Posts tagged solar energy

You Too Can Live in a SolarCity

January 17, 2009 · Filed under business, development, economics, family, green living, renewable energy, solar energy · Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

The goal is oil independence.  We all know that Julia Roberts has a solar installation on her roof, but what if Joe the Plumber wants to go green too.  Lyndon and Pete Rive decided that the residential sector, regulars like you and me, deserved the opportunity to join the green movement!   We the people haven”t had easy access to solar instillation in the past but we do now.   The two brothers have worked hard at making the entire process as simple and cost effective as possible.  Ever since Energy Independence Day, July 4th, 2006, when SolarCity launched, they have helped regular consumers and small commercial areas, go solar by streamlining the process from desire to delivery.  Questions about the tax breaks or the changing tariff situation?  No worries, SolarCity experts have it all covered, from financing, design, instillation and monitoring, they do it all for you!

The company itself definitely gets personal kudos and an endorsement from me.  It takes vision to perceive that the media landscape is changing and any member of the bloggosphere can attest to the difficulty in getting access to targets.  But with a decidedly open door policy,  Jonathan Bass, Director of Communications at Solar City spent a full fifteen minutes or more with me (new blood in the San Francisco area, blogger extraordinaire) answering my questions and explaining to me how SolarCity went from birth to the number one solar energy procurement company in the state of California in a year!

I needed to know how the company was organizing the community around solar energy.  Great ideas need to be shared and as I’ve mentioned before, a cohesive team moves a project along quickly.  Community organizing began with their aptly named “community program,” where geographic groups came together to Go Solar, obviously lowering costs with some collective leveraging.  Mountain View went first and now Marin County has a group contract with SolarCity.  The original concept of geographic community involvement evolved and now CitySolar partnered with the nonprofit, community advocacy group 1BOG (1 block off the grid), who will reach out to more residential communities pushing a move towards renewable energy.

Can I go solar?  Yup!  SolarCity has introduced some fantastic options to make solar energy more accessible to everyone.   With different financing, their most recent addition is a solar lease program.   So like your sweet Red Civic, you can lease your solar panel instillation and save money on your monthly energy bill at the same time- no giant up front costs involved at all.

Looking for energy on the cheap?  There’s a new gizmo that allows solar homes to monitor energy production and usage through graphs on the internet!  Right on your computer you can determine if you’re using lots of power at 3pm or 6 or whenever.  After figuring out why, maybe you can reduce your draw a little with some life changes.  The visual indicator enables recognition and change of energy usage habits, lowering costs even more!

Sales people, we all know, are on the front lines of any business’ development and growth (even if you have a great product, if no one buys it, no profit).  Daniel Bacon, a sales manager with three years experience, took some time to speak to me about the sales process.  He knows what’s up, if you have questions, definitely ask him.  He gets my vote: 888 765 2489 (ask for Dan, tell him the blogger sent you).

Got some time on your hands? Join the SolarCity!  Serious guys, the company’s coming to your state this year (well, 10 more states in addition to CA, AZ and the Portland area).  Look them up.  They’ve got renewable energy down.  And you can get a solar system up whenever you want.  Just call and find out how.

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Campaign Finance & Global Change – the New Order

November 4, 2008 · Filed under business, development, economics, education, family, green living, politics, renewable energy, solar energy · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Barack Obama understands the new world order.

I’ll admit that this post will have less to do with solar energy than others in this blog but it will address the same theme- are we prepared to meet the challenges of our collective future.   Solar energy provides one of the greatest solutions to a dynamic, globally interconnected problem.  As fossil fuel use navigates our collective society towards greater global instability, using established infrastructure, solar energy presents a long lasting solution nearly ready for turn-key integration : Maharishi Solar has trusting the sun for 4.3 billion years, we should too.  Dr. Fried taught us long ago that although the sun will die one day, it’s nothing  that we, our children, or our children’s children had to worry about.  Now that’s thinking ahead.

Campaign finance is only an issue depending on who you’re talking to.  The New York Times wrote an article on public financing vs Obama’s millions of small donors- all of whom we hope will SHOW UP TO THE POLLS TOMORROW as they have a financial stake in the outcome of the election.  End result, the Democrats raised a large amount of money this election by asking every individual to contribute an extremely small amount, distributing the burden of electing a president over all of the wallets of all supporters, no matter our economic capacity.

Admittedly, I joined the Obama campaign donating 10 dollars.  (I hope that my non-monetary contributions were more significant.) But everyone I know found find ten dollars , especially if they were passionate about a specific issue.  Some sent five dollars.  But those dollars did the trick like a cheap bottle of wine.  Especially when wealthy adults matched our contributions.  My ten dollars became twenty because some wealthy individual matched my contribution.

