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Author Archive: KaibaWhite

June Happy Hour: Solar in Texas, The Emperor Has No Clothes

June 20, 2016 0 Comments

Texas has the most solar energy potential of any state in the U.S., but has been slow to adopt solar technology.  Now that’s changing and all kinds of entities – wholesale electric providers, retail electric providers, businesses and individuals – are looking to solar as an affordable, reliable source of energy.Maura Yates will speak about the values of solar in Texas, in particular within the deregulated power market. As solar is entering the mainstream, the mechanisms and strategies of making the values of solar accessible are sophisticated and validated. Join us for a forward discussion.

When: Tuesday, June 28, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
Where: Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto

RSVP

 Maura YatesMaura Yates is the Vice President of Sustainable Solutions for MP2 Energy where she is responsible for solar retail and generation solutions. Prior to joining MP2 Energy 2 ½ years ago, Ms. Yates oversaw government affairs for the Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions for SunEdison and developing DG and utility-scale solar solutions for Arizona Public Service. Maura also spent time with Robert Kennedy’s environmental organization, Riverkeeper, prior to joining Standard Renewable Energy, a DG and energy efficiency provider previously based out of Houston during the mid-to-late 2000s. She was named one of the ‘Top 50 Smart Grid Pioneers of 2015’ by SmartGrid Today magazine.
We hope you will join us for an engaging conversation!

Events, Solar Austin

Austin Energy Community Solar Survey

May 29, 2016 0 Comments

Later this year, Austin Energy will begin offering its customers an opportunity to sign up to receive solar energy generated at community solar installations located at the Kingsbery Substation in East Austin, and, in the future, from other solar installations located throughout Austin.  Community solar will allow customers who rent or whose homes cannot be fitted with their own solar panels to be able to purchase local solar energy.

Austin Energy is currently considering several options for how to allow residential customers to enroll in its community solar program, including:

  • a capacity-based subscription with an upfront fee and monthly production credits (Austin Energy estimates investment would pay back in 13 years, with $90/month in savings for 12 more years);
  • a capacity-based subscription with a monthly fee and monthly production credits (Austin Energy estimates the average customer would save $6/month);
  • a fixed community solar fee that would replace the power supply adjustment (PSA) fee (this would initially be more expensive, but could be cheaper in later years);
  • a community solar fee that would be added to the PSA (similar to GreenChoice, where customers forever pay more);
  • a customer ownership model, where customers would buy a number of panels upfront and receive monthly production credits (Austin Energy estimates investment would pay back in 15 years, with $90/month in savings for 10 more years); and
  • a low-income community solar offering subsidized through customer charges.

We encourage you to take Austin Energy’s survey, which the utility will use to help determine the most appropriate model to ensure the success of the community solar program.

Please note that you may have to enable pop-ups and if you see a note that asks for a Login ID and Password, just ignore that and click “Begin Survey.”

The survey will close on June 1st, so don’t wait!

Austin Energy, Solar Austin

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May Happy Hour: Screening of “Catching the Sun”

May 9, 2016 0 Comments

We’re shaking things up a bit!  Instead of a speaker, our May happy hour will be a screening of “Catching the Sun,” an exciting film the hopes and challenges of solar energy.  It’s about job creation, bringing people affordable energy, political battles, and helping the fight against climate change.

An unemployed American worker, a Tea Party activist, and a Chinese solar entrepreneur race to lead the clean energy future. But who wins and who loses the battle for power in the 21st century?

Through the stories of workers and entrepreneurs in the U.S. and China, Catching the Sun captures the global race to lead the clean energy future. Over the course of a solar jobs training program, Catching the Sun follows the hope and heartbreak of unemployed American workers seeking jobs in the solar industry.  With countries like China investing in innovative technologies and capitalizing on this trillion-dollar opportunity, Catching the Sun tells the story of the global energy transition from the perspective of workers and entrepreneurs building solutions to income inequality and climate change with their own hands. Their successes and failures speak to one of the biggest questions of our time: will the U.S. actually be able to build a clean energy economy?

When: Tuesday, May 24, 5:30 – 8:00 pm (film starts at 6:15)

Where: Scholz Garten (1607 San Jacinto St)

Tickets: $10 ($5 students) – Buy Here

Solar Austin

April Happy Hour: Living Building Challenge

April 17, 2016 0 Comments

Plan to be inspired by the solar opportunity within the Living Building Challenge™.  LBC is the built environment’s most rigorous performance standard. It calls for the creation of building projects at all scales that operate as cleanly, beautifully and efficiently as nature’s architecture. The certification process under the Challenge requires that projects meet a series of ambitious performance requirements over a minimum of 12 months of continuous occupancy.  We will hear the living proof story of the building of the Bullitt Center, a local, place-based community transformation in Seattle.
Around the world, passionate individuals are advocating for restorative building practices. They’re spreading the word and removing barriers to change.  It begins by sharing resources and collaborating locally to pursue Living Building Challenge certification.Join us to hear from Karen Knight about the Living Building Challenge!
 Tuesday, April 26, 2016
5:30 – 8:00 pm
Scholz Garten
1607 San Jacinto St

Karen KnightKaren Knight’s enduring passion for energy policy, civic ecology, and high-performance architecture has made her an innovator and role model in Austin. Putting her money where her mouth is, she renovated her own home to receive the Austin Energy Green Building program’s 5-star rating, demonstrating clearly that it is possible to integrate modern architecture in an energy-positive environment. An Ambassador for the Living Building Challenge in Austin, she also supports the healthy engagement of kids with nature through the Shoal Creek Conservancy, Austin Families in Nature, and the Dell Children’s Medical Center Trust.  Along with her partner, Graham Pierce, she is currently stewarding 67 acres at Ardor Wood Farm in Red Rock, TX to be shared as a holistic, regenerative wildlife & human retreat experience.  Her urban development initiatives for an Ardor project in central downtown Austin continue to move forward to bring together internationally recognized innovators in sustainability, energy, and design to fulfill the vision of a collaborative space fusing hospitality with exquisite, living architecture along the greenbelt trails of Shoal Creek.

Events

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March Happy Hour: Austin Energy SHINES – Distributed Solar and Storage

March 7, 2016 0 Comments

Solar is booming, but the share of electricity coming from solar is still very small.  As that changes, it will be important to find ways to integrate larger amounts of solar energy in ways that keep the grid stable.  As has already been demonstrated in Hawaii, it’s important to take these steps early to avoid having solar production curtailed from homes and businesses.  To that end, Austin Energy has been awarded $4.3 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative.

The grant will fund the Austin Energy SHINES (Sustainable and Holistic Integration of Energy Storage and Solar PV) Project, which will pilot and research solar, battery storage, and smart inverter technologies. Included in this project is the much anticipated community solar installation, battery storage to be co-located with the community solar and battery storage at the Mueller development.

Karl PophamKarl Popham, Austin Energy’s Manager of Electric Vehicles & Emerging Technologies, will join us this month to talk about the Austin Energy SHINES Program.  Karl has 23+ years experience in emerging technologies, leadership, and consulting. He currently leads Austin Energy’s Emerging Technologies and Electric Vehicle teams to include the award winning Plug-In EVerywhere™ program. Additionally, he is a Department of Energy Principal Investigator on 3 separate initiatives that involve renewables, energy storage, and mobility. He also serves on several research and policy boards relating to energy and innovation.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016
5:30 – 8:00 pm
Scholz Garten
1607 San Jacinto St
Please RSVP.

Events, Solar Austin