Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

I am getting more messages from people in different parts of the state of Florida wanting to go solar, but do not know how. So, I’d like to repost part of an earlier post to help forage the path, below:

Here are some points to consider in order to help you to take part in solar energy use

I.   I want you to be aware of all the incentive programs (to save money) for installing renewable/solar energy & energy efficiency in USA and FL.

II.  Find a local installer to receive an estimate of what type or how big of a solar system is suitable for your particular needs. All solar installers I’ve come across so far would be able to provide such an estimate free of charge. If you live in Tampa, FL area, mention that you’ve found out about SEM and solar co-op from Windermere Sun, then you can get a discount with SEM. For those in other parts of the Florida, mention Windermere Sun first before negotiating for a discount.

*Keep in mind that if you can get your money back:

1. in 7 years by installing solar system, that is equivalent to about 14.3% rate of return (1/7 = 0.1428)
2. in 8 years by installing solar system, that is equivalent to about 12.5% rate of return (1/8 = 0.125)
3. in 9 years by installing solar system, that is equivalent to about 11.1% rate of return (1/9 =0.111…)

The stock market cannot guarantee such a good deal. It’s a no brainer! Any one who plans on being alive in 10+ years would do well to install solar.

III. To help reduce the cost of installing solar panels (perhaps by as much as 20%), you may want to consider joining or starting a Solar Co-Op.  In Central Florida, there is a West Orange Solar Co-Op and an Orlando and Winter Park Solar Co-Op that is also open to homeowners East of I-4. In a recent Central Florida Solar Advocates meetup meeting that took place on Dec. 2, 2015, these are discussed, below:

Here are the steps for the Solar Co-op Process, suggested by the Central Florida Solar Advocates:

1. Attend an Information Session:  Learn about going solar and how solar co-ops work.
2. Join Your Local Co-op: Sign up on line! Any one can participate. The only requirement is that you want to go solar!
3. Get a Roof Review: Your roof is reviewed via satellite to make sure it’s a good fit for solar energy.
4. Solicit Local Bids: Once the co-op has 20-30 members, a request for proposal is created based on co-op members priorities and bids are solicited from installers.
5. Review Bids as a Group: Co-op members form a selection committee to review bids and select a single installer to complete all of the projects.
6. Get Individualized Proposal: Homeowner meets with the chosen installer to get an individualized proposal for a solar system for your home. This proposal will reflect the group discount.
7. Sign an Individualized Contract: Homeowner signs a contract directly with the installer.
8. Installation: Have your solar panels installed on your home!
9. Celebrate: Celebrate with the co-op and help start other co-ops in your community!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email: cfsolaradvocates@gmail.com

To learn more about these co-ops or join a solar co-op, visit: www.cfsolaradvocates.org

IV. If you live in an apartment or in a house that is shaded, even though you may not be able to take advantage of the solar energy via your own rooftop, you may still be able to participate in solar energy use via Community Solar Garden/Farm. Check out what’s been accumulated at Sun Is The Future about Start A Community Solar Garden/Farm

Please feel free to contact Paul Spencer of Clean Energy Collective or Joy Hughes of Solar Gardens for the benefit of their experience in developing Community Solar Gardens/Farms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

V. If you need to get a loan or any financial assistance in order to participate in solar energy use, please consider these avenues, below:

• Obtaining  a loan via Kiva, then contact Sunisthefuture Team at Kiva  by email: sunisthefuture@gmail.com so Sunisthefuture Team at Kiva will help to promote for the funding of this loan.
• Obtaining a loan via Mosaic, then contact Sun Is The Future by email: sunisthefuture@gmail.com so Sun Is The Future will help to promote for the funding of this loan.
• Obtaining a grant via one of the crowdfunding platforms, then contact Sun Is The Future by email: sunisthefuture@gmail.com so Sun Is The Future will be able to help promote for your campaign.  Different platforms have different conditions. So be sure to take care in choosing the appropriate ones for you.
• If you live in Windermere, FL area and is obtaining either a solar loan or a solar grant via any of the avenues above, be sure to contact Windermere Sun by email: info.WindermereSun@gmail.com so Windermere Sun will be able to help promote for your loan or grant.

