Iowa’s three-legged energy stool is at risk

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Matt Russell, guest columnist



Iowans are used to punching above our weight when it comes to energy. We lead on renewable energy. We have some of the best energy efficiency programs in the country. Our electricity rates are among the lowest in America.



This success didn’t happen by chance. Together, Iowans have worked hard to be pioneers. For over 12 years, Iowa Interfaith Power & Light has been inviting Iowans to put our faith into action to help our state become an energy leader.



Our strategy, informed by shared values from diverse faith traditions, focuses on a three-legged stool: personal responsibility; effective bipartisan legislation; and broad-based economic activity.



Iowa’s energy leadership depends on this three-legged stool and, unfortunately, the ability for individuals and businesses to take personal responsibility and invest in their own renewable energy projects and energy efficiency upgrades has been undermined. While utilities have made public announcements — like MidAmerican’s plan for 100 percent renewable electricity and Alliant Energy’s new wind energy projects — they have worked hard behind the scenes to limit the ability of others to invest in renewable energy or make efficiency upgrades.



Iowa residents and businesses have made energy investments that help make Iowa an energy leader. We’ve put up solar arrays and wind generators on our farms, at our homes and around our congregations. We’ve taken energy efficiency very seriously in Iowa. Even though we use a great deal of energy on a per capita basis because of agriculture and industry, we implement energy saving practices to counter this demand.



Iowa’s energy leadership is built on a strong bipartisan public policy framework going back to 1983 when we passed the Renewable Portfolio Standard, requiring a certain amount of renewable energy from investor owned utilities. On top of that, we created state and supported federal tax credits to develop renewable industries in Iowa. We can celebrate bipartisan public policy going back almost three decades, including some of the best energy efficiency programs in America.



Iowa’s energy leadership is also a broad-based economic success story. The benefits of Iowa’s renewable industries are clear ­­— low and stable energy rates to attract manufacturers and other industries; abundant renewable energy to recruit companies like Facebook, Google and Microsoft that are interested in reducing their environmental footprint; and the creation of thousands of jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors.



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Unfortunately, we damaged that three-legged stool when state leaders passed Senate File 2311 into law. The measure gives even more power to monopoly utilities, dramatically reduces popular energy efficiency programs, risks thousands of energy jobs, allows municipal utility customers to discriminate against solar customers, and reduces programs to help low-income Iowans stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.



People of faith joined other advocates to defend renewable energy and defeat some of the most hostile provisions to Iowa energy consumers, but the damage to our three-legged stool is real and threats to our energy leadership profound.



In the upcoming election season, we will have the attention of leaders defending their seats and challengers hoping to take those seats. We need to speak out and leverage this attention to demand a continued commitment to a three-legged stool including personal responsibility, bipartisan public policy, and broad economic benefits.



Iowans expect our elected officials to use public policy to secure Iowa’s energy leadership. We need to let those who want to represent us know our faith calls us to demand energy policy that fosters care for creation, prioritizes affordable energy for all Iowans, and incentivizes job creation and investments in our communities. Now that we’ve seen the utilities’ proposals for how they want to implement this new law, this new law fails all three demands.



We need effective bipartisan public policy to support personal responsibility and broad-based economic activity. Otherwise, our leadership on energy won’t stand and announcements like MidAmerican’s renewable pledge will be a hollow promise rather than one of the keys to a bright future.



• Matt Russell is executive director of Interfaith Power and Light.



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Saudi Arabia Renewable Energy Solar & Wind 2018

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Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, is expected to lead Renewable Energy Developments in the coming years with up to $7 billion worth, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. Saudi Arabia, which largely burns oil to generate power, has set ambitious targets to add 9.5 GW of renewables by 2023, as it looks to sell more of its crude oil to export markets. As per the Vision 2030, the Ministry of Energy, Industry, and Mineral Resources (MEIM) is expected to tender 3.25GW of solar and 800 Megawatts of wind capacity this year alone. Saudi Arabia’s inaugural 400MW wind project received global interest. Saudi Arabia expects to commence $7 billion worth of renewable energy projects this year, with solar plants leading the way.

The Kingdom’s National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) that is managed and executed by the MEIM is directly supporting Saudi Arabia’s National Transformation Program (NTP) and Vision 2030.

