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.

Freeport Fire Department Announces Completion of 51.7 Kilowatt Solar System

On Monday (November 29, 2011) the Village of Freeport, NY and Freeport Electric held a press conference to announce the completion of a 51.7 kilowatt (kW) solar electric system, which was engineered and installed by EmPower Solar at the Freeport Fire Department Headquarters.  The design includes168 SunPower 308 Watt modules, and a SatCon 50 kW inverter.

Street view of completed solar installation.

Freeport Mayor Andrew Hardwick said “There are many ways a municipality can go green and Freeport has instituted several steps to reduce its carbon footprint.”  Along with the solar power system at the Firehouse, the Village of Freeport has purchased several hybrid cars, a hybrid bucket truck, and replaced 340 street lights with an energy efficient alternative.  EmPower has also installed a number of solar residential and commercial systems in the Village of Freeport.

EmPower engineer Emily Hwang, served as the project engineer, and was recognized by Freeport Electric’s Superintendent, Anthony Fiore, for her high quality work and dedication.  All the EmPower team members, including engineers and installers, deserve recognition for their seamless execution of this complicated project.  Cameron Engineering was also instrumental to the structural engineering design.

First row of panels get installed on fire house rooftop.

In his remarks, EmPower CEO David G. Schieren said “The Village of Freeport and Freeport Electric should be commended for its vision and leadership in making this solar project a reality.  Municipalities have a critical role to play in advancing renewable energy, and the importance of their leadership can’t be overstated.”

Freeport Village Officials, Freeport Electric Officials, and EmPower CEO, David Shieren pose for Group shot in front of firehouse.

EmPower is especially grateful to Freeport Electric’s Superintendent Anthony Fiore and Supervisor of Electric Service Les Endo Jr. for their impressive commitment to this project.  Their support and technical understanding are making solar energy a reality in the Village.

Many large installations like this one are done on flat roofs and are not visible to the public.  This installation is unique because it is on a pitched roof and directly across the street from the Freeport LIRR Train Station.

See the official press release here.

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!

LONG ISLAND LOCAL TO PEDAL FROM NYC TO WASHINGTON, DC ON BRITA CLIMATE RIDE

EmPower Solar is proud to sponsor Ashley Hunt-Martorano, Program Director at Renewable Energy Long Island (reLi), who will be participating in the annual Brita Climate Ride.  Hunt-Martorano is riding to support the work of 1Sky whose immediate priority is to counteract the coal and oil industries’ impact on decision makers, and create a movement so powerful that our elected officials’ political future rests upon enacting climate solutions. 

EmPower has worked closely with Ashley and reLi on numerous projects focused on educating the public about the benefits of renewable energy and energy efficiency.  We wish her the best of luck in reaching her goals for this worthy cause.

If you would like to support Ashley Hunt-Martorano’s fundraising efforts you can visit her donation page  and make a tax-deductible donation.

INVERTER RECALL: NON-ISSUE FOR EMPOWERED CLIENTS

Last week LIPA sent a letter to all solar owners on Long Island about a Schneider Electric inverter recall that impacted products under the brand names Xantrex GT, SunPower, and General Electric.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS RECALL DOES NOT APPLY TO ANY EQUIPMENT INSTALLED BY EMPOWER               

Rest assured the inverter(s) that EmPower installed at your home or business is in great shape.  The recalled inverters are made by a company called Xantrex that was recently acquired by Schneider Electric.  While Xantrex was once a market leader, EmPower had several bad  experiences with them between 2005 and 2007 and has since never used them.                                                                                                     

Please know that you would certainly receive notice from us right away if a product recall affected your system.

Of course, do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Thank you as always for your commitment to EmPower and to solar energy.

We are honored to have you as our client.

David G. Schieren
Chief Executive Officer

Call (516) 837-3459 for further information
www.empowerces.com