Sun Is The Future

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

(Please click on red links below)

Let’s switch our gear slightly in this post by turning our attentions toward some interesting uses of solar energy, gathered below during my recent trips:

1. Solar Panels on Utility Poles in Orlando, FL
   

   Solar Panels on Utility Poles in Orlando, FL (credit: Orlando Utility Commission)

2. Solar Powered Parking Light
   

   Solar Powered Parking Light (credit: Aubry L. Buzek)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Solar Powered Flying Butterfly, video below:

Gathered & posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

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

Homepage: http://www.sunisthefuture.net

Share on Facebook

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

(Please click on red links below)

After much deliberation, Sun Is The Future is now launching the Renewable-FIT For Sunshine State petition. With this wider-based perspective, we’re hoping to gain greater support and momentum from various sectors of Renewables (Solar-Wind-Wave-Biomass-Geothermal) of the Sunshine State of Florida.  The motivation is to ultimately living up to the name of “Sunshine State”, utilizing as much of the renewable resources of our state as possible to transition away from the fossil fuels smoothly and quickly. Join us by clicking on and sign the Renewable-FIT For Sunshine State petition!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~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

Share on Facebook

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

(Please click on red links below)

I’ve been spending more time learning about Feed-In-Tariff (FIT). Naturally, Gainesville, FL is an important starting point for history of FIT in USA, for it was the first city in USA that adopted FIT (Feed-In-Tariff) via GRU (Gainesville Regional Utility) back in February/March of 2009.  So, it was both a pleasure and honor for me to present to you Ed Regan and former Mayor of Gainesville, Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan , in the video clip below. This interview was conducted at the top of Downtown Gainesville parking garage (220 SE 2nd Ave.), in Gainesville, Florida.

 

The program (Solar FIT in Gainesville) was open to small, medium, and large projects, but was capped at 4 MW per year. As of 2011, Gainesville has increased solar generated electricity from 328 to 7391 KW. By Dec. of 2012, over 14 MW of solar PV had been installed in the Gainesville area. This is the highest per capita solar PV in Florida and one of the highest in the United States.Solar energy now takes up about 1.2% of peak load energy (610 MW) in Gainesville, FL. FIT had been responsible for much of the widespread implementation of solar in Gainesville area, increased local jobs, and dramatically improved economic opportunities for Gainesville, FL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two very important people who were instrumental in the adoption of FIT in Gainesville, FL: Ed Regan and Pegeen Hanrahan are being interviewed in this video. Ed Regan, a senior administrator (Assistant General Manager for strategic planning of GRU, Gainesville Regional Utility) back in 2009, is now with Strategic Utility Management at Gainesville, FL.  Pegeen Hanrahan, two-termed Mayor of Gainesville in 2009, now the Principal of Community and Conservation Solutions, is involved with various projects protecting FL’s public lands, parks, and natural resources.

Ed Regan and Pegeen Hanrahan discussed changes and progress in solar energy during the past few decades and the importance of concerned citizen participation, as well as legislative support and proactive and creative utility staff in setting the right tone for a prosperous renewable/solar energy future.  Without these three factors mentioned above, Solar FIT would not have been able to take place in Gainesville, FL. Ed Regan and Pegeen Hanrahan are two eloquent speakers with plentiful  lessons learned, practical insight, and wisdom.  This is a valuable discussion for any one currently in or will become part of the solar energy future. To better appreciate this interview, please feel free to click on following links:   Kyoto Protocol; net metering; avoided cost; PURPA;Feed-In-Tariff.

As  advocates for solar energy, Sun Is The Future team was thrilled to have this opportunity to learn about solar energy and FIT (Feed-In-Tariff) from these two highly charged individuals. As the cost of solar installations continues to drop, it is apparent that investing in solar is a no brainer. Implementing Solar-FIT, a productive incentive policy,  will help local economic prosperity by creating local jobs, improving energy security, and insuring the health and clean nature of the energy source of all types of   utility ( municipality, investor-owned, or cooperative ). But experience did indicate that investor-owned utility tends to require more hurdles to overcome before Solar-FIT may be successfully implemented.

