Meet Jon Costanza, President of SunPower Builders.   As part of our focus on Earth Day this month, we recently sat down with Jon for an exclusive Q&A about his company, his history and his passion.

Jon, for those not familiar with SunPower Builders, briefly talk about your history and what you are doing related to the solar energy and passive house technology?

We are a family run business that’s been in existence for over 40 years now.  We are a solar and green building design-build firm for residential and commercial clients.  Since we started in 1972 we’ve installed over 100 systems in SE PA; in fact, we’re the largest PA based solar system installers.  We are a bit unique and have carved out a niche in the market in that we restore historic structures as well as build newer solar efficiency into all types of structures, new and old.   In that regard, we call ourselves the “preservationists of yesteryear and tomorrow.”

That’s a long time to be in what was then an emerging industry.   You might be considered to be a visionary.  Tell us what prompted you to get involved in this industry?

During the solar “boom” years of the Carter Administration, I installed solar water heating systems.  During the Regan administration, the solar “bust” years, I had to switch to high end construction. It was during this time that my interest in historic restorations was piqued. Over time I recognized the similarities between the fields of restoration and solar: both required fine craftsmanship and a deep care for your product, but moreover, there was an essence of practicality and commonsense. It was in this that I discovered a profound common thread . . .We are helping people design and build the beautiful, efficient homes they always dreamed of while helping create a more sustainable future one project at a time.

You have projects that are a unique blend of historic structures merged with newer energy conservation techniques. 

Yes.  But solar and passive house building techniques really are not new.  And many aren’t even technologically advanced. The typical older farmhouse is a passive energy house.  Back in the day, builders of these houses did what we now call sustainable building out of necessity.  Some examples we see are southfacing structures with over 60% of the glass facing south; overhangs that keep out the summer sun; splayed window sills that throw light back into the building.  It was more about common sense practical approaches . . . owners didn’t want to have to chop as much fire wood to warm their homes!    Solar design goes way back. Consider the Greeks who built all of their courtyards to be south facing.  The difference is that today we have a means of adding solar technology to any type of structure with PV (Photovoltaic) systems and solar panels.

Is it personal for you?

Yes, beyond my passion for my business and the environment, I live in a 1708 farmhouse that is 100% utility free and has been for 20 years.  Our house has been on tour for local schools and universities. Too often people think that solar buildings have to look different with pipes and metal sticking out and ruining the aesthetics.  Opening my home to tours helps prove that that there’s nothing weird about a solar house.

Can you tell us about some of SunPower Builders’ projects? 

We install about 2 megawatts of solar each year within 20 miles of our office in Collegeville, PA.  Our projects are small to medium sized residential buildings and also commercial buildings.

We worked with Victory Brewing Company on their building in Downingtown, PA where we installed a solar energy system on the roof. 345 solar panels were installed that provide 82,000 kWh of clean, renewable energy every year.  If you visit the restaurant, you’ll see an educational video on the TV in the bar area that we created with Victory to let people know about the carbon offset from their solar system.

We built our first solar house in 1974 in Haverford, PA.  At that time people were talking about and concerned about ecology, not global warming; it was a time when the Earth Day movement was getting started.  This house was a residence for a professor and we designed an interesting system.  The entire roof collected hot air that was then circulated to the basement area with a layer of stone that acted as a heat storage.  The heat could then be distributed back through the entire house as needed.

One of our most interesting projects was in the mid 1990’s.  We built a solar house in Myerstown, PA for an owner that worked for a pickle company.  We designed a hot air collector using over 1,000 glass pickle jars that were filled with water and located in the floor joists.  Heat was stored up in the jars and at night was radiated up throughout the house.  It’s still in existence and working today!

What’s the biggest challenge of passive house or solar projects?  

The misconception about solar is with cost and payback.  Contrary to many impressions, solar is affordable.   PA has lost or is losing it’s incentives around solar, but today it’s more economical than ever before.  Most projects have a 4-7year payback.  And with the income stream on a typical residence over a 25 year period you can realize a $100K – $250K profit.  That outperforms most retirement plans!

