Two years after the earthquake, progress is still slow.

Last week I was in Haiti along with a Trevor Smith, a senior engineering student at Messiah, and Liam Tanis, a Messiah engineering alumnus acting as an advisor to the project.  Our task was to gather information on the proposed site and to get an assessment of how we would deal with project logistics.  With so many unknowns in a project of this scale, it was critical that we see first hand the challenges that we would be up against.

Leaving Newark for Port au Prince. (Left to Right: Chris Byers, Liam Tanis, Trevor Smith)

We arrived amped up to investigate the school that Gail, the President of PID, identified as the location for our solar installation.  In the States, we are accustomed to tight schedules, strict time management and deadlines; in Haiti, not so much.  It took us two days of waiting at PID to actually get to the site because of a lack of clarity in who would drive us there and who actually knew their way around.  This is really nobody’s fault, it’s just the way things happen Haiti and part of the reason why we scheduled a week to be down there.  When we finally confirmed the location of the school, we were a little shocked.  The structure was not as permanent as we would like and there would be little to no guarantee that the parts of the solar system would not be stolen.  On top of that, who knows if those people would actually build a permanent town in that exact location.  It seemed that a lot of other development would need to happen first, and we knew that our plans needed to shift, so the three of us returned to the PID’s location with the reality that our plans needed to shift.

Not what we expected. The school had more problems than opportunities for solar.

PID has walled in area where the main building is the hub for a variety of programs.  They provide free medical care in their clinic, run a child sponsorship program, facilitate the construction of homes for select families, and offer a micro-finance model with small business training available to its participants.  Additionally, inside this walled campus is a bunk house where groups from the States stay and help with any of the programs that PID is running.  While we were there, we saw a group of nursing students based out of a medical clinic in Maine help a staff of medical professionals from California run the clinic.  Some of those people would peel off and help in the digging of a foundation of a home that PID was building for a local family.  There was also a couple from Minnesota who were running children’s programs.  In a week’s span, I saw PID affect close to 2000 people through all of their initiatives and volunteer support.  Such an organization needs to be strengthened (and commended), and as we asked more questions, one way for us to do that was to address their own on-campus energy problems, many of which we were not made aware of prior to this trip.

A group effort. So many people across the US serving with PID.

The energy delivery system, or lack there of, in Haiti is horrible.  You pay a one time fee to get hooked up to the grid and you can use as much power as you like, but the power company will randomly come around and ask for money for “repairs or system upgrades”, but nobody knows the real reason why and often families cannot afford these sporadic expenses.  In the end, they are forced to choose go without electricity because they need that money to feed their children.  Electricity might be out for an hour, or it might be out for 8 days.  Nobody knows.  The grid will also push too much power through the lines and blow up anything connected to it.  This means anything from light bulbs to computers are at risk of destruction.

So, the clinic is unable to rely on the grid.  They can’t have the necessary medical equipment in the clinic because it will only get fried the moment the grid decides to spaz out.  A generator owned and operated by the clinic helps to provide consistency in times of need, but it costs about $400 a month in fuel and it lit on fire once.  We were seeing a real need to help mitigate these energy issues, and the concerns we had about security and longevity at the school were not and issue here at PID because of the walls around the clinic and also because of the permanency of the buildings.  The wheels began to spin…

The long and short of this is that we are going to put a system on the clinic.  It is hands down the best application for our technology.  I like it because it strengthens what remains and helps an existing organization improve their services.  It will also free up some money that they are spending on equipment replacement and fuel, further adding to the benefit of solar.

There is more to tell you as we progress, so stay tuned for more updates.  Next step: system design.

This meter spins backwards because of solar. Will yours?

The alternative is worth considering when we take time to look at the situation from 10,000 ft. What if you locked in your electric rates and didn’t have to worry about those rate hikes? And, what if that decision positively benefited the environment? Solar is worth considering when you look at the blatent facts surrounding the future of energy.

Give us a call- we’d love to talk more about how you can address those concerns.

Not all solar panels are the same. Let's get you educated!

Warranty
Warranties are usually split into two different categories: Product/Materials and Production. A 10 year warranty on products/materials means that the manufacturer will cover any defects or irregularities in the physical construction of the panel for 10 years after the installation. The production warranty, or production guarantee explains that the panels will put out a certain minimum amount of power over its expected lifespan. As an example, our Siliken panels have a 10 year product/materials warranty and a 25 year production warranty/guarantee. Different manufacturers qualify their production warranty/guarantee in a variety of ways. Siliken takes a linear approach to this by saying that 0.007% of the power output will drop each year. Others like Mage say that the panel will produce at least 90% of its wattage rating in the first 12 years and then 80% of its wattage rating for the remainder of its lifetime.

Power Tolerance
Power tolerance rules can best be understood by a simple rule of thumb: the tighter the better. Each panel model has a tolerance rating and says that the guaranteed power output can vary on a sliding scale. One panel may have a -2/+5 power tolerance rating meaning that the output could be 2 watts lower or 5 watts higher than what is listed at the wattage of the panel. The tighter the tolerance, the more you can rest in knowing what your panel is going to give you.

Efficiency
Efficiency is defined as the ratio of the sun’s potential energy to the actual energy that the solar panel is able to capture. If the Sun’s energy is 100%, then a solar panel might only capture 15% of that potential energy. Don’t read that and wonder why it’s so low. If you think about how powerful the sun is on a summer day at the beach or what the sun does for our planet on a daily basis, you’ll agree that even 15% of that power is nothing to shake a stick at. Most panels are rated at 12-15%, but a few out there, like Sunpower, are as high as 23%, which just so happens to be a World Record. If you are looking at panels that are around 15%, then you’re in good shape.

