November
9
2010
November 9th, ShowMeSolar.org – Last week saw the announcement of next year’s partnership between the Renewable Energy Training Institute of St. Louis
and Show Me Solar. This week Show Me Solar shines the spotlight on an outstanding student currently working his way through the RETI program. Grant Martin is one of four RETI students currently being trained under a special program sponsored by the U.S. Supreme Court. Grant is a veteran of U.S. Air Force and recently completed the textbook portion of the RETI training course. An avid amateur astronomer, Grant designed a solar energy system to power one of his viewing telescopes (photo, right). Grant and his project will be featured at a Department of Labor career fair being held exclusively for active duty personnel, veterans and their spouses this Thursday in Jefferson City.
When interviewing Grant about what motivated him to pursue a career in renewable energy he responded:
A number of things have motivated me to make this career change. First is the environmental aspect: Without a doubt, any technology capable of sustainable, distributed energy generation that reduces the amount of burned fossil fuels is a step in the right direction. Second is the feeling of being part of something beneficial in the long run. The third thing is that I can quickly and easily apply my extensive experience with electronics development, testing, qualification and project management to startup companies in this rapidly growing and needed field.
I asked Grant what he liked best about the program at RETI:
I like the self paced nature of the course. It allows me to accelerate through the areas that I am already familiar with and spend additional time on those areas that are new to me.
Since the class is composed of professionals with many different technical backgrounds, I really enjoy the exposure to these knowledgeable individuals and the resulting information transfer. I find it really beneficial to have electricians, carpenters, contractors, engineers Etc taking the class and working together since that is what the composure of the team will be in the field.
I also really like the fact that one of the goals of RETI is to provide a means to transition veterans back to civilian life and into this growing and environmentally important field.
Finally, knowing that Grant had attended several Show Me Solar events this year including the recent Energy Raiser at Terra Bella farm, I asked him to share the benefits he had found in attending those events. He replied:
· Exposure to installed systems and the ability to ask questions of the owners, installers and designers.
· Access to the leaders and experts of the solar field in the local area as well as the enthusiastic members of Show Me Solar.
· The ability to get hands on experience with actual PV systems through the “Energy Raiser” program.
Like many in the current economy, Grant hopes to find employment upon graduation from the RETI program. He is interested in joining a solar start-up and hopes that perhaps, several years from now, after a little experience and a number of successes, he will be invited back to mentor both a new generation of installers as well as newer members of Show Me Solar.
From one veteran to another I salute Grant on his accomplishments so far and wish him well as he joins the solar energy industry. Any potential employers out there reading this I hope you snatch the opportunity to hire someone with Grant’s level of preparation – I’m sure he would be happy to hear from you and may be reached at gmhome@sbcglobal.net.
For more information on RETI, it’s training program and mission please visit their website at http://retimo.org
For more information on Show Me Solar and our Energy Raiser events please visit the Show Me Solar website page – www.ShowMeSolar.org/energyraiser.htm
About RETI
The Renewable Energy Training Institute (RETI) of St. Louis, Missouri is a non-profit organization adopting as its mission to educate, train, and prepare qualified, competent, and competitive individuals for positions within the green energy industry. During May 2010 RETI launches its six-month program in Solar Photovoltaics whereby graduates are being prepared, and positioned, to take the NABCEP certification examination, the most widely established and respected national certification for the solar PV profession.
November
4
2010
Join Show Me Solar, Tuesday evening,
November 9th from 7-8 pm CST as we host Lisa Cosgrove of Ameren Missouri. Lisa’s position as Renewables Specialist with Ameren involves her in assisting customers with interconnection of their renewable energy systems to Ameren and applying for net-metering and the Missouri Solar Rebate program. In her presentation, Lisa will cover the basic requirements for interconnection to net-meter a solar energy system and how to apply. Questions are welcome regarding your installation and how to get started with the application process.
To download Ameren’s interconnection application packet please click here.
