TECHNOLOGY FOR CHANGE

Partnerships for Better Solar Solutions

Dennis McCafferty | Date: 08-03-10 | Comments

To get more solar and renewable energy projects off the ground, tech/solar companies are working closely with local governments to launch ongoing public-private partnerships.

These days, it's in the interest of both local governments and private industry to work together to come up with more efficient and renewable ways to power our homes, businesses, schools and civic organization properties. And that's exactly what's happening, with solar/renewable energy projects powering everything from a Boys and Girls Club in Arizona to hundreds of thousands of households in Ontario. To find out more, read on.

● Foster City, Calif.-based SolarCity recently announced that it's working with the city of Lancaster, Calif., to launch an ambitious effort that would offer all Antelope Valley residents, businesses and non-profits more affordable solar power. Through SolarCity's residential financing system, customers can have the option to install solar with no upfront cost. They then pay only for power that their solar arrays produce each month or a low monthly fee. Sierra Toyota of Lancaster will be the first business to get a SolarCity installation, adding 632 kilowatts of capacity at its dealership. (And Mayor R. Rex Parris will become the first residential customer.) SolarCity has established solar projects�some also public-private�in more than 1,000 cities and communities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon and Texas to pave the way for solar-power system design, financing, installation and management in these areas. It's also arranged to provide a half-dozen electric-car battery charger stations along Highway 101 in California, adding 200 kilowatts of solar capacity there.

● Seoul, South Korea-based Samsung C&T and the Korea Electric Power are working with the government of Ontario to spearhead a $7 billion effort to generate 2,500 megawatts of wind and solar power there. The projects will triple Ontario's output from renewable resources, and is intended to allow for enough emissions-free electricity to supply every home in Ontario for a three-year period. It is considered the single largest investment in renewable energy in provincial history.

Wind farm in Ontario.

● Private companies such as Tempe, Ariz.-based ViaSol Energy Solutions and Aurora, Ill.-based software maker CreateASoft are lending support for the Arizona Solar Market Analysis and Research Tool project (Az SMART) being undertaken by Arizona State University. The effort seeks to draw more solar/renewable energy companies to the state and provide to homeowners and businesses more information about the investment choices available for these installations. The project will also seek to "map" the state to pinpoint the most viable locations for renewable energy producing resources. The goal is to integrate geographic information systems (GIS), technology, grid operations and economic data into one interactive visual decision tool for state leaders, businesses and homeowners.

"It's a huge enterprise essentially mapping out the state in its entirety and determining the effects of something like replacing a coal plant as it comes to the end of its useful life with enough renewable energy," says Tim James, an ASU business-school professor and a lead coordinator for the project. "Obviously, it's beneficial for our state's energy security to use solar, wind and other energy sources readily available here, instead of importing fossil fuels. However, we have to determine which types of energy�including existing sources�make the most sense in different areas of the state to ensure reliable, cost-efficient power for everyone."

● Also in Arizona: Xuzhou, China-based Aide Solar and four other companies are working together with the city of Chandler, Ariz., to donate a 2.3-kilowatt solar electrical system to a Boys and Girls Club there. (Aide Solar maintains its U.S. headquarters in Tempe, Ariz.) The installation will save the club about $500 a year in energy costs. "We see this as an opportunity to invest in the community from both a learning and technology perspective," says Raymond C. Wiley, sales director for Aide Solar and a member of the Arizona Department of Commerce's Green Economy Advisory Committee.

Solar City installs Aide Solar panels at Chandler Boys & Girls Club (source: Aide Solar USA).

Image shows 230-watt poly-crystalline black frame Aide Solar panels installed at Chandler Boys & Girls Club (source: Aide Solar USA).