Saudi Arabia’s first Solar-Powered Gas Station recently opened in the Red Sea city of Jeddah. The Kingdom’s drive toward solar power began in February with the Energy Ministry’s announcement of a Solar Station in the northern city of Sakaka. The project is the first of many within the Initiative of Custodian of Two Holy Mosques for Renewable Energy. Winning bidders will cover financing costs while the government guarantees to buy power produced from the projects over 25 years.

But Saudi Arabia’s biggest project is a $200bn, 200GW solar development, set to be the world’s largest in the newly announce NEOM city. Japan’s Softbank and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund are leading the development, which will be completed by 2030, create 100,000 jobs and reduce the cost of generating electricity.

Saudi Arabia has an impressive natural potential for solar and wind power, and the local energy consumption will increase three fold by 2030, the country still lack a competitive renewable energy sector at present. In the wake of these events, Bricsa Consulting has developed this agenda to bring Renewable Energy sector leaders across the globe under one roof and discuss on the various facets of Renewable Energy. Despite the Kingdom’s clear strengths in solar and wind energy, the Vision 2030 is yet to have a competitive space in the global market. The Kingdom aims to review the legal and regulatory framework that allows the private sector to purchase and invest in the renewable energy sector. It also focuses to localize the Energy Industry and produce the necessary skill-sets for local resource development; they will also encourage Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). In future Kingdom is also looking forward to guaranteeing the competitiveness of Renewable Energy through the gradual liberalization of the fuels market.

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Solar panels installed at Billings high school | Local

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A new solar panel array at Skyview High will double as an alternative energy source and educational opportunity, school district officials said. 

Two rows of panels, which are capable of pumping out almost 50 kilowat/hours of power, were installed this summer as part of a grant from NorthWestern Energy. The company put $50,000 toward the project, and the school district paid $100,000. 

It should take about 10 years to pay off the investment, according to School District 2 facilities director Scott Reiter, with about $10,000 in electric bill savings each year. 

“It’s just another step toward saving energy,” he said. 

The district has also secured another $50,000 grant for a solar array at Senior High, likely on the building’s roof. Those panels are slated to be assembled and operational by November.

The project was championed by school trustee Janna Hafer, who works at High Plains Architects — a firm that emphasizes sustainability — and was already aware of NorthWestern’s solar grants. The district had only one small panel on the roof at West High. 

“It makes it easier to make that decision (to add more) when you get some outside help,” she said. 

The project went to Skyview because of ground space for the array and because the building is the district’s “energy hog.”

“It was built in the mid-80s,” Reiter said. “Electricity was cheap,” so the building was designed to use it as a primary utility driver, compared to steam or natural gas. 

The solar array is hooked up to NorthWestern’s net metering system; any extra energy produced that Skyview doesn’t use will go back into the electric grid, and NorthWestern will pay the school district.

However, that’s an unlikely scenario. Based on previous electric bills, Reiter said that even at its lowest need Skyview would still use more energy than the panels provide. 

Installation of the array is almost complete, and it should be functioning before the school year begins.

With a 30-year life, the panels should easily live beyond the payback period for the initial investment. 

“We have those 19 to 20 years of, it’s paying us,” Reiter said. 

Education

Reiter said the array is an educational opportunity as well. 

A monitor set up in the school will show how much power the panels are producing. And one panel isn’t hooked up to the array, making it available for class projects or experiments. 

“I think it’s a great opportunity,” Hafer said. 

Education about energy conservation is also a big factor in changing a school’s culture about energy use, Reiter said. 

“One computer, it’s just a blip somewhere. You won’t ever see it,” when looking at electric consumption, he said. 

But dozens of computers, light bulbs or fans? Or hundreds? Or thousands?

“That is a huge savings when you get things shut off when they don’t need to be on,” he said. “In the end, the most efficient light is the one that’s turned off.”

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Letters to the editor: Aug. 20, 2018

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Re: Aug. 15 commentary, “Georgetown’s renewable energy push earns worldwide acclaim.”

Kudos to Mayor Dale Ross for taking advantage of the available renewable power in Texas. Yes, for the city of about 70,000, it is doable — but it required future vision and willingness to move away from fossil fuels. It took years for Georgetown to contract for wind and solar power that was cost-competitive.

