A Green Makeover This Sunday on ABC
If you happen to be flipping through the channels this Sunday, March 8th at 8:00 p.m., consider flipping over to ABC, and check out Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. You're probably familiar with the show, which matches deserving families with cutting-edge designers, who "make over" homes in seven days of frenetic, high-octane remodeling. For those of you who've experienced the magic of "reality television" behind the scenes, you might know that sometimes the magic can be manufactured. Not so with Extreme Makeover. What they purport to do—completely rebuild a house in a week—is 100% real.
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When the show approached us in January about donating a solar installation for an upcoming episode in Fresno, Calif., we were thrilled. SolarCity had recently completed its first installation with First Solar's striking modules. We thought they would pass muster with the show's talented, but opinionated designers, and would look great on TV. First Solar graciously agreed to supply the modules for the installation and we took care of the rest of the details. The entire experience was so much more valuable than we could have anticipated. The whole community rallied around the project, and most of our Fresno office—some 35 employees—pitched in. We don't want to play spoiler, but the result promises to be a heartwarming episode, with a decidedly "green" feel. The home makeover was all the more inspiring due to local hero Mary Ann Riojas and her family.
Mary Ann has spent much of her life helping others. She works at the local housing authority, helping struggling families find housing in the community. She has also worked as a national ambassador for the Easter Seals program, inspiring many to overcome adversity. SolarCity was delighted to be able to participate in the rebuilding of a home for Mary Ann and her family. Check your local listings, and tune in on Sunday night!
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A Little Sunshine in the "Stimulus"
Sun reflects off installation of First Solar modules in
San Rafael, Calif.
The Random House Dictionary defines "stimulus" as "something that incites or rouses to action," and we think that's what Congress and President Obama had in mind when they drafted the renewable provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as the "Stimulus." The Stimulus demonstrates our country's leadership for strengthening a renewable energy economy in the U.S. SolarCity joined many others in speaking to individual members of Congress to discuss the challenges that face the renewable energy industry as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was moving through the legislative process. Our ideas were received enthusiastically. Of course we're a little biased, but we believe that solar projects' capacity to create jobs quickly, lessen the energy industry's environmental footprint, and begin to help alleviate the country's dependence on foreign energy sources make a strong case for public support.
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The Stimulus includes two provisions that are particularly meaningful to the solar industry. The first is a grant program, administered by the Department of the Treasury. The grants can be used in lieu of the renewable investment tax credit, since many potential project developers and investors lack the taxable income necessary to take advantage of the credit. The grant program is intended as a bridge to better economic times—grants can be applied to commercial projects placed in service before the end of 2010. The second meaningful program is the extension of the Department of Energy Loan guarantee program to include a broad range of renewable projects.
What does all this mean? Well, additional details will emerge in the coming months, but the short answer is that the grant and loan guarantee programs should help the industry renew the momentum it enjoyed following historic levels of U.S. solar adoption in 2008. SolarCity is just one company, but we're trying to do our part to make the Stimulus work and get our economy back on track. Partially due to the anticipated impact of the Stimulus' renewable energy provisions, we plan to hire 16 new crews of installers—between 50-60 employees—in the next two months.
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SOLAR CITIZENS
The Bencivengos' compact solar array offsets most of their electricity use each month
The Bencivengos
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
Richard and Lace Bencivengo have always tried to live in a sustainable way. They've filled their garden with stone groundcover, succulents and other drought-resistant plants native to the dry, Southern California surroundings to lessen their impact on the area's delicate water supply. They also try to make sparing use of power-hungry appliances, flip off the lights when they're not using them, and only turn on the air conditioning on the hottest days of the year. Lace Bencivengo even drives an electric-powered truck for her gardening business to spare the air.
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"We don't consider ourselves ‘crazy environmentalists', but we try to do things the right way," says Bencivengo.
The Bencigengos hadn't considered solar until they were deep into a remodel of their Santa Monica home. A neighbor passing by on his bicycle noticed the construction, and stopped to remark that a solar array might fit well in a particular spot on the Bencivengos' roof. After reviewing bids from several different solar companies, they settled on SolarCity based on a recommendation from a community organization organized by the city of Santa Monica, and also in part because of SolarCity's mission to expand and make solar more affordable nationwide.
"We were excited to be part of something bigger than ourselves," says Bencivengo.
Richard is no stranger to design and construction. He owns and operates a company that executes custom-design projects for restaurants, theme parks and other retail operations. Still, his own remodel was extensive, and he was impressed with how seamlessly the SolarCity installation team was able to complete his solar installation in the midst of all the other work going on.
"The customer care group and installation crew were very clear about what to expect, and how long each step would take," said Bencivengo. "I just wish the rest of my remodel went as smoothly as the solar installation."
The Bencivengos were environmentally motivated to install solar, but they've been pleasantly surprised by the significant savings the system has generated.
"Our consultant told us to expect lower bills, but I was surprised at just how much lower they were," said Bencivengo. "Our monthly bills used to top $300, and they've dropped to $5 since we installed solar, even in the winter. We were trying to do the right thing for the environment, and ended up doing something good for ourselves in the process."
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COMMERCIAL CORNER
Montna Farms' Harvests the Sun
The Montna family has been farming in California since the late 1800s in a proud, sustainable tradition. The Montnas have been conscientious about protecting wetlands, waterways, wildlife and habitat, taking care of the natural resources that sustain their family business. Today, Yuba City, Calif.-based Montna Farms has grown into one of the largest suppliers of super premium short grain rice in the United States, with 2,500 acres under production annually. Late last year, Montna began producing a new bounty: solar electricity.
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"Throughout our farming history, we've practiced responsible stewardship of our resources," said Alfred G. Montna, Owner of Montna Farms. "Our rice dryer operation relies on large air blowers that require a consistent supply of electricity, and we're harnessing the sun to power them in a more sustainable way."
Siemens Building Technologies, SolarCity and Montna Farms worked together to develop and scope a solar project. SolarCity then designed and installed a system of 1,970 solar panels at Montna's rice dryer facility in October. The Montna installation features a single-axis tracking system that slowly moves the solar panels to follow the sun throughout the day, for greater solar production and efficiency. The system is expected to produce 725,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to provide 65 percent of the electricity the farm uses for everyday operations. The system was financed under a power purchase agreement by MMA Renewable Ventures, which allows Montna to avoid a large upfront capital cost and instead pay for the electricity it uses on a per-kilowatt-hour basis.
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