Monday, August 10th 2015

We’re thrilled to see Radnor-based Community Energy as recognized by Keystone Edge as a creator of high-quality green jobs!

From KeystoneEdge.com:

Some of the highest paying and most exciting jobs being created in the current economy are in the areas of high technology, renewable energy and medical devices. Fortunately, those are also sectors experiencing propulsive growth in Pennsylvania. Whether the companies are startups or long-established enterprises, these employers are driving the demand for an educated, tech-savvy workforce.

We talked to three companies from across the state to find out exactly how they create those high-value jobs. All are Ben Franklin Technology Partners portfolio companies and all hope to employ Pennsylvanians for years to come.

Community Energy Inc.

Founded in 1999 by R. Brent Alderfer, CEO, and Eric Blank, Executive Vice President, Community Energy Inc. (CEI) initially developed a market for wind energy. In 2006, the partners sold the company to Iberdrola Renewables of Spain, the largest renewable energy company in the world. But in 2009, they bought it back and turned their attention to solar energy development.

According to Tom Tuffey, the company’s vice president of project services, as of this year CEI has produced an estimated 350 megawatts of solar energy; by the end of next year it will be close to 700 megawatts — roughly the amount produced by a small nuclear power plant (five megawatts is enough for about 2,000 people).

CEI has built utility grade solar projects large and small all over the country; they are set to begin a 120-megawatt 1,000-acre project in Colorado, which will be the largest of its kind east of the Rocky Mountains.

The current staff numbers about three dozen, all professionals ranging in age from 30s to late 60s, including engineers, financial experts, attorneys and office staff. The company, which has received support from Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern PA, contracts with EPC (engineering procurement in construction) firms to do the actual building of the projects, which usually involves 60 or more tradespeople for three to four months.

According to Tuffey, the company recently hired someone to staff the trading desk — they keep an eye on the current prices of renewable energy — and just started a new engineer last week. Prior to that, CEI hired a senior developer to oversee the projects, from acquiring land to interconnecting with the power grid, a complex process.

“We’re probably the leading solar developer on the East Coast,” he says. “To find people with the depth of experience we require is a challenge, but we’re very well known in the industry, so people also come our way unsolicited. Ours is a very narrow niche world and we’re a well known entity in that world.”

He adds that there isn’t much turnover — people seem to enjoy working at CEI.

“We’re hot now, so people like a company that’s doing well,” explains Tuffey. “And everyone has access to the management team.”

Read more at KeystoneEdge.com…

Monday, April 27th 2015

Last week the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission proposed a new rule regarding net metering limits for distributed generation, such as solar PV installations. The rule, tentatively adopted at this point, would allow customers to produce (and sell back to the utility) up to 200% of their annual power needs, an increase from the current limit of 110%.

From Philly.com:

“The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission moved forward Thursday to set controversial rules and limits for “net-metering” customers who generate their own power from sources such as solar cells.

The commission tentatively adopted regulations that would allow “customer-generators” to produce up to 200 percent of their annual power needs and receive retail electricity prices for any surplus they sell back to the grid.

Solar-energy proponents were encouraged that the PUC’s rules were more generous than earlier proposals, which would have limited power production to 110 percent of power needs. But they questioned whether the PUC has the authority to set even a 200 percent limit.

“There’s no legal basis in the statute to add that restriction,” said Robert Altenburg, a senior energy analyst with PennFuture, who represented several environmental groups in the rule-making process.

The complex rule-making procedure attracted much testimony last year, including support from power producers such as small-scale solar developers and farmers who produce power from digesters that capture gas from livestock manure.

The PUC’s authority to regulate net-metering was outlined under the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act of 2004. That law was amended by a 2008 law known as Act 129, which set targets for utilities to reduce energy demand.”

Read more at Philly.com

Friday, February 6th 2015

SEI is pleased to post job openings from member companies and partners, as a means of effectively reaching qualified, local candidates in the smart energy industry. Additionally, SEI staff can review applications on you company’s behalf. If you’d liked to post a Job Alert, send descriptions and application instructions to Will Williams.