Contact Lisa by email at LCosgrove@ameren.com or by phone at 314-554-2649.
To register please submit your email (will not be released to any third-party) in the form immediately below.
November
2
2010
Enter your email address in the blue form below and join the directors of Show Me Solar for a semi-annual members meeting online, November 11th from 7-8 pm CST. This meeting is designed for us to receive feedback for planning next year’s event calendar and, oh, by the way we will be generating the winning raffle ticket number as well! The odds are still good with only 72 chances sold so while you are here consider purchasing a few chances – click here to read more about the fundraiser and to buy as many chances as you like using our PayPal account.
November
1
2010
November 1st, 2010 – Show Me Solar SunBeams – ShowMeSolar.org
Show Me Solar is pleased to announce the recent addition of The Renewable Training Institute (RETI) of St. Louis, Missouri to it’s list of sponsors for the 2011 calendar year. Based out of it’s Owen Ridge Campus in Webster Groves Missouri, the nonprofit training institute launched it’s first six month training course in solar photovoltaics this past July. Plans exist to expand the training courses offered by RETI to include solar thermal, geothermal and wind technologies as well. Offering priority status to veterans, active duty members of the military and their spouses, RETI has recently received a grant which originated from the Federal Department of Labor to commence training 20 veterans from a waiting list of over 40 students this December in partnership with St. Louis Community College. Stay tuned for a follow-up article in next week’s Show Me Solar SunBeams profiling a top student at RETI whose personal solar energy project will be the highlight of an upcoming Department of Labor career fair on November, 11th.
Ever since the directors and instructors of RETI first attended a Show Me Solar workshop in May of this year, (see the previously published SunBeams article "Saturday Solar Workshop a Smashing Success"), the partnership between RETI and Show Me Solar has steadily grown through participation in several additional Show Me Solar events including the recent Energy Raiser at Terra Bella farm (see “Energy Raiser Provides Valuable Hands-On Experience”) as well as this year’s Show Me Solar Tour in St. Louis (see “Sunny Saturday for St. Louis Solar Tour”). Now an official sponsor of Show Me Solar for 2011, RETI and Show Me Solar have already begun to plan for the upcoming calendar year of events. Plans which include scheduling an Energy Raiser event to help with the installation of a 2 kW solar electric array at the home of a disabled veteran who lives in Jennings, Missouri – part of the Green Homes for Heroes Program funded by the Master Sergeant Frank L. Green Heritage Foundation. Show Me Solar looks forward to collaborating with the students, instructors and directors of RETI on this project and at many more solar energy training events in the upcoming year.
For more information on RETI, it’s training program and mission please visit their website at http://retimo.org
About RETI
The Renewable Energy Training Institute (RETI) of St. Louis, Missouri is a non-profit organization adopting as its mission to educate, train, and prepare qualified, competent, and competitive individuals for positions within the green energy industry. During May 2010 RETI launches its six-month program in Solar Photovoltaics whereby graduates are being prepared, and positioned, to take the NABCEP certification examination, the most widely established and respected national certification for the solar PV profession.
October
18
2010
Updated November 9th, 2010 – Work on the Terra Bella off-grid solar array has been completed and after meeting with the owner of Terra Bella farm, the system was commissioned on Sunday, November 7th by Kevin Allemann of Show Me Solar. The photo on the
right shows the finished solar closet and yes, the light bulb in the ceiling is solar powered! So far all systems have been working perfectly and the system has completed several discharge and recharge cycles successfully. When the construction crew learned the system was on they quickly shut off their generator and plugged in their power tools. The owner and farm crew also learned a valuable lesson in energy conservation after having first installed 600 Watts of incandescent light bulbs in the building. After replacing the incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents the inverter read 160 Watts output, almost 75% less power consumption, leaving the conserved power for other uses such as ceiling fans and power tools. Plans remain to monitor the performance of the system through the winter into next year. Thanks again to Robert Nix professional member of Show Me Solar and resident of Columbia, Missouri for his attention to detail and dedication in constructing a vented battery box (as seen in the photo) to house the eight flooded lead acid batteries that provide storage for the solar energy produced by the system.