How did all of this happen?  The Internet.

Using the Internet to connect with voters actually began with Howard Dean in 2004.   I suppose it also led to his demise when his primordial scream echoed throughout cyberspace.

Youthful, connected Obama utilized the web to his benefit from day 1.  He realized that to reach the most people he would have to communicate with us in the way we would most likely  recieve his message.  Through Youtube, Facebook, Myspace and and any and every networking sight, he made contact with the interconnected world, the one we all seem to inhabit all the time.  The same world that has been accused of significant drops in productivity in the work place because workers spend time facebook stalking or watching/sharing Youtube videos, downloading movies and music, checking out the many concerts streaming from all over the globe during LIVE 8…. Wikipedia…

The New York Times failed to address the most important issue, How exactly Obama was able to raise his funds.  And the answer reveals his potential as president of the United States.   In touch with his supporters, he understands how the world works now, today, in 2008.  Knowledge flys through cyberspace, Obama’s ultimate rise to prominence was in his utilization of the communication mechanism integrated into the daily lives of the majority of his constituents. (My computer and I have a relationship, we’re obviously not alone.)

The Internet has affected Obama’s life almost as much as it has effected mine.  The only reason I believe there is any degree of difference stems from how early I was introduced to the world flattening technology (to steal from Thomas Friedman, my hero) compaired to him.  Current studies show that the brains of children today work differently than the brains of children born before computers.  For example, kids age four today get exposed to concept of Google.  Obama and Google didn’t form a relationship until much later in life.

Ultimately, Obama gets it.  He understands his American constituents in a way that McCain can’t possibly as he is completely computer illiterate.  McCain might not have any idea aabout the plethora of information transported every nanosecond of every day,  no concept of the ultimate potential of this modern communication device.   Has he ever sent his own proposals across the ocean 20 times in a day correcting edits?

Obama understand not only that all of this is possible, but he’s mentally there.  He spoke to me through my computer.  I heard him, checked out his page and gave him ten dollars.  I voted for him because I invested in his success.  I believe in him because if he had any free time and Google Searched “Solar Energy,” Barack Obama himself might accidental happen upon an entry about my 88 year old grandmother taking the bus in Montreal.  Lot’s of different kinds of campaign finance.  Obama has adapted to the new global system because he’s a part of it.

The wirearchy, according to Jon Husband is, “a dynamic two-way flow of power and authority based on information, knowledge, trust and credibility, enabled by interconnected people and technology.”  He lectures on the idea that the internet changed the fundamental power hierarchy of the world and how these next few years are going to be challenging as adjustments are made.  Barack Obama’s campaign is a perfect example of his theory

Fossil fuels won’t cut it anymore.,  Yes, solar can.

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SHARP teaches children

October 23, 2008 · Filed under development, family, solar energy · Tagged , , ,

Education is the key to advancement.  India’s obligatory primary education system was installed in the early 1900s and produced, by the end of the century, the technical know-how to save the world wide computer systems by the year 2000.  (Remember Y2K?)  Now India’s education system is know as one of the toughest in the world.

SHARP, one of the leading solar cell producers in the world, has begun a new program for elementary students in the US.  The Solar Academy teaches about environmental responsibility to the children of California Public Schools.  Topics include recycling, energy conservation, climate change and renewable energy so that the children of today will be as adept at integrating environmental knowledge into their lifestyles by the time they reach their 20s as my generation in adapting to the developments in the computer world.

We can only hope to keep the world of Wall-E at bay.

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LA Movie Theater Goes Solar!!!

September 12, 2008 · Filed under economics, green living, solar energy · Tagged , , , , , ,

My fascination with the solar industry began just after my plane touched down at LAX, the airport in Los Angeles. I’d never been there before.  I didn’t know anything about the place.  Surprised doesn’t quite cover the emotions I experienced that first day…

I believe that solar panels on every available surface in the city of Los Angeles will go far to improve the quality of life and effect the smog layer (some time in the future).   Los Angeles should have been all over solar panels years ago.  It’s amazing they’re not everywhere already.  Finally, individuals in the city are moving in the right direction:

The movies are moving into the green era!!  Congratulations go to the first movie theater to go solar:  The Cinema West – Fairfax 5 Theater has done it!!!  WOOHOO!!

Los Angeles’ fantastic movie industry moves forward.  Now lets get the studios, the CNN building, production companies and everyone else in on the solar panel craze!  I urge all Los Angelenos who go to the movies to head on down the the Fairfax 5 movie theater to spend your money in an environmentally conscious way!!

