Photo of the Month: February 2014

We recently completed a cool solar awning outside of our main office in Antioch, TN. See below for project details.

Green Power Providers Application Window Open through Feb 17

Contact us today if you are interested in building a solar project in 2014.

From now until Feb. 17, TVA will accept Green Power Providers applications for solar projects 50kW or less. TVA has allocated 4 megawatts for residential projects and 6 megawatts for commercial projects. Once capacity is met, the program will close for the rest of the year.

TVA is also accepting applications under Solar Solutions Initiative for projects 50kW-1MW. Approvals will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Solar Continues to Grow at Record Pace

The release of the Solar Jobs Census coincided with Solar Shout Out day on Jan 24. We participated by taking this photo! Pictured from left: Grace Robertson, Brandi Prewitt and Michelle Upton

Last week The Solar Foundation released the National Solar Jobs Census, and Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), issued this statement:

"The Solar Foundation's latest national jobs census confirms that 2013 was a record-shattering year, with the solar industry creating more than 10 new jobs every hour of every work day throughout the year."

Solar Jobs Census facts:

Nearly 143,000 solar jobs in U.S.
24,000 new jobs created last year
400,000 installed solar systems nationwide
An estimated 13,000 megawatts (MW) of solar currently installed in the U.S. generating enough electricity to power more than 2 million homes.

Declining solar costs and smart public policies, including the solar investment tax credit and net metering, are reasons why solar is the fastest-growing source of renewable energy nationwide.

Unfortunately, Tennessee has seen a decline in the number of solar installations due to TVA's program limits. In addition, standard interconnection procedures, such as net metering, have not been identified by local utilities for solar systems proposed outside of TVA programs.

Net metering allows residential and commercial customers who generate solar electricity to be credited for electricity they send back to the grid. As local utilities develop standard procedures for net metering and other "behind-the-meter" options, we will see more solar installed in Tennessee.

Stay tuned for net metering updates later this year.

Cool Solar Awning at LightWave Solar

Two weeks ago we installed a 9 kW solar awning, an expansion of our current rooftop system, for a total of 20 kW at our main office in Antioch, TN.

The awning was completed in three days, by lead installer Mitch Cox (pictured here) and installers Lane Kuhn and Evan Fitzgerald. The crew worked during the bitter cold to meet TVA's project deadline of Feb 9th. Great job to everyone involved!

We designed our own awning racking system using Unirac equipment. Engineer, Matt Pelerossi, based the design off of a system that LWS President Steve Johnson saw in New Mexico.

"This system is highly visible to our neighbors and guests, and we are pleased with how it fits into the building," said Steve.

It's not just pretty, it's powerful. Combined with the rooftop array, the system will generate about $6,000 per year, paying for 100% of our annual electrical use.

Aphid Alert!

Panels near some types of trees, Hackberries, in particular, have been covered in aphid residue that can significantly reduce solar production. If your panels are dirty, use a mild soap, water and soft sponge or cloth to clean them. Or you can contact us to clean them for you.

We also offer maintenance plans that address other components that can benefit from annual check-ups.

For panel cleaning and maintenance, please email Brian Lechliter at blechliter@lightwavesolar.com.

LightWave Insider is a monthly online newsletter from LightWave Solar bringing you news and information about the solar industry.

Quick Links

LIGHTWAVE SOLAR

3026 Owen Drive, Suite 104, Antioch, TN 37013

Phone:615.641.4050

info@lightwavesolar.com

lightwavesolar.com