ELT Spring/Summer 2012 by OZ World Media

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96 on the cover

Red Oak Park in Boulder, Colo. consists of 59 affordable single family housing units. Lighthouse Solar was contracted to install solar panels on every home's roof.

92 88

T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R C A P TA I N S O F I N D U S T R Y

ENERGY LEADERS TODAY Editor-in-Chief Todd Weaver Editor Diana Doyle Executive Editor Jonathan Mack Assistant Editor Joseph Orange Art Director Kris Apodaca Editorial Design Jennifer Bitzinger, Jenny Greenley Advertising Designer Susan Richter Editorial Director Kate Darling Staff Writers Drew Grossman, Kevin Porter Copy Editor Emiy Bond Content Directors Brandon McBride, Lisa Talbot, Cathy Bradford, Sophia Hartwick, Juan Stewart

Vendor Relations Director Diana Stephens Vendor Relations Eric Miller, Steve Peters Advertising Sales Coordinator Patricia Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Advertising Sales Director Peter Jostens Advertising Sales James Banks, Moe Kazemi, George Johnson Publisher Steve Reed Reprints/Circulation Anne Brewer

oZ WORLD MEDIA, LLC 1100 H Street NW, Suite M Washington D.C. 20005 www.energyleaderstoday.com Energy Leaders Today is a quarterly B2B trade journal that services the energy industry in geothermal, hydroelectric, gas, solar, wind, fuel cell and new tecnhologies. ELT has a readership of 100,000 C-Level executives within the energy industry. We do not accept subscription requests from the general public, however an abbreviated version is available on our website.

4 Summer 2012

100

in this issue 06 Editorial 08 Gemco

Utilizing their uniquely comprehensive amalgamation of companies under one umbrella, Gemco has begun a massive undertaking that hopes to see more than 800 solar energy systems installed all across Ontario, in just under nine months.

16 Community Energy Development Through a deeply political, regulatory, and municipal background, Community Energy Development has been uniquely able to bring their clients pure ease and reliability in their solar and wind energy based endeavors.

22 CNC Solar As the price of solar drops day by day, CNC Solar is out there doing the grunt work that ensures the future of solar through education, simplification and understanding.

26 JKB Encompassing a vast scope backed by stellar engineering and design services, JKB Energy has the experience needed to meet the needs of any client in any industry, sector or location.

32 Swiss Solar Capitalizing on their extensive experience in the leading solar markets in Europe, the British Columbia based Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. hopes to change the way North America views and uses solar technology.

38 Dynamic Solar One of a kind firm with an astounding scope of services aimed at anyone and everyone investing in solar technology, Dynamic Solar serves as a one stop shop, from beginning to end.

44 Sunrise Solar Sunrise Solar uses their unique financing structures to provide a long term energy solution for both commercial and residential clients.

50 Triorient

74 Biofuels BioFuels Energy, LLC leads the charge for greener energy with three sites in San Diego, Calif.

Leveraging their particular insight and in depth knowledge of global markets, Triorient LLC has become a major player in the international trade of metallurgical coal, coke, steel and other raw materials.

80 Silverwood

55 Mc Vay Drilling

84 Hamon Custodis

Having built up a legacy founded on decades worth of experience in the energy industry, the McVay Drilling Company has come to set the standard in deep gas, directional and horizontal drilling all throughout the Southwest United States.

56 Lighthouse Solar Energy runs smoother with Lighthouse Solar. The Boulder based company is passionate about their work and devoted to providing an effortless solar experience for their customers.

64 Alltech Solar When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re positioning stays within the beautiful city of San Diego, Calif. Fred Carmody of Alltech Solar knows what matters, good business and a happy family.

68 California Center for Sustainable Energy Reduce and Produce is the motto of the California Center for Sustainability. The non-profit offers a full education on how to live a greener lifestyle.

73 Cool Air Solutions Cool Air Solutions provides a whole home approach to make clients as comfortable and energy efficient as possible.

With over 40 megawatts of solar power underneath their belts, Silverwood Energy, Inc. is leading the charge of California's Energy Independence. With over a century of work behind them, Hamon Custodis remains eons ahead in the chimney revolution.

88 iSolara Sustainability is the farmer's mantra, while green innovation is iSolara's speciality. In St. Isidore, Ontario, Poulettes Skye Pullets solar power is for the birds.

92 Wisconsin Energy Corporation The Mid-Western city has more than cheddar on the mind. Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation has been pushing green initiatives since the 1980's in America's Dairyland.

95 5N Plus 5N Plus excels at the purest products on the market, products that are used to manufacture significant energy needs, like solar cells.

96 Solar Community Are for more than just the stars of Texas. Solar Community, LLC amps up the solar energy power for Houston-based company, Smith & Associates.

Energy Leaders Today 5

STAFF EDITORIAL

ATX The Green Scene

Story by Emily Bond Photo by Lulu Lopez Photography

THE HIPPIE CITY IS A HOT BED FOR CLEAN-TECH INNOVATION, MERGING THE AUSTIN OF OLD WITH GREEN-HUE OF AUSTIN ANEW.

6 Summer 2012

Austin, Texas isn’t a city for slackers anymore. Where music, Tex-Mex and the catchy slogan “Keep Austin Weird,” still abound…something is different. The tempo is a little off — the once hippie haven is filling up with high-tech mavens and social media kings. The new high-tech progress is sparring off with Austin's laid back Hippie Hollow vibe. Old Austin and new Austin are meeting head on. Perhaps I should admit to you that I am, despite my current Northern Virginia zip code, a Texan. Born and raised. And having lived within Austin for some time, I’ve watched the city progress at a rapid pace. In the past five years alone the skyline has shifted and filled with buildings towering over the state capital, once regulated to only reach 13-stories high, the former skyline seems like a distant memory with hotels and businesses obscuring the capital view. This isn't necessarily a negative transformation. Austin is, after all, Texas’ little liberal city — a city that is wellknown for its progressive residents and businesses. And with that progressive slant comes a contemporary eco-consciousness from the “organic only” taco stands to solar panels on municipal buildings. The city is very green. In fact, you’ll often find yogis taking a downward-dog upon recycled surfboards in Barton Springs and the ultimate organic grocery chain Whole Foods is headquartered on the edges of downtown. Is it any wonder then that this little city would turn into such an eco-friendly haven? And I don’t mean everyone has their own recycling box, they do, but they also have the technology to be on the forefront of the green brigade. This sparring off between old-Amarillo club Austin and new Twitter fried-banana stand Austin, is really the perfect match. It’s one thing to buy "farm-to-table" from the famed Odd Duck food trailer (good enough for famed foodie Anthony Bourdain), it’s entirely another to have solar panels aplenty and rain-barrels attached to your home’s plumbing. In Austin alone there are dozens of green start-ups and more wind power turbines have been installed in Texas (yes, the same state that instantly evokes images of oil rigs and cowboy boots) than anywhere else. According to

Time’s writer Bryan Walsh in his article, Red State, Green City — close to 15,000 Austin residents are employed within the “green economy,” and the city’s municipal utility, Austin Energy, has pledged to have 35 percent of it’s power from renewable sources by 2020. A new trend in the green economy is steadily growing within the city, known as “clean-tech,” meaning hightech jobs with a green focus. In Fact, Austin currently has more of these green-tech jobs, than San Francisco. Since the high-tech boom of the 1990s, the City of Austin (largely due to native Texan and University of Texas graduate Michael Dell, a la Dell computers), lured engineers and innovators from all over the world with new jobs — to which they've gladly stayed, due to the Austin lifestyle. Between the cheap tacos and Lake Travis views it isn’t difficult to imagine why anyone would not want to leave. With a seasoned tech base, Austin became a top spot for high-tech start-ups. Primed to shift from making Dell modems to solar panels. In fact, SustainLane Government, a network for green businesses, ranked Austin as the top city for clean-tech innovation and jobs. Two of the articles in this issue of ELT focus on solar panel companies either based in or near the Austin area. Austin has more solely green-powered businesses than any other city, in the U.S. and every single municipal building's power comes from renewable resources. The hip SoCo Austin drag along South Congress, which includes the eco-friendly Hotel San Jose and Jo’s Coffee’s solar-panel pop-up music festivals, has been named by Natural Home and Garden as the second greenest neighborhood in the U.S. Shocked? Most people are surprised to learn Texans don’t ride their horses to work, own 20 cans of industrial strength hair spray or brand everything. Austin, in the heart of Texas is certainly an anomaly — or depending on how you look at it a clean-tech trail-blazer. Don’t get me wrong, Austin is still that slightly outthere cousin demanding tofurkey for Thanksgiving and namasting your dog. Either way, the Austin of anew is merging with the Austin of old, and that “namaste” she just sent out is probably via text — through a solarpowered cellular device.