Marking the fifth Energy Raiser event of 2010 and the second system designed and installed by Kevin Allemann and Jeffrey Owens of Show Me Solar, plans turn now to next year calendar of events. If you are a property owner interested in supporting Show Me Solar’s mission to provide access to educational and training opportunities in solar energy technologies and would like to consider turning your solar project into an Energy Raiser event please contact Jeffrey Owens, Executive Director of Show Me Solar at jowens@showmesolar.org.
For further details on the project continue on to read the original blog post covering the Energy Raiser event that took place Saturday, October 16th. The system was also shown at an open house event hosted by Terra Bella farm on Halloween (for more details on Terra Bella and contact information and a list of events at the farm see the bottom paragraph of this post).
Saturday, October 16th, Auxvasse, Missouri – Last Saturday witnessed Show Me Solar’s latest Solar Energy Raiser event at Terra Bella farm near Auxasse,
Missouri. Kevin Allemann, director of Show Me Solar and lead installer for the project had prepped the roof of the building by installing Iron Ridge rack mount rails on boot flanged stand-offs. The building is an historic carriage house circa 1900-1910 and had just been relocated to set it back according to code from the nearby county highway. The composition roof was removed and replaced by a cedar shake roof. The scaffolding used by the roofer came in handy to mount three Canadian Solar 180W crystallized silicon modules on the roof. A small group of seven worked diligently and by the end of the day had all three modules mounted and the wires terminated in a combiner box inside the roof. A separate crew under the lead of carpenter and handyman extraordinaire, Rob Nix, came close to completing the battery box designed to 
hold eight 6 Volt, flooded lead acid batteries that will serve as storage for this small off-grid solar array. The energy demand of the farm hands who will be using the building is light and in keeping with the sustainability mission of the farm, the system was designed to match the electricity requirements as closely as possible in order to keep the overall carbon footprint of the installation as small as possible. Show Me Solar plans to monitor the performance of the system over the upcoming year and if necessary, adjustments will be made according to any changes in the energy usage profile of the building. Plenty of space remains on the south facing portion of the roof for expansion of the array.
This marks the fifth solar Energy Raiser project for Show Me Solar so far since initiating the program earlier this year. The projects have ranged from documenting a system as it was installed by a local solar company (see Show Me Solar Member Walks the Talk) to last weekend’s Energy
Raiser in which case the entire project from site evaluation to commissioning of the system was completely handled by members of Show Me Solar. Similar to Habitat for Humanity projects or old fashion Amish barn raisers, Show Me Solar Energy Raisers are a great way for our members to pool resources and share experience installing solar systems first hand not to mention helping a fellow member go solar all at the same time. Show Me Solar plans to document the performance of the Energy Raiser systems and include them on the fall solar tours in upcoming years whenever possible. Great training opportunities for those seeking entry into the field of solar energy, Energy Raisers are often coupled with educational workshops. In fact, for the upcoming year, Show Me Solar hopes to engage experienced solar instructors more and more as we continue to provide solar education workshops in conjunction with Energy Raiser projects.
For more information on Show Me Solar and our Energy Raiser events please visit the Show Me Solar website page – www.ShowMeSolar.org/energyraiser.htm
For more information on our solar training partners please visit www.ShowMeSolar.org/training.htm
About Terra Bella Farm:
Located about twenty minutes from Columbia, Missouri and just under a hundred miles from St. Louis, Terra Bella Farm is 160 acres of mixed pasture, creek, and woods, with 12 acres of produce, herbs, and flowers. We strive to provide high quality food to fuel our local communities, our hard working apprentices, our extended families, and ourselves. We operate a thriving Communited Supported Agriculture program, and sell directly at area Farmers’ Markets, natural food stores, and restaurants. Community outreach such as leading educational farm tours, donating seedlings to community gardens, and finding homes for our surplus produce at local food pantries is vital to our long-term farming goals and our commitment to being a socially-responsible business.
