Solar Energy Technologies Program-Financial Opportunities

 

Financial Opportunities

Subscribe to receive this newsletter by email

Subscribe to the SETP Financial Opportunities RSS feed.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Program (Solar Program) posts current and past funding opportunities for all program areas, including research and development (R&D) for photovoltaics and concentrating solar power, systems integration, and market transformation projects. In addition, links to related opportunities from DOE national laboratories and other federal agencies are available.
In carrying out its vision and mission, the federal Solar Program conducts a broad portfolio of activities to make electricity from solar technologies more cost competitive with conventional forms of electricity.
This open, competitive solicitation process is designed to meet the top technology needs identified by industry's roadmaps. SETP funding opportunities encourage collaborative partnerships among industry, universities, national laboratories, federal, state, and local governments and non-government agencies and advocacy groups. Solicitations, when available, include financial and technical assistance.

Notice of Intent to Issue

Demonstration Project for Concentrating Solar Technologies

Notice of Intent

Description: DOE intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to facilitate the demonstration of utility-scale, concentrating solar technologies, which include Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) and Concentrating Photovoltaics (CPV), within the next 30 to 60 days. The objective of the FOA is to enable advanced technologies to bridge the gap between system development and commercial deployment. This FOA would support the demonstration of CSP and CPV technology at a sufficient scale to prove their readiness for utility-scale power production. Technologies and systems that successfully complete demonstrations under this program may be better positioned to secure financing from private sources for utility scale projects.

Request for Information Update

Gathering information from specific audiences is valuable as financial opportunities are developed. The purpose of a request for information (RFI) is to gather input periodically throughout the year, especially as multiple opportunities for funding and technical assistance are planned for the year.

In May 2010, DOE released a Request For Information (RFI) on solar workforce certifications and training program accreditation. Based on the comments received under this RFI, respondents agreed that DOE leadership and financial support in this area is important. Because there was not a clear consensus regarding the exact direction DOE should take, the Solar Program plans to gather additional stakeholder input in early 2011 to identify the key issues surrounding credentialing and assessment of the solar workforce. Please note there are no plans to issue a competitive solicitation in this area, but funding opportunities may be available at a later date.
Information is also available on the following:

• Upcoming opportunities
• Past opportunities
• Related opportunities. 

EERE » Solar Energy Technologies Program » Financial Opportunities

• Printable Version
• 

• Recovery Act
• Current Opportunities
• Upcoming Opportunities
• Past Opportunities
• Related Opportunities 

 

Solar America Communities

Solar America Cities Partnerships

Visit the Solar America Communities Web site to find more details on all Solar America Communities activities.

Through the Solar America Communities effort, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is working to rapidly increase the use and integration of solar energy in communities across the country.

DOE recognizes the important role of local governments in accelerating widespread solar energy adoption. As the nation's centers of electricity consumption, cities are uniquely positioned to reduce global climate change, strengthen America's energy independence, and support the transition to a clean energy economy by converting to solar energy sources.
DOE has taken a three-pronged approach to identifying and overcoming barriers to urban solar implementation, then sharing lessons learned and best practices to facilitate replication across the nation:

• Solar America Cities Partnerships are cooperative agreements between DOE and 25 large U.S. cities to develop comprehensive, city-wide approaches to increasing solar energy use. Learn more about the solar activities in these cities. The Solar America Cities partnerships are the foundation of the Solar America Communities program.
• Solar America Cities Special Projects, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, tackle key barriers to urban solar energy use that were identified through the 25 city partnerships. Read more about these special projects.
• Solar America Communities Outreach Partnership is an effort to share the best practices developed through the original 25 city partnerships and special projects with hundreds of other local governments, accelerating solar energy adoption across the United States. Learn more about the outreach efforts.

As a result of widespread success in the 25 Solar America Cities, DOE expanded these activities in 2010 by launching a national outreach effort described above. As the Solar America Cities activities evolved to include this new outreach effort, this effort was renamed Solar America Communities to reflect DOE's commitment to supporting solar initiatives in all types of local jurisdictions, including cities and counties.