Solar is the only utility system where you can talk about payback; you can’t do that with your heater or air conditioner.  Solar pays for itself and generates a cash flow.  In brief, once installed, you become an owner of SREC’s (Solar Renewable Energy Certificates) that are a tradeable commodity.  Every 1 GW of PV that you generate annually, you earn 1 SREC and those SRECs can be traded on the East Coast Power Grid.

I have a small house Jon, on a small lot, would solar make sense for me?

Well, it depends.  Even small houses are candidates.  First you need to address reducing loads in the house with more efficient appliances and lighting.  That way, if you go solar you can add a much smaller system because your load is reduced.   Solar modules can be installed on the roof or in the yard.  It’s important to maintain the aesthetics of the house so as not to impact the market value negatively.  Solar isn’t “ugly” but I will sometimes tell clients that it won’t work if we can’t make it look right.

In your opinion, can solar continue to have a positive impact on the energy production in this country?

Yes!  Consider this:  In 2015, 60% of all new electric generation was from solar; that’s more than wind.  And Nuclear power plans take 20 years to build.  So solar can definitely fill a gap.  There is enough sunlight that hits the surface of the US in 1 day to power the country for 1 year.  So we have a lot more we can do!

So, what’s next for you and SunPower Builders?

We are strong advocates.  In fact, we put our advocacy and belief in solar ahead of profit margins.  We are branching out and getting into the development of products and components that aid our first responders in life saving events.  We’ve developed a patented product to turn off solar modules on roof tops.  This is important because when fire fighters arrive on the scene of a building fire where solar panels are on the roof, there isn’t much they can do because there isn’t any easy way to turn off the system.  With our new module this will be possible.  We’re hoping soon to partner with businesses in Chester County to bring this device to production.  We’re working with SEI and CCEDC on supplier and manufacturing options.

For more about Jon and SunPower Builders visit their website at:  http://www.sunpowerbuilders.com/

What is the Clean Power Plan? 

The agreement that came out of the 2015 COP 21 Sustainable Innovation Forum in Paris and adopted by 196 countries reaffirmed that the world must limit global temperature rise to below 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

The clean power plan is a set of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations set forth in August 2015 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the electric power sector nationwide by 32 percent by 2030. This plan is an integral part of President Obama administration’s efforts to meet its obligations under the recent Paris Climate Agreement.

To learn more about the EPA’s Clean power plan and the President’s Climate Action Plan click here:  https://www.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan

What is the status of the Clean Power Plan?

This Federal Clean Power Plan implementation was recently stayed by the US Supreme Court while the D.C. Circuit court considers challenges.  The Environmental Protection Agency filed its initial brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit responding to a legal challenge to its Clean Power Plan. The plan cannot be implemented until the challenge is considered.

Federal regulators have filed their first defense of the Clean Power Plan in a court case addressing the law’s merits, arguing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that it has the authority to limit emissions from existing power plants.

Opponents of the rule say the EPA is overstepping its authority under the Clean Air Act, and that the rule will hurt state economies still heavily tied to coal-fired generation.

To read the EPA’s initial brief, click here:  EPA’s Initial Brief

Why does Pennsylvania need its own Clean Power Plan?

Under EPA regulations, every state, Pennsylvania included, has the opportunity to craft its own best strategy to meet the Clean Power Plan.

The Clean Power Plan proposal sets a pollution reduction target for each state by assessing four readily available methods (or “building blocks”) for cutting pollution in that state. The target is expressed in intensity—pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity produced.

Pennsylvania is being asked to reduce its pollution intensity 33 percent by 2030 in order to meet the Federal Clean Power Plan targets.

How does Pennsylvania achieve its goals? 

The state is in process of drafting an initial plan to meet the pollution reduction target.  The plan is due in September 2016, but the date may change pending the Supreme Court stay.

The three building blocks the EPA has assessed to establish state targets are: 1) making electric power plants more efficient by increasing the amount of electricity they generate from each ton of coal burned; 2) using natural gas power plants more effectively by dispatching them before coal plants; and 3) increasing renewable energy growth, based on a growth rate already being met in the region.

While the carbon pollution targets are based on these building blocks, the states have not adopted the targets as their own plan and every state can meet their plans in any way they choose.