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Guiding â&#x20AC;&#x160;Light Utilizing their uniquely comprehensive amalgamation of companies under one umbrella, Gemco has begun a massive undertaking that hopes to see more than 800 solar energy systems installed all across Ontario, in just under nine months. by Joel Cornell

p in the Great White North, solar industry leader Gemco is pushing forward on a new project that will be a first of its kind â&#x20AC;&#x201D; on this continent. Currently, the 14-year-old firm is working towards the installation of North Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first pilot installation of solar cooling equipment, which is a new form of solar technology developed by Sweden. Essentially, the system is based on a cutting edge solar thermal system, which takes heat from the sun to create hot water. This hot water serves as the main (and most importantly clean) source of energy for the triple state absorption cooling units. The process quickly then creates air conditioning directly from the hot water powered units. This amazing technology is unlike most conventional absorption chillers in that there is no pumping of a saline solutions required inside the unit. The unit works purely based on the movement of the water molecules. The water moves from one cylinder, where the water is held as pure H2O, into a second cylinder where the water is combined with a lithium chloride salt. Further, the entire unit maintains a vacuum which allows the water to boil at a much lower temperature than it would at standard atmospheric pressures, increasing the efficiency of the product. 8 Summer 2012

THIS PAGE: Romeo. Stratford, Ontario. The prominence of this 500 kW roof top mounted system demonstrates the fast paced spread of solar technology across all sectors.

Energy Leaders Today 9

10 Summer 2012

Cooling lines from the existing systems in the building are diverted so that the returning lines or the warm lines wrap around the cylinder of water. As they take in the heat energy to boil and then flow into the lithium chloride salts, they remove the heat from the refrigeration line and send chilled water back into the system. This project being the first of its kind in North America, is highly representative of the stature which Gemco has achieved in their industry. With the firm’s expert hand behind this revolutionary new technology, Gemco has achieved a total of 56 percent in the offset of traditional utility costs. “The benefits of these systems are many, but one of the biggest advantages here in Ontario is in combatting brownouts,” said Gemco President and CEO Darren Cooper. “The system offsets the standard peak electric loads, which is particularly useful considering the fact that during brownouts the largest consumer of electricity promptly becomes air conditioning during those hot summer months. Because you can now build a much bigger solar thermal system, a typical system is scaled down in design as to not cook itself dead in the heat of summer. “On a typical solar thermal system installation, you might have close to 100 percent of domestic hot water in the hotter months. But, as you fall

MAIN AND BOTTOM LEFT TWO: Project Sunshine. Southern Ontario. Close-up of a 10 kW ground mounted PV system. Gemco designed each array and support system to perfectly suit each individual site.The total scope of Project Sunshine extends throughout Southern Ontario. The project is estimated to create 50-75 green jobs in their company alone, and has also helped to revitalize the area, creating new jobs for Ontarians in the manufacturing industry. Each 10kW system is designed to produce 16,331 kWh of AC energy in the first year and reduce GHGs emissions by 3,200 tons, equivalent to offsetting a midsized car driven that has more than 55,300 miles. BOTTOM, RIGHT: Romeo. Stratford, Ontario. 500 kW rooftop mounted system, demonstrating Gemco’s capacity to meet any demand for size or scale.

Energy Leaders Today 11

away into the winter months, the systems produce much less energy as the sun is lower in the sky and further from the system itself. Alternatively, if you make the system big enough for the winter hot water load to operate at maximum efficiency, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll kill the system once summer comes back around again. In our work with these systems, we can now extract that extra heat and use it in the summer time to create air conditioning. You can still have the biggest system that will operate perfectly in the winter, while further increasing the benefits of the system through the heat of summer,â&#x20AC;? Cooper said. A professional engineer who has remained in and around all types of construction for several decades, Cooper always maintained a heavy focus on maximizing efficiency, no matter if that means efficiency in energy or in materials or in design. As Cooper was brought in as an engineering specialist on a particularly challenging project on a 40-collector wall mounted solar thermal system, he recognized the big future ahead in renewable technologies, especially in his home province of Ontario. Today, his firm Gemco encompasses an astounding breadth across the entire renewable technology industry. Glenbarra Energy Management Corporation stands as an installation and integrated provider of green energy solutions focusing on a range of specialized fields, including renewable energy, and engineering and environmental consulting. Glenbarra Renewable Energy Solutions, Inc. is one of North Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest turnkey providers of roof top green energy solutions for commercial industrial, institutional and residential markets with over 1.5 mW in completed solar projects. Gemco Engineering and Environmental performs its own solar engineering and design with a core group of professional engineers on staff offering structural and mechanical inspection, design and support services to the renewable energy industry. This firm also provides professional services including indoor environmental consulting, mould and asbestos inspections and exclusively offers professional mould and asbestos remediation, specializing in the use of dry ice KryoBlasting through its sister company, Mould Scene Inc. Further, Green Edge Products, Inc. serves the group as a distributor of leading renewable and energy efficient products with an extensive dealer network. The firm provides tech support, training, sales referrals and a wide range of products including solar PV, solar thermal and energy efficient lighting. In July 2010, Gemco acquired Mondial Energy, a pioneer in the renewables industry in Ontario. Mondial Energy primarily provides commercial clients with the opportunity to enter into Power Purchase Agreements, which allow solar thermal hot water systems to be installed at no capital cost to the client. This acquisition has given Gemco the ability to execute the City of Toronto contract previously held by Mondial to build up to 15 solar thermal systems on city controlled properties including the Toronto Zoo. 12 Summer 2012

THIS PAGE: Shouldice Hospital. Thornhill, Ontario. Rooftop mounted system, designed and installed by Gemco, creates a new, reliable source for the hospital.This turnkey project is the first triple state thermal solar cooling/heating project in Canada.

Energy Leaders Today 13

MAIN AND BOTTOM RIGHT TWO: Hospital for Sick Children. Toronto, Ontario. Particularly for projects in the healthcare sector, reliability is key. Gemco was able to maintain state-of-the-art quality despite the hospital’s size and complexity. Here, Darren Cooper stands proudly in front of the PV array installed and designed by Gemco which delivers a message of efficiency when viewed against the Toronto skyline. BOTTOM LEFT: Liberty Condominiums. Toronto, Ontario. Aerial view. In this modern market, having rooftopmounted solar PV units can be as much of a selling point as the roof itself. The Liberty Development Corporation, along with Gemco, has taken their commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability. This installation makes sure that every other building in Toronto knows it.

14 Summer 2012

“Throughout the uniquely wide scope of services that we maintain, our core is a solid group of people who are at the forefront of their knowledge base, in what is really a very young industry,” Cooper said. Gemco, also maintains a heavy hand in each project, control from the inception of the project to the in-house production, “We offer complete services from initial conceptual design right on through to ongoing service and maintenance provides that one stop shop for client's needs. On top of that, all of our work is performed in house, which lets us control the costs, scheduling and timing of each project," Cooper said. “In a developing industry such as this, what you’ll often find is that there are a lot of companies out there who claim to be in the space, but the reality is that they only have a small handful of people who manage a project. Everything else is subcontracted out to various other groups. Although they’re ultimately responsible for the contracts, they’re not actually using their own people for the work that’s being done. We’re very much focused on using the vast majority of the labor from our own full time employees.” Currently, Gemco’s focus has been on Project Sunshine, which will see the firm install more than 800 ground mounted microFIT PV solar energy systems all across southern Ontario over the course of just nine months. The project is estimated to create 50-75 green jobs in their company alone, and has also helped to revitalize the area, creating new jobs for Ontarians in the manufacturing industry. Each 10kW system is designed to produce 16,331 kWh of AC energy in the first year and reduce GHGs emissions by 3,200 tons, equivalent to offsetting a midsized car driven that has more than 55,300 miles. These endeavors, alongside Ontario’s recently revised feed-in tariff program, spell out a bright and promising future for Southern Canada’s burgeoning renewables industry. ELT

Energy Leaders Today 15

PICTURED: The Keystone Solar Project, currently in final development by Community Energy, will be the largest utility-scale solar project in Pennsylvania.

16 Summer 2012

WHAT

LIMITATIONS? Through a deeply political, regulatory, and municipal background, Community Energy Development has been uniquely able to bring their clients pure ease and reliability in their solar and wind energy based endeavors. by Joel Cornell

ubsequent to his decades working as a lawyer, an economist and a consultant working in clean energy for nearly 30 years, Eric Blank decided to start the cycle over again and delve into his love for clean energy. Before making a shift to the East Coast, Blank spent 10 years working on public policy issues in the Western U.S. His efforts made it financially feasible for utility companies to invest in clean energy technologies, such as energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and power plant clean up measures. In the late 1990s, Blank saw the opportunity and struck quickly. “At the time, wind energy wasn’t very cost effective on either a cash flow or present value basis,” Blank said. “We had piloted programs in Colo. that paved the way for customers to pay a little bit more on their electrical bill in order to bridge the gap and make wind resources profitable. We sent out bill inserts that allowed every customer to sign up for the transition to wind energy. Basically, we saw first hand that energy consumers were all too eager to switch to renewable energy, even at a higher cost, so long as the transition was smooth, stable and simple. Energy Leaders Today 17

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: Producing six megawatts of solar power, the solar farm will generate approximately 8,000 MWhs of clean, fuel-free electricity a year. Due to the excellent design work on the part of Community Energy, the Keystone project will produce enough to power over 950 homes from this single solar field. The green design of the Keystone project, including bonded removal after the 25-year life of the solar panels, is also leading the way in land preservation and farmland restoration along the growth corridor south of Lancaster.