Missouri Energy News-Dirty Coal-Ameren- Laclede

The combination of new rules to promote efficiency and the implementation of the renewable energy standard approved by voters in 2008 can help defer or offset the need for new power plants in Missouri and create new jobs, he said. What's more, it could allow utilities to retire older, less efficient coal-fired plants     Burnette: "Any dirty coal plant that we can take offline is a win." Missouri is starting to turn the corner and embrace energy efficiency saving a watt of electricity is often cheaper than generating one Energy efficiency programs...are gaining traction in Missouri for good reason recent study highlights plenty of opportunity to cut energy use Missourians could save more than $5 billion in electric and natural gas costs over the next decade by fixing drafty houses, replacing old appliances with more efficient ones and taking other energy-saving measures plan for future energy needs  heavy dependence on cheap coal  Ameren Missouri's electric rates have risen by more than $400 million since May 2007, and the utility is seeking an additional $263 million increase Senate Bill 376, the Missouri Energy Efficiency Investment Act, which Gov. Jay Nixon signed in June 2009 The efficiency study is expected to serve as a guidepost during that process Energy efficiency efforts gaining traction in Missouri
	Feb 11, 2011	St. Louis Post-Dispatch
	Jeffrey Tomich Feb. 11, 2011 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Missouri has long been viewed as a laggard when it comes to energy conservation. Now, is the state ready to play catch-up? A recent study highlights plenty of opportunity to cut energy use. Rules finalized by regulators this week could help achieve that potential by giving utilities incentives to invest in promoting energy efficiency. A draft copy of the study by Burlington, Mass.-based KEMA indicates Missourians could save more than $5 billion in electric and natural gas costs over the next decade by fixing drafty houses, replacing old appliances with more efficient ones and taking other energy-saving measures. The Public Service Commission commissioned the study last fall. It represents the first statewide assessment of energy-savings potential and one of several indicators of the heightened importance placed on energy efficiency in the Show-Me state. The issue should be "one of our priorities in improving how we communicate with utility customers and as we plan for future energy needs," said PSC Commissioner Robert Clayton, who stepped down as commission chairman this week. It's yet unclear how such efforts will affect ratepayers in the long term. The new rules aim to compensate utilities, through rate adjustments, for investments in programs encouraging consumers to use less power. The hope is that companies can make the same profits while selling less energy and lowering consumer bills at the same time -- no small challenge. Energy efficiency programs, commonplace on the coasts, are gaining traction in Missouri for good reason. While the state still boasts some of the nation's lowest electricity rates -- thanks largely to a heavy dependence on cheap coal -- they've been moving steadily higher. Ameren Missouri's electric rates have risen by more than $400 million since May 2007, and the utility is seeking an additional $263 million increase. What's more, discussions are under way about the potential for a second nuclear power plant in Callaway County. Utilities and regulators generally agree that saving a watt of electricity is often cheaper than generating one. Ameren, Laclede Gas Co. and other Missouri utilities long ago established energy efficiency programs that involved funding appliance rebates and discounting or giving away compact fluorescent light bulbs. The state likewise established a campaign to encourage energy savings. But those efforts have been slow to expand, in part because decades-old utility rate making policy includes a disincentive for utilities to take actions that reduced energy sales. According to American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, a group that rates states for energy-saving programs and policies, Missouri is 43rd in the nation last year and was passed by Arkansas and Louisiana. Illinois, by comparison, ranked 25th. Senate Bill 376, the Missouri Energy Efficiency Investment Act, which Gov. Jay Nixon signed in June 2009, is meant to jump-start efficiency programs in the state by allowing utilities to earn the same profit on a "cost-effective" efficiency investment as it would on a power plant or other capital investment. The PSC voted 4-1 on Wednesday to approve final rules needed to implement the law. "This is a new era of rate making and a new era of policy for the Public Service Commission," Clayton said. The next step will be implementing new or expanded efficiency programs at each utility. For that, regulators want to know which investments are most cost-effective, and what sort of payback or incentives are needed to compel consumers to buy energy-saving appliances, new windows or insulate their attics. The efficiency study is expected to serve as a guidepost during that process. "We wanted to have an independent assessment of what investor-owned utilities would be capable of achieving," Clayton said. The state's two largest utilities and a coalition of the state's largest electricity users have raised concerns about some of the data used in the KEMA study as well as its conclusions. Ameren, for instance, commissioned an exhaustive study of energy efficiency potential in its service area that was published in January 2010. That study showed sizable energy savings are achievable, but more modest than that suggested in the KEMA study. "We're very proud of the Ameren Missouri study," said Rick Voytas, manager of energy efficiency and demand response for the utility. "What we really invested in was public interest surveys to determine what really drives customers to invest in energy efficient alternatives." In written comments filed with the PSC, the utility was more blunt: "The KEMA study will do little, if anything, to move the optimal implementation of energy efficiency forward in Missouri. It may do the opposite." For all the debate and uncertainty, energy efficiency advocates remain encouraged. "I think Missouri is starting to turn the corner and embrace energy efficiency," said Chris Burnette, regulatory affairs coordinator for Renew Missouri, an offshoot of St. Louis-based Missouri Coalition for the Environment. The combination of new rules to promote efficiency and the implementation of the renewable energy standard approved by voters in 2008 can help defer or offset the need for new power plants in Missouri and create new jobs, he said. What's more, it could allow utilities to retire older, less efficient coal-fired plants. Said Burnette: "Any dirty coal plant that we can take offline is a win." Newstex ID: KRTB-0187-100619898

