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.

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.

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!

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.

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

As leaders of the Solar Decathlon Alumni Association (SDAA), we are supporting the student led initiative to keep the competition on the Mall.   Towards that end, we are endorsing an online petition created by the students that can be found here: http://www.petition2congress.com/3973/.  We are also directly requesting support from our political representatives.  The current participants are doing an incredible job at generating support.     For example, Senator Menendez of New Jersey has issued a press release in support of this effort: http://menendez.senate.gov/newsroom/press/. 

We believe that the Solar Decathlon competition is vital to the success of clean energy in the United States and all over the world.  It is our position that the National Mall is essential to the competition’s value and prestige.  Students and sponsors from the US and international teams are inspired to compete in such an historic location.  The Solar Decathlon is about inspiring students – the leaders of the next generation, faculty – the educators of future leaders, and entire university communities to embrace renewable energy.

As a former decathletes and a member of the Solar Decathlon Alumni Association, we know first-hand the influence and deep impact of the competition.  Having it at the Mall, the most prominent location in our country, the “front-lawn” of the United States of America, is instrumental to its success. 

For information about this year’s event please visit www.solardecathlon.com.  

David Schieren, CEO

2005 Solar Decathlon NYIT/USMMA Team Leader, 2007 Advisor. 

Gregory Sachs, COO

2005 Solar Decathlon NYIT/USMMA Lead Engineer, 2007 Advisor

Matthew Mathosian, Commercial Project Manager

2007 Solar Decathlon NYIT Lead Architect, 2011 CUNY Advisor

EmPower is the lead sponsor and solar advisor of the 2011 Solar Decathlon CUNY Team

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

The power grid in place in America today is still based on the plans that Thomas Edison constructed 120 years ago.  Energy demand has skyrocketed since then, and the antiquated power grid can hardly keep up!  Outages are becoming more common, power is lost in transmission, and inefficiencies in generation and distribution are costly.

Picture source: http://www.angelnexus.com/o/web/22672

Generating solar energy and monitoring it via SunPower’s Monitoring System is an example of a component of smart metering, an integral part of the future Smart Grid.  This monitoring system allows customers to see how much energy their system is producing in real-time on a display mounted inside the home, online via a web-based interface, and on-the-go via SunPower Monitoring apps for iPhone and iPod. By knowing electricity production, system owners can optimize their energy savings. Additionally, SunPower dealers like EmPower can remotely monitor the performance of all of our customer’s system’s, allowing for identification and correction of issues even before the customer notices a problem.

Picture source: http://us.sunpowercorp.com/residential/products-services/services/monitoring.php

With the smart grid of the future, people will not only be able to monitor how much their solar system is producing, but also how much electricity the entire building is using and real-time energy prices. This transparency allows residents to adjust their usage based on needs and costs.

To read more about the design of the smart grid, check out my previous post with the link to COO Greg Sach’s MIT Thesis on Smart Grid Technology.

Schieren: Reasons to take a shine to solar power

By David Schieren

Long Island’s and our nation’s current energy paradigms are not sustainable. Every day we buy about $1 billion of oil from other countries, some of which are hostile to America. Every day, air pollution from our fossil-fueled power plants creates serious public health problems, including increased asthma rates, cardiac issues and premature deaths. Every day we wait for BP to plug the Gulf oil leak as we helplessly witness the destruction of wildlife and the livelihoods of thousands of Americans.

A renewable energy economy is the solution. A renewable energy economy will stabilize future energy prices, create jobs and increase domestically supplied energy while decreasing imports. A renewable energy economy will create a more prosperous, healthy and civil world for ourselves and future generations.

Locally, there is a pressing need to bring new energy sources into our power mix. Renewables, including solar energy, are beneficial for all Long Islanders. Solar rebates and tax incentive programs not only benefit those who choose solar energy systems for their homes and businesses, but also are good for all ratepayers. Here’s why:

As grid electricity prices continue to go up because of volatile and increasing fossil fuel prices, solar prices are coming down. Electric bills have consistently increased in recent years while solar costs have decreased at a rate of nearly 4 percent a year since 1998, a trend expected to continue. Many industry experts predict solar energy will achieve “grid parity” (the moment when solar electricity costs the same as traditional electricity) within the next five years. Through net metering, excess solar capacity is sold back to the Long Island Power Authority resulting in significantly lower bills for the solar user and a supply of clean, low-cost power for the other ratepayers.

There is much more than meets the eye regarding the value of solar output. The true market price of electricity fluctuates during the day, even though customers pay a constant rate. The real-time price of electricity spikes during sunny hot summer days, which is exactly when solar power works best. LIPA benefits from bringing more solar online because it reduces this peak demand, which has great economic benefit to the utility.

In addition to the direct economic advantages, solar energy boosts overall grid reliability because it puts a cap on surging demand on hot summer days. Remember the 2003 blackout? Richard Perez at the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center at SUNY Albany states that if as little as a few hundred megawatts of solar energy had been online throughout the Northeast, the blackout could have been avoided.

The socioeconomic gains of renewable energy are enormous. Solar does not release particulates or carbon dioxide into the air, leading to significant health benefits. Solar can be used to fuel electric vehicles and help reduce our insatiable reliance on foreign oil. Renewable energy and energy efficiency-related jobs cannot be outsourced overseas. The green industry can be a powerful force for reviving Long Island’s economy and that of our nation.

In the near future, solar, wind and other renewables won’t need incentives to be economically viable, but for the moment they are a necessity. Currently before the state Legislature is the New York Solar Industry Development and Jobs Act of 2010. This legislation would create a solar renewable energy credit market where solar owners would receive a SREC for every megawatt-hour of electricity produced; utilities would be required to purchase SRECs based on a certain percentage of their electricity sales. This would move solar away from a rebate structure and create market-driven incentives for individuals and organizations to install them. Whether or not this legislation passes, it is clear that the price of solar is coming down, and because of its many benefits, Long Island, New York and the United States should continue to aggressively invest in renewable technologies.

The video below by SolarOne does a great job of explaining how the SREC market would work and all the benefits it would bring to NY.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Some important points are:

• Create about $20 billion in economic activity in the state
• Residential and commercial size systems would benefit
• 140x increase in New York solar capacity by 2025
• Low cost: only about 39 cents extra on each month’s electric bill

This legislation needs to get voted on by June 21 when the Summer legislative break begins.  Take action and let your representatives know that you support the Solar Industry.