Courtesy of Solarpanelspower.net

On April 26^th, the Austin City Council passed a resolution creating the Local Solar Advisory Committee, a team which will explore the proposition of 300MW of rooftop solar in our city over the next 10 years.

The Austin American-Statesman said Austin “agreed to form a committee to look into whether Austin Energy should focus more of its efforts on local solar projects.”  The City Council appointed ImagineSolar CEO Michael Kuhn to this committee.

According to their resolution, the committee “will develop a strategic plan with specific recommendations to ensure the optimum utilization of Austin’s local solar energy resource base…. [then] make recommendations relating to current and future Austin Energy solar programs, products, rates, tariffs, marketing, incentives, financing, economic development, and regulatory initiatives.”

Austin Energy already has a goal to create 200MW of solar power by 2020. The debate now is whether to primarily source solar from Austin rooftops as well as West Texas utility-scale plants. The fact is that local rooftop solar creates local jobs. Local jobs create sustainable communities.

To put 300MW in perspective: since 2004, Austin has built just 6MW of rooftop solar.  Austin’s forward thinking support of the solar industry has created over 600 full-time direct jobs locally in the solar industry. This vastly exceeds expectations regarding the number of jobs that are created per MW of installed solar. What has happened is a clustering effect where city support of the solar industry has encouraged companies of all kinds to locate in Austin such as SunPower, HelioVolt, Ideal Power Converters, and SolarBridge. It is not just the installation companies that are creating jobs.

If our city moves forward with its 300MW local solar plan, Austin would be greatly impacted, creating tens of thousands of jobs in Austin over the next ten years.

To stay informed about Austin’s newest solar developments, subscribe to our blog updates. 

                                                                                                   From Roofsolarpanels.biz

In this month’s newsletter, we asked the following question:

I wish to increase the current (not voltage) in my solar PV system.  I have six modules.  How should I wire them in a circuit to gain the largest increase in the current?

a. Six modules in parallel
b. Three series strings of two modules each, connected together in parallel
c. Six modules in series

The correct answer?

a. Six modules in parallel

Did you get it right?  Please refer to the diagram above, which shows how voltage and current are affected by wiring either in series or parallel.

When wired in series, the voltage output of two like modules would equal their combined voltages, while their current would be the current of one module.  Likewise when wired in parallel, the current of two like modules would equal their combined currents but their voltage would be the voltage rating of one module.

Oncor, Texas’ largest electricity distribution & transmission system for approx. 3 million homes and businesses, is moving forward with their 2012 Oncor PV Incentive Program.  

The first two steps have been completed: 1) Receiving authorization to continue with funded projects in January and 2) Establishing a 2012 program budget of $1,530,000 in February.  Here is a message from Oncor about their progress:

Today we are glad to report that the annual reconciliation process with Oncor has been completed. This transfers an additional $1,405,516 in unspent 2011 funds to the 2012 budget, bringing the total budget for 2012 to a little more than $2.9 million. The new funding is split between the residential ($625,540) and non-residential customer classes ($779,976) in the amounts remaining in those budget categories at the end of 2011. The new funding will enable us to award funding reservation letters to a little less than two thirds of the applications currently waiting in queue (the current queue totals about $2.4 million).

We will begin sending out funding reservation letters on Monday, April 2.  Projects with existing funding reservation letters maintain those commitments through the expiration date shown on the letter.

• Incentive Levels: 2012 incentive levels remain at $2.00/w-dc for residential projects and $1.50/w-dc for non-residential projects.
• Possibility for Additional Funding: There is still a possibility that Oncor may award additional funds to the program later in the year.
• Application Process Remains Open: The program will maintain an open door to new applications as long as we believe there is a reasonable likelihood new projects will ultimately be able to receive a funding award. While we cannot guarantee the timing or availability of new funding, we continue to encourage new applications to the program.
• Funding Commitment Periods/Project Expirations: The funding commitment period for all projects is reduced from 6 months to 4 months, and no reservation dates in the 2012 program may be granted past July 31, 2011. We will have limited flexibility to grant extensions for any project from this point forward, so please work to ensure your projects are complete (both constructed and all required paperwork) before the expiration date.
• Progress Reports/Milestones for Large Projects: New monthly progress reporting and demonstration of achieving project milestones on schedule will be required for all projects >10 kW. Funding reservations for projects that fail to report monthly or fail to achieve milestones may be revoked.

If you have any questions about this announcement, please contact Cece Hyslop at 800-381-6552 x103 (office) or cece@cleanenergyassociates.com, Anne Castello at 512-557-6740 or acastello@frontierassoc.com, or Steven M. Wiese, Principal, Clean Energy Associates LLC at 800-381-6552 x101 or steve.wiese@cleanenergyassociates.com.

This Sunday, join ImagineSolar and Austin’s green community at the 2012 Austin Earth Day Festival!  

The ImagineSolar booth will be directly behind the Hangar at Mueller.  Visit us and enter our raffles to win a free SG101 course or free 1-hour Massage by Deborah Nicosia, and play with interactive solar displays!

