Bella Energy’s very own Jim Welch and Ron Barness have made their way into the Utah press coverage of the new Salt Palace Project. If built today the Salt Palace Convention Center system would be the largest rooftop solar array in the United States.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Read more at : The Salt Lake Tribune

Listen to NPR’s coverage by clicking here!

Boulder, Colorado. Sept. 1, 2010 – Salt Lake County has chosen NexGen Energy and Bella Energy to develop a solar installation on the roof of the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City.

The team presented a plan to install up to 2.6 megawatts of solar modules on the structure. If built to that capacity, the Salt Palace will host the largest rooftop solar facility in the United States, generating more than 3,330,000 kilowatt hours of electricity every year while reducing the building’s consumption by 25%.

NexGen Energy and Bella Energy team won a competitive RFP process that took four months and began with twelve applicants. The County informed NexGen Energy of its decision late last week. Construction is expected to begin later this year.

NexGen Energy, a leading owner and operator of distributed renewable energy systems, will own and operate the facility and sell the power to Salt Lake County at a fixed rate. Bella Energy, a highly respected solar electric systems integrator based in Colorado, will design and install the project.

“Today the Salt Palace is setting a national example for renewable energy,” said Ted Rose, Vice President of NexGen Energy. “With a ground-breaking public-private partnership driving it, this project will place Utah at the forefront of solar development. It proves once again that large rooftops can successfully provide power from the sun that benefits both the environment and the bottom line.”

“Bella Energy has worked diligently to make the project a reality,” said Andrew McKenna, Vice President of Bella Energy. “Our three decades of experience in solar installation will serve Salt Lake County well. Bella Energy is committed to growing Utah’s distributed solar generation and will employ as many as 35 local workers and subcontractors during the construction of this project.”

NexGen Energy will sell the energy generated by the solar panels at a predictable rate for 20 years. The final contract will include an option for the county to purchase the system in the eighth year. NexGen Energy has retained the renewable energy credits (RECs) associated with the project.

Every so often we like to post interesting tid bits from the world of renewable energy to our twitter page. Here are a few of the more interesting stories of the past few months in case you missed them. Enjoy!

• Solar Vehicles: Innovative Transportation Designs Powered By The Sun (PHOTOS) http://huff.to/a20nQg
• Bella Energy Customer Working on 3D Movie About Mass Extinction : TreeHugger http://bit.ly/aMoBLG
• Green Business Forecast Shows Strong Growth Ahead | Business | GreenBiz.com http://bit.ly/dzBOUo
• Today on Planet 100: Ocean Acidification 101 (Video) : TreeHugger http://bit.ly/9LQ5xq
• Melting Steel With Only the Sun #Video : TreeHugger http://bit.ly/bf2JE1

“I’m excited to see this project move forward. It is one more step towards the Town achieving the Board’s goal of becoming an energy neutral community,” said Mayor Muckle.

Thanks to the new solar systems, the Town will reduce its utility bill by more than $14,000 annually; and will receive renewable energy credits (REC payments) from Xcel Energy in the amount of $22,800 annually. In total, the Town’s investment will produce an immediate and perpetually positive cash flow, estimated in excess of $500,000, over the anticipated 25-year life of these solar panels.

“Bella Energy is very excited to work with the Town of Superior to build these new systems.” Said Jim Welch, CEO of Bella Energy. “Projects like these are a critical element of our ongoing growth as a company. This year Bella Energy is slated to install over two Megawatts of solar energy systems, which is almost double the business we did last year.”

Denver, CO – A partnership between 7News and Bella Energy will power the 24/7 Weather Center with solar energy. The new solar array provides enough power to offset over 25,000 lbs of carbon emissions every year and will make the 24/7 Weather Center one of the only clean energy broadcast segments in the country.

