Harnessing the Sun

2011-08-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

300 Years of FOSSIL FUELS in 300 Seconds

2011-03-27T19:08:00.001-07:00

2011-03-03T10:13:00.000-08:00

Alternative Energy Credits - need for legislation

2011-02-17T20:38:00.000-08:00

At the February 10^th House Consumer Affairs Committee, Terry Fitzpatrick, President and CEO of the Energy Association of Pennsylvania (he represents distribution companies like PECO and Met-Ed), stated that the legislature “wisely” did not increase the solar mandates in the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard last session. Unfortunately, Terry did not tell our legislatures what a true success story the solar industry has been in PA. While the solar industry is still in its infancy and requires government subsidies, the costs of installations continue to drop as the market for solar increases and new technologies are developed. Solar is rapidly moving to installation costs that can compete with traditional forms of electricity. Besides the obvious environmental benefits, solar also helps to lower peak energy demand by coming online during the hot sunny summer days when demand is the greatest, reducing the need for traditional very expensive on-demand generating capacity. A recent report by Penn Environment and its research partners shows that there were approximately 6,700 solar jobs in the state last year (California is the only state with more). This past year there were over 250 installation companies in the state and the more robust market has meant more competition and economies of scale, resulting in lower solar installation costs for consumers. Both HB 2405 and HB 1128 were tabled this past year, and it does not seem likely that we will see any legislation this year to increase the solar requirements for the Portfolio Standards and allow the solar industry to continue operating in PA without a serious effort by supporters of solar.

Why are the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards so important for solar? The Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) Act of 2004 requires electric distribution companies and electric generation suppliers to supply 18 percent of our electricity using alternative energy resources by 2021. These requirements ramp up over time, with solar having its own “carve out” of one half of a percent by 2021. The distribution and generation companies meet their AEPS requirements by purchasing alternative energy credits (AECs) in amounts corresponding to the percentage of electricity that the AEPS standards require for that year. AECs are the tradable certificate that represents all the clean energy benefits of one mega watt hour of electricity generated with solar or other alternative energy sources (referred to as a REC outside of PA, PA includes waste coal which is not technically renewable). If the distribution and generation companies do not purchase the required amount of AECs they are subject to a fine.

Owners of solar systems create AECs as their systems make power. The value of these AECs for owners of solar systems are significant, often more than the savings generated from offset power costs. As a result, AECs are a big part of why solar makes financial sense for businesses and homeowners. The PV market continues to change rapidly with module costs falling dramatically and new technologies being developed. Because of the dropping costs and huge latent demand for solar in the state, the states rebate program for solar, PA Sunshine, was much more successful than anyone could have anticipated. Currently the amount of solar required for the utilities to be in compliance with the Alternative Energy Portfolio program is currently much lower than the over 50MW of PV currently installed and eligible to participate in the AEPS program. Because the supply is greater than the legislated demand for AECs, the price owners of solar systems will be able to sell their AECs this year is uncertain. The AECs are sold on the GATS (generation attributes tracking system) system where owners of AECs post prices they are willing to sell their credits and utilities can offer to purchase them. In theory, it is supposed to be a market based system, but this market collapses when the supply of credits rises above the set legislated demand for credits.

A collapse of the Alternative Energy Credit market will have a devastating impact on the solar industry in PA. The state issued a bond and used federal economic stimulus funds to spur the growth of the solar industry through the PA Sunshine Program. Everyone who participated in the program helped to implement the legislature’s goals of growing a solar industry in PA. Clearly we have been hugely successful in growing an industry, but the industry still needs the help of the legislature so that this growth can be sustained. Since Pennsylvania passed its AEPS in 2004, sixteen states plus the District of Columbia have also implemented solar requirements. In comparison, Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey have set their mandates at or above 2 percent while PA requires that only 1/2 of a percent of the state's energy come from solar. Contact your state representatives and let them know you support the solar industry and a clean energy future for PA. Lets not let PA fall behind in the growing green economy.

Suburban Home and Garden Show

2011-01-03T19:57:00.000-08:00

Visit us at the Suburban Home and Garden Show

February 24-27 in Oaks. PA. Admission is Free on Thursday.

One cubic mile of oil

2010-12-30T11:24:00.000-08:00

The world uses about 30 billion barrels of oil per year. That is 1.2 trillion gallons, which works out to just about 1 cubic mile of oil.

