Photo of the Month: April 2012
LightWave Solar commissioned 400 kilowatts last week at Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee in downtown Nashville. The systems include 1,664 solar panels. Checkout Goodwill's recent newsletter featuring the company's commitment to solar.
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Green Tie Affair Solar PV System Winner
Congratulations to Diane Scher, the winner of a 2.40 KW solar PV system. Diane was the highest bidder during the live auction at the annual Green Tie Affair benefiting the Tennessee Environmental Council. Pictured from left to right, John McFadden, our winner Diane Scher and Steve Johnson. Click here to see the official photos.
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Congratulations to Steve Johnson
LightWave Solar founder and president, Steve Johnson was named as Climate/Renewable Energy Leader of the Year at the Sustainable Business Summit at Lipscomb University last week. LightWave Solar also received an award for Sustainable Service of the Year.
"Our installers deserve a lot of the credit," said Steve. They work on 120 degree roofs in the summer and on frosty roof in the winter. We could not do it without them"
Steve also acknowledged the important role that Lipscomb has played in raising awareness and spurring sustainable business growth.
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No Reported Hail Damage to Panels
Many of our solar customers were hit by hail storms last month and called with concerns about their solar panels. While a couple of customers will have to replace their roofs, none of them received damage to their panels. Solar panels are made of tempered glass with strength similar to that of car windshields. Under standard test conditions they will withstand hail up to one inch in diameter, traveling at 50 miles per hour.
According to Home Power Magazine, even in locations where larger hail does rarely occur, the hail is more likely to make a glancing blow to a solar array rather than a direct hit since panels are usually oriented at a tilt and facing south, which is most frequently not the prevailing direction for severe hail storms.
In any case, damage to your solar equipment can be covered by your homeowner's insurance policy, though you might need to review your policy's coverage with your insurance agent.
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Solar 2011 Year in Review
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) recently released the 2011 Year in Review. In terms of total installations by state, Tennessee moved up from 20th in 2010 to 15th in 2011 (ahead of Oregon, Florida and Ohio). Here are some other highlights:
- Solar PV installations grew 109 percent in 2011 to reach 1,855 megawatts. That's an average of 5 megawatts each and every day.
- The installed cost of PV systems declined 20 percent
- There were 28 individual PV projects over 10 megawatts completed in 2011, up from only two in 2009.
- Eight states installed over 50 megawatts each in 2011.
- Installation totals in 2011 increased in 18 of the 23 states covered in detail.
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