The Assembly adopted the bill on a 53-1 vote and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said the governor intends to sign it. The bill will increase the use of solar technology and offset high electricity costs, and increase the pace of return on investment for installing solar on residential roof tops. The bill doubles the cap that California solar industry was coming close to reaching.

However, the bill does not allow the renewable energy homeowners sell to count toward the state’s renewable-energy mandates which is currently 33 percent of power purchased by utilities from renewable sources such as solar, wind and geothermal, by 2030. If utilities want to claim credit for the renewable electricity they buy from their customers, they would be required to pay homeowners and business owners a surcharge for that energy.

No related posts.

Learn a new vocabulary! Take a refresher course on the electrical power of the sun and the wind! Although the enthusiasm of renewable-energy experts Ewing and Pratt might get a bit wearing, they’ve developed a nontechnical reference and guide for home owners thinking about pulling the plug on their utility connections. In fact, after a look at the table of contents, the appendixes just might be the right place to start figuring out whether photovoltaic panel installati (more…)

No related posts.

We have come along way in developing societies that have electricity and thepower necessary to fuel vehicles and for industry to be successful. All of theseefforts though rely upon the use of energy source that comes from fossil fuels.They are found in the ground and have to be processed in order for us to havethat fuel and that electricity. They are known as coal, natural gas, and fuel. Werely on them way too much for our own good and that is why change is soimportant.

(more…)

No related posts.

The coming energy crisis caused by a peak in global oil and natural gas production will profoundly affect the lives of all North Americans. As the price of these vital fuels rises, homeowners will scramble to cut their fuel bills. Two options for meeting the upcoming challenge are dramatic improvements in home energy efficiency and efforts to tap into clean, affordable, renewable energy resources to heat and cool homes, to provide hot water and electricity, and even to cook. These mea (more…)

Related posts:

1. The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy: Achieving Energy Independence through Solar, Wind, Biomass and Hydropower (Kindle Edition)
2. Tap into Energy Incentives

Artists view of proposed solar panels installed on the Fairhaven Landfill

Every once in a while a project comes along that everyone can support. The Town of Fairhaven, MA has just such a project. They are proposing to build a solar power plant on top of the town landfill turning a ‘brown site’ – ‘green’.

The proposed plant will generate about 500kw of energy which the town can use to off-set a portion of the municipal electricity load. Panels will be placed mainly on the flat, top portion of the landfill which has very good southern exposure. Access to the site is through a commercial zone and there are only a few houses nearby so impact to neighbors will be minimal. The panels will be nearly invisible to most of the town because of the location of the landfill and the low profile of solar panels as compared to wind turbines. And the energy generated will not be just electric, the Selectmen hope to excite local school children with educational programs on solar power using the plant as a real-world teaching tool.

Representatives from the Town of Fairhaven, Mass DEP, Blue Sky Power, Smith Energy LLC, and Nexcepts visited the site on a rainy day

Under the leadership of Dr. Brian Bowcock, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, a Request for Proposals (RFP) to install solar panels on the town’s closed landfill was issued over the summer. The town received one qualified proposal from a team of Massachusetts renewable energy developers led by Blue Sky Power and including Smith Energy, local solar firm Lighthouse Electrical, which has installed numerous solar projects in the Commonwealth, and the nationally known engineering firm Nexcepts. The Board will present the proposal and the developer(s) to the Town at it’s Fall Town Meeting for approval. Once the town has voted to approve the project construction is projected to start in the spring of 2010.

View of Hastings Middle School (top left) from the Landfill

The project is expected to receive strong support from all levels of State government. Governor Deval Patrick has been a strong supporter of renewable energy. In April 2007, Governor Patrick established a goal for installed solar power of 250 MW by 2017, up from 4 MW installed at the time he took office.   Also, on June 17, 2009, The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and Department of Energy Resources (DOER) presented a workshop for municipal officials, solid waste consultants and renewable energy project developers about the unique issues surrounding the development of solar or wind installations at closed landfills – a representative from the Town of Fairhaven and one of the proposed project developers attended this session. The Mass DEP is planning more similar sessions further demonstrating their interest in seeing projects like Fairhaven’s succeed.

Artists view of porposed solar panels installed on the Fairhaven landfill

Fairhaven is located along the south coast of Massachusetts, about 50 miles south of Boston During the 1800s, the whaling industry and its related marine trades contributed greatly to the town’s growth making it one of the wealthiest communities in the world. Between 1885 and 1906, Fairhaven benefited greatly from the gifts of magnificent European style public architecture donated by native son Henry H. Rogers, a multimillionaire from his career in the Standard Oil Company. A grammar school, library, town hall, high school, Unitarian Church, and the public water system were among the gifts given by Rogers.

The generosity of Rogers and the can-do spirit of the town bode well for the success of this project.

No related posts.

Profitable Renewable Energy

More recommended reading from the BBB Editors:

Profitable Renewable Energy describes a simple plan to allow every utility consumer to invest in and profit from the current renewable energy boom.  This book should be read by anyone concerned about the spiraling fuel costs, the environment, or their future financial security.  Individuals, business, and legislators alike will benefit from what this concept has to offer.  This book will explain how businesses and individuals can eliminate their energy bills for 20 to 30 years while (more…)

No related posts.