Solar Installations in US since 2000

2010-12-14T19:42:00.000-08:00

Interesting time lapse map of solar installations in the US since 2010. Data is not complete yet, but still shows the widespread use of PV technology in the US.

http://openpv.nrel.gov/time-mapper

Incentive update

2010-12-09T20:37:00.000-08:00

The PA residential rebate program is going quickly and is now down to Step 4 with rebate levels of $.75 per watt.

There is still plenty of funding available for residential and small business solar thermal installations. This program is still on Step 1, offering rebates of 35% of the system's cost up to $5,000.

An additional $4 million in funding from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act has allowed the Pennsylvania Sunshine Small Business program to continue offering rebates of 0.25 to 0.75 cents per watt depending on the size of the system.

Federal tax credits of 30% of the installed cost for solar are available through 2016 for residential and commercial installations. An extension of the commercial federal grant program is part of the tax legislation currently being considered in Washington.

While the state funding has been decreasing so has the cost of solar modules. Between 2009 and 2010 the average module cost fell 40% helping lower installed costs. With lower material costs solar is more affordable than ever.

10/10/10 Global Work Party

2010-10-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

Join 350.org in their global work party on 10/10/10.

350.org was founded by U.S. author Bill McKibben whose book The End of Nature, was the first book for a common audience about global warming.

Why the number 350 is so important: click here

Clean Energy & Green Jobs legislation update

2010-08-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

Bill 2405, has died in Harrisburg. This bill would have ensured the continued growth of solar and other renewable energy industries within PA by building upon the 2004 Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS) legislation by nearly doubling the renewable energy requirement from 8 percent to 15 percent by 2024. However, the solar industry is proposing that a "solar only" version of House Bill 2405 be introduced.

Contact your state representative and let them know you would support this bill.

PA Sunshine Solar funding update

2010-08-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

The Pennsylvania Sunshine Program continues to be widely successful. Over 11MW of solar has been installed in PA since the programs inception. Due to the popularity of the two programs, funds are depleting quickly.

The residential rebate program is going quickly and is now down to Step 3 with rebate levels of $1.25 per watt. There is still plenty of funding available for residential and small business solar thermal installations. This program is still on Step 1, offering rebates up to $2,000. An additional $4 million in funding from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act has allowed the Pennsylvania Sunshine Small Business program to continue offering rebates of 0.25 to 0.75 cents per watt depending on the size of the system.

Federal tax credits of 30% of the installed cost for solar are available through 2016 for residential and comercial installations, however the comercial federal grant program will be ending this year.

While the state funding has been decreasing so has the cost of solar modules. In 2009 the average module cost fell 40% helping lower installed costs making solar more affordable even with less state incentives.

Climate Bill Stalls in Senate

2010-07-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

After the US House of Representatives passed a climate bill last year, any hope of passing any energy bill, even one with much more limited measures, have begun to fade in the Senate. Let Senators Casey and Spector know that you support a clean energy future.

It is HOT!

2010-07-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

It hasn't just been hot in PA. According to NOAA it is the hotest year-to-date on record with above average temperatures seen around the globe. Artic sea ice is at it's lowest June extent since record keeing began over 30 years ago.

House Bill 80 now HB 2405

2010-04-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

Show your support for Clean Energy & Green Jobs legislation -- HB 2405

The Clean Energy and Green Jobs legislation would build upon Pennsylvania's landmark 2004 Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS) legislation by increasing Pennsylvania's solar share six-fold to 3 percent, and nearly double the renewable energy requirement from 8 percent to 15 percent by 2024.

click here to learn more and show your support

Arvak Helps Rebuilding Together Go Green

2010-04-23T15:51:00.000-07:00

With the help from a grant from Popular Mechanics, Rebuilding Together Philadlephia is helping a block of residents in the Germantown section of Philadelphia who want to make their homes more energy efficient. As part of their effort Arvak has volunteered to install a solar hot water collector system for one of the homeowners. Residential Energy Solutions will be providing energy audits to help guide other improvements and help find those hidden air leaks for volunteers to caulk and foam. To learn about how you can volunteer with Rebuilding Together click here

Earth Day Celebration at Kimberton Waldorf School

2010-04-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

Arvak will be at the Earth Day Celebration at the Kimberton Waldorf School:

Kimberton Waldorf School and Kimberton Whole Foods are co-hosting an Earth Day
celebration next Saturday, April 17, 2010, from 9:00-4:00 pm at KWS.
This free educational community event includes several child-friendly activities, as well as “green” speakers, demonstrations, local farmers and sustainable businesses, including PASA (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture). Visitors will have an opportunity to participate in beekeeping activities, and learn more about solar energy, sustainable garden design, and other topics. An organic lunch will be available for a small fee.

