Alternative ("green") Energy for Maui:
Technologies, Organizations and Demand

This Resource Page is a work in progress. It is designed to facilitate access to potentially relevant Web sites for the Alternate Energy Team, the Board and all interested owners as the SBR community considers ways to reduce its energy bills. Corrections & suggestions are welcome!

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QUICK INDEX

Next Energy Meeting, Class or Conference: Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit & Expo
(Aug 30 - Sept 2, 2010, Honolulu)

National Solar Conference May 17-21, 2011 Raleigh N.C. Convention Center

... is the longest-running educational event for solar energy professionals in the U.S. Now in its 40th year, the SOLAR 2011 program will be developed by solar energy experts in all topical areas - technology, buildings, policy, professional education, workforce development, and consumer education.


  • CLEAN ENERGY FOR GREEN MAUI

      • Clean Energy Maui develops technologies, plans and concepts to move the island of Maui to 100% renewable energy by 2020. [Chris Mentzel, Founder] Is it true that additional solar energy installations make the grid unstable? [...]

      • Green Home Construction on Maui [conservationhawaii.org (June 2010)]

      • Our Green Maui "A community’s level of sustainability is evaluated by its ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In Hawaii, we have our own term for sustainability: “ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono,” which translates as “the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.” ... provides frequent updates on current initiatives, opportunities, and efforts to conserve and protect the environment as well as sustainable initiatives in the business and development sectors. "
      • Our Green Maui -- News Feeds

      • Alternative Energy on Maui Maui is the perfect location for "Off the Grid" living. We have great exposure to the sun, making solar energy a great choice, many communities have a good supply of wind allowing for energy from wind turbines, there are even some residents trying hydro power on Maui.
      • Green Building on Maui

      • EnergyFutureHawaii.org: "Your Source for Hawaii Energy News and More!"
        [Friends of Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA)]

      • The Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative A partnership between the state of Hawai‘i and the U.S. Department of Energy launched in 2008, the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative is bringing together business leaders, policy makers, and concerned citizens committed to leading Hawai‘i to energy independence. ...
        ... aims to transform Hawai‘i into a world model for energy independence and sustainability. Our goal is to meet 70% of Hawai‘i's energy needs with clean energy by 2030.

      • Maui County: Renewable Resource Development - Working Group 1 "... is tasked with formulating the elements and action steps needed to achieve the County's renewable energy goals. These include:
        • Priotize and timeline County energy projects
        • Create County policies that facilitate small scale renewable energy installations
        • Facilitate large scale renewable adoption of renewable energy through public/private partnerships "

      • Maui County: Green Workforce Development and Education - Working Group 2 The Green Workforce Development and Education working group is tasked with formulating the elements and action steps needed to achieve the County's renewable energy goals. These include:
        • Build K-12 education pipeline for renewable energy fields
        • Create post-secondary education and training opportunities which support certification or degrees in sustainable technology
        • Develop incubation and pilot opportunities for renewable energy

      • Maui County: Energy and Transportation Infrastructure - Working Group 3 "The Energy and Transportation Infrastructure working group is tasked with formulating the elements and action steps needed to achieve the County's renewable energy goals. These include:
          Maximize renewable energy use by integrating utility and transportation systems"

      • Maui County: Energy Efficiency and Conservation (County Facilities) - Working Group 4 The Energy Efficiency and Conservation working group is tasked with formulating the elements and action steps needed to achieve the County's renewable energy goals. These include:
        • Make Maui County government a model in energy efficiency and conservation

      • Maui TV News: "Energy" & Solar Tour June 2010 "The irony is that Hawai'i is the planet's most isolated land mass, yet we have as easy access to solar energy as anyone on Earth."

        Recommendation: "Reduce" (consumption) before you "Produce" (solar energy)!

