June 18th, 2010

The Unseen Torture of PV Integration in Mass: Waiting for Rebates, Permitting, & Inspections.

BOSTON -

If Kimbo Slice signs a contract with an installer/integrator for a 5kW PV system on his house in MA on Monday, and it takes 2 days to install 5kW, why should Kimbo not be able to turn on his system on Thursday?

A. Commonwealth Solar Rebate Approval: 4-12 week wait

Kimbo knows that he can get up to $5,000 in grant money from the Commonwealth Solar II (CSII) program, which makes his investment cost-effective. What he might not know is that the CSII program prohibits installation prior to the grant being awarded or rejected, per section 3.3 of the CSII program manual.

I’ve dealt with this first hand, having applied for hundreds of rebates through Alteris Renewables Inc. since February 2009. The uncertainty causes issues with (1) equipment purchasing & forecasting, (2) cash flow predictions, (3) project scheduling delays, and (4) risk of losing the building permit application fee.

B. Building Permit Approval: 1 – 4 week wait.

Building Permit applications are the most painful part of any project, mainly because:

1. Most inspectors have no idea what a PV system is or what constructing it entails. Therefore, before they grant their approval, they demand more and more backup documentation. More time dealing with building inspectors equals less profit for the project. >> Solution: The BBRS should mandate training for local inspectors on the new technology and the equipment used for installation.
2. Every MA Building Department has a different application and process, and many haven’t upgraded their basic internal technology. Somerville uses legal-sized carbon copy applications. Waltham won’t accept anything but handwritten card-stock applications.  Every town has a different application, and a different process. This means (1) installers must drive to simply obtain the applications, and (2) the town won’t accept digital versions of the applications. >> Solution: The BBRS should have a standard building permit application that is accepted by every municipality in MA, just like RI does. They should also

C. Commissioning (officially turning on the system): 1-4 week wait

In order to turn on a system, the electrical inspector signs a form, the installer submits it to the utility, and the utility authorizes system commissioning. You’d think that this part of the process would be a piece of cake – the system is finally built and able to be turned on, but paperwork can easily hold up project close-out for a couple weeks. Here’s why:

1. Most MA Inspectors often only work part-time. This adds more wait time to both reaching the inspector, and scheduling an inspection. Note the link above, showing Harwich, MA inspector’s hours: 8:30-9:30, three days a week. Good thing Kimbo doesn’t live in Harwich.
2. MA Inspectors are uncomfortable with PV technology, so they often request (1) the electrician, (2) the construction foreman, (3) and the homeowner to be present. This creates a huge headache for installers trying to coordinate all these people’s busy schedules, and accommodate for the inspector’s schedule. If the inspector blows off this meeting (probably one in ten jobs), the process starts all over again.
3. The MA Interconnection Tarriff allows utilities ten business days to authorize system commissioning. This is absurd. If NSTAR can send me an approval in 24 hours, why does it take National Grid or Unitil a week and a few reminders to do the same thing?

Sadly, a PV project sold today can only be turned on as fast as it can jump through all of these bureaucratic hoops. But, if you’re a salesman, how do you tell Kimbo that he has to wait not three days, not four, but 180? You don’t– it’s easier (and probably safer) to sell him on the best-case scenario, and pray that the project clears every hurdle.

The solar industry should place more priority on decreasing wait time due to paper processing. All the efforts to stimulate and grow the solar industry mean nothing until the system starts producing clean energy. The polar bear’s iceberg will have melted due to climate change (if that’s what motivates you) in the time it takes Massachusetts to mess around with all this paperwork baloney. Not to mention that delays create irritated customers like Kimbo Slice. Refuse to accept “bureaucracy is what it is” as an excuse for inaction. This is a real roadblock to the success of the solar industry.

Please comment if you have any thoughts, ideas, or reactions. Thanks,

Miles

Tagged alteris, incentives, inspection, interconnect, kimbo slice, massachusetts, paperwork, permits, pv, solar |

February 10th, 2010

The Winners! Boston’s Top 10 Clean Tech Companies

BOSTON -

The results are in! Here is the list, according to you, the community, of your top 10 favorite Boston clean tech companies.

For 2010, I decided I wanted to profile some awesome clean tech companies in Boston. As I started to make my list of favorite companies it became really large, 26 to be exact. Also, I realized I knew what companies I loved but I wanted to know what companies you LOVED. The obvious decision was to create a competition. Thus, Boston’s top 26 clean tech company competition was born. We received over 200 votes and I’ve been in contact with many of the companies already.

In 2010 I will be contacting and profiling one company per month. We received tons of votes but not many questions to ask these companies.

So, I still need your help! If you have time, leave a comment answering the question:

What is one thing you want to learn about these companies or ask their CEOs?

Stay tuned as a profile these companies in 2010. It’s going to be really fun.

Without further ado, voted by you here is the top 10 company and the 5 runner ups.

Continue Reading >

Tagged A123, alt e, alteris, BigBelly, blu homes, clean tech, Emergent Energy Group, EnerNOC, first wind, green tech media, GroSolar, harvest power, vegawatt, Wakonda Technologies, zip car |

January 11th, 2010

Top 26 Boston Clean Tech Companies – VOTE: Who’s your favorite?

BOSTON -

Who is your favorite clean tech, green tech company in the Boston (or New England) area? I’ve listed the TOP 26 below and we want your feedback. The TOP 10 companies that receive the most votes will be profiled each month in 2010. Voting ends on February 1st, please see the list and survey below.

It’s 2010! The breakout year for The Green Light Distrikt. In 2009, I completed my first interview with Massachusetts based Nexamp and have just compiled all clean tech industry events in Boston. Now, we want to hear from you.

There are tons of companies to choose from. Recently, Boston has been rated the number one US city for innovation.With the close proximity to universities and financial markets its no wonder. Life Sciences, hi tech, and now clean tech entrepreneurs and innovators are driving the movement and putting Boston on the map.

I have chosen 26 of my favorite organizations below that are based in the Boston area (and two from New England) that are true innovators in the clean tech space. They range in industries from trash, to renewables, to green building and media with both for and non-profit, public and private companies.

I need your help, please fill out the survey below to let me know:

1. What 3 companies do you think are the coolest and want to learn about?
2. If you have time, leave a comment answering the question: what is one question you would ask their CEOs?

26 of Boston’s Best Clean Tech Companies

BigBelly Solar – Needham, MA

Makers of the worlds only solar powered trash compactor

Zip Car - Cambridge, MA

The worlds largest network of rent by the hour, car sharing network.

A123 – Watertown, MA

Designs and manufactures advanced batteries for electricity storage

EnerNOC – Boston, MA

Worlds leading provider of demand response energy solutions

Emergent Energy Group – Boston, MA

Develops community-based alternative energy. Winner of Business Week’s Top 25 under 25 competition

Alteris Inc – Boston, MA

New England’s largest solar installers

NEXUS Green Building Resource Center – Boston, MA

Boston’s Full-Immersion Green Building Resource Center

Preserve – Waltham, MA

Design and produces kitchen ware, tableware and personal products made from 100% recycled plastic.

HeatSpring Learning Institute - Cambridge, MA

Leading provider of Geothermal Heat Pump training to US building professionals

Little Foot Energy – Somerville, MA

Turnkey renewable energy provider

URGENT VC - Boston, MA

Building green companies for green cities

Vegawatt – Boylston, MA

The worlds only vegawatt. Turns waste oil into electricity and heat

Alt E – Hudson, MA

Do-It-Yourself Online Retailer of renewable energy products

Green Guild – Brookline, MA

Boston’s leading energy audit and weatherization contractor

Izzit Green – Waltham, MA

Your source for the good green stuff. Leading providers of green reviews on consumer products.

Greentech Media – Cambridge, MA

Provider of high quality content on the clean tech industry. Research, news, events.

Evergreen Solar – Marlboro, MA

Designs and Manufacturers solar modules.

Solectria – Lawrence, MA

Designs and manufactures solar inverters.

First Wind – Boston, MA

Develops, Owns, Operates Wind Farms in the Northeast, West, and Hawaii

Blu Homes -Waltham, MA

Makers of green prefab homes

Harvest Power – Waltham, MA

Innovated organic waste to power solutions for community.

Energy Circle – Freeport, ME (still in New England!)

Best source on the internet for information, how to guides, and home energy efficiency products

groSolar – Burlington, VT (even though they’re not from Boston, they were cool and local enough to make the list

Provides complete solar energy solutions for homes, businesses, and contractors in New England and California

New Generation Energy – Boston, MA

Offers community investment options in renewable energy and energy efficiency

Wakonda Technologies – Woburn, MA

Wakonda Technologies is developing proprietary solar electric technology that is more efficient than crystalline silicon and more cost effective than thin film alternatives.

American Superconductor – Devens, MA

American superconductor develops propriety technologies used in the generation, tranmission and end use of energy with a focus on alternative energy.

Remember, I need your help, please fill out the survey below to let me know:

1. What 3 companies do you think are the coolest and want to learn about?
2. If you have time, leave a comment answering the question: what is one question you would ask their CEOs?

I’m going to use this information to determine which companies to profile first and also what to ask them.

Tagged A123, alt e, alteris, american superconductor, big belly solar, blu homes, emergent, energy circle, EnerNOC, ever green solar, first wind, green guild, green tech media, harvest power, heatspring, izzit green, little foot, nexus, preserve, solectria, urgent vc, vegawatt, wakonda, zip car |

January 2nd, 2010

Clean Tech Tuesday: Alteris, A123, EnerNOC Make Moves

Uncategorized -

I know, I know its not Tuesday, its Saturday. But I plan on posting this on Tuesdays from now on.

The Green Light Distrikt is not a news site but I think it’s important to keep up to date on the news. To compensate for this we’ll be posting the top 5 or so most interesting stories with a little blurb about the story, a little bit about the company or why the news is important.

The current stories are for the month of December and November and in the future it will be a weekly or bi-weekly post.

I will keep the briefs focused and based around companies, so we can keep up to date of how the industry is going around Boston.

Here’s the 5 most interest stories and a little blurb about each piece:

Continue Reading >

Tagged A123, alteris, clean tech, EnerNOC, Green Building, Renewable Energy Trust |

December 23rd, 2009

The Secret Weapon to Finding a Job Installing Solar Systems

BOSTON -

I’ve been writing about losing my dream job in renewable energy, what’s driving my job search and I wanted to share with you a breakthrough I found in the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry. (Quick lesson: There are two types of solar energy. Solar PV makes electricity, and solar thermal typically makes hot water)

If you’re interested in getting on the roofs and installing solar systems you need to get in with solar staffing agencies.

My goal right now is to leverage my experience doing carpentry work and installing solar domestic hot water systems to get hands on experience installer many types of renewables and efficiency before moving on to sales, financing, project development. I ended up talking with my man Miles who does operations at Alteris Inc and my friend/former boss at Heatspring. They both put me in contact with solar staffing agencies.

As I’m sure you know, the solar industry is growing very quickly, but it’s also very volatile. Here is why solar system agencies are the silver bullet.

Continue Reading >

Tagged alteris, GroSolar, job search, Solar PV, trade source, velocity energy partners |