Solar Seminar & Open House

 

Earth Day Warm-Up Saturday April 13, 2013

Seminar 

 

Attend our Solar Energy Investment Seminar at the Summit on the Park, 46000 Summit Pkwy Canton, MI 48188

Free! 10am -12noon Registration required Call: (734) 453-6746 to book a seat.  Map

Learn how solar can be the best investment you will make.
Solar works in Michigan and is a practical application for you and your family.

After the seminar join us for a tour of our solar powered building.
See, feel and touch solar in action!

Tour
Our solar powered building.
Doors open 11am – 2pm
Free, Open to all
Ask questions

On the Tour

• 5.1 kW grid tied solar electric (PV) system
• 2 styles of solar space heating
• Solar hot water
• Solatubes with new designer lenses
• Solar attic fan
• New this year! An Indoor Battery back-up generator. Never go down with the grid again – works anywhere there is a plug. Add solar power to it and qualify for 30% Federal Tax Credit on the solar system.
• Watch videos of local solar homeowners share their experience of living with solar. Some of these will be on the tour. Find out how many are getting negative utility bills and actually receiving checks from the utility companies.
• Bring your utility bills and see how solar works for you.
• 563 MWh of electricity generated by our installations since Jan 2010. That’s enough to power the Michigan Stadium for 2.5 years.

 

Sign up today and reserve your seat. (734) 453-6746

 

Solar Power as Solution for Storm-Darkened Homes – NYTimes.com

Solar Power as Solution for Storm-Darkened Homes – NYTimes.com.

Despite the popular perception that installing solar panels takes a home “off the grid,” most of those systems are actually part of it, sending excess power to the utility grid during the day and pulling electricity back to run the house at night. So when the storm took down power lines and substations across the Northeast, safety systems cut the power in solar homes just like everywhere else.

“Here’s a $70,000 system sitting idle,” said Ed Antonio, who lives in the Rockaways in Queens and has watched his 42 panels as well as those on several other houses in the area go unused since the power went out Oct. 29. “That’s a lot of power sitting. Just sitting.”

Go to full article

Go to NY Times videos of the storm.

For more information on Indoor Battery Generators go here

Green Growth Still Setting the Pace | Renewable Energy World Magazine Article

Green Growth Still Setting the Pace | Renewable Energy World Magazine Article.

By Janet L. Sawin, Contributor
October 18, 2012

New Hampshire, USA — Renewable energy markets and policy frameworks have evolved rapidly in recent years. Despite a challenging economic backdrop, reports reveal growth across all sectors.

REN21’s Renewables Global Status Report — an overview of renewable energy market, industry, investment and policy developments worldwide, relying on an international network of more than 400 contributors — reveals that the sector continued to expand across all its various segments.

Renewable sources supplied an estimated 16.7 percent of global final energy consumption in 2010. Of this total, modern renewable energy (as opposed to traditional biomass) accounted for an estimated 8.2 percent, a share that has increased in recent years, while the share from traditional biomass has declined slightly to an estimated 8.5 percent. During 2011, modern renewables continued to grow strongly in all end-use sectors.

In the power sector, renewables accounted for almost half of the estimated 208 GW of electric capacity added globally during 2011. Wind and solar photovoltaics (PV) accounted for almost 40 percent and 30 percent of new renewable capacity respectively, followed by hydropower (nearly 25 percent). By end 2011, total renewable power capacity worldwide exceeded 1360 GW, up 8 percent over 2010; renewables comprised more than 25 percent of total global power-generating capacity (estimated at 5360 GW in 2011) and supplied an estimated 20.3 per cent of global electricity. Non-hydropower renewables exceeded 390 GW, a 24 percent capacity increase over 2010. For full article

Michigan Breweries Going Solar « CBS Detroit

Michigan Breweries Going Solar « CBS Detroit.

August 28, 2012 11:13 AM

(credit: Thinkstock)

Reporting Matt Roush

Filed under

Business, Daily J PM, Local, News, Tech

Related tags

Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, Arbor Brewing Co., Corner Brewery, detroit, Matt Greff, Power Panel Inc., Rene Greff, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, solar power, University of Michigan, Ypsilanti

YPSILANTI — Barley, hops and yeast are powered by the sun.

Increasingly, so are the breweries that turn those ingredients into beer.