VI. For those of you who truly have difficulty in affording the installation cost of solar or do not have property suited for solar installation, do not forget the recent victory at the Florida State Supreme Court, explained in this post. There is something you can do to help improve the chance of lowering your future utility bills, by obtaining more signatures to improve the chance of Floridians For Solar Choice ballot .

May you/we all be able to enjoy the warmth and energy of Sunshine for many decades to come….

~Let’s Help One Another~~have a bright and sunny day~ Any comments, suggestions, concerns regarding this post will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com

Gathered, written, photographed, video-recorded, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun NunamakerPlease also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:

www.sunisthefuture.net

www.kiva.org/team/sunisthefuture

www.facebook.com/sunisthefuture

www.pinterest.com/sunisthefuture

www.youtube.com/user/sunisthefuture

www.cafepress.com/sunisthefuture

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Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

Here is a re-post from Windermere Sun:

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

Below, is part of a message (in italics) from one of our readers, C, in Central Florida region:

I need solar panels.

I pay $200 every month for electric, and we will have only warmer weather as the planet gets warmer. No more of going for 6 months without AC. The humidity is the cause of the mold that made me sick this summer. I don’t know how to pay for them, but we can figure it out….

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(Please click on red links & note magenta)

Dear C.,

Here are some points to consider in order to help you to take part in solar energy use:

I. I want you to be aware of all the incentive programs (to save money) for installing renewable/solar energy & energy efficiency in USA and FL.

 

II. To help reduce the cost of installing solar panels (perhaps by as much as 20%), you may want to consider joining a Solar Co-Op. There is a West Orange Solar Co-Op and an Orlando and Winter Park Solar Co-Op that is also open to homeowners East of I-4. In a recent Central Florida Solar Advocates meetup meeting that took place on Dec. 2, 2015, these are discussed, below:

Here are the steps for the Solar Co-op Process, suggested by the Central Florida Solar Advocates:

1. Attend an Information Session: Learn about going solar and how solar co-ops work.
2. Join Your Local Co-op: Sign up on line! Any one can participate. The only requirement is that you want to go solar!
3. Get a Roof Review: Your roof is reviewed via satellite to make sure it’s a good fit for solar energy.
4. Solicit Local Bids: Once the co-op has 20-30 members, a request for proposal is created based on co-op members priorities and bids are solicited from installers.
5. Review Bids as a Group: Co-op members form a selection committee to review bids and select a single installer to complete all of the projects.
6. Get Individualized Proposal: Homeowner meets with the chosen installer to get an individualized proposal for a solar system for your home. This proposal will reflect the group discount.
7. Sign an Individualized Contract: Homeowner signs a contract directly with the installer.
8. Installation: Have your solar panels installed on your home!
9. Celebrate: Celebrate with the co-op and help start other co-ops in your community!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email: cfsolaradvocates@gmail.com

To learn more about these co-ops or join a solar co-op, visit: www.cfsolaradvocates.org

 

III. If you live in an apartment or in a house that is shaded, even though you may not be able to take advantage of the solar energy via your own rooftop, you may still be able to participate in solar energy use via Community Solar Garden/Farm. Check out what’s been accumulated at Sun Is The Future about Start A Community Solar Garden/Farm

Please feel free to contact Paul Spencer of Clean Energy Collective or Joy Hughes of Solar Gardens for the benefit of their experience in developing Community Solar Gardens/Farms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IV. If you need to get a loan or any financial assistance in order to participate in solar energy use, please consider these avenues, below:

