“I am excited about this project. I believe this new technology will be very beneficial as we continue to make Arizona the solar capital,” stated Arizona Commissioner Sandra Kennedy in her vote to support the project. “I like the fact that the developers of this project will seek to sell their solar power within Arizona, which I believe is a testament to our Renewable Energy Standard.”

The Crossroad Solar Project will create four hundred fifty construction jobs while it’s in the building stage and an estimated five thousand jobs either at the facility or directly related to facility services. That includes offsite suppliers and support activities. Construction will take roughly two years for completion and the cost of the project was $500 million. Once complete, it will have an operating budget of $10 million a year which will mostly be spent locally. The community of Gila Bend will benefit most from that, but the positive economic impact will be felt throughout the state.

Once complete, the Crossroads facility will generate electricity for the residents of Maricopa County, Arizona. The project will also utilize an advanced molten salt, power tower technology that provides the ability to store ten hours of solar energy and generate electricity on demand, even after the sun goes down. This storage capacity will ensure that the plant provides a steady flow of electricity at all times, enough to compete with coal, natural gas and oil without the harmful emissions and high prices.

“The unanimous approval by the Commission illustrates a commitment to bringing viable, utility scale solar thermal projects to Arizona which will contribute to the state meeting its renewable energy goals and peak energy demand with non intermittent, fully dispatchable power” said a spokesperson for the developer. “The project also represents hundreds of millions of dollars of investment into Arizona and significant, diverse job creation in the construction, operations, manufacturing and supply sectors.”

“We are very pleased to get across the finish line of this project,” said Col. Nicholas F. Marano, commanding officer, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. “The photovoltaic system is helping us move in the right direction of the mandates pushed out by the Department of the Navy in 2005. Those mandates state that 25% of the base’s energy usage must come from renewable energy by 2020. This project has us off and running in the right direction for that to happen.”

The 225 panels in the new system each feature 28-235 watt-modules tallying 6,300 photovoltaic components to service six acres. The cost was $9.4 million, and it was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the same fund commercial solar installers have relied on to reduce solar installation costs for local business owners. The site of the Pendleton array was once a 1,093,000 cubic yard landfill which was closed in February 2003. There is a second solar project planned for the base which is expected to bring their renewable totals up to 10% by the end of 2012.

The installation of the Camp Pendleton Solar Array is just the latest chapter in California’s drive to become energy independent. Late last year, the Land Bureau approved the building of the Blythe Solar Project in the Mojave Desert, and in Northern California a big push has been put on for more solar panels and wind turbines. Southern California Utility Company Southern California Edison released a report this week outlining how the cost of solar is now the same as more traditional, fossil fuel energy sources. SCE applied to the public utilities commission this month for permits for twenty new solar PV projects what will generate a total of 250 Megawatts of electricity.

“America is in a world race to produce cost-effective, quality photovoltaics. The Sun Shot initiative will spur American innovations to reduce the costs of solar energy and re-establish U.S. global leadership in this growing industry,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “The Sun Shot program builds on the legacy of President Kennedy’s 1960s “moon shot” goal, which laid out a plan to regain the country’s lead in the space race and land a man on the moon. The program aims to aggressively drive innovations in the ways that solar systems are conceived, designed, manufactured and installed.”

The long term goal of the program is to make large scale solar projects cost competitive with other energy installations that use natural gas, coal, and oil. The mark the program is looking to hit is roughly $1.00 per watt (6 cents per kilowatt hour) for installed solar capacity, a level that will make it possible for even the poorest homeowners to pay utility solar electric bills. With net metering, if a homeowner can install their own solar panels and sell the power back to the utility company, they could end up paying nothing or even making money on the power they generate. It’s possible to do now, but start-up costs for an average homeowner are still too high.

The Sun Shot program will also focus on bringing down the costs of permits by streamlining the process and digitizing it to eliminate large paper backlogs and extra administrative tasks. To achieve the Sun Shot goal, the Department of Energy will collaborate with government, industry, research laboratories and academic institutions. They will focus on technologies for solar cells and arrays that convert sunlight to energy, electronics that optimize the performance of the installation, improvements in the efficiency of solar manufacturing processes, and installation, design and permitting for solar energy systems. The estimated cost of the program is $27 million.

The facility will supply power to the member electric cooperatives of Denver-based Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association “The Cimarron Solar Facility is another example of our ability to harness and utilize the abundant natural resources that are available to us in the West,” Ken Anderson, Tri-State’s executive vice president and general manager said in the press release. “Working with our partners, we have made a significant technology investment in the rural communities we serve, while further diversifying Tri-State’s renewable resource mix.”

Electricity generated by the plant will serve a 25-year power purchase agreement with Tri-State, a not-for-profit wholesale power supplier to 44 electric cooperatives serving 1.5 million consumers across Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming. Tri-State is also in the process of conducting a solar augmentation study at one of its other facilities in New Mexico, the Escalante Station, a 245 Megawatt coal-based power plant in Prewitt. The purpose of the study is to evaluate ways that commercial solar panels can be incorporated into fossil fuel plans to cut down on carbon emissions.

Solar isn’t the only renewable energy interest for Tri-State. In July 2009, they signed a 20-year agreement to purchase the output of a new 51-megawatt wind farm to be built in east-central Colorado.  The Kit Carson Windpower Project was completed November 2010. It contains thirty-four 1.5-megawatt wind turbines and is projected to generate enough electricity for 12,000 to 14,000 homes.

Tri-State also has a 15-year agreement with Platte River Power Authority of Fort Collins, Colorado to purchase energy from that utility’s wind farm near Medicine Bow, Wyoming and as a member of Basin Electric Power Cooperative in Bismarck, North Dakota they purchase a portion of its available wind generation from Basin’s Prairie Winds Program. Prairie Winds is comprised of six wind project sites totaling 85 megawatts of capacity.

