Encore Redevelopment Blog

New DOE Report Details Financing Options for Solar PV on Schools

Chad — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:47:40 +0000

On October 20, 2011, The US Department of Energy released a report entitled “Solar Schools Assessment and Implementation Project: Financing Options for Solar Installations on K-12 Schools”. The report details best practices for schools to utilize to take advantage of the opportunities provided by investing in or hosting solar PV systems on school buildings. The report examines both: 1) direct ownership options, which take advantage of general funds, bonds, construction financing and grants; and 2) third party finance models, including power purchase agreements, lease to own models, and energy services performance contracts. Encore is currently working with the City of Burlington, Vermont School Department on a solar on schools project. The ~250kW project will be deployed on two separate school roofs with an additional 400kW to be deployed in 2012. The project is being completed under the third party ownership model, with Encore maintaining ownership of the system and the Burlington School Department benefiting from lease payments related to the overall production capacity of the system and an opportunity to purchase the system at a significantly discounted price after five years of operation.

More information of the DOE’s solar on schools report can be found here:

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=632

State Energy Plan open for review until October 10…

Admin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:41:13 +0000

In mid-September, the Department of Public Service released the draft Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan. The public is invited to provide comments to the DPS until October 10 at 5PM. The Plan is available to download from the Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan web site. In addition, public hearings are scheduled for the following dates:

Tonight, September 28, 7-9 PM, at Brattleboro High School.
September 29, 7-9 PM, at Rutland High School.
October 3, 7-9 PM, at Colchester High School.
October 6, 7-9 PM, at Danville School.

The final draft, which will include the public’s comments and address the public’s concerns, will be submitted to Governor Shumlin in mid-October. The final, published version of the Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan will be released in November.

Links to recent articles about the Derby Line Wind project

Admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:50:53 +0000

Here are links to the press coverage from last Tuesday’s Derby Select Board meeting:

Green Mountain Power announces host site for new community wind program

Admin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:33:17 +0000

Green Mountain Power announced today that Northlands Job Corps of Vergennes has been chosen to be the host of the first wind turbine installation of the Green Mountain Power & Northern Power Systems Community Wind Partnership. Green Mountain Power will own, operate, and maintain a Vermont-made Northern Power 100kW (the NPS 100) permanent magnet direct drive (PM/DD) community wind turbine on the Northland Job Corps campus. The NPS 100 turbine is ideal for integration in a community setting for local, distributed energy generation. To learn more about this project, visit Encore’s website and check out the full press release here.

Update: this project has also been featured on BrighterEnergy.org’s web site.

September 24 is Moving Planet Day!

Admin — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:29:29 +0000

On Saturday, September 24, individuals around the world will be gathering in their towns and cities in defense of our planet. Moving Planet Day is a day for people to organize and participate in events in their area to rally interest and awareness around climate change and demand local and national government action. To find an event near you, go to the Find an Event section of Moving Planet’s web site. These are the events that will be happening in the Burlington area:

As Moving Planet’s website states, in order to preserve our planet, we need to break our addiction to fossil fuels and move toward a “sustainable, democratically controlled, and renewably-powered future as soon as possible.”¹ Moreover, in order to reach this sustainability, we have to reduce the amount of CO₂in the atmosphere from its current level of 392 parts per million to below 350 ppm.² We can reach this goal by supporting and implementing renewable energy, especially on a community-scale. Check out our web site for more information on how you can do your part to reduce fossil-fuel consumption.

¹Moving Planet’s FAQs

²350.org

News about the Derby Line Wind project…

Admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:02:47 +0000

Derby Line Wind project in the news… check it out at the Orleans County Record’s website and the Caledonian Record’s website.

The Orleans County Record and the Caledonian Record also ran a piece in the end of August that was picked up by National Wind Watch. This piece highlights the results of a feasibility study conducted by Vermont Electric Cooperativen about the capacity of local power lines and substations.