• Obtaining a loan via Kiva, then contact Sunisthefuture Team at Kiva by email: sunisthefuture@gmail.com so Sunisthefuture Team at Kiva will help to promote for the funding of this loan.
• Obtaining a loan via Mosaic, then contact Sun Is The Future by email: sunisthefuture@gmail.com so Sun Is The Future will help to promote for the funding of this loan.
• Obtaining a grant via one of the crowdfunding platforms, then contact Sun Is The Future by email: sunisthefuture@gmail.com so Sun Is The Future will be able to help promote for your campaign. Different platforms have different conditions. So be sure to take care in choosing the appropriate ones for you.
• If you live in Windermere, FL area and is obtaining either a solar loan or a solar grant via any of the avenues above, be sure to contact Windermere Sun by email: info.WindermereSun@gmail.com so Windermere Sun will be able to help promote for your loan or grant.

 

V. For those of you who truly have difficulty in affording the installation cost of solar, do not forget the recent victory at the Florida State Supreme Court, explained in this post. There is something you can do to help improve the chance of lowering your future utility bills, by obtaining more signatures to improve the chance of Floridians For Solar Choice ballot initiative to be passed in February of 2016.

May you/we all be able to enjoy the warmth and energy of Sunshine for many decades to come….

~Let’s Help One Another~Any comments, suggestions, or concerns regarding this post will be welcomed at: info.WindermereSun@gmail.com  

Gathered, written, photographed, video-recorded, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun NunamakerMore about the community at www.WindermereSun.com—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–~have a bright and sunny day~More about solar energy topics of this site at: www.sunisthefuture.netPlease also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:

www.sunisthefuture.net

www.sunisthefuture.com

www.kiva.org/team/sunisthefuture

www.facebook.com/sunisthefuture

www.pinterest.com/sunisthefuture

www.youtube.com/user/sunisthefuture

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Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

 

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

Great News! I just found out that the Chinese National Energy Administration (NEA) presented the ambitious goal of installing 17.8 GW (gigawatts) of solar capacity in 2015 (18.7% higher than the previous 15 GW proposal announced earlier this year).  The NEA indicated the need to “stabilize and expand the solar application market,”  as the reason for this new goal. China is determined to increase her renewable energy mix in power generation to 20% by 2030 and a target of 100 GW PV power by 2020. This is a fantastic way for President Xi Jinping to wage war against pollution!

Such aggressive goal results from careful consideration of the inevitable skyrocketing demand for energy from industrialization and urbanization of China.  For a country shouldering earthly population of over one billion people (approximately  1,361,512,576 ) and continued economic growth, Chinese leadership’s foresight to increase emphasis for clean energy and share of solar power will not only benefit the Chinese people but also rest of the world.

“This is good news for the industry,” Zhou Ziguang, analyst at Ping An Securities, told Reuters. “The state is hoping to boost solar consumption, although the chance of exceeding the target should not be big.”

Given the inadequate transmission infrastructure exists in many parts of the country, it is wise that the Chinese NEA is also rolling out a target of 8 GW of distributed solar (within this 17.8 GW goal) for 2015.  Historically seen in many parts of the world, renewable/solar energy industry growth is strongly correlated to regional policies. So, despite the fact that problems such as financing and rooftop rights may have surfaced, policies such as subsidies and incentives will set the right tone to enhance future solar energy installations and industry growth in China.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Sun Is The Future, we strongly encourage Chinese people to consider the concept of micro-finance, crowdfunding, and community solar garden/farm as part of the solution for financing much of the distributed solar installations in China. Many of these concepts are also explained and made available in: various posts in Sun Is The Future , sunisthefuture youtube channel ,  Sunisthefuture Team at Kiva , and information on Start A Community Solar Garden/Farm.People throughout the planet earth will be encouraging the Chinese people growing toward solar/renewable energy. It is great that the Chinese government has already taken note on implementing the fantastic policy of Feed-In-Tariff in stimulating the renewable/solar energy implementation and growth. We would also recommend consultation with Germany on streamlining the process of balance of system. Further understanding and implementation of Value of Solar will also be helpful.

