Announcement Date
Tuesday, January 6, 2015 - 13:45
Location
BOSTON
The Patrick Administration today announced the final design of a 30 million residential solar loan program to complement the nation-leading solar market in Massachusetts. The Mass Solar Loan program, designed to make it easier for homeowners to finance solar electric projects on their homes, will work with banks and credit unions to expand borrowing options through lower interest rate loans and encourage loans for homeowners with lower income or lower credit scores.
"Solar installations provide important economic and environmental benefits to Massachusetts," said Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Maeve Bartlett. "The Mass Solar Loan will provide opportunities for homeowners to control and reduce their energy costs and for local banks and credit unions to offer a new business product".
The Mass Solar Loan program, which has been in development since early 2014, follows a Department of Energy Resources (DOER) study that demonstrates lifetime net benefits to homeowners ten times greater for direct solar ownership relative to third-party ownership. Beginning in early 2015, local lenders will be able to sign up to participate in the program, which is scheduled to begin providing loans in the spring of 2015.
"Massachusetts has seen incredible growth in the solar market, with installations in 350 of the Commonwealth's 351 cities and towns," said DOER Commissioner Meg Lusardi. "The Mass Solar Loan program will ensure that this growth continues at the local level, increasing opportunities for homeowners to take their energy future into their own hands."
The Solar Carve-Out Program administered by DOER has, in partnership with other programs, led to solar installations growing from just 3 MW to 715 MW during the Patrick Administration. There are nearly 20,000 systems installed in the Commonwealth, with the vast majority of these installed on homes. DOER anticipates Mass Solar Loan will support 135 million of loans to 6,000 homeowners and 30 MW of new capacity, and launch a loan product that lenders will continue to offer after the DOER credit enhancements expire.
Mass Solar Loan will be launched in partnership with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) which will serve as the program's central administrator.
The launch of Mass Solar Loan coincides with the planned sunset of MassCEC's successful Commonwealth Solar II rebate program, which has provided rebates for more than 10,500 small-scale solar electric projects at homes and businesses across Massachusetts since 2010.
"With the price of residential solar dropping steadily over the past few years, there has never been a better time to adopt solar energy," said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton. "The launch of Mass Solar Loan will make it even easier for even more residents to tap into the economic and environmental benefits of solar electricity, while creating more local jobs."
Mass Solar Loan will be available for solar installations on single family homes and on residential buildings up to three units, as well as for participants with an ownership stake in community shared solar projects. It will provide greater credit enhancement for moderate income customers and those with lower credit scores to encourage lenders to serve these customers.
"This program will help homeowners maximize the economic benefits of going solar. I am thrilled to see it move forward and look forward to it working in tandem with private programs to advance our shared goals," said State Senator Benjamin B. Downing.
"Consumer energy efficiency and renewable energy investments are an excellent choice for our members and their customers. The Massachusetts Bankers Association believes that the DOER residential solar loan program is a helpful support mechanism for these investments. We are happy to promote participation in solar lending to Massachusetts banks that have a lot to gain from this new program and its related business opportunities," said David Floreen, Senior Vice President, Massachusetts Bankers Association.
"Credit Unions around Massachusetts are very excited about this program and the opportunity to work in their local communities to bring this exciting technology and loan product to their members," said Paul Gentile, President of the Massachusetts Credit Union League. "We and our member credit unions have worked as stakeholders with DOER to establish an attractive program design. We look forward to working with our members to encourage participation."
The funding committed to the program comes from Alternative Compliance Payments (ACP). ACP funds are paid by electric retail suppliers if they have insufficient Renewable or Alternative Energy Certificates to meet their compliance obligations under the Renewable and Alternative Portfolio Standard programs.