Now, it is with hope and optimism,  please allow me to share the FIT Song by Regans,written by Kevin and Brendan Regan.

So, what are we waiting for? Let’s support the Renewable/Solar Feed-In-Tariff in Florida, USA, and the planet earth! Let’s convert as much usable space into Renewable Space on our journey toward the Renewable/Solar Future!

~have a bright and sunny day~

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

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

Homepage: http://www.sunisthefuture.net

Share on Facebook

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

(Please click on red links below)

Thanks to our friend from the Wind Persuasion, Paul Gipe, keeping us updated on the subject of FIT (Feed-In-Tariff), below I’d like to share an excerpt of the email from Paul:

 

~have a bright and sunny day~

gathered 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

Share on Facebook

Dear Friends, Viewers/Visitors/Readers,

Please click on red links below. Let me share this message from SEIA with you:

SEIA, Leading Business Groups Urge Vice President to Raise India Trade Concerns

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With widespread U.S. concerns over India’s trade practices and policies, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) – along with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and nearly 40 other leading American business groups – are urging Vice President Biden to raise these concerns during his visit to India later this month. This letter was delivered to the vice president this morning.

About SEIA®:
Established in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA and its 1,000 member companies are building a strong solar industry to power America. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works to make solar a mainstream and significant energy source by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. www.seia.org.

________________________________________________________________________________________

So what do you think?!

Our best wishes to Vice President Biden!

~have a bright and sunny day~

gathered & posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

any of your comments will be welcomed either 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

Share on Facebook

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

Please click on red links below for more.

I’ve been away for a while and was really tickled pink when finally got around to read this email and report.  Truly, this is the kind of report that brings hope and optimism to the future of solar energy, for now there is the chance that consumers, utility companies, and regulators will be able to come to the table with the common frame work and understanding to begin working together rather than against one another. Be sure to click on the primer and report below. My fellow Solar Enthusiasts,  we are finally progressing beyond the simplistic net metering and moving toward a more complex but fitting pricing structure necessary to become a mainstream player.  I am particularly excited to read about the consideration of Value-of-Solar Tariff or SmartFIT (page 20 of the primer below). We are finally unveiling the curtain for a new era! Yes, the Solar Energy Era!

Way To Go Julia Hamm & Eran Mahrer!   Way To Go SEPA!

_________________________________________________________________________________________

NEM Primer Focuses on Defining Key Terms and Concepts to Provide Common Understanding

SEPA has released a new report: “Ratemaking, Solar Value and Solar Net Energy Metering – A Primer .” In a rapidly changing solar environment and as the penetration of distributed solar generation (DG) is increasing, the primer is designed to offer a balanced viewpoint on net energy metering (NEM) by providing a basic understanding of state utility regulation, with a focus on rate-setting and distributed solar-value research.

“The report highlights the different approaches taken by state regulators for ratemaking, and underscores that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach for all situations,” said SEPA President and CEO Julia Hamm.

The primer integrates a variety of expert opinions from a full range of solar stakeholders, including regulators and utility staff, who together seek to set the foundation for constructive and sustainable distributed solar transactions. Utilities that previously could not envision significant amounts of grid-tied solar on their systems are now more interested in potential distributed-solar impacts, and are examining immediate and long-term policy and rate design options. Conversely, solar stakeholders are evaluating mechanisms to support solar market growth and recognizing the need to work with utilities to maximize the value of this renewable resource.

“SEPA worked with multiple stakeholders representing all facets of the NEM discussion to balance perspectives from across the growing solar distributed generation and net metering markets,” said Eran Mahrer, Vice President of Utility Strategy at SEPA. “The goal of the primer is to give readers a common understanding of key industry terms that can benefit discussions aimed at creating a sustainable future for distributed generation.”