      • Cool Projects Maui - White Paper on Clean Energy in Hawaii Creative Conflict Solutions, an Hawaii consulting business, has just [August 2009] released a white paper, "A Clean Energy Future for Maui and Hawaii: Conversations with Key Players - Issues, Interests and Solutions". Authored by Creative Conflict Solutions partners Melanie Stephens and Dr. Phillis Robinson, the white paper represents the fruit of interviewing 17 leaders in Hawaii’s clean energy movement

      • "Time has come" for renewable energies, The Maui News, December 11, 2008

      • Resources for Green Buildings on Maui


  • MAUI ELECTRIC COMPANY



  • WIND ENERGY

    • Large Wind Turbines & Wind Farms

      • Horizontal Axis Turbines [Wikipedia]

      • Documentation and Forecasts of Wind Speed: Computer Model [for different locations on Maui, including Kihei]

      • Wind Graph for last 30 hours [Maui Wind Cam]

      • Kaheawa Wind Farm
        • Welcome to Kaheawa Wind First Wind is an independent North American wind energy company focused exclusively on the development, ownership and operation of wind energy projects. Working in partnership with communities, First Wind provides revenue to states and towns, building stronger local economies while protecting the environment for future generations. Wind energy isn’t just our business. It's our passion.

          Owned and operated by First Wind, Kaheawa Wind is a 30MW wind farm located in the West Maui Mountains high above Maui’s scenic shores. Kaheawa Wind operates in harmony with a range of native plant and animal species while providing clean, renewable power.

        • Maui Welcomes Wind Power [HECO Consumer Lines, 2006] "The wind farm is capable of producing up to 30 megawatts of power—roughly 10% of Maui’s current power generation capability... Located on the south side of the West Maui Mountains, on the upper ridge over McGregor Point, the wind farm consists of 20 1.5-megawatt General Electric wind turbines, situated in a row at an elevation ranging from 1900 to 3000 feet."

        • PRESS RELEASE: HAWAII GOVERNOR LINGLE ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO ADVANCE 'BIG WIND' PROJECTS: Lana`i and Moloka`i wind farms could provide power to O`ahu 03/17/2009 HONOLULU – March 17, 2009 – Governor Linda Lingle along with Castle & Cooke, First Wind Hawai‘i and Hawaiian Electric Company today announced an agreement that could lead to large wind farms on both Lana‘i and Moloka‘i providing clean energy to O‘ahu. These wind farms would feed into an inter-island cable system currently being discussed that could ultimately interconnect the major Hawaiian islands for increased grid reliability, security and consumer and business cost savings through access to renewables...

        • Alternative eyed for wind expansion, The Maui News, Dec 11, 2009

          MAALAEA - First Wind, to its surprise, has discovered that lower slopes provide a good place to catch wind for its windmill expansion. And now it is proposing to expand the Kaheawa Pastures wind farm to a ridge below the existing farm, rather than parallel it to the west....

        • The Kaheawa wind farm [Wikimapia] ... consists of twenty 1.5 Megawatt GE turbines for a total output of 30 Megawatts. It is owned and operated by UPC Wind Management & Makani Nui Associates, and provides power for Maui Electric Company (MECO).

        • Kaheawa selected for U.S. wind technology research, The Maui News, April 1, 2008

      • Ulupalakua (Ranch) Wind Farm
        • Maui may get second wind-power farm [pdf] Honolulu Advertiser, Posted on: Saturday, July 1, 2006 By Sean Hao Shell Oil Co. plans to build a $200 million wind-power farm in a remote corner of Maui's 'Ulupalakua Ranch that will produce enough electricity for 15,000 homes and greatly reduce Maui's dependence on imported oil.

        • San Diego company acquires Ulupalakua wind farm project, The Maui News, Oct 18, 2009

          "San Diego company Sempra Generation announced Thursday that it had acquired Shell WindEnergy's Auwahi project at Ulupalakua Ranch and could start feeding electricity into Maui Electric Co.'s grid by 2012. In mid-2006, Shell proposed a 40-megawatt wind farm at Ulupalakua Ranch, just as Kaheawa, Maui's first wind farm, began spinning its vanes...."