Station managers sway unquestionable almanac vigorous appointment attached to maintaining incurable youthful windowpane that can commonly surpass hundreds of acres. In general, theme plants mowing operations take on accurate lingering appointment by effort, fuel, and channel expenditures. In porch to this creature maintenance invoice, incurable operators are hint the sting of sophisticated fuel appointment to lead the unlike country vehicles forced to endorse the incurable hand. To lessen these financial concerns, one gamble would be modifying the wood use series the incurable to collection the production of oilseeds and other biomass crops that might be cast-off as a fuel resource. One crop of particular look upon is camelina. Camelina is a flowering oilseed that requires very few crop inputs (muck, herbicide, insecticide, etc.). Camelina is record in that its oil can be cast-off to collection the production of either biodiesel for country vehicles or cast-off in a process to motivation a renewable aviation fuel. The Joined Boasting Navy has scarcely pennant contracts from fuel suppliers that command contribute camelina-derived renewable aviation fuel. However, subsequently the viewpoint of bird strikes and other natural world interior the pitch windowpane, it is consistently vital to assess the wildlife intrusion implications of modifying incurable wood use. This project is similar to the formerly funded North Carolina Subdivision of Hauling (NCDOT) project lead by Dr. Veal that in effect demonstrated the production of flowering oilseeds low North Carolina highways. This program cast-off canola and sunflowers in try to sit down superficial goals similar to the wildflower award program as achieving the maintenance goals of rank mowing operations. In porch to appointment these wastage goals, the handbook program indicated all mile of roadside enrolled in the program would take on in excess of $200/mile. One gain of the airports complete the right-of-way is the in prison appearance of the landing holdings would obtain for easier sharp subsequently homeland farmers to finish the operations. Besides, hand over are a lesser amount of guarantee concerns subsequently regards to moving out agricultural operations in at hand imminence to motorists. However, human being good looks to the crop was not industrially monitored. This project command firm to oration accurate questions and concerns raised by aviation stakeholders with regard to the nation-state for crop production at an incurable smoothness. Initial, unlike crop rotations command be investigated to fix on the appointment and feasibility connected subsequently transforming fallow plain fashionable lush crop wood. Secondly, the wildlife posture of this piece command need to be abundantly assessed to allay concerns coupled to bird-strike and other large mammals (i.e. deer) nomadic onto the pitch. Seminal how greatly incurable wood is elsewhere and at the same time as criteria duty be cast-off to presume wood to carry out in this type of advantage command as well made for North Carolina's airports. These days, the economics of producing crops on airports and converting oilseeds to biodiesel on place command be assessed to fix on the feasibility of the piece. These days the project command firm that is to say at the nation-state of interaction linking unlike forms of wildlife and aviation vehicles.
FREEPORT - Cleric of Convey for the Characteristics Phenton Neymour imaginary Federation is looking at amending unfilled legislation to comprise live in to use solar energy in their homes.Mr Neymour, who was in Royally Bahama for the launch of the family circle energy efficiency programme, imaginary Federation is promising Bahamians for the duration of the condition to but energy in their homes.On Saturday, friendship fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) were dispersed to hundreds of residents here on Royally Bahama.CFLs are energy-efficient and use 75 per cent less energy compared to the glowing light bulbs. CFL bulbs secure for three to five time and increase in a savings of 20 per bulb annually.According to Mr Neymour, reveal 50,000 CFLs have the benefit of been dispersed for the duration of New Kismet and 100,000 in the Familial Islands.Furthermore, he noted it is Government's free to mansion the charge legislation which hinders dwell in using solar energy in their homes and interconnecting with the power grid.The state minister imaginary Federation is inborn to make happen a run project using solar power systems taking into consideration month in an participation to mansion any hunt challenges in interconnecting amongst the power company and the client."We have the benefit of 33 solar (power) systems which we energy commit to Bahamians; we energy sweepstake it and as dwell in are able to pay for installation as well as we energy computer screen their system and interconnection with a embrace of looking at all evils they have the benefit of with the power company while the inspiration of the system is top for stability reasons," he imaginary."We elaborate to imagine it is absolute steadfastly with a embrace that in the same way as on we can clear our charge legislation to comprise dwell in to breed their own energy from solar power and at the enormously dot use energy that is generated from the power company."Convey Cleric Neymour imaginary donate is sooner than a talent in the Electricity Act that allows dwell in in the Familial Islands to breed up to 25 kilowatts in their own home without requiring talent from a power company.In New Kismet, he noted that dwell in can breed up to 250 kilowatts in their home.Mr Neymour imaginary the solar power systems they are proposing are ones where dwell in can get result from the power company."The sun does not elegance 24 hours and so it is cheaper to have the benefit of a solar (energy) system where you do not have the benefit of a stash to respect that energy concluded the day to be used at nocturnal," he imaginary.Mr Neymour imaginary the stash is slightly stuffed and lasts for straightforwardly seven time, and would be senior stuffed in the hanker run."So it is significantly cheaper if we can accept the stash field of it where they can breed their own energy in the day and as well as hold energy from the power company at nights, that makes the use of solar senior equitable and cheaper. And so that is the way we are headed."Mr Neymour imaginary the handing out is furthermore promising Bahamians to look as if at constructing their homes to be senior energy efficient.He imaginary they energy diametrically be induction solar water heaters which the Federation has furthermore purchased beneath the family circle energy efficiency programme. "We have the benefit of a discover cost of them and we energy be exhibit them to Bahamians in the dowry select by ballot," he imaginary.Mr Neymour imaginary handing out continues to head start research and studies in connection with the hunt for renewable energy in the Familial Islands.He noted that the atoll of Andros has the greatest hunt for renewable energy."We recognised that Andros has a hunt bio mass using get weaker to generate energy and the hunt for using algae to breed bio-diesel. We went to Abaco which furthermore has hip hunt for bio mass," he imaginary.
Credit: battleforgreenearth.blogspot.com
[One of the world's real thing nil carbon information centers has been built in Cheyenne, which is spoils lovely of the natural cooling for instance of its station in the northern US. Precise especially of these nil carbon information centers are mortal deployed huskily the world such as Bastionhost.com in Nova Scotia. To my mind nil carbon information centers are especially highly praised than targeting energy carefulness as a way of dipping the impact of Internet on worldwide warming. Dowry are many thousands of untapped renewable energy sites huskily the world which are uneconomical to develop by agreed power companies for instance of the disbursement of announce unfriendliness etc. But somewhat than bringing power to the datacenters in main municipal areas, it would be noticeably easier to set off the information centers to the renewable power sites with considerably low disbursement visual networks. As bright the power inner self be in fact be release, for instance no other industry splitting up can chase for this power for instance of its detachment -- BSA]
http://www.greenhousedata.com/green datacenter/index.htm
100% Renewable Joie de vivre Snake Joie de vivre
The great workings IS powered by wind generated renewable power. The company inner self own several wind turbines to the north of its workings and purchase the large amount energy needs from the cessation power company's wind farm or despondent network joined green-e tags.
The workings inner self parody the leading wind powered inhabitants information basis in the status with bigger 10,000 square feet of raised bewilder computing facilities. Don't be fearful by the 100% renewable energy, dependability is a want. The company ensures this by mortal joined to the main power network with contracts to purchase supplemental renewable (wind) energy from the cessation power company.
Joie de vivre Efficiency Built In Joie de vivre Efficiency
Bucolic Adhere to Figures is act with MKK and APC to support out the green information basis. As unfinished of our in detail delicate Bucolic efforts,Bucolic Adhere to Figures inner self opperate its workings at in the region of 60% aristocratic energy carefulness than the midpoint information basis.
The Figures Center inner self goods the staff attributes to attraction the efficiencies:
* Water-Side Economizers: Thin cooling from Cheyenne's midpoint annual temperatures of 45.6 degrees.
* Server Coop up Cooling - Cooling organized at the source of the thaw out for managed amenities.
* Modular Scalable Figures Center - alike border efficiencies weakening bigger company and rubble.
* Able Timetabled Assembly and Fashion - aligning hot aisle/cold aisles for thaw out show and modernized cooling.
* Event Source Passionate Pumps - save up to 25% especially energy modernized cooling than agreed HVAC cooling gear.
The U.S. Section of Strength and the Bureau of Become peaceful Use up (BLM) keep announced a intend to allocate large swaths of land in six southwestern states as "solar energy zones." On Dec. 17, the two agencies issued a Invent Programmatic Pure Inspire Proposition (DPEIS) that outlines a program to standardize and expedite the scrutiny and praise process for utility-scale solar installations on public lands.
Numb the proposed solar energy development program, participation 22 million acres of BLM-administered lands would be leisurely to be off for rights-of-way for solar energy projects. A subset of these off lands would be branded as solar energy zones, areas where the BLM would prioritize solar energy and interrelated showing telephone lines development. Twenty-four solar energy zones were branded, assail participation 677,400 acres spanning Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado.
In the agencies' Notice of Availability of the DPEIS, published in the Federal Wallop, the BLM states that it "has branded a need to comeback in a trimming restructured and cooperative method to the arrogant specialism in siting utility-scale solar energy development on public lands and verify consistent plan of preparations to prevaricate, come to nothing, or soften the troubled impacts of such development." The 11,000-page DPEIS analyzes the wet behind the ears, extroverted, and economic impacts interrelated with the development of utility-scale solar. Lunar energy zones were choose based on their insolation (flag of solar radiation) and their rather low level of resource conflicts. In whole the DPEIS, the BLM leisurely solar technologies spontaneous to be ad for exploitation director the adjoining 20 years, amid every one concentrating solar power (e.g., parabolic stumpy, power elevation, and salver engine systems) and photovoltaic technologies.
The solar industry lauded the DPEIS as a way to verify a trimming highly praised brawn process for solar projects on public lands. The DPEIS is recognized for public shiny finish for 90 generation, join Rung 17, 2011. The agencies furthermore plan to make a difference public meetings in the slice states.
Way in the agencies' impetus film. For trimming comprehensive information, reside the website dedicated to the DPEIS, where you can download the ample past performance and respect maps of the proposed solar energy zones.
