It is a unique time for the solar industry here in Colorado. The utility rebates offered by Xcel, Black Hills, and other local energy companies remain among the best in the nation. All the while, the price of solar modules has drastically dropped - due to a large surplus from lower demand in the European markets.

The last time we had news that favored the solar energy consumer here in Colorado was October of last year. That was when it was announced that the Federal Tax Credit for solar energy had been increased to 30% with no cap on the amount you could be credited. This resulted in Xcel suddenly announcing that they were reducing their solar rebate from $4.50 to $3.50 per watt, a reduction of 22%. Xcel Energy reserves the right the reduce the amount of the rebate at ANY time.

With these lower materials cost and fierce cost competition in the local solar industry, solar energy is the cheapest it has ever been here in Colorado - even with the rebate at $3.50 per watt. Due to this new situation, we predict that Xcel will soon move to further reduce the rebate in an effort, much like last October, to level the cost of solar and keep demand at a manageable level.

This reduction could come next week, it could come in several months. The fact remains that these next 2 - 3 months may prove to be the best time ever to invest in solar for your Colorado Home or Business. To reiterate...

1) Solar module prices (the bulk of the cost of a system) have drastically decreased over the past 9 months. However, the past two months has seen prices level out as European demand for solar slowly bounces back.

2) Xcel (for the time being) has held their rebates at $3.50 per watt and Black Hills (Southern Colorado) remains at $4.50 per watt, making them the #1 utility rebate in the US. These rebates will be reduced, it's only a matter of when.

3) Colorado electricity rates have risen faster than any state over the past decade. Xcel has issued rate increases at least once every year since 2002 - making Colorado their #1 revenue source.

4) Colorado is meeting its Renewable Portfolio Standards faster than anticipated - meaning any rebate for solar (especially residential) may not be around for much longer.

The Colorado solar energy market continues to grow, despite the current economic recession. Colorado is on pace to break last year's record of systems sold for both residential and commercial applications - as this industry contiunes to reward solar pioneers with rebates and credits.

Solar and renewable energies will continue to be a driving force in Colorado's economy for decades to come. But for the consumer, solar energy may never be more economical than it is now.

The Proliferation of Solar in the Media

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Nichole Lecander
Astralux Power Systems
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Nowadays, you can’t read a newspaper, watch the news, or browse the internet without running across something related to the green movement. The green revolution is everywhere, it is expected to grow exponentially in the next few years, and is currently generating $250 billion annually. Every part of our daily lives can be impacted by green initiatives, such as the cars we drive, the products we buy, and who we elect for public office. New businesses are being built on green motives, and already existing businesses are changing practices to become “greener” focused. This revolution is nothing new when comparing changes in past economies, such as the industrial revolution. We are constantly changing eras due to new technologies, what is different about this revolution is the media coverage and how the media has impacted our thoughts and ideas on this new economy.

Today, the media is a huge part of everyone’s life. People today are constantly bombarded with news and opinions. We are more connected than ever before, which makes sharing information incredibly easy and addictive. We turn on the TV or computer and learn the most recent happenings throughout the world, including the problems plaguing our nation, especially when it comes to oil dependency and global warming and the green revolution is portrayed as a solution to these dilemmas. The green revolution is seen as progressing from an economy based on dirty, nonrenewable resources to clean resources that can be used forever. We have begun to see the consequences of using nonrenewable energies as a source for power, and are realizing how finite these resources are. Scientists have known for a couple of decades the dangers of dependence on nonrenewable energies, but the public has been slow to see these problems and the media deserves much of the credit to changing the way the public thinks about going green.

The public has not always had such a positive outlook on environmental issues. For instance, the term environmentalist has had a negative connotation since the first environmental movement in the 1970’s and with the radical environmentalists of the 1990’s. Today, however, anyone can be an environmentalist. Environmentalism is not seen as terribly outrageous, many people try to green their lives in small ways that does not make them appear extreme, but responsible. This is due in large part to the media, which has suddenly become fascinated with anything green.

The Green movement can be found everywhere, from Oprah to the Today Show to episodes of Jon and Kate plus Eight. Tips of how to green your life as well as stories of people who are making a difference can be found easily across many media sources, not just TV. MSN frequently publishes green material as a main item in their newsfeed, as well as a Green Living button on the top of the site where a person can find advice for just about anything. Newspapers regularly run articles about the benefits of going green and talk shows have segments involving the best way to green your home. Al Gore’s film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” can be credited with generating enough media attention to make global warming such an important issue. Now many consumers think about how their lifestyle is affecting our planet and what they can do to help. A channel dedicated to becoming more eco-conscious has appeared through Direct TV. “Planet Green” allows viewers to learn more about becoming green through others’ examples as well as providing small tips that make a big difference in helping the environment. NBC has launched an annual “green week” where they broadcast 150 hours of environmentally themed content during April when Earth Day occurs. They incorporate green themed storylines into several daytime and primetime shows, and also provide a website dedicated to “greening your routine.” When successful corporations begin changing major practices and demonstrating how their company fits into this green era, it becomes apparent how important it is to go green and the media is the number one way to get the word out that a company holds these values.