18 Summer 2012

"Soon enough, we found markets opening up all along the East Coast, which prompted me to return to my home state of Pennsylvania,” Blank said. After setting up shop on the East Coast, Community Energy Development was quickly able to find safe footing through large scale clients such as the University of Pennsylvania, Penn State, the State of New Jersey, and larger retail clients like Johnson & Johnson. Ultimately, the firm was able to create enough critical mass as a wind energy and turbine specialist that they’ve sparked somewhere near $1 billion in operating wind farms in the area. Through this highly successful approach, Community Energy Development soon began developing their own wind farms. Today, though the company’s focus has shifted into solar and photovoltaics, they still own and operate two wind farms in the Eastern United States. However, the firm was sold to a utility company from Spain, a country which stands as the world’s fourth biggest producer of wind power.

“We quite literally went from working out of my basement to working with some of the largest utility companies the world in a very short time span,” Blank said. “Since our early beginnings, we’ve switch entirely from wind power on the West Coast to solar energy on the East Coast.” In Lancaster County, Penn., Community Energy Development worked with a local family that owned and operated a small farm on a 90 acre parcel of land. The family struggled to make a living in farming, but wanted to stay on the property. They needed to increase the economic value of the property, specifically, and Community Energy Development was just the firm to do that. The company designed and implemented a five mW project which became interconnected to the local utility company, PTL. “We spent a lot of time working quite closely with the township, with the community, with the family especially,” Blank said. “The most important element of the project was that the township and the community all insisted that, after the useful life

of the project was up, the land would still be preserved in order to see again for a return to farming. "Our designs ensured not only the protection, but the enhancement of the soil. No concrete footers were used for the project, and we have been very careful in the selection of what types of vegetation are allowed to grow. In the end, we enhanced the ability for that site to sustain long term agricultural use. “All in all, there were some rather specific restrictions on what the land can and cannot be used for. The output for the project is being sold to a local generation company here, one of the largest in the Eastern United Sates. Further, the project was supported by grant funding from the state of Penn.” A bit further South, in Vineland, N.J., Community Energy Development was contacted by town of Vineland itself. The township was looking for a partner to help build a solar PV facility, right in their territory. Quick to hammer Energy Leaders Today 19

ABOVE: Vinelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest solar power system is comprised of approximately 27,896 photovoltaic panels, ground-mounted at two locations, 4 megawatts in West Vineland and 2.5 megawatts in North Vineland.

20 Summer 2012

out the details, the town sought to purchase the energy output as well, which greatly accelerated the interconnection process. This particular project, in the heart of the state, was set on two separate sites close to each other. The first site was on city owned property. Community Energy Development was able to design and develop a full range of arrays, totalling 4 mW of AC power. Right down the road, a smaller privately owned site of 10 acres was used to generate 2.5 mW of AC power. Partnered together for the project, Community Energy Development and the municipality of Vineland won the competitive process that got the project moving. Today, the project is slated to stand as one of the largest municipally owned and operated solar PV arrays in the state.

With a vastly comprehensive array of experience behind the firm, Community Energy Development has maintained a staggering series of successes from the very start. In working with some of the largest utility companies in the world, the firm embodies that entrepreneurial start up spirit. Currently, the firm focuses on projects in the 3 to 10 mW range, anywhere between $10 to $40 million. Their projects have taken them from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia to Ohio, Indiana, Colorado and Texas. With a deeper regulatory and political background than most firms, Community Energy Development is closely linked to every facet of the renewable energy industry and as such uses their keen insight to bring clients across the country innovative ways to generate power. ELT

THIS PAGE: First State Project. With over 100 solar installations to their credit, the expert team at CNC Solar has helped business and property owners enjoy the financial, environmental and emotional benefits of installing a solar power.

22 Summer 2012

Just in

Time

As the price of solar drops day by day, CNC Solar is out there doing the grunt work that ensures the future of solar through education, simplification and understanding. by Joel Cornell

hat concerned Tom Colucci most about the renewable energy industry was not it’s rapid expansion, but the number of providers entering the burgeoning market without the experience, knowledge or dedication required to provide high quality solar electric services. In 2006, Colucci, a life long New Yorker, discovered the benefits of the leading state solar program in Delaware. Upon relocating, Colucci first spent several years working for a local company, with a primary focus on renewable energy. “Soon enough, I discovered that if I didn’t start off on my own soon, those opportunities in the market would be gone,” Colucci said. “Originally, I began the company as Eastern Energy Group in February 2007. Once my partner, Gary Cannon, joined the firm, we became CNC Solar. We’ve kept ourselves small, but we focus mostly on the on-going relationship with our clients. There’s so much more education that needs to be going on in this industry, and keeping in contact, keeping those relationships going is what has lent us the most success. “The installation of small and large sized systems are very similar. It’s just a matter of scale. Once we cemented our knowledge of solar electric and PV arrays, it only became a Energy Leaders Today 23

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: Bethany Beach Del. CNC Solar won their bid not just through the best pricing, but through communication with the client Entirely able to relate to their unique issues and address concerns they didn’t even know they had, CNC Solar has become a first in the minds of local and federal government agencies seeking to delve into solar energy. Presenting the project in two stages, CNC Solar first designed and installed a roof mounted, ballasted system.

matter of educating customers. Because solar is a relatively new technology to most people, there’s a great need for them to understand the nuances, how it works, how it’s affordable, and so on. “With traditional HVAC systems, all you need is the size of the room and you’re done. It’s much different with solar, and there aren’t a lot of systems around where people can see the ins and outs so easily. People are quite wary of new technology, so we spend a considerable amount of time in sales educating customers,” said Cannon. Only about 1 in 13 of the customers that contact CNC Solar for their energy needs actually end up purchasing a system from them. CNC Solar’s response is to invite their neighbors to be one of those seeking nothing more than information. As an installer, developer and expert in their field, CNC Solar has taken it upon themselves to serve as ambassadors, easing people’s minds and removing the mystery from solar electric and PV technology. What’s more, CNC Solar has gone so far as to provide education measures through their projects. For one of the firm’s recent projects in Baltimore, Mary., CNC Solar designed and installed a 36 kW solar electric array for a local girls school, Roland Park Country School. Utilizing N-Phase inverter 24 Summer 2012

technology, CNC Solar was able to integrate the solar arrays into the curriculum. The inverters track energy generation and use not just by array, but by panel. This allows the students to observe how the energy they use every day is created, further demystifying solar energy technology. “One great thing about doing these projects for schools is that the technology doesn’t just serve to power the school, it helps the students to understand how energy generation works, how it’s used and how the politics of energy play out,” Colucci said. “Further, these schools are always competing for who has the coolest stuff on their campus. So, new schools and old schools are all looking to both solve their energy problems and provide interesting materials for their students to study.” For the municipality of Bethany Beach, Del., CNC Solar won their bid not just through the best pricing, but through communication with the client. Entirely able to relate to their unique issues and address concerns they didn’t even know they had, the firm has become a first in the minds of local and federal government agencies seeking to delve into solar energy. Presenting the project in two stages, CNC Solar first designed and installed a roof mounted, ballasted system. However, this first system faced

delays, leaving the second, smaller system to be finished first. This second ground mounted system, installed at the Bethany Beach Nature Center, has become extremely popular with many of CNC Solar’s other clients, due to its placement on a beautiful cedar arbor. The Nature Center at Bethany Beach is clad in cedar siding and cedar shingles, so the new solar capped cedar arbor fits in perfectly with the surrounding environment. While also gaining CNC Solar a reputation for economical, attractive, and unique design solutions to fit any situation. “A large flaw in ground mounted solar arrays is that they’re usually just plain ugly,” Colucci said. “They look like giant tinker toys and most people don’t want them on their lawns. With these arbors, we provide a utilitarian structure that’s also gorgeous to look at. This has all but solved the problem that most installers face when working with a unique site that might require a ground mounted system” Again, CNC Solar helped the Bethany Beach Nature Center make their new solar array a main feature by introducing a learning center based around solar energy. In designing a new, interactive, educational piece via touch screen technology, paired with cutting edge EnPhase inverters, CNC

Solar created a total presentation package that is ideally integrated into the themes of the Nature Center. For Colucci, however, the effectiveness of solar all depends entirely on the client. Approached by Rick Jones of the Par 3 Gold Course in N.J. for a new solar system for his pro shop, CNC Solar found that a traditional system would not work. “In Rick, we had a man who was extremely efficient in terms of his use of energy. All soda machines were shut off come winter, as it was already cold enough outside to keep the drinks at the ideal temperature. Plus, he used little to no heat in his pro shop, as patrons would be in and out rather quickly; also, most golfers would be ready to walk the course in cold weather. Due to his minimal use of energy, we could only install a smaller system. Now, usually, the roof of a building is too small to meet all their energy needs; not in this case. “For our first job, not even a decade ago, solar energy stood around $9.75/ watt. Now, we can do the same job for around $4.00/watt. With the way things are going, solar will become one of the most effective forms of energy generation out there. It’s up to us to make sure that everyone knows it.” ELT Energy Leaders Today 25

PICTURED: Standing to the right of two very satisfied customers are JKB Energy Director of Business Development Rich Borda and President James Brenda.

