A copy of the summary report can be downloaded. The web site also includes a resource contact list, a summary of the study’s results, and a technical white paper on the methodology

Australia, World Solar Challenge [October 19-28]- The 7th World Solar Challenge takes place 19-28 October 2003. Entrants will cover more than 3,000 km from Darwin to Adelaide. Read about cars entered and updates during the race via the website

USDA Grants support renewable energy - USDA is giving just over $2 million in grant money to fund rural renewable energy projects and energy efficiency improvements across the Sunbelt. Texas leads the way among the five Southern states receiving the grant money with $999,350 in USDA funds split between two projects in Hartley and Carson counties. Also reaping the rewards of their energy improvement efforts were projects in California, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. Projects in California's Glen, San Joaquin and Imperial counties are receiving a total of $691,830, while five applicants in Walthall, Marion, Pike and Lawrence counties of Mississippi will split $231,503. In the Southeast, an energy project in Pitt County, N.C., will receive $130,000, and one Marlboro County, S.C., project will get $15,000. Nationwide, a total of $21.2 million in grants was approved for 113 projects in 24 states. The grant program is part of the Bush administration's effort to increase America's energy independence through the development of renewable energy resources as well as improving efficiency of existing systems. “America's rural businesses, farmers and ranchers are key to the development of renewable energy for our country,” says Thomas C. Dorr, undersecretary for rural development. “The capital investments being made through these grants will support the conversion of our natural resources and residuals of farming operations into new sources of energy and help meet the energy goals outlined by President Bush in 2001.” Authorized by the 2002 farm bill, the Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements program provides funding to eligible agricultural producers, rural small businesses, or individuals who have demonstrated financial need. Grant funds can be used to pay up to 25 percent of the cost for eligible projects, which include those that either derive energy from a wind, solar, biomass, or geothermal source, or hydrogen derived from biomass or water using wind, solar or geothermal energy sources.[source: Doreen Muzzi Delta Farm Press 2003.9.19]

San Francisco considers incentives for solar installations - San Francisco residents looking to slash their energy bills and help the environment by installing solar equipment on their properties soon may get some help from the city. On Tuesday, Supervisor Tom Ammiano proposed an ordinance that would give financial and other assistance to at least 100 residential and commercial property owners who want to put in rooftop photovoltaic systems and other environmentally friendly measures, including solar water-heating equipment. Under "Generation Solar," the city would do the comparison shopping of solar equipment contractors (ideally getting participants' a reduced bulk rate) and help simplify the application process, which can be expensive and take months to complete. The program, which helps carry out a $100 million public solar-power bond issue passed by voters in 2001, "will help make solar energy widely available to businesses and residents of San Francisco, and by expanding the market for solar energy help bring down the cost of this important technology of the future," said Ed Smeloff, assistant general manager for power policy and planning for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Mayor Willie Brown is committed to adding 10,000 residential rooftop solar systems in San Francisco as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Million Solar Roofs initiative to install such systems on 1 million U.S. buildings by 2010. Generation Solar, which is endorsed by several environmental groups including the Vote Solar Initiative, the Sierra Club and Greenpeace, is subject to public hearing (probably before year's end) before it can be voted on. For more information on Generation Solar visit www.solarsf.org or call (415) 355-3715. [source: SF Chronicle 2003.9.27]

Events

Fall Course: Photovoltaic System Design and Installation - Diablo Valley College -Pleasant Hill, CA - Teacher Tom Chatagnier continues his very affordable classes on renewable energy. Fall Schedule: Oct 25 - Dec 13 Saturdays 8:30 am - 2:30 pm www.dvc.edu (search under Alt technologies) for info and registration or 925/685-1230 x 2522

2003 National Solar Tour - October 4— Real Places for Real People- The American Solar Energy Society (ASES), along with chapter, state and local tour organizers, would like to invite you to attend the eighth annual National Solar Tour that will take place in most locations on Saturday, October 4, 2003. There are tours scheduled throughout California. Check here for more information. Also check the NorCalSolar Website for Northern California tour details

UPEx 2003 [Scottsdale, Az Oct.7-10] -SEPA’s 8th Annual Conference Set for October 7-10 in Scottsdale. UPEx 2003, the Solar Power Experience Conference and Technology Exhibition, will be held in Scottsdale, Arizona from October 7 – 10. The Conference is presented by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) with the Solar Energy Industries Association and their conference partners, Green Building Council/AZ Chapter, Alliance for Construction Excellence, and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.

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