PA Sunshine Update and New Rebate from PPL

2010-03-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

The PA Sunshine program rebate level for residential installations is now $1.75 per watt. Even with the drop in rebate amounts now is still a great time to install solar. Prices for PV modules have come down by more than $1 per watt in the past year while the rebate level has only dropped 50 cents.

There is also a new rebate available for PPL customers that can be used in lieu of the PA Sunshine program. The PPL rebate offers $2.00 per watt and is capped at $5,000. This rebate is more beneficial for systems under 2.8kW. More information can be found here.

PA Sunshine Rebates Update

2010-02-23T20:26:00.000-08:00

The PA Sunshine rebates will be reduced for residential solar installations in PA from $2.25 per watt to $1.75 per watt in the very near future. The first 10MW installed receive $2.25 and as of the end of December 7.44 MW of residential solar systems have reserved rebates. If you are thinking about solar now is the time to call Arvak for a site assessment - the first step in getting a rebate reservation.

Support House Bill 80

2010-02-04T10:54:00.000-08:00

Show your support for Pennsylvania's Clean Energy and Green Jobs legislation by clicking here.

Home Show

2010-02-01T19:47:00.000-08:00

Stop by our booth at the Suburan Home show in Oaks. Admission is free on Thursday the 18th.

Sun Ovens in Haiti

2010-02-01T18:36:00.001-08:00

Help bring Sun Ovens to Haiti. These ovens allow Hatians to not only cook food but pasturize water with only the energy from the sun. With hundred of thousands of Haitians homeless and living in makeshift tent camps the need for Sun Ovens is immense.

The picture below is a Sun Over in action cooking bread fruit during my last visit to Hiati.

Solar Powed Health Care in Haiti

2010-01-22T18:48:00.000-08:00

The Solar Electric Light Fund is doing wonderful work in Haiti by bringing solar power to medical clinics. They have partnered with Partners in Health, another fabulous organization. Solar allows these clinics to operate in a country were grid power is unreliable and often nonexistent.

Update from Haiti

2010-01-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

Last spring I was part of a team that installed a large solar system on a clinic in Haiti. The clinic, which is about 70 miles from the epicenter, survived the earthquake with little damage. But, like all of Haiti, it faces many challenges ahead.

People continue to comes to Les Cayes and other cities nearby by the hour. There is major urban-rural migration. The situation for gas is very bad. WHERE YOU CAN FIND IT, diesel (which is used for cars and generators) sells for 13 USD a gallon. The solar system has kept the power on at the clinic but the gas shortage will impact the clinic's ability to use their 2 ambulances. Because of the port in Port au Prince being closed and damaged roads medical supplies will become in short supply. The clinic is anticipating a hearty increase in expenses to maintain even the simplest of operations.

Contributions to Maison de Naissance are critical to their future viability. I thank those of you who have already made contributions, and I thank those of you who have reached out to others with MN's story, to engage support. I encourage everyone to do both, as you are able. Thank you for your consideration.

Mountain Top Removal

2010-01-10T10:53:00.000-08:00

Clean Energy Legislation

2010-01-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

The Clean Energy and Green Jobs Legislation is currently stalled in Harrisburg. Urge your state legislators today to pass the Clean Energy and Green Jobs Bills (House Bill 80 and Senate Bill 92) by clicking here.

This legislation will extend the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) and raise the amount of solar power required in PA from .5% to 3% of electricity in 2024. The mandates for solar in Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey are at or over 2%. By raising the mandates Pennsylvania we can stay competitive in attracting investments in solar. With the changes proposed in the legislation we can produce enough clean energy from Tier I sources such as solar and wind to power 2.1 million homes by 2024.

Recent Installations

2009-10-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

Arvak has had a busy summer installing systems for a number of customers who have taken advantage of state rebates and federal tax credits by installing Hot Water and PV solar systems. Below are a few pictures of the most recent installations.