Want to learn more about Pennsylvania’s Clean Power Plan?

For a PA DEP overview of the plan, click here:  http://files.dep.state.pa.us/Air/AirQuality/AQPortalFiles/ClimateChange/Clean%20Power%20Plan%20Presentation%20-%20Sec.%20John%20Quigley%20-%2009092015.pdf

Join PennFutures in Phoenixville on April 20th to learn about what the Clean Power Plan means to Pennsylvania. RSVP here.

On March 30, 2016, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce hosted an event, “Building the Nation’s Next Energy Hub,” that called for the construction of a natural gas pipeline from the Marcellus Shale to the Philadelphia area.  The event included the formal release of the Greater Philadelphia Energy Action Team’s report, A Pipeline for Growth, that details their plans.  Read more and see the report via BizPhilly.

By Allie Nelson, originally published by Geothermal Energy Association Weekly news.

Extensive global interest in geothermal development was echoed at the 2016 International Geothermal Showcase in Washington, D.C.,held on March 16th. This is a  premier event for networking, collaborating, and spreading awareness of geothermal developments both national and abroad.  With dynamic panelists discussing topics from regional projects to financing to new technologies, presenters shared their knowledge to an audience of over 200 attendees, representing 40 countries spanning the globe, indicative of geothermal’s wide appeal and immense international potential.

The Showcase closely followed the December 2015 launch of the Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA), which brought together 40 countries and 26 implementation partners united by an ambitious goal to increase installed geothermal capacity sixfold by the 2030s.  GGA’s goal was discussed by keynote speaker Deputy Director-General of IRENA, Sakari Oksanen.  Oksanen believes geothermal will prosper and that in order to “combat climate change – [we] must scale up geothermal development.”

According to Oksanen, geothermal has a major role to play in the growth of the renewable energy sector. He stated the unifying challenge was installing 5 GW internationally per year: “Growing by 5 GW per year calls for collective action.”  The Global Geothermal Alliance will spearhead this, as “geothermal energy is a key part of the sustainable energy future.”

Tim Williamson representing the US Department of State announced that the GGA’s Draft Action Plan would be available for public input in the next few weeks.  GEA will help circulate the draft to those interested in constructive input.

Senator Dean Heller (R-Nevada), a champion for geothermal energy in the U.S., gave rousing remarks.  Heller harbors a vision of geothermal’s future: “I want to see the day Reno is powered only by geothermal and solar energy.  I want to make sure that my grandchildren will never have to put another dollar into a gas pump.”  He also promised to work this year to enact into law a long-term incentive for geothermal comparable to that recently provided solar.  “It will be a priority,” the Senator said.

At the showcase, the major stakeholders of the geothermal industry were represented, from development banks to developers to IRENA and the UN Energy Program.  Panelists shared their expertise with talks focused on exciting geothermal developments, new opportunities in the international market, innovative technology like Enhanced Geothermal Systems, and dynamic investment sources that could fund the future of the geothermal industry.

One highlight was a presentation by Paul von Hirtz of Thermochem, who covered geothermal in Indonesia, which currently has 1400 MW of geothermal installed and operating, 750 MW coming online, and 2450 MW under late planning stages.  Indonesia has the largest geothermal potential of any nation, and 4640 MW will be installed in the next few years.  By 2024, Indonesia is on track to generate 550 TWh/year, making it the nation with the world’s leading planned geothermal capacity, surpassing the current leader – the United States.

Another rising star of geothermal is Kenya, an African renewable energy leader represented by Albert Mugo of KenGen, whose company has experienced great success in Olkaria.  Still, Mugo said there was still a wealth of untapped energy: “Across the Kenyan Rift Valley, there is a huge geothermal potential estimated at over 10,000 MW – we have only explored 10%.”  Mugo’s statement echoed the theme of the showcase: developers, investors, and governments working in tandem to accelerate international geothermal development, moving the Global Geothermal Alliance’s goal of sixfold geothermal growth by the 2030s even closer to reality.

Participants were generally positive about the Showcase experience.  “It was a great networking event,” one said.  “It hit on the major topics and markets in one day,” commented another.

