Solar is Hot in Chilly Vermont
by Kevin J. Kelly and Kathryn Flagg
November 12, 2014
Could the photovoltaic cell replace the Holstein cow as an iconic symbol of Vermont? Solar farms are sprouting along many of the state’s roads, while additional large-scale installations are arising more discreetly behind visual barriers. Thousands of homes and businesses now have arrays of solar panels affixed to their roofs or tucked into back lots. Green Mountain Power, the state’s largest utility, is hyping its grand plan to make Rutland “the solar capital of New England.”
It’s suddenly hip to draw energy from the sun in one of the coldest and cloudiest states in the country.
“Renewables will save Vermonters hundreds of millions of dollars,” predicts Duane Peterson, copresident of SunCommon, the state’s largest residential solar company. “It’s kind of insane,” he adds, that the dirtiest, most expensive types of energy — gasoline, coal, fuel oil and natural gas — currently account for two-thirds of the power Vermont consumes. […]
To keep reading, please visit the Seven Days story here or read the issue below.
Thank you to the University of Vermont for inviting our co-founder, Duane Peterson, to speak on climate change and the future of solar in Vermont. The UVM Energy Action Seminar is described as:
A series on renewable energy to include speakers focused on U.S. and global renewable energy programs and Vermont state programs and organizations. We build on the successful experiences of the Fall 2014 series. Energy is a major impact on society, both in how we use it and how we extract it, contributing, for example, from 30 to 40 percent of our total greenhouse gases. In this seminar series we focus on the broad range of renewable energy resources that will reduce the environmental impacts of our present energy uses.
By Gordon Dritschilo, Staff Writer
Duane Peterson said Green Mountain Power has been trying to get his company to come to Rutland for two years.
Peterson, co-president of the Waterbury-based SunCommon, gave the utility its wish Wednesday, announcing the expansion into Rutland County at a news conference at Small Dog Electronics on West Street. The company, which sells solar home installations at no up-front cost, will maintain an office in the back of Small Dog.
Peterson said the company plans to create 5-10 jobs.
“We have direct employees, but we also employ local contractors to install the solar home heating and cooling units,” he said. “We just started here, but we’re looking to dramatically expand our operation.”
Peterson said the company offers wages in the $30,000 to $50,000 range and a benefit package that includes single-payer health care.
“We pay the entire health insurance premiums for our companies and their families and we pay all their out-of-pocket expenses,” he said.
In two years, Peterson said, the company sold 1,000 systems around the state, following a model where it goes community by community.
“Rutland has set a meaningful goal to become the solar capital for all New England,” Peterson said. “We want to help.”
Instead of paying up-front, the company charges a fixed monthly payment. Leslie Caldwell, a SunCommon customer living in Castleton, said she had been “racking up” net metering credits with her system this summer.
“We have not paid a bill to GMP in months,” she said.
Steve Costello, GMP’s vice president of generation and energy innovation, said SunCommon was the latest company attracted by the utility’s effort to use solar power as an economic development tool.
“Companies all over the country are thinking about Rutland,” he said. “This place is becoming very famous in the energy industry for a lot of reasons. … SunCommon is what’s known as a B corporation. … They have a dual mission. Of course, they want to make money, but they also want to have a positive influence on the communities they’re in.”
Irreversible change
by Sabra Field
SunCommon is in preliminary negotiation with a neighbor in East Barnard, and we are unsure whether to remain part of the global warming problem or become part of the solution.
New technology can be upsetting. Vermont has accepted many changes in our landscape. Handsome blue Harvestore silos, for instance, were considered ugly when they were new. Green steel truss bridges are disappearing, in favor of highway-style spans. Hardest for me to accept is the sprawl of malls and roadways. That’s change that’s irreversible.
Solar panels, on the other hand, are reversible. And I find them a whole lot better than letting a stretch of our few remaining fields disappear into forest, as has happened now to 85 percent of our lovely state. We’ve lost most of our vistas, becoming like New Hampshire where roads are tunnels in the trees.
The backbreaking labor of our ancestors to make the wilderness into a garden is demeaned by our lack of concern for our fields and meadows. I find fields planted with solar panels a fascinating succession crop that promises a harvest of independence from imported power sources.
I’d be even prouder to be a resident of East Barnard if we reject “not in my back yard” in favor of a hopeful future.