Download the Report for this comprehensive and insightful look at net energy metering.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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

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

Homepage: http://www.sunisthefuture.net

Share on Facebook

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Gathered 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

Share on Facebook

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

(Please click on red links below)

Multiple events occurred during the last portion of Across America 2013 mission of Solar Impulse (I’d also like to share the video clip on “Across Americaa 2013: Best From San Francisco to Washington”, below :

• Members of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO, Metro New York Chapter) visited Solar Impulse and saw with their own eyes the outcome of combining technological innovation with pioneering spirit. The YPO and Solar Impulse share the vision and belief that education is central to creating better business in the future and they have conveyed this vision to 20,000 business leaders across the globe. This 7-year endeavor of calculations, analysis, and engineering excellence has successfully completed the Across America mission from San Francisco to New York City, with final destination at JFK International Airport on Saturday, July 6, 2013, enabling Andre and Bertrand to share their message to inspire people to embrace the pioneer within them in their daily lives. Upon answering one of the questions concerning stress for pilots’ family during this mission (such as the partially damaged wing during flight to New York), Andre’s wife Yasemin commented, “even though these are stressful moments, I felt confident as I know that such situations have been extensively trained for and the airplane has proven time after time that it is reliable. A successful landing is of course a great reward for this nervousness.”
• Bayer Material Science organized an event on Friday, July 12, 2013, presenting chemistry to students from disadvantaged school children from the Bronx. In its mission “Science For A Better Life”, the chemical grant and Solar Impulse partner demonstrate how important research and innovation are in finding sustainable solutions for the future. Patrick Thomas, CEO of Bayer MaterialScience, gave the opening remarks for the event “Solar Impulse captures the core values of our company in one magnificent package. It ties in perfectly with our philosophy of ‘Science For A Better Life,’ while also serving as a rigorous test of how our materials and technologies perform in challenging conditions.” “The project is about pioneering spirit, about adventure, about thinking outside the box,” explained Bertrand to the young audience. “It’s not easy being a pioneer. To get where we are today, we had to fail many times. But every time you fail, you’re one step closer to succeeding.” “In retrospect, it’s always nice to think about how we got here. The project is a lot about inspiration and a direct result of how we’ve been inspired by others before us. We hope this will encourage you to do great things for the future of our society,” concluded André to the applauding audience.
• The Swiss Consulate organized an event for employees, friend, and families on Saturday, July 13, 2013. “Seeing the airplane land at JFK was a very emotional and historic moment. I can compare it to when the Wright brother flew over the Statue of Liberty and landed in New York,” said François Barras, Consul General of Switzerland in New York. “Switzerland, a country poor in resources, owes its survival to its ingenuity. Today, thanks to André and Bertrand, we can showcase Switzerland’s innovative spirit.” concluded François. Switzerland was ranked the world’s #1 most innovative country this year (Global Innovation Index 2013).“One hundred and fifty years ago Switzerland was a poor country with no resources. Today it’s at the top of the ranks,” explained Bertrand. “What changed is the mindset. People had to look for new ways to communicate with the outside world by being inventive: building bridges and tunnels. Today, Solar Impulse shows that same shift in mindset, the perfect demonstration of what can be done when you’re not afraid to try”. “Don’t believe that you’ll fly in solar airplanes in 5 years as we’re currently at the same point as the Wright Brothers in 1915. But it’s a step ahead and proof about what can be done,” said André as he described the beginning of the project back in 2003. “We made it to New York City despite the challenges and we can now say that the mission was a success. However, that’s not what will remain impressed in our minds; it’s the incredible welcome we’ve had across the country and the amazing capability people have to be excited about something. It was an extremely fulfilling experience,” concluded André as he thanked everybody, including JFK International airport for accepting Solar Impulse.
• Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, a Solar Impulse Official Partner and sole insurance provider, organized a wonderful lunch event at Hangar 19 today, July 15, 2013.  “So many people are prisoners of old patterns of thinking, using old  solutions for new challenges. Swiss Re Corporate Solutions is proving its pioneering spirit by providing full coverage to Solar Impulse – a prototype experimental solar aircraft project. It took them 24 hours to accept the partnership and no more than 2 months to sign the contract,” said Bertrand Piccard.
  