New Energy Legislation in PA - SB 92 and HB 80

2009-06-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

There are two identical Bills that our state legislators are currently considering that will greatly increase the amount of renewable energy produced in Pennsylvania . To learn more about SB 92 in the Senate and HB 80 in the House click here. To contact your local representatives and urge them to support the bills click here.

PennFuture's 2009 Annual Clean Energy Conference

2009-06-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

Arvak energy recently attended PennFuture's Annual Clean Energy Conference in Harrisburg. PennFuture is a leader in advocating for renewable energy in PA. To learn more about their past successes and learn how you can take action to expand clean energy in PA click here.

PV America in Philadelphia

2009-06-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

The PV America Solar conference will be in Philadelphia June 8-10th. To learn more click here.
On Tuesday the conference will have free admission to the exhibit hall for the general public. For more information click here.

ASES National Solar Conference

2009-05-15T15:46:00.000-07:00

Arvak Energy is currently attending the American Solar Energy Society National Conference in Buffalo, NY learning about the latest and greatest technologies for our customers. On June 8-10 the SEIA will host PV America at the Philadelphia convention center. This will be a great opportunity for folks in the Philadelphia area to learn more about solar.

PA Sunshine Program

2009-05-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

The much anticipated PA Sunshine program is set to begin accepting applications May 18th according to the DEP. Arvak Energy Solutions is an approved contractor for both hot water and PV systems. The program will provide a grant of $2.25 per watt (up to 35% of the system cost) for PV projects and 25% of the system cost for solar hot water with a $2,000 cap. These incentives are on top of the 30% federal tax credits currently available. More info on the state program can be found here. People interested in solar should be aware that the funding levels will automatically decline as a certain amount of systems are installed. For example, once 10MW of solar is installed through the program the per watt grant for residential projects will decrease from $2.25 to $1.75. The guidelines for the program can be found here.

Renewable Energy in the Third World

2009-05-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

During the last week of April I had the opportunity to be part of a team that installed a 9.6 kW PV system in a rural part of Haiti near Les Cayes. The system powers the Maison de Naissance birthing clinic .

This was my second trip to Haiti, and hopefully not my last. My previous trip was in 1999 to Port-au-Prince.

Les Caye is a world away from Port-au-Prince. The image on the left is of Cite Sole - one of the most notorious slums of Port-au-Prince. Les Caye is in the heart of the rice belt of Haiti and is very lush and green when compared to the city to the north. Mango trees, Papaya, Breadfruit, Banana, Plantain, and fields of rice cover the countryside.

While food is plentiful in comparison to the more urban areas of Haiti, people are still desperately poor. All farming is done by hand and most farming is subsistence farming – there is little market for the rice grown by Haitians because the subsidized US rice that is imported is much cheaper. There is also little infrastructure for the farmers to get there product to market.

Maison de Naissance serves a population of mothers and children that would otherwise have no access to any kind of healthcare. The image to the right is the “waiting room” at the clinic. The clinic severs about a ten square mile radius and many of these expecting mothers walked to the clinic in order to be seen.

The clinic is a number of miles from any grid power, which is also very unreliable and subject to constant outages. Before the PV system was installed the clinic relied on a diesel generator to provide power. Getting the diesel fuel to the clinic was a very time consuming and expensive task. The generators were constantly breaking down. For a number months the clinic had no power and babies were delivered by oil lantern. A generous donation to the foundation allowed the clinic to install the PV system which is much more reliable and requires very little maintenance and no fuel except for the sunshine. The PV system charges a battery bank that allows the clinic to function normally 24 hours a day.

If you would like to see more pictures from the trip click here.

State Funding Approved - Sign up for Updates

2009-04-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

After 8 months of waiting the PA DEP expects to have the PA Sunshine Program up and running by late April to Mid May. The Pennsylvania Sunshine Program will provide $100 million in grants to Commonwealth homeowners and small businesses to purchase and install solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar hot water systems. The details of the program have not yet been released but we are anticipating a $2.00-$2.50 per watt installed grant for PV and 25% of the installed cost grant for solar hot water. The financing of program was approved today by the Commonwealth Financing Authority.

Register with the DEP for Alternative Energy Investment Fund Email Updates