EVENT: June 2, Erie, CO - Mothers Against Fracking

Encana Oil and Gas operations are expected to begin on May 26, 2012 at the well site between Erie and Red Hawk Elementary Schools.   Despite numerous letters (20,000+) and appeals from Erie Rising, other parents, celebrities, and politicians including Congressman Jared Polis, the company appears to put profits first.  Though they are legally entitled to drill this location, please join us as we voice our concerns regarding these activities.

10:30 am -1 pm

Erie Community Park 450 Powers Street Erie, CO

Parents: Please being your kids and join us for a family friendly event!  

Listen to great music, hear from great speakers, bring a picnic blanket and lunch! Please ride your bikes or push your strollers as parking at the Rec Center can be limited on Saturdays.  RTD also runs directly to this location.

For an event flyer, click below:

http://www.erierising.com/red-hawk-elementary-school-parents/

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And, in the ongoing battle of Hulk vs. Frack, Mark Ruffalo speaks out on the plight of Erie moms. Imagine Mark's anger when he sees an ad for ANGA!

(For some reason, this doesn't seem to work on mobile.)

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_20657595/ruffalo-erie-mothers-battle-stop-drilling

Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

Solar vs. Tree

The Record, a northern New Jersey paper, took a stand on the practice of logging for solar farms:

"A company ... chopped down 5 acres of oaks, maples and sweet gums to make room for a field that will host more than 3,000 solar panels. Some residents aren't happy about it. Neither are we."

(Blogger's note - I read this in the online edition rather than in print.)

They go on to say:

"...as Staff Writer James M. O'Neill reports, trees do more than clean. They prevent soil erosion from runoff and they serve as homes for wildlife. Bruce Surak, a councilman in the borough, said cutting down trees raises the noise level. Not good, with busy Teterboro Airport nearby."

You can read the rest of the opinion piece here:

http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/146767885_Solar_vs__tree.html

The original article goes into further detail:

"Count Don Torino squarely in favor of the trees. Torino, president of Bergen County Audubon, shook his head sadly as he scanned a 5-acre lot studded with stumps of freshly cut trees and piles of downed limbs along Caesar Place in Moonachie."

Torino: "First, we had Big Coal and Big Oil. Now we have to watch out for Big Solar. You've got to love the irony. If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny."

http://www.northjersey.com/moonachie/040812_moonsolar.html

The Solar Gardens Institute's Principles of Responsible Solar Development comes down squarely on the side of the trees. The very first principal addresses the topic:

- Tree Preservation: By hosting panels on another rooftop or a community solar garden, people can protect the trees that shade their houses.

(You can read the rest of the principles at SGI's about page http://www.solargardens.org/about/ )

It just wouldn't make sense to save one tree by cutting down another! The United States has paved over 60,000 square miles, an area the size of the state of Georgia. I have come to believe a cost effective solar canopy solution for roads and parking lots is the way forward.

Hug a tree today!

Joy


Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

Save the Coal!

Here I am with an average Boulderite's coal usage for electricity... At least while I am home, off the grid, I don't use this stuff.

XCEL to Open Solar*Rewards Community Program

     XCEL Energy announced that its solar gardens program will be opening very soon!  It's been a long road for community organizers, two years of "green tape"as the PUC process has moved along. (Note to legislators - a two year wait really isn't good for business, or the planet - especially two years that include Irene, Joplin, and bubbling Siberian Methane.)

     The solar gardens folks at XCEL are pumped!  Here is the approximate sequence of events. The PUC will hold a hearing on XCEL's 2012 Compliance Plan on May 24. From May 23-31st, XCEL will be holding a series of trainings for on the Solar*Rewards Community program. As soon as possible after the PUC rules (perhaps 1-2 weeks) XCEL will open project selection - we at SGI call this G-Day.

     All indications are that the 6-Megawatt program will be massively oversubscribed. Because of the nature of the solar finance business, grassroots communities will find themselves competing with syndicates of high-credit, large volume subscribers. Colorado's solar gardens program risks becoming a program for the top 5% and the bottom 5%, with little in between.

     This is a call to communities to wake up and gather your subscribers!

- Joy

"Chu's Law" - Secretary of Energy on the Distributed Energy Storage Revolution

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu spoke today at the World Renewable Energy Forum on renewables, transmission, and energy storage.