26 Summer 2012

THE 100 PERCENT Encompassing a vast scope backed by stellar engineering and design services, JKB Energy has the experience needed to meet the needs of any client in any industry, sector or location. by Joel Cornell

ust about anyone can offer a turn-key solar photovoltaic project, but getting the most out of such an investment requires quite a bit more than just putting up the system and turning it on. With an extensive background in solar design and development, matched with decades worth of experience in construction and both commercial and residential development, JKB Energy builds reliable, high performance solar energy systems and takes care of every little detail from design to installation.

After an extensive career in construction, James Brenda struck out on his own in 1980 and founded JKB Homes, a locally owned home building company that specialized in beautiful homes and high quality community developments. With a heavy focus on construction, residential development and some commercial ventures as well, the firm progressed successfully into the 1990s in the same direction. As JKB Homes expanded into more projects and multiple project types, the firm eventually reached a point where they were Energy Leaders Today 27

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE: JKB Energy’s most sought after tracking system, the JKB Athena SA-130 Single Axis Tracker is currently in its third generation of production. James Brenda, JKB Energy President and Founder JKB Energy also designs the Helios DA-106 Dual Axis Tracker, which accurately follows the sun’s path along its azimuth, as well as its inclination. The Terra FGM-80 Fixed Mount System designed by JKB Energy is particularly unique in that it offers a low environmental impact and efficient spacing design.

28 Summer 2012

building anywhere between 300 to 400 houses per year, all around and within the Central Valley region of Calif. and Nev. The firm first got into the renewable energy industry through the process of building homes with integrated solar PV systems. This opened the doors to the renewable energy industry throughout the 2000s for the company, which in turned sparked Brenda’s entrepreneurial interest in starting a new firm, JKB Energy in 2006. Solely focused on renewable energy, JKB Energy first began with a heavy emphasis on their nearby residential clients, particularly those collaborating with JKB Homes. Over time, however, JKB Energy began to establish itself with clients and within the community, reflecting the same highly sought after quality and approach of its sister firm, JKB Homes. Eventually, the firm branched out into more commercial ventures, particularly focusing on

the nearby agriculture industry, which has since become a very successful niche for JKB Energy. “Working with egg manufacturers, food processors and the like has been very fun for us, it’s an exciting industry with lots of opportunity for growth, change and creative expansion,” Brenda said. “As the housing market has declined, we’ve been able to put much more of an emphasis on renewable energy. Clients have been much more interested in reducing their operating costs as well. As an industry that requires such high energy for sustained intervals, the egg industry has been particularly interested in what we have to offer. “We’ve been growing with a particular strength over the past five years; in just the last couple years, we’ve been doubling our revenue annually. Working with clients in the egg industry has really challenged us to keep thinking creatively, with our designs, our installations and with our financing."

Energy Leaders Today 29

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: With no moving components, the Terra FGM-80 Fixed Mount System regularly lasts more than 25 years. JKB Energy’s engineers, designers and manufacturers are some of the brightest minds in the business. Constantly hard at work crafting state-of-theart solar PV systems for custom clients in any situation, JKB Energy maintains the flexibility and insight needed to power great projects.

The Central Valley of Calif. is one of the biggest egg markets in the world, and for JKB their focus, which took a natural shift into agricultural and high energy clients now sees, their processing plants and well pumps as on of their, "main niches.” Standing out amongst their peers, JKB Energy has the advantage in that the firm is able to move quickly in making decisions concerning every aspect of solar energy. This is due to the fact that, from design and engineering to installation and entitlements, JKB Energy is at the helm. The firm designs and manufactures their own racking and tracking system. Their most sought after tracking system, the JKB Athena SA-130 Single Axis Tracker is currently in its third generation of production. This tracker is designed for systems over 100 kW, and represents the next generation of solar trackers for use in agricultural, commercial and utility scale solar applications. Designed for a service life of 25 years or longer, the G3 Athena was designed to deliver the leading return on the client’s invest-

ment and for the best payback in the industry. JKB Energy also designs the Helios DA-106 Dual Axis Tracker, which accurately follows the sun’s path along its azimuth, as well as its inclination. The Helios tracker is accurate to within less than 0.5 degrees and increases the yield of flat plate PV panels by 40 percent. Often used for the countless unusual sites with uneven terrain across the Calif. Valley, the Helios system adapts to any setting and consistently sees maximum output achieved. The Terra FGM-80 Fixed Mount System designed by JKB Energy is particularly unique in that it offers a low environmental impact and efficient spacing design. With no moving components, these fixed mount systems regularly last more than 25 years. Its modular configuration allows maximum flexibility and excellent durability. This very flexibility allows JKB Energy engineers to be able to design a solution for quite literally any scenario involving ground or roof mounted solar PV systems. ELT

32 Summer 2012

Changing the World, One Design at a Time Capitalizing on their extensive experience in the leading solar markets in Europe, the British Columbia based Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. hopes to change the way North America views and uses solar technology. by Joel Cornell

ccording to studies, such as the Solar Thermal Markets in Europe Trends and Market Statistics 2010, the European Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total solar heating yield was 13.3 TWh. Meanwhile, as each U.S. state moves at its own pace, some slower than others, the 2008 Study of the U.S. Solar Industry Year in Review found that the total solar energy capacity of the U.S. stands at 8.7 GWh. Despite the fact that the U.S. government still intends to double the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s solar energy output by the end of 2012, there is still a lot of catching up to do. In Canada, however, where solar PV and solar thermal systems have long served as the saving grace of countless residents hailing from Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s less populated and harsher regions, solar power has long been the norm across the country. In 2000, Roger and Susan Huber, President and Vice President of

Swiss Solar Tech, respectively, realized this affection for solar power early on when they emigrated from Switzerland to British Columbia in order to establish Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. Both natives of Switzerland, Roger and Susan Huber worked together before they came to the Great White North to revolutionize solar energy and the way it is used in many different environments. Working together with several heat pump manufacturers from the U.K., Roger was able to design drastically improved heat pumps approved for widespread use. Further, working in tandem, the Hubers were able to provide solar consulting services for many commercial buildings all across Europe. The two also maintained a heavy focus on hot water projects on an international scale, deeming this to be the most basic and most vital need that solar power can handily satisfy. As a particular Energy Leaders Today 33

34 Summer 2012

specialty of sorts, their previous firm worked tirelessly on designing new and revolutionary hybrid systems, combining geothermal ground loops and solar energy systems for clients of all sizes, shapes and scales. “When we first emigrated to Canada in 2000, we came here with a hard-earned, in-depth knowledge of of hybrid systems and solar pumps,” Susan said. “Once we situated ourselves and our families, we opened Sept. 2001, with an initial preference for the local residential markets in need of solar power. Soon enough, of course, we found that the local residential markets weren’t really ready for us.” Indeed, throughout much of North America, not only are many states and provinces lacking proper incentives in both the commercial and residential markets, but many of the individuals who make up those markets are sadly behind on just how much of a linchpin solar energy can be in communities and energy grids in any situation or location. In Can., for instance, solar PV unites are mainly used as standalone units, located in the

more sparsely populated regions of the country, particularly the North. It wasn’t until Oct. 2009 that Ontario launched their feed-in tariff and microFIT programs, which is the first of its kind throughout North America. Soon enough, Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. found a new market in the Canadian tourism sector where the firm started working with large hotels, water parks and indoors pools, each of which was likely to witness staggering hot water bills over the course of their day to day operations. Further, the firm utilized their hefty experience in heat recovery systems. Frequently working with clients utilizing 100 plus tons of chillers that produce a large amount of hot air at their bases — the firm has been able to act as the saving grace for countless hospitals and public pools. Due to the unique pricing structure of the systems Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. designs, matched with state-of-the-art technology and materials, the firm gives their clients the ability to save staggering amounts of money, in many cases saving their

business by pulling their finances out of the red. Able to bring the formerly wasted heat back in and combine those savings with solar energy systems specifically tailored for each individual client, Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. is easily able to cut down any given system’s payback time by five years or more. This ability opened countless markets, locally and abroad, including universities and schools, for this one of a kind company. For new construction projects, Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. provides free consulting services to ensure that clients will have an easier time of incorporating solar PV, solar thermal, heat recovery and geothermal energy right from the initial phases. The firm is capable to look at any existing building and discover hidden energy deficits over the course of one day, free inspection of all heating and cooling systems. Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. then proceeds to take that data back and develop a detailed proposal with many different variations of the total energy possibilities, including information such as what the first steps to take are and what the payback time Energy Leaders Today 35