See complete event details below.  We hope to see you there at Austin’s Earth Day Festival!

Austin Earth Day Festival 2012
Sunday, April 22nd, 2012  noon-6pm
The Historic Browning Hangar at Mueller
4550 Mueller Central Blvd., Austin, TX 78723
FREE ADMISSION
www.EarthDayAustin.com

Austin Earth Day Festival 2012 will be an inspiring one-day festival celebrating Austin as a “City of Green Ideas”.  Join us this Sunday, April 22nd, noon-6pm at the Historic Browning Hangar at Mueller (4550 Mueller Central Blvd., Austin, TX 78723).

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

1. Jim Hightower, America’s #1 Populist and a host of other informative and inspiring speakers.
2. Za Boom Ba!, an inspiring interactive drumming experience that 1,000 festival-goers will participate in.
3. At 5Pm a helicopter will fly in as we shoot an aerial photo of attendees spelling out “Austin Beyond Coal”.
4. Kids attractions will include magic, puppet theater, face-painting, a petting zoo, a 90 foot eco-maze and more.
5. Plus… A talking tree, an interactive Prius, a vehicle showcase area, Local food trailers, over 75 exhibitors and much more!
6. Recycle Your Old Electronics at Austin Earth Day Festival 2012!  Collection bins near main parking.

Austin Earth Day is produced by local non-profit Texas Green Network in partnership with Mueller, the City of Austin, and the greater Austin area’s green community.  Admission is FREE.  Sponsored by:  City of Austin,  Mueller, Sierra Club, Greenling, Cielo Windpower, Clif Bar and A1 PartSmart and Produced in Partnership with: Austin EcoNetwork, Texas Solar Energy Society, in.gredients, Be Groovy Be Green, Go Local Austin, Self Reliant Solar, Design Build Live, X8 Drums and Za Boom Ba! 

Find out more at www.EarthDayAustin.com.

Austin, TX – ImagineSolar is pleased to announce a training partnership event with Schletter Inc, an international market leader in solar photovoltaic (PV) mounting systems, by hosting their “Truckathon Across America” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 26th, 2012 at ImagineSolar’s training center: 4000 Caven Road, Austin, Texas.

Pre-register or register onsite for a chance to win a free PV601: Solar PV Design & Costs course.

“Solar photovoltaic technology is rapidly developing, so these events bring the market’s newest innovations to our customers and community,” said Michael Kuhn, CEO of ImagineSolar.  “We are pleased to host this event for Schletter.”

Schletter brings cutting-edge solar technology to Austin through their hands-on equipment training experience.  In addition to getting first-hand PV product knowledge from Schletter representatives, participants can earn North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Continuing Education credits to keep their NABCEP certification requirements.

“Our goal is to continue to provide new information to the solar industry, not only on solar mounting systems, but for each segment of a solar PV system,” says Martin Hausner, President of Schletter Inc.  “Our global reputation for providing higher quality products goes hand-in-hand with taking the lead in delivering cutting-edge, useful information to the solar community.”

ImagineSolar establishes partnerships with leading manufacturers, distributors, installation companies, training and accreditation organizations to ensure that their courses are teaching best practices using the most current technologies and methods for the solar and smart grid industries.  Visit the following page to learn more about ImagineSolar’s Training Partnership Program.

About Schletter Inc.

Schletter has designed, developed, and manufactured solar mounting products in the U.S. since 2008, with more than 19 years of solar mounting experience from Schletter GmbH.  Since opening its U.S. facility in Tucson, Arizona, Schletter Inc. has manufactured more than 600 MW of installed PV mounting systems.  Schletter Inc. offers products for roof mount and ground mount systems for residential, commercial, and utility scale photovoltaic systems.  Schletter Inc. is an independent subsidiary of Schletter GmbH, which operates subsidiaries in eleven countries worldwide and over 6 GW of installed PV mounting systems.

About ImagineSolar

ImagineSolar is dedicated to accelerating the transformation of the energy industry through solar and smart grid education and advisory services.  They prepare their customers for clean energy careers and industry certifications (NABCEP).  ImagineSolar is a fully-licensed Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) school and is ISPQ accredited for Continuing Education by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.  Also, they are approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) as a Continuing Education Provider.  They train nationwide with live lectures, hands-on labs, online courses, employee training programs, and industry advisory services.  For their 2012 course schedule and list of advisory services, visit their Course Calendar or call (888) 514-1972.

In March, the Texas Workforce Investment Council (TWIC – Office of the Governor) applauded ImagineSolar’s CNEST Grant training program.  The TWIC commended us for being one of five projects in Texas recognized as “models of promising practice” in training our state’s workforce.

At ImagineSolar, we are so honored to receive statewide recognition from the Governor’s office!  Click the image below to read the full TWIC letter:

Thank you for celebrating with us, and special thanks to all of our CNEST program participants!  ImagineSolar strives to continuously develop the best solar and smart grid training programs in Texas and beyond.  We appreciate your ongoing support.