--
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com

Solar Power Push is on

federal grant that covers 30 percent of the installation cost and a 100 percent depreciation tax credit  federal grant program could save $645,000 on a $1 million job   New Jersey companies employ upward of 3,500 people 80 percent of the nation's electricity needs by 2035
	Feb 10, 2011	The Record (Hackensack, N.J.)
	Alexander MacInnes Feb. 10, 2011 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- In laying out his vision for a stronger, more innovative country, President Obama, during last month's State of the Union address, called for clean energy to take over 80 percent of the nation's electricity needs by 2035. Solar industry leaders in New Jersey, however, said they are more concerned with driving as many customers to solar by December, when two key federal incentives could end. Company officials stressed the importance of those financial carrots as a way to lure end users to solar and other clean energy technologies, in the immediate future. "With the incentives pot disappearing, it is imperative to get these projects online," said Lance Kulick, president of Amberjack Solar Energy, an installation firm in Oakland. At stake is the expiration of a federal grant that covers 30 percent of the installation cost and a 100 percent depreciation tax credit. It is unclear whether those programs will be extended by Congress, but solar business executives say that the systems need to have been started or be installed by December for customers to benefit from both. New Jersey has seen a steady increase in solar installations since 2001, mainly because of state programs that have allowed customers to save even more from their systems, on top of the federal incentives. The state is second, behind only California, in the number of kilowatts produced from solar power. Last year, 3,139 customers installed solar panels on their roofs in New Jersey, according to the state Board of Public Utilities. That represents a 132 percent increase from the year before. The state is home to 200 to 300 companies somehow involved in the solar industry, according to Terry Sobolewski, business development manager for SunPower, a California-based company with offices in Trenton. SunPower is a member of the Solar Alliance, a group of 30 companies that advocates for solar energy policies. The alliance estimates that those New Jersey companies employ upward of 3,500 people. Amberjack announced in January it has added 10 new employees to the company's 18 positions. Jamie Hahn, a managing partner at Solis Partners, a solar developer in Manasquan, said the benefits of the federal grant program could save $645,000 on a $1 million job, which his company sees as a small commercial project. "One hundred percent, there's urgency in the market," Hahn said. Hahn estimates that a commercial project could take up to four months to install, which increases the urgency for customers interested in qualifying for federal grants. Still, Sobolewski sees an industry that will eventually wean itself off government subsidies, specifically due to the continued decreased cost in equipment and installations. "The cost of solar is declining, so the need of those incentives is decreasing every year," Sobolewski said. E-mail: macinnes@northjersey.com Newstex ID: KRTB-0086-100584959

Click Here to email:
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
St Louis Green Builder

Energy Efficiency a Moral Imperative, Companies Say

	Feb 10, 2011	Environmental Leader
	Nearly nine out of ten Fortune 1000 senior executives feel a moral responsibility to make their companies more energy efficient, and 13 percent say environmental concerns are their main motivator to save energy. A poll by Harris Interactive, on behalf of Schneider Electric, found that 88 percent of executives feel a moral responsibility to cut energy use, beyond simply the ethical imperative to follow regulatory requirements. But the executives said cost savings are their biggest energy-saving motivator. Savings were the prime motivator chosen by 61 percent of executives, compared to 13 percent choosing environmental concerns, ten percent citing CEO mandates, and only two percent choosing government regulations. Seven percent chose education as the biggest factor, saying that they would change behaior if they knew how to reduce consumption. Another seven percent said increased costs were the biggest motivator, saying their companies would use less energy if it was a more expensive product. Three-quarters of the 301 respondents said that saving energy has gained importance within their organizations over the past two years. "The findings of the survey reinforce what we're hearing daily from our customers," Schneider Electric's North America president and CEO Christopher Curtis said. "Business leaders want to be good corporate citizens regarding their energy management. They often just don't know where to start. "At the same time, we're in the process of emerging from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, requiring cost savings to be a key part of the solution," Curtis said. The survey also revealed little confidence in the potential effectiveness of a national cap and trade system for carbon, with 40 percent saying cap and trade will not result in increased efficiency. Those respondents thought that such a system would likely cause industries to emit the same amount of carbon but charge more for their products to cover costs. Another 38 percent said cap and trade would only increase energy efficiency if the revenue generated is applied directly to research and development, social programs or initiatives to help companies reduce their energy use. But 22 percent did believe that cap and trade would increase efficiency by forcing industries to adopt energy efficient technologies and practices. "The simple truth is we're sitting on the sidelines when it comes to devising industry accepted standards and requirements for de-carbonizing our economy," Curtis said. "Nothing meaningful is happening, which is unacceptable. The survey shows awareness is increasing, a good first step. "The next step needs to be action — putting sustainable carbon and energy management programs in place and taking responsibility for them on a day-to-day basis," Curtis added.

--
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com

DIY Tips- Insulating the Crawlspace

Author(s): 

Tom Simchak

Return to the introduction

Thinking about making energy efficient home improvements? Home insulation is a classic homeowner example that comes to mind. Despite long-held aspirations, it was only recently that I tackled the project of insulating the crawlspace beneath my dining room. Cold floors during winter months finally convinced me it was time for insulation.

As crawlspaces go, this space was relatively accessible, even if it did require crawling about in dust, stones, nails and wisps of old fiberglass insulation (a more extensive use of gloves, a dust mask and safety goggles would have been a good idea). It was evident that others in the past had the same idea as me — various odd bits of fiberglass insulation had been messily attached by various means between the floor joists and there was a lot of chicken wire along with odd scraps of wood and vinyl siding. Article continues here

Scotts Contracating is now accepting New Contracts for Weatherization and Home Improvement Projects.
contact information:

Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com

White House-Obama-USA Better Building Factsheet

Down Load the pdf Here -
White House Better Bldgs Factsheet 2-2-11.pdf

--
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com