“Solar Pioneers” or “Solar Guinea Pigs”?

February 26th, 2010, www.ShowMeSolar.org Yesterday evening marked the final installment in the Winter 2010 Show Me Solar online solar seminar series.  Approximately 7 members of Show Me Solar were in attendance and the evening turned into a three hour affair chock full of great discussions and helpful exchanges of useful information.  The central part of the evening was the “Economics of Solar” portion of the solar seminar series, and on-topic discussions before, during and after the presentation ranged from pushing the boundaries of incentives from the 30% Federal Income tax credit (whether the 30% can be claimed on the full cost of the solar system prior to deducting the $2/watt solar rebate and whether you would have claim the rebate as income on your Federal Tax return),  to the Missouri Proposition C Solar Rebate program (for example, whether the same property could qualify more than once and what the finally basis will become for calculating the rebate – maximum power at STC, CEC ratings, etc.) , extending the rebate program to cover all utilities selling electricity in Missouri not just the investor owned utilities such as Ameren UE and KCP&L, to strengthening the net-metering laws to require utilities to credit production based on the marginalized cost of producing electricity not the avoided cost,  to the political viability of Renewable Energy Certificates making it out of the rule-making process with the Public Service Commision and into the hands of home and business owners in the form of additional cash incentives.  Discussion even turned to whether the Missouri Green Sales Tax holiday would apply to the purchase of renewable energy systems and to the fact that Missouri has been the only Midwestern state out of 12 not to participate in the Midwest Governor’s pact to reduce emissions from coal.  Governor Nixon, any plans to join your colleagues in establishing a Midwest Regional Green House Emissions Reduction pact?

Discussion also included the possibility of cost savings through collective wholesale purchasing based on the number of unsolicited offers Show Me Solar has already received from distributors to purchase panels below $2/watt.  The pros and cons of this years plan to install solar systems which we have dubbed “Energy Raisers” was also visited prompting Jeffrey Owens, the current Executive Director of Show Me Solar to respond that the first owners to participate in an Energy Raiser could be viewed either as “Solar Pioneers” or “Solar Guinea Pigs” depending on whether you want to take a glass half full or glass half empty approach to the issue.  Needless to say, everyone in attendance looked forward to being a solar pioneer.  Although the Energy Raiser events will save the solar system owners thousands of dollars in avoided labor charges, the Show Me Solar Energy raisers are by no means intended to undercut market prices.  Logistically, the number of installs possible for the nonprofit operating off of donated labor and materials will not keep pace with the rate at which the commercial industry is installing systems.  Instead, the Energy Raisers are designed to provide the general public access to a real live solar energy installation.  To turn out on a Saturday and witness just what is solar all about.  To ask questions and receive answers.  In addition, for those wishing to explore the possibility of a career in renewable energy, the Energy Raiser events will provide professional associates of Show Me Solar and opportunity to get the experience they will need to enter the job market as a solar system installer, integrator, and even designer.  NABCEP certification requirements allow credit from one training installation to go towards NABCEP certification as a PV installer and Show Me Solar Energy Raisers in every local community will allow Midwesterners and others to get the on the job training they need without having to travel and pay thousands of dollars to gain access to a training program.

After the presentation segment on the Economics in Solar, discussion even turned to electric vehicles and one participant, Gavin Perry of GPTS LLC based in St. Louis, shared his plans for a bulk purchase of Lithium Ferrous Phosphate batteries used by the automobile industry and already available in the form of an electric assisted bicycle that his company provides.  His online presence can be found at http://gptsllc.com/  Perhaps, fuel cell technology was the only aspect of both home and transportation distributed energy that was not discussed.  With announcements of inexpensive fuel cells coming this week from venture capitalist start-up Bloom Energy announcing their plans to put a Bloom Box in every American home for under $3,000, this technology will almost certainly be a perennial topic of discussion for members of Show Me Solar.

Now that this first cycle of online webinars is drawing to completion – next Tuesday evening Show Me Solar hosts Dan Chiras for the final online seminar for Winter 2010,  our organization plans to regroup, reevaluate and retool our online educational outreach program to both improve it and expand its content and functionality.  A working group of members interested in developing the educational content and creating an online learning environment is forming to begin meeting next week.  If you are interested in participating in this important component of Show Me Solar’s mission by joining the Educational Outreach working group please contact me, Jeffrey Owens at jowens@showmesolar.org

For more information on Show Me Solar and it’s activities in the field of Solar Energy please visit:

www.ShowMeSolar.org