Posts Tagged ‘new york solar’
EmPower Intern Accepted to MIT
EmPower Solar congratulates Josh Haimson our exceptional summer intern, for acceptance to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) class of 2016. Josh is the third EmPower team member to attend MIT. He is currently a senior at Mepham High School in Bellmore, NY.
Josh was a stellar intern and was a pleasure to have in the office. He provided a wide range of technical, administrative, creative, and direct business development support for the sales, marketing and engineering departments. Josh is motivated by all the right reasons. In order to get hired and stay at this company you have to represent the EmPowering Way values: Professionalism, Teamwork, Excellence, Client Focus and Commitment to Clean Energy. Josh represents the EmPowering Way and then some. He is committed to the broader themes of sustainability. He grasps that a smarter, cleaner, and greener energy infrastructure will lead to a more prosperous, healthy and civil world. He wants to contribute to a better world in a big way.
Impressively, Josh also demonstrated to his parents that going solar made economic sense. The Haimson’s are now EmPowered with a 10 kW system.
David Schieren, CEO, and Greg Sachs, COO commented that “his combination of intellect, technical competency, cultural understanding and emotional intelligence at his age (or at any age) is something we’ve never encountered before. Josh is remarkable and everyone at EmPower speaks glowingly about him. We feel fortunate to know him, and only hope to spend more time with him in the future. Pictures of Josh adorn multiple walls and doorways at our office and they are not coming down.”
EmPower Solar extends a hearty congratulations to Josh, and we wish him the best of luck as he heads off to Boston next fall. He left an indelible mark on the company and is an inspiration to us all. There is no doubt in my mind he will perform exceptionally well in all of his future pursuits. It’s a good thing for humanity that he is dedicated to a better, more sustainable world.
Solar Increases Home Value
There are many reasons to add a solar energy system to your home. The reduction or elimination of your electric bill is certainly compelling. Of course, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and protecting the environment are extremely important as well. While each of these reasons drives thousands of people in our area to go solar each year, there is another equally important reason to go solar; it increases your home’s value.
In the past, this has been very difficult to quantify. Real estate brokers and appraisers had little information to go on, and lenders were often skeptical about any increases in market value attributed to solar energy systems.
That has changed in a big way. There are several recent studies that illustrate the value that a solar energy system can add to your home. Two in particular, performed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and The National Bureau of Economic Research, have shown that homes with solar energy systems can command a 3 – 4% premium over homes without solar energy systems. On a $400,000 house for example, that equals $12,000 – $16,000! Not bad considering, that the average “net” cost of a 10 KW solar energy system after rebates and tax credits is around $17,000.
Now, the Appraisal Institute, the largest real estate appraisal organization in America has taken the next step. They have developed the “Residential Green and Energy Efficient Addendum” that appraisers can use to document and analyze a home’s energy efficient items, including solar energy systems. This is an extremely important development, because it allows appraisers to compile and analyze data needed to support adjustments for solar energy systems.
Soon, in areas with high utility rates (like Long Island); appraisers will be able to capitalize the documented monthly savings on utility bills into a specific value adjustment, much like the income from a rental unit.
What does all this mean to New Yorkers who have solar energy systems? It means that when you sell your home, you will get significantly more money for it than homes without solar energy systems. This is just one more reason to go solar!
Freeport Fire Department Goes Solar
Construction of a 50 kilowatt SunPower Photovoltaic system is underway at the Freeport Fire Department, located at 15 Broadway in Freeport, NY, just north of the LIRR station. The EmPower Installation Team started phase 1 of the installation 2 weeks ago (see picture above) and should be completed by the end of October. A typical residential installation takes 3-5 days to complete. This installation is 5 times the size of a large residential PV system. Furthermore, metal rafters (versus wood) and other complexities have added to the amount of time for this installation to be completed.
Freeport received funding for the solar project from a competitive New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) grant, which originated from a American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus program.
Since the Village of Freeport has its own municipal electric provider, Freeport Electric, and is not in LIPA territory, residents are not eligible for the $1.75/watt solar rebate from LIPA.
EmPower’s Solar Systems are Hurricane Tested
Long Island Business News speaks with David Schieren about the Solar Industry
David Schieren in the new fully electric Chevy Volt
LIBN: Do you think today’s young people will be a sort of “Generation Green” who accept solar from the start?
David Schieren: It’s part of your DNA. I was with an executive from the American Petroleum Institute. I said there’s one thing the oil industry should be worried about. I pointed to the mind. The mindset is shifting, especially with students. Sustainability is becoming part of the DNA. While we’re starting to make progress today, I think we’re going to see this as the renewable energy century. You have a mindset shift.