New Hallowell Acadia energy saving HVAC Units

Green is no longer just a color in military uniforms; it is now a part of the everyday lives of our troops and their families.  Now Fort Dix/ McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, the largest military housing community in the United States is at the helm of this green revolution and keeping our troops and their families comfortable while conserving energy with the Acadia: combined heating and cooling system from Hallowell International.

United Communities, LLC is the owner of the Military Housing Privatization Project charged with renovating Fort Dix/McGuire AFB. Following extensive research of energy efficient technologies, including geothermal, they chose to install over 2,000 of Hallowell’s Acadia: combined heating and cooling systems in all base housing as part of a four year housing renewal project.

“When we took on this project we wanted to create a comprehensive housing program that encompassed green initiatives, with a focus on utility conservation. The Acadia fit perfectly into this model.” said Jack Gafford, Director of Development for United Communities LLC. “We are not only creating a comfortable environment for these military families, but we are taking an active role in helping the environment by reducing our energy consumption. “

The Military Privatization Act is a national program that allows private developers, through competitive offers, to redevelop and operate military housing for a 50-year term. This act is improving the standard of living for members of the military and affording comfortable modern homes for them and their families.

Using the combination of gas furnace and electric air conditioner is the standard installation strategy in most of today’s modern communities. Hallowell, however, has combined these functions in the Acadia system and achieved unheard of performance and reliability.

From the point of view of the 2,000 home Fort Dix/McGuire AFB community, the installation of the Acadia system will cost no more than the standard gas and electric a/c system, will reduce energy consumption by more than 20% annually and produce an annual savings of $ 1,520,000. Even more impressive is the fact that the Hallowell system will last 25 years whereas the standard systems will probably need replacement in 16 years.

There is now a fourth color to add to our red, white and blue—And Green!

No related posts.

BBB Weekly Recommended Reading.

Renewable energy is energy that is generated from sunlight, rain, tides, geothermal heat and wind. These sources are naturally and constantly replenished, which is why they are deemed as renewable. The usage of renewable energy sources is very important when considering the sustainability of the existing energy usage of the world. While there is currently an abundance of non-renewable energy sources, such as nuclear fuels, these energy sources are depleting.  Read more reviews (more…)

No related posts.

"Dorothy's Turbine"

Leave it to the self-described home town of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz to harness the wind.

In Kansas-Smith Farms, located a few miles from Liberal Kansas (no, I did not make that up), a hog farm erected two Vestas turbines that were re-manufactured by Halus Power Systems in 2005. Each turbine has a capacity of 120kw which will be used to offset a portion of the energy used by the large commercial hog feeding operation.

The farm consists of several large facilities to house the hogs which require considerable energy for both cooling in the summer and heating in the winter. This project was NOT subsidized by a federal grant or state loan but rather by the farmer himself at an expected payback of about six years.  (And note the solar panels on the barn roofs in the image on the right.)

As major commercial enterprises, monthly electric bills for farmers can be substantial.  That’s why farmers in every state are adding even a small amount of renewable energy to their facilities or farm land to offset high energy bills.  Wineries in California that use tremendous energy for processing and cooling are erecting solar on rooftops and un-cultivated land.

Kansas-Smith Farms, KS

Chicken farmers in Delaware are looking at putting solar on their expansive roofs to cover heating, cooling, and processing costs (and then there is the issue of what to do about all that manure – think alternative fuels).

And corn farmers in Indiana are erecting windmills on the perimeter of their property to increase annual income per acre while still maintaining revenue from traditional farming.

As each farm across country reduces their demand on the grid and far-off coal and oil fired power plants by generating even a portion of that demand on-site they join the energy locavore movement.  Energy independence can only be achieved one house, one school, one farm at a time.  It’s already happening, the pace is quickening, and the results are already being felt.

If you know of a great local story about farmers using renewable energy share it in the Comments section below.

No related posts.

San Francisco Solar Map

Under the leadership of Jared Blumenfeld, Director, San Francisco Department of the Environment, the city now has 1,311 PV systems installed with a total capacity of 7.5MW. Estimated annual cost savings exceed $1,500,000.  And sites can be found across the entire city, from businesses in the financial district, to condo’s in the Richmond, to single family homes in the Sunset.  Citizens of San Francisco are taking personal responsibility for creating at least a portion of their energy needs on-location; and that is the definition of being an energy locavore.

And it’s not just solar homes and businesses.  The city recently installed solar powered bus shelters, several schools and municipal buildings now have solar, and there are some small wind installations that off-set a portion of the energy load from that building or structure.

Solar Powered Bus Station Image by Inhabitat

When we started Build Baby Build just nine months ago, we asserted that the growth of distributed generation was a key component to growth of the renewable energy industry and our nations goal of achieving energy independence, one community at a time.  Some say this is folly, a pipe dream, especially in a down economy.  But people also forget that in the early 1900’s most people thought a bridge across the Golden Gate Straight was impossible and impractical; then on November 4, 1930, at the height of the Great Depression, voters is San Francisco went to the polls and put their homes, farms and business properties up as collateral to support a $35 million bond issue to finance the building of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Today, many more cities and towns have programs similar to San Francisco’s that encourage the development of local renewable energy resources.  If you have a local success story, please use the Comment section below to share it with our readers.

Related posts:

1. Success for San Francisco Solar Energy Incentive Program
2. Greenspotting Tips and Tricks