12/7 – SEI Hosts Breakfast on PA’s Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Leslie Rylke

Friday, December 7th 2012

Over 40 businesses, education institutions, and municipalities attending this mornings breakfast briefing entitled “PA’s Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program.” The event featured a review of the Commonwealth’s $20 million grant program for CNG vehicle conversions, a case study on West Chester University, and information on price trends and infrastructure, courtesy of GP Strategies.

Special thanks to Sunoco for sponsoring this great event!

Pictured above: Tim Phelps (Transportation Management Association of Chester County), Larry Krackov (West Chester University), Dan Lapato (Pennsylvania DEP), Pat Begley (GP Strategies), Catharine Swan (SEI Programming Committee Chair), and Chris McIlroy (Sunoco).

Click below to download the slides from this event (.ppt):

11/30 – SEI Welcomes DVGBC and EEB Hub to Board of Directors

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Leslie Rylke

Friday, November 30th 2012

The Executive Committee is proud to announce two additions to the Smart Energy Initiative’s Board of Directors.

The Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) works to inspire, educate, and connect people around green building practices that will transform communities into healthier, more prosperous places for people to live, work and learn. DVGBC will be represented by Executive Director Janet Milkman, as well as by DVGBC members Jim Kerr (IMC Construction) and Pat Bolger (Turner Construction Company).

The Energy Efficient Buildings Hub (EEB Hub) was established in Philadelphia by the U.S. Department of Energy as an Energy-Regional Innovation Cluster with a unique dual mission of improving energy efficiency in buildings and promoting regional economic growth and job creation from their headquarters in Philadelphia’s Navy Yard. The EEB Hub will be represented by Deputy Director for Management and Administration Laurie Actman, and Advanced Energy Retrofit Demonstration Manager Mark Stutman.

The Delaware Valley Green Building Council and the Energy Efficient Buildings Hub join an already diverse group of regional energy companies, non-profits, schools, and economic and workforce development organizations that comprise the Smart Energy Initiative’s Board of Directors.

11/23 – Has Interest in LEED Fallen Off or Has it Been ‘Transformed’?

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Leslie Rylke

Friday, November 23rd 2012

Great read from Building Design + Construction Magazine about the the LEED green building standard. Is it worth pursuing, or will companies simply pursue sustainability features and forego the building designation?

“The most intriguing finding, however, had to do with what seems to be a falloff of interest in LEED certification. In Turner’s 2008 survey, three-fifths of respondents (61%) said they were “very likely” (30%) or “extremely likely” (31%) to seek LEED certification for new or renovated projects. This started falling in 2010, to 53%, and dropped to 48% this year, with 25% “very likely” and 23% “extremely likely” to use LEED.

Why this apparent decline of interest in LEED? One factor, which was not specifically asked in the survey and is based primarily on anecdotal evidence, is that many AEC firms are building sustainably without asking the client’s permission. There’s also considerable evidence that many owners are demanding fairly high levels of sustainable design and construction (at no fee premium!) while forgoing the USGBC plaque. And a fairly large minority of owners (17%) said they would be extremely likely or very likely to pursue other certifications, notably Energy Star.”

Read the full article here.

11/14 – Job Alert: Inside Solar Sales Representative at Community Energy

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Leslie Rylke

Wednesday, November 14th 2012

SEI is pleased to post occasional job openings from member companies, as a means of effectively reaching qualified, local candidates in the smart energy industry. Send job descriptions to Will Williams.

Company Overview
Community Energy (Radnor, PA) is a leading developer and marketer of renewable energy with offices in Pennsylvania and Colorado. Our mission is to ignite the market and develop the supply of fuel-free energy. Backed by our successful track record and driven by a team passion for leading the way on renewable energy, we deliver renewable energy solutions to utilities, businesses, institutions and individuals.

Our retail division has an established retail market base and reliable brand in delivering wind and solar power to our customers. Community Energy, Inc. is independently-owned and headquartered in Radnor, PA. For more information please visit http://www.communityenergyinc.com.
Position Description

Community Energy, a leading marketer of consumer renewable energy products in the Northeast, is currently seeking inside sales reps for sales of residential solar lease products. The Inside Solar Sales Representative is responsible for generating proposals, presenting solar power options to residential customers via webinar and phone, and achieving sales in line with targets. Advancement opportunities may exist with a proven sales record and demonstration of strong management skills.

Qualifications/Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, or related field OR 5+ years direct inside sales experience
Minimum 2 years sales professional experience
Professional presence and strong communication skills
Effectively manage multiple priorities simultaneously and meet assigned deadlines; ability to think creatively and devise alternate approaches to challenges and improve upon existing processes
Ability to perform at a high level with significant autonomy
Goal-oriented performance philosophy; ability to manage to the goal and maintain priorities

Details

The Inside Solar Sales Representative is required to work an entrance probationary period of up to 3 months. During this probationary period, the Inside Solar Sales Representative will receive a base pay plus commission. Upon satisfactory completion, the Inside Solar Sales Representative will become a permanent employee and will earn income under the commission-only structure if he/she sells at or above the minimum target level.

