In this January 2009 Issue
Standard Solar and more than 30 other purveyors of products and services designed to help consumers lead more sustainable lifestyles will be front and center this Saturday, January 10th at the Green and Natural Living Expo in the Baltimore area at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Timonium from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The hotel is at 2004 Greenspring Drive, Timonium, MD 21093, 410-252-7373 (Google Map).
Standard Solar's Chief Technology Officer Lee Bristol is participating in a seminar discussion from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. to address the latest technological and answer any questions attendees may have. That seminar is entitled: "Solar Energy Equals Money for Marylanders." Other seminar topics include "Stemming the Tide of Aging, Naturally," "Why You Need a Home Energy Audit," and, "Water Conservation for Home & Community."
The Standard Solar team will be stationed at exhibit booth #12.
Please pass the word to friends, neighbors and colleagues along with the coupon below (be sure to print it out) which admits one person free-of-charge with each paying adult. Admission for adults is $7; children 12 and over are $5. There is no charge for children under 12.
More information is online at: www.GreenNaturalExpo.com.
The producers of ABC-TV's "Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition" selected Standard Solar last fall to build a pole-mounted solar electric system to supply power to a home they rebuilt for the family of Matthew and Blasia Drumm near Fayetteville, PA. Standard Solar built the 2.76 kilowatt system during the first three of the seven days needed to tear down and rebuild their home. The segment capturing this is scheduled to air at 8 p.m. EST, Sunday, January 19, 2009 on ABC stations.
When the Drumm's purchased their home, they were unaware that the home and the surrounding lot previously were used as a trash dump, according to ABC Entertainment. Due to financial challenges, the family had not been able to improve the home which had been heated by a single wood-burning stove.
With the help of electricity supplied by the sun and through the Standard Solar system, not only is the Drumm's home now healthy and more functional in meeting the family's needs, it better serves as the go-to place for a variety of weekly community meetings. In addition, it is now one of the most sustainable homes in central Pennsylvania.
Be sure to see how their new home came to life Sunday night, January 18.
(Standard Solar's Andrew Truitt and Roger Williams prepping the Pole-Mounted Array for the Inverter.)
The arrival of 2009 means the new Federal Investment Tax Credit for solar systems can help lower the up-front cost of solar electric systems for your home or business. Regardless of where you live, 30 percent of the cost of installing a solar electric system for your home or business qualifies for a credit on the tax return for 2009 and future years through 2016.
While many states such as Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia offer additional incentives, homeowners and business owners now can look to this expanded and extended incentive to reduce the payback period and increase the return on your investment in a solar electric / photovoltaic rooftop or pole-mounted system.
The legislation that enacted these new tax credits passed Congress and was signed into law by President Bush on October 3, 2008 is known formally as the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, or Public Law 110-343. This new law also enables individuals and businesses to offset both regular and alternative minimum tax (AMT) liability. Individuals are permitted to carry any unused credits forward to the next succeeding taxable year. Note: the $2,000 monetary cap on solar water heating systems was not lifted and remains in effect.
More information about the new Federal Investment Tax Credit is available via the Solar Energy Industries Association and its FAQ document online at:
http://www.seia.org/galleries/pdf/ITC_Frequently_Asked_Questions_10_9_08.pdf.
Washington, DC joins the ranks of progressive states and counties offering incentive to purchase solar electric systems. Based on the details provided by the District's Department of Environment, the program will offer a rebate based on the system size. It will run through fiscal 2012 and offer incentives that would pay back $11,000 to a homeowner purchasing a typical 4 kilowatt system. Combine that with the new federal Investment Tax Credit which pays 30% of the full installed system cost, and 60% of such a system could be paid for by government incentive programs.
Here is how the funds are to be paid out in DC:
- $3 for each of the first 3,000 installed watts or watt equivalents of capacity;
- $2 for each of the next 7,000 installed watts or watt equivalents of capacity; and
- $1 for each of the next 10,000 installed watts or watt equivalents of capacity.