During his plenary he mentioned that the cost of battery storage could drop as low as $100 per kilowatt-hour capacity - about a quarter to of today's better prices. Batteries could be located at the periphery of the grid - built solidly to work "...even if a kid pokes it with a stick, or does whatever else kids do - like watering it with a garden hose."

I had a chance to ask the Secretary for more details - the time frame, the likely technologies, and the chances for an even better breakthrough or for the advance to fail. (He is known to relish technical questions and give very detailed answers.)

Dr. Chu gave batteries five to ten years to reach this lower price point. "$200 per kilowatt hour is a certainty," he said. He explained that just as LED lighting has "piggybacked" on technology developed for flat screen TVs, stationary batteries benefit from research in vehicle batteries.

According to Secretary Chu, advanced Lithium-ion batteries are doubling in energy density and halving in price - but there is the possibility of a "radical departure" - rechargeable metal-air batteries (like hearing aid batteries, but bigger). He said "I see very rapid technology development. These will be micro- or nano- utility scale that work in both very low and very high temperatures, which is important for utility applications. This will help the electrical system become more efficient."

Just as Moore's law brought us fast computers at exponentially lower price, "Chu's Law" will make electrochemical storage cost-effective. You don't need a Nobel Prize to know that a battery is needed to have solar power at night. The combination of grid smarts, community solar gardens, and low-cost batteries make possible a solar-powered future.

SignOn.org - Community Solar Petition - D.C. Community Renewables Act

you know someone who wants to go solar—but they can't because they live in an apartment, they rent, or their house is shady? Ever think it would be cool to own a 'share' in a community solar array down the street, on a parking lot or maybe on the roof of a local school? Well, the DC Council has introduced a bill that would make that possible! It is called the Community Renewables Act of 2012.

The legislation, if its passed would allow anyone who pays an electric bill in DC – to virtually net meter solar output—anywhere in DC-- to their bill. Right now--people who own homes or buildings can install solar--this new law would let anyone in DC go solar! It is only fair!

http://signon.org/sign/community-solar-petition

Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

Sussex firms launch solar project (From The Argus)

Along with the Province of Ontario, Canada, rainy old England continues to be the world's unlikely hotbed of community solar...

- Joy

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Two green energy companies have joined forces to deliver an innovative scheme. Brighton Energy Co-operative (BEC) is to launch one of the UK's first community solar schemes. South Downs Solar has partnered with the Co-op to deliver on a promise that solar still pays, despite Government cuts in the feed-in tariffs.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/business/9705880.Sussex_firms_launch_solar_project/

Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

Durango, Colorado Area Voters Take Back Their Utility!

During the New Deal era, hundreds of rural electric cooperatives were created. A co-op is governed by member vote - but the boards of directors of these organizations are often, well, fossilized.

The times, they are a changin'! Passionate, informed, pro-solar community organizers are emerging everywhere, reclaiming long-dormant democratic traditions. The results are in - and solar advocates are picking up seats.

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IGNACIO – Two of the four renewable-energy candidates won election Saturday to the La Plata Electric Association board of the directors, ousting a 21-year incumbent, Herb Brodsky, and Bobby Lieb, who also serves as a La Plata County commissioner.

Voter participation nearly doubled from last year as 8,139 votes were cast in a heated race in which challengers said the cooperative was overdue for a shake-up.

http://www.durangoherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?aid=/20120513/NEWS01/705139885&template=mobileart

Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

A Smaller Route to Solar Success - NYTimes.com

Here we go! A solar mini-power tower. Perhaps it can be fit with storage somwhow...

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/a-smaller-route-to-solar-success/

http://aora-solar.com


Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

California Solar Energy: Bill Would Provide Renewable Rooftops To Poor Communities - The Huffington Post

This is a great proposal! The Solar Gardens Institute also advocates for low-income inclusion in California's "solar gardens" bill, SB843.

-Joy

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'The bill targets neighborhoods with high unemployment rates and those that "bear a disproportionate burden from air pollution, disease, and other impacts from the generation of electricity from the burning of fossil fuels," the bill said.'

'Bill author Assemblyman Paul Fong, D-Mountain View, said the legislation would create jobs and build "cleaner, safer, and healthier neighborhoods." '

' "Unfortunately, California's most vulnerable communities - those that have suffered first and worst from pollution - have not benefited much from existing renewable energy policy," Fong said in a statement provided to California Watch.'