East Barnard
At 1:07 p.m. the dark clouds passed and the sun shone over an event especially appreciative of a blue sky day: the first-ever SunCommon Sun CARnival! SunCommon celebrated the pairing of solar technology and electric vehicles by inviting electric car owners from around the region to showcase their wheels of the future.
The CARnival was about neighbors helping neighbors expand their knowledge and fuel their curiosity. SunCommon staff were on hand to help greet the 450+ people and coordinate EV test rides, but the beauty of this day was the sense of pride and ownership each driver brought to this festive block party. An unexpected but welcome surprise came when an EV driver, having seen our sign out front, pulled into the CARnival and asked if he could participate. Moments later he popped the hood, rolled the windows down and invited CARnival guests for a test ride. Our collection of EV drivers shared their stories and offered a real life lens to help demystify this new piece of technology.
As drivers took a spin around the block with community members, they offered a taste of how an EV fits into a Vermonter’s lifestyle. No sales pitch, just conversation. Neighbor to neighbor, community members peppered drivers with questions about car seats, road trips, camping, golf bag clearance in the trunk, performance in snow season, mud season, stick season…any season.
The event was focused on people and their families, so while us big kids played around in the EVs, children and families enjoyed free Open Hearth Pizza, a solar-powered bouncy house, music and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
In keeping with our belief in bringing joy to our community, SunCommon recently acquired its first-ever solar-powered bouncy house! You’ll start seeing our inflatable creation at various community events and festivals.
Now this is something we love to see! This particular community member was so curious about solar and EV that his family needed to peel him away from inspecting under the hood of each car. The excitement and curiosity we saw at the Sun CARnival perfectly fulfilled our goal to spark interest and educate drivers about their options for better energy independence.
Not only did our beloved community attend the event, but so did our local media! Big thanks to WPTZ, WCAX and the Burlington Free Press for swinging by our CARnival. Each outlet produced lovely stories about the event which you can read below.
Burlington Free Press: Soaking up the sun at the CARnival
WPTZ: Car show focuses on going green
Speaking of our welcome media attention, here is Solar Organizer Clary Franko speaking with Alex Apple from WCAX. Clary was the face behind the Sun CARnival and we owe her a big thank you for planning such a relaxing, informative and well-attended event. Thanks Clary!
We so enjoyed meeting and greeting each and every community member that stopped by the CARnival and look forward to seeing you at the next event!
COLCHESTER –Duane Peterson started up his electricity-powered Chevrolet Volt in the parking lot of St. Michael’s College in Colchester on Sunday before taking the car on a test-drive around Burlington.
“There’s an amusement park ride aspect to this, ” Peterson said, calling attention to the small electric noise emitted from the car as it powered on. “Isn’t that hilarious?”
Peterson is the co-founder and co-president of SunCommon, a solar energy company run out of Waterbury. The company held its first SUN CARnival on Sunday at St. Michael’s College as a way to connect with those interested in solar energy and to educate those wanting to know more, lead solar organizer Clary Franko said.
The car emitted a small hum, that could only be heard if one turned down the radio and listened very closely. As Peterson drove onto Interstate 89 toward Burlington, the solar energy-powered car sped up smoothly and almost effortlessly.
“I don’t use much gas,” Peterson said, adding that he has gotten about 100 miles to the gallon with the car so far. Peterson said he fills his car with electricity both at work and at home. “You just drive right past the gas stations.”
Peterson’s was one of about 17 electric cars being shown off to CARnival attendees, and car owners offered test-rides to attendees throughout the afternoon. Attendees were also able to enjoy pizza made by Open Hearth Pizza, a mobile wood-fired pizza oven, and speak to other clean energy advocates and innovators.
“We are trying to make the world a healthier place with safer communities, and clean energy is where it starts,” Franko said. “Solar can power our homes, it can fuel our cars and heat our homes … We love the idea of helping folks have access to electric vehicles so they can make the connection between solar and everything it can power.”
Batteries charged by solar energy powered the bouncy house at the CARnival — a main attraction for kids.
Peter and Laurie Harrison of Alburgh brought their two grandchildren to the event both to entertain the kids and to learn more about how they can incorporate solar energy into their lives. The Harrisons said they already drive a hybrid car, but are looking to switch to electric power.
“We like SunCommon because we’re trying to get them to come to our area, but we’re kind of remote,” Laurie Harrison said. “We really believe in solar power, we just haven’t figured out a way to use it for our home yet.”
“Our roof doesn’t face the right direction,” Peter Harrison added.