About Show Me Solar:
Grass roots organized in 2007, Show Me Solar is a non-profit public benefit organization incorporated and based in the state of Missouri. We are board operated and member supported. Our mission is to educate the general public about the benefits of solar living and to advocate for the increased use of solar energy in the United States. To that end we host free and low cost presentations, workshops, classes, and seminars and participate in fairs, festivals and events related to renewable energy throughout the nation and it’s territories. Show Me Solar organizes installations of solar systems for demonstration and training purposes – events referred to as Energy Raisers. Show Me Solar also partners with the American Solar Energy Society to sponsor annual tours of solar systems as part of the ASES national solar tour event.
Learn about the latest developments in the solar energy industry, find the information you need to go solar and make the contacts you need to be part of the solar energy revolution. Attend a meeting or workshop online or in person, join our email list, become a member and help support our mission through donations and by volunteering your time at an upcoming event. We provide for-profit entities with access to our membership through sponsorship channels and non-profits with overlapping missions are also welcome to contact us to establish partnerships.
October
18
2010
Join Show Me Solar Online, Tuesday, October 26th, from 7-8 pm CST as we host Jason Ramsey of the Missouri State Treasurer’s office. Jason will discuss the portion of the Missouri Linked Deposit low interest loan program designed to help Missourians finance renewable energy projects at their home or business. Questions from the audience are welcomed.
To register please submit your email address in the form below:
About the Missouri Linked Deposit Program
The Missouri Linked Deposit Program partners with lenders to provide low-interest loans to help create and retain Missouri jobs, expand the economy and strengthen communities statewide.
The Missouri Linked Deposit Program for Alternative Energy provides low-interest loans to stimulate alternative energy growth and development. Eligibility guidelines have expanded to make loans available to:
- Businesses producing energy or fuel for sale or for their own use.
- Consumers purchasing, installing or constructing equipment that produces alternative energy, such as solar panels or wind facilities.
Download Jason’s presentation (Microsoft Powerpoint, 600kb) – click here.
For more information on the program visit the webpage:
http://www.treasurer.mo.gov/AlternativeEnergy.aspx
To contact Jason please send email to:
Or call:
(573) 751-2372
About Show Me Solar
Grass roots organized in 2007, Show Me Solar is a non-profit public benefit organization incorporated and based in the state of Missouri. We are board operated and member supported. Our mission is to educate the general public about the benefits of solar living and to advocate for the increased use of solar energy in the United States. To that end we host free and low cost presentations, workshops, classes, and seminars and participate in fairs, festivals and events related to renewable energy throughout the nation and it’s territories. Show Me Solar organizes installations of solar systems for demonstration and training purposes – events referred to as Energy Raisers. Show Me Solar also partners with the American Solar Energy Society to sponsor annual tours of solar systems as part of the ASES national solar tour event.
Learn about the latest developments in the solar energy industry, find the information you need to go solar and make the contacts you need to be part of the solar energy revolution. Attend a meeting or workshop online or in person, join our email list, become a member and help support our mission through donations and by volunteering your time at an upcoming event. We provide for-profit entities with access to our membership through sponsorship channels and non-profits with overlapping missions are also welcome to contact us to establish partnerships.
October
12
2010
October 12th, 2010 – ShowMeSolar.org As part of our fall webinar series, on Tuesday October 19th, from 7-8 PM CST, Show Me Solar will be hosting John Ervin of Midwest Solar Distributors for a live presentation entitled “Closed Loop Solar Thermal Systems”. Once again this presentation will serve a dual purpose as we also highlight John’s company which is based in Hermann, Missouri. To register for John’s presentation please enter your email in the form below. You will receive a confirmation email prior to the meeting with a link to join. For a complete listing of the fall SMS webinars and for links to join the meeting anytime, please visit www.ShowMeSolar.org/webinar.htm
About Midwest Solar Distributors
Midwest Solar Distributors is located in Hermann, Missouri. We are a stocking wholesaler for Heliodyne Solar Water Heating Systems and Equipment. We supply plumbing contractors, home builders and general contractors with solar water heating solutions. We also offer consulting for both residential and commercial solar projects. If you need immediate assistance call us at (573)778-7044 or email john@midwestsolardistributors.com.
