1BOG loves seeing solar in new places. We recently read about a completely solar powered yacht that will set sail on a round the world trip next year.  PlanetSolar is a catamaran featuring a 103 kW solar array provides fives times the energy the ship needs to run.

A beacon of environmentalism, during the trip, the boat will make multiple stops around the world.  The skipper, Raphael Domjan, is committed to sustainability and has long sought a way to sail around the world using minimal energy.  Domjan also plans to use this trip to illustrate how solar can be used in shipping.  Shipping is the primary way the world transports good and is responsible for over 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.  We have yet to help a nautical 1BOGer to go solar, but if this idea can further solar adoption, 1BOG is all for it.

One of the PlanetSolar stops is San Francisco – 1BOG will definitely be there to check it out!

Last week, the California State Assembly passed AB 510, a bill to increase the cap on net metering for California residents. 

Basically, net metering works like this:

• When utility customers are using energy from the grid, their meters spin forward.
• When customers use energy they have generated from their solar panels, the meter spins backward.
• Customers are then only charged for the net amount of grid energy used.
• If this bill is signed, customers will be able to do only pay the net amount until 5% of the utility’s peak demand is reached.

If Governor Schwarzenegger signs this bill, which we hope he will do, this new bill will become law.  Currently, net metering is capped at 2.5%.  This bill would double that cap to 5%.

This is good news for anyone considering solar.  Being able to decrease energy bills and save money makes solar more attractive and affordable for homeowners.  With the continued government support of clean energy and energy efficiency (like the upcoming SF PACE program),  the number of California residents going solar is sure to increase!

If both of those are true then it’s your lucky day.  Solar Power International, the country’s largest solar conference with 25,000 industry leaders from around the globe, is coming to your neighborhood.  The event will be three days long and 1BOG Founder Dave Llorens will be speaking there.  While Dave is great, here’s the exciting part for you…

On Wednesday October 28th, the conference organizers are throwing the exhibit floor open to the public for free.

The evening features over 900 exhibits of the latest solar technology , a job center for aspiring industry workers, and special educational sessions on timely solar issues, taught by top-notch colleagues like Andy Black of On-Grid Solar and Liz Merry of Verve Solar.  It’s a great opportunity to learn the latest about world of  solar.  And it’s free.

Wednesday, October 28th
5:30 to 8:30 pm
Anaheim Convention Center.

Details here:

http://s36.a2zinc.net/clients/sepa/sepa2009/public/Content.aspx?ID=359&sortMenu=105009

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is engaging the public in discussions about solar energy policy through public solar outreach workshops In the wake of the defeat of Measure B (a proposed city ordinance to install 400 megawatts of solar panels around LA), the City Council recommended that LADWP consult with the public about what people want in the way of solar. The input received during these workshops, scheduled throughout the month of September 2009, will be incorporated in a summary report prepared for the Board of Water and Power Commissioners.

The Vote Solar Initiative, a non profit organization and legislative lobbyist with the aim of bringing solar into the mainstream, has urged renewable energy advocates to express to LADWP what they want in terms of solar: “Tell LADWP that you want the opportunity for homes, schools, businesses and public agencies to go solar to reduce their electricity bills. That means full funding and follow-through of the California Solar Initiative rebate program.

LADWP’s share is 280 MW of incentives to help Los Angeles residents go solar. Vote Solar wants to ensure that LADWP does the most it can to bring solar into the renewable energy mix. In order to do this the public must make their voices heard and encourage LADWP to, as Vote Solar suggests, purchase wholesale solar generation of every stripe, including centralized solar thermal electric plants (a benefit of such plants is energy storage, something solar panels cannot do). The California Public Utilities Commission is developing a new market-based feed-in tariff program that could possibly provide a model.

To LA residents: Encourage LADWP to do the most with its incentives and invest in a variety of solar energy technologies.

To voice your opinions on solar, participate in the LADWP public workshops being held this month. There are three workshops that you can still attend, on the 26th, the 29th, and the 30th (Sign up at  http://www.ladwpsolarnews.com/workshops )

This is your chance to ensure that solar is available in your area!

If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact us!

