Carolyn Humphreys | Sunlight Solar Energy

Chris Bortnem Goes Solar!

by Chance Currington

Sunlight Solar was introduced to Chris Bortnem and Greg Ohl through our mutual employment at the Oregon Golf Club in West Linn. We met about a year ago when I decided to accept a position bartending special events on the weekends.  Chris is the Banquet Manager and Greg is the executive dishwasher at the club.  Chris and I both work for Greg.  Chris approached me and asked what kind of deals we had on solar just around the time we were releasing our “SunRun Total Solar Program”.

The first step in the solar journey is a site survey.  Greg, Chris, and I all met out at Chris’ place down the road from West Linn High School in West Linn, OR.  I propped up the ladder and we all got on the roof to design his array according to best possible aesthetic and performance. We figured out together where we would place his solar panels, how we would run the conduit, and where we would mount the inverter.

Greg oversaw the entire project including making sure Chris didn’t make any miscalculations during our site survey

Greg is a hard worker and was very meticulous about chalking out the array. Like he always says “I don’t leave until the job is done”

So now we had the information we needed to put together a formal proposal.  In Oregon it is pretty simple.  A 3.24KW system like Chris’ is $6,000 out of pocket with a $6,000 residential energy tax credit at $1500/year over 4 years.  That’s it, Chris basically got a free solar power system for 20 years of service, cutting his bill in half, and hedging against future rate increases from PGE.  So we signed the deal and within 4 weeks we were installing his system.

The racking is laid down before the panels go up and of course Greg oversaw that to make sure chalk lines were snapped and everything was aligned correctly.

Our electricians arrived with Chris’ solar panels and Greg was present to make sure quality was top notch and to lead the install team while they mounted the solar panels.

The fruits of his labor.

This graph is taken from Chris’ most recent power bill.  In November of 2010 (pre-solar) Chris averaged a usage of 9.1 kWh/day.  This is equal to about 300 kWh/month or $30 of electricity from PGE.  In November of 2011 (post-solar) Chris averaged 3.8 kWh/day.  This is equal to approximately 120kWh/month or $12 of electricity from PGE.  His solar array covered 57% of his electricity requirements!

Interesting side note:  Chris works in his spare time putting on performances for schools all around Oregon with W.E. C.A.R.E. Sports.  W.E C.A.R.E.  performs school assembly programs featuring educational and entertaining shows with hands on instruction for small and large groups.  For more info check out the link below.

Chris’ savings on his electricity bill makes him want to juggle.

For more information on the SunRun Total Solar program, click here.

For more information on the Oregon Golf Club, click here.

For more information on W.E. C.A.R.E., click here.

Revenge of the Electric Car

Revenge of the Electric Car

I received an email that the movie “Revenge of the Electric Car” would be premiering at the Hollywood Theater on Friday 11/4 so I picked up the phone and dialed up SSE customer John Tangney who has an interest in Solar Power, EV’s, and is on the waiting list to receive a 2012 Plug-In Toyota Prius.

The film follows three auto executives – Elon Musk of Tesla, Bob Lutz of GM, and Carlos Ghosn of Nissan as they spearhead their company’s attempt to move forward with the market release of their electric vehicles (EV’s) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV’s)

John ans SSE installer Robbie Johnson putting the final touches on his PV disconnect and solar kWh meter.

Personally, I enjoyed Paine’s previous 2006 documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car” a little more because it seemed to be full of more facts and statistics, but found this movie to be educational and inspiring.  Here is a link to the movie’s trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkRIu5a6Sb0

John Tangney's finished solar array in Happy Valley, OR. This 3.28 kW PV system will produce approximately 3,000 kWh/year. This is enough electricity to power an electric vehicle approximately 12,000 miles.

US Joins 1 Gigawatt PV Club

Congratulations America! GreenTechMedia recently produced a study indicating that the United States will join the 1 Gigawatt PV Club during the month of October 2011! This means that over 1 gigawatt of PV panels have been installed in 2011 and are in use across the country, thanks, in large part, to homeowners!