By generating large amounts of solar and wind energy, Texas makes it easier for cities to include renewable in their portfolio. Austin Energy’s renewable offset is 30 percent — and it expects to have 55 percent by 2025. San Antonio expects 20 percent offset by 2020. The U.S. renewable offset is about 10 percent, and it is going to take a colossal effort to move away from fossil fuels. Americans want more research for clean energy sources. Increased pollution is anti-health. Let us use our power of vote to elect leaders who will act to make our future more livable.

KALPANA SUTARIA, AUSTIN

The sidewalks of downtown Austin have turned into playgrounds for people on motorized scooters, weaving and wobbling among startled pedestrians. The discarded scooters are everywhere, lying on sidewalks, curbs and landscaped areas.

These “toys” are also multiplying on the roads, slowing the traffic and unnerving car drivers who find themselves behind or next to these unsteady, vulnerable scooter riders in shorts and flip-flops — no helmet — swaying inches from their cars. Who made the decision to add scooters into the stew of Austin traffic?

What’s next? Motorized pogo sticks? Motorized stilts? Motorized Radio Flyers? Motorized grocery carts — anything to cater to tourists who find walking uncool.

Let’s reconsider this scooter decision — and this time, let’s include the people who are most affected: those of us who live and work downtown.

MARY WILLIS, AUSTIN

Re: Aug. 11 commentary, “As Trump fiddles with ‘fake news,’ hackers burn down voting system.”

Indeed, Russians (and other actors) might have hacked the computers of Donald Trump’s opponents. Then, through Wikileaks, we found out that Hillary Clinton colluded with the Democratic National Committee to push Bernie Sanders out. Oops. Busted!

As for the Russians nosing “their way into state voting systems”: Where, when, what damage was done? What votes were tampered with? What vote totals were incorrect?

The Statesman and its readers would be better served to sell an advertisement in those three columns rather than print the contribution from John Young.

JOHN HOOPINGARNER, LAKEWAY

Re: Aug. 11 letter to the editor, “Obama had his honorific; Trump deserves same.”

The letter you published was full of Trump-like words.

I don’t recall being “forced” to call President Obama anything. I often saw him referred to as “Obama.” Meanwhile, this nonconflict is being stoked. Why? To sow more doubt in the electorate?

Let’s stick to facts: Mr. Trump has lied more than 4,000 times in his 18 months in office, taken more time off than his predecessor, and cost the taxpayers more than $17 million as of April 16 in trips to his own golf course, Mar-a-Lago.

This does not include airlifting limousines, nor the trips to his two other golf courses in Virginia and New Jersey. But the writer refers to Barack Obama’s “antics.” Please elaborate.

HELEN CARVELL, AUSTIN

As a concerned and emphatic citizen, I care about America’s Native American population. In fact, I have personally “adopted” a pair of Native American elders — and what that means is I send money twice a year. I also send them food boxes and gift certificates monthly, so that they can choose fresh meat and produce.

I just recently have become aware of the lack of financial support in our laws, which would provide necessary funds to aid the Navajo community and their assist their need for health care providers and doctors.

The Navajo live in difficult, remote areas and are reliant on these health care providers. I cannot help in their health care, but Rep. Michael T. McCaul and Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn could. I plead with my representatives to increase funding to keep these proud people with adequate resources.

MARY SUE ROSE, AUSTIN







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Report: Advanced energy jobs expected to grow 8 percent in Colorado

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More than 62,000 Coloradans are employed by advanced energy operations, a number advocates expect to grow in 2018.

Advanced Energy Economy, a national advanced energy advocacy group of business leaders, released findings earlier this month that 62,800 Coloradans work in advanced energy, which includes hybrid vehicles, natural gas-fueled trucks, high-capacity wind turbines, solar installations, hydro and nuclear power and energy storage. Across the U.S., about 3.4 million people work in advanced energy, according to the report.

In 2018, advanced energy is expected to generate more than 5,000 additional jobs in Colorado. In the same year, the industry will generate about 238,000 additional jobs nationwide, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics and Advanced Energy and BW Research’s analysis of the 2018 U.S. Energy and Employment Report.

