The Solar Source: an ETM Solar Works Blog

2010-04-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

ETM Solar Works is Moving Forward Again!

We offer our most sincere congratulations to our staff. Dr. Gay Canough has been nominated for Small Business Person of the Year! Christopher Lee, one of our crew chiefs has passed his NABCEP test for Certification.

ETM reaches out to the Community.

In support of Earth Fest 2010, Karen Lowry and Sam Stroh ran an educational booth to raise local awareness. Many young community members assembled working solar powered fans.

At the Vestal Middle School Environmental Expo, Wendy Barnum and Karen Lowry engaged the adult community in a presentation on Solar Energy and students in building working Solar Systems. The kids plan on bringing them to their science classes and sharing what they have learned. Go Vestal Bears!

2010-04-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

At ETM, we continue to grow professionally!
Our accomplishments these past few months contribute tremendously to growth in the local community. We have successfully completed many local solar installations, educated others through course offerings and reached out to many area school districts.

We celebrate recent staff additions and professional accomplishments!

Vice president Francine Notte is now recognized as an ISPQ Certified Instructor for the "Photovoltaics Installer's Course."

Karen Lowry SAS, MSEd, has joined our team as an Education Program Manager and Sales Representative. She brings an experienced science education background , and has become a Certified Building Analyst Professional. She is also in the process of becoming a LEED Specialist.

Rick Pulaski, an experienced sales consultant has joined our sales team and is specialized in assisting customers with Solar Hot Water Systems.

The Southern Tier Home Builder's and Remodelers Association Home and Garden Show 2010 was a success! Dr. Canough dynamically presented to audiences on the topic, "Solar power to the People." Many local residents and companies showed great interest and commitment in growing Solar. New installations have already begun in the Triple Cities.

We actively continue our quest this week:

The installation teams are very busy at work.
Dr. Canough is teaching at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Francine Notte and Wendy Barnun are instructing a course for Site Assessments at Ulter Community College, and Lori Johnson is offering the "Conquering the Solar Incentives" course also at UCC. Karen Lowry is now offering the Building Analyst Professional Course in May locally in our Endicott Office.

As always, we invite you to contact us for any Solar Services.

Back from the Conference!

2009-11-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

WE'RE BACK. SPI was a blast-- just ask any of the six ETM staff that went to Anaheim! We had the privilege of hearing Robert Kennedy Jr. address the conference attendees on Wednesday morning-- a compelling and inspiring speech about the growth of renewables in the United States. When business interests and environmental idealism combine, as has been true for the solar industry, Kennedy affirmed, then a sustainable future is on the horizon.

Solar Power International '09 consisted of thousands of well-groomed people in suits roaming around exhibit halls and schmoozing-- alright so some parts were more fun than others.

We did have the opportunity to attend many lectures and panels featuring prominent policymakers, industry leaders, and engineers. The workshops were divided into sections including: market analysis, global trends, policy, technology, and finance.

As the name of the conference implies, there was a significant international presence at the event. Germany and Spain in particular have a huge share of the solar market, comprising many of the manufacturers present. (Big shoutout to Schuco-- Oktoberfest was a lot of fun!)

Germany, a single country with over half of the share of the solar market in the entire world, you may ask? Isn't northern Europe cloudy and dreary? Maybe so, but that doesn't stop the nation from being the largest per capita user of solar energy in the world. The comparatively high number of cloudy days per year has virutally no effect on the total output from the solar panel.

Cloudy, dreary...wait...why does this sound familiar?? Why do these two words evoke so much recognition in my brain? Ohhhhh yes! Upstate New York is notoriously cloudy too! So "going solar" in Binghamton, NY is highly feasible, since we get more sun days per year than Germany, the cloudiest yet most solar enthused place on the planet?

What we took away from SPI was simple: government incentives and a clear, progressive commitment to renewable energy is the single most important factor in a country, state, or region producing clean and efficient energy from the sun.

All in all, it was an educational and enlightening experience. SPI 2010 Los Angeles, here we come!