Franko said she was expecting a few hundred people to come to the SUN CARnival Sunday afternoon, and was excited that the sun was beginning to come out about half an hour into the event.
“It’s been really cool watching all these folks come in here who talk about how they are truly thinking about getting an electric vehicle,” Franko said. “It’s really fun to see so many of our solar customers walk in, and talk about their negative electric bills and celebrate.”
To see the complete Burlington Free Press story click here.
“We’re here showing that this isn’t some far off futuristic thing this is here and now,” said Duane Peterson, co-president of SunCommon. Solar connoisseurs and admirers from around Vermont checked out electric cars Sunday at SunCARnival in Colchester.
“With solar it can power your homes, fuel your car, it can heat your home, the opportunities are maybe endless,” said Clary Franko, the lead solar organizer at SunCommon.
The inaugural event was organized by SunCommon, a startup that’s been encouraging customers since its inception in 2012 to tap into the sun’s potential. They say now that about 500 people have gone electric on the road in Vermont, the solar home professionals wanted to help get the word out about driving green too.
“They’re really awesome cars and they make a lot of sense,” said Franko.
About 450 people stopped by to check out the 19 vehicles on display. Some drivers were more familiar with greener alternatives than others.
“We really like our Prius because it gets us a long way without filling up constantly,” said Dottie Bergandahl.
Electric car owners volunteered their time and offered up test drives to anyone interested. They answered questions about everything from driving in the snow to “where can I get one?”
The family-fun event featured free Open Hearth pizza, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and a sun-powered bounce house.
“People are getting really excited about solar,” said Peterson. “And now the notion that you can fuel your car with solar energy – people are really excited about it.”
To see the complete WPTZ news story, including video, click here.
COLCHESTER, Vt. –The phrase, ‘Hit the gas,’ does not quite work with this car. In some vehicles, it is more about soaking up the sun.
Adam Bentz has bought into a solar power plan by Sun Common, a power company focused on supplying solar energy. Most of his energy use — including at home — comes from the sun. “It’ll pay about 80 percent of our actual electricity,” Bentz said. He plans to power his Nissan Leaf with that energy by plugging in at home.
Clary Franko of Sun Common says the coupling of solar energy with electric cars makes them more environmentally friendly. “This event is all around the really smart pairing of solar power with electric vehicles,” Franko said. “It’s like locking in your rate of $1 per gallon of gasoline.”
Representative Diane Lanpher (D-Vergennes) supported a new agreement that will put more electric cars on the road by 2025. “We have a very ambitious plan with these eight other states to put 3.3 million cars on the road, electric vehicles or zero-emissions vehicles,” Rep. Lanpher said.
Despite the overcast skies, the appropriately-named SUN Carnival hosted 17 zero-emissions vehicles at St. Michael’s College in Colchester. Armand Messier said his decision to buy an electric car was the best choice he’s made. Messier’s vehicle can go between 75 to 100 miles on a charge. Consumers can buy power from one of Sun Common’s solar arrays then transfer that power to their home or vehicle. Bentz’ car even has a solar panel built in to keep the black leather interior cool. “It has a couple of fans that it runs that cools the car,” Bentz said.
The price of installing solar panels can be high, and the power cannot be stored indefinitely. You might hear the cars called ‘The ride of tomorrow,’ but Representative Diane Lanpher says their time is now. “It is going to be very, very important going forward to linking our solar as that renewable energy source with our drive electric vehicles,” Lanpher said.
To see the complete WCAX coverage, including video, click here.
“I’m here today with local community officials, representatives of great solar companies like Northern Reliability and SunCommon, and others committed to growing our economy, creating jobs and protecting the environment through renewable energy projects,” the Governor said. “We have more than quadrupled the amount of solar energy in Vermont since I became Governor, and I am very pleased to be able to announce Clean Energy Development Fund solar grants to keep our momentum going.”
As part of his Summer Solar Tour, Governor Peter Shumlin today visited Northern Reliability in Waitsfield, one of the many solar businesses that has helped Vermont earn the Number 1 national ranking for solar jobs per capita, to announce $442,750 in Clean Energy Development Fund grants for nine community solar projects. Overall these grants will support the installation of more than 500 kilowatts of solar for schools, towns, and communities in Vermont. This includes $80,000 for the Town of Waitsfield to install a 102 kilowatt solar project on the town garage to power Waitsfield’s municipal buildings.