We appreciate Bertrand and Andre’s perseverance, ability to think outside of the box, and their desire to inspire  many to come up with new solutions for our changing world. Thank you Solar Impulse Team for bringing us this beautiful plane powered by Sunshine and igniting the imagination of the world!

Let’s all take part in making HB-SIB to become a reality! Fellow Solar Enthusiasts and Fellow Earthlings, it is the most tangible vision reflecting the future of our planet. Let’s make sure that it will fly high, unbounded by the old world of fossil fuel! Find out how by clicking on: http://solarimpulse.org/en/join-the-challenge/ and/or  http://solarimpulse.org/en/donate/

~have a bright and sunny day~

gathered and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

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

Homepage:  http://www.sunisthefuture.net

Share on Facebook

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

(Please click on red links below)

I’ve received this email from Mosaic few days ago,  excerpt below:

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Distributed Sun and Mosaic Partner to Crowdsource Investments in School Solar Project
Enables Individuals to Support Solar on Schools While Earning 5.4% Annually

FEDERAL HEIGHTS, CO (July 11, 2013) Distributed Sun LLC (D-Sun), an enterprise level solar project development, finance and advisory services platform serving the Fortune 500, and Mosaic, an online marketplace that connects investors to high-quality solar projects, today announced their first joint project to allow individuals to invest in a 657 kW solar installation on a charter school in Colorado and earn an estimated 5.4% annually.

Mosaic plans to leverage Distributed Sun’s leading solar development platform, the Distributed Solar Network™, to scale its crowdsourced financing model. Mosaic is pleased to work with D-SUN’s network of more than 115 solar installers in 28 states developing more than 120 MW of projects per month.

“We are honored to partner with Pinnacle Charter School and Mosaic to commission this installation in Colorado, a vibrant solar market,” says Chase Weir, CEO of D-Sun.  “It’s a real honor to provide a service that creates jobs, delivers substantial savings to our partners, teaches students about clean energy and is beneficial for the environment.”

“Mosaic is thrilled to partner with D-Sun and open up more of these types of good investment opportunities to the public,” said Dan Rosen, CEO of Mosaic. “As we go forward together as partners under the truSolar™ initiative, an emerging standard for assessing solar project risk, we look forward to announcing deeper collaborations with D-Sun in the months ahead.”

The 657 kW solar system powers one of the largest public charter schools in Colorado while serving as an educational tool for over 2,000 students. The Pinnacle Charter School has served Northern Denver’s diverse community for nearly two decades with committed teachers and data-driven instruction. The solar project generates revenue by selling the electricity produced to the school and by selling the associated renewable energy credits to the local utility. Pinnacle’s solar project could save the school as much as $1.6 million in electricity costs over the lifetime of the project while teaching thousands of K-12 students about clean energy.

ABOUT MOSAIC
Mosaic is an online marketplace that connects investors to high-quality solar projects. Mosaic’s mission is to open up clean energy investing to the public and fundamentally change the way energy is financed. To date, Mosaic has raised $3M from more than 1,800 investors to finance solar projects in California, Arizona, Florida and New Jersey. For more information about Mosaic visit www.joinmosaic.com.

ABOUT DISTRIBUTED SUN
D-Sun is a nationally recognized solar and micro-grid project development and finance services platform serving the commercial and industrial market segments. D-Sun develops, finances, constructs, owns and operates commercial scale solar energy systems throughout the United States. D-Sun represents capital sources seeking to deploy over $1B of project finance in the commercial & industrial sector over the course of 2013 and 2014. For more information visit www.distributedsun.com.

ABOUT PINNACLE
The Pinnacle Charter School is one of Colorado’s largest K-12 charter schools proudly serving North Denver’s diverse community. Pinnacle provides academic excellence through highly qualified teachers, data-driven instruction, and the application of Core Knowledge to enhance Colorado academic standards. For more information about Pinnacle visit www.thepinnacleweb.org.