The U.S. solar energy industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy. The total amount of grid-connected PV arrays has reached over 3 gigawats, enough to power nearly 600,000 U.S. homes.

Next stop: 2 gigawatts in 2012!

You can read the entire study here: http://www.greentechmedia.com/research/solarinsight

Sunlight Solar Customer Karen Steiner Walks the Walk

“Time to walk the talk on climate change”

by Christine Aquilino

Arlington — In my last column I wrote that the U.S. has one-fifth of the Earth’s population and is responsible for one-third of the greenhouse gas emissions. It’s much worse than that: The U.S. has one-twentieth of the Earth’s population and is responsible for one-third of the greenhouse gas emissions. That makes my point even stronger. We must act to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel.

In 2006, Rob Hopkins and Naresh Giangrande started a grass roots movement in England called the Transition Network (www.transitionnetwork.org) to address climate change, the shrinking supplies of cheap energy and the implications of these on our current way of life. At Transition Town meetings, individuals gather to explore and plan how they envision responding on the local level to the pressures these changes will demand of us. It’s a movement based on the optimistic belief that humanity can rise to the occasion and come to embrace these challenges with creativity.

Right now, there are thousands of initiatives around the world and several in Massachusetts exploring the question: “How can we make our community stronger and happier as we deal with the impacts of peak oil and economic contraction while at the same time urgently reducing CO2 emissions?” The movement looks at solutions available to ordinary people, like walking more, driving less, conserving water, taking advantage of alternative energy opportunities, buying locally produced goods and growing or buying locally grown food.

Arlington resident Karen Steiner, a fiber artist and organic gardener, is part of the local Transition Town initiative. She and other local residents are envisioning how to address climate change right here in Arlington. Recently they met to discuss the book “The Great Disruption,” by Paul Gilding. Gilding’s message is an urgent one: we can no longer have an economy that depends upon continued consumption and waste. It is not sustainable.

Steiner already walks her talk. She has seven large garden beds on her property where she grows vegetables plus raspberries and grapes and she buys shares in local Community Supported Agriculture programs: Busa Farm for summer produce and Shared Harvest for winter. This year she’s added a grain CSA from Pioneer Valley. For fruit, she buys from local orchards.

“In grocery stores, everything you find on the shelves is from far away,” Steiner says.

That means, she explains, that the carbon footprint for so much of our goods is huge. Indeed, just take a look around any Whole Foods Market and you will notice that even at this store — one that claims to be ecologically conscious — most of what is sold comes from across the country or another part of the world.

“Anyone can grow some of their own vegetables,” said Steiner. “All you need is a little bit of ground and sunshine.”

And many people are doing just that. According to the National Gardening Association, 43 million households were growing their own in 2009, a 19 percent increase over the previous year. Nearly half said they were concerned about food safety, which is understandable. Large farms rely heavily on chemical pesticides and fertilizers and people are worried about the impact on health. That’s also why participation in CSAs is on the rise. But quality food isn’t cheap, and nearly one of three people said the reason they were growing their own was the recession. The end result, though, is a win-win. Locally grown is better for us and better for the environment.

Steiner cans, dries, and freezes for consumption during the winter, another practice that is becoming very popular. Classes on canning and preserving food are in high demand. And it’s no wonder. The cost savings are tremendous. And the result is quality produce year round.

Finally, in order to reduce her own energy consumption, she is installing solar panels on her house. When the crunch comes, and oil or gas prices go through the roof, she thinks she will recoup her investment. Sunlight Solar, located in Newton, offers a free site evaluation and there are various government incentives and rebates to help homeowners go green.

Global climate change is a hot topic in Washington. Some politicians insist it’s just a hoax. Politics has always been part of scientific debate. Galileo stirred controversy in the 1500s for saying the Earth revolved around the sun. But the stakes are higher now. The Earth’s weather is changing more rapidly than even climate scientists had anticipated. Profit-driven oil and gas companies, their lobbyists and the politicians they court keep our government from taking bold action. Local action is needed. We can’t wait for our politicians to wake up.