About Show Me Solar
Grass roots organized in 2007, Show Me Solar is a non-profit public benefit organization incorporated and based in the state of Missouri. We are board operated and member supported. Our mission is to educate the general public about the benefits of solar living and to advocate for the increased use of solar energy in the United States. To that end we host free and low cost presentations, workshops, classes, and seminars and participate in fairs, festivals and events related to renewable energy throughout the nation and it’s territories. Show Me Solar organizes installations of solar systems for demonstration and training purposes – events referred to as Energy Raisers. Show Me Solar also partners with the American Solar Energy Society to sponsor annual tours of solar systems as part of the ASES national solar tour event.
Learn about the latest developments in the solar energy industry, find the information you need to go solar and make the contacts you need to be part of the solar energy revolution. Attend a meeting or workshop online or in person, join our email list, become a member and help support our mission through donations and by volunteering your time at an upcoming event. We provide for-profit entities with access to our membership through sponsorship channels and non-profits with overlapping missions are also welcome to contact us to establish partnerships.
October
12
2010
Saturday, October 9th, 2010 – St. Louis, Missouri Early last Saturday morning a
small but dedicated group interested in solar energy began to gather in the parking lot of Maplewood-Richmond Heights high school. A mixture of homeowners, students and instructors of renewable energy, the tour proceeded to visit four local solar homes in the St. Louis metro area. With the assistance of Show Me Solar 
volunteers the tour group carpooled in passenger vans and had a chance to meet each other and network. With plenty of sun, the solar panels on display were producing a lot of electricity. Steve Owen o
f The Energy Savings Store and Gary Steps of Butterfly Energy Works were present to help explain technical details of the solar systems and the installation process. This year marked the second annual Show Me Solar tour, an official American Solar Energy Society National Solar Tour event. For more information on Show Me Solar, a solar cooperative based in Missouri focused on educational and training opportunities in solar please visit www.ShowMeSolar.org
The 2010 Show Me Solar was proud to be part of the ASES National Solar Tour event.
For more info please visit www.NationalSolarTour.org
September
27
2010
27 September 2010 – ShowMeSolar.org Join Show Me Solar online once again
for another live presentation from guest speaker Jim Oakley of O2Geothermal Systems, Tuesday evening October 5th from 7-8 pm CST. This time Jim will be speaking on Ground Source Heat pump applications. His talk comes in a timely fashion as Show Me Solar recently hosted a tour of Terra Nova urban commune in Columbia, Missouri where Jim’s company installed a geothermal system in 2009. The webinar is free and open to the general public thanks to the generous support of members of Show Me Solar. To register please submit your email to the registration widget below and in the meantime consider making a charitable donation in support of Show Me Solar’s mission to educate and advocate for increased solar living in the Midwest by clicking on www.ShowMeSolar.org/donate.htm.
About O2Geothermal
http://www.o2geo.com/
Our Mission is to develop an accurate understanding of your interests in alternative energy opportunities. Additionally, we will understand the building details of your commercial or residential application. We will help identify and quantify investment choices related to energy efficiencies, energy savings, and ground source energy.
O2Geothermal is dedicated to providing accurate information, innovative, and highly-efficient ground source heat pump recommendations that will meet client expectations. Our client customers should expect cost effective heating and cooling results for both residential and commercial applications that will save them utility costs immediately, and perform as a hedge against the upward spiral of energy costs tomorrow. Our mission is to apply developing ground source heat pump technology to improve performance and comfort levels while minimizing our fossil fuel footprint on our environment.