      • Shell WindEnergy and Ulupalakua Ranch Announce Plans for New Maui Wind Farm; Hawaiian Electric Companies Welcome Shell WindEnergy to Hawaii, June 30, 2006

        Houston, Texas – Shell WindEnergy Inc. (Shell) today announced plans to develop its first wind farm in the State of Hawaii. The project’s first phase may provide up to 40 MW of wind power. If approved, the Auwahi wind project will provide wind-generated electricity for thousands of homes on Maui.

      • Sempra Generation acquires Hawaii wind power project: Maui-based wind and battery-storage facility could start operations in 2012 [press release] SAN DIEGO, Oct. 15, 2009 – Sempra Generation, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), today announced it has acquired Auwahi Wind Energy LLC, a company developing a 22-megawatt (MW) wind energy and battery storage project in Maui, Hawaii, from Shell WindEnergy Inc., a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell.

      • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SELECTS HAWAI`I FOR ENERGY MODERNIZATION PROJECT: $15 million Hawai`i project to install electrical distribution system at Maui substation For Immediate Release: April 21, 2008 [pdf] part of a nationwide demonstration to modernize the country’s electricity grid system. This latest project supports the Hawai’i Clean Energy Initiative, an unprecedented partnership formed in January between the State of Hawaii and the U.S. Department of Energy which aims to have 70 percent of Hawai‘i’s energy come from clean, renewable sources by 2030. This will reduce the state’s dependence on imported oil and help bring energy price stability to Hawai‘i consumers. Last month, the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the nation’s primary laboratory for energy efficiency and renewable energy research and development, signed a memorandum of understanding with UPC Wind to establish a Remote Research Affiliate Partner Site at UPC Wind’s Kaheawa Wind Farm on Maui.

      • Huge wind power R&D starts at NREL By Dean Anderson | Power & Energy, 11/04/09 A huge step in the right direction has been taken by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at its National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) in Colorado, where, alongside Siemens Energy, the organization "flipped the switch" starting the blades on a Siemens 2.3 megawatt wind turbine installed as part of a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) for testing turbine aerodynamics, structure and reliability.

      • DOE to Work with Turbine Manufacturers to Expand U.S. Wind Power June 4, 2008 DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) ... has also recently signed agreements with Siemens Power Generation and First Wind, a wind power developer. Siemens is launching a new research and development facility in nearby Boulder, Colorado, and has agreed to locate and test a commercial-scale wind turbine at NREL's National Wind Technology Center (NWTC). First Wind (formerly called UPC Wind Partners, LLC) owns and operates the 30-megawatt Kaheawa Wind Farm in West Maui, Hawaii, and has agreed to let the NWTC establish a Remote Research Affiliate Partner Site at the facility. The Maui satellite of NWTC will collaborate with First Wind on studies to develop advanced wind energy technologies, including energy storage and integration of renewable electricity into Maui's electrical grid. See the press releases from NREL, Siemens, and First Wind.

    • Small Turbines & Wind Gardens



  • SOLAR ENERGY



  • HEAT PUMPS (WATER HEATERS)



  • BIOMASS: BIO-ENERGY & FUELS



  • WAVES TO ENERGY TECHNOLOGY

      • OceanLinx "Oceanlinx is a leading international company in the field of wave energy conversion. The company has developed proprietary technology for extracting energy from ocean waves and converting that energy into electricity, or using it to provide desalinated potable grade water from sea water. Oceanlinx has designed and deployed wave energy systems since 1997, to remain at the leading edge of marine renewable technology development."

      • Oceanlinx to Provide Electricity from Waves for Maui, February 4, 2008

        The project aims to provide up to 2.7 megawatts from two to three floating platforms located one-half to three-quarters of a mile due north of Pauwela Point on the northeast coast of Maui.

      • Oceanlinx Hawaii LLC; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Competing Applications, September 15, 2009. On August 21, 2009, Oceanlinx Hawaii LLC filed an application for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of the Federal Power Act, proposing to study the feasibility of the Oceanlinx Maui Wave Energy Project (Oceanlinx Wave Project or project), located in the Pacific Ocean about 0.6 statute miles north of Pauwela Point and adjacent lands in the County of Maui....

