| Welcome |
| Our
intention is to
keep the e-newsletter short, interesting, and locally
based. If you have suggestions on how to improve, please
let us know. |
Solar News
Highlights
|
A new survey
finds that 98% of Independents, 97% of Democrats and
91% of Republicans support development of solar power
technologies.
San Francisco approves the Solar
Energy Incentive Program and the addition of 35 mW
of solar in the next ten years. Program incentives will
range from $3,000-6,000 for residents and up to $10,000
for businesses.
Innovative solar
energy solutions for rural Third World issues
receive recognition with Sustainability
Awards. |
Sustainable News
|
Planet
Green, the brand new 24 hour eco-lifestyle network
exclusively covering Green topics, hit the airwaves this
month. Tune in for tips and information on all things
green on Comcast 201, Direct TV 286, and Dish Network
194!
A Canadian teen found a way to decompose
plastic bags in 3 months by isolating the right
microbes. Questions about carbon and toxins being
released into the environment begin to
mount. Beginning July 1, Bay Area
business will be taxed
based on carbon dioxide outputs, hitting the biggest
polluters hardest. The fees will be used to measure Bay
area greenhouse gas
emissions. |
Energy
Tip
|
Lighten Your Carbon Footprint
PG&E is now offering an
option for those who wish to offset their carbon
footprint through the Climate Smart Program. A rate will
be calculated using your utility bill, and is said to
average about $5 a month for typical households. Read
more about the Climate
Smart
Program... |
|
Your
Solar Community
News
Federal Support for
Solar & Renewable
Energy Fails in Senate
In an unexpected turn of events, extension of
the Investment Tax Credit Bill
for Renewable Energy failed to pass through
the Senate earlier this month. The bill would have
extended solar tax credits for eight years and
created hundreds of thousands of renewable energy
jobs in the U.S. The Federal tax credits for
solar, wind, geothermal and other renewable energy
producers and are now set to expire at the end of
2008. By not extending the solar tax credits, a
potentially enormous tax increase will cost
America tens of thousands of jobs, and may also
result in the loss of billions of dollars in new
investments in solar technologies. The news comes
unexpectedly in a time when green technologies
such as solar are not only growing at a rapid
rate, but leading us into a more clean, healthy,
and sustainable future for us all.
|
Santa Cruz Community Credit Union Offers
Solar Loans
To help promote clean,
reliable, cost effective solar energy, the Santa
Cruz Community Credit Union (SCCCU) is offering
Solar Power Loans as part of their "Get
Green" loan suite to SCCCU members living in
Santa Cruz County. The Residential and Commercial
Solar Power Loans are 100% financing, up to
$25,000 unsecured, 15 year term, adjustable rate,
and at a quarter point under prime for solar only.
The SCCCU Get Green loans are helping members
reduce their carbon footprint while saving money
at the same
time.
|
IES Lead Installer Helps the Galapagos
Islands Go Solar!
 Augusto Lima, one of the
talented lead solar installers at Independent
Energy Systems, was invited to share his knowledge
about solar energy by taking part in three solar
installation projects on the Galapagos Islands
this past spring and fall. Operating on a grant
from the E8, an entity of the
United Nations that manages energy resources, the
solar project was part of a larger program to
introduce renewable energies such as wind turbines
and solar onto these remote, ecological islands.
The program will continue to study the long-term
impacts of introducing renewable energy
technologies to this micro-economy, as well as
bring students from around the world to study on
the islands. Augusto joined forces with other
participants to  install a 5 kW solar
system at a local school, as well as 7.5 kW at
their power plant on San Cristobal Island. He then
lead a one-day training and lecture workshop for
local electricians on solar installation. The team
was honored in a ceremony with representatives
from the United Nations.
|
|
Marciano Cruz & La Liga De La
Communidad Receive Our Support
Marciano Cruz, a Santa Cruz local icon, has
spent the last 20 years dedicating his life to
community involvement. He began the
all-age
community soccer team, La
Liga De La Communidad, which now hosts over
1,000 athletes and 16 paid referees, and spends
what other time he h as working at the Resource Center for Non
Violence. Cruz is on a quest to keep kids away
from gangs and violence, and because of this, May 12
was proclaimed Marciano Cruz Day by the City
of Santa
Cruz, honoring his tireless efforts to provide
kids with positive alternatives like soccer and
surfing. Because Cruz works around the clock to
bring kids together from different communities, he
seeks La Liga sponsors to help them with their
program. IES President, Bob Evans, felt that Cruz
and La Liga was such a worthwhile cause that he
made a generous donation of $1,000 to support
Cruz's work in our community. One of our solar
specialists also plays in La
Liga.
|
Solar Panel Cleaning Tip
We've been getting calls from customers
concerned about dirty panels, especially with all
the ash settling from t  he recent fires. We
recommend that you rinse the panels with your
garden hose when they are COOL only, in the early
morning or at night, and if you want to 'scrub'
them with a soft cloth or mop, use a non-abrasive,
biodegradable liquid soap. Call us if you'd
like some help with this.
Just remember -
never wash your panels when they're hot!
|
Join us for the Growing Solar Community™
Summer Gathering
One of the goals of our
new Growing Solar Community™
program is to bring everyone together to unite and
share ideas. Many of you have attended our 'movie
nights' these past few years, and this year we
will be hosting a
picnic during the weekend of September
20-21. We'd love for you to join us, so
stay tuned for the final date, location and
details soon to come! 
In order to
"grow our local solar community," we invite our
friends to make
a referral to community members about the
benefits of going solar. For each referral that
results in a new solar installation, we will
contribute $250 into the Growing Solar Fund™. This
Fund will be used for charitable projects that the
Growing Solar Community™ chooses to
support. | |
|
|
| |