Today, on 7News at 4PM Mike Nelson will flip on the switch to the solar power array from the Denver’s 7 rooftop. “The Sun powers the weather and now the Sun will power the Weather Center!  I am very excited to see this innovative project go on line!  For the first time ever, a television weather center will be completely powered by solar energy.  We have calculated the electricity required to run our radar, computers, studio lights and monitors.  The solar panels will generate enough energy for the 24/7 Weather Center, plus a little more.  That extra power will go back to the Xcel energy grid”, said Mike Nelson, Chief Meteorologist, 7News. Follow Mike Nelson’s blog on www.thedenverchannel.com

Bella Energy is headquartered in Louisville, Colorado and is the leading full service renewable energy systems integrator, developer and solar contractor in the Rocky Mountain Region.  “We’re very excited to help KMGH Channel 7 in their pursuit of sustainability,” said Jim Welch, CEO of Bella Energy. “Projects like this show how any business can save money with solar energy, and are a critical element of our ongoing growth as a company.”

Louisville, CO, 2010 – Colorado’s Army National Guard Readiness Center in Grand Junction, CO is now capturing the power of the sun thanks to a new solar electric installation from Bella Energy. The new 172 Kilowatt solar array provides enough power to offset 450,000 pounds of carbon emissions and represents another step forward in the Army’s pursuit of national energy security.

“Not only will this energy project lay the foundation to meet our net-zero electricity consumption goal of 2030, it is also important in how we will manage and design our facilities in the future,” said the Project Manager Maj. Richard Burtt, Colorado Army National Guard.

“Bella Energy is extremely proud to work with the Army National Guard installing solar on our nation’s military bases,” said Jim Welch, CEO of Bella Energy. “Renewables like solar electricity are a key aspect of national security and will play an important role in our energy policy. Projects like these are a critical element of Bella Energy’s ongoing growth as a company. This year Bella Energy slated to install over two Megawatts of solar energy systems, which is a 75 percent increase over the business we did last year.”

Louisville, CO, July 6 2010 – Colorado State University’s recently completed solar energy system provides clean energy for the campus and shade for students, faculty and visitors parking at the Lake Street Parking Garage. The 132.5 Kilowatt solar electric system is the fourth project between Colorado State University and local solar energy provider, Bella Energy.

“Colorado State University has been committed to energy conservation on campus for many, many years,” said Carol Dollard, energy engineer for Colorado State University. “This solar project is one of the many tools in our toolbox and it’s an important piece of the joint efforts with the City and Colorado State to make the downtown area – including the main CSU campus – a net zero-energy district.”

“Bella Energy is extremely proud of our work with Colorado State University,” said Jim Welch, CEO of Bella Energy. “The company was founded in Fort Collins so it is always nice to do work in our hometown. Projects like these are a critical element of our ongoing growth as a company. This year Bella Energy slated to install over two Megawatts of solar energy systems, which is twice the business we did last year.”

July 21, 2010 –

WASHINGTON – Colorado Congressman Jared Polis, D-Colo., has introduced a bill to spark investment in small scale “distributed generation” solar projects across the U.S. and encourage long-term job growth in the solar industry.

Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, D-Calif. is the bill’s co-sponsor.

H.R. 5763, the Solar Expansion of Distributed Generation Exponentially Act, would provide a two-year 20 percent increase to the current Investment Tax Credit for small solar systems (under 20 kilowatts).

Polis and Sanchez estimate their bill would create 83,000 new jobs in the manufacturing and installation sectors of the solar market.

They said the bill would add a projected additional 1,000 megawatts of new solar and more than $6 billion in new private investment, without the expensive infrastructure investments that accompany new centralized power sources.

“New solar power has been mostly confined to states like Colorado with solar-friendly regulations or large-scale projects that require expensive transmission infrastructure,” Polis said. “Solar could and should be an easy choice for every household or small business; every empty rooftop is a wasted opportunity.”

Jim Woolsey, former director of the CIA, will speak on renewable energy, distributing electricity from multiple locations and feed-in tariff policies from 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, July 21, in room 235 at the University Memorial Center on the CU Boulder campus.