for the system will be. Comfort Inn, one of Swiss Solar Tech Ltd.’s better known clients, recently sought the companies services. The end result for the Comfort Inn was a highly innovative hybrid heating and cooling system for the client’s new location in Red Deer, Ab. that will save the hotel over $150,000 every year. Furthermore, a federal grant from the Renewable Energy Deployment Initiative reduced the cost of the solar component by 25 percent. The newly designed system employs equipment normally used as a ground-source heat pump, designed to exploit the stable, ambient temperature of the Earth to provide seasonal heating and cooling. The Comfort Inn design, however, does not have an underground loop of liquid-filled tubing for geothermal exchange. The heat pump 36 Summer 2012

is instead connected to 60 solar collectors and a highly efficient heat recovery system. The system will also heat and cool the building and its 88 guest suites and will also convert waste energy from the hotel’s other systems. The solar panels installed on the angled roof of the building will be visible and tilted at a 50-degree angle to collect the greatest amount of sunlight possible. The result of this project is one of the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly green hotels ever built in Can. The hotel’s natural gas bill has already been cut in half. “It sounds very complicated because it’s different, however, technically it’s actually very simple," Roger said. "Simple and reliable. That’s the beauty of it,” Roger said. Recently, Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. helped the

Vancouver-based Listel Hotel to become the first hotel in their city to install a renewable energy system. The firm customized a system that counts on the building’s incredible potential for heat recovery, particularly when combined with solar panels. The waste heat is collected from the cooling and HVAC systems and is used as a pre-heater for the domestic hot water and as heating support for the building. This enable to existing gas-fired boiler to run less, since the heat pump has a much better co-efficiency rate than a gas boiler. A computer-controlled system from Care System of Vernon, BC, combined with the existing gas-fired boiler, provides for the heating and cooling of water and air for the 129 rooms within the hotel. The heat from the solar panels on the hotel’s roof is primarily used to pre-heat the domestic hot water. The water

heated through solar thermal systems is stored in a tank with a capacity of 4,500 litres. In recognition of Swiss Solar Tech Ltd.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work for the Burrowing Owl Estate Winery, the firm earned itself the 2006 Gold Award for Best Technical Innovation. Indeed, this project was one that helped to establish the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation all across North America. A large proponent of sustainable technology and energy efficiency, the owner of the Burrowing Owl Estate Winery wanted a system for his own winery, as well as the ability to demonstrate to his customers, his competitors and to the media just how easy and efficient solar energy can be. The final designs from Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. provided for yet another customized hybrid system featuring geothermal and solar energy. Indeed, Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. completed the 30

solar panel system that was utilized for domestic hot water, building heat and ground loop support. Since that time, the firm has completed similar projects for two other wineries, involving heat recovery, solar thermal and geothermal technology. Spread across just B.C. alone are over 80 wineries that could profit greatly from solar thermal, geothermal and heat recovery systems. Since the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inception over a decade ago, Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. has increased their focus on solar water heating, heat recovery and similar hybrid systems, most of which will pay for themselves over the course of just a few years. This way, with lesser energy costs for clients and the community as a whole, endeavors ranging from wineries and hotels to social and low income housing have a bright new future ahead of them. ELT Energy Leaders Today 37

ith an extensive history in energy reaching back into the 1980s, Mike Perillo CPA, CVA, has the vision to recognize what’s coming down the pipe in terms of deregulation and renewable portfolio standards. Using this insight and the support of his colleagues, founded Dynamic Solar in 2007, as a long term solution for the solar needs of the residential market. “Five years ago, we started to pencil out projects that, above all, would make financial and logistic sense in order to service the residential market,” Perillo said, who serves as Dynamic Solar CEO. “The end result was a turnkey solution that would lead clients from the initial design and development stages all the way through construction.” When Dynamic Solar started out in the residential market in Penn, there were very few incentives in the state to encourage customers to invest in solar. Yet, just a year after the founding of the firm, in 2008, Penn rolled out a rebate program in conjunction with a 30 percent tax credit. It was at this point in time that Dynamic Solar began to branch out, not only geographically, but also into other more commercially-oriented markets. So far, Dynamic Solar has expanded drastically beyond their original office in Wayne, Penn. The firm currently has offices in Marlborough, Mass.; Somerset, N.J.; Baltimore, Md.; and Wilmington, Del. When the firm became commercial, it was more than their scope of coverage that changed. Dynamic Solar revolutionized their scope of in house services as well, providing everything any type of client might need for any given solar project. Dynamic solar has the ability to develop the project, design its custom specifications, finance every element of the project, and build and maintain the project. All of this is done in house, allowing

The One and Only 38 Summer 2012

THIS PAGE: John F. Martin and Sons Inc. Stevens, Penn. 777 kW Ground Mounted Solar Array. Dynamic Solar provided full engineering, procurement and construction services.

One of a kind firm with an astounding scope of services aimed at anyone and everyone investing in solar technology, Dynamic Solar serves as a one stop shop, from beginning to end. Energy Leaders Today 39

40 Summer 2012

Dynamic Solar to control both the quality and the cost of every project for their target market, which ranges from 2 kW to multi mW systems. In addition to SEI-trained and NABCEP certified solar installers, Dynamic Solar employs the diverse group of professionals required to successfully execute a commercial solar project including electrical engineers, structural engineers, master electricians; grant, construction and permit managers; site supervisors, safety professionals and utility coordinators. For all projects, Dynamic Solar is the primary systems integrator and installer to engineer, procure, construct, commission and maintain the solar project. By providing turnkey solar solutions with in-house expertise and staff we are able to be price competitive while providing extended site selection analysis, design, engineering, project management, installation/construction and on-going maintenance capabilities. Even further beyond this already astounding scope of services, Dynamic Solar recently demonstrated their abilities with the new 455 kW Aqua project in Sicklerville and Lopatcong, N.J. For this project, Dynamic Solar was first required to clear nearly four acres of wooded slope parcel. In addition to designing, financing, procuring and installing the ground mounted solar arrays, the firm went through a thorough land clearing process. A nearby drinking reservoir required Dynamic Solar to perform a particularly clean and efficient land clear. Additionally, one of the rainiest months in history required Dynamic Solar to implement a unique storm water management system in order to bring to project to a successful end. “When we were first brought in to scope out the project, we weren’t able to go into a clear field,” Perillo said. “We had to walk through the woods and envision, with all these trees and mounds in the way, how the array would best be set out. The

BELOW: With an extensive history in energy reaching back into the 1980s, Mike Perillo, CPA, CVA has the vision to recognize what’s coming down the pipe in terms of deregulation and renewable portfolio standards. RIGHT: Philadelphia Waste Water Treatment Plant. In developing this 250 kW system, Dynamic Solar introduce to Philadelphia the city’s largest solar PV project to date.

Energy Leaders Today 41

ABOVE: Martin Farm. Dynamic Solar's in house team of engineers and project managers also obtained all the required land development approvals, utility interconnection agreements and building/construction permits for the project. LEFT: The facility operates a meat packing and cold storage business. This PV project will produce approximately 1 million kWh of power annually.

biggest challenge here was to be able to manage each stage of the project in conjunction with all of the land development that had to be done. Between working quickly to clear the land, dealing with the management of the constant storm waters and then the design, procurement and installation of the array, we were able to make sure that every sequence of the process was optimized through our in house specialists.” In taking on a heavier focus in the industrial sectors, Dynamic Solar recently completed a 250 kW system for the Philadelphia Waste Water Treatment Plant’s southeast facility. Requiring a wide range of many different levels of approvals, Dynamic Solar usually faces more bureaucracy over the course of such projects. In this particular case, Dynamic Solar was working within the limits of the city, further complicating the already complex system requirements set out by the Waste Water Department. 42 Summer 2012

In developing this 250 kW system, Dynamic Solar introduce to Philadelphia the city’s largest solar PV project to date. Working closely with the IT sector of the Waste Water Department, Dynamic Solar was able to implement a highly customized monitoring system in order to meet the required specifications. Further, Dynamic Solar had to provide some in depth training for the IT department in order to maximize their use and understanding of the full range of the state of the art solar PV system. Having not only installed Philadelphia’s largest solar PV system, Dynamic Solar also recently introduced one of Central Penn’s largest ground mounted solar installations for John F. Marting and Sons, Inc. in Stevens, Penn. This 770 kW system is predicted to offset over 25 percent of the facility’s total electric needs. Set along the Penn Turnpike, Dynamic Solar had

to satisfy the requirements from several recent glare studies associated with ground mounted installations of this size in order to make sure that cars passing by would not be affected by any glare from the system. In order to combat any negative effects, Dynamic Solar planted a long grove of trees between the solar array and the highway. “For us, developing a model that will expand us regionally and nationally will help us to change the way solar is done, locally and internationally,” Perillo said. “We have to leave absolutely nothing out, whether that’s in terms of custom designs, extended options, greater financing and the absolute highest in terms of service quality. What’s more, we’re developing new renewable energy offerings that will hopefully allows us to bring clients of all shapes and sizes into a new, sustainable future.” ELT

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VENDRICK CONSTRUCTION INC.

A SMALL FOUNDATION SUPPORTIN G BIG

by Joel Cornell

With high annual growth and a backlog of work standing at a worth of about $22 million, one would think VendRick Construction, Inc. would be a massive corporate construction firm with countless bustling employees. On the contrary, the relatively small staff that VendRick Construction, Inc. began with in 1993 has remained the stable foundation of their success to this day. “Our real specialty lies in our ability to properly manage and utilize our short list of highly trained and experienced employees and subcontractors who we rely on like family to make sure that our clients budget, scheduling and aesthetic needs are met every step of the way,” said company president Frank Vendemia. Vendemia began in the industry after receiving his degree in civil engineering. In his senior year in college, he worked with Derrick “Rick” Dickson, who managed his own construction company. Right out of high school, Dickson entered into a local carpentry apprenticeship program. He worked with a local commercial contracting company for nearly two decades before starting his own business. It was this company that Vendemia worked for before he wanted to

GROWTH

start his own business as well. Vendemia and Dickson decided to partner up instead, and see how that suited them and their goals. Should any problems arise, they would go their separate ways. To this day, Vendemia and Dickson have been doing what they love and have kept their business and their passion going strong. “For the most part,” Vendemia said, “we tend to handle public works projects such as large multifamily complexes, school renovations and medical facilities. We don’t always take on the most attractive or visible projects; that’s not our aim. We want to work on projects that fit our forte. Whether we’re working on a public bid project for a school renovation or a design/ build project for an apartment complex, we’re able to provide the ultimate service to our clients by keeping our management teams small and project-oriented, while relying on a family of experienced employees and specialized subcontractors and specialists who are the absolute best at what they do.” Located in Brookfield, Ohio close to the Pennsylvania border, VendRick Construction, Inc. operates locally in a 60 mile radius. Despite

the fact that VendRick’s annual revenues have grown by millions of dollars every year, they focus on building projects locally. They can utilize their knowledge of the area, its nuances and its residents to give their clients the highest quality building program. “We do as much of the work ourselves as we can manage,” Vendemia said, “but once we’re outside our internal capacity to perform efficiently, we reach out to our roster of quality subcontractors to work with people we know and trust to get the job done right and on time.” VendRick Construction, Inc.’s philosophy promises the continued involvement of at least one company principal on each and every project, as well as the commitment to quality construction by the entire building group working as a single team. Both Rick and Frank attribute the company’s success to their faith, family, and friends. By focusing on building proper relationships and teams as much as they concentrate on the buildings themselves, VendRick Construction, Inc. is able to maintain a history of quality projects done on time, every time. ALT

Vendrick.indd 1 4/28/2011 7:43:37 PM

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The Year

for Solar

Sunrise Solar uses their unique financing structures to provide a long term energy solution for both commercial and residential clients. 44 Summer 2012

I Camp Loyaltown. Hunter, N.Y. In the heart of the Catskill Mountains, the camp serves more than 650 kids, and Sunrise Social helped them acquire a more energy efficient location.

n the small town of Hunter, N.Y., nestled into the heart of the Catskill Mountains just two hours north of New York City, rests Camp Loyaltown. The camp acts as host to more than 650 kids over the course of the summer, allowing children to explore the wonders of the outdoors, in a safe a fun environment. A few years ago, the camp sought a new way to help reduce their operating costs. Their initial approach saw them install a small new solar thermal system for their heated pool. The board, the staff and the campers alike loved the new, environmentally friendly approach and wanted to invest further in solar photovoltaic systems. However, due to their not-for-profit status, Camp Loyaltown had some trouble acquiring new sources of funding. That’s where Sunrise Solar came into the picture.“If you’re a not-for-profit, a charity or a church, or any client with a unique tax status, a lot of solar installers will hang up on you,” said Energy Leaders Today 45

ABOVE: The Camp Loyaltown facilitywas able to acquire a state-of-the-art 32.5 kW system that ideally served the needs of the camp year round.

46 Summer 2012

Sunrise Solar President Doug Hertz. “Navigating the financial side of solar is already a particularly daunting task. We have set our firm apart from others in that we are here to help clients from any sector, industry or region to locate and execute alternative financing structures in order to make solar work for them. “When Camp Loyaltown came to us asking for a new solar PV system in order to offset their electric bills, we instantly said yes. We realized they had a great site, with no physical or environmental obstacles," said Hertz. For Hertz, the only real obstacle with the project would be financial. Beyond that, he was confident in beginning the project, "we know how small towns like Hunter, N.Y. are. We know that when

a successful solar project is completed in such a community, people start talking and sharing their stories of success. This is going to be the way we bring solar into the mainstream.” Decades before he founded the firm, Hertz first began working with alternative energy sources in the 1970s as a cinematographer and lighting director in the entertainment industry. This led Hertz into a share of work in electrical design, building and designing new television studios and other permanent installations. With this background in electrical distribution, Hertz went on to spend years restoring old homes. In doing these restorations, Hertz went out in search of alternative energy providers in the area. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find any one particular

firm he liked. His response was to take the time to study, attend conferences and complete the course work necessary to start up his own solar venture. Unlike most new solar start ups, however, Sunrise Solar was able to partner with Sunrise Building & Remodeling, Inc., a local firm that has long been established in the area as a high quality builder in the high end residential market. “Together with my partner, Eric Messer, we realized that there was a real void in the Westchester County area, which led us to capitalize on this opportunity,” Hertz said. “The two concepts are perfect compliments to each other. Eric and his firm bring the construction infrastructure, the client base, and the well established reputation. Meanwhile, Sunrise Solar brings the technological

and design elements necessary to create successful solar project. The union allowed Sunrise Solar to start off by mining 25 years worth of clients. Although we felt like a new business, we didn’t look like one as we immediately enjoyed such well established roots.” Altogether, Sunrise Solar maintains a heavy focus on solar PV project in both the residential and commercial markets. In doing so, the firm has relied on expert partners that focus on different elements of alternative energy, such as geothermal or energy efficiency companies in order to complete their scope. Due to the manner in which incentives are built in the firm’s home state of N.Y., Sunrise Solar’s typical residential project is anywhere between five and seven kW. On the other side of

the business, most commercial projects tend to be limited by N.Y.’s incentive cap, which currently stands at 50 kW. “While most of our projects are out-of-the-box jobs, we work hard to come up with new ways for organizations like churches and non-profits to gain access to solar,” Hertz said. “When we were approached by Camp Loyaltown, they already had some experience with solar, but that was only for a small solar thermal system that would heat their pool. Being a non-profit children’s camp, Camp Loyaltown not only experienced difficulties when it came to incentives, but their energy needs were rather unique as well.” During the summer, Camp Loyaltown would consistently see a large influx of kids, nearly 700 Energy Leaders Today 47

ABOVE, LEFT: This residential solar PV system demonstrates the fact that such systems don’t have to be an eyesore. ABOVE, RIGHT: Sunrise Solar’s emphasis on safety is key so long as it remains matched with the firm’s expert quality of design. LEFT: Sunrise Solar consistenly employs only the best and the brightest in order to achieve their constantly stellar results.

48 Summer 2012

people total. However, although the camp did see use year round, the amount of energy they required dropped drastically throughout the fall and winter. Sunrise Solar, with a thorough understanding of their client’s schedule, needs and circumstances, was able to provide a system large enough to sustain them through the summer, and keep the meter rolling backwards throughout the off season. To make sense of an already complicated process, Sunrise Solar presented a unique scenario that the board of directors took to instantly. Due to N.Y. regulations, the amount that Camp Loyaltown would need to pay as a non-profit would have only bought them a 12 kW system. Utilizing a third party leasing company, Sunrise Solar guaranteed a new, cutting edge 32.5 kW solar PV system that was commissioned immediately. For five years, this third party will lease the system

to Camp Loyaltown as they pay down their debt, which is significantly less due to the incentives and regulations that are vastly different for an entity such as a leasing company. Eventually, full ownership will transfer to the camp, allowing them full and free use of a much larger system that is paired with a 25 year guarantee. “Every time we put solar in a neighborhood, others nearby are always interested,” Hertz said. “Neighbors come by and talk to the owner of the system; they see their experience and want that for themselves as solar in general becomes more visible by the mainstream. On the commercial side, because of the unique financing structures that we’re able to create, we end up talking to a much wider range of clients across all different industries. "While the hard cost of materials has dropped, the incentives are still the same. This, for us, represents a chance for 2012 to be the Year of Solar." ELT

Energy Leaders Today 49

Around the

World

50 Summer 2012

Triorient LLC Corporate Headquarters. Darien, Conn.