Since the inception of Sun Is The Future (2011), the earthly solar installations on planet earth has more than doubled!

Such exponential growth is also seen in Chinese solar & renewable installations.  If China will be able to continue with such an ardent rate of renewable/solar growth, there is no doubt that China and Beijing will be able to become the cleanest (or one of the cleanest ) country/city on planet earth in thirty years. The wild card here is the battery storage technology. For the sake of all the people in China, as well as all people on planet earth, we wish for the speedy arrival of optimal (higher efficiency/lower cost) battery storage technology.

~have a bright and sunny day~

Gathered, written, photographed, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

Any of your comments or suggestions will be welcomed via sunisthefuture@gmail.com“”.

Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics: www.sunisthefuture.net

www.youtube.com/user/sunisthefuture

www.kiva.org/team/sunisthefuture

www.facebook.com/sunisthefuture

www.pinterest.com/sunisthefuture

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Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

 

(Please click on red links & note magenta)

A piece of rather distressing, yet not surprising, news (from a Sunday Miami Herald‘s: a story from the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting) recently surfaced, revealing information from former Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) employees. Apparently, according to some former DEP volunteers, officials, and one attorney  (former employee of the DEP Office of General Counsel in Tallahassee from 2008 to 2013) were told not to use the terms “climate change“, “sustainability“, or “global warming” in emails, reports, or official communications. This unwritten policy went into effect shortly after Governor Rick Scott took office in 2011. The former attorney, Christopher Byrd, is now in private practice as an environmental lawyer in Orlando and he did not agree with such unwritten policy.

In Orlando Weekly: When questioned by the Center for Investigative Reporting on the ban of these terms, the DEP insisted that it didn’t have a policy on the topic. But as we already know from looking into other areas of Scott’s administration, not keeping records about important communications, decisions and policies is part of how it does business. 

In Miami Herlad: In 2014, in response to Gov. Scott’s comment that he “was not a scientist” when asked about his views on climate change, a group of Florida scientists requested to meet with Gov. Scott to explain the science behind the phenomenon. These scientists were given 30 minutes but really only had 20-21 minutes.

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What can we do to protect our environment here in Florida? Firstly, we have to be well informed by conscientious government officials. We have to protect those who are willing to speak the truth and be insured of employment. So, this is what I’d propose: gather our previous posts of our sister publication, in Sun Is The Future,  For Solar Landfills-More Help With Landfill Closure Requirements in Florida, Landfills+Community Solar=Great Opportunities & Savings, former FL-DEP attorney Christopher Byrd, and interested potential investors to become familiar with the concept and procedures in Start A Community Solar Garden/Farm. My fellow Floridians, there are much investment potentials here in Florida waiting to be discovered. For those of you who do not have huge sum of cash flowing around, you may consider pulling funds from various sources and form your own microfinance groups or ask the world to help you to convert your local landfills into community solar gardens via crowdfunding! Click on the “Loans & Grants For Small Businesses” of Windermere Sun and learn how to raise money from all corners of our planet. Then check with environmental attorney Christopher Byrd (407-502-5182 or 407-929-4628) for specific procedures in developing your community solar gardens/farms from landfills.

The world is so well connected that we need not dwell on the negatives! Our time is too precious to be wasted on the negatives! We need to concentrate our time, energy, and effort toward the solution. In my book, Solar Energy is the ultimate solution that will solve: Energy-Pollution-Slow Down Climate Change-Avoid International Conflicts. What are we waiting for, Floridians, let’s bring back the Sunshine To Our Beloved Sunshine State!  Contrary to Governor Scott, we do not choose to wish the problem away by not talking about it, we need to talk about it and work toward the Solar Solution For Sunshine State!

~have a bright and sunny day~

Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker

Related video: Greenland Is The Melting Point-HD Documentary

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Any of your comments or suggestions will be welcomed via sunisthefuture@gmail.com“”.

Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics: www.sunisthefuture.net

www.youtube.com/user/sunisthefuture

www.kiva.org/team/sunisthefuture

www.facebook.com/sunisthefuture

www.pinterest.com/sunisthefuture

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Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers, (Please click on red links below),

In response to what I’ve discovered and posted in “Hurray For Solar Landfills!” and The “Magic of EGSC (Exposed Geomembrane of Solar Cover) Technology of Solar Landfills“, I would like to share the information obtained from FL DEP (Florida Department of Environmental Protection):

I am hoping to encourage residents of Florida to take advantage of the closed landfill surface area to protect our environment while generating solar power and reducing carbon footprint. Below is the link to all the closed landfills in state of Florida:

CLOSED  LANDFILLS  in  STATE  of  FLORIDA

Combining what we’ve learned previously from Paul Spencer of Clean Energy Collective in our post “Chatting With Paul Spencer, President and Founder of Clean Energy Collective, On Community Solar Garden” and video below,

I hope many of you out there will be interested in taking the initiative to embark on the journey of establishing Community Solar Gardens/Farms (including/utilizing surface area of landfills) to reduce the cost of your future power bills. Potentially, millions and millions of dollars may be saved. If you need better understanding of what and how Community Solar Garden/Farm works, please feel free to visit various links at A. Start A Community Solar Garden/Farm available at Sun Is The Future.

~have a bright and sunny day~

Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

Any of your comments/suggestions/questions will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com

Related Post: The Amazing EGSC (Exposed Geomembrane Solar Cover)

Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:

www.sunisthefuture.net

www.instagram.com/sunisthefuture

www.pinterest.com/sunisthefuture

www.facebook.com/sunisthefuture

www.youtube.com/user/sunisthefuture

www.kiva.org/team/sunisthefuture

www.sunisthefuture.com

Homepage: http://www.sunisthefuture.net
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Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

(Please click on red links below)

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Please show your support for Renewable Energy by visiting-signing-sharing Renewable-FIT For Sunshine State!

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(the letter below is inspired by one of the Kiva Zip businesses that is seeking help with marketing)

Greetings, Kiva Team,

Sunisthefuture Team at Kiva would like to propose a collaborative effort with small businesses at Kiva Zip:

Our goal here at Sun Is The Future is in speeding up the transition toward solar energy age via education and helping entrepreneurs to establish small businesses in solar energy/ renewable energy/energy efficiency/ recycling, and online store. Understanding that limited budget for marketing is a common theme for many small business owners, I’d like to call the attention to ways of reducing costs while receiving marketing and PR help for these small business owners:

Firstly, any small businesses at kiva.zip.org that has installed solar system and provided sunisthefuture.net with photos of their solar rooftop system and permission to post/promote will be recognized at sunisthefuture.net and will be promoted by Sun Is The Future at various social networks (Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Google+) 3 times for a period of a week. For those that (think) cannot afford the initial cost of installing solar systems, please view these posts:

1. Clean Energy Is Made Easy With Solar City
2. Go Solar! With Solar City, Solar Is Ready To Go Mainstream!
3. Elon Musk, The Game Chanager & Risk Taker Who Sped Up Transition Toward Renewables
4. Solar City Teaming Up With Tesla

Hopefully, they will have realized that Solar City will be able to install solar system (in states where Solar City exists) at their rooftops for free so that these small businesses would simply purchase their electricity through Solar City. These small businesses, once having installed solar systems through Solar City on their rooftops or via Community Solar Gardens in a community solar garden ,  will be able to receive promotion by Sun Is The Future at sunisthefuture.net and via social networks, as mentioned above, free of charge. Be sure to submit the photos of your solar system and a letter/email of permission for the use of your photos in order for Sun Is The Future to promote your business online.  Why do you want to be promoted by Sun Is The Future?  There are readers/viewers from over 164 countries here at Sun Is The Future.

