Thoughts on Solar

The Los Angeles Renewable Energy Society has just announced its Call for Nominations to participate in this year’s ASES Los Angeles Grand Solar Tour!

The announcement in full follows the break and the Nomination form and Owner’s release are attached.  Look forward to hearing from you.

To: Los Angeles Area Solar installers, Architects, Designers, Integrators, Builders, PV Panel Manufacturers, Building Owners
Subject: Call for building nominations for the ASES Los Angeles Grand Solar Tour - October 2, 2010 – 
Applications and owner release forms (attached) due May 15, 2010

The Los Angeles Renewable Energy Society (LARES) has issued a call for nominations of residential, business and commercial buildings with unique examples of solar installations that may include an emphasis on sustainable and energy saving building features and unique architecture to be showcased at the First Annual ASES Los Angeles Grand Solar Tour on October 2, 2010 to coincide with the ASES - American Solar Energy Society - National Solar Tour (www.ases.org).

Our goal is to make the ASES Los Angeles Grand Solar tour the most exciting, educational and entertaining community building grass-roots event in LA County. The Tour offers an exciting opportunity for Los Angeles residents and building owners interested in solar and green building design to tour around various cities, learn from the building site hosts about solar energy and other energy efficiency features, and to truly see, experience and sense the possibilities of sustainable living and how they can be a part of the Solar/Sustainability Revolution in greater Los Angeles.

About LARES, ASES and ASES National Solar Tour

The Los Angeles Renewable Energy Society (LARES) is organizing as the Los Angeles chapter of the nationally known ASES. Our core mission is to increase the intelligent use of solar energy, energy efficiency and other sustainable technologies. Our vision is for the Los Angeles region to become the “Solar Capital” and the leader in solar and other renewable energy usage and initiatives.

Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society is the nation’s leading association of solar professionals & advocates. Its mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. ASES advances education, research and policy. ASES publishes the award winning Solar Today Magazine, organizes and presents the ASES National Solar Conference and leads the ASES National Solar Tour.

The ASES National Solar Tour is the largest grassroots solar energy event in America. The 2009 ASES National Solar Tour had over 5,000 homes and commercial buildings on display with 10,000 volunteers and more than 140,000 tour visitors. We are excited about organizing and bringing this very popular solar tour to Los Angeles and hope that you will be too. Please join us in this exciting solar tour event by submitting an example of your solar and sustainably built residence or building.

Increase Your Company’s Visibility, Share Your Vision and Spread the Solar/Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Revolution in Your Community

LARES selection committee will recognize two buildings – one residential and one commercial/business – as the ASES Los Angeles Grand Solar Tour winners that represent the best of solar design and sustainability in the Los Angeles region.

Specifics:

• The Los Angeles Grand Solar Tour is a grassroots event organized by volunteers to be held on October 2, 2010 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• This will be a self-guided tour. The participants will sign up in advance for the tour and get information about the location of the sites on the Tour shortly prior to the tour date.
• Based on the number and location of the selected tour sites, there will be several tour “areas” across Los Angeles County for example: Santa Monica/Venice Tour Area, Pasadena/Glendale/La Canada Tour Area, etc. The Tour will be organized as such that the tour participants will have the opportunity to visit sites that are close to their own neighborhood.
• The building/site or part of the site should be open to Tour participants, The building owner will decide which part of the site will be open to Tour visitors. Tour guides (installers, building owners, architects, builders, volunteers, etc.) must be available during the Tour hours (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) to guide visitors and answer questions.
• No charge to Tour visitors. No application or selection fee to solar site hosts
• Residence and commercial/public building submission applications, site sample photos and building owner’s release forms (attached) must be received by May 15, 2010. Please feel free to submit multiple sites, however, each site needs a separate application and release form.

For more information or assistance, please contact:

info.lares@gmail.com

Thank you and looking forward to your participation.

Warm Regards,

Zoe Starr
Los Angeles Renewable Energy Society
www.LA-RES.org
www.ASES.org

Yesterday I spent 90 minutes talking solar with the folks at Pasadena Water & Power.  It was a great conversation and it really re-confirmed my belief that these folks are true solar proponents who - while understaffed, overworked and underpaid - are working hard every day to make solar in Pasadena a reality.

Here are some highlights from our conversation:

• Regarding the July 1 decline in solar rebates – the decline is in response to not just built systems, but committed rebate allocations.  A big chunk of that is destined for Cal Tech which will be installing more than 1 MW of solar in 2010.  (In many respects it is only right that Cal Tech should get the biggest share of the rebate funds since they are the biggest electric customer in PWP’s service territory.)  All the more reason for the rest of you folks to get on board now before the rebates go down!
• AB 920 – the folks at PWP emphasized their desire to have solar customers participate in the AB 920 rate-setting hearing process.  They anticipate contacting solar customers before the hearings occur so that customers can have their voices heard.  Of course, we will be blogging more on the AB 920 process as the hearing(s) approach.
• Support for the LA Grand Solar Tour – although the details are yet to be worked out, PWP expressed interest in assisting with, and perhaps even co-sponsoring the LA Grand Solar Tour - the signature event for LARES (the Los Angeles Renewable Energy Society) the now-forming Los Angeles chapter of ASES.