Energy Leaders Today 51

TOP LEFT: Upon arrival in their yard, Triorient LLC carefully handles metallurical coque to avoid breakage. BOTTOM LEFT: Metallurgical coque in Triorient LLC’s yard is screened for segregation by size. BOTTOM RIGHT: Expoort at the dock with Triorient LLC Logistical Manager Angelica Goldblatt. OPPOSITE: Metallurgical coque being bagged for export in containers.

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lobalization, to say the absolute least, is tricky. As geographic barriers matter less and less, and as cultural barriers are clung to more tightly than ever, it takes a group of people with superb insight and a particular ability to transcend these barrier and make good things happen in the global market. Fortunately for themselves, their clients and the increasingly globalized world markets, particularly those burgeoning markets most in need of high quality trade, the Conn. based Triorient LLC provides the full array of services that a state-of-the-art global trading company would, reinforced by cutting edge logistic and financial support. “Our main strength is people,” said Triorient LLC President and Co-Owner Albert Winslow. And it is Triorient's people, that happen to know

their markets, in a highly professional capacity. “We know our markets very well, which includes everyone from the steel workers, power plants and miners to the best traders and the most valued suppliers," Winslow said. "Whether we’re talking about China, Europe, South America, the Middle East or here the U.S., we know where to go, how to get the best price for the supplier. In terms of geography, there’s no one area in particular where we focus our efforts. There is an increasing amount of tremendous growth potential in places like India. Due to the economic state of the world in this period of our economic development, we have certainly held a large focus on the countries using the most materials.” Largely focused on the international trade of raw materials, carbon steel products and related

energy products on a grand scale, Triorient LLC goes a step further to fulfill any and all logistic and financial needs for their clients. The firm performs pre-financing, insurance and partial equity services, in addition to barging, trucking, rail and ocean freight services. Every aspect of locating the materials, acquiring them and transporting them is handled internally. Most importantly, however, Triorient LLC remains consistently flexibly so that if a supplier or mining operation needs to move material when the markets change on them, as they do so frequently and unexpectedly, the firm works with them as partners in order to increase or decrease the quantity used for export. Using their particular insight and flexibility to great effect, Triorient LLC has tempered its growth by preventing itself from becoming a

company so large that they’re forced to move hundreds of millions of tons of raw materials in order to keep things moving along. The firm works with specific mines and power plants, really as an extension of their marketing department. This gives both Triorient LLC and their clients around the planet a better view of the global marketplace and a broader base of information that allows everyone involved to evaluate each individual opportunity, instead of just trying to move tonnage. The diversity of the firm, in terms of their current growth, has further allowed Triorient LLC to look at new opportunities from an unrestricted point of view. Whether as a pure trader, a joint venture or as an equity stake in the firm, Triorient LLC is able to remove the middle men and work directly with clients in order to achieve maximum

efficiency. On the energy-focused side of their trading, the firm has a particular emphasis on long term relationships and long term sustainability. “These past few years have been very good as a period of growth for us,” Winslow said. “We have cultivated particularly unique delivery schedules that help our clients to manage their inventories, whether they’re a mine or a power plant or another unique firm. We always work on as tight a schedule as is possible. Firms like ours have to understand that when you’re dealing with power plants, for instance, they have to maintain power constantly. "When they contract out for their materials for a certain period of shipment, it’s up to us to maintain their schedule. If we don’t, they lose power and we lose a client. It’s vitally important Energy Leaders Today 53

ABOVE, FROM LEFT:Executive Vice President Facundo Santucci, President Albert Winslow, Commercial Director of Coal Trading Michael Sothmann.

54 Summer 2012

to keep not just the relationship consistent, but the schedule and the quality of our work as well.” For the time being, Triorient LLC has shifted their focus away from the U.S. energy market for sales. Right now, is a particularly challenging time for the coal business in the U.S. The firm has lately witnessed many power plants selling their coal instead of purchasing. This has led to economic competition between power plants and mines, both of which are seeking to sell off large, industrial sized quantities of coal, metallurgical coke and similar raw materials. “Though we’ve seen unprecedented shifts in how power plants and mines conduct their sales, we’ve similarly seen unprecedented growth in countries like China and India where production, manufacturing and therefore energy have been very consistently on the rise,” Winslow said. The firm has also seen continued stability and progress, in terms of power usage all

throughout Europe. “We see the economies of the world move and change, and lately it’s been really good for us, despite how the global economic system has been plagued by debt and mismanaged inventories," Winslow said. "We’ve taken huge steps in exporting coal out of the U.S., which is an essential element in not only the success of our own firm, but in the success of American industries across the board, mines and power plants in particular. Moving forward the firm is looking to build a stellar trading activity with the addition of solid assets, whether that comes down to an actual ownership stake in coal mines, active assets in power plants or processing plants, or assets in the other logistical aspects of their industry such as port operations in countries abroad. "We have to keep ourselves in line with these fluctuating global economies, something that is essential to the growth of our firms." ELT

MCVAY DRILLING

DRILLING THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHWEST, SINCE 1941.

Story by Joel Cornell Photos courtesy of McVay Drilling

aving built up a legacy founded on decades worth of experience in the energy industry, the McVay Drilling Company has come to set the standard in deep gas, directional and horizontal drilling all throughout the Southwest United States. Known throughout the industry as a standard of excellence, the McVay Drilling Company maintains several rigs consistently and safely operating at their highest possible potential. C.R. McVay and Carmen Stafford founded McVay and Stafford Drilling Company in 1941, with rigs located in Southeastern New Mexico. Jim McVay, C.R. McVay’s son, bought out Carmen Stafford in 1961, thus the firm became McVay Drilling Company — as it is known today. Since that time, the McVay Drilling Company has led through successful endeavor after successful endeavor, with the skills of Chris McVay and Mike McVay, both of whom serve as Co-Director and Co-Vice President. Their other brother, Ted McVay has also worked for many years with the firm in order to help the McVay Drilling Company uphold its hard-earned legacy of excellence. With state of the art drilling rigs of varying sizes all throughout

the Southwest, the McVay Drilling Company maintains the breadth of scope and the sharp minds needed to power their cutting edge designs. Based out of the heart of New Mexico in Hobbs, a small city at the Mexican border, the McVay family has recently celebrated their 70th year as industry leaders in the Southwest. Operating six national drilling rigs between 7,000 and 18,500 ft. in Southeastern New Mexico and West Texas, the firm’s long service in the area is a testament to their enduring workmanship and sustainable designs. ELT Energy Leaders Today 55

THIS SPREAD: Red Oak Park, Boulder, Colo. The development was originally on the site for Mobile Manor, a mobile home community. Boulder Housing Partners tapped Lighthouse Solar as the solar energy provider for the project.

56 Summer 2012

Energy Matters

Energy runs smoother with Lighthouse Solar. The Boulder based company is passionate about their work and devoted to providing an effortless solar experience for their customers. by Emily Bond

Energy Leaders Today 57

ighthouse Solar has an agenda, and it's pretty easy to get behind — quality service with local and national support, in addition to clean sustainable energy for commercial, municipal, and residential purposes. The Boulder based company, with franchises across the U.S. isn't interested in solar as a purely profitable fad — this is a company with heart and actual tactile experience focused on quality products. Lighthouse Solar is quickly becoming a major player in the solar world, because of a business savvy approach and a passionate team. Lighthouse, began installing solar panels for the greater Boulder area in 2006, and shortly after created sister company Lumos Solar. The incentive behind creating Lumos, came from a desire to have more specified and frankly, better, quality of solar products. Through Lumos — Lighthouse 58 Summer 2012

Soar would be able create energy efficient products that would be tailored to their own needs and innovative ideals, "basically the industry standard product could be improved upon, whether it was the modules or the wrapping," Lighthouse Solar Director of Operations, Chad Parsons. Mixing their experience, gained from several years working with alternative energy, and creative insight into the design process to create a superior product. A product that would be, yet another outstanding element of their work. The design and development of the solar panels used by Lighthouse are brainstormed in Colorado and developed overseas. Lighthouse Solar and Lumos Solar are separate entities, although both were created by Solar Clean Energy Solutions, Inc. For Lighthouse, their initiative and desire to provide more than what you might expect from

an average solar panel company, exemplifies their motivations and drive. They're as focused on the quality of materials, as they are on their customer's experiences. A commitment that is evident through the outpouring of video and written recommendations from satisfied customers on Lighthouse Solar's website. Comments from clients tend to hit on several re-occurring positives — promptness, reliability, friendly service and quality. Their high level of quality is a direct result from the Lighthouse Solar's qualified team. A team that is not only competent with solar technology, but also dedicated to living a sustainable lifestyle. "We are a company striving to be profitable, but it's more than just a job — it's a lifestyle and a way of life that goes way beyond," Parsons said. The company is comprised of individuals who believe in the overall good their work can