“New Mexico has some of the best solar resources in the nation,” said Ben Jaime, Xcel Energy’s manager for community and economic development, in a news release. “Yet the general public is still learning about solar technology and how it can benefit our economy. These installations will provide valuable information to Xcel Energy and our communities as we develop the region’s renewable energy economy.”

The solar panels at Leyva were installed in the courtyard near the shop building where students can see them in operation every day. Xcel is also providing curriculum material and the school is teaching classes on solar energy, a subject matter that could spark an interest in the students towards professions as technicians or commercial solar installers, two positions that are expected to be in high demand in their future. Xcel and the teachers at Leysa are also hoping to convey an understanding of energy consumption and production.

Xcel Energy has been one of the driving forces in solar development in the central and western regions of the United States. They offer a program called “Solar Rewards” which is designed to encourage the installation of residential or commercial solar panels that can generate electricity. Xcel rewards these home or business owners with renewable energy certificates that they buy back for whatever the going market rate is.

In New Mexico alone this year, Xcel Energy is expecting to add fifty megawatts of solar energy from five new photovoltaic facilities in Lea and Eddy counties. Those arrays are being built by SunEdison, who has entered into a long term power purchase contract with Xcel Energy.

Some would say that’s comparing apples to oranges, but the complexities of the SREC system might be the greatest obstacle to its success. In order to cash in, generators of solar electricity need to hit a certain level of production before they’re eligible to do anything with their certificates. The State of New Jersey, where the SREC program originated, has a total solar capacity of 145 MW and a minimum SREC requirement of 260 MW for 2011. The requirements were put in place to encourage growth in the solar industry, but they are going up faster than solar installations are.

Why do states without SREC offer a better opportunity for solar development? Some of it is climate. The Mojave Desert is certainly one of the best venues for commercial solar installers to place PV panels. Another reason is the installation incentives offered by the state legislatures. The SREC program was put into effect in New Jersey when the state ran out of money to invest in renewable energy. Tax rebates were taking their toll and grants were out of the questions. SREC was the supposed solution.

In the UK, a system called FIT (feed-in tariffs) is being used as incentive for solar development. During the first six months of feed-in tariffs, over eleven thousand generators have registered for the tariff, marking the largest surge in solar photovoltaic installations to date. With 11,352 renewable systems now installed, it suggests that the scheme has been more successful than predicted, with enough output to power thirty five thousand homes. Feed-in tariffs work by offering fixed, premium rates for both the energy generated from renewable systems (which is then fed-back into the grid), and the energy used. So far, it’s proving to be more effective than the SREC system.

For the past two decades, energy growth and demand was met with an increased consumption of fossil fuels. OPEC, in a similar report released last week, projected that the demand for oil would go up, overshadowing any renewable energy growth. BP studies disagree. The British oil conglomerate is predicting renewable energy use to rise to eighteen percent of the overall total energy consumption by the year 2030. They also forecast that the renewable percentage of primary energy, which is any energy source before it is converted to electricity or liquid fuels, will rise from 2% to 6%.

In order to compile their final analysis, BP had to make some assumptions. Foremost among them was that nations would adapt regulations to limit green house gas emissions, a subject that has been an issue in the United States for the past decade. Also factored in was the level of government involvement and incentives handed out for renewable energy research and development. In the US, credits from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act accounted for some of the new projects last year, including many installations of commercial solar panels. Similar programs are in place in other countries around the world, but the level of commitment varies.

Other predictions in the BP report are that more energy-efficient technology will slow the growth of oil use in the next two decades, natural gas use will grow faster than coal or oil, and bio-fuels will represent six percent of all liquid fuels by 2030. They don’t mention whether or not commercial solar installers will be successful, but we’re pretty certain these numbers bode well for us here at Bella Energy.

To begin with, solar energy can be generated on the grid or off the grid, so you don’t have to be completely disconnected from that existing infrastructure. Using a system called net metering you can generate your own electricity and still be part of the existing power network. If you’re connected to the grid, your local power company will reimburse you for any excess electricity you generate. The reimbursement comes in the form of Solar Renewable Energy Certificates. The value of these certificates varies from state to state, with the current range being anywhere from 1 to 20 cents per kilowatt.

There are also tax advantages to having a commercial solar installer provide some of your electric needs with solar power. In 2008, Congress approved a 30% federal tax credit for solar installation. In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act added a grant option to businesses installing commercial solar and connecting to what has now been termed the “smart grid” or renewable energy network. There are also a number of state tax incentives, rebates, and grants available for interested businesses.

Obviously, generating your own electricity with commercial solar panels will cut down on your utility bills, but there are other advantages also. You can sell the excess electricity you generate back to the power company. You can receive tax rebates, grants and credits form the government. Plus, in the long term, you system requires very little maintenance as solar electric systems have no moving parts. It’s also cleaner and better for the environment allowing your organization or building to enhance your sustainable marketing efforts.

The Boulders is an environmentally friendly apartment complex located in Boulder, CO. In the summer of 2010, Bella Energy helped install 99 kW of solar energy systems across 9 buildings. Combined these systems help lower the carbon footprint of their operations by over 225,000 pounds per year. Thanks to Bella Energy’s commercial solar installation, The Boulders powers much of their outdoor lighting and clubhouse facility with free, clean, renewable energy.

In addition to bolstering their environmental branding, the commercial solar pv system also provides significant financial savings to the property owners. This helps keeps costs low and prices attractive in the highly competitive Boulder rental industry. To learn more about how your company can save money and bolster your sustainable identity request your free solar energy consultation…

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.”