“These solar projects are unique in that they all feature community-ownership or local investment, and they offer a model for how communities can come together to foster solar energy development that reduces public sector energy costs,” said Darren Springer, Deputy Commissioner of the Public Service Department.
“In Waitsfield, the 102 kilowatt, 330-panel solar array has been sized to provide enough locally-sourced renewable energy to support the Waitsfield Elementary School and what is believed to be soon, Vermont’s 2nd “Net-Zero” Town Office building,” said Valerie Capels, Waitsfield Town Administrator. “Additional generation from the solar array will also help offset electric expenses of the municipal buildings including the fire station, town garage and the library.”
In addition to announcing the grants, the Governor toured facilities at Northern Reliability and noted that the company is designing solar power systems for off-grid and remote locations across North America. They have been selected by the VTA in Vermont to make solar power systems with battery backup for telecommunications infrastructure, to ensure resilient and continuous cellular service in the event of power outages.
The Solar Summer Tour stop also featured participation from SunCommon, a Vermont business that is creating solar jobs and helping homeowners overcome the hurdles to installing solar. SunCommon recently announced that they are expanding their program to customers in Orange and Windsor Counties, and they are now packaging solar with cold-climate heat pumps to help Vermonters save on electric and fuel bills.
The Clean Energy Development Fund was created to increase cost-effective and environmentally sustainable electric power resources – primarily with respect to renewable energy resources, and the use of combined heat and power technologies.
The projects securing Clean Energy Development Fund project grants were:
· Richford – Franklin Supervisory Union, roof of high school, 50 kilowatts, $45,500 CEDF grant
· South Strafford – Town of Strafford and Newton School, field at 264 VT RT. 132, 65 kilowatts, $32,250 CEDF grant
· Thetford – Thetford School Board, elementary school land, 141 kilowatts, $125,000 CEDF grant
· Warren – Town of Warren, town land near elementary school, 162 kilowatts, $80,000 CEDF grant
· Sharon – Town of Sharon, roof top project net metered to school, 12 kilowatts, $15,000 CEDF grant
· North Thetford – United Church of Thetford, 15 kilowatts, $13,750 CEDF grant
· Berlin – Town of Berlin, town offices roof top, 16.8 kilowatts, $20,000 CEDF grant
· Shrewsbury – Shrewsbury Mountain School, 25 kilowatts, $31,250 CEDF grant
Vermont leads the nation per capita in workers employed in the solar industry, a sign of the state’s progress toward a goal of receiving 90 percent of its power from renewable energy by 2050. But despite the proliferation of solar panels on rooftops and in fields across the state, for many property owners, the initial investment can represent an insurmountable financial hurdle. But in Waterbury, SunCommon is offering property owners a chance to install solar electricity and solar heating systems with no upfront cost.Instead, customers pay a monthly bill, much like a mortgage, but typically an amount that is comparable to a monthly electric bill. This approach aligns with the way homeowners think about the way they pay for heat or electricity, said Jessica Edgerly Walsh, organizing manager for SunCommon.
“We’re used to paying a monthly bill for our electricity and in some cases our heat,” Walsh said. “That’s how we think about power. Nobody thinks about spending $20,000 for their fuel source.”
So, in addition to coming to a customer’s home to discuss solar panel placement and the construction necessary to install them, SunCommon will also connect the customer with a local lender to arrange financing. Local lenders include the Vermont State Employees Credit Union, New England Federal Credit Union and Heritage Family Credit Union.
This model is apparently working well for SunCommon, which recently completed its 900th installation during its two-year existence. While based out of Waterbury, the company performs installations in Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille and Washington counties, and last week expanded its work to reach customers in Orange and Windsor counties as well.
In May, SunCommon installed a 40-panel solar system at the Brookfield home of Allen Wilder, who took advantage of the no-money-up-front financing to make the project a reality.
“It makes it so you don’t have to put a penny out and you’re paying it back as if you’re paying an electric bill,” said Wilder, whose home is now generating so much electricity that he sells it back to Green Mountain Power at 6 cents a kilowatt hour.
Wilder applauded the way the project benefits the local economy, from working with a home-grown company to borrowing from a local vendor.
“Here’s a company that is helping the local economy. That’s one of the reasons I picked them, because the money stays in state,” Wilder said. “It’s great for them, it’s great for the guy buying the solar and it’s great for the local credit agency.”
For more information, visit suncommon.com.