Alternately: Screw you Arclight- I’m going to Fairfax.

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Solar 4 – Collective Bargaining as a Model for Solar Energy

September 5, 2008 · Filed under business, development, economics, renewable energy, solar energy · Tagged , , , , ,

Alright, here’s a link to a guy who wants to do solar energy like the Indians of Kerala do their sugarcane.  Sugarcane farmers within the same territory all become “members” of one sugarcane processing plant that buys their harvested cane at the best price available, making all the farmers happy and more likely to sell their cane to their processing plant.  The plant itself it run by an elected official and the politics involved gets pretty intense as the main idea is to make the most money per kilo for the farmers and their sugarcane work.  The money comes because they act as a collective bargaining unit and it’s easier for the farmers collectively operate a single plant as opposed to many plants.  Obviously, the cost of running one plant to a pack of small farmers is more economical than having to run many plants and farmers would want to sell their cane at the plant paying out the most money, thus as they work together to make sure their local plant pays the most, it’s win win for everyone.  So if we apply this to the solar systems put on top of houses the equation changes from one system per house to a bigger system for a collective of houses… nice idea mate! 

That’s the law of large numbers really working. Agri-business consortiums work so I would imagine that the potential for a successful solar-business consortium might work too.  It just represents an organizing challenge, but that’s ok, it can be done.  (Just ask me how, or Victory Promotions, or Barak Obama.  But if you seriously want to figure out how this could work, get in touch, It could be big.  Serious inquiries only.)

I always thought that cul-de-sacs would be great places to put up solar panel installations where the whole circle could, together, generate their own power…  Or just neighbourhood blocks getting together to put up one system for 4 houses to share the costs of start-up… You know, it doesn’t have to be expensive… Germany make solar power absolutely accessible to everyone…

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Solar 3 – Silicon in Michigan & Quebec

September 3, 2008 · Filed under business, development, economics, politics, renewable energy, solar energy · Tagged , , , , , ,

Alright, some very cool news:  I’ve just read about Dow Corning, a cool companyin MICHIGAN (hooowwhat?) that manufactures a new silicon material for solar panels.  CHEERS!!

Do I hear JOB OPPORTUNITIES opening up in MICHIGAN? 

Oh right- it’s still in developmental phases… But there’s a start!!  Blow blow! Fan that flame!  Dump some $$ (responsibly) and set up INCENTIVES! Tax breaks, grants, feed-in tariffs, send someone to Germany, do what they’re doing, COPY THEM!  (I’ll go, I promise, I’ll learn, I’ll bring back the info.  I volunteers.  I’ll learn German tomorrow. I’m serious if you’re serious.) …

Actually, I’ve got some even cooler news.  I know everyone thinks that synthetic silicon for solar panels is the biggest, baddest new thing.  Cooler than even solar jobs beginning in Michigan is the fact that Timminco already started production right here in the province of Quebec!  Yes, Bencancour, Quebec, home of the specialty ferrosilicon prodution facility.  Their stock did very well with its IPO, according to my cousin in med school (illusion to authority). But it’s actually true, good money acomin in synthetic silicon. 

There was a run on silicon in 1996 and solar panel production, uh… paused.  I hope that doesn’t happen again.  We need them.  Yesterday.  On every rooftop in Los Angeles (what a pit).  Well, actually, we need them in New York too.  And Philly.  And other places with buildings and roofs.  Put a system on a tree house and the tree-houses of tomorrow will become wicked ass club houses… I mean, if we have trees left…

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solar 2

August 30, 2008 · Filed under business, development, renewable energy, solar energy · Tagged , , , ,

No doubt, solar energy’s perpetually renewable potential ranks high on the alternative energy NOW posibilities list. I quote Maharishi Solar’s slogan: Trusting the Sun for over 4 Billion Years.  

With the groundbreaking California Solar Initiative endorsing the Million Solar Roofs Program, the idea to get one million solar installations on rooftops of businesses, residences, and non-profit organizations by 2010 could potentially impact the general overall American exposure to solar possibiliites.  Split into two funds, one for new developments and the other for changing establishments into solar energy power house.  By adding solar components to existing infrastructure involves slapping grid-tied solar panel installations on all of the already built rooftops in America.  What an environmentally friendly and potentially lucrative model of existence. 