May we all work together in speeding toward our Earthly Solar Future!

Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:

www.sunisthefuture.net

www.instagram.com/sunisthefuture

www.pinterest.com/sunisthefuture

www.facebook.com/sunisthefuture

www.youtube.com/user/sunisthefuture

www.kiva.org/team/sunisthefuture

www.sunisthefuture.com

www.cafepress.com/mathlady

~have a bright and sunny day~

gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

Any of your comments will be welcomed below or via sunisthefuture@gmail.com (please note if you do not want your email to be shared)

Homepage: http://www.sunisthefuture.net


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Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

(Please click on red links below)

Since our Aug. 1, 2013 post, there’s been quite a few people asking questions about some basic mechanics in how Community Solar Garden works. I’d like to direct you to the page on Start A Community Solar Garden/Farm under the Information section at www.sunisthefuture.net. I would also like to share another video clip that will help with this explanation, below.

Our research and interviews suggest that CEC (Clean Energy Collective)‘s community solar model leverages economies of scale, along with fully maintained array for maximum power production, to deliver  very low price for renewable energy. This would allow consumers/purchasers to bypass the research, construction, maintenance, and ongoing repair of building a costly system of their own. It would also allow renters and owners of poorly sighted properties for solar to participate.

 

Furthermore, as long as they stay within the region serviced by the same utility company, there is the flexibility of having their bill credits move with them. If purchasers need to move out of the region, they may sell their panels any time.

 

I  found  that CEC also had been partnering with SunFarm to establish Vermont’s first community-owned solar garden at Putney, VT, the Putney Community Solar Array (or SunFarm Community Solar), a 147 kW & 588-panel photovoltaic system servicing Green Mountain Power (GMP) utility customers. Solar panel owners in the Putney Community Solar Array will receive all available rebates and tax incentives, as if the system were located on their roof, and will be credited for the power their panels produced on their monthly GMP electric bills. Each panel in the Putney Community Solar Array costs $813 and is expected to pay for itself in about 10-12 years; but owners of the panels will be able to continue receiving power from these solar panels for as long as 50 years or more. To date, over half of the array have been reserved and each of the panel owners will see a power credit on their utility bill as soon as the array goes online this month (August of 2013).

More information on the Putney Community Solar Array:  www.VTSolarGardens.com , email: info@VTSolarGardens.com, or (802) 536-4471.

For more information on Clean Energy Collective: www.easycleanenergy.com or (800)-646-0323.

The future looks bright for solar energy as more and more of these community solar gardens will be springing up throughout our planet earth.  What are you/we waiting for? Let’s start planting our community solar gardens!

~have a bright and sunny day~

gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

any of your comments and suggestions will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com

Homepage: http://www.sunisthefuture.net

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Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

c. The Earth’s Energy Balance (Earth’s energy balance will enable you to understand radiative equilibrium. You will also be able to recognize that the temperature of earth depends on the amount of solar energy that it absorbs.). Read more about Earth’s Energy Budget at:  http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/EnergyBalance/?src=youtube

d. The Greenhouse Effect (The temperature of earth has been relatively constant over time. This is possible because as the planet absorbs solar radiation, it also emits longwave radiation into space. Despite this radiative equilibrium, some longwave radiation remains trapped beneath the atmosphere of the earth and warms the surface of the earth. This phenomenon is called the “greenhouse effect.”)

e. Human Activities and Carbon Dioxide (Shortwave radiation emitted by the sun and longwave radiation emitted by carbon dioxide and water vapor contribute to the heating of the Earth’s surface. Over the past 120 years, scientists have observed that the Earth’s average global surface temperature has increased. At the same time, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has also increased. Take a closer look at how these changes may have occurred.)

f. Modern Atmospheric Concentrations of Carbon Dioxide (The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing. This movie will help you describe how the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has changed over the last 100 years.)

g. Modern Global Temperature (Earth’s average global temperature changes over long periods of time. Past data records indicate that the global annual temperature of earth has increased throughout this century.)