      • www.sde.co.il: Sea Wave Power Plants "Why Wave Energy? The American Electric Power Research Institute issued a new report claiming Wave Energy to become economically feasible in the near future. The World Energy Council estimates that 2TW of energy could be harvested from the world’s oceans, the equivalent of twice the world’s electricity production... Wave Energy Production is one of the most environmentally benign ways to generate electricity. The massive power of the ocean can be harnessed in variety of ways..."


  • Sea Water Air Conditioning

      • Sea Water Air Conditioning [Hawaii's Energy Future]

      • SeaWater Air Conditioning (SWAC) ... takes advantage of available deep cold seawater instead of energy-intensive refrigeration systems to cool the chilled water in one or more buildings . This web page describes the Basics, Environmental Aspects, and Economic Benefits of a SWAC system. It also describes Makai's Engineering Services for Seawater Air Conditioning. Makai's experience in SWAC analysis results directly from our work with deep, cold seawater pipes...

      • Seawater-Based Air Conditioning in Honolulu's Future CBS News, May 4, 2010, by Michael Kanellos ".... Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning LLC, the Ever-Green's local developer, will build pipes that draw seawater from four miles offshore at a depth of about 1,600 feet, said Rydaker. The water, which will be about 45 degrees Fahrenheit, will be drawn to an onshore cooling station. Heat exchangers will extract the chill in the sea water to fresh water contained in a closed-loop system. The now-chilled freshwater will then circulate through the chillers in office buildings in Honolulu. Chillers tend to keep water at 44 degrees Fahrenheit, so the cooling station will add some, but not a lot, of chill to the water...."


  • SMART GRIDS



  • STIMULUS GRANTS, TAX CREDITS & OTHER GOVERNMENT CLEAN ENERGY SUBSIDIES & INCENTIVES

      • FEDERAL

          AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009: 1603 PROGRAM – PAYMENTS FOR SPECIFIED ENERGY PROPERTY IN LIEU OF TAX CREDITS

        • Obama Signs the Stimulus: What’s in Store for Clean Energy [Feb 17, 2009] ....One of the biggest wins for clean energy developers comes in the form of grants for up to 30 percent of the cost of projects started in the next two years....

          Smart Grid: The stimulus allocates $4.4 billion for “modernization of the electric grid,” which is basically installing various hardware and software to make the power grid an intelligent 2-way digital network (check out our smart grid FAQ). Expect these funds to be a boon for smart meter makers, companies developing energy management technologies, demand response program developers, and utilities, which will be able to manage the power grid more efficiently.

        • Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC)

        • Solar Energy Industries Association
            Solar Tax Policy "On October 3, 2008, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 by a vote of 263-171. Soon after, President Bush signed the bill into law. The U.S. Senate passed its own version of the bill on Oct. 1, 2008. In the bill are a number of provisions supporting energy efficiency and renewable energy, including all of the solar incentives advocated by SEIA.

            This package includes an 8-year extension of the commercial and residential solar investment tax credit, completely eliminates the monetary cap for residential solar electric installations, and allows utilities and alternative minimum tax (AMT) filers to take the credit. In 2009, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the $2,000 credit cap on solar hot water installations was eliminated. "

        • Tax Incentive Assistance Project (TIAP)

        • Federal Tax Credits for Consumer Energy Efficiency: What you need to know
          1. [Expires Dec 31, 2010, Limit: $1500 for residence AND Tax Credit: Credit Details: 30% of the cost, up to $500 per .5 kW of power capacity Expires: December 31, 2010 Details: Existing homes & new construction qualify. Must be your principal residence. Rentals and second homes do not qualify.] (For: Biomass Stoves Air Source Heat Pumps; Central Air Conditioning (CAC); Gas, Propane, or Oil Hot Water Boiler; Oil Furnace; Insulation; Roofs; Water Heaters (non-solar) Gas, Oil, Propane Water Heater: Windows & Doors)