GEA will be making final presentations available to paid participants shortly, and following that will make them available to paid GEA members.   A detailed recap of GEA events follows.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), through the Energy Star program, have commended 149 organizations in 35 states.  Each year, EPA honors a select group of organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. Whether a first time Partner of the Year winner, or a Sustained Excellence winner, these small and large organizations from across the country are leading the energy efficiency movement. Four Pennsylvania based companies received rewards this year:

1. PECO, Philadelphia, PA (a SEI BoD member and participant!):  Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence in Energy Efficient Program Delivery Category
2. Liberty Property, Malvern, PA:  Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence in Energy Management Category
3. Ricoh USA, Malvern, PA:  Partner of the Year in Product Brand Owner Category
4. CLEAResult, Lancaster, PA:  Partner of the Year in Home Energy Rater Category

Read on to see how the 2016 ENERGY STAR Award Winners are helping millions of individuals, families, and businesses save energy and protect the climate.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Office of Pollution Prevention and Energy Assistance announces an opportunity to apply for grants under the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) Program to improve the Commonwealth’s air quality and reduce consumption of imported oil through the use of domestic alternative fuels that will help the state’s economy and environment. DEP is seeking applications for innovative, advanced fuel and vehicle technology projects resulting in cleaner advanced alternative transportation within this Commonwealth.

Approximately $7 million in grants will be available for school districts, municipal authorities, political subdivisions, nonprofit entities, corporations, limited liability companies or partnerships incorporated or registered in the Commonwealth to support.

For more information and eligibility visit the Pennsylvania DEP, Grants, Loans, & Rebates page.

Nancy Kunkle, SEI Program Manager, attended the Tri State Sustainability Symposium at Temple University on March 4, 2015.   The event was a great way to network with sustainability industry players and institutions in the region and Nancy was able to re-connect with our past Program Manager, Will Williams who was also in attendance!  Thanks to Paul Spiegel, a BoD member,  for the event recommendation!  Here are just some of the highlights that might be of interest to our SEI participants . . .

• By the numbers: the “80×50 challenge” (reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050).  It’s a great mantra – It’s NOT a plan of action, but a good dialogue! Focus is on reducing emissions in office buildings (60%), surface transportation (19%) and electricity. But the big payoff will come from residential.  The ROI for residential retrofits (thermostats, bulbs, insulation, furnance, hot water heater, etc) is more difficult to achieve.
• Philadelphia continues their focus on Sustainability: The Philadelphia Energy Authority is renewing focus on energy efficiency under Mayor Kenney.  The team wants to do deeper retrofits of buildings and do projects faster than they have been able to in the past. The Mayor’s Office of Sustainability under the leadership of Christine Knapp is working to update the Greenworks program this year and is looking for input on what programs and projects are of interest.  THE Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Select Greater Philadelphia, and the CEO Council for Growth created the Greater Philadelphia Energy Action Team will release their update Energy Hub report on March 30, 2016.
• Philly’s “Coolest Block” contest:    ECA did the Coolest Block contest under Mayor Nutter and it’s now called the Energy Fit Philly competition.  Money comes from Federal Weatherization Program for Residential Energy Efficiency.  You might think that it’s not getting a lot of attention because of the low cost of fossil fuels but those prices are most likely to go up so now is the time to invest.  Philadelphia now has a requirement that all new row house roofs be white to reflect heat.  A question to the SEI group: is there an opportunity for a similar neighborhood project in the SE PA suburbs?”
• Passive House – started in Germany but a key movement in the USA: the single family house is the most expensive to get the most efficient BUT there are so many of them that if we can figure out solutions it will have the largest impact! Typical building costs are 8-10% higher than a typical cost of a new house.  Philadelphia has 6-9 passive house projects already.  Energy Star initiative is great at addressing energy efficiency, but it is just not fast enough and he challenged the audience that we need to leap frog and find other solutions that have bigger impacts.  Building codes and incentives, perhaps at the national level, needs to be part of the passive house solution.
• Building a sustainability network: Lehigh Valley shared what many regions are facing – that sustainability groups exist in high numbers but in silos.  Everyone knows a silo; it’s good for some things but not sustainability because sustainability isn’t a single problem.  We need to connect our silos and empower the collective resources.    Mike Dunn from the US EPA office made a good point about not getting too carried away with the details when forming a network:  The idea of “weak” network might work best; it’s one that gets things done without a lot of structure and bureaucracy.