Read more:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2012/04/17/california-solar-energy-bill_n_1430275.html

Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

#SolarChat Recap 5/9/12: Benefits & Challenges of Net Metering | Ecooutfitters.net

Solar Gardens Institute and Vote Solar teamed up to answer questions about net metering and virtual net metering. View the twitter chat log below.

Super thanks to Raina Russo of Eco Outfitters!

- Joy

http://www.ecooutfitters.net/blog/2012/05/solarchat-5912-benefits-challenges-of-net-metering/


Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

Omaha Parking Lot Array

Community solar is making it to Nebraska!

Solar gardeners Brice Miller, James Devaney, and Michael Shonka pose with Nebraska's largest parking lot project.

Community Power vs. the Kochs - The Huffington Post

An excellent article, listing community wind, solar, and district heating programs throughout North America.

-Joy

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"At the community level, grassroots leaders are adapting renewable technologies to meet the needs of their neighborhoods. The Community Power Network has emerged as an association of energy co-operatives and advocacy groups committed to democratizing power production. Affiliated groups include DC Solar United, an alliance of neighborhood-based solar co-operatives in DC; the JOBS project, bringing renewables and green jobs trainings to the heart of Appalachian coal country; and GRID Alternatives, which leads solar installation projects in low-income communities across California."

Read more:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aaron-bartley/local-alternative-energy_b_1466309.html

Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

California SB843 Amended

SB843, California's "solar gardens" bill, has had significant amendments made. Follow the link at SGI's new California policy page:

http://solarpanelhost.org/garden/california

Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

Solar Chat Wednesday

EcoOutfitters.net Event Details

Our next #SolarChat will be held on Wednesday, 5/9/12, between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m EST. We'll be discussing net metering opportunities and challanges. As you may know, net metering comes in many shapes and sizes but all roads lead to your meter spinning backwards, increased return on your solar investment, greater savings, and overall solar growth. Net metering is a game-changing concept that can be applied to individual homeownership, utilities and communities. Let's take some time to explore the very different applications for the same "backward spinning" concept/incentive and explore ways we can expand on each.

Moderator Raina Brett Russo (@EcoOutfitters), president and co-founder of EcoOutfitters.net, will be joined by Mike Taylor (@SolarMikeTaylor), director of research for the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA); as well as two team members from Vote Solar, including Annie Carmichael (@AnnieVoteSolar), solar policy director and Rosalind Jackson (@VoteSolar), director of communications and development. Also joining us will be Joy Hughes (@solargardens), the founder and CEO of Solar Panel Hosting LLC.

Register here:

https://solarchat-050912.eventbrite.com/

Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

Photo- Coal Train from SGI Office

Our humble office is down by the tracks. Sometimes, the trains carry wind turbine blades. But not this train...

John Farrell's Three Steps to Community Power

John Farrell of the Institute for Local Self Reliance is one of the most important thought leaders in our movement. This is a very succinct description of the policy changes needed.

- Joy

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There are three policy solutions needed to enable community power:

1. Community net metering – to allow project owners to share the project's electricity output.  Right now, most state policies require utilities to allow net metering, but only for a solar or wind project on your own property.

2. Simplified securities law – to make community-based projects easier.  Right now, there's little difference between setting up a mutual fund and setting up a community solar project, and both take a lot of lawyers.  (Learn more in this report)

3. Smarter federal tax incentives – to allow community-based institutions to host community-based projects.  Non-profits, cooperatives, cities and counties are logical entities to build projects, but they can't (easily) use federal tax incentives for solar and wind power.  This raises the stakes for problem #2.

Read more:

http://www.ilsr.org/massive-supply-demand-imbalance-for-solar-and-wind-project-financing/

Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

IREC: California PUC expands Virtual Net Metering to all multi-tenant buildings

Thanks to the great folks at the Interstate Renewable Energy Council and Vote Solar for making this a reality!
Now we need an army of solar gardeners to find participants in apartment complexes and condominiums.

-Joy

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From IREC:

In July of 2011, the CPUC issued a Decision that expanded Virtual Net Metering (VNM) beyond the low-income multi-family housing context to all multi-tenant and multi-metered properties. IREC and other stakeholders participated in workshops held by the Energy Division to explore implementation issues.

On April 19, 2012, the Commission approved Energy Division Resolution E-4481, approving the advice letters of the utilities that would implement the expanded VNM program. VNM will now apply to all multi-tenant and multi-meter properties, with the limitation that sharing of bill credits can only occur for accounts served by a single Service Delivery Point (SDP).