          2. Tax Credit: 30% of cost with no upper limit Expires: December 31, 2016 Details: Existing homes & new construction qualify. Both principal residences and second homes qualify. Rentals do not qualify. (For Geothermal Heatpumps, Small Wind Turbines (Residentail), Solar Energy Systems)

          3. Tax Credit: Credit Details: 30% of the cost, up to $500 per .5 kW of power capacity Expires: December 31, 2016 Details: Existing homes & new construction qualify. Must be your principal residence. Rentals and second homes do not qualify. Fuel Cells (Residential Fuel Cell and Microturbine System)Fuel cells are an important enabling technology for the hydrogen economy and have the potential to revolutionize the way we power our nation, offering cleaner, more-efficient alternatives to the combustion of gasoline and other fossil fuels. Requirements Efficiency of at least 30% and must have a capacity of at least 0.5 kW.

        • Tax Credit: Expires Dec.31 2016 [Solar Water Heat, Photovoltaics, Wind, Fuel Cells, Geothermal Heat Pumps, Other Solar Electric Technologies; Existing homes & new construction qualify. Must be your principal residence. Rentals and second homes do not qualify.]
        • Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit "The federal tax credit for energy-efficient home improvements was established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. After expiring December 31, 2007, the credit was extended and expanded by The Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 (H.R. 1424: Div. B, Sec. 302) and The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1: Div. B, Sec. 1121). The credit now applies to eligible equipment purchased between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010. In addition to extending the credit, H.R. 1424 and H.R. 1 strengthened the efficiency requirements for most equipment, extended the credit to stoves that use biomass fuel and asphalt roofs with appropriate cooling granules; raised the cap for the credit; and redesigned the way the credit is calculated...... "

      • STATE OF HAWAII INCENTIVES

      • President Obama touts solar plant in Central Florida St. Petersburg Times, 10.28.09, BY ADAM C. SMITH ARCADIA -- Standing in rural Florida amid 180 acres of solar panels, President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced $3.4 billion in federal stimulus grants to modernize America's power grid and create jobs. ... Among the 100 projects receiving stimulus grants: $200 million for an FPL initiative to modernize its power grid, including transmission line improvements and more than 2 million ``smart meters'' that enable consumers to monitor and adjust their own power use and costs. ... The grants were awarded to 100 utilities and businesses which in turn will spend another $4.7 billion in private money on the so-called ``smart grid.'' The current grid system relies on century-old technology that the president said ``wastes too much energy, it costs us too much money, and it's too susceptible to outages and blackouts.''

      • The Most Important Words in the Stimulus Package for Energy Efficiency [earth2tech Feb 2009] Decoupling, a strategy that has proven successful at promoting energy efficiency in states like California, disconnects utilities’ sales from their profits, and thus encourages utilities to implement energy efficiency programs. The text in the stimulus bill doesn’t require decoupling per se in order to get funds, but ....

      • GE wants you...if you live on Maui [Read all 'wind' posts in Planetary Gear] February 11, 2009 The Maui Electric Company and General Electric are joining up to test a unique smart-grid technology on the Hawaiian island's electrical grid.



  • FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY



  • ENERGY STORAGE TECHNOLOGY & ORGANIZATION(S)

      • Maui Seminar on Electrical Storage [Wednesday, June 16, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at UH Maui College] ... is aimed at addressing benefits, challenges and case studies of storage technologies for renewable energy. "is an exciting step forward for the county in developing reliable alternative energy systems. “In Hawaii, we have an abundance of clean energy resources such as solar and wind power, and addressing the capacity for storing this variable energy is a critical component in harnessing these resources efficiently. This is an important opportunity for us to learn about the solutions currently available and those being developed.”
        • Report from the Seminar [June 20, 2010] ... Hawaii is a good candidate for current storage technologies ... because our electricity rates are high - about three times what he pays in New Mexico. Nevertheless, even in Hawaii it is not easy to make storage pay.... ... encouraged enough to begin thinking about a follow-up storage seminar in the islands. Attendees ranged from Maui Electric executives and a member of the Public Utilities Commission to suppliers, contractors and residents interested in renewable energy issues.