Advanced Energy policies

With the release of a report on 2017 advanced energy employment in Colorado, Advanced Energy Economy officials released six key policies delivered to Colorado gubernatorial campaigns. The policies were:
” – Modernize the electricity system to focus on consumer needs.
– Optimize electricity system infrastructure to drive innovation and support rural renewable energy development.
– Expand deployment of energy efficiency and demand response.
– Electrify the transportation sector.
– Utilize policy mechanisms to increase the availability of low-cost, reliable, advanced energy.
– Improve access to capital for Colorado’s advanced energy innovators and entrepreneurs.”
For more information, go to http://www.AEE.net.

J.R. Tolbert, vice president for state policy at Advanced Energy, said the report demonstrates the significant role advanced energy plays in Colorado’s economy.

“The next governor has an opportunity to further expand this market and create even more jobs to keep our economy humming, while producing secure, clean affordable energy for Colorado,” Tolbert said in a news release.

According to the 2018 U.S. Energy and Employment Report, advanced energy electric power generation and fuels generated 800,000 jobs in 2017 — compared to 1.1 million employees in traditional coal, oil and gas electric power generation and fuels in the same year. Compiled by the Energy Futures Initiative and the National Association of State Energy Officials, the report states jobs in oil and natural gas extraction and coal mining each increased slightly, with oil jobs growing by 1.5 percent. The fastest growing new sources of electric power generation and fuels were bioenergy and combined heat and power generation, growing by 55 percent and 51 percent respectively.

The Advanced Energy report shows that energy efficiency employed the most Coloradans in the 2017 advanced energy industry, at 32,000 employees helping homes, offices and industries save costs on energy.



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Darien-based Greenworks invests in Connecticut car dealerships

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  • Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership stands in front of the new solar-energy array on the dealership’s roof at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018. Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media / Norwalk Hour


Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media

Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership stands in front of the new solar-energy array on the dealership’s roof at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership stands in front of the new solar-energy array on the dealership’s roof at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


The Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., has installed a solar-energy array on its roof.

The Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., has installed a solar-energy array on its roof.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Encon employees including C.J. Pappas, left, install solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Encon employees including C.J. Pappas, left, install solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Encon employee Andrew Richards checks out a solar panel on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Encon employee Andrew Richards checks out a solar panel on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media



Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership stands in front of the new solar-energy array on the dealership’s roof at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership stands in front of the new solar-energy array on the dealership’s roof at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Encon employee Kerven Richeme moves a solar panel into position on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Encon employee Kerven Richeme moves a solar panel into position on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership stands at the entrance at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership stands at the entrance at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Encon employee Andrew Richards installs solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Encon employee Andrew Richards installs solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media



Encon employees install solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Encon employees install solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Encon employees install solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership, while co-owner Gregg Miller, left, looks on, at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Encon employees install solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership, while co-owner Gregg Miller, left, looks on, at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Encon employees Angel Tirado and Greg Soule install solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Encon employees Angel Tirado and Greg Soule install solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Encon employee Andrew Richards installs solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Encon employee Andrew Richards installs solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media



A view of equipment supporting the new solar-energy roof on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn.

A view of equipment supporting the new solar-energy roof on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Encon employees install solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Encon employees install solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Encon employee Angel Tirado installs solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Encon employee Angel Tirado installs solar panels on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


A view of equipment supporting the new solar-energy roof on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn.

A view of equipment supporting the new solar-energy roof on the roof of the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media



Greg Miller of the Paul Miller Nissan dealership in Fairfield, tours his family dealership which has installed a solar-energy array, with financing from Darien-based Greenworks Lending, Wednesday, July 18, 2018, in Fairfield, Conn. less
Greg Miller of the Paul Miller Nissan dealership in Fairfield, tours his family dealership which has installed a solar-energy array, with financing from Darien-based Greenworks Lending, Wednesday, July 18, … more

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership, shows a picture from the dealership’s earlier days in the dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership, shows a picture from the dealership’s earlier days in the dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership, tours the dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership, tours the dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Service representatives work in the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Service representatives work in the Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media



Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership, shows a picture in the dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership, shows a picture in the dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership, shows a montage of pictures in the dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership, shows a montage of pictures in the dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership, shows a picture inside the dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership, shows a picture inside the dealership at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media


Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership, stands in the dealership’s showroom at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership, stands in the dealership’s showroom at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media



Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership stands at the dealership’s entrance at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Gregg Miller, co-owner of the Miller Nissan dealership stands at the dealership’s entrance at 930 Kings Highway East in Fairfield, Conn., on July 18, 2018.

