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Jefferson County
Solar Home Tour Set for Saturday July 12th
You've been waiting for it and this year it is coming early, just in time for sunny Summer weather. This year's Jefferson County solar home tour is scheduled for Saturday, July 12th at various locations throughout Jefferson County. The Solar Tour offers an excellent opportunity for those interested in solar power to learn about it first hand from folks who own their own solar PV and solar thermal systems. Solar powered and energy efficient homes in Port Townsend and Jefferson County will be part of the tour as well as educational presentations about solar energy and designing solar ready homes. The tour offers local residents an opportunity to find out how their neighbors are trimming their energy bills, increasing their energy independence and taking steps to address global warming.
Residents in
Jefferson County
have been quick to jump on the renewabl
Tour Location: The kick-off tour location will be at 2343 Thomas Street (off Hastings Ave) in Port Townsend at the Power Trip Energy shop. Presentations on grid tied solar electric systems and solar thermal (hot water) systems will be offered. Maps of tour locations will also be available. Tour Time: 10 a.m. - 4 pm. For More Information Contact: Jeff Randall, 360-301-9019, email: jeffr@powertripenergy.com, web site: www.powertripenergy.com. Tour Fee: This event is free. How to Take the Tour: Participants will drive (or bike) to various tour locations on their own. ****************************
Solar Ribbon Cutting Planned
for High School If you are a freshman science student at Port Townsend High School, you will soon be learning firsthand about renewable energy. The school’s new 1.02 kW grid tied solar system, the first publicly owned solar power system in Jefferson County, will become operational at a ribbon cutting event on Wednesday, February 6th at 11 am at the high school gymnasium. Interested members of the public are welcome to attend this event which is planned to be outside, weather permitting. The photovoltaic, or “PV” array was
made possible through a Solar 4R Schools grant from the
Bonneville Environmental Foundation and Puget Sound Energy.
The system was installed by Power Trip Energy, Corp. of Port
Townsend. The Solar 4R Schools program educates students
and teachers on the functions and benefits of solar electric
power, an increasingly popular renewable resource. In
addition to producing clean, renewable energy, each school's
solar power system includes a curriculum package that uses
the web-based, real-time data generated by each installation
to provide students with a comprehensive, interactive
learning experience. Power generated by the solar array will
feed into the gym’s electrical system and the data
monitoring system will
Shown: Steve Carr of Power Trip Energy makes some final adjustments to the Port Townsend High School’s new solar array.
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Call Now to keep the Solar Tax Credits in the Energy Bill!! Senate and House Democratic Leaders are now considering a plan to leave renewable energy out of the Energy Bill. There are widespread reports that a decision has been made, at least provisionally, to move energy legislation without a tax title that extends the Solar Investment Tax Credits (ITC). Together, we can reverse this decision! Please call your Representative and both Senators and ask them to urge House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) to keep the ITC extension in the Energy Bill. The Energy Bill is expected to be voted on at the end of next week. A bill without the solar ITC provisions would be a tremendous lost opportunity for our industry and our country. To locate your Representative and Senators’ Washington phone number, go to http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt and type in your company’s Zip Code. Alternatively, you can reach your Representative and Senators’ offices through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121. Talking Points:
What the Solar Industry Needs
For full details on the current legislation and SEIA’s position, visit: http://seia.org/ITC_Conference_Factsheet.pdf **************************** Last Chance for 2007 Solar Tax Credits
Could the end of the year be nearing already? Sadly yes. This
means your last chance to take advantage of the federal income
tax credit for solar grid tied power systems is also fast
approaching. For homeowners the federal income tax credit is
$2,000. For businesses the tax credit is 30% of the cost of the
PV system including installation. So if you expect to owe Uncle
Sam money this coming tax season, consider investing in a grid
tied solar electric power system for your home or business.
Modern grid tied PV systems are nearly maintenance free, come
with 20 - 25 year warranties on solar modules and 10 year
warranties on inverters, and will help reduce your carbon
footprint and electric bills for decades to come. Help save the
planet and reduce your tax bill at the same time.
To qualify for the tax credit in the 2007 tax year, the PV
system must be installed and connected to the grid before the
end of the year. To learn more, talk to a Power Trip solar
agent at 360-643-3080.
Kathleen Hudson's PV system in a rare blanket of snow just outside Port Townsend
**************************** 12th Annual Solar Tour Saturday, October 6, 2007 Solar powered and energy efficient homes and buildings in Washington state will be shown on public tours on Saturday, October 6th, from 10 am to 4 pm. Locally in Jefferson and Clallam Counties over 30 sites will be taking part in the tour . It’s all part of the American Solar Energy Society’s 12th annual National Solar Tour, the largest demonstration of installed renewable energy technologies and energy efficient building practices in the U.S. The tour offers local residents an opportunity to find out how their neighbors are trimming their energy bills, increasing their energy independence and taking steps to address global warming. Statewide there will be over 200 tour site open for tours. The sites are detailed on the Solar Washington website at www.solarwashington.org.
“Spin Your Meter Backwards” presentation in Kingston, Kitsap County Join Power Trip Energy President Andy Cochrane and the staff of the Stillwaters Environmental Education Center on Wednesday, July 11th for a presentation on grid-tied solar electric (PV) power systems. The class will be held at the Kingston Fire Hall (26442 Miller Bay Rd. off Hwy 104) at 7 p.m. Attendees will learn how to make clean, renewable electricity from the sun and how in the summer months produce enough electricity to spin their utility meter backwards earning credit on their electric bill. Andy will review current solar technologies, system costs, pv performance in the “rainy” northwest, how to design buildings to be “solar ready,” and the financial incentives currently available through rebates, green tags, and tax credits. The cost of the class is $15 per person with the monies raised going to the Stillwaters Environmental Education Center. To learn more about this program please contact Jeff at Power Trip at (360) 301-9019 or Joleen Palmer of Stillwaters at (360) 297-2876, email: info@stillwatersenvironmentalcenter.org, web site: www.stillwatersenvironmentalcenter.org. **************************** Puget Sound Energy Solar Rebate Program Ends September 1 Power Trip Energy has received advance notice from our contacts at Puget Sound Energy (PSE) that the utility’s solar electric (PV) rebate program has been such a success that it is shortly going to run out of funds and will be discontinued on September 1, 2007. The current rebate offers a sliding scale of $525-600 per installed kilowatt. The rebate program is funded by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the funds must be used by PSE for energy conservation programs. PSE representatives have stated that the increased installation of grid tied solar electric systems and the presence of other incentive programs (federal tax credit, state production incentive and sales tax exemption) make it likely that next year's BPA energy conservation funds will go towards different programs. This notice makes now the best time to invest in solar power if you are within PSE's service territory. PSE will accept applications on projects completed by September 1, so this summer we will prioritize our projects on PSE's grid to make sure as many of our customers as possible can take advantage of these funds. ****************************
Power Tripping Local business helps customers control their energy destiny
Article as printed in the June 2007 edition of the Olympic Business Journal
by Rebecca Duce Port Townsend As many people are when returning home after a time away, Andy Cochrane was amazed at the growth of his hometown, Port Townsend. When he decided to stay, he looked at the growth as an opportunity, not only to make a living but as an opportunity to make a difference. “It was a clever move to come back to Port Townsend in my prime earning years,” Cochrane said. “I realized it was futile to oppose the growth. I wanted to work with the growth as a way to influence it to be the best for the community.” That’s when he founded Power Trip Energy Corp. specializing in installation of grid-tied solar electric (pv) systems. “Most solar has been for off-grid applications such as boats or cabins. A lot of systems were pieced together with duct tape, not professionally installed,” he said. “They may have worked, they may have been safe, but they weren’t to code.” With the demand for greener technologies and renewable energy, Power Trip Energy has given up traditional electrical jobs to concentrate on installing solar panels on residential and commercial buildings in Jefferson, Clallam, Kitsap, and even Mason counties. Recently his crew did a job in Shelton, a bit further away than Cochrane would prefer but didn’t want to refuse the job. “I’m not going to put people in the position of wanting solar and not being able to get it,” he said. Once the solar panels are installed, customers immediately begin harvesting the sun’s energy to convert the light to electricity. Traditionally, this energy has been stored in batteries, but now, the utility grid can be used as a virtual battery. Solar energy collected by the panels can be used instantly or sent to the utility grid where a credit for each kilowatt-hour (kwh) is generated. This “net metering” allows that kwh credit to be used at night; and on a seasonal scale, summertime excess credits are used during the short days of winter. Cochrane and his team not only install the solar panels but acquire the permits and fill out the paperwork for the net metering agreement and numerous tax incentives and rebates. Cochrane’s not sure if the steady growth of his business results from the concern of global warming, the rising increase in energy costs, the Iraq war or the affordability of the technology. The one contributing factor he is sure about, however, is his customer base. “We have over 50 happy customers on the peninsula,” he said. “We get a lot of referrals.” The price of renewable energy The price to have solar panels installed has dropped during the last few years, Cochrane said, and more people are able to afford an install. Power Trip installs on new construction but just as often retrofits onto existing roofs. The average cost for a medium-size system (3.5 kw) is $28,000. One of Cochrane’s residential customers recently had half of a 4.2 kw array installed last year and the other half installed this year. Breaking it up over two years not only meets their budget and allows them to start collecting and storing energy, it also qualifies them for an additional $2,000 federal tax credit, he said. Not as many commercial clients have come on board as residential clients, but Cochrane expects that to change over time. “The trends migrate north,” he said. “In California, large businesses are installing panels across the entire roof.” He sites Costco, Home Depot and wineries as examples of businesses taking advantage of the money-saving opportunities that solar panels provide. Rainy Washington Don’t think because of the gray winter days that Washington isn’t a good state for solar energy. Cochrane says in comparing identical systems in Port Townsend and Los Angeles, Port Townsend will collect 70 percent of the energy her southern neighbor does. And in the summer, Washington actually produces more. “We get more sun because being far north, the days are longer,” he said. But not every building is ideal for solar panels. An unobscured southern exposure makes the perfect solar house or business. Buildings in the shade or among the trees do not. At times, consumers are faced with the choice of solar energy or trees. “I’ve always considered myself to be a tree hugger,” Cochrane said. “But now I’m a tree hugger with a chain saw.”
U.S. Congress Considers Extension of Renewable Energy Tax Credits and Increases Tax Credit Amounts Congress is considering two identical bills (one in the House and one in the Senate) titled “Securing America’s Energy Independence Act of 2007” that would extend the expiration date for federal renewable energy tax credits for individuals and businesses who install solar electric and solar thermal systems. The current renewable energy tax credit system will expire after 2008. The proposed bills would extend the tax credit program through 2016 and replace the current tax credit formula for solar electric systems. The proposed solar electric tax credit rate is $1,500 per each .5 kilowatt installed, with no cap for residences. This is a significant increase in the federal tax credit program and also equalizes the tax credit rate for homeowners and businesses. Currently there is a flat 30% tax credit for residences and businesses with a $2,000 cap for homeowners. The proposed legislation would leave unchanged the 30% tax credit ($2,000 cap per system) for solar thermal (hot water) systems but would extend the expiration for this credit to 2016. The House version of the bill (HR 550) was sent to the House Ways and Means Committee on January 18, 2007. The chair of this committee is Rep. Charles Rangel of NY. Washington Rep. Jim McDermot (a co-sponsor of the bill) also sits on this committee. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Michael McNulty of NY and has 54 co-sponsors. The Senate version (S 590) was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance on February 14, 2007. The Finance Committee Chair is Sen. Max Baucus, MT and WA Sen. Maria Cantwell also sits on this committee. The bill was originally sponsored by Sen. Gordon Smith, OR. Please contact your Congressional representatives to urge their support for these bills. To view the text of the bills, go to the Congressional bill search engine at: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/c110query.html and type in the appropriate bill number (S 590 for the Senate bill, and HR 550 for the House bill). ****************************
Randall joins Power Trip Energy staff Jeff Randall has joined Power Trip Energy Corp. to do sales, marketing and policy work. Randall will be working directly with potential residential and commercial customers and will also seek to expand the use of solar power by public agencies, schools, and Indian tribes. Based in Port Townsend, Power Trip Energy Corp. is a licensed and bonded electrical contracting company specializing in solar photovoltaic grid-tied power systems and serving the north Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas It was founded in 2002 by President Andy Cochrane and journeyman electrician Steve Carr. To date the company has installed over 40 grid-tied solar power systems generating more than 115 kilowatts of electricity. Randall is a licensed attorney and land-use planner, and a former director of Building and Community Development for the City of Port Townsend. He and his wife Shelly recently returned from a 10-month sabbatical road trip around North America, an experience that convinced him of the bright future of renewable energy and encouraged him to make the career shift. “Renewable energy is fast becoming a visible part of the American landscape,” says Randall. “One of the easiest ways to generate green power is with solar panels tied into the energy grid. With the current climate change crisis and our need to develop new clean energy sources, wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if every new home and commercial building had solar panels on its roof?” Randall can be reached by calling 360-643-3080 (office) or 360-301-9019 (cell), or by emailing jeffr@powertripenergy.com. More information on Power Trip Energy Corp. is available at www.powertripenergy.com. ### |
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The
"kickoff" event for the Jefferson County Solar Tour will be
occurring at Wildberry Farm, 2343 Thomas St. in Port Townsend. Maps
and solar tour information will be provided and presentations on
grid-tied solar power are planned for 10 am, noon, and 2 pm.