This global annual temperature rise of approximately 1 degree Celsius since 1880’s will have severe impact on  local and regional weather conditions.

h. Computer Climate Models (Scientists use computer climate models, with mathematical equations, to help them understand how temperature in different regions of the world may change as carbon dioxide increases.) Such climate models enable scientists to make predictions/estimations about how the climate may change in the future.

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If we want to slow down the impact of climate change described above, to slow down the CO2 emissions into earth’s atmosphere and reduce the extreme weather conditions (such as increased droughts, hurricanes, and floods),we need to GO SOLAR Quickly! At Sun Is The Future, we take action by having launched the petition for Solar-FIT For Sunshine State and sharing information on how to Start A Community Solar Garden/Farm. Please participate and share these links/sites with others. This is not a partisan issue. It is a Necessary Earthly Movement!

~have a bright and sunny day~

gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

any of your comments or suggestions will be welcomed at comments area below or via sunisthefuture@gmail.com (be sure to note if you do not want your email to be shared).

Homepage: http://www.sunisthefuture.net

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Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

(Please click on red links below)
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Updates on our Solar-FIT For Sunshine State petition: 167 signatures strong. We need more! Please help us to spread more sunshine by signing this petition and sharing it with others. It is our shared responsibility to move toward the renewable energy age and Sunshine is the cleanest, healthiest, and least war-prone way to go!
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Hi, Folks,

(Please click on red links below)

Yes, I’ve been talking about Community Solar Garden to people in my communities. Are you? Think of all the potential sites that may be used as Community Solar Gardens: rooftops and parking lot of Y, schools, apartment complexes, ground of retention areas of each subdivision, etc. Imagine giving 3 kilowatts capacity of a community solar garden as wedding gift to your college room-mate or selling 3 kilowatts capacity on the craiglist. While I conjure up what may be the possible tomorrow, there are more details that need to be addressed today. To  clarify many of these details, I’ve found 2 more videos (red links below)  that will help to increase our understanding of what Community Solar Garden/Farm concept is all about. It is about community garden, growing solar energy, enabling any one who wants to participate (regardless if one is a home owner or apartment dweller, with or without a house that is shaded or optimally oriented for sun exposure…). It is a smart way to invest (tax-free, with guaranteed return, with greater certainty than investing in the stock market) and to save our planet from dramatic climate change. It’s a win-win, No Brainer! Here  are the videos (red links below):

1. (Leasing Solar Panels Through Garden)
2. (Community Solar)
   

   rooftop solar panel array at the Kuppam-i-community office

   

   rooftop pv panels in Kreuzberg, Berlin

   

   Westmill Solar Park/Garden (creative commons, GNU Free Documentation License)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope this series of presentation on Community Solar Garden/Farm  from June 17-26, 2013 posts of www.sunisthefuture.net has been helpful to you . For those of you who haven’t viewed the series, below:

June 17, 2013 post

June 18, 2013 post

June 19, 2013 post

June 20, 2013 post

June 21, 2013 post

June 22, 2013 post

June 23, 2013 post

June 26, 2013 post

Thanks to Joy Hughes at Solar Garden Institute of CO, we are now supplied with additional resources pertaining to Community Solar Garden, below:

CALIFORNIA: SB 43 passes Assembly Utilities and Commerce committee / Oppose SB1295Solar gardens give access to green energy to more Coloradans – The Denver Post Michigan Welcomes Community Solar Minnesota Community solar gardens: Coming soon to a neighborhood near you | Fresh Energy New York Paves the Way for More Solar in the Empire State The Advantages of Developing Solar on Brownfields | Greentech Media Film explores effects of solar projects on Native American life | LA Times Solar Gardens Resources Email: info@solargardens.org Web: Solar Gardens Website Solar Gardens Blog State by State Policy Solar Gardens Institute Mission and Principles Solar Gardener Training Twitter: @solargardens Linkedin: Solar Gardens LinkedIn Group Facebook: Solar Gardens Facebook Page Solar Gardens Colorado – Boulder Solar Gardens Colorado – Denver Metro Solar Gardens Colorado – San Luis Valley Solar Gardens California Solar Gardens Pacific Northwest Google Groups: Solar Gardens Google Group Community Power California Solar Gardens Midwest Solar Gardens New York

Happy Gardening!