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media




For five years, Gregg Miller looked with frustration at the sprawling white roof of his car dealership in Fairfield. Not anymore.

In a few weeks, hundreds of blue solar panels installed on the roof this summer of the family-owned Miller Nissan dealership at 930 Kings Highway E., will start operating — and saving his family’s business thousands of dollars on their electrical bills.




In a state that has become a leader in renewable-resource investments, the project shows how a growing number of local businesses like Miller Nissan are taking advantage of falling green-energy costs and promising partnerships with financiers to reduce their energy footprint as they upgrade their infrastructure.

“I had all this beautiful white roof space that I could see on Google Earth that made me nuts,” Gregg Miller said in a recent interview at the dealership. “But now, when the sun’s out like this, I’ll be smiling. That means it’s saving us money.”


Going solar

Since the dealership installed a new roof in 2013, as a part of a renovation, Gregg Miller has aspired to cut down the business’ energy expenditures.

Gregg Miller tried working with a few companies on green-energy initiatives, but no projects materialized. Those prospective contractors only offered “smoke and mirrors,” he said.

But he eventually found a reliable partner in Encon, a heating and ventilation specialist and solar-energy installer. The Stratford-based company has bought a number of vans from Miller Nissan in the past few years.

With Encon’s support, Gregg Miller connected around the turn of the year with Darien-based Greenworks Lending, which specializes in financing for commercial renewable-energy projects.

With Greenworks’ support, Miller Nissan secured financing for the nearly 15,000-square-foot solar installation, which cost approximately $800,000.

Managed through the Connecticut Green Bank’s Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy program, the deal represents a de facto loan. Through a charge on its property taxes, Miller Nissan will pay back the capital provided by Greenworks, at a 6 percent interest rate during the next 20 years.

“I felt comfortable,” Gregg Miller said. “C-PACE and the lending process was pretty in-depth and pretty intimidating at points. They made it simple. And thank God they made it simple, because we have a very complex business here.”


The partnership with Miller Nissan comprises one of seven solar-energy installations, worth a total of approximately $6.4 million, that Greenworks has financed at Connecticut car dealerships since 2015.

Those projects’ energy savings equate to taking about 5,400 cars off the road, according to an estimate provided by Greenworks.

“We’re really excited about the growing demand for solar at car dealerships and general uptick in interest for our products,” said Greenworks Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Ali Cooley. “We expect that interest to continue and grow across sectors.”

Started in June, most of the setup work at Miller Nissan is now done. The 259-kilowatt solar array, which consists of about 720 silicon modules sheathed with tempered glass, should be operational by the end of September.

Complementing the solar work, Encon is also replacing about 450 of the dealership’s lights with LED fixtures and installing a new heating-and-ventilation control system.

With the new solar panels, lights and control system, Miller Nissan expects to cut by nearly 100 percent its monthly energy bills, which have recently run from about $9,500 to $12,000. That outlay covers lighting, heating and ventilation and the operating of vehicle-servicing equipment.

“It’s a very energy-intensive business, so anything we can do to drop that down is a worthwhile investment,” Gregg Miller said. “Expense control is crucial in this business.”

Encon’s work has not disrupted the dealership’s operations, Miller said. Each day, the business services between 60 and 70 cars and sells about a half-dozen vehicles.

“The whole process has been a piece of cake,” Gregg Miller said.

Growth potential

C-PACE has closed on more than 200 projects, worth a total of more than $114 million, since legislation supporting the program was passed by the state General Assembly in 2012.

Among the states, Connecticut trails only California in total dollars financed through programs like C-PACE, according to PACENation, an industry group that promotes PACE financing.

“It’s amazing that Connecticut is second only to California,” said Mackey Dykes, the state Green Bank’s vice president of commercial, industrial and institutional Programs. “We weren’t the first state to do this, but we were the first state to get it right. We’ve create a market that’s viable. Because of that leadership, we’ve set the bar nationally to how to design and implement a program.

Some 70 percent of the capital distributed through C-PACE comes from private investors such as Greenworks. Jessica Bailey, Greenworks’ co-founder and CEO, was an author of the 2012 legislation and a former Green Bank director.