Two House Democrats, Reps. Jay Inslee of Washington and Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts are preparing a bill to encourage renewable energy. This feed-in tariff proposal will require utilities to purchase small-scale renewable energy from developers at rates equal to the cost of production plus a premium. This provides a security for investors that encourages the development of renewable energy technology. A feed-in tariff can be more effective than other renewable energy initiatives because it staggers rate incentives for different energy sources based on their production costs. For example, utilities would pay a lower rate for wind energy that right now is less expensive than solar energy. One weakness is that it the feed-in tariff is only an incentive for the next-closest-to-competitive technology (right now, wind). However, proponents assume that what is cheapest today won’t be cheapest tomorrow and it actually creates a race to be the next competitive alternative to fossil fuel.

One successful example of this is in Germany. A feed-in tariff is credited with the recent boom in solar energy. Germany has since become the world’s largest market for photovoltaic systems and wind energy. It has more than doubled its supply of renewable energy between 2000 and 2007. It has also generated 117,000 jobs between 2004 and 2008.

As you may or may not know, One Block Off the Grid is part of Virgance, as are Carrotmob and Greeen Options Media. Green Options Media runs a blog network with several big players in the green blogosphere. They recently kicked off a series featuring the CEOs of large solar power integrators. These articles are a wealth of information about the status of the sector. I mean, they’re incredible. Three articles in the series are up so far with six total slated (and probably a few more after that).  Here are the articles so far:

• Green Businesses May Need to Change their Colors by Lyndon Rive (CEO of SolarCity), where he talks about how the solar energy industry only reaches mass adoption by not only providing true value but messaging about solar’s financial benefits in tandom with it’s environmental ones.
• Building a Solar Company in a Recession Economy by Jeff Wolfe (CEO of GroSolar), about innovation as a solar installation company and making mistakes but learning from them along the way.
• Beyond Subsidized Solar Power: The Path to Grid Parity by Angiolo Laviziano (CEO of REC Solar), a very analytical article about what regions are closest to solar being economical without any incentives, and what we need to do to get there
• PV Oversupply is good fo solar customers and planet earth: by Danny Kennedy (CEO of Sungevity), an article that hits home about providing services and ease-of-access as being possibly more important to the tipping point for solar as the technology itself.

Coming soon are a few others (SunRun, HelioPower, and others).

If there’s any sort of series like the CEO of Solar Companies Series that you’d like to see, let me know maybe we can get them to do it (just leave a comment below).

From votesolar.org:

“Friends,

In a matter of weeks, Congress will debate the largest, most ambitious clean energy bill our country has ever seen.  Leadership recently announced that they plan to combine three key initiatives into one colossal bill: global warming policy (cap and trade), national requirements for utilities to produce a percentage of their power from renewables (Renewable Portfolio Standard), and updates to our antiquated transmission system so we can take full advantage of all that renewable energy. 

All of this before summer break. Wowza.

Write your Representatives and Senators to request that they fly their solar flag proudly by signing onto the “solar support” letters circulating in Congress. You can read the House letter here, and the Senate letter here.

All joking aside, this is a once in a decade opportunity and so far there are only 15 members of the House and 2 Senators on the letters. We have A LOT of education to do up in Capitol Hill, and we hope you will help us out. 

Thank you for joining the solar revolution.

Onwards,

Annie + Vote Solar Team”

From earthhour.org’s website

“VOTE EARTH - YOUR LIGHT SWITCH IS YOUR VOTE

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.
For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.
This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour.

Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm.“

LISTEN  PODCAST

“Mayor Newsom’s guests this week are Van Jones, Founder and President of Green For All and Dave Llorens, Founder of 1 Block Off the Grid (1BOG). Van is the author of the New York Times best seller, The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems. 1BOG organizes homeowners to bargain together with businesses to drive down the costs of renewable energy installation.1BOG launched in San Francisco in June 2008, the day after San Francisco passed GoSolarSF, the nation’s largest municipal solar incentive program. 1BOG has spread to 20 cities since its launch. 1BOG was responsible for 20% of allSan Francisco properties that converted to solar in the fourth quarter of 2008.On Thursday, President-elect Barack Obama announced that the nation’s economic stimulus plan will invest heavily in the green collar economy to put Americans back to work and improve our environment.”

Together we can send a strong message that California is ready to get serious about Renewable Energy!

2007 Total System Power in Gigawatt Hours

*Note: In earlier years the in-state coal number included coal fired power plants owned by California utilities

Source: gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov