Partnership with Tabuchi
Tabuchi Electric, a solar inverter manufacturer, and Ampt, a leader in power conversion technology for solar power plant optimization, today announced a partnership to lower the cost and increase the performance of large-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems. Tabuchi and Ampt will be collaborating on product advancements employing Tabuchi inverters and Ampt DC optimizers.

Tabuchi is the number-five solar inverter manufacturer in the world, according to Raymond James & Associates. The company recently entered the North American market with the launch of a residential solar + storage solution (EneTelus Intelligent Battery System), and began offering an inverter to commercial customers called the EneTelus Mega Value System (EMVAS).

Ampt’s DC Optimizers are used in commercial and utility-scale PV systems to lower the day-one cost while increasing performance. Ampt DC Optimizers allow inverters to operate in Ampt Mode®, which increases inverter rated output power to reduce the inverter cost per watt.

“Ampt-optimized systems are distinguished from other solutions by uniquely delivering a true spend-less-get-more value proposition – lowering the day-one cost of PV systems while improving performance,” said Harumi McClure, Managing Director at Tabuchi Electric. “The market opportunity is clear, and we’re excited to collaborate on a fully-optimized line of inverters, tailored to be deployed with Ampt’s DC optimizers. This combination will be a high-value solution for our large-scale customers.”

Additionally, Tabuchi has joined Ampt in the HDPV Alliance, an industry-wide organization built to foster a common vision for the development and adoption of lower cost and higher performing PV systems using distributed power optimization (DPO). HDPV, or High Definition PV, uses defined standards, tested compatibility and shared best practices to deliver products and services that optimize PV systems.

“Tabuchi is one of the most highly-respected companies in the inverter space, with a global presence and nearly a century of experience making quality electronics,” said Levent Gun, CEO of Ampt. “The collaboration will be driven by our shared mission of advancing lower-cost, highest quality PV systems for customers that help move the industry forward.”

String optimizer
Ampt also announced the launch of their V1000 line of String Optimizers. Ampt’s new String Optimizers are DC/DC power converters designed to increase the overall value of 1000 volt large-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems. Ampt is showcasing the V1000 String Optimizer during Solar Power International 2015 at their booth (#6645).

Ampt’s V1000 String Optimizer represents a major step forward in power conversion technology for PV solar power plants. The V1000 has four times the power density of other DC optimizers. In addition, the V1000 optimizers increase the power density of the entire PV electrical system by getting double the power onto every cable and combiner box, as well as enabling a 50 percent higher rated power inverter. The result is a significant upfront savings in total system cost.

“With the availability of our new line of V1000 optimizers, utility-scale projects will be built at a lower cost, providing immediate return on investment to our customers,” said Levent Gun, CEO of Ampt. “In addition to cost optimization, the V1000 also enables our customers to produce maximum energy from the system to increase annual revenues. Cost savings plus higher revenues is a powerful combination for developers and their investors.”

The new V1000 series of String Optimizers adds to Ampt’s existing V600 product line up. Customers should now specify the V1000 optimizers for use in 1000 volt systems to achieve further cost savings in cabling, combiners and inverters. For 600 volt DC systems, customers should continue to use the V600 optimizers. Both product offerings lower total system cost on day one.

The Ampt V1000 and V600 String Optimizers include the following features:

-String Stretch technology to double the number of modules per string, eliminating half of the DC wiring, combining and labor
-Ampt Mode  technology to increase inverter output power, lowering the inverter and AC electrical cost per watt by one-third
-Two MPP trackers per PV string to improve system performance
-Independent power optimization without reliance on communication

“Fueled by our recent Series C financing and strong demand for our String Optimizers, the V1000 is one in a series of innovations we’re developing to provide the industry with even greater value and cost reductions at the system level,” said Gun.

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A period of strong growth in the global photovoltaic (PV) module industry is expected, thanks to a new wave of capacity expansions, a relatively stable pricing environment and increasing demand from several established regional markets. Growth will continue into 2016, when module shipments will exceed 2015 shipments by 10 percent, according to IHS Inc., the leading global source of critical information and insight.

Due to stable pricing and increased shipments, global 2016 PV module revenue is forecast to hit $41.9 billion, exceeding the previous record set in 2010 by 4 percent. PV module shipments in the fourth quarter of 2015 are expected to rise 29 percent, year over year, reaching 18.7 gigawatts (GW) in the quarter.

“Compared to prior years, this period of strong growth in solar installation demand, coupled with tight supply, will support relatively robust pricing,” said Edurne Zoco, senior principal analyst for IHS Technology. “In fact average annual prices are forecast to decline significantly less than in previous years.”

The United States PV market is forecast to experience a significant decline in 2017, following the reduction of the federal investment tax credit (ITC). This tax-credit reduction will contribute to a fall in global demand for PV modules, and PV module prices are forecast to decline by 9 percent.

“This year and next year will mark a climax in the recovery of the solar PV sector, after a period of intense price reductions and margin compression, when average gross margins fell into the mid single digits or lower,” Zoco said. “Even so, the predicted slowdown in global demand in 2017 — on the back of a decline in the United States — is likely to challenge these suppliers once again, since manufacturing capacity additions are set to dangerously outpace industry demand. Competition will intensify, which will lead to accelerating declines in prices and gross margins, for the first time since 2012.”

The PV Module Intelligence Service from IHS Technology closely monitors and forecasts supply and demand for solar modules and components.

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JA Solar, Boviet Solar, RECOM Solar and Auxin Solar will be supplying rooftop solar installers in the U.S. with modules equipped with Spice Solar frame and component technology. Spice Solar integrates the rooftop racking into the frame of the module itself, thereby reducing parts costs and installation labor.

“Solar installers in the U.S. will have a selection of module companies that are manufacturing modules with Spice Solar frames. Auxin Solar has been shipping their Made in the U.S.A. Spice Certified modules since December 2014,” said Barry Cinnamon, CEO of Spice Solar. “We are very pleased that JA Solar, Boviet Solar and RECOM Solar have joined the growing list of manufacturers who are striving to reduce rooftop installation costs with greater component integration and simplicity.”

“We are delighted to offer JA Solar modules with Spice frames to residential installers in the U.S.,” said Wei Shan, Chief Technology Officer of JA Solar Holdings, Inc., one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-performance solar power products. “By eliminating rails and complicated fasteners, residential installers in the U.S. can dramatically reduce their parts and labor costs on every job. Installers only need to stock one system on their trucks that works on all typical wind and snow conditions in the U.S.”

“Boviet Solar uses a direct distribution model to deliver systems to our dealers,” said Jimmy Xie, CEO of Boviet Solar U.S.A. “By eliminating the need to ship 20-foot sections of rails to our dealers, we significantly reduce freight costs while at the same time reducing parts and labor costs for our dealers.”

RECOM’s line of high efficiency modules are a natural choice for space-constrained residential rooftops,” said Laert Tunyan, CEO of RECOM, the leading European manufacturer. “Spice Solar modules can be installed in portrait, landscape and mixed orientations on virtually every type of residential rooftop, making it easy for our installers to maximize the available roof space.”

“Installers using Auxin modules with Spice frames are experiencing savings of $0.30/watt or more on their rooftop projects,” said Sherry Tai, CEO of Auxin Solar. “Based on the simplicity and total cost savings of the Spice Solar system, we expect that many of these installers will transition completely to Auxin-Spice modules.”

The Spice Solar Series 300 integrated racking system and components are certified to applicable UL-1703, UL-2703, and UL fire requirements. San Jose building officials have found that inspecting Spice Solar systems is easier than systems using ordinary racking. There is no need to look for grounding jumpers or bonding washers on rails, nor is there any need to check for grounding compatibility between module and racking manufacturers.

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Principal Solar, a solar power developer and operator, has agreed to terms to co-develop its first major solar asset with affiliates of Entropy Investment Management. The 100-MW facility, located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, will produce enough electricity to power approximately 20,000 average American homes.

Construction began the week of August 17, 2015, and the project is expected to begin generating power before the end of 2015. In the transaction, PSI will continue to play an important role in completing the project’s development phase and sold its interest in the project to affiliates of Entropy.

“This agreement with affiliates of Entropy represents a significant milestone for the Company,” says Michael Gorton, CEO, PSI. “We have established a relationship with a high-caliber team of solar and finance professionals at Entropy, and have positioned PSI to build additional utility scale projects with them. This is the next major step toward our goal of owning and operating gigawatts of solar electricity generation.”

PSI will continue to manage important relationships needed to build the project and will oversee the achievement of critical development milestones drawing upon its more than 50 years of expertise building and connecting power generation facilities to the transmission grid.

“PSI’s team has done a great job of getting this project ready to build. The team’s expertise will continue to be pivotal to completion on our accelerated schedule. PSI has demonstrated a commitment to seeing this project through and at the same time is positioning itself to leverage the success of this project for its own future growth. We are very excited about the opportunity to be a part of this marquee project as well as future endeavors,” said Lewis Reynolds, managing partner, Entropy.

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UL (Underwriters Laboratories), a global safety science organization, is proud to announce that the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative has awarded $1.35 million funding to UL to further develop new scientific methods for predicting PV module material performance and reliability over time. In partnership with several leading research companies and institutions, this project seeks to provide data on polymeric backsheets (part of the PV module) that correlates long-term field reliability with accelerated laboratory testing.

There have been many reports of PV modules with visibly degraded backsheet in early years of installation. This is due to the market pressures on keeping costs down while maintaining aggressive product development that are driving use of materials and combinations of materials with unproven durability characteristics, as well as reliance on current testing that does not factor in long-term durability in actual installed environmental conditions.

This SunShot Initiative Award will fund laboratory accelerated testing correlated to actual backsheet degradation in fielded PV modules. The results will benefit module manufacturers to optimize design strategies. Additionally, the results of this project will enable deeper understanding of the reliability of backsheets and will reduce the uncertainty of PV module reliability predictions, making it of great value to owners, operators and insurers of PV power plants.

“UL is pleased to gather a group of distinguished scientists to examine the performance expectations of PV materials that affects everyone from module manufacturers, and developers, to investors and insurers,” states Lisa Salley, vice president and general manager for Energy & Power Technologies at UL.

The backsheet is a thin multilayer plastic sheet that covers the back of a module, protecting people from the high voltage and the other parts inside the panel from damaging ultraviolet light and the elements. Polymeric backsheets play a critical role in maintaining a PV module’s performance over an extended outdoor lifetime, and they help ensure electrical insulation safety. The model developed from this study of aged field installed modules and laboratory tested PV modules will enable the industry to identify the key characteristics of backsheets that will significantly impact the future reliability and durability of modules installed in various climates. Manufacturers will benefit as they determine which materials to incorporate into their PV module designs and the industry will benefit from the significant reduction in uncertainty inherent in today’s straight line degradation models.

Ken Boyce, principal engineer manager, Energy & Power Technologies at UL, states, “This project will examine the correlation between data in the laboratory and data that’s collected from modules in the field. This will provide some missing links so that realistic models can be built to better predict lifetime performance.”

UL will pursue this work with partners: 3M Company, Arkema Inc., Case Western Reserve University, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Northeastern University.

UL intends to provide interval project reporting through white papers, webinars and speaking opportunities.

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From a tea house in the sky, to an underground moss museum, Founder and CEO of SolTerra Brian Heather uses story ideas like these to make sustainability visible in his company’s projects. Listen to learn more about the Washington solar company.

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Strathcona Solar Initiatives recently completed a 140-kilowatt solar photovoltaic installation on the Virginiatown Community Centre in the Township of McGarry, Ontario.

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AEP Energy, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, has partnered with the City of Clyde, Ohio, to design, build, own and operate a 3.6-MW solar energy array. The City of Clyde will purchase all the electricity generated by the solar panels to help meet the energy needs of the City’s 3,000 municipal customers through a 20-year power purchase agreement.

The Clyde Solar Energy Center will be capable of powering 550 homes. The installation will be located in Clyde on 20 acres of city-owned land. Commercial operation is expected to begin in the first half of 2016.

“This project will provide the residents of Clyde with local access to clean, affordable renewable energy,” said Greg Hall, president, AEP Energy. “Additionally, this project will benefit the City of Clyde by providing an innovative, green way for the city to reduce its capacity, transmission and ancillary service obligations as an electric municipality.”

“The City of Clyde has been pursuing this zero emission project since 2011,” said Paul Fiser, Clyde city manager. “The city has continually worked to give its customers competitively priced electricity through a very diverse power supply portfolio,” Fiser said. “This is another major step toward that goal,” added John Courtney, president, Courtney & Associates, Clyde’s Power Supply and Rates consultant.

Clyde is home of the world’s largest washing machine manufacturer, the Whirlpool Corporation. The Whirlpool Clyde Division has been in operation on the same property for over 60 years.

AEP Energy prides itself on being America’s Energy PartnerSM. AEP Energy is a competitive retail electric service provider affiliated with American Electric Power. AEP Energy offers competitive electricity supply, natural gas, and energy management solutions for residential and commercial customers in portions of eight states.

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ClearWorld LLC, an alternative energy system solution provider, and MiaSolé have entered into an exclusive multi-megawatt agreement in which MiaSolé will be the sole supplier of flexible, lightweight solar panels for ClearWorld’s unique LED lighting system, RETROFLEX.

“MiaSolé’s unique cell design and flexible module enables a host of non-standard applications.” said Dr. Jeff Zhou, MiaSolé CEO, “We are very excited to see our technology used in such an innovative and game-changing application as the ClearWorld RETROFLEX LED Light.”

ClearWorld RETROFLEX, available internationally, is a patented lighting technology that brings clear cost-saving and environmental benefits to clients. RETROFLEX light poles harness solar energy and provide outdoor lighting that preserves resources, requires no moving parts, and is virtually maintenance free. The RETROFLEX unit supports wireless monitoring for faults as well as wireless programming including dimming capabilities. Its unique design allows the panels to be affixed to any dimension, diameter, or finish, and will work with any existing pole without compromising the integrity of its design.

MiaSolé FLEX is uniquely well suited to this application as the lightweight, flexible solar modules wrap around the base of the light structure, eliminating the solar rectangle “wing” design of typical solar street light panels and dramatically reducing build-up of dust and bird droppings that decrease module efficiency. The modules on a RETROFEX unit require very little maintenance when compared to glass panels installed at an angle of 30 degrees. The vertical installation also reduces the chance of vandalism and theft, and preserves the aesthetic appeal of the light. In addition, attaching FLEX modules directly to the cylindrical shape of the pole increases resistance to wind. A traditional solar light with rectangular panel can withstand 70 to 90 mph winds while a light powered by a MiaSolé flexible module can withstand 150+ mph. The curved design also performs better in high temperatures.

MiaSolé FLEX modules are the most efficient thin-film lightweight flexible modules on the market today—with an efficiency rating of 16%—generating the most power possible. For ClearWorld, the power generated by a MiaSolé module is sufficient to charge a backup battery that can power an LED streetlight for up to eight days, meaning even in times of inclement weather the light will be operational. According to ClearWorld CEO Larry Tittle, “This exclusive supplier agreement with MiaSolé, a leader in thin-film technology, will provide ClearWorld with the capability to achieve its goal of bringing clear cost-saving and environmental benefits to our clients.”

Because solar-powered lighting is self-contained, it is off-grid and can be used in remote installations and is unaffected by power outages. It is ideal for roadways, sidewalks, apartment and condominium complexes, corporate and industrial parking lots, retail parking lots, university campuses, government institutions, and military installations.

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Solect Energy, the leading full-service commercial-scale solar developer in Massachusetts, and OneRoof Energy, Inc., a residential solar services provider and wholly-owned subsidiary of OneRoof Energy Group, Inc. (TSXV:ON), have entered into an agreement to jointly offer comprehensive solar solutions to residential customers in Massachusetts. As part of the partnership, Solect Energy will serve as the preferred installer for OneRoof Energy’s Massachusetts customers.

“We see this partnership as a good opportunity to grow the installation side of our business while being able to service the many residential solar inquires that we receive,” said Craig Huntley, founding principal and chief development officer at Solect Energy. “Having completed over 150 commercial-scale projects, totaling 22 megawatts (MW), Solect is proud that we have become a trusted advisor for our business and institutional customers throughout Massachusetts. As part of our agreement with OneRoof, we are excited to leverage our rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installation expertise with the immediate goal of fulfilling OneRoof’s growing residential solar business in the Northeast.”

Solect specializes in serving small to medium-sized Massachusetts businesses and organizations and also provides solar services to municipalities, schools, churches and other institutions.  Under the partnership with OneRoof Energy, OneRoof will own the sales process, maintain the customer relationship and Solect will serve as the fulfillment partner. The partnership will enable Solect to provide a solution to their customers looking for residential solar while maintaining the company’s focus on its core commercial-scale solar customers.

“As a company that was founded in Massachusetts and one that fully understands the state’s growing solar energy market, Solect Energy was a natural fit to serve as our fulfillment partner for our residential customers,” said David Field, president and chief executive officer of OneRoof Energy. “We are pleased to welcome Solect to our growing team of solar installation partners across the United States, and we are excited to offer Massachusetts homeowners complete solar services from a local provider, and with a variety of competitive financing options.”

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CIT Group Inc. (NYSE:CIT), a leading provider of commercial lending and leasing services, today announced that CIT Energy Finance served as lead arranger in a senior secured credit facility of up to $120 million for Sunlight Financial LLC, a provider of financing for the residential solar market. Sunlight Financial is backed by private equity firms Tiger Infrastructure Partners and Hudson Clean Energy Partners. The facility will be used to partially fund loans to consumers purchasing residential solar panel systems. Financing was provided by CIT Bank, N.A., the principal bank subsidiary of CIT. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to partner with CIT on this financing, as it will allow us to offer longer term solar loans to homeowners across the United States,” said Matt Potere, CEO of Sunlight Financial. “Sunlight Financial is well positioned to capitalize on the thriving residential solar market, which is projected to continue its growth and maturation over the coming years.”

Mike Lorusso, Group Head of CIT Energy Finance, said, “This is an exciting transaction that further demonstrates our commitment to supporting the renewable energy sector. Our deep industry expertise enabled us to design a creative financing solution for Sunlight Financial. We look forward to building on this relationship and continuing our leadership in the solar sector.”

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Energy storage will be a transformative technology for solar and the world, according to a new IHS report.

IHS Technology polled leading analysts and researchers covering a diverse array of fields, ranging from electronic components and medical devices to consumer goods and telecommunications, to come up with a list of the top 10 technologies with the greatest potential to change the course of markets and human endeavors. While the broad concept of “solar” was not listed, related technologies made the cut. Those technologies included:

Graphene

The report asks readers to imagine a material just one atom thick and 100 times stronger than steel, a material that could enable flexible displays, impermeable body armor and, yes, ultra-efficient solar cells.

The problem with the technology, according to IHS, has been the massive cost associate with producing any workable quantity of graphene. But earlier this year Samsung announced a manufacturing breakthrough, according to the report, which could be transformational for a number of industries.

Earlier this year, IEEE Spectrum reported on Swiss research that discovered graphene can convert one photon into multiple electrons. If that’s true, graphene could help boost solar cell efficiency from the current 32% limit to 60%.

Energy storage

Energy storage, of course, solves renewables energy’s problem of intermittency. At Solar Power International, many storage companies were riding the publicity wave of Tesla’s Powerwall debut, exhibiting their own solutions.

IHS predicts that global installations of new solar storage systems in the residential, commercial and utility-scale segments will rise to 2,875 MW in 2018, up by a factor of nearly 18 from 163 MW in 2014, according to the report.

IHS notes the biggest hurdle to wide commercial deployment of energy storage is lifetime cost of batteries, which has limited their use to niche projects, such as off-grid solar. Technology improvements have been rapid, however, and momentum is gaining for commercial deployment.

Sensors

The report notes that sensors are probably “the most underrated technology” in terms of impact. Indeed, solar tracking, monitoring and site assessment are three areas in solar that really on accurate sensing technology.

But as other technologies on IHS’ list expand into the solar industry – big data, IoT – reliable sensors will become increasingly important.

Click here to read the whole white paper, “IHS Ranks the Top 10 Technologies That are Transforming the World.”

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SolarCity introduced a new solar service that can make it possible for affordable housing developers, builders and residents to pay less for solar electricity than they currently pay for utility power. Monthly utility costs are the second largest bill most families face, after housing expenses.

As part of its new service, SolarCity will finance and install solar power systems on rooftops and carports of affordable housing communities. The electricity generated by the systems is distributed among common areas and individual housing units. Residents receive credits on their utility bills based on the amount of solar electricity allocated to their units, made possible by a policy called virtual net metering.

In California, SolarCity has partnered with Everyday Energy, a developer and advocate for the economically disadvantaged, to help extend the benefits of solar to the residents of affordable housing communities.  Everyday Energy analyzes residents’ electricity usage and helps developers direct savings to individual residential units based on solar production and usage. SolarCity’s new service joins a growing list of community solar models that extend solar cost saving opportunities to renters that have previously been available only to homeowners.

“We expect the collaboration between SolarCity and Everyday Energy to make it possible for a broad range of multifamily affordable housing communities to save money on energy costs that can instead be spent on food, healthcare and other critical needs,” said Scott Sarem, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Everyday Energy.

SolarCity also makes it possible for single family home builders to install affordable solar power on new homes before the owners even move in. Builders offer solar power to residents—without delaying construction timelines or adding to the purchase price of the home—while new homeowners can save money from day one. SolarCity recently worked with Habitat for Humanity of San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys to provide affordable solar power on 78 new homes for returning U.S. veterans.

“There is a critical need to expand access to solar to communities that have not traditionally experienced as much growth as others,” said Assemblymember Susan Eggman (D-Stockton). “SolarCity should be commended for creating dedicated programs that target the hard to reach consumers while putting hard earned money back into the pockets of those who need it the most.”

Key to SolarCity’s new offering in California is the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)’s Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) program and the New Solar Homes Partnership (NSHP) administered by the California Energy Commission. To date, MASH has enabled 22.7 MW of solar capacity across 353 projects statewide that serve multi-family affordable housing.  Thanks to the leadership of the California Legislature and CPUC, an additional $54 million in incentive funding was recently made available to the MASH program with a goal of installing an additional 35 megawatts of new solar capacity. The NSHP provides incentives for multi-family affordable housing projects where at least 20 percent of the project units are dedicated for extremely low-, very low-, lower-, or moderate-income households for at least 10 years.

“The Legislature has supported policies such as MASH and NSHP because they are designed to give an extra boost to a market that is difficult to transform,” said Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens). “These programs also support the financial innovation that must occur in order to ensure that solar is a mainstream alternative for not just a few, but for all communities in California.”

Today’s new service furthers expands the accessibility of solar to all communities, will help create local installation jobs in low income communities and ensure that these families have access to clean, healthier sources of energy. To learn more about SolarCity’s options for affordable housing developers, visit www.solarcity.com/affordablehousing.

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Tuesday, September 29, 2015
2:00pm EDT / 11:00am PDT

 
Join experts from the EcoFasten Solar team for an hour-long discussion on best practices for mounting solar on low-slope roofing applications.

What participants will take away from attending this webinar:

• Appropriate mounting methods for low-slope roofing
• How to deal with a damaged roof prior to installation
• Best practices, code compliance and tips

Featured Speaker:

Addie Webster
Sales / Client Support
EcoFasten Solar

Steven Bushong
Editor – Moderator
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Brought to you by:

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Cheaper and more reliable energy through stored renewable solar power has come to the Gardner Community Center in San José as a result of an innovative Demonstration Partnership Program between the City of San José, JuiceBox Energy, Inc., and Prospect Silicon Valley.

“This Demonstration Partnership project is an 18-month pilot program created by San José to take innovations and smart product ideas and plug them into networks and places where cutting-edge technologies are tested and developed for market,” said Teri Killgore, Civic Innovation Manager for the City of San José. “JuiceBox is the first of five projects that will roll-out under the City’s innovation initiative and aligns with Mayor Sam Liccardo’s SmartCity focus.”

JuiceBox Energy installed an energy storage system at the community center that connects with the center’s rooftop solar panels. It reduces Gardner’s electric bills by storing excess solar energy generated during the day that is used later in the evening when higher peak energy rates are in effect.

The JuiceBox system also provides a reliable source of clean, renewable backup power in the event of a grid outage, which helps secure a practical location where local residents can gather for news, support, and emergency services if necessary.

“We’re thrilled to support the Gardner Community Center and the residents of San José who depend on this center for both daily and emergency usage,” said Neil Maguire, CEO of JuiceBox Energy. “Through the City’s innovative Demonstration Partnership Program, San José has taken an important step forward in establishing a green, resilient grid and demonstrates that JuiceBox Energy Storage is an excellent choice for a safe, reliable and powerful energy storage system.”

The company manufactures an 8.6 kWh lithium-ion energy storage system, and it is installing systems through a nationwide network of solar installers that are bringing the advanced web-connected system to residential and small commercial buildings. The system is capable of remote monitoring and control, and it can participate in grid services such as utility demand response and frequency regulation programs for a stable, reliable grid.

JuiceBox Energy started in the TechShop in San José, which also offers a place for community members to learn a wide range of practical skills such as woodworking, welding, soldering, and electronics. Prospect Silicon Valley supported the project, which is located at the San José Environmental Innovation Center. Prospect Silicon Valley opened in October 2014 to support and demonstrate the development of innovative technologies and products.
“We’re proud to partner with JuiceBox Energy to increase our renewable energy capabilities and at the same time support a local technology company that is creating clean tech jobs here in Silicon Valley,” said Chris Burton, Senior Business Development Manager for the San José Office of Economic Development. “JuiceBox is leading the way to a greener, sustainable future while showing their commitment to our community today.”

The Gardner Community Center, a facility owned by the San José Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, is located at 520 West Virginia Street in San José. It is home to community services including an active senior program and a Boys and Girls Club.

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Trojan Battery Co. provides the energy storage solution for the “Farm from a Box” sustainable micro farming system.  The “Farm from a Box” system will feature four Trojan AGM batteries which will serve as the system’s energy storage solution.

“Adam,” the first “Farm from a Box” solution will debut with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. today, Sept. 25, at Shone Farm, 7450 Steve Olson Ln., Forestville Calif. in Sonoma County.  Follow the festivities on Facebook at Farm from a Box.

Housed in a modified shipping container, “Farm from a Box” is a turnkey micro farming system that comes with all of the core components and tools required for off-grid food production in remote or rural locations.  Designed to be a versatile, transportable, sustainable food production solution, the “Farm from a Box” components can be adapted to a range of conditions, making this the optimal plug-in for a wide variety of agricultural technologies.

“Farm from a Box is the ‘Swiss-Army knife’ of sustainable farming,” said Brandi DeCarli, Farm from a Box founding partner. “Based on extensive field research, we found that rural communities often lack the resources and infrastructure needed to access nutritious food. We developed a toolkit that contains all of the core components needed to grow your own food, on a two acre plot of land, without the need for an existing grid. Imagine the good it can do by growing local, organic food for a school, or helping jumpstart food production after a disaster. ‘Farm from a Box’ enables and empowers communities to provide for themselves.”

Farm from a Box is ideal for any application that requires a comprehensive system that enables sustained local food production, without need for an existing grid; from disaster response and humanitarian aid, to schools and community cooperatives.   While each unit can be customized to fit the needs of the end user and location, the core components include:

•       Solar-powered pump and drip irrigation
•       Basic farming tools
•       Water purification system
•       High-efficiency solar panels
•       Trojan Battery bank for energy storage
•       High-efficiency LED lighting
•       ICT and data mapping
•       Mobile charging area
•       Secured storage

“The innovative concept offered by ‘Farm from a Box’ is a terrific example of how to empower communities in developing regions to provide for themselves,” said Bryan Godber, senior vice president of global market development for Trojan Battery.  “Trojan is pleased to play a vital part in the ‘Farm from a Box’ worthwhile mission to help developing regions establish a stable infrastructure for sustainable food production.”

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Imergy Power Systems, a pioneer in advanced energy storage, and Juno Capital Group today announced a 2-year exclusive partnership under which the two companies will prepare to provide China’s telecommunications market with consistent availability of cleaner, affordable energy. As part of the Agreement, Juno will work to facilitate Imergy’s energy storage systems for a pilot program that will precede wide-scale deployment.

Juno will integrate Imergy’s Energy Storage Platform with renewable energy solutions into off- and weak-grid telecommunications installations across China that are currently supported by diesel based generation for their power requirements. This will enable Juno to help drive more cost-effective renewable solutions into China’s telecommunications industry during the project’s first phase. Future phases would include expansion into distributed energy storage applications for different industries.

“Juno is uniquely qualified to address the demands of China’s telecom market, and we are very pleased to be working with them in support of the country’s transition to cleaner energy solutions,” said Imergy’s CEO Bill Watkins. “As China continues to consolidate and broaden its power infrastructure to meet the changing mix of renewable and conventional generation, Imergy is pleased to deliver a high quality, reliable power supply to meet the needs of the telecommunication industry in a cost-effective and sustainable way.”

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With a new 7.5-megawatt (MW) solar energy farm located on the city’s former Tequesquite Landfill now operational, Riverside’s total solar generation has soared past the 20-MW mark – five years ahead of schedule.

“Riverside reaching the 20-megawatt milestone is especially impressive because it was not too long ago that one megawatt was an ambitious goal,” Mayor Rusty Bailey said. “The fact that we are reaching 20 megawatts five years ahead of schedule speaks volumes about our commitment to green energy and sustainability.”

Formed in 2005 by Bailey’s predecessor Ronald O. Loveridge, the Clean & Green Task Force, made up of local leaders and city personnel, looked for ways to improve the city’s appearance while making city practices more sustainable and improving air quality.

Among the goals the task force recommended was to install at least 20 MW of solar energy generation within the city by 2020. The new 7.5-MW Tequesquite Landfill solar farm, created in partnership with Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) and SunPower (Nasdaq: SPWR) helped the city reach, and surpass that 20-MW goal.

“We’ve come a long way from our first solar generation project [a carport shade system at the Utilities Operation Center constructed in 2001] to the nearly 1,700 systems that are online in Riverside today,” said the City’s Sustainability Officer Michael Bacich.

“We commend the City of Riverside for its leading commitment to solar, including this very significant 7-megawatt power plant, which takes good advantage of an otherwise underutilized former landfill site,” said Howard Wenger, SunPower president, business units. “Solar is mainstream and cost-competitive with traditional energy sources today, and can help fiscally responsible agencies reduce electricity costs to better serve their constituencies.”

The high performance Tequesquite Landfill solar farm is powered by SunPower solar panels, the most efficient solar panels available on the market today.

SunPower built the system as part of a 25-year power purchase agreement under which Riverside Public Utilities will buy the power generated by the plant at rates that are competitive with retail electricity, minimizing the effect of rising electricity costs. The system is owned by 8Point3 Energy Partners LP (Nasdaq: CAFD), the YieldCo joint venture formed by SunPower and First Solar. The City of Riverside is retaining the renewable energy credits associated with the system.

Initially, solar projects in Riverside were funded by RPU and placed on city sites including low-income housing; senior centers; pool facilities, and even atop city hall, until RPU began its residential solar rebate program in 2003 and commercial rebate program in 2008.

Participation was sluggish at first, but by 2012 Riverside solar projects were generating over 5 MW, which grew to 10 MW just two years later. As technologies improved, costs lowered, and additional incentives from the state became available, participation levels grew exponentially. So much so that for the past two years RPU’s solar fund reservations have closed within the first day they come available.

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