The green movement in the media has grown so much recently that powerful companies are not only paying attention, but changing their image to appear more environmentally friendly. Exxon Mobil, whose focus is selling and producing petroleum products, has created commercials stating how their scientists are constantly researching more energy efficient and environmentally friendly practices. This is the world’s largest oil company in a world that is constantly demanding more and more energy and they see the importance of making their image more environmentally conscious. BP, formerly British Petroleum has changed their tagline to Beyond Petroleum in hopes of coming across as more green. This shows how important the green movement is, these companies know the green revolution will not be a passing fad, but needs to be taken seriously when deciding how to portray themselves to the media and their customers.

Other events have furthered the green movement, such as news coverage on global warming, our dependency on foreign oil, and our wasteful habits that have helped bring upon our current economic crisis. Today, more and more people are paying closer attention to how their current lifestyle impacts themselves, their family, and the environment. This involves paying close attention to their energy resources, which has encouraged families to look into alternative forms of energy, specifically solar.

The prevalence of the media has greatly increased the acceptance of solar in our society. The past attempts at making solar energy more popular may have failed due to the lack of media support. This new technology was seen as a good thing, but it was not regarded as terribly urgent, so it was not given the amount of attention as it is now. Today, we are constantly hearing about problems such as global warming, oil dependency, and rising fuel costs, and solar is conveyed as a product to help alleviate these problems. Government initiatives have also sparked recent media attention, especially concerning the stimulus package. President Obama specifically mentioned solar when he signed the stimulus bill in Denver while observing panels on the rooftop of a museum. While past renewable energy measures encouraged the growth of this industry, these new measures are more beneficial and encourage consumers to invest in renewable energy. These new incentives have prompted more media coverage, which will increase the popularity of solar, which will in turn produce new incentives for the growth of this industry even further, causing higher efficiencies and better economies of scale. States are also proposing new bills that create a more favorable environment for the implementation of solar. For instance, Colorado is proposing that builders be required to offer different options concerning renewable energy, such as pre-wiring for a potential solar system to the installation of an actual solar system. The US has implemented solar legislation that has set the stage for solar to flourish in the future, just as other countries have, such as Germany and Japan. Germany is the leading market when it comes to solar energy. The market for photovoltaic systems tripled in 2004, which caused an enormous rise in investment. The price of fossil fuels has also been on the rise between the years 2004-2008, which makes solar even more attractive to consumers. These reasons, along with strong initiatives implemented by the government, made Germany the leading solar country, which may come as a surprise since Germany does not have the reputation as being the sunniest place in the world.

Companies that manufacture solar products are also beginning to become more prevalent in the media. Sharp is a leading manufacturer of a wide range of home appliances, business products, entertainment electronics, and solar systems. While they are no stranger to the media, their marketing tactics have changed slightly to bring solar into the spotlight. They are a hugely successful company and now see a great opportunity to expand their market by promoting their solar products in their commercials. Before, their commercials included glimpses of these solar systems, but focused on other products they offered, while today some commercials are focused primarily on these systems. This illustrates how important solar is expected to be in the near future and how companies are taking advantage of this valuable opportunity in a growing industry.

Although the media today typically portrays solar in a positive light, there are those who do not find solar as a positive investment and do not see the importance of switching to renewable energies at this time. The expense of solar is the most common hindrance to the solar industry, and people think it is not efficient enough or has reached the economies of scale necessary to make this purchase worthwhile. While most people are in agreement about the negative aspects of our dependence on foreign oil, the solution for this problem is up for debate. Some people think we should invest in oil exploration in our own country instead of investing in renewables. The current green movement portrayed by our media is generally in favor of renewable energy because of the harmful effects more drilling will have on our environment and the continued negative effects fossil fuels have on our air. There is no escaping the age of information we are in today which gives the media a lot of power over the information we receive, but we do know what is good for the environment and ourselves in the long run.

As the planet's largest continent, Asia covers about 30 percent of the world's landmass and includes 44 countries and assorted islands and/or dependencies. There are several promising, fast growing solar markets with excellent solar opportunities in Asia. Let’s get ready to see the latest in China, Japan, Russia and Singapore!