Read more:

http://www.irecusa.org/2012/04/california-puc-expands-virtual-net-metering-to-all-multi-tenant-buildings/

Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

Shared Solar Micro Grids

 Here's an interesting company called Offgrid Electric that is working to make "solar garden" style micro-grids.This is perfect for rural electrification that leapfrogs fossil fuels and transmission lines completely.

http://offgrid-electric.com/shared-solar-micro-grids/

I wonder if the subscribers can gain ownership... there is a company in India called Simpa Solar that does this, crediting electric purchases towards the panel price, and getting a 2-3 year payback (wish we could do that in the states!)

http://eirbyte.com/solar/pay-as-you-go-solar-systems-debut-in-rural-india/

I'm sure we'll be seeing more of this - remote areas in the U.S. such as Colorado's San Luis Valley can become semi-independent micro-grids.

Joy at Colorado Springs Solar Garden

Here I am at SunShare's 500kW solar garden at Venetucci Farm, the largest on Colorado's front range.

Northern New Mexico Community Solar Projects | Green Fire Times

From Green Fire Times:

In the northern region of New Mexico, specifically Taos County, Kit Carson Electric Coop (KCEC) has developed different scenarios and plans of action towards a renewable energy future. Community shared solar, or what KCEC calls "community solar projects," is spreading across the country. Many environmentally minded residents of this eclectic community would like to take advantage of the abundant sunlight (more than 300 days/year) to power their homes. To do so requires not only a large monetary investment, but also a large, open location to install a solar array. This dilemma has been solved through the community solar concept.

Rather than individual homeowners installing rooftop solar, KCEC has created a means for members to buy panels or shares of panels that are added to grid-tied community solar arrays. The homeowner is actually purchasing a share of the array, which is treated the same as residential solar in terms of available tax incentives, without the additional cost of installation and long-term maintenance. It is a way to take advantage of the many benefits of solar power without having to install and maintain a residential system.

http://greenfiretimes.com/2012/05/northern-nms-solar-energy-future-community-solar-projects-and-scenario-planning/

Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

Solar "Double Cropping" Harvests Food & Energy on the Same Land : TreeHugger

As gigantic solar farms become ever more commonplace, some have raised the question of how big is too big for centralized solar. From solar parking lots through solar in old mines to solar parks that nurture bees too, there are many ways to reconcile land use issues and solar power. I posted back in 2009 on a project in my community to develop "solar double cropping"—namely planting shade-loving edible food crops under a canopy of solar panels.

http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-agriculture/solar-double-cropping-harvests-food-energy-on-the-same-land.html

Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

BLOG: How Green Was My Condo — It's not easy being green — but together, we can do it!

I wanted to tip everyone off to a very informative blog by Rosana Francescato, a condo dweller writing on green living for condo dwellers. Multi-unit dwellings have the potential to be more efficient than free-standing homes. Offsite shared solar is one important element of the greening of condos.

http://www.howgreenwasmycondo.com/


Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct

May 10 - Clean Power, Healthy Communities Conference 2012 | Local Clean Energy Alliance of the Bay Area

http://www.localcleanenergy.org/Clean-Power-Healthy-Communities-iii


The Local Clean Energy Alliance is proud to announce the 3rd annual Clean Power, Healthy Communities Conference, where we promote a clean energy economy as a powerful way to address the economic development, employment, and health needs of Bay Area communities.

"It has been some time since I have participated in a conference/meeting as relevant and as purposeful... I was completely amazed at the high level of enthusiasm and interest in clean energy, local power, environmental justice and empowerment of local communities."

Pedro Rosado,
District Representative,
Office of Senator Loni Hancock

Over the past year a number of initiatives have emerged that challenge the utility-scale central-station model of electricity development in favor of more decentralized generation. These range from Governor Brown's call for 12,000 MW of California distributed electricity generation by 2020, to efforts to promote "community solar" projects, to growing interest by many cities and counties in Community Choice energy programs, to greater advocacy by municipalities and regional governmental for reducing energy demand and generating local renewable energy. With few prospects for a national plan to reduce greenhouse gases, local communities are leading the way to equitable, clean energy solutions. The San Francisco Bay Area, with its strong grassroots advocacy organizations and many renewable energy initiatives, is in a unique position to provide local clean energy leadership.
Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct