On
the heels of its original Department of Energy "Solar America Cities"
grant, the City of Madison has received a follow-on grant for the next
two years, intended to target the potential of solar energy for
businesses (the first grant focused mainly on residential properties).
Solar
energy for businesses is even more attractive financially than it is
for residential property owners. In addition to the Focus on Energy
Cash Back Reward and the 30% federal Investment Tax Credit, businesses
also qualify for a 5-year accelerated depreciation schedule on any
renewable energy systems they install. And for the remainder of this
year, there is also a 50% bonus first-year depreciation.
What's the
bottom line for business? A solar electric system installed by a
business will have a payback period less than half that of a
residential system (7-8 years vs 18-19 years) and it pays a 25-year
Return on Investment that's nearly triple that of a residential system
(9-10% vs 3-4%, at current prices).
In
addition to a very respectable return on investment, a solar system
offers a business other advantages: a way to differentiate themselves
as a green business, an insurance policy against future spikes in
utility prices, and a way to make a substantial reduction in CO2 and
mercury emissions.
The MadiSUN program will
be identifying some target business sectors which have high potential
to benefit from solar energy and will be seeking some "early adopters"
in those sectors who would like to serve as case studies. The program
will offer "Quick-Look" screenings to do a quick evaluation of each
business's solar potential. For buildings with good potential we will
offer an onsite Solar Assessment, which includes a presentation on
solar technology and economics, plus a detailed measurement of your
building's "solar window" (which simply refers to the amount of shading
on the buildings roof, plus the size and orientation of the roof).
Finally, if a business decides that solar energy is something they'd
like to pursue, we will assist them in obtaining and evaluating quotes
and understanding funding options.
All
participants in the ChaMpions program who are located int he City of
Madison received or will receive a Quick-Look "report card" in the
near future. We will then offer solar assessments to those businesses
whose buildings get a good grade.
Stay tuned for more information on solar energy opportunities in the next few months as the 2010 MadiSUN program gets up to speed...
Larry Walker MadiSUN Solar Buyer's Agent
Volunteer for Sustain Dane at Brat Fest - the first and only Sustainability non-profit working our favorite Memorial Day Event!
Sustain
Dane is thrilled to join the community groups that work Brat Fest - but
we need your help to ensure a strong turn out. We want to prove that a
constituency exists for issues around sustainability, and until this
year no group that works for sustainability has been represented at
Brat Fest.
Not only do you receive an
iconic brat fest volunteer shirt, a coupon for a free brat and a free
chocolate shop ice cream; but for every hour you volunteer, $8 goes to
Sustain Dane - supporting all the work we do to create communities that
deeply care for and are sustained by their unique environment.
As
we have multiple shifts at the same time, this is a great way to spend
time with your family and friends while giving back to the community.
Please
respond to jessie@sustaindane.org if you or anyone you know would like
to volunteer
Did you miss the panel Just what are you thinking?
If so, that probably was for the best as it was standing room only!
And, we are able to bring the best lessons right to you. Our Mpower
pledges (YOU!) are leading the way by showing others that reducing
energy consumption not only reduces your costs but helps the
environment as well. Sometimes, though, just showing others isn't
enough. As leaders and change makers, knowing how to talk about your
work is equally important. How can you get someone's attention? Well,
there are two behavioral biases you can use to your advantage:
People are motivated more by loss
than gains.
Next time you are discussing replacing an old appliance try, "If you
don't replace your fridge, you will waste $100 a year" instead of "If
you replace your fridge, you will save $100 per year".
People are social creatures, and are motivated by the beliefs and payoffs of other people. Comparing
your friends energy use to the average in your neighborhood or city can
do wonders to help them realize the benefits. Also letting them know
how many people are partaking in a certain efficient activity can be a
motivator. There are almost 4000 individuals who have taken the Mpower
pledge. You can use that for some peer pressure.
If you are interested you can view the slides and listen to the presentation by clicking:
GE creates an interactive Home Appliance Energy Graphic
GE
and Pentagram's Lisa Strausfeld have come up with a fun way to
visualize how our appliances and devices use electricity. We know that
homes suck up about 20% of all energy in the US, but the question is
where that energy is funneled off to once it reaches our homes, and how
much it's costing us to run our coffee maker or that alarm clock.
The interactive tool tells
you how much energy that appliance or device uses in watts, dollars, or
gallons of gas, as well as what one kilowatt hour yields for that
device, and even better, it will rank each device so that you can see
at a glance which you want to unplug.
You still have time to Sign up for EnAct's Greener Faster Challenge
Kick off Bike to Work Week with Ride the Drive
on Sunday, June 6th from 10 am - 4pm. Ride the Drive is a celebration
of Madison's commitment to healthy, active lifestyles. Bring your
camera with you and when you spot the "Big M" make sure you take your
picture with it.