With similar bills having passed in 30 states, Greenworks is aiming to become a large-scale provider of green-energy capital nationwide. The firm now operates in 13 states.

“It’s a really good win for the public sector because they can provide support for clean-energy innovation without having to provide direct funding for it,” Cooley said.

Businesses such as Encon also see major growth potential in C-PACE initiatives.

Most of Encon’s revenues still come from heating and ventilation services. But its “energy services” division is growing. Annually, it is working on 10 to 20 C-PACE projects, worth a total between $3 million and $4 million, according to Tim Sadler, Encon’s energy-solutions manager.

“We’ve formed new relationships with builders and businesses that previously Encon hadn’t dealt with, and this is helping to bring in more HVAC business,” Sadler said. “It’s a great way to diversify our business so we can really absorb tougher times and capitalize when times are good.”

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott

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Korea Roundup: Mongolian Government Visits Bithumb, New BTM, Hardware Wallet

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Korea Roundup: Mongolian Government Visits Bithumb, New BTM, Hardware Wallet

News

In South Korea, Bithumb was visited by officials of the Mongolian government. Upbit is offering free training leading up to its developer conference. A public company has unveiled a hardware wallet as it enters the crypto space. Meanwhile, hacked crypto exchange Coinrail has launched an international service for non-Korean customers, and a US bitcoin ATM operator plans to enter the Korean market.

Also read: Yahoo! Japan Confirms Entrance Into the Crypto Space

Mongolian Government Officials Visit Bithumb

Korea Roundup: Mongolian Government Visits Bithumb, New BTM, Hardware WalletSenior officials of the Mongolian government visited Bithumb’s headquarters on August 16, local media reported. They were trying to determine the feasibility of using blockchain and cryptocurrency in solar energy businesses in Mongolia. The Korea Economic Daily elaborated:

What they have focused on is the possibility of virtual currency remittance and payment functions and blockchain technology. Mongolia is seeking to utilize blockchains and virtual currency to activate new energy projects such as solar power generation at the government level.

“With the visit of high-ranking officials of the government, it is possible that Bithumb will pursue a business alliance with the Mongolian government or establish a local corporation,” the publication noted.

Ksign Launching Hardware Wallet

Korea Roundup: Mongolian Government Visits Bithumb, New BTM, Hardware Wallet
Ksine’s CEO, Choi Seung-rak, introducing Touch x Wallet.

Kosdaq-listed company Ksine Inc. has commenced its cryptocurrency business with the launch of a hardware wallet called Touch x Wallet, the company announced on August 16.

Touch x Wallet uses locally developed fingerprint authentication technology and has a built-in battery. It can store up to 10 cryptocurrencies – including bitcoin, ether, and ripple – which the company plans to expand to about 50 by the second half of next year, Cctvnews reported. The wallet also has high-resolution electronic paper (e-paper) to display QR codes of addresses and allows users to check their balances.

Korea Roundup: Mongolian Government Visits Bithumb, New BTM, Hardware Wallet

Upbit’s Crypto Training and Developer Conference

Dunamu Inc, the operator of South Korea’s major crypto exchange Upbit, announced on August 16 that it is holding a free crypto and blockchain training for the public on September 12. This is a pre-program leading to Upbit Developer Conference which will take place on September 13 and 14 at the Jeju Creative Economy and Innovation Center.

Korea Roundup: Mongolian Government Visits Bithumb, New BTM, Hardware WalletThe class consists of two parts. The first focuses on the origin and history of blockchain and cryptocurrency. The second focuses on the theory and practice of blockchain including the basic understanding of Ethereum and Lambda chain, solidity and Dapp development, and smart contracts.

Recently, the governor of Jeju Island requested the central government to designate the island a special zone for blockchains and cryptocurrency.

Coinrail Launches International Service

Coinrail, which was hacked on June 10 and resumed services on July 15, announced last week that it has officially launched the Coinrail international service for non-Korean users. Foreigners can now access the exchange’s crypto-to-crypto markets. The service is available in English.

Korea Roundup: Mongolian Government Visits Bithumb, New BTM, Hardware Wallet

Coinme Rolling out Bitcoin ATMs in Korea

Korea Roundup: Mongolian Government Visits Bithumb, New BTM, Hardware WalletU.S. bitcoin ATM (BTM) operator Coinme revealed on August 16 that it is “seeking to roll out its service in Korea before the year-end,” the Investor reported.

