Category Archives: Solar

6/5 – Job Alert: Sustainable Energy Crew Technician at Hometown Green

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Wednesday, June 5th 2013

SEI is pleased to post job openings from member companies, 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. Send job descriptions and application instructions to Will Williams.

Hometown-GreenHometown Green, LLC located in Chester, PA is looking a Sustainable Energy Crew Technician!

The goal of our work is to reduce non-renewable energy use, carbon footprint, and utility bills in homes. We make homes more comfortable, livable, planet friendly, and energy efficient, through insulating, air-sealing, ducting, ventilating, & exterior drainage work.  Crews install insulation, windows, doors, solar attic fans, hatch units, solar heating, solar hot water, solar PV, solar pool heating.

Our field work is physical outside work and/or work in basements and attics and may have an office, and vehicle and equipment care components.  Office duties may include work with internet, Excel and MS Word.  Driving duties and vehicle maintenance duties may be assigned.

Requirements:

  • 5 yr Penn DOT check
  • High school diploma or GED is preferred.
  • Show up on time prepared to work.
  • Ability to drive stick.
  • Must be able to lift and move objects weighing up to 75 lbs.
  • General Computer Knowledge is Essential (Email, Word, Excel).
  • Desire to be part of a team, willingness to step in where needed.
  • Follow company policies, perform reliably and work safely
  • Advanced knowledge of materials, tools, building layout, and scheduling
  • An ability to delegate yet to lead by doing
  • Ability to cheerfully relate with the customers who pay us.
  • Attention to detail is a must
  • Personal and professional patience with process
  • A realistic outlook on the difficulty of this work
  • Valid Driver License and an ability to care for a vehicle
  • Work a Mon – Fri schedule with flexibility to work some weekend hours.

TOBACCO FREE/ SMOKE FREE/ DRUG FREE individuals will be given preference.

Please email resumes to jobs@hometowngreen.net (Phone calls and walk-ins are not accepted!)

Experience helpful, but not required: Landscaping, Solar PV, Solar Hot Water, Geothermal, Masonry, Carpentry, Framing, Ducting, Venting, Drywall, Insulation, Painting, Roofing, Siding, A/C. Plumbing, Heating, Apartment Maintenance, Punch List Work.

6/4 – Job Alert: Structural Engineer at SunPower Builders

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Tuesday, June 4th 2013

SEI is pleased to post job openings from member companies, 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. Send job descriptions and application instructions to Will Williams.

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SunPower Builders (Collegeville, PA) is looking for a part-time bookkeeper and a structural engineer. Check out their website for more info about the company, and email Steve Dziura at info@sunpowerbuilders.com with resume & cover letter if interested.

 

4/29 – Job Alert: Assistant at SunPower Builders

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Tuesday, April 30th 2013

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.
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Seeking friendly, self motivated person for general office duties and assistant to the company president.

Must have exceptional organizational skills and be proficient in all aspects of Microsoft Office Suite. Duties include customer relations and communications with vendors and designers. Lead and job tracking, expediting, and electronic media updates and research.
candidate will have a keen interest in Solar Energy and Zero Energy construction, a sharp pencil and a sharp mind, a desire to learn and seeking a long term position.

Hours can be flexible.

Please email cover letter and resume to info@costanzaandsun.com.

2/20 – Slides from 2013 Energy Briefing Posted

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Tuesday, February 19th 2013

The Smart Energy Initiative’s 2013 Energy Briefing was a great success! Special thanks to our sponsor, ICF International, and our speakers:

Thanks to our Sponsor!

Thanks to our Sponsor!

Mike O’Leary – PECO Energy
Paul Spiegel – Practical Energy Solutions
David Rosenberg – Gamesa Wind
Tom Tuffey – Community Energy
Bill Ronayne – Brandywine Valley Heating & Air Conditioning
Dan Lapato – Pennsylvania DEP

PDFs of the slides are available here:

Energy Briefing Part 1
Energy Briefing Part 2
Energy Briefing Part 3

Energy Breifing 2013 020

2/12 – Summary of PA Sunshine Program Webinar

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Tuesday, February 12th 2013

Unable to make DEP’s Webinar on the Sunshine Program? Here’s a quick summary of the call. For more info visit DEP’s Sunshine Program webpage. 

  • $7.5M has been allocated for Solar PV, solar thermal, and battery backup systems through the Pennsylvania Sunshine Program.
    • Approximately $4M will be paid to projects already on the wait list, leaving around $3.5M for projects completed between now and December 31st 2013.
    • Wait-listed projects not completed by June 1st 2013 will lose their spot on the list, but can apply again.
  • Rebates cover $.75/watt for residential projects, up to $7,500 or 10kw, or $.75/watt for the first 10kw, and $.50/watt for the last 90 kw for small commerical projects (companies with up to 100 employees) up to $52,500 or 100kw.
    • Projects over 100kw can apply, but per-watt rebates only apply to first 100kw of project size.
  • Rebates for solar thermal projects will cover 30% of project costs, up to $5,000 for residential, or $50,000 for small commercial (again, an entity with less than 101 employees).
  • Projects become eligible for rebates upon completion of the project. This adds uncertainty on whether or not customer will receive rebate.
  • Fund are available until December 31st, or whenever funds are exhausted.
  • DEP’s Sunshine Webpage will be updated weekly with the total paid out, which will not reflect what has yet to be processed.
  • Prevailing wage rules still apply.