If America ever does anything right, the country will mimic Germany.  The European solar energy leader created solar energy incentives through an established solar loan system, tax breaks and by enabling solar energy users to sell back their extra unused energy to the utility- for profit. Yes, it’s actually happening, right now, on a different continent.  We should either be ashamed of ourselves or proactive.  It’s an organizing challenge to just admit we’re way behind and catch up.  Now.  Germany’s been the leader since the Big Bang of solar energy- 2004.  It begins by walking into a bank and filling out any of the pre-writen solar loan forms.  They’re common, people know they’re there.

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Detroit/Montreal & DNC REC Solar Recharging Station

August 28, 2008 · Filed under business, economics, education, politics, solar energy · Tagged , , , , ,

And then there was one. After live-at-home holdout got shipped out to Germany to handle business there, the lone conservative real estate developer remained. Living in a “starter house” in Ferndale, he and his wife have established themselves quite comfortably in the Detroit area. Real estate development is his family’s business.

Practically every individual of my graduating class left the greater Detroit, Michigan area. Many went to State or Michigan for university, great state schools, smart move guys, moved back home after graduation and lived around town, but very quickly thereafter the majority moved out of state. The economy or lack thereof, induced a second flight.  With no work in Detroit, off we went to Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, I guess Florida… Some have returned to take over family businesses. But for those born without the entrepreneurial spirit and labor of their families to fall back on, determined high school graduates departed to achieve their potential elsewhere. (Thank you to my Facebook network.)

I moved to Montreal for school at age 17. Oh Canada, how I love thee. Beautiful nature smack dab in the middle of everything. It’s green with grass and trees and city floral arrangements. We recycle; we use the metro and our beautifully functional legs. (We walk and we wear heels.) There are dogs and bicyclists wearing miniskirts using the bicycle path in the middle of the street in the afternoon. Helmets mess up our hair; it’s a dare to auto drivers to watch out for us. Because we’re on bicycles, our brains are important and we get hurt easily. Tamtams happens every Sunday, the spontaneous gathering of likeminded Montrealers who just want to chill for the afternoon in the park, listen to some drumming, dance a bit, duel a bit, juggle, drink, guitar, tightrope walk… You know, the usual.

Then a second flight.  All McGill students left Montreal after they graduated. To Toronto, Memphis, Vancouver, Boston, New York… English speaking young professionals couldn’t find work in our magical city due to a language barrior.  Difficult times for Anglos. It’s a big deal when you can’t pass as a French speaker.

I thought I’d like LA. The sun always shines… through a layer of smog…Good friends, hard work almost rewarded; definitely a struggle under tons and tons of beautiful garbage.  A non-existant public transportation system…  Voluntary emissions reduction, just do it.

Although I should highlight this fact even more, everyone should know that MySpace and REC Solar have teamed up to present a solar recharging station at the Democratic National Convention.  This is huge.  Go recharge your Ipods, video cameras, cell phones, laptops or any other plug-in you’ve got-  it’s renewable, it’s like plugging into a perpetual fusion reaction, it’s free.  Also, pick  up some information on REC Solar because they’re dominating in the race to heal the world.  Making money and saving the planet- it’s totally possible.

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Solar 1

August 28, 2008 · Filed under politics, solar energy · Tagged , , , , , ,

The US Department of Energy created the Solar America Initiative in an attempt to make solar energy cost-competitive across the entire US market by 2015. And in a great effort to accomplish this goal, the Solar American Initiative has earmarked “up to 24 million dollars” to a) fund research and development and b) help transform the American energy market to enable solar to become a force in the US marketplace.

Actually the “up to 24 million” is earmarked for R&D, specifically for Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems projects (aka SEGIS, solar energy is big on acronyms) – that is, the parts of the solar panel system that will help harmonize the installation process: power converters, energy storage systems, grid connection mechanisms, the idea would be for “less expensive, higher performing products to enhance the value of PV systems.”

With current tax credits and other solar incentives creating a convoluted method for homeowners to install solar panels on their homes, still at great cost and intellectual involvement (its not that easy yet, people have a lot to learn), will the “up to 24 million” help?

In a very swift Google search for things that the American government does with 24 million dollars, here is what I discovered:

*In 2007, the US government funded $531 million to the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

*The state of Virginia just eliminated $40 million from their state road fund because of the dire situation in the economy (and just to clarify, when the US had money to spend on road construction, there was at least the extra $40 million there).

The US has changed its investment from $60 million to just $15 million in the International Linear Collider project (fancy particle accelerator), reports the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. Big physics research feeling the pinch…

And while that’s an interesting bundle of unrelated news, I found an article that states that America spends $341 million a day in Iraq. The US is so fucked.

Last night Hilary mentioned that by voting for Obama we’ll at least have someone in the White House who believes in science. Well, I suppose “up to $24 million” is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, or nothing…

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