      • Energy Storage Systems [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL)] "SNL has a broad technical base of battery expertise focusing on integrated storage systems. These systems operate within varying environments and electrical conditions, and many different types of battery technologies."

      • HNU Energy and International Battery Team for Solar and Energy Storage Demonstration Project in Maui, Hawaii: Solar Array and Energy Storage System Operating in Maui [Feb 8, 2010] International Battery (www.internationalbattery.com), a U.S. manufacturer and developer of large-format lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, today announced they have recently teamed with HNU Energy (www.hnuenergy.com) to participate in a solar power generation and energy storage project in Maui, Hawaii. The project, recently put into operation, will assess the effectiveness of storing solar energy using new, more-efficient battery technology.

      • ZBB Energy Corporation ZBB Energy Corporation (NYSE AMEX: ZBB) provides distributed intelligent power management platforms that directly integrate multiple renewable and conventional onsite generation sources with rechargeable zinc bromide flow batteries and other storage technology.
        • ZBB Energy Corp secures order from NIDON Clean Energy Posted on: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 According to ZBB Energy Corp, the ZESS energy storage systems will be used as part of a new state-of-the-art elevator system that utilises power from the grid and renewable energy in a multi-family apartment in Honolulu. This system allows the elevator to be operated during emergency situations and extended power outages.



  • Electric Car Charging Station



  • ENERGY DEMAND & END-USE EFFICIENCY



  • MAUI's / HAWAII'S ENERGY CONSULTANTS & SYSTEMS DESIGNERS:

      • Energy Industries "The EI Energy Services team is one of the largest energy project developers in the Efficiency and Renewable energy market space. EIES is a leader in design-build, turn-key energy efficiency and renewable energy systems. "
        • Maui Branch [other branches in Washington State, Idaho, California & Oregon] [Gloria Ezera, Energy Specialist, Maui]

      • Hawaii Inspection Group "...is a full service Reserve Study, Construction Management, Home Inspection and Commercial Inspection company.... Energy Survey and Energy Inspections are now also offered to deliver energy saving options to our residential and commercial clients..." (incl. "feasibility study regarding solar voltaic system")

      • NIDON Clean Energy (Honolulu) Advocates a comprehensive renewable energy strategy with these recommended steps:
        1. reduce energy use from exterior or highbay lights by between 50 to 60% by replacing High Pressure Sodium or Metal Halide fixtures with induction lights from US Lighting Tech.
        2. determine a best renewable energy solution of photovoltaic and/or Urban Green Energy wind turbines designed for specific needs.
        3. provide clean, firm power combined with flow battery energy storagefrom ZBB Energy.
        4. have centralized secure monitoring, command, control, and communications across energy generation, distribution, and use via Bridgegate.

      • Energy Consulting Associates, LLC (William Bennett, Kihei) "ECA was created to help businesses and homeowners save energy. We do energy surveys to find ways to improve energy efficiency and use energy monitoring, project management, and training to empower the customer to significantly reduce energy usage."
        • Energy Consulting Associates, LLC (Kihei) 1787 Kai Maka St.
          Kihei, HI 96753
          808-283-0404
          Services include solar system monitoring, energy audits, system design, site and shade evaluation, and energy efficiency evaluations for solar technologies.

      • John Bendon: Green Building Consultant on Maui [Kean Properties LLC]



  • BEYOND MAUI

      • "Drawing Power": As niche tourism becomes the norm, why not take an energy tour in the state? Seattle Business Magazine, By Bill Virgin | August 2010 "Food tourism is growing in popularity among travelers who want to visit the farms and producers that grow, raise or manufacture what winds up on their dinner plate. So why shouldn’t you be able to visit the place that produces something almost as significant in your life—electricity? -- On a windswept hillside 16 miles east of Ellensburg stands Puget Sound Energy’s Renewable Energy Center, where visitors learn about wind and solar power as well as gaze out on some of the 149 wind turbine and solar-panel arrays scattered across the nearby ridges."