Philly.com, Business-Energy

Author: Andrew Maykuth, amaykuth@phillynews.com

Paul Spiegel and the team at Practical Energy Solutions, Inc. know something about energy and surviving the growing pains of a small business.  ​The company, located in West Chester and serving the greater Philadelphia, area is an energy consulting partnership.  Practical Energy Solutions is committed to working with organizations to cut their energy expenses and reduce environmental impacts.  Spiegel, the company’s president, is celebrating the 10^th anniversary of the company that he started in March 2006.   Today the company has 8 employees and is positioned to ride the growth of the energy industry taking place.  In addition to running Practical Energy Solutions, Paul is a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee for the Smart Energy Initiative of Southeastern PA.

We took some time recently to interview Paul about his company and his 10 years at the helm.

Paul, tell us a bit about your background:  where did you grow up, where did you go to school?

I grew up right here in Chester County, and went through TE School District, including Valley Forge Middle School and Conestoga SHS. I followed that up with getting my college degree at University of Delaware.

How did Practical Energy Solutions get started and what was it like in the early years?

I started the company in March of 2006 with an equal partner, and our sole service was evaluation of building operations and providing technical support for operating buildings more efficiently to save energy. Our goal was to reduce energy consumption 15% – 20% without any capital investment, and we were paid out of the energy cost savings. We received 50% – 80% of the savings for the first 2 years. My partner left in 2007, and I was the only employee until early 2009, and I immediately broadened our service offering to include assessments of capital upgrades, energy audits, and energy strategic planning, all for commercial, municipal and educational facilities. I also added an energy education or behavior change element to our services, because the people managing and occupying the buildings have a huge impact on the energy performance. When the recession hit, many of our clients wanted to be more aggressive about saving energy, because the economy was forcing them to reduce costs, and energy savings helped them improve their financials without cutting staff or programs. We grew significantly during the next several years.

What is your greatest passion related to Energy?

I’ve been concerned about the environment my whole life, especially clean air and clean water. I did my final research project my senior year in college in my Economic Analysis of Law class on the economic benefits to improving air quality, and processes for sharing the costs between polluters and “users” (people that breathe the air…). But I’ve also been responsible for the financial performance of my department at previous employers since 1990, and at my company since we started in 2006, and I understand the fiscal responsibilities of building owners. I really love the fact that by saving energy, there are both economic and environmental benefits from the projects that we identify, design, and/or implement for our clients, and these projects pay for themselves at an excellent rate of return.

What are some of the toughest challenges that Practical Energy Solutions faces in today’s market?

Low energy prices and a stronger economy seem to have combined to soften some of the demand for energy services, although not as much as I had thought they would. We are fortunate to have developed a strong client base that uses our services year after year, so our workload actually increased about 15% from 2014 to 2015, and our backlog increased over 50%.

What is your most visible project?

We have a contract with the City of Philadelphia that was just renewed at the end of 2015, for a maximum of 4 years, after our original 4 year contract ended. Working closely with city employees on identifying opportunities for energy savings that can be scaled up to reduce energy use in their entire portfolio of similar buildings allows us to have a huge impact on energy use in the city. We have also been providing support in developing standards for building renovations, operations, and design of new buildings and systems.

With 10 years of success to build upon, where do you see the company in the next 10 years?

I see us adding to the core of repeat clients that use our services year after year. In our first year of operation, our first four contracts were with a large public school district, a local municipality, a large private K-12 school, and a commercial business that occupies a 5-building office park in Chester County, and ten years later we still do work every year for three of our first four clients. Our goal is to help our clients develop their own energy goals and a long-term strategy for continuous improvement on their energy performance, and then to be their “GPS” to guide them through the implementation process, adjusting the plan as needed based on market opportunities or funding opportunities that arise.  So I see us continuing to add more of these committed organizations and individuals to our growing list of long-term partners, and being excited to come to work every day to help them have a positive economic and environmental impact within their organizations!