Currently, the company’s ATMs are in 67 locations across the U.S., the new outlet noted, adding that “Coinme said it is eying Asia as the next spot for expansion, specifically focusing on Korea and other countries in the region, including Hong Kong and Singapore.”

CEO Neil Bergquist was quoted saying:

We have seen really promising interest in Coinme from Korea…There’s a large and sophisticated cryptocurrency community which understands the potential of a token tied to real world applications.

“The Coinme ecosystem also seeks to offer massively reduced transaction costs, so we see real synergies with the Korean market,” he added.

What do you think of all the crypto activities going on in South Korea? Let us know in the comments section below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Zdnet, Bithumb, Upbit, Coinrail, Ksine, and Coinme.

Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section.

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Lawsuit demands Georgetown provide information on solar panel cost

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RELATED: How Georgetown’s GOP mayor became a hero to climate change evangelists

City Council Member Steve Fought told Putnam that a “payback analysis” had been performed and that Putnam should request it through open records, Henneke said.

After Putnam made his first open records request Nov. 16, 2016, the city referred it to the Texas attorney general’s office, which determined the information could be withheld because it was a competitive matter related to a public power utility, the lawsuit said.

Putnam submitted a second open records request Aug. 28, 2017, asking for information on why the issue was a competitive matter, but the city said Putnam’s request was repetitive and that it had already answered the question. It also said the documents required legal research the city was not required to do, according to the lawsuit.

Henneke said that Putnam was not asking the city to create new records but was asking for a document that Fought said was available.

“The greater issue here is how government asserts these exceptions to public disclosure,” he said.

Ross said the “main point of the suit has been ruled on in Georgetown’s favor on multiple previous occasions by the Texas attorney general’s office, and in my view, as mayor, the suit is baseless and without merit.”

“The Georgetown taxpayer funds being wasted in defending this suit could be better used to fund Georgetown public safety, roads or other essential city services,” Ross said.

In early August, a policy analyst at the foundation ran an editorial in the American-Statesman saying Georgetown’s reliance on 100 percent renewable energy would not work for other Texas cities in part because such energy is only feasible because of “impressive tax subsidies.”


COMMENTARY: Myth, not renewable energy generates Georgetown’s buzz

The editorial also said if the wind and solar power that Georgetown relies upon fails, the city will have to get power from the grid run by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas that includes energy from all sources, including fossil fuels.

Ross later ran an editorial in the Statesman defending the city’s policy, saying Georgetown “did not set out to influence other energy providers or shakeup the state grid.”


COMMENTARY: I’m Georgetown’s mayor. We raise a glass to renewable energy

Ross said Friday that “under market rules as defined in the market by ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission, Georgetown has 100 percent renewable energy.”

“Georgetown’s generation of wind and solar power continue to provide more energy, on an annual basis, than Georgetown consumes.”


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India plans 58 GW of new Solar Energy by 2022, as Trump unleashes Dirty Coal

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India has achieved 70 gigawatts of installed renewable capacity, and has another 40 gigs under construction or already bid on. That would take it to 110 gigs of mainly wind and solar.

New Delhi had set a goal of 175 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2022, and clearly will reach it early, though 80 gigs rather than 100 gigs of it (as originally planned) may be solar. Now the government has increased the goal to 225 gigs of renewables by March of 2022.

The amount of installed solar capacity has jumped from 2.6 gigs in 2014 to 23 gigs today, an 8-fold increase.

India is planning to put in another 58 gigawatts of solar alone over the next 4 years. Germany, a leader in renewable energy that has been working hard on this problem, has 42 gigawatts of solar installed capacity, so in the next four years India is planning to install more solar than the Germans have in their entire history.

India isn’t ramping up renewables so massively and so quickly because the government of Prime Minister Modi is politically correct, though Modi does have a long term interest in renewables. It is just that in sunny India, solar panels make an awful lot of sense. India has very little petroleum or natural gas of its own, moreover, so renewables save it foreign exchange, keeping money at home that would otherwise flow abroad. India does have a lot of coal, but burning it it has made cities like New Delhi almost unliveable because of smog and it contributes to a global warming that could turn India, one of the world’s breadbaskets, into another Sahara desert.