ABOUT truSolar™ – truSolar™ is an industry-driven, accessible standard credit screen for commercial and industrial photovoltaic project screening, underwriting and approval via a comprehensive assessment of risk to enable broader access to lower cost capital. For more information about truSolar™ and the truSolar™ Working Group visit www.trusolarscore.com.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

We will continue to share with you: news, information, educational resources about solar energy.

~have a bright and sunny day~

gathered and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

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

Homepage:  http://www.sunisthefuture.net

Share on Facebook

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

Below you will see two email updates from Solar Impulse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please Support Solar Impulse Team by visiting:  http://www.solarimpulse.com/en/join-the-challenge/ and/or  http://www.solarimpulse.com/en/donate/

_________________________________________________________________________________________

New York City, July 7, 2013 – Solar Impulse – the solar-powered airplane of Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg – has encountered a technical problem on its way to New York John F. Kennedy Airport. The pilot, André Borschberg, is not in danger and the condition of the aircraft is currently stable. The Mission Team and the pilot have decided to shorten the flight.

A tear of 2.5 meters / 8 feet has appeared on the fabric of the lower side of the left wing. After a first analysis from pictures taken from a helicopter, Solar Impulse engineers came to the conclusion that the damage would not worsen. Pictures taken 2 hours later, have confirmed that the situation remains stable. There is no immediate danger to the Pilot or airplane, however the Flight Director is exploring the possibility of an earlier landing, sometime around 11.00 PM EDT (UTC-4).

Below, is an added video clip of Andre Borschberg’s talk on use of parachute:

And we’re glad he didn’t need to use it (but it’s good to know that it is there if there should ever be any need)!

Solar Impulse will be completing its final leg of this historic journey across the country,  on Saturday July 6^th! Don’t miss your chance to be part of the adventure!

_____________________________________________________________________

A number of activities are being organized during this incredible last leg of this epic crossing, so don’t miss your chance to be part of the adventure!

• Live streaming of the entire flight from the pre-flight preparations of the pilots to the triumphant landing directly on our website. There are regular interviews of members of the team including the pilots, André from the cockpit and the Bertrand from the ground. Also, highlights of past events, flights and important moments of the mission are retransmitted for the duration of the flight.
• Data from the airplane: Follow the flight with real data from the airplane with the virtual cockpit and check the route on the map.
• Google Hangout In Air with Solar Impulse pilots moderated by Jason Paur (from Wired Magazine) and featuring special guests including Erik Lindbergh, the grandson of Charles Lindbergh, Film Producer and Explorer James Cameron, and American jazz pianist ELEW. The Hangout will be live-streamed here during the flight at 3pm EDT (UTC-4).
• Spot the plane: As Solar Impulse flies over New York City; everyone is encouraged to spot the plane from the ground: you can check the real-time location of the plane on our website and from your mobile devices.
• Landing: There are a number of locations where to spot the plane at JFK, click here for more information.
• To commemorate 70^th anniversary of the publication of The Little Prince in New York (1943) – a story intimately linked to the history of aviation – the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation has given André and Bertrand a yellow scarf and special Antoine de Saint-Exupéry badge to wear during the flight. The original copy of the book is located at the Morgan Library and Museum on Madison Ave.
• Public Day: The Solar Impulse team will be opening its doors to the public at JFK International Airport on Saturday July 13^th from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM and on Sunday July 14^thfrom 11 AM to 7:30 PM. Click here to register for the Saturday visit and here for the Sunday visit.

We look forward to living this adventure with you!

Please be aware that the flight schedule could change before the takeoff if the Flight Director orders to fly another day or change the itinerary. You can regularly check the Solar Impulse website for the latest news concerning the flight or other updates.
Solar Impulse Team

PS.  You can also follow André, Bertrand or Solar Impulse directly on their Twitter pages

________________________________________________________________________________________

gathered & posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

any comments or suggestions will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com

Homepage:  http://www.sunisthefuture.net

Share on Facebook