Our March Newsletter Industry Insight:

The majority of today’s commercially available solar modules use what type of technology for the solar cells? 

            A. Crystalline Silicon
            B. Copper Indium Gallium Selenide
            C. Amorphous Silicon
            D. Cadmium Telluride

The answer?

A. Crystalline Silicon!

How did you do?  Let us know in our comments.  Subscribe to ImagineSolar’s monthly newsletters for more solar insights, news highlights, and cutting-edge industry information.

U.S. Solar Industry’s Impressive Job Growth
Given by Michael Kuhn, ImagineSolar CEO

This June, our CEO Michael Kuhn is speaking at Austin Solar Day.  Michael will provide compelling solar job growth statistics, including the following:

• Since 2009, the U.S. has had a 140% increase in solar industry careers, and research suggests this trend will continue at the same rate.
• Today our solar industry employs over 100,000 people, which more than doubled since 2009.  Over 5,000 companies in all 50 states employ America’s solar workforce, the vast majority being small businesses.  This industry grew 69% last year, making it one of the fastest growing sectors of the U.S. economy.
• In August 2011, the National Solar Jobs Census identified more than 17,198 solar job websites and a total of 100,237 solar jobs in all 50 states.
• The solar industry’s job growth rate of 6.8% is significantly higher than the -2% net job loss in fossil fuel power generation and the U.S. economy’s 0.7% growth in the same period.  The 2011 National Solar Jobs Census also discovered that solar employers expect a 24% increase in their solar workforce by August 2012, totaling nearly 24,000 new jobs.

Stay tuned for further updates and job growth news.

New to Solar?  Looking for Accredited Training in Solar Energy?

ImagineSolar is an ISPQ accredited and licensed TWC solar training provider, and we are the first solar and smart grid specialty school in Texas.

Next week we’re launching our first six-day Solar Fundamentals workshop for individuals needing high-quality, hands-on solar training in Central Texas.  You won’t want to miss this opportunity to gain an excellent solar foundation in one short week!

WHAT:  ImagineSolar launching a six-day workshop covering all three of our Solar Fundamentals courses.   
WHEN:  Tuesday-Sunday, March 20-25, 2012.
WHERE:  ImagineSolar’s fully-equipped solar training lab, 4000 Caven Rd, Austin, Texas 78744.
WHY:  Participants learn how to design and install a solar PV system and gain an excellent introduction to solar energy.  They may then take NABCEP’s Entry-Level Exam and utilize their solar knowledge in a current industry or launch a new solar career.
HOW:  Enroll online at imaginesolar.com or over the phone at (512) 443-5725.
SPECIALS:  When you enroll with friends in our PV100 Series, you each save $115! 

For immediate course updates, subscribe to our Newsletter or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  We hope to see you soon!

ImagineSolar’s Michael Kuhn Speaks at Solar Austin

Press Conference on Solar Jobs Survey

Austin’s solar industry attains major employment status but needs

AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Michael Kuhn, President and CEO, ImagineSolar, spoke at Solar Austin’s Press Conference last week where a survey was released stating that Austin’s solar industry supports over 615 direct full-time solar jobs. Adding standard jobs multipliers, the total direct and indirect employment supported by the Austin solar industry is 1,180 to 2,190 jobs.

“Local solar creates local jobs and provides energy for generations to come.  ImagineSolar is developing an educated workforce prepared for the growing solar and smart grid industries,”  Kuhn said.
    

Through their solar incentive programs, Austin Energy has been an engine of economic growth for the clean energy industry in Austin. Their investment averaging $4 million annually over the past eight years now returns an annual payroll of over $20 million dollars to the Austin economy.

As an original member of the Austin Clean Energy Initiative (ACE) Steering Committee, Kuhn was pleased with the solar jobs survey. “It’s been well over a decade since we envisioned central Texas as a hub for clean energy,” Kuhn said. “These results show the power of investing to create economic clusters of innovative companies. The solar industry is a solid growth market for the next twenty years.”

Kuhn went on to say that “Local solar creates local jobs and provides energy for generations to come. ImagineSolar is developing an educated workforce prepared for the growing solar and smart grid industries.”

Moving forward, Austin needs to establish a clear strategy to sustain the solar industry or risk loosing opportunities to create thousands of new solar jobs, lose present solar jobs to more active markets, and forfeit investment capital that would spur continued industry growth. Solar industry representatives say that without such a strategy, Austin Energy could starve the city’s robust solar industry that is saving money for the utility and its customers.

ImagineSolar contributes to Austin’s economic growth as a solar and smart grid training school that prepares participants for NABCEP certifications and clean energy careers. ImagineSolar is a fully licensed TWC school and an ISPQ accredited and TDLR approved Continuing Education Provider, guarantees of high-quality training. They train nationwide with live and online lectures, hands-on labs, online courses, employee training programs, and industry advisory services. For their 2012 course schedule, visit imaginesolar.com or call (888) 514-1972.

Contact:

Dubay Communications
Debrah Dubay, 512-627-3782
Debrah@Dubayco.com