But the simple fact is that you can generate electricity from a new solar plant for a third less than from a new coal plant in India, and nobody is going to pay $30 a month for air conditioning if they can pay $20 a month for it.

Of course, it may still be profitable to run coal plants, because their building and other costs have already been paid for, which is called “sunk costs.” But anytime you were planning for new energy generation, you’d have to have your head examined if you preferred coal.

Among India states, Gujarat was once number one in solar, but has slipped to number 5. It is trying to recover its leading position with three enormous solar farms that will generate 6 gigwatts.

Some of India’s rapid advance in solar could have been affected by a 25{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} tariff imposed on imported solar panels over two weeks ago. But the high court in the state of Orissa responded to a law suit over the scheme, and for now the Indian government has backed down.

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Bonus video:

Frontier Markets: ”
Switching to Solar Power in Rural India




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Renewable resort: Greek island to run on wind, solar power

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When the blades of its 800-kilowatt wind turbine start turning, the small Greek island of Tilos will become the first in the Mediterranean to run exclusively on wind and solar power.

The sea horse-shaped Greek island between Rhodes and Kos has a winter population of 400. But that swells to as many as 3,000 people in the summer, putting an impossible strain on its dilapidated power supply.

This summer, technicians are conducting the final tests on a renewable replacement system that will be fully rolled out later this year. It will allow Tilos to run exclusively on high-tech batteries recharged by a wind turbine and a solar park.

The European Commission says Tilos will be the first autonomous renewable green island in the Mediterranean. It plans to use the project as a blueprint for other small islands across the European Union that have limited grid connection to the mainland. The EU has largely funded the project, providing 11 million euros ($12.5 million) of the total 13.7 million-euro ($15.7 million) cost.

“The innovation of this program and its funding lies in the batteries — the energy storage — that’s what’s innovative,” project manager Spyros Aliferis said. “The energy produced by the wind turbines and the photovoltaics will be stored in batteries, so that this energy can be used for the grid when there is demand.”

The batteries store power during sunny and windy conditions, releasing it during periods of heavy demand and lower production — such as at nighttime and the peak tourist season — to keep the grid powered up.

Named TILOS — Technology Innovation for the Local Scale Optimum Integration of Battery Energy Storage — the project uses a prototype battery system that improves storage of the excess energy generated until it’s needed.

To work, it required an overhauled grid with smart meters installed in homes and businesses to calculate times of peak demand.

Currently, Tilos gets its energy from an underwater cable that runs from Kos to the island of Nisiros and on to Tilos. That creates an erratic, outage-prone service that routinely breaks appliances and has forced many businesses to rely on diesel generators.

While lacking the dazzle of other Greek islands like Mykonos and Santorini, Tilos — a 14-hour ferry ride from the mainland — is a quiet vacation spot that sees an average of 13,000 visitors a year. It’s known as a green island, popular with hikers and bird watchers, and most of it is now a protected nature reserve.

Mayor Maria Kammas saw a green energy system as the island’s natural next step.

“For many years now, Tilos has plotted a course that is dedicated to protecting the environment,” she said. “We are seeking visitors — tourists actually — people who will visit our island who love the environment and want to protect it and nature as it was given to us.”

Tourism is the main source of revenue for the island. But businesses have been plagued by lengthy blackouts, leaving hotels without air conditioning and restaurants without light or power, forcing them to discard food from warm refrigerators.

Hotel owner Sevasti Delaporta has closely followed the project since its inception over two years ago. There were initial doubts about the idea among Tilos residents, but tests have run smoothly, even during peak times this summer. The grid is expected to be fully operational in a few months.

“I’m very optimistic about this project because there are few negative consequences as a business, and for the guests of the hotel that I run,” says Delaporta. “People are pleased with the service because they have no problem with their fridges and they have no problem with their air conditioning. They are happy.”

With long sunny days and average temperatures of 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) during the summer, tourists spend their mornings at the beach and afternoons napping. The island comes alive in the evening, when businesses open and residents and tourists alike flock to bars and cafes.

Eva Lemaire has visited the island every year for more than two decades. Coming from the Netherlands, which has one of the world’s highest environmental standards, she says Tilos’ green policies stand out in Greece.

“I’m also a little bit proud of Tilos about what they are doing now, with the renewable energy,” she said. “I think it’s good for the island not to be dependent on other islands.”

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