Interested candidates: Please email cover letter and resume to Info@CommunityEnergyInc.com. Email subject should read “Inside Solar Sales Representative”.

All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, references and verification of legal right to work in the U.S. Community Energy, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Inside Solar Sales Representative is an at-will employee.

11/5 – SEI 2012-2013 Needs Assessment Released

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Leslie Rylke

Monday, November 5th 2012

It is that time of year again when we ask for your input in creating an informative profile of the region’s smart energy industry. Our five-minute needs assessment will help us prioritize our 2014-2015 efforts and initiatives.

Please take a few minutes to tell us how we may help your organization grow and prosper.

Thanks in advance! We look forward to working with you in the upcoming year.

If you have any questions, please contact Will Williams.

10/30 – Sandy Creates One Of Largest Power Outages In PA History

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Leslie Rylke

Wednesday, October 30th 2012

From StateImpact Pennsylvania:

More than 1.3 million Pennsylvania energy customers lost power this week due toSuperStorm Sandy’s heavy winds.

That makes the storm one of the largest mass power outages in Pennsylvania history.

StateImpact Pennsylvania sat down with Public Utility Commission Chair Rob Powelson at PEMA headquarters Tuesday afternoon, to talk about what energy companies are doing to get the lights back on. Listen to the interview here:

Listen: Sandy Knocks Out Pennsylvania PowerPUC Chair Rob Powelson talks to StateImpact Pennsylvania Download

Looking for information about your power provider? We’ve linked to each utility’s outage map here.

10/17 – 7.2 MW, 46 Acre Solar Farm Approved in Chester County

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Leslie Rylke

Wednesday, October 17th

Congratulations are in store for Solar Working Group member Keare’s Electrical Contracting, who this week received final approval for the Coatesville Solar Initiative project.

“The proposed 7.2-megawatt solar farm on 46 acres was unanimously approved Thursday night, ending an 18-month process that resulted in numerous developer concessions.

The proposed farm was approved with more than 30 conditions, and individuals on every side of the issue praised the process.

“I think it’s a great day for Caln Township, Coatesville and the whole region,” developer Harry “Bob” Keares said Thursday following the decision. “We have gone through a lot of learning processes in order to learn the concerns of the residents. But as a resident of Chester County, I couldn’t be happier for the county right now.”

Throughout the process, the developers changed the proposed plan to accommodate concerns from both the township as well as neighboring residents. The buffers on the property were widened, the stormater management system was increased and the developers will provide public water for neighboring residents.”

10/3 – Mild winter, Solar energy Save Phoenixville Area School 30%

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Leslie Rylke

Wednesday October 3rd, 2012

From the Daily Local:

The Phoenixville Area School Board was informed the school district saved more than 30 percent on energy costs since the installation of solar energy panels at the high school and administration buildings.

“What makes energy conservation exciting is we really did save some dollars last year,” Superintendent Alan Fegley said.

Stan Johnson, the district’s executive director of operations, gave a presentation at Sept. 20’s board meeting on what savings the school district received in 2011-12 over the previous academic year.

“Bottom line, the district’s energy savings over the last year,was 30.2 percent less in the ’11-12 year as compared to the ’10-11 year,” Johnson said. “It went from a bill of $952,(367) down to a bill of $665,(181).”

Johnson tempered some of the results by acknowledging that the mild winter may have contributed in driving down energy costs.

According to him, electricity costs were down 25 percent, natural gas was decreased by 34.5 percent, and fuel oil was down by almost half, at 49.8 percent.

Mostly because of the winter, the number of “degree days” was far lower this year. Degree days are measures of how much the district’s air conditioning or heating units need to work to keep the buildings at a comfortable temperature,

The Phoenixville Area School District had 5,026 degree days this year as opposed to 6,089 last year, Johnson said.

However, even if the bills were “weather-corrected” to a typical year, Johnson said the energy bills would likely still have been 18 percent less than the 2010-11 school year.

9/24 – In 2012, US Develops 10,000 MW of Wind, New Solar Exceeds New Coal

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Leslie Rylke

Tuesday, September 25th 2012

The alway’s informative John Hanger’s Facts of the Day recently featured some key findings from a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission report covering the first eight. months of 2012.

Among the findings:

Up against expiration of the Wind Energy Production Tax Credit, the United States is on pace to develop more than 10,000 MW of windcapacity.
New Solar capacity may exceed new coal-fired power plants as solar continues to decline in cost.

9/6 – On Eve of NFL Season, Eagles Named Leader in Sustainability

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Leslie Rylke

Thursday, September 6th 2012

From the Philadelphia Enquirer:

The National Resource Defense Council, an environmental organisation, in collaroration with the Green Sports Alliance, earlier today released a report quantifying all the greening practices of professional sports teams.

As might be expected, the Eagles figure prominently.

The NRDC analysis — done on staff time, with no funding from any teams or leagues — called the franchise a “national leader” in the sports greening movement and said a system currently under construction that includes solar panels and wind turbines will be “the most extensive onsite renewable system of any U.S. sports stadium.” It also will generate 100 pecent of the energy the team needs.

Read the full article here…