Which U.S. states lead in clean energy?

Which U.S. states lead in clean energy? – Green House – USATODAY.com.

Oregon #2 and Washington #6 lead the nation in clean energy getting over 60% of their electricity from renewable sources. (Oregon: 63.84% and Washington 71.59%).

SolTerra Systems is committed to bringing these savings to the business owners and residents through efficient integration of renewable power generation strategies.

The building housing our office currently has a 45KW Photovoltaic system that produces enough electricity to offset 70% of the total electricity needs of the building. This translates to huge savings not only to the building owner but also to its tenants.

It is important to understand that implementing renewable energy production to your building has never been easier than it is right now with the current incentives.

Solar panels power Portland, Oregon energy savings

Solar panels power Portland, Oregon energy savings | wfaa.com Dallas – Fort Worth.

Solar among other renewable energy production methods, is a great way for a city to save money. 

“But making this work for taxpayers in Portland is a timing game, and tax incentives are key.

‘First of all, solar works,’ Tooze said. ‘And because of great federal tax credits, now is a good time to take a look — a serious look — at doing solar systems ‘.”

With such incentives solar is now and investment with a return, not only saving you money but putting money back in your wallet.

Solar Prices Research

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab took a deep dive on solar prices, looking at project-level cost data from 2009 and comparing incentive programs across the country. The result gives a good picture of Oregon’s position relative to the rest of the country when it comes to our mix of incentives and what that means for the price of installing solar. The chart to the left looks at the mix of incentives and the resulting average cost for commercial solar systems. Oregon’s mix is more diverse than other states. Oregon offers the most generous state-level investment tax credit and its net installed costs came in the lowest in 2009. The lab said that preliminary data from 2010 will show even lower prices for installed solar.

via Research – Sustainable Business Oregon.

Residential Solar Systems Increase Sale Prices, Study Finds – NYTimes.com

Residential Solar Systems Increase Sale Prices, Study Finds – NYTimes.com.

If you are looking for a solid personal investment, a way to improve the environment, or want to claim energy independence with your own energy policy and protect yourself against rising utility rates then solar is the perfect answer.

Solar systems are not only a way to save money on your day to day energy costs, but a safe financial investment as well. With a ROI of 5-15% it beats many other investments. Solar modules also have a 20-25 year warranty and will produce energy for at least twice that long. You won’t find that kind of guarantee with many other investments. 

As seen in the article above, It has been proven that solar isn’t only going to save you money while you live in your home, but it will also increase the value of your home if you decide to sell. According to the American Appraisal Institute, Solar will add $20 in home value for every $1 it saves in electricity cost per year. Also The Seattle PI recently reported that green homes sell for 4.8% more than comparable homes and sell 24% faster. 

Solar is also getting more affordable everyday. With the current 30% federal tax credit, and some of the most extensive state incentives we have ever seen there is no better time than the present to go green. With energy costs rising, in the Northwest by as much as 13% per year over the last five years, solar systems which are virtually maintenance free, can really save you money in the long run. 

New Guide Helps Municipalities Monetize the Value of Green Infrastructure : Center for Neighborhood Technology

New Guide Helps Municipalities Monetize the Value of Green Infrastructure : Center for Neighborhood Technology.

Happy Earth day from SolTerra Systems!

This is a great article regarding adding a monetary value for the benefits of eco-roofs, which as we know can be very complicated.

http://www.cnt.org/repository/gi-values-guide.pdf

Ford deems Portland electric vehicle-ready – Sustainable Business Oregon

(click this link!)    Ford deems Portland electric vehicle-ready – Sustainable Business Oregon

Congratulations to both Portland and Seattle for making Ford’s top 25 most electric vehicle-ready cities.

SolTerra Systems has currently installed 2 public electric vehicle charging stations in the Portland Metro area and more in the works. All of our current charging stations are coupled with solar photovoltaic arrays, providing a renewable clean energy source.

Some of the many advantages  Electric vehicles have over conventional combustion engine vehicles include:

•  Environmentally Friendly: Electric vehicles do not emit any tailpipe pollutants. (This does not include any pollutants of VOCs emitted from the electricity supplier – powerplant)

• Energy Efficiency: Electric motors convert 75% of the chemical energy in the batteries to power the weeks while other conventional combustion engines only convert around 20% of the energy stored in gasoline.

• Fossil Fuel Dependence reduced with electricity being a domestic energy source. Especially when coupled with a renewable energy generation source on site.

• Performance: Electric vehicles have stronger acceleration and require substantially less maintnance than combustion engines while also being quieter and operating much more smoothly.

Some Considerations before going electric:

EVs face battery-related challenges:

• Re-Fueling: Most gasoline engines can go over 300 miles before needing to refuel, while electric vehicles can only go between 100-200 miles before needing to be recharged, which takes longer than refueling a gasoline engine.

• Recharging time: Fully recharging the batter pack takes typically between 4-8 hours while a “quick charge” to 80% capacity can even take up to 30 minutes.

• Battery cost: while saving a lot of money on vehicle and engine maintenance is a benefit, the battery packs are expensive and potentially may need to be replaced. However, researchers are working on improved battery technologies to increase driving range and decrease recharging time, weight, and cost.

This and more information on electric Vehicles can be found the US Dept. of Energy website : at http://www.eere.energy.gov/

What is so eco about Ecoroofs?

Ecoroofs are not only ecological but in many ways economical as well. Putting green on your roof can also put green back in your wallet. Ecoroofs are generally known for the storm-water management benefits that they provide by reducing stormwater quantity and improving water quality. Which, also provides infrastructure benefits and watershed benefits by reducing combined sewer overflows, minimizing basement flooding, protecting threatened species and restoring watershed health. Moreover, ecoroofs are known to reduce building energy demand and carbon emissions, improve air quality, and reduce the urban heat island effect. By covering the otherwise exposed roofing materials which generally degrade over time due to UV radiation and other weathering elements ecoroofs extend the life of the roof. They also provide enhanced amenity value and habitat in urban areas typically void of natural lands.

The benefits of ecoroofs may produce significant costs savings to buildings and to cities. Although ecoroofs generally cost more, based on current building standards, than a conventional roof to construct, they provide considerable long-term benefits and costs savings.

Mayor Sam Adams set a Portland city goal of 43 acers of ecoroof coverage by 2013.  This goal has made the decision to go green easier because of the incentives and rewards programs now offered through the city.

The city of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services currently offers a $5/sf cash grant incentive to help fund both residential and commercial projects within the city, as well as storm water management rewards through Clean River Rewards which discount your storm-water utility bills by a percentage based on the amount of surface area treated.

If you would like more information please feel free to contact us or refer to www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=44422

Mayor Adams and Governor Kitzhaber stop in for a visit

We had the rare opportunity to meet with Governor John Kitzhaber and Mayor Sam Adams last week giving them a tour of the 243 sf living wall in our office as well as our 6200 sf hybrid solar eco-roof on our building. The mayor and governor were touring the facility to honor the geo-textile manufacturer used for this project, Columbia Green Technologies, who recently won Oregon Green Exporter of the Year!

This project is located on the International Harvester Building in Portland, which happens to be a National Historic Landmark within Portland’s Central Eastside Industrial district. The building currently features the 6,200sf eco-roof as well as a 45.6 KW solar photovoltaic array making it one of the largest hybrid systems in the Northwest.