Sr. CADD Operator

The operator in this position primarily generates and provides the necessary plans, calculations and coordination associated with certification and re-certification of a variety projects. This includes generation of production level detailed plans, energy calculations, electrical load calculations, and coordination with external engineers and third party agencies as required. Additionally this position may include providing sales plans, modified standards drawings and other requests to customers and branches.

Main responsibilities
• Utilize AutoCAD to provide production level plans capable of state certification/recertification through the third party agency/engineers as required.
• Ability to perform energy calculations using Com-Check, coordination with external engineers as required on structural calculations to support state approval package submission.
• Coordinate and submit state documentation as required for state certification/recertification.
• This may include submission forms, completion of data plates, etc.
• Responsible for Quality Control Manual content, coordination for updates, approvals andoversight.
• Monitor code development and code change cycles as needed to support state plan submissions
• Provide 3d Renderings on projects as required, using Revit software.
• Provide project support from start to finish while working on specific jobswith all departments of the company including: Sales Department, Estimating, Service Department, Projects Department & Renewable Energy Department.
• Maintain and store all drawing files internally as well as those received from manufacturers or branches through CD, E-mail or FTP Site.
• Provide CAD phone support for departmental technical questions.
• Reply to phone and/or e-mail messages punctually.

Additional Responsibilities:
• File/maintain all plans electronically
• CADD Intranet Site Content & Updates
• Other duties may be assigned.

Qualifications
• General office duty experience.
• Extensive knowledge/use of AutoCAD and Revit.
• College degree in related field or AutoCAD work experience, minimum 8 years.
• Working knowledge of Word and Excel

Other Requirements:
• Computer work 100% of the time.
• Sitting 100% of time for computer work and file organization.

Travel:
• Occasional as required to assembly location(s), branch offices, customer sites for installation review.

Compensation & Benefits Information
• Competitive salary
• Business Casual Dress every day
• Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance
• Prescription Plan
• Life Insurance and Disability Coverage
• 401(k) Program
• Paid Vacation, Holidays & Sick Days
• Employee Assistance Program
• Tuition Assistance
• Employee Referral Program

Apply by sending cover letter and resume to Lou Nazirides at Keare’s .

Wednesday, December 10th 2014

SEI is pleased to post job openings from member companies and partners, as a means of effectively reaching qualified, local candidates in the smart energy industry. Additionally, SEI staff can review applications on you company’s behalf. If you’d liked to post a Job Alert, send descriptions and application instructions to Will Williams.

Tuesday, October 28th 204,

From the Washington Post:

According to a new study, though, politics and income may not be such important factors after all. Examining the spread of solar photovoltaic residential installations in Connecticut, two researchers at Yale and the University of Connecticut found instead that the single most important factor driving whether a given house installed solar was peer influence — whether other houses nearby had recently done so.

While the author goes on to term this phenomenon “green envy” and ascribe it to one’s desire to show off their environmentalism, we’d point out that, simply by seeing solar in one’s community, people otherwise unaware of the benefits of solar may begin to consider it seriously for the first time. Its not a desire to “show off,” its simply seeing that solar can works for your neighbors, and therefore for you.

Regardless, the research is interesting and worth a read over at WashingtonPost.com.

Sunday, September 21st 2014

Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters is constructing a 1 million square foot e-commerce fulfillment center in Lancaster County, and thanks to a large Economic Growth Initiative grant from the commonwealth, will be adding what will be Pennsylvania’s largest rooftop Solar PV array.

From Keystone Edge:

“Solar will provide up to half of the company’s energy needs at the site.

URBN, as the corporate entity of the Philadelphia-based retail giant is known, is eagerly anticipating the 970,000-square-foot, $110 million center. The project is on schedule and on budget, according to several press reports. When fully operational next year, it will employ 500, even more at peak times.

URBN purchased the 52-acre tract last year in a newly created Keystone Opportunity Zone. The site is adjacent to the company’s much smaller distribution center that opened it 1996; that facility employs 117. This summer, the state announced that it had awarded a $3 million Economic Growth Initiative grant to the company for the solar array.”

Read more at KeystoneEdge.com