Archive for the ‘General Interest’ Category

Look closely at the photo below…

This pic was taken by our friends at Farm-Way showing a deer checking out their solar array. No noise, no pollution – it’s a natural fit for the environment.

groSolar is currently hard at work installing 177 kilowatts of solar PV modules at the North Conway Water Precinct. The 774 modules are combined with 16 geothermal wells to be one of Northern New England’s largest green energy projects. Here is a photo of the progress:

Yes, it’s true: Famous fictional oil-man J.R. Ewing has a new role promoting solar power. The New York Times reports on the announcement that Larry Hagman is taking on the role of Dallas oil tycoon J.R. Ewing once again to push for solar energy. As the article states:

Larry Hagman, the actor who played the scheming Texas oilman on the long-running (1978-1991) television show “Dallas,” is reprising his role as J. R. in an advertising campaign to promote solar energy and SolarWorld, a German photovoltaic module maker.

It turns out that Hagman has been using solar power at his home for a few years:

In real life, Mr. Hagman, 78, lives on an estate in the Southern California town of Ojai, where he installed a 94-kilowatt solar system, thought to be the world’s largest residential array, several years ago. The rooftop system, which includes SolarWorld panels, cost $750,000, although Mr. Hagman said he received a $310,000 rebate.

The Solar Impulse, a solar powered aircraft has completed the first night flight using only solar power. The plane flew for more than 26 hours storing solar energy during the daylight hours and utilizing that stored solar energy at night to power the plane. Read the full article on Reuters.

This could be the future of air travel!

It’s amazing what innovative uses people can come up with for using solar cells. Students were tasked to experiment with dye-sensitized solar cells as part of the workshop “Sunny Memories”. See the full slideshow of ideas on the Treehugger site here.

Neighborhood homeowner’s association (HOA) covenants and restrictions have traditionally been known to ban solar electric and hot water installations on homes, but times are changing. In nearly half of the states, including California and Maryland, state laws have been put in place which make it illegal for an HOA to stop homeowners from installing solar. The most recent state attempting to come aboard is Pennsylvania.


This week a new bill, authored by PA Rep. Tom Houghton (D-Chester), passed the House. House Bill 2234 would prohibit restrictions to deeds or covenants of residential properties that prevent homeowners from installing solar panels. Houghton says he wants to make solar easier and more available to homeowners, without compromising advantages of living under HOA guidelines.


“Like the 21 other states with solar access laws, I wanted this bill to be about creating a freedom of energy choice for Pennsylvania homeowners, while protecting essential HOA agreements,” says Houghton.


Residential solar installation companies, like groSolar, are working directly with homeowner’s associations to educate management and residents of these types of laws, through a series of educational events.


“groSolar has a really unique, no pressure sales approach in a sense that we aim to created empowered and educated consumers.  In some cases, solar isn’t always a viable option, which is why we’re bringing community outreach education and group purchasing programs to various HOA’s in the mid-Atlantic Region to; explain to homeowners what it takes to install solar on their rooftops.  A big part of this initiative is to inform HOA members of their options and solar access laws work,” says Brian Armentrout, Network Marketing Manager, groSolar.


Homeowners should familiarize themselves with their solar access laws, but that doesn’t mean HOA management won’t still try to resist in an attempt to scare homeowners into changing their minds for one reason or another. Aspiring solar homeowners should do their homework, secure copies of the solar access law description, and even consider petitioning neighbors to do the same. After all, as long as a residential solar power system is properly installed, it actually enhances the appearance of one’s home and extends the roof’s lifespan. Solar electricity modules also help keep the house cool during the warm, summer months, because heat from the sun, which would otherwise hit the roof, is absorbed by the dark panels.  Consider these perks along with energy independence and secure electricity rates for the next 30+ years with clean, safe power that doesn’t “spill” or destroy eco-systems.


For more information on House Bill 2234 read the press release from Representative Houghton’s office. You may also join the discussion to hear what other states are doing and how industry pros feel about the issue by visiting groSolar Energy Solutions on Facebook.

NewsyStocks.com: “The Solar Energy Has Strong Future”

Cooler Planet: “Senators call for extension of clean energy grant program”

Cooler Planet: “Coalition working to defend California clean air law”

Fox & Hounds Daily: “The Texas Oil Company’s Threat to California’s Solar Industry”

Calfinder: “8 Cool Things About Solar Power That Just Might Change the World“

I’m a huge fan of walking through grass barefoot and the look of a perfect lawn but the reality is that my lawn is more weeds than grass and is rather stubbly to walk through barefoot. Mind you, I could improve my lawn karma with more frequent mowing, regular watering, weed killer, ant killer, grub killer and a litany of other pesticides and chemicals that would really make me not want to walk barefoot and defeat the purpose of my lush green lawn. Okay, okay, and I work for a solar company and am kind of a greenie when it comes to chemicals and excess watering and mowing. So what’s a barefoot girl to do?


Alas, all hope is not lost. It turns out one of my co-workers recently re-seeded their lawn with grass seed from Pearl’s Premium. And not to sound like a shameless plug here, but they claim that you can save time and money with less watering and mowing, and that it’s environmentally friendly because it requires fewer chemicals and it’s not genetically-modified seed. Make my life easier and good for the planet? Win and Win! Check out their website here.

Greentech Media has written a nice feature about the upcoming autumn milestone of 10 gigawatts of solar installed in 2010. They asked me and a handful of my fellow solar industry comrades to reflect on the event. Here are my comments from Part 1, and you can see the full article here.

When we started in 1998, 10 gigawatts was not even a dream. We spoke in kilowatts. After we hired our first full-time sales person in 2005 (Bob Lewis, a real professional), we used to joke that someday we’d talk in megawatts (and then laughed, because we just had).


Before solar, I was a consulting engineer, and I designed hospitals and laboratory facilities. A rough calculation indicated that the buildings I was involved with would take about 100 megawatts of solar to operate year-round. So that was what my ’super stretch goal’ became. I thought that if I could install that in a long career, well, I’d be way off the charts. Now, not only does it look like groSolar will hit that mark, sooner rather than later (2011? 2012?), that goal is no longer crazy or unimaginable.


It is heartening to me to be part of the broad leadership that is moving us toward a solar future. It is also frustrating that we are only now reaching the 10 gigawatt mark, and that we still are not seeing, especially in the U.S., the groundswell in cultural perception needed to truly transform the industry, and thus the energy industry, and thus the world. OK, it is a big job, but naiveté has gotten me this far!


Of course, when we get to the 10-gigawatt mark, I’ll need to remember to say “Yay!” When we were a young company, we used to celebrate every single kilowatt sale, every half-kilowatt sale. A 3-kilowatt sale would give us at least part of the afternoon off. Now, we sell a megawatt project and I try to send a brief email to let others know about it.


As we move into gigawatts, it appears that the ball is getting bigger, and the hill steeper. I am looking forward to the day when the slope levels out, but I doubt it will come very soon. This is my way of saying, celebrate the success, but don’t rest on the laurels for one second. Unlike many industries, there are those who would happily see us fail, and would gladly assist us in failing.


Let’s develop a new goal for the industry. Is it 100 gigawatts by 2020? Seems too low, as that would be less than 10 gigawatts per year. So is it 1000 gigawatts by 2020? That’s less than doubling each year, but still impressive. (But is it beyond the speed of transformative events?) Don’t set it too low; we need solar to hit stretch goals, because that’s where solar solves some problems. Below that, it’s just a nice side industry.


-Jeff Wolfe, CEO, groSolar