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| Energy Awareness Month 2009: A Call for a Sustainable Energy Future and Educational Support through ASES National Solar Tours |
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This year's Energy Awareness Month theme, A Sustainable Energy Future; Putting All the Pieces Together, encourages citizens to fit into the big renewable energy picture and to be part of the energy crisis solution. In fact, press materials and statements by the Department of Energy (DOE) explain that individual daily decisions can stimulate sustainability and a new energy economy. In fact, DOE emphasizes that the Federal Government, private industry, and the public have the means to shape our energy future and move our nation toward energy independence.
The Federal Government is the largest consumer of energy in the United States, and the current administration is committed to leading by example in the use of clean energy and increased energy efficiency. The official White House statements read, "Not only will we lead through our performance, we will also leverage our ability to be the kind of customer that can help turn an idea into a great American enterprise. Through state and local grants, increased funding for weatherization programs, job training programs, and policies to support clean energy businesses, we are ushering in a new era of green energy that will benefit our economic recovery, our security, and our long-term prosperity."
The 2009 Energy Awareness Month promotional materials direct the reader to many energy efficiency guidelines and materials, which include information about solar electric and solar thermal as part of this country's renewable energy goals. NorCal Solar's umbrella organization, the American Solar Energy Society, featured Solar Tours all over the country including 20 in the Northern California Region underscoring important messages about the advantages of solar to consumers and inspiring people to be part of the renewable energy revolution. As part of this effort, NorCal Solar organized the dissemination of 100's of copies of our official Solar Energy Resource Guide (SERG) to further promote solar energy technology adaption and an overall sustainable energy future.
For more information, visit
• GENERAL: DOE's Energy Saver Tips, Guidelines and Fact Sheets
• American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
• Solar Electric: Visit the DOE
• Solar Hot Water: Visit the DOE
• ASES Solar Tours
• NorCal Solar - Solar Energy Resource Guide 8th edition
| Message from the President |
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This is an important time of solar awareness building through education on many components of the renewable energy front. During this month we are supporting Energy Awareness Month through the official support of the ASES National Solar Tours as well as the increased dissemination of the Solar Energy Resource Guide (SERG). As we are at another important turning point for the industry, we are advocating for the expansion of solar technology on many fronts and are in the process of getting member and expert input into our ongoing education initiatives.
As a next step in helping us to move forward with programs that support a growing and changing solar industry, we have changed our plans for a seminar event on Nov 19 and instead, we will hold a brainstorming session under the auspices of our newly forming Education Committee. We will discuss preliminary plans for the NorCal Solar website, Bay Area Solar Installs (BASI) Report and City Solar Awards (CSA), and the next edition of the Solar Energy Resource Guide (SERG).
Please contact Elisabeth Holmgren, Executive Director at ed@norcalsolar.org if you are interested in joining us on late afternoon/early evening of Thursday, November 19.
Solar Greetings
Claudia Wentworth
On Behalf of the Board of Directors and Staff
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| What you May Want to Know! |
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The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) has announced a seven-step approach to expand markets, generate jobs and build a solar nation to help guide Congress as it soon returns to the business of energy and climate change, as follows:
1. Strengthen the renewable energy standard to at least 25% of electricity from renewable sources by 2025, consistent with President Obama's target. The current Senate and House energy bills fall woefully short, at only 15% and 20% respectively.
2. Create uniform net metering and interconnection standards for retail and commercial customers to create a national framework for distributed generation within which healthy markets can flourish.
3. Auction 100% of emission allowances to let markets determine the best pricing and to provide incentives to reduce carbon and other greenhouse gases. Revenues should be used to reach energy bill targets, provide relief from energy costs for lower income Americans and support the development of a sustainable energy economy.
4. Increase greenhouse gas reduction targets to 30% by 2020 and 50% by 2030. This is needed to help protect the U.S. economy from the tremendous costs of catastrophic climate change.
5. Adopt the Architecture 2030 target of reducing energy consumption in all new buildings and retrofits by 50%. Not only would this add green construction jobs across the nation but also it would help millions of families and businesses save on their monthly utility bills.
6. Establish the federal government as a leader in the procurement of renewable energy and energy efficient technology. As the world's #1 consumer of energy, the federal government can save taxpayers billions by reducing consumption, promoting efficiency, and advancing technology.
7. Promote energy literacy by investing in education programs to help families and businesses understand their energy choices and how they can use renewable energy and energy efficiency to reduce costs, decrease emissions, and generate jobs.
Learn more about ASES' policy recommendations at: www.ases.org/policy2009
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| Solar Ambassador Tips |
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Introduction On Passive Solar Homes
The Department of Energy explains that passive solar homes take advantage of climatic conditions, especially the sun, for heating in the winter and cooling in the summer.
Specifically, a home's windows, walls, and floors can be disgned to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the sumer.
This is called passive solar design or climatic design. Unlike active solar heating systems, passive solar design doesn't involve the use of mechanical and electrical devices, such as pumps, fans, or electrical controls to move the solar heat.
Passive solar homes range from those heated almost entirely by the sun to those with south-facing windows that provide some fraction of the heating load. The difference between a passive solar home and a convetional home is design. The key is designing a passive solar home to best take advantage of your local climate.
Passive solar design techniques can be applied most easily when designing a new home. However, existing buildings can be adapted or "retrofitted" to passively collect and store solar heat. Next month, we will present an overview on how a passive solar solar home design works.
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| Solar in the News |
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Schwarzenegger signs solar bills AB 920 and SB 32
California will require utilities to pay consumers for generating more solar and wind power than they use and will boost the payoff for certain solar facilities.
Los Angeles Times, October 2009
Read more here
Team California shine in Solar Decathlon
Team California, the partnership between Santa Clara University and California College of the Arts, placed third in the competition.
Cnn.com, October 2009
Read more here
Biden to model solar finance plan on Berkeley's
The solar financing plan that originated in Berkeley in 2007 will become a national model, Vice President Joe Biden said Monday.
San Francisco Chronicle, October 2009
Read more here
The State of Solar Power
You might think that when it comes to harnessing the sun, the Golden State is way out in front. But we still have much to learn from another country: Japan.
California Report, KQED, October 2009
Listen to this report here
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| NorCal Solar Education Message |
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NorCal Solar
is committed to increase solar awareness and appreciation as a
fundamental roadmap for solar technology expansion in Northern
California.
Towards this end, NorCal Solar
is dedicated towards a world where clean, renewable energy is available
to all sectors of society; where energy supplies are secure and easily
accessible; and where solar energy takes its natural place as a primary
energy source in our economy.
The NorCal Education program is made possible through contributions
from our entire membership---individuals, business and corporate
members, as well as member organizations ( see listed on the top
banner) who have provided additional sponsorship for the ENews.
Support
NorCal Solar's Education Message; If you are interested in featuring
your company logo in our eNews, please contact us at
info@norcalsolar.org
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