|
|
|
|
May 2013
|
|
| THIS NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY OUR GENEROUS SPONSOR: |
|
|
Thanks to our new and renewing Professional Members and Solar Supporters!
| |
|
| Solar Ambassadors |
Kipp & Vickie's Little Piece of Green
 North Bend
On June 8th of this year we embarked on our "Solar Journey" We had installed a 4.600kW Photovoltaic (PV) System which is composed of 20 NESL Model DJ-230P (230 Watt) modules. The inverter is a PowerOne PVI 5.0 We are Pacific Power customers and chose to go the "net metering" route. I will never forget the day that Pacific Power installed our meter and we were told we could turn the system on for the first time. I can still remember that initial excitement of watching the meter go backwards!
|
| Volunteer for Solar Oregon! |
 Interested in volunteering for our in-school energy education program? Contact Emily Krafft at emily@solaroregon.org.
|
|
|
Stay up to date on solar news and events by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!
|
2013 Solar Now! University Host City
Congratulations to the City of Coos Bay and the Southern Oregon Clean Energy Alliance!
We are happy to announce that a host community has been selected for the 2013 Solar Now! University Conference which will be held on September 26th- September 28th, 2013.
Solar Now! University is a small conference that provides community solar champions the technical education and background needed to manage solar educational and outreach programs in their communities. This year, Solar Now! University will focus on the objectives of the US Department of Energy Rooftop Solar Challenge II which is aimed at innovative, local-government-level solutions for eliminating market barriers and lowering the non-hardware balance of system costs ("soft costs") of grid-tied photovoltaics (PV).
Last year's Solar Now! University attracted municipal, nonprofit and community based organizations from across Oregon for a three day conference. All participants who attended received:
- Technical education on solar options, technology basics and the financial resources and options available in Oregon for going solar
- Updates on Oregon solar policy, permitting and codes
- The opportunity to connect with other like-minded communities, hear success stories and share lessons learned
- The chance to network with leaders in Oregon's solar energy industry
- Online materials and resources to use in their community
|
Solar PV Manufacturing Update and the Solar Shakeout
By Ron "Mac" McDowell, Solar Oregon Board President
Last month I sat on a panel at Future Energy Conference for the Solar Energy Sector Update. My allotted 15 minute presentation was entitled, "Solar PV Manufacturing Update - The Solar Shakeout" and I thought I might share it with you all as backdrop to the numerous stories the media is now printing about the decline or death of the global solar industry.
While the solar industry is certainly a boom-bust cyclical business, it isn't dying, in fact it is growing leaps and bounds relative to the past and when compared to most other energy sources world-wide. Yes, this isn't a good time to be a solar module manufacturer, or even a developer in many parts of the world, but the long-term analysis is quite positive. Solar mods are becoming a commodity and investor money is now flowing into related technologies like energy storage and micro-grid technologies. Almost daily we see articles such as "The Next Solar Power Boom Is Coming" but these articles are buried behind stories of failures like Solyndra, SunTech and SoloPower, etc...
I would like to thank my collegue Paula Mints for providing the graphs of SPV Market Research
|
|
Solar Policy Update
In the 2013 legislative session Solar Oregon has been working to support several bills related to distributed solar energy in Oregon. We testified in favor of community solar and net metering bills that would have expanded access to new markets and increased access to solar in rural areas. Neither SB 562 or HB 2968 made it passed committee but Solar Oregon will continue to push for broader access to renewable energy for all Oregonians.
Solar Oregon also participated in workgroup sessions for HB 2893 and provided feedback and input on the bill which was signed by Governor Kitzhaber last week. This bill will provide a modest 2.5 MW extension of the Feed in Tariff Pilot program taking effect on October 2014.
|
Earlier this spring, the Maintenance Supervisor at Jewell School called Solar Oregon for advice on installing an off-grid solar electric system on their new barn. Though the main school building was connected to the local electric utility, running power to their newly constructed barn was prohibitively expensive. Not only would a stand alone solar electric system provide needed power to the barn, where popular FFA and 4H programs are held, but an onsite renewable energy system would provide a unique learning opportunity for the school's K-12 students.
In order to make the Jewell School solar installation a reality, Solar Oregon pulled together a team of skilled volunteers from the solar industry, and a local manufacturer and distributor for support. On May 28 and 29, a team of volunteers braved the rain to install a 3000W off-grid solar electric system on the Jewell School Barn. The system includes 12 SolarWorld 255 modules, Dual Outback 3548 Inverters, 8 AGM 200 AH batteries and a Flex 80 Charge Controller. A big thank you to Cliff Schrock for leading the project installation and design, SolarWorld, Platt Electric, Synchro Solar and all the volunteers who came out to help.
|
Solar Oregon and Women of Wind Energy team up for June Solar Drinks featuring Green Empowerment
Please join us for a networking social co-hosted by the Portland WoWE Chapter and Solar Oregon. This event will feature a joint presentation from WoWE and Solar Oregon members about Green Empowerment, a Portland-based nonprofit that provides clean water and renewable energy to villages in the developing world. Shannon Mahar (WoWE President), Claire Carlson (Solar Oregon Executive Director), and others will present on their involvement with Green Empowerment and the organization's trips to Nicaragua, in which volunteers worked on solar installations for local communities.
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Events
Email us to let us know where you would like more solar energy education in Oregon
|
|
|
|
|
|