For further information on the services offered by O2Geothermal please contact Jim Oakley by phone at 573-442-7042 or email at jim@o2geo.com
About Show Me Solar
Grass roots organized in 2007, Show Me Solar is a non-profit public benefit organization incorporated and based in the state of Missouri. We are board operated and member supported. Our mission is to educate the general public about the benefits of solar living and to advocate for the increased use of solar energy in the United States. To that end we host free and low cost presentations, workshops, classes, and seminars and participate in fairs, festivals and events related to renewable energy throughout the nation and it’s territories. Show Me Solar organizes installations of solar systems for demonstration and training purposes – events referred to as Energy Raisers. Show Me Solar also partners with the American Solar Energy Society to sponsor annual tours of solar systems as part of the ASES national solar tour event.
Learn about the latest developments in the solar energy industry, find the information you need to go solar and make the contacts you need to be part of the solar energy revolution. Attend a meeting or workshop online or in person, join our email list, become a member and help support our mission through donations and by volunteering your time at an upcoming event. We provide for-profit entities with access to our membership through sponsorship channels and non-profits with overlapping missions are also welcome to contact us to establish partnerships.
September
20
2010
September, 20th, ShowMeSolar.org – Once again, members of Show Me Solar are banding together to help a fellow member go solar. This time Show Me Solar will be installing a small o
ff-grid solar electric array at Terra Bella farm near Hatton, Missouri and holding an Energy Raiser from 9am-5pm on Saturday, October 16th (IMPORTANT: Google directions are not correct; please see registration details below). This is the second small system to be installed in support of this pioneering farm project that is slowly but surely going green including using solar to take farm building completely off-grid one by one. View the article we posted here at Show Me Solar SunBeams documenting the first building we took off-grid at Terra Bella Farm by clicking on the following link – Small Off-Grid Installation adds Appeal to the Latest Show Me Solar Workshop
The system to be installed on Saturday, October 16th will power lights, fans and few outlets for charging appliances in an historic 100 year old carriage house (photo above). Plans are to keep the carbon footprint small by matching the system size as close as possible to the actual power requirements of the farm hands who will be using the building to prep and store produce. Although small (rated 540 Watts), the system will be complete from 3 solar modules mounted on the roof to a charge controlled battery bank outfitted in a special storage closet inside the barn. Attendees will benefit from the knowledge and experience of Kevin Allemann, director of Show Me Solar and lead installer for this project.
Registration is limited to 10, first come first serve. Current membership in Show Me Solar is required (please visit www.ShowMeSolar.org/join.htm for details on registering your membership if you are not currently a member). Previous experience installing solar is not an absolute must but some familiarity with solar energy systems will be of benefit. Consider enrolling in a solar energy workshop sponsored by Show Me Solar’s training partner The Evergreen Institute (for details visit www.ShowMeSolar.org/training.htm).
To register contact Kevin at kallemann@showmesolar.org. Provide your full name, membership status, phone number and email where you can be reached. Details including directions will be forwarded upon registration. Terra Bella Farm has generously offered to provide a picnic lunch to the Energy Raiser. Those with special dietary concerns should plan on packing and bringing their own lunch.
Terra Bella Energy Raiser #2
Near Hatton, Missouri
9 am – 5 pm, Saturday October 16th, 2010
Registration Contact: Kevin Allemann,
kallemann@showmesolar.org
About Terra Bella Farm:
Located about twenty minutes from Columbia, Missouri and just under a hundred miles from St. Louis, Terra Bella Farm is 160 acres of mixed pasture, creek, and woods, with 12 acres of produce, herbs, and flowers. We strive to provide high quality food to fuel our local communities, our hard working apprentices, our extended families, and ourselves. We operate a thriving Communited Supported Agriculture program, and sell directly at area Farmers’ Markets, natural food stores, and restaurants. Community outreach such as leading educational farm tours, donating seedlings to community gardens, and finding homes for our surplus produce at local food pantries is vital to our long-term farming goals and our commitment to being a socially-responsible business.