~have a bright and sunny day~

any questions or comments will be welcomed either below in the comment area or via sunisthefuture@gmail.com

Homepage: http://www.sunisthefuture.net

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Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

(Please click on red links below)
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Updates on our Solar-FIT For Sunshine State petition: 165 signatures strong. We need more! Please help us to spread more sunshine by signing this petition and sharing it with others. It is our shared responsibility to move toward the renewable energy age and Sunshine is the cleanest, healthiest, and least war-prone way to go!
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After having learned more about what other communities in various states of USA have done with Community Solar Garden/Farm programs, I could not contain myself and went for a walk in my neighborhood to share these information, hoping there will be  people in my community who are also concerned about our environment and are interested in making smart investment. I found out there are several issues that needed clarification regarding Community Solar Garden/Farm:

1. It is a separate issue from Feed-In-Tariff (FIT).  Although it may work in conjunction with FIT, it is not necessary to involve or require FIT.
2. Participation in Community Solar Garden or Farm is a form of investment, with certainty in rate of return. Think of investing with greater certainty than investing in the stock market.
3. Participation in Community Solar Garden or Farm does not require some one to live in the community forever. As a matter of fact, this is one of the appealing aspects of CSF (Community Solar Farm) program. The solar farm/panels will be maintained by a company. Those who participate in CSF simply function as investors.
4. Participation in CSF does not mean that one is unhappy with the government. It simply means one is interested in having a clean, healthy, and secure environment for our future generations while making smart investment decision.
5. Participation in CSF does not mean that one is unhappy with the power/utility company. It actually is necessary for the CSF group to work or negotiate with the power company for a contract that would be mutually beneficial, before the project may even began. This may all be handled by an experienced company.
6. This form of participation in solar is actually helpful for the power companies to remain in the game, in the long run.  Allow me to explain: cost of solar has already dropped so much that in many areas it’s already reached grid parity (it is economical to go solar). Within five to ten years, we will be seeing storage/battery technology advance to the point that it will allow sufficient amount of power stored for night time use. Right now, at this critical juncture, power companies still have the time to come in to negotiate with consumers to provide incentive for consumers to remain connected to the grid. If power/utility companies do not take advantage of this precious time to cooperate with consumers, good portion of power companies’ best clients will be going off the grid within the decade. Then, it will not be good for the power companies nor for those remaining clients.
7. Yes, it is necessary to negotiate with both HOA (Home Owner Association, if there is one is one’s community) and power company of one’s particular community before the Community Solar Garden may begin. But keep in mind that it will be beneficial for both the HOA and power company that this form of participation is encouraged. Negotiation process may be taken care of by experienced people/company.
8. Yes, it is necessary that there is potential sites in one’s community for the garden/farm to take place. It may surprise many that a solar farm/garden does not have to take much space. Look around in your community and see if there are spaces not fully utilized at the moment.  In my community, I can see multiple areas that may be considered, below:

Hope you will be successful in starting your community solar garden. This form of participation in solar is good for the environment, our future generations, and our pocket book. It’s a No  Brainer. For more information on community solar garden/farm program, please feel free to visit these posts below for reports,  and videos for further explanations:

June 17, 2013,    June 18, 2013,     June 19, 2013

 

 

~have a bright and sunny day~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

any of your comments, suggestions, or need of encouragement will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com

Homepage:  http://www.sunisthefuture.net

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