Traveling tips: Asian Solar/PV Summit 2009 in Korea 10/13-14

Our next solar destination: Middle East!

Questions? Contact Your Local Solar Destination Astralux and discover why nobody comes close to our dedication to accuracy, integrity, and technical expertise.

China
China is a country with an ambitious solar agenda. When reducing its dependence on coal and oil imports as well as infamously high greenhouse gas emissions, demand for new solar modules in China could be as high as 232 MW each year from now until 2012. China installed about 50MW of solar capacity last year, strong growth from the 20 MW in 2007.

PV companies have been hard hit by the drop in foreign demand due to the current global financial turmoil when exports account for about 98 percent of Chinese photovoltaic (PV) companies' revenue. One study showed that there were 350 Chinese PV companies doing business in mid-2008, but at least 200 of those companies had stopped production or folded altogether by the end of the year. But at the same time, some solar companies are doing extremely well in global platform: “We are very proud to become the world's first PV solar company to achieve 1GW of solar cell and module production capacity,” says Dr Zhengrong Shi, Suntech's Chairman and CEO.

The Chinese government is actively investing in clean energy and in upgrading its national electricity grid for renewable energy offering the most aggressive and generous solar power subsidy in the world. According to a report by the Center for American Progress, China's green stimulus spending is six times higher than the equivalent amount that the U.S. government is investing as a percentage of their respective economies.

Japan
Thanks to local and central government subsidies, the Japanese have one of the biggest solar power sectors in the world. Japan is expected to increase its solar power capacity 20-fold by 2020 from 2005 levels and to generate up to $105 billion of “economic benefits” in the year 2020 (up from the current $1 billion). 100,000 new jobs in the solar power industry are estimated to be available in the 2020, up from the current 12,000.

The Japanese government said solar energy and electric cars are the two key areas to focus on on the path to achieving a low-carbon-emission society.

Toyota introduced in Japan the new Prius model with and optional solar ventilation system. The system ventilates the air inside of the car by using the electricity generated by the solar module on the rooftop to drive the fans while the car is parked during the daytime.

Attending” PV Japan 2009” Jun. 24 – Jun. 26 in Makuhari Messe? Let us know about your experience!

Russia
The regions with the best solar radiation potential are the North Caucasus, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea areas, and the southern parts of Siberia and the Far East. This potential is largely unused, although the possibilities for off-grid solar energy or hybrid applications in remote areas are huge. But construction of a single solar power plant at Kislovodskaya SPP (1.5 MW) has been delayed.

In October 2008, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin supported a proposal made by the state corporation Rosatom to invest in polysilicon production and to construct a solar equipment plant in Krasnoyarsk Region to produce solar modules.

The Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies (Rusnano), which was created by the Russian government in 2007, plans to set up a plant to produce 120 megawatts of solar panels per year. It plans to buy the factory equipment from Oerlikon in Switzerland.

Solar destination in Russia: “Photovoltaic Market Forum 2009”: June 1, 2009, World Trade Center, Moscow

Singapore
The Singapore government recently released its Sustainable Development Blueprint, outlining key initiatives for sustainable development through year 2030. Installing the 3.1 MW panels and equipment for the 30 public housing precincts nationwide is scheduled over a five-year period, according to the plan.
Being located on the sunbelt, which gets 50% more radiation than temperate regions such as Germany and Japan, helps Singapore’s efforts.

Yaacob Ibrahim, minister for environment and water resources said, “The government will play a catalytic role through setting aside 1 billion Singapore dollars [$680 million] to implement the recommendations.”

These projects will create opportunities for players in the cleantech industry - such architects, engineers, developers and technology providers - to hone their expertise and track record which can position them for entry into the global energy market.

The cleantech industry is expected to generate 3.4 billion dollars in value-added and create 18,000 jobs by 2015.

Concluding our 5 part series on Solar Electricity in Colorado.

"Look around Colorado, the Solar rush is on. Thousands of Coloradans have joined the millions around the world harnessing cheap, clean, and reliable energy that the sun provides everyday..."

Read more: http://www.astraluxsolar.com/Solar_In_Colorado_Part5.pdf

Black Hills Energy, serving most of Southern Colorado, has the nation’s highest solar rebate at $4.50 per Watt. This means that a typical 3kW system will end up costing under $1,500 after rebates and tax credits. This system will pay for itself in only 2 1/2 years!

Colorado is leading the way for other states to adopting renewable portfolio standards (RPS) and solar rebates. Missouri just passed their own voter-initiated (as Colorado did with Amendment 37) bill that will provide generous solar rebate to their residents.