ETM Goes to Anaheim California: Solar Power International '09 Conference

2009-10-26T10:27:00.001-07:00

Yes, thats right! This week, October 27-29, 2009, ETM is one of thousands of solar panel companies and affiliated organizations participating in the nation's largest solar event. Solar Power International is being held at the Anaheim Convention Center in southern California and features lectures by prominent members of the media and solar industry. The Convention has taken place every year since 2004, when the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and the Solar Energy Industries Asssocation (SEIA) decided that with the economic and environmental benefits of solar growing drastically, it was time for investors, policy makers, business leaders, manufacturers and installers to come together.

We are very excited for this event and will keep you updated as the week goes on!

American Homes Eating up Energy

2009-10-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

In 2008, 21.64 Quadrillion BTUs (British Thermal Units) of energy were used by houses in the United States. Residential use makes up nearly a quarter of all energy used in this country, making the case for solar and insulation retrofits ever more striking.

The Energy Information Administration published a complicated looking diagram illustrating how energy is used in the United States. It is supposed to represent an arrow; the segments on the left hand side show the type, and the four segments on the right side represent how its ultimately used.
For example, out of all the fuel for electricity, transportation, etc., only 7. 3 Quadrillion BTUs are from RENEWABLE SOURCES. This includes hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, solar/photovoltaic, and wind.

For a more detailed view of the crazy-looking yet comprehensive diagram, you can download it here.

What needs to happen: a larger slice of the pie from renewable energy on the left side, and a smaller slice of the residential pie on the right side.

The Church: Religion, God, and....Energy Star?

2009-09-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

Ever since interning for ETM, those day to day mundane experiences of driving or walking around town have become a LOT more interesting. My mind is now wired to detect every single south facing rooftop-with minimal shade- on the face of the planet, and there is no end to this is sight. Epic visions of all solar-eligible American homes and buildings covered with photovoltaics occupy my mind, day and night. When other people share my enthusiasm for renewable energy going mainstream, I get even more intoxicated with happiness, like when my sister told me excitedly the other day that, "if only 6% of American households had solar panels on their roofs, we could supply 100% of the nation's electricity demand!" Yes, Yes, now we just more people to realize this!

I've been quite doubtful of many "conservatives" jumping on to the environmental bandwagon any time soon. However, out of all the eco-friendly tree-hugging mumbo jumbo out there, energy efficiency/conservation is the first that makes sense to social and economic conservatives. This is because integrating energy efficiency measures into your home saves money in the long-run.

When the EPA announced this week the debut of its new Energy Star Toolkit for Church Congregations, I felt one of those waves of enthusiastic intoxication. This is quite an accomplishment for the environmental movement, because it shows how times are changing: the church-going demographic is traditionally more conservative and therefore a bit less likely to be overtly concerned about the environment, yet we've reached a point in our society where "going green" is no longer just a fad among the liberals, but a mainstream practice that can save everyone money and energy.

Its funny: I've always thought that out of any institution, The Christian Church (Protestant and Catholic) had an obligation to promote the environmental integrity of this planet. Yes, the first book of the Bible, Genesis, tells us to have dominion over all living things. But when you look at the big picture, Christian religions are based on the teachings of Jesus, who preached compassion for all things, simplicity, an aversion to materialism, and being stewards of the land.

Recently there has been a movement stirring within Christian congregations in this country, which promotes the idea of an environmental ethic within Christianity. They have been active in many grassroots rallying days to spread the word about global warming. John Hougton, an active Christian and avid defender of the planet, is also one of the chairs of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The Regeneration Project and Interfaith Power and Light are leading the ministry devoted to educating people about the connections between religious faith and the principles of ecology and conservation. Faith-based environmentalism is truly becoming more widespread, if the recent EPA decision to cater to congregations is any indication.

Not only do faith and the environment work well together, but so do church rooftops and photovoltaics. Compared to other types of buildings, churches usually have high, incredibly spacious roofs, with little shading issues. Wendy and I have looked at many a church rooftop with awe and envy on our way to site surveys. Now its all finally starting to come together, and our dreams for installing panels on church rooftops will no longer be a distant wish.

The most promising aspect of the religion and environment initiatives is that it isn't just about saving money: people are switching to renewable energy because they know its the right thing to do. There is something great, something fundamental, at play here. This is our only planet-- lets take care of it.

-Andrea, ETM intern.

Hydropower: Clean Energy?

2009-09-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

"Renewable energy" is an umbrella that covers non-polluting and sustainable forms of power generation, like hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuel. Of course, by now, we're all aware that coal and oil are being rapidly depleted and causing some serious pollution issues, namely greenhouse gas emissions. But are all renewables completely benign?

Hydropower: You dam a river and integrate turbines into the structure that rotate as water flows over them, thereby creating electricity. The United States has dammed almost every conceivable river in the nation since the early 20th century, not only for power generation but also to re-allocate H2O to water-thirsty communities. No greenhouse gases are emitted: it must be eco-friendly, right? The truth is that the environmental and social impacts of dams can be astounding.

From an economic standpoint, dams cost millions of public dollars to build and can quickly become obsolete, as sediment build-up behind the dam wall is incredibly costly to remove.

Let's talk more about sediment: the flow of soil and nutrients downstream is crucil for the success of ecosystems, particularly agricultural terrain. The ancient Egyptians relied on annual floods to spread nutrients over their farmland. The damming of rivers in modern times has altered this natural pattern and deprived downstream ecosystems of vital nutrients.

Blocking a river creates an enormous pool of water behind the dam--the inundation of miles and miles of land alters once-pristine habitats. Keystone species often found along rivers can be wiped out once their habitat is submerged in water. Aquatic species like salmon that rely on travel to specific locations along the river are particularly effected.

Watch Out For Community-Wide Solar

2009-09-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

Marin County in Northern California has one of the most successful neighborhood-wide solar purchashing programs in the nation. With collective bargaining, residents come together for lower prices, thereby making clean energy options more affordable for everyone. Marin's program, called GoSolarMarin, leverages an average 25% lower price for its community members.

SolarCity is a solar equipment provider that arranges lease agreements for Marin and similar neighborhood projects, including 30 other community solar programs throughout California, Arizona and Oregon.

In Colorado, an organization called Neighborhood Solar organizes homeowners into collective purchasing groups in the Denver area.

One location that has taken sharing to a whole new level is the neighborhood of Drake's Landing in Alberta, Canada. Over 50 households pool together their energy generation from the sun, where it is stored and distributed evenly to all residents. Pretty cool. Since 2007 when the program was launched, each home gets 90% of its energy from the sun.

Who knows, maybe the Southern Tier, NY, is next?

Interactive Tour of (some) of our installations. Check it out!

2009-08-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

View ETM Installations: An interactive tour in a larger map

Green Event at Visions FCU: Recap

2009-08-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, July 29th, the ETM Sales and Marketing Team attended the Green Business Event at the Visions FCU Headquarters in Endwell, NY. We were one of 15 different vendors promoting their sustainable enterprises. Community members such as NYSEG, ANC Heating, and a couple green roofing companies were there, to name a few. It was a colorful event with a great turnout, delicious food catered by Wegmans, and many people curious about how they could do their part to improve the environment.

ETM's table featured informational brochures on solar energy, mini solar-powered fans, and a bright yellow ETM sweatshirt raffle. We were impressed by the number of people considering renewable energy for their homes and the overall commitment to a clean energy economy. Wendy, Kate and I met so many interesting people! It was a fun night indeed.

Oil companies are thinking about alternative energy. Or are they?

2009-07-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

For the past few years oil companies like BP and Shell have put out multi-million dollar ad campaigns to tout their supposed "greening." Obviously its the clear decision since oil reserves are few and far between and the burning of petroleum contributes to climate change. And a great PR opportunity at that. Greenwashing or not, there was a shift in these companies to at least consider helping to power the world through alternative energy like solar and wind, and to stop being so steadfast in their oil solution. However, BP (British Petroleum) just announced that it would be significantly cutting back its Alternative Energy Division.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106437880

This is quite unfortunate and short-sighted of such a pioneering company. Down-sizing is happening in this weak economy, but truly the road to economic growth is paved with solar panels and wind turbines, not oil. When both the environmental and economic potential is blinking in your face, do the logical thing.

We just have to fight harder now to make the big guys come to their senses and think about the integrity of the planet.

Rural Electrification: Solar Power in Developing Regions

2009-07-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

Think about it: poverty, lack of infrastructure, unequal distribution of wealth. Developing nations are plagued with what seems like bad luck and little hope for sustainable development, especially as survival is the main concern from day to day. The few resources that the nation may possess are controlled by the wealthy and the powers that be. However, there is one resource that is undoubtedly available to all: solar energy. More than ever before, underprivileged people in remote regions of the world have the opportunity to get connected and provide power to their communties. Organizations from Engineers Without Borders to The Solar Electric Light Fund to the World Bank are providing money and equipment for off-the-grid solar arrays in these regions. Currently more than 2 billion people on this planet lack electricity.

What is Silicon?

2009-07-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

Silicon is actually one of the most abundant element's in the earth's crust, next to oxygen. Atomic number 14, Si, occurs in clay, feldspar, granite and quartz. This material is used in very thin layesr in solar cells because of its high ability to absorb photons at the right wavelength from the sun. The excited electrons are then passed through a layer of aluminum or other similar metal, then through wires, making electricity! Its as simple as that.

Obama considers solar panels for the White House

2009-07-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

Remember how Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the White House in the late 1970s, and then Ronald Reagan had them taken off as a symbolic act to support oil companies once he took office? Yeah, that was a set back for the clean energy movement.

Well, President Obama just announced that he's been meeting with solar energy companies and in the process of getting panels installed, once again, on the roof of the White House.

WE LIKE THIS. :)

Climate Bill Passed in Congress: Clean Energy

2009-06-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives finally passed the American Clean Energy & Security Act in a vote of 219-212. This is a broad-based bill that essentially provides incentives and more programs to advance renewable energy in this country. It includes a National Renewable Portfolio Standard (or, RPS) to mandate that utility companies get at least 15% of their energy from renewables, such as solar and wind. This is a great accomplishment for the advancement of clean energy, although some critics say that the 15% is not high enough. Still, its a start and a definite win for progressive and environmentally conscious citizens.

ETM: A Day in the Life

2009-06-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

Learning from the Best: SUNY Ulster PV Installer's Class 2009

2009-06-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

An innovative design: day-lit solar panel roofing

2009-06-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

Whats a great way to cut back on energy needed for lighting your building? Making your roof out of solar panels with transparent sections to let the sun shine through, for natural lighting!
ETM installed this type of roof on a large facility in Riker's Island, NY. It is aesthetically, economically, and environmentally awesome.

ETM Staff Spotlight: Francine V. Notte

2009-06-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

Fran has been with ETM for over 13 years, serving as the Vice President and resident palm reader. Born in Newark, NJ, she has a brother named Bob and sister named Carol. In 1965 she and Bob rode a Honda 305 motorcycle across the country to California.

Favorite High School Class: Trigonometry

Favorite Brand of Sneaker: Sketchers

Favorite year of her life: 1971

Music: really funky blues, Bands: Queen and the Eagles

Favorite place to eat around here: Wingz

Instruments she plays: Ukulele

Favorite ETM moment: When opened up the envelope from NABCEP and and learned that she passed the exam.

Strange fact: Can read palms

Advice for youngsters: Follow your heart...and don't do anything that you wouldn't want pubished on the New York Times

Travels: Fromentera, Ibiza, riding bicycle back from the cantina. had an oppulent experience in Mexico---bar in pool. tijuana with brother Bob.