Renewable energy viewed as a farmer’s crop, tool, and mechanism to diversify revenue stream…

Admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:42:43 +0000

Will Raap recently wrote a great article about farm energy on his blog. He writes, “Vermont farmers are learning that one of the best ways to generate on-farm profit is by ‘growing’ electricity.” This statement is echoed in the 2009 On-Farm Energy Production Survey generated by the National Agricultural Statistics Service: “Producers on 8,569 farms in the United States reported producing renewable energy on their operations in 2009. Farmers whose operations produced on-farm energy saved an average of $2,406 on their utility bills in 2009.” Click here to read more about this survey and renewable energy on farms.

The facts about the carbon footprint of producing solar panels

Matt — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:51:37 +0000

We are often asked about the carbon or energy footprint associated with what is assumed to be the energy intensive production of solar panels. While it is true that manufacturing solar panels requires a lot of energy, the “energy payback” period for the average panel as indicated by numerous studies is around three years, meaning that the energy generated by the panels over their 30 to 40 year design life greatly exceeds the energy put into manufacturing these panels. Additional information on these studies can be found here.

In addition, in comparison with power generated by traditional fossil fuel sources such as coal, solar is significantly less carbon intensive, with many studies indicating that a typical solar installation willproduce on average of 30x less CO2 than coal power, kilowatt hour per kilowatt hour, depending on site location and solar gain. Learn more here.

The Bright Future of Solar PV

Matt — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:30:58 +0000

Rapid technological advancements in solar photovoltaic (PV) modules are driving down panel prices, allowing more and more projects to become financially feasible. Since 2002, solar PV production has increased an average of 48% each year.[1] Module prices were priced around $4.66 per watt in 2004, and can now be easily found at $1.75 per watt and below. IHS iSuppli, a leader in renewable energy research, estimates that panel prices will be driven down to less than $1 per watt by the end of the first quarter of 2012.[2] Panel costs are the largest single cost of a solar PV project, usually comprising one third of the total project cost.

The Department of Energy has requested a 2012 solar PV budget increase from $126 million to $337 million. With strong incentives backing solar research, the department forecasts that by 2020, an entire system installation cost could decrease to $1 per watt for utility scale projects, $1.25 per watt for commercial, and $1.50 per watt for residential projects.[3] The department also projects that 14% of United States electricity demand can be generated by solar power by 2030.

Considering that solar power currently generates less than 1% of U.S. energy needs, the predictions made by the Department of Energy are certainly bold. However, they are not alone. CEOs and industry leaders from both the United States and Europe are predicting similar price declines and market expansion.

The potential for solar energy has been present for years, but today’s technological advancements are turning the potential into a reality and allowing solar projects to generate strong financial gains while decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels. In order to ensure that we continue on this path of innovation, it is critical that U.S. government support for solar energy remain in place. Without this support, we risk taking a significant step backward in the race to replace the generation of non renewable, fuel-based energy and losing out on leadership in this important market segment to our international peers.

[1] http://www.efficientgreenpower.com/solar-energy.cfm

[2] http://www.electroiq.com/articles/pvw/2011/06/solar-pv-cost-per-watt-below-1.html

[3] http://www.pv-tech.org/editors_blog/intersolar_na_can_the_industry_achieve_2020_challenge_of_1_w_system_cost_20

[C1]

Rutland to be named Vermont’s “Solar City”

Matt — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:04:40 +0000

Encore Redevelopment’s client, Green Mountain Power Corp (GMP), has announced its plan to stimulate renewable energy development in Rutland County to create more solar power generation per capita than any other county in Vermont. An attractive purchase agreement is in place to encourage residents and business owners in Rutland to use solar power to meet their energy needs. GMP will purchase all energy produced in excess of the home or business owner’s energy consumption at $.20 per kWh, 6 cents higher than GMP’s standard rate. The project is a win-win scenario and will allow GMP to reduce the amount of power they purchase during peak demand periods during the hottest days in the summer. The locked-in purchase agreement eliminates a major concern when designing solar projects and will encourage many developers to enter the area. For more information, you can read the article here.