If you have questions about the panels that we carry and how they stack up against the competition, give us a call. I hope that you feel more educated and informed as you make your energy decisions!

Next week’s blog post will address the myth: “I don’t have to worry about my long-term energy”

More people are going solar than ever before

I suppose that most Americans support solar. Who wouldn’t, right?. In fact, I saw recently in a survey that 9 out of 10 Americans think that solar is a good idea, yet there remains a secondary layer that despite it being the future, it probably isn’t something that the average Joe can swing and the core of that rationale is that it’s too expensive.

Myth #1. “Solar is too expensive”
Did you know that solar panel pricing has reduced by 30-40% in just the past two years?

State rebates are still in place. As an example, the PA Sunshine Rebate Program is active, but anyone applying at this point is going to be put on a waiting list. That being said, we received a call from the PA Sunshine office two weeks ago and they told us that first 400 people on the list are all expected to receive their money. In their words, “Keep the applications coming!” You can get $0.50/watt in the form of a check from the State of PA. For a 10 kW, system, that’s $5000 in your pocket. Granted, there still is no guarantee, but it’s still worth putting in the application. Other states like Maryland Massachusetts also have active rebate programs.

The 30 % Federal Tax Credit is also still active, and there is no cap on project costs. Commercial customers can still claim that 30% of the project cost in the form of the Treasury Grant until December 31, 2011. In addition, when combining the Federal Tax Credit and the tax deduction created by depreciation, up to 59% of the project cost can be recouped by the system owner. With only 41% of the project coming through either a cash or financed source, solar becomes an attractive way to fix costs.

Additionally, you fix your cost for electric when you make your own power. For many people they are paying the minimal service fees of a few dollars a month to cover the cost of staying connected to the grid and being allowed to sell their power back to the utility. You also get credited for producing power by selling Solar Renewable Energy Credits and that can put $600 annually in the average homeowner’s pocket, but much more if you’re a large business. A larger commercial customer of ours is able to have an income stream of over $55,000 a year for a 922 kW system. Think of it like a pat on the back from the state for meeting their green energy initiatives.

Next week’s Solar Myth Buster: “All solar panels are the same”

We were able to raise over $13,000 at Ride Solar!

I will be representing the company during two trips to Haiti in the next six months. The first trip will be an exploratory trip where we will visit the school, look at battery suppliers, consider locals who can help with the project, identify an exact list of materials and thoroughly consider any obstacles or logistical concerns when we arrive on site to perform the installation in May. Trevor Smith ’12 and Liam Tanis ’08 will be the other team members during this initial trip.

This is the most recent picture of the school that we have on file. The solar installation will go on the roof.

Haiti is no stranger to outside aide; in fact, before the earthquake hit in January of 2010, the country having being identified as one of the poorest in the world was home to every type of service provider that could be imagined because of years of corruption and pervasive poverty. After the earthquake hit, circumstances went from bad to worse. Our hope is that through an alliance with Partners in Development, a non-profit working in Haiti for the last 15 years, we can bring solar energy to a building that will enable students to safely study in the evenings, charge cell phones, serve as a make shift clinic, power fans to deter mosquitoes (many carry Malaria) and create a functional place for people to gather.

The system will likely be a 2 kW PV battery storage unit with the inverters and charge controllers mounted on the inside of the building. Exact components will be determined based on the site assessment. The dates for our preliminary trip are January 2-9.

We will continue to keep you updated as our project progresses. Thank you to all that have supported us in this endeavor.

Snow removal for solar panels

Check out the Sno-Pro (aka Sno-Brum). It’s a small foam block that you attach onto the end of telescopic pole. If your solar panels are on the second story roof, then this might be a little tough, but if your panels are on the first story roof, then this method will allow you to pull the snow down with relative ease. What makes this work well is that it doesn’t scratch your solar panels. Just get out of the way when that snow comes flying!

I’ve seen other expensive methods with complicated steam/hot water apparatuses that move up and down the array and melt the snow. Some people have also installed heat tape on their arrays, but we’ve opted to not recommend that given how it might negatively interact with the electrical system.

All that to say, take a look at the Sno-Pro if you’re looking to plan ahead for all that white stuff.

Let's change the solar industry. Vote yes for #1580.

I heard from a representative at Vote Solar that there are 107 co-signers on the bill- which is over 50% of the members in the House of Representatives signing on. Even though a “co-sign” doesn’t guarantee a vote, it is very encouraging. Also, the bill has been moved to the Consumer Affairs Committee, which without going into too much detail, is a very good thing.

What I noticed was that the majority of attendees were installers. I really wish that we had more support from our customers because they have a larger voice in the matter. Yes, we are the industry, but we also can be perceived to have a conflict of interest because the livelihood of our company is affected by this bill. Customers are real, to the core voters who are the “little guys” that seem to have the best story in the eyes of legislators. At the same time, if companies are adversely affected by this bill passing, it could mean a loss of jobs and/or companies moving out of state, so installers still have a powerful voice. The more our customers can help create an influx of calls and letters, the better off we will be. We really need this win.

Please stay tuned and I appreciate all of the help that many of you have already given!

Let's give the solar industry a boost.