Christine Aquilino is a habitat gardener who (usually) writes about sustainable gardening practices using native plants. Email Christine: Send Email
Read more: Time to walk the talk on climate change – - The Arlington Advocate

Follow our Installation at Solar Industry Magazine

Zackin Publications Inc., parent company of Solar Industry Magazine received a grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund to pay for one-third of the cost of a photovoltaic system.  Zackin chose Sunlight Solar Energy to install the 24 kW ground-mounted system at their headquarters in Oxford, CT.  They are currently tracking the process of the installation on their blog.  Check it out.

Going back to school – the green way

I got an email this morning about a sale at one of the big office supply stores on school supplies. Fall is quickly approaching and with it, to the chagrin of many children, the first day of school.

August is the time of year when we start buying all of next year’s school supplies, backpacks, pencils, lunch boxes, and school clothes to name a few. The average American family with school-aged kids will spend $594.24 on school supplies.

So, in the spirit of back-to-school shopping, we offer these tips on how to green your children’s backpacks this year!

1. Take inventory of last year’s supplies and avoid buying duplicates. If that ruler is still in one piece and the bottle of glue is still full, it’s a few less dollars to spend!
2. Go Green on school clothes. Vintage is in! Try checking out thrift stores and re-sale stores like Buffalo Exchange first. Then, if you can’t find what you’re fashonista is looking for, go for high-quality choices that last, made from sustainable fabrics like organic cotton or bamboo. While these choices do tend to be a little pricier, going for higher quality means that they’ll last longer than just to spring break.
3. Choose Greener Pens and Pencils. Believe it or not, nearly 6 billion pens get thrown away in the US every year. Pick up some biodegradable pencils, refillable pens, or the recycled version of your favorite writing implement.
4. Beware of Supply Overload. Be cautious around those bulk deals. Even as an avid crafter I never needed a dozen bottles of glue. One or two usually did the trick for my macaroni masterpieces.
5. Lunchtime! Don’t brown bag it, check out some of the great washable, reusable, and insulated lunch boxes. There are so many cool ones out there now with a million different colors, styles, and patterns. No longer are we limited to plastic cubes with superhero’s, there’s a lunch bag out there for everyone.  And finally….
6. Walk, bike, or take the bus to school. While this is certainly not possible for everyone, walking or biking to school is a great way to green your school year. If you live too far away, take the bus or start a carpool with other families in your neighborhood!

Have a great year!

Swampscott resident pays utility $41 in first year with solar power.

In June 2010 we installed a 3.36kW photovoltaic system on Stephen Young and Tara Gallagher’s home in Swampscott, MA. A year later Stephen wrote a Letter to the Editor about their experience with solar and invited us to share it. The letter is posted below in it’s entirety.

Read the full article.

Tod & Tina Schiff – Featured Customers

Tod and Chance on the roof

by Chance Currington

We’ve had so many fun and interesting customers here at Sunlight Solar, but nothing is more gratifying than a repeat solar cusomter.  It says we did a good job designing the first system at a competitive price, it says that Project Coordinator Queena Coursen did an awesome job coordinating paperwork and communicating with our customer, it says that Construction Coordinator Molly McGuirk did a good job scheduling and managing the installation.  And, most importantly, it shows that our cherished solar customer was not only dedicated enough to go solar twice, but went solar twice with us.

Meet Tod Schiff.  Tod and his wife Tina live in Forest Heights of NW Portland.  Tod first called us in the Summer of 2010.  I went over to his house with my ladder and trusty site survey kit.  Once I met Tod, we clicked immediately.  Signing all the paperwork with Tod was unforgettable: he made popcorn and we drank some sodas.  That was a first for me..  By august his 2.16 kW PV system was installed and the Schiff’s were officially members of the Sunlight Solar Family.

Tod & Tina had their first PV system for only about 6 months when my phone rang and he informed me that he was ready for more solar.  Fortunately, Tod and I had designed his first PV system with a long-term strategy of solar expansion in mind. So we duplicated the same array to the west side of his south facing roof and installed a second inverter next to the first one.  By February of 2011, the Schiffs were running two solar electric systems which cover a total of one third of their electric usage.

Bob Gordon – Featured Customer

Gordon Residence - 3.2 kW - Gresham, OR

By Sarah Gaetano

Bob Gordon, of  Gresham, OR recently had a 3.24 kW Schuco PV system installed on his roof.  I had a chance to speak with Bob on the phone today about his home.  It turned out to be quite an interesting story.

Bob’s home is what used to be the garage of his former home.  He converted the garage into an 850 square foot apartment that was carefully constructed to be brilliantly sustainable.  The entire building, including the windows, is super insulated.  That means the climate inside the house rarely changes.  Since it has been built, Bob has not needed to turn on the heat pump, and the temperature inside the apartment has stayed between a very comfortable 68-77 degrees. Bob can use the windows and skylights to cool down the temperature at night if the forecast is calling for high heat the next day.   That is the only climate control he needs!

The solar electric panels further reduce Bob’s carbon footprint.  He expects his summer bills to be in the negative, which means the electric company will be paying him for the extra energy his panels have produced!  He drives a Toyota Prius, and his current record for best mileage was 59 miles per gallon.  He plans to soon either purchase a new Plug-In Prius, or retrofit his current Prius to a plug-in so that he can juice up his car and drive to work on pure sunlight!

Bob Gordon in front of his garden.

Bob’s sustainable lifestyle doesn’t stop there, though.  He also has an enormous garden where he grows a copious variety of fruits and vegetables.  To name just a few, he’s got: figs, peaches, raspberries, rhubarb, asparagus, apples, plums, strawberries, blueberries, corn, beans, cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes.  Since he lives in a friendly neighborhood, he lets his neighbors “steal” some delicious produce every now and then.  He also shares what he can’t eat alone with his co-workers, and he is planning on purchasing a solar food dryer to preserve the excess, as well.

We are so pleased to have Bob as one of our amazing customers.  He had noticed the price of solar dropping in the state of Oregon, but finally decided to jump on the band-wagon when the net cost dipped down to $0.  A very smart man, if you ask me!  Bob was able to take advantage of the new SunRun Program that we are currently offering.  Bob paid $6,000 up front for his system, but he will get that money back over the next 4 years through the Oregon state tax incentive ($1,500 per year for four years).  Over the course of the year, Bob’s system will provide 33% of his electric usage.

If you’d like to Sunlight Solar to come to your home for a free evaluation and to learn how to take advantage of this great opportunity through SunRun, please give us a call!

Boston Ranked 6th Greenest City!

Way to go Boston! The Green Cities Index, an assessment of the environmental performance of 27 US and Canadian cities, ranked Boston sixth overall!

The Green Cities Index, performed by Siemens and the Economist Intelligence Unit, ranked each of the 27 cities in 9 categories: Transportation, Energy, Air, Water, Waste, CO2, Land Use, Buildings, and Environmental Governance. The Boston metro area ranked highest at second in both the Water and Energy categories!

Boston’s high ranking in the energy category was awarded for the low energy use of metro area residents and for the innovative programs offered by the local government, most notably Solar Boston.

What does this mean for Solar Energy? It means that now is an excellent time to look into the transition to Solar Energy, Massachusetts residents are eligible for some of the best tax rebates and financial incentives in the country.

The City of Boston also recently announced their new RenewBoston Solar program, adding an additional rebate for eligible city residents who go Solar.

It is worth mentioning that Portland, Oregon, where our headquarters are located, while not included in the study was named as an environmental leader. Want to learn more about going Solar? Click here for more information and to schedule a free site evaluation!

Want more information on the Green Cities Index? Visit the report here.