Contact Walt Dinda at DEP with questions at wdinda@pa.gov or (717) 772-8912.

Disclaimer: We have endeavored to provide an accurate summary of this program. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information contained here.

1/28 – $7.25M Allocated for PA’s Sunshine Program for Solar Projects

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Monday, January 28th 2013

From the Penn Future Energy Center:

“Funding has been restored to Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Solar Rebate Program to the tune of $7.25 million to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Starting next week, all completed solar installation projects can apply for rebates ranging from $7,500 for a residential system (maximum 10 KW) to $52,500 for a small commercial system (maximum 100 KW). Solar thermal rebates are also available.

DEP has also made changes to the program guidelines. In this latest phase of the program, a streamlined one-step application procedure will lead to review and approval by the Sunshine Staff on a first-come, first-served basis. However, DEP notes that processing the existing backlog of rebates on the reserve list will take several weeks to complete.

Existing applications in the system that were approved for construction must be completed by June 1, 2013; applications submitted after that date will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. The program will close after this final round of funding expires, or by December 31, 2013, whichever comes first. 

DEP is hosting a Sunshine Solar Program webinar on Tuesday, February 12 from 2-3 p.m. To outline program changes and answer any related questions.”

 

Click here to register for the webinar.

12/27 – 2012 – A Powerful Year For Renewables

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Thursday, December 27th 2012

Via NPR:

Natural gas may have reshaped the domestic energy market in 2012, lowering energy prices and marginalizing the coal industry, but America’s shale boom hasn’t undermined renewables.

In fact, while analysts were paying attention to fracking this year, a record number of solar panels were being slapped on roofs — enough to produce 3.2 gigawatts of electricity.

That sounds like a lot, but solar is still providing just .05 percent of the country’s total energy. Still, the solar industry keeps expanding. Roan Resh, who heads the Solar Energy Industries Association, said that’s because solar panels are becoming cheaper to make and to install.

“Just to give you perspective,” Resh said, “in Washington, D.C., where I live, when I installed solar on my house six years ago, the average install cost was about $14 a watt. Today it’s about $4 a watt.”

So if you’re installing solar panels, business is good. But there’s a flip side to that equation. Prices are low because of a global manufacturing glut. Solar manufacturers have the capacity to produce way more panels than consumers are asking for right now, and many panel producers are struggling.

The bulk of solar growth is happening at businesses; companies are installing panels on roofs so that they don’t have to buy as much energy from the grid. State and federal policies are making that an easy decision for companies. Businesses who install panels can qualify for grants and tax breaks, and laws in 38 states require a certain amount of electricity to be generated by solar, wind and other renewable sources.

A Good Year For Wind Power, Too

Wind was up this year, too. The federal Energy Information Administration says the industry could add 1.2 gigawatts of capacity this year. Wind only provides a small portion of domestic power, about 3 percent.

Wind is on a strong streak with consumers as well, says Rob Gramlich, a vice president at the American Wind Energy Association. “Where we were serving the equivalent of 6 million homes at the end of 2008, we’re serving 13 million today,” he says.

In three of the last five years, wind has been the fastest-growing energy sector. That was the case in 2012, but this year’s totals leave a bit of a false impression. There’s been a flurry of activity in December.

“The single-most reason for that is the tax support system which we all rely upon is expiring at year-end,” explains Jim Spencer, the president and CEO of New York-based EverPower, which runs wind farms in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and California. “We really accelerated projects that might otherwise have been built next year.”

The 2013 Windbreaker

The program — called a production tax credit — expires on Dec. 31. It allows companies that get their wind farms running before then to claim a 2.2-cent tax break for every kilowatt hour of energy produced. That might not sound like a lot, but it keeps their business costs down by about 30 percent.

So wind power is about to get 30 percent more expensive for the utilities at a time when natural gas is very cheap. That’s bad news, Gramlich says.

“Utilities are looking at those prices. And they simply won’t buy nearly as much wind power without that credit,” he says.

The tax credit could still pass, likely as part of the huge bills all the “fiscal cliff” agreements will be stuffed into. A last-minute extension, however, won’t help for 2013.

“It’s really a black hole next year,” says EverPower’s Spencer. “We have absolutely no construction plans for next year.”

So wind will slow down next year, but no matter what happens with natural gas, you can still expect growth in renewables, due to those state laws pushing alternative energy.

States are doing that because climate change scientists around the world agree that if we don’t find a replacement for fossil fuels, our goose is cooked.

11/5 – SEI 2012-2013 Needs Assessment Released

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Monday, November 5th 2012

CaptureIt 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.

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

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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.”

Read more at the DailyLocal.com