Solar Beaverton helps 258 homeowners add rooftop panels

Program marks largest effort in state, so far

By Steve Law

The Portland Tribune, Feb 21, 2012

Beaverton, tired of being overshadowed by Portland when it comes to green initiatives, announced its Solar Beaverton program has resulted in 258 residential solar installations, in league with the successful Portland Solarize programs on which it was based.

The city-led Solar Beaverton program began in 2010 with a pilot program and then expanded. As with Solarize, the city hired one solar contractor, in this case LiveLight Energy, to outfit participating homes, and provided homeowners with technical and financial advice.

Solar Beaverton increased the solar panel permits in the city by 2,500 percent in the course of the two-year program.

The city is touting it as the largest one-time community-based solar program in Oregon.

That may be a shortlived claim. The latest phase of Solarize Northeast, now under way, hopes to enlist 400 to 500 people to add residential solar energy, which would mark the largest single expansion of residential solar project in Oregon history.

The workshop is free but offers limited enrollment. Please note: During the initial registration period priority will be given to representatives of city and county government, economic development districts, council of governments and tribal staff .
For details, view the [pdf] Renewable Feasibility Workshop Flyer.pdf

To enroll >> click Register Today.
Program Background

The Community Renewable Energy Feasibility Fund (CREFF) program, was established in 2007 to foster new renewable energy development in the state. Administered by the Oregon Department of Energy, the program delivers grants to study the feasibility of renewable energy, heat, and fuel projects in Oregon. More about CREFF online.

In 2011, funds were dedicated to a two-day feasibility tools workshop. This workshop is geared toward staff at the county, city, economic development district, council of governments, and tribal level that often form the frontline of first-stage renewable energy development.

To assist in creating and facilitating this workshop, the Oregon Department of Energy has enlisted the assistance of the Northwest Energy Education Institute at Lane Community College, a leader in energy education.
Curriculum

Expert presenters will give a technical overview of each renewable energy technology or topic, with an emphasis on the factors that most affect the feasibility of projects. Modeling tools, the electric grid and transmission, and financing analysis will be discussed.

The afternoon of Day 2 will cover the application of feasibility software that can be used with multiple technologies and will include hands-on practice.

Participants will also receive a workbook that will include further resources and reference material.
Tentative Program Schedule
Day 1

Check In and Introduction
Solar Energy – Ryan Mayfield, Renewable Associates, Solar Instructor
Wind Energy – Kirk Slack, Oregon Community Wind
Lunch
Transmission and Interconnection – Bonneville Power Administration
Financial Fundamentals – Carolyn Roos, Washington State University
Hydropower – Kevin Crew, Black Rock Consulting
Evening Reception and Networking Opportunity

Day 2
Geothermal Energy – Andrew Chiasson, Oregon Institute ofTechnology, Geo Heat Center
Bio Energy – Matt Krumenauer, Oregon Department of Energy
Lunch
Feasibility Software – Presentation, discussion and hands-on practice – Paul Gilman, RE Consultant
If you have questions about the workshop, please contact:
Elaine Vidal – vidale@lanecc.edu | phone: 541-463-3154

The renewable energy sector experienced a volatile year in 2011, confronting critics and competitors who question the validity of new, sustainable sources of power and fuels. Nevertheless renewable energy advocates surmounted many of the hurdles that were erected and continued to press forward on the long march to a clean energy future.

A review of the past year shows those advocates had much to point to in asserting the viability and validity of renewables in meeting our nation’s growing energy needs. A recent analysis by the DOE’s Energy Information Administration estimates that once the total supply of renewables is calculated for 2011, it will have grown by a remarkable 11 percent over the previous year’s total.

In fact, renewable energy sources – biomass and biofuels, geothermal energy, solar power, wind energy and hydropower – provided 4.687 quadrillion Btus of energy, a record 12.25 percent, of U.S. energy production, during the first six months of 2011. Power generated by renewables exceeded that produced from nuclear power during the first quarter of the year. And the EIA says wind energy is projected to grow by 22 percent from 2010 to 2011. Final U.S. hydropower generation numbers in 2011 are estimated to reach their highest level since 1999.

Ethanol production is estimated by the EIA to have grown from 860 thousand barrels per day in 2010, to 900 thousand last year. Nearly 10 percent of all fuel used on the road in 2011 is ethanol, which studies have shown has kept the price of gasoline down (by an average of 89 cents per gallon in 2010 according to one analysis). That’s a critical finding, given that a typical household spent an average of 8.4 percent of its annual budget on gasoline in 2011, the highest percentage since 1981.

Meanwhile, the EPA has estimated the year’s total production of U.S. biodiesel at more than 900 million gallons, more than doubling 2010 production, breaking the previous record of about 690 million gallons set in 2009, and far surpassing the 800 million gallons mandated by the federal Renewable Fuel Standard.

The DOE in August released an update to its 2005 Billion Ton Study that says biomass feedstock under baseline assumptions remain sufficient to meet near- and long-term bioenergy goals, including the production of 85 billion gallons of biofuel annually, enough to displace a third of the nation’s transportation fuel demand. Looking forward, more good news came from the International Energy Association, which affirmed that biofuels can provide up to 27 percent of the world’s transportation fuels by 2050.

The installed cost of solar photovoltaic power systems in the United States continued its rapid decrease in 2011. The DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says the costs of panels and related equipment has dropped by nearly a third, making solar power cost-competitive with more traditional sources of electricity.

The geothermal industry now has power plants and small power units operating in nine states – compared to just four in 2005 – and expects to see more projects coming online in 2012 and 2013.

Among the number of significant accomplishments in the field of research last year, researchers with DOE’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) engineered the first strains of Escherichia coli bacteria that can digest switchgrass biomass and synthesize its sugars into a clean biofuel that can directly replace gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

The successes of 2011 go far beyond what is chronicled here and have come about because of the hard work and support of stakeholders and 25x’25 partners. Seeing how far the sector has come, partners must redouble efforts and continue the fight in 2012. It is critical that partners and stakeholders stay united and prepared for the time when the political environment inevitably turns more favorable, and that our messages focus on the clear benefits of renewable energy – economic recovery and job creation, national security solutions to volatile oil supplies from unstable regimes, and a better environment with improved soil, water and air quality.

By reframing the national energy conversation to emphasize the renewable energy successes at the federal, state and local levels; by forging new alliances with other forward thinking sectors such as the military community, and by continuing to work for the adoption of enabling policies, we can bring the 25x’25 vision to life and achieve a clean energy future.
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Volunteer Information Session: Wednesday, January 11^th, 5:30-6:30

We are looking for volunteers to make this project a success! Community members will play an active role in this exciting project, including pre-selecting contractors and marketing this limited time offer. We need enthusiastic volunteers with diverse skills to solarize Eugene! Get involved with the contractor selection committee, the outreach committee, or by providing other support in line with your skills, time and interest. Technical solar skills are not required to participate. Volunteers are primarily needed from January through July of 2012.

Interested?

We are hosting a meeting January 11^th, 5:30-6:30 at the Downtown Public Library Singer room. Please come to learn more about volunteering.

Get a head start by sending sarah @ trig-cli.org a completed volunteer application.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Renewable+energy+Edison+revenge/5910581/story.html#ixzz1hrG80ZVM