Applications are being considered and then approved or rejected in the order received. Rebate payments are being processed upon the receipt by the Department of Environment's approval of the rebate will be processed. The system owner has six months from the date of approval to complete the installation of their solar electric system.
The Department of Environment is to post information about the program on a dedicated web site which had not gone live by the time this email was sent. More information is likely to be found on this web page on the Department of Environment's web site: http://green.dc.gov/green/cwp/view,a,1244,q,461324.asp.
Washington, DC's Department of the Environment has selected Standard Solar to be its featured solar electricity exhibitor on the virtual 'DC Green Street' inside the Marriott Wardham Hotel at its Green Jobs Expo Wednesday, February 4 through Friday, February 6, 2009. Be sure to stop by and check out our latest job openings, as well as those of dozens of other organizations working to make our society and economy more sustainable.
The Job Conference will offer a variety of workshops for participants to explore new ideas and exchange best practices, focusing on how solutions to environmental challenges can be used to drive economic development and create successful and profitable businesses.
More information about the conference and the workshops is at: http://www.greenjobsconference.org/site/c.rvI3IiNWJqE/b.3820537/k.BE92/Home.htm.
The new solar electric system situated atop the headquarters of John E. Kelly & Sons Electrical Construction in Upper Marlboro, Maryland is a sign of new options available to businesses throughout Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region trying to get a grip on their energy costs.
Using a 150-kilowatt system designed and installed by Standard Solar, Kelly & Sons agreed to purchase electricity from a third party at a fixed price for 20 years. The third party in this instance is Washington Gas Energy Services which paid for and owns the system and, in return, is being paid for the electricity by Kelly & Sons. In addition, as the system owner, Washington Gas Energy Services can sell the solar renewable energy credits it is earning. Standard Solar ensures the system's optimal performance and provides any maintenance services needed.
The transaction comes amid widespread predictions of steadily rising electricity prices and the growing risk of power brownouts and even blackouts in Maryland and neighboring states.
"For any business whose electricity supply is a major expense, Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) can be integral to their profitability and ultimately to their success," said Anthony L. Clifford, President and Chief Executive Officer of Standard Solar.
Harry A. Warren, Jr., president of Washington Gas Energy Services said, "this distributed generation project adds a new dimension to our service offerings. Our investment in this local solar power project also illustrates the vital role competitive retail suppliers play in meeting Maryland's energy policy goals, as well as regional and national goals."
Read more about this PPA at http://www.standardsolar.com/News-and-Events/Press-Releases/On_The_Horizon_121908.aspx.
(Photo courtesy Nicholas Griner, Baltimore Business Journal -- top row, left to right, Terry Crouse, Kelly & Sons Vice President, Tony Clifford, Standard Solar CEO & President, Steve Skolnik, Kelly & Sons Vice President; bottom, Harry Warren, Washington Gas Energy Services President)
The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is expected soon to open for public comment new rules to govern the administration of the state's popular solar grant program. When they are adopted, the new rules are expected to make the funds in the program available to a greater number of Marylanders as more homeowners and businesses invest in solar electric systems to better control their energy costs. The public comment period will enable any interested parties to submit comments.
Homeowners and businesses placed on the wait list by November 30, 2008 remain eligible for grant amounts as they were administered in through that date. Applications received by the MEA after December 1, 2008 are to be reviewed and placed in order on a new waitlist for fiscal year 2010, which begins July 1, 2009. Official grant calculations for those on the new waitlist will not be finalized by MEA until the new regulations are put in place.
Meanwhile, the money that makes the solar grant program possible -- the auction of carbon emission allowances by the Northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (or RGGI) -- conducted the second auction of allowance sales generating in this round about $18 million for renewable energy, energy efficiency and other energy programs in Maryland. These auctions are designed to put a price on a ton of carbon dioxide emitted by energy suppliers and other polluters. Most of the funds are then distributed on a pro-rata basis to Maryland and the nine other northeast states participating. New York garners the largest share of the proceeds; Maryland ranks second followed by New Jersey.
Standard Solar is closely monitoring announcements about the solar program and will issue timely updates on our web site very soon after new information becomes available.
