Town of Hempstead Encourages Solar

The Town of Hempstead has recently taken many steps to go green, including installing a hydrogen fueling station at the Conservation & Waterways building in Point Lookout and hosting numerous solar and energy efficiency seminars.  On October 5, 2010, the Town passed a cap of $100 on the fee for permit applications for solar system installations, a move which is expected to further promote the technology that is already lowering residents’ electricity bills.

Before the cap, the permit application fee was 1.2% of the total cost of the project.  This was typically around $300-$500 for the average solar installation, which costs $10,000-$25,000 after rebates and tax credits, depending on overall electricity usage of the building.  The new $100 cap allows Town of Hempstead Residents to keep a few hundred dollars more in their pockets, while also representing the Town’s continued effort to “go green.”

Read more on the Long Island Herald website.

US Army Veteran & Friend of EmPower Speaks on Renewables in the Military

One thing is for sure.  The military does not adopt change fast.  But when it does change, the affected industries undergo a revolution.  Ships, Airplanes, digital communications; now we are watching the latest revolution unfold in the energy field.  There is no better proof of a technology than for it to be “battle tested”, and then improved in response to some of the worlds harshest operating conditions.

The US Military has always used solar in remote locations, for keeping the batteries of self contained emergency systems topped off.  Now we are seeing a paradigm shift, where the military is seriously pursuing solar and alternative fuel technologies to eliminate costly (and dangerous) supply chains, as was referenced in yesterday’s New York Times.  I witnessed this first hand in Iraq as you can see in the above image.

Renewable energy makes sense for reducing foreign dependence and environmental reasons.  It also makes sense strategically.

David Bardfield, Veteran, US Army

EmPower Advisor

750 kw of Residential Solar Rebates Obligated in just 11 Minutes

As was mentioned in the previous post, LIPA made rebates of $1.75/watt available for 750kW of Residential Solar for the rest of 2010 as part of the Solar Pioneer Program.  Rebate applications were accepted beginning at 8:00am on October 1, 2010, and were fully subscribed 11 minutes later, at 8:11am!  Contractors across Long Island waited at their computers to press “send” right at 8, and those applications that were received first will be processed in the coming weeks and months.  All other rebate applications will have to wait until January 1, when the 2011 Solar Pioneer Program will re-start.

It may seem as though solar on Long Island is doomed for the rest of the year.  But we at EmPower see it as quite the opposite.  Just for reference: it used to take almost a whole year for 750kW to go, and now it’s going in less than a quarter of an hour!  This is great news for the clean energy industry.  Demand is high, which means Long Island is on its way to achieving energy independence, reduced energy costs, and a cleaner, greener environment.  We are excited to continue working with LIPA in 2011 and beyond to further these goals.  In the mean time, feel free to contact us as we are still doing site visits and proposals, and stay tuned for an announcement regarding the 2011 Solar Pioneer Program rebate details.

Important note: LIPA rebates are still available for commercial and non-profit projects.