Southeast Michigan brewery owners Matt and Rene Greff are breaking new ground for Michigan breweries as solar installations at their two breweries come on line this summer.

Arbor Brewing Co. became Michigan’s first solar brewery when it flipped the switch on a new system comprised of a 2.4-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array, 300 solar thermal collector tubes and a high-efficiency tankless water heater system to supplement the heat from the collector tubes when necessary.

These big ticket investments were combined with smaller improvements like switching to CFL and LED lighting and installing low-flow sprayers and occupancy sensors.

The project grew out of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority’s Energy Conservation Grant Program, which provided free energy audits and 50 percent project rebates up to $20,000 to downtown businesses that implemented audit recommendations to become more energy efficient.

ABC owner Matt Greff worked with Ann Arbor DDA Energy Programs Director David Konkle as well as a consulting team from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment, led by Jarett Diamond.

Together they were able to identify a number of financial resources and incentives to help offset the installation cost of the system including the $20,000 grant from the DDA, a $10,000 interest-free loan from the city, a 30 percent tax credit from the federal government, and various incentives from DTE Energy.

The couple’s Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti is also nearing completion on its own $250,000 Green Brewery Project which includes solar-thermal, photovoltaic, and geo-thermal technologies along with other improvements like new windows and awnings and energy-efficient chiller equipment.

Snow covered solar panels

Snow covered solar panels.

A solar PV system owner in snowy Michigan describes how they perform after a snow storm. Thanks for sharing!

Application fees set for Ann Arbor’s new PACE program

Application fees set for Ann Arbor’s new PACE program.

By Ryan J. Stanton
Political Reporter

The Ann Arbor City Council on Monday supported the final step to fully implement the city’s new Property Assessed Clean Energy program.

A resolution approved by council sets the application fees for the PACE program, which is a special financing mechanism to help commercial property owners in Ann Arbor undertake energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

Through the PACE program, qualifying property owners are able to borrow money for energy efficiency projects ranging from $10,000 to $350,000 and then pay back the loans through special assessments added onto their tax bills for up to 10 years.

Andrew Brix

The program is a joint effort of the city of Ann Arbor and Clean Energy Coalition. City officials believe the availability of PACE financing will support economic stimulation across the city, create jobs and reduce operating costs for business owners.For full article go to: Link

German Solar Output Increases by 60% in 2011 | Renewable Energy News Article

German Solar Output Increases by 60% in 2011 | Renewable Energy News Article.

By Stephen Lacey, Climate Progress

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Just weeks after the solar industry installed the one millionth system in Germany, the country’s solar trade association announced that the technology accounted for three percent of total energy generation in 2011 — increasing 60 percent over 2010 to 18.6 terawatt-hours (18.6 billion kilowatt-hours).

Solar power advocates challenging proposed ‘standby’ charge by Dominion Virginia | The Republic

Solar power advocates challenging proposed ‘standby’ charge by Dominion Virginia | The Republic.

RICHMOND, Va. — Solar power advocates are challenging a residential charge proposed by Dominion Virginia Power they contend would create disincentives for a renewable energy source that is already lagging in the state.

The so-called standby charge would apply to large-scale residential solar customers when their thermal panels are not generating enough electricity, typically at night. The General Assembly approved legislation that allows the standby charge for residential solar generation systems ranging from 10 kilowatt hours to 20 kilowatt hours.

The State Corporation Commission is scheduled to hear the case Thursday. Regulators typically do not immediately rule on cases.

The Solar Industries Association, which represents the interests of manufacturers, installers and suppliers of solar systems, said Dominion’s proposal is flawed, would be punitive for the small number of Virginians who rely on solar power and would discourage further investments in the renewable energy source. To read full article click on title

New thermostat from the designers of iPod/iPad

Check this out! The next wave in home energy savings through a thermostat that learns your habits and preferences – Val, thanks again Matt!

The Energy Navigator | Solar Energy in the Midwest

The Energy Navigator | Solar Energy in the Midwest.

Finding the Right Solar Financing for Your Home

Buying solar panels for your home has never made more sense. Solar panels help to lower your home’s electricity bill and reduce your environmental footprint. With the right solar financing, you can easily bring solar power to your home. Here are three common methods for going solar:

• Cash purchase
• Solar lease
• Solar loan

For full article