If she could have Dinner with any three people from history: Jesus, Hitler, Johannes Kepler

Drink of choice: Vodka martini

Favorite Books: A Sexual Persona--Camille Paglia,
Cats Cradle- Kurt Vonnegut
Grimm's Fairy Tales

Spotlight: Germany and the Solar Revolution

2009-06-19T08:12:00.000-07:00

Its hard to believe that Germany, which gets fewer full days of sun than Binghamton, NY, is the center of the solar energy movement, coming only in second place to Japan. More than just household PV systems, it has an expansive industrial scale (mega-watts) solar power generation throughout the countryside. Just how many solar plants are there in Germany??
Over 1 million, according to a government publication.

How will the credit crisis affect the solar industry?

2009-06-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

With economic downturn, one might think that funding for research and market viability of renewable energy would diminish, yet the PV industry is still predicted to boom. Business at ETM has certainly blossomed recently--more people are becoming aware of the connection between fossil fuels and global warming. Or perhaps people see the need to invest in alternative energy because coal and oil are at their last drops, and that foreign wars and predicaments are all too often involving the securing of petroleum. All of these are good reasons-- the seed of the green energy economy has been planted.
According to David D. Martin of the SEMI PV group, "venture capital investment in green energy technologies exceeded $2.8 billion in the third quarter of 2008, far exceeding any previous quarter on record" (renewablenergyworld.com). Luckily, many other global leaders like China, India, Korea, and the United Arab Emirates are developing incentive plans for massive solar generation. While we are in an econmic crisis, Marin argues, the solar industry is still in the beginning phases of its development, which is good: "Nevertheless, long-term fundamentals will make the PV market attractive to a wide variety of players for the next few years..." With more investment and attention to solar energy, costs of production will go down, and regular people like us can enjoy cheaper PV systems on our residences, all the while promoting the integrity of the planet.

source: Martin, David D. "Speculation on Solar Future Hits Overdrive" Renewable Energy World Magazine. 18 June 2009.

ETM Staff Spotlight: Wendy Barnum

2009-06-17T11:46:00.001-07:00

Wendy has been with ETM for the last 2 years as the Sales & Marketing master, and loves every minute of her job.
Born in Ontario Canada, she came "kicking and screaming" with her parents to the United States at the ripe young age of 16, moved to Bucks County, PA...She has one younger sister, Shannon.

Currently, she lives in Vestal and has three dogs: Rudy, Spencer, Tucker.

Lets see what else we can find out about Wendy:
Favorite place to go to lunch: (provided she got her morning workout) somewhere she can get a salad so her psyche will be fine for the rest of the day. just vingear as a dressing.

Favorites brand of sneaker: Aasics

Least favorite body part: Feet

Favorite part of body: Smile

Loves road trips, and perfectly ripe peaches.

Where she sees herself in 10 years: Here in the solar energy field!

"Its the only job I've ever had that doesn't feel like a job"

Books: Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson

Music: Tracy Chapman, George Michael, Justin Timberlake, The BeeGees

Youtube Video: Justin Timberlake Video with Beyonce--All the Single Ladies

Fav (current) TV shows: Criminal minds, NCIS, Friday Night Lights, NHL Hockey

Fav (all time) TV show: Bionic Woman with Lindsey Wagner

Likes Vlasic brand kosher dill pickles, not Claussen! Likes Stacey's Pita Chips, that they unfortuately don't sell at the Price Chopper down the road.

Favorite Condiment: Spicy Brown Mustard (not garlic--we learned this last week)

Favorite Color: Red, Orange, Yellow

Favorite College Memory: Playing mud football in the quad at night! (disclaimer: this is the most she was allowed to say for a work blog :) )

What she likes most about the job: Meeting new people. "The people who are interested in going solar are THE coolest people that I've ever met!!"

Greetings!

2009-06-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! We are thrilled to have our new blog up and running! We hope you'll enjoy learning more about ETM, renewable energy, and the power of the sun. Soon to come: photos from our recent installations such as the Lime Hollow Nature Center in Cortland, NY and the Waterman Conservation Center in Apalachin. We welcome your comments and feedback!
We hope to see you again soon!

Sincerely,

Andrea & Kate
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