A panel discussion will follow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 22, at the same location.

Admission is $15 for the presentation Wednesday night and $50 for the workshop on Thursday. Lunch is provided.

An R.S.V.P. for both events is required at www.CommunityInPower.com.

Accompanied by lawmakers, business owners and clean-energy pioneers, Gov. Ritter praised the strong partnerships and innovative projects that are making Colorado a hub for the New Energy Economy. He thanked lawmakers for helping to push through 16 ambitious bills during this legislative session that are taking Colorado’s energy work to new frontiers.

“Since taking office in 2007, we have charged forward with a bold and ambitious agenda to make Colorado a national leader in the New Energy Economy,” Gov. Ritter said. “In less than four years, we have passed nearly 60 New Energy Economy bills that are sowing the seeds for a vibrant and sustainable future. We are creating jobs, attracting companies, reducing energy consumption and advancing high-tech projects that will continue to bear fruit for decades to come.

“This year, we passed the landmark, first-in-the-country Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act, which will reduce climate-warming emissions from coal and create a greater role for cleaner, home-grown natural gas. We increased the renewable energy requirement to 30 percent by 2020, and we passed a host of measures that will help clean-tech businesses thrive.

“Today, Colorado is at the leading edge of a clean-energy revolution.”

State Sen. Gail Schwartz has been a leading supporter of the New Energy Economy and sponsored several of the bills signed into law today by Gov. Ritter.

“Thanks to our commitment to Colorado’s New Energy Economy, this state is the best place for renewable energy in the country,” Sen. Schwartz said. “Thousands of green jobs have already been created, and demand for skilled workers is building. We are working to ensure these growing industries have the workforce needed. I’m proud of all the work that we have done since I first took office four years ago. There is still a lot to accomplish, but these bills bring us closer to our goals and help position Colorado for a strong recovery with tools of the future.”

The New Energy Economy bills signed today are:

• House Bill 1333 (Vigil/Schwartz & Newell) provides grants to community colleges, vocational schools and other training providers to develop clean energy job training programs.

“By creating this partnership for green job training, we can help people who might have lost their jobs and need to be trained in new skills,” Rep. Ed Vigil said. “We can help put folks back to work in growing sectors of our economy. Importantly, we are responding to the needs and requests of the renewable energy industry. That’s good for people who need work today and good for the green businesses that want to hire trained Coloradans tomorrow.”

“The renewable energy industry provides good-paying jobs for workers in Colorado,” Sen. Linda Newell said. “This bill will help people acquire skills for those jobs and strengthen our state’s workforce to keep us competitive. I’m proud to be a part of it.”

• House Bill 1328 (Miklosi/Schwartz) creates a statewide New Energy Improvement District to promote and finance Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs, thereby providing scalability that cannot be easily achieved with a county-by-county approach. A county must opt-into the district before its residents can participate in the program.

“I am confident that this will help the state create jobs and empower homeowners to participate in our fastest growing economic sector — the New Energy Economy,” Rep. Joe Miklosi said.
Senate Bill 180 (Williams/A. Kerr) creates an 11-member task force to gather information and report to the legislature and Colorado Public Utilities Commission on issues related to the implementation of a smart energy grid in Colorado.

• House Bill 1098 (Levy/Hodge) provides for more transparency in rural electric cooperative association governance and fairness in elections at these organizations.

“Members of rural electric associations deserve to have a real voice in decisions made by their utility. Too often, members who advocate for more renewable energy and energy efficiency programs have been shut out by old guard board members who are resistant to change. House Bill 1098 will open up the election process for the board of directors, and will allow REA members to provide input to board members as they make important decisions about their energy sources,” Rep. Claire Levy said.

• House Bill 1267 (A. Kerr/Romer) allows third-party independently-owned residential solar facilities to be exempt from property tax, putting them on an even playing field with homeowner-owned systems with regard to property tax exemption.