      • A Battle in Mining Country Pits Coal Against Wind New York Times Aug 15, 2001 "...Their goal is to save the mountain, and they intend to do so with a wind farm. At least one study has shown that a wind project could be a feasible alternative to coal mining here, although the coal industry’s control over the land and the uncertain and often tenuous financial prospects of wind generation appear to make it unlikely to be pursued. That, residents say, would be a mistake.... "
      • www.coalriverwind.org

      • American Solar Energy Society (ASES) "Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation's leading association of solar professionals & advocates. Our mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. We advance education, research and policy."

        "The ASES National Solar Tour is the largest grassroots solar event in history. The tour offers participants the opportunity to tour homes and buildings to see how neighbors are using solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies to reduce their monthly utility bills and help tackle climate change."

      • Cooler Planet FIND A SOLAR PANELPROFESSIONAL NOW!Search our solar directory for pros in your area: Residential Commercial by Zip Code

      • National Renewable Energy Laboratory NREL is the only federal laboratory dedicated to the research, development, commercialization and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. 
        	1617 Cole Blvd.
	Golden, CO 80401-3305
	Main Phone Number
	(303) 275-3000
         Energy Analysis: News & News Archives

      • Transatlantic Climate Bridge ... initiative to foster transatlantic cooperation and partnerships between Germany, the US and Canada on climate and energy policies - at the local, the state and the federal level. A joint commitment to invest in newer, cleaner sources of energy can create new jobs and world-class industries, clean up the environment and protect the climate, improve standards of living and enhance global security.

      • YouTube Video of Renewable Energy Research at University of Kassel/ Germany

      • Net Metering in other States (California)
        • Meter, Meter on the Wall: Giving & Taking from a Smarter Grid By Andrew Burger | December 7th, 2007

        • Net Energy Metering "Net energy metering is a special billing arrangement for customers with renewable energy systems, such as solar electricity systems, that permits customers to get credit for the full retail value of the electricity their system generates. Under net energy metering, the customer's electric meter keeps track of how much excess electricity is generated ... and sent back into the electric utility grid, and how much electricity is consumed... Over a 12 month period, the customer has to pay only for the net amount of electricity they use ... over-and-above the amount of electricity generated by their ... system (in addition to monthly customer transmission, distribution, and meter service charges they incur)."

        • California Solar Initiative [www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/] [California's Public Utilities Commission and Energy Commission] Since 1998, rebates for small solar energy systems were managed under the Emerging Renewables Program (ERP) at the California Energy Commission. In 2001, a second program that covered rebates for larger systems--over 30 kW--was assigned to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) through the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP).
          [...] In January 2007, the State of California launched Go Solar California, which included two new solar incentive programs,... The new framework also included a major shift ... away from a system that funded solar incentives based only on nameplate capacity and towards one where incentive levels are based on performance factors such as installation angle, tilt, and location.

        • SDGE (San Diego)

        • PG&E (California)

      • Hawai'i Natural Energy Institute [School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology, University of Hawaii at Manoa]

      • "State accepting bids for undersea cable," Maui Weekly 5 Nov 2009, p.6 “Hawai‘i has become the test center for how you integrate large amounts of wind and sun,”
        ....if communities on Maui, Lana‘i and Moloka‘i will agree to feed their energy to Honolulu.

      • Huge wind power R&D starts at NREL [Power & Energy, by Dean Anderson | 11/04/09] "....A huge step in the right direction has been taken by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at its National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) in Colorado, where, alongside Siemens Energy, the organization "flipped the switch" starting the blades on a Siemens 2.3 megawatt wind turbine installed as part of a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) for testing turbine aerodynamics, structure and reliability..."

      • Green Inc. Column: Looking at Europe’s Green Ways New York Times, by Kate GALBRAITH Published: May 24, 2009

      • Siemens Wind Power [www.usa.siemens.com/en/windpower/]



  • OTHER LINKS, RESOURCES or CLIPPINGS




Last Updated: September 2010