Energy Leaders Today 59

60 Summer 2012

do, and the customers are exposed to this in the quality of their work. "We're sort of a group energetic individuals interested in contributing to a good cause, and each day working hard to do our part, to positively effect change through the implementation of solar. "I really think our impact lies in helping to facilitate the use of clean, free and unlimited energy," Pasons said. Their promptness, reliability and friendliness is a direct result of their business model. Lighthouse offers the best of both worlds, a national hub to support economic endeavors and large scale initiatives, as well as local franchises that provide the care that comes from a community involved business. This helps Lighthouse to provide clean affordable energy, with the national support of their headquarters with the service only a local community. Recently, a community that Lighthouse installed a solar photovoltaic system to each home, is receiving a considerable amount of praise â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Red Oak Park, Boulder, Colo. The planned residential community is the former site of Boulder Mobile Manor. Red Oak Park consists of 59 affordable single family housing units. Boulder Housing Partners,which spearheaded the development, completely transformed the former mobile home site into a highly sustainable community. A community that only accepts applicants for residency, which make within 30 to 50 percent of the Area Median Income. "The interest was in creating houses that were low in terms of cost of operations, the electricity, the lighting, anything that cost money, anything that they could do to have a positive impact," Parsons said. "For Lighthouse to be able to instal a system that would offset energy costs for 30 plus years, is a no brainer, and generally a small investment up front for such a huge impact." Each unit is designed to be as energy efficient as possible, with many "green" features to reduce utility costs for residents, and reduce their impact on the environment. Lighthouse Solar installed solar photovoltaic system, on the each of the units, which is tied to a power grid. By being with the project from design inception, Lighthouse Solar was able to assist in ensuring the most optimal use could be gaged from their work. Through making suggestions for the most optimal alignment of the roofs, in order to provide the best possible amount of energy gained. Lighthouse was also happy to work with the Red Oak Park project, this allowed them to share sustainable technology that is typically unseen in affordable housing communities. "Absolutely, the affordable housing community that are under served aren't able to easily access

LEFT: Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, Broomfield, Colo. In an effort to use renewable energy and reduce energy costs over the long term, Broomfieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Capital Improvement Projects division implemented nine solar power installations in the last three years, with Lighthouse Solar as their source for the panels and installation.

Energy Leaders Today 61

62 Summer 2012

solar, and to add it as an element in the building of a community, to provide them access to something that they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford, is a positive thing," Parsons said. Being able to effortlessly switch gears from residential to multi-phase large-scale projects, like the city and county of Broomfield, Colo. is another example of how Lighthouse Solar's business model works so well. In a multi-building project Lighthouse Solar, with their Power Purchase Agreement will save the city of Broomfield, Colo. an estimated $450,000 over the next 20 years. Lighthouse won the bid with the city to provide clean, local energy for several municipal buildings including the Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library for the city of Broomfield, Colo.

The project is a promising glimpse into a new trend among larger businesses and municipal buildings seeking to offset the cost of increasing electricity bills, by taking a proactive jump to solar. "Solar is a good option, specifically for low income housing, but on the municipal scale for city and counties, it's another way to hedge against increasing electricity costs and secure electricity rates, specifically coal, the city is able to lock in and secure their price for 20 years and put that money to use," Parsons said. In 2009, Lighthouse Solar began offering franchising opportunities and currently have 10 offices across the U.S. Providing best of both worlds, "when a new office opens up, they can use the national headquarters as a reference source," Parsons said.

"Each new office is supported by our corporate office and the client will have a national brand that can be trusted, while maintaining a local presence that provides a higher quality of customer service." Lighthouse Solar remains focused on their client relationships, knowing that word of mouth can be a powerful thing, and that when you're installing an innovative product you'll need to be communicative and helpful. Lighthouse doesn't just install the panels and leave, they take their time to educated new clients to make them as comfortable as possible with their new investment. "We're a passionate group of individuals and truly believe that solar is one of the many solutions to help the ongoing economic and environmental problems of today." ELT Energy Leaders Today 63

64 Summer 2012

SUNNY DISPOSITION When you’re positioning stays within the beautiful city of San Diego, Calif. Fred Carmody of Alltech Solar knows what matters, good business and a happy family. by Emily Bond

hen an economic crisis occurs, not everyone knows exactly what to do. In the midst of layoffs and cancelled projects, people begin to head back to the beginning, thinking back on those initial dream jobs the ones you had envisioned before ones that made more sense, or simply paid the bills. After all, not all of us grow up to be astronauts within an order of nuns, like I had planned shortly after seeing the Sound of Music and Star Wars when I was five-years-old. Fred Carmody, when a major contract ceased to be in the mid-90s, did not want to be an astronaut or a nun, he did want to do something he felt he could be proud of and his sons would be proud of too, while maintaining his specialty of lab-based work and within the world of alternative energy. Unlike some of the larger alternative solar companies that go public within a few short months, Carmody has kept his own work close to home and close to heart, founding a construction and solar company exclusively based in his home of San Diego, Calif. The company, Alltech Solar, which was founded in 1995 has kept a steady and pace, taking on larger scale federal projects, like the Wounded Warriors hospital in Camp Pendleton,Calif. to the smaller residential projects, like the beautiful Cafiero residence in San Diego. Carmody brings his highly diverse background as a former U.S. Navy veteran (noting he is very proud of the Navy’s latest “green-fleet initiative”), specialist within the bio-tech industry and work in specialized laboratory construction to each and every project, ensuring the upmost in quality. For the Wounded Warriors project, Alltech installed a modular wall system, a re-usable wall made of recyclable materials and will be recyclable

at the end of its life cycle. “Instead of installing walls that are made out metal studs and dry wall, when you want to reconfigure you have to demolish all of this dry-wall that goes into the dumpster and off to the landfill to never be used again, and it’s a terrible waste,” Carmody said. When quality doesn’t matter, or when projects need to be done swiftly they are often at the cost of eco-friendly measures — measures that with long-enough forethought are incredibly economical. Dry-wall demolition and set-up is not. “It’s cheap, but it’s not sustainable. This is a method of constructing those walls out of materials that are recycled and also re-usable. The walls are a high-end version of the cubicle, but that rises to the ceilings and has doors. If the businesses where the modular walls are installed want to re-configure, you can re-configure and at the end of its cycle if the wall will not be used anymore, the materials which it consists of, like glass and aluminum can be recycled into entirely new products. The product, which Carmody uses for these walls is called “DIRT, which stands for do it right, this time.” Alltech completed their work with Camp Pendleton, and has begun additional phases with the hospital. Larry Moore, Carmody’s business partner led the management for Alltech’s work within the hospital. Cafiero is a residential project from a preexisting client that Carmody worked with on a previous laboratory project. She was so pleased with the work, and had Alltech install photovoltaic panels to be design the system, permit and install. “We’ll take a customer’s electrical usage and design a system based on their needs and the site availability, to the optimal system for their Energy Leaders Today 65

"The other thing about building green, is that it’s much healthier for the clients, and for people to work in.

66 Summer 2012

usage. And then we’ll buy components, panels, wiring, mounts, etc. made by differing manufacturers depending on site specific needs. Primarily, though Alltech purchases their materials through CED Greentech and the panels used for Cafiero were from Phono Solar Technology. And the solar mounts were made by Haticon. Alltech also goes through the paperwork needed to complete for the solar rebates. They’re typically completed with projects in about 4 to 6 weeks. As far as Carmody’s shift towards solar, “It’s something I’ve tried to keep an eye on and incorporate into our business for quite some time.” Right now, the timing was definitely right for Carmody to jump into the solar game. It’s something he’s passionate about, and humbly noted is something his two sons, Chase and Clayton, both of whom work for the Alltech can be proud of. “I think

they’re proud of their dad. Their definitely not embarrassed or ashamed of what I do.” “I think its criminal a new home isn’t built with a zero-carbon footprint. The technology is there. I just shake my head when I see new housing projects, that are just built to code-minimum and don’t have a solar panel. But what people don’t realize is that solar is long-run cheaper and definitely better for the environment.” “The other thing about building green, is that it’s much healthier for the clients, and for people to work in.” Content with maintaining a smaller scale business, Carmody believes this ultimately will always provide a better business model, one based on trust and referrals while keeping his personal life in balance, “I want to have personal contact with every job, and more time for my family.”

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Residential solar panel roof design in San Diego, Calif. Alltech Solar.Carmody keeps a smaller-sized firm and believes in the increase in jobs alternative energy can create. Sustainable energy lab work done by Carmody, who previously worked exclusively with labs.

Energy Leaders Today 67

CALIFORNIA

LIVING

Reduce and Produce is the motto of the California Center for Sustainability. The non-profit offers a full education on how to live a greener lifestyle. by Paige L. Hill

68 Summer 2012

ou won’t get talked into buying a geothermal home system or wind farm when you visit the California Center for Sustainability. This unique, independent non-profit headquartered out of San Diego, Calif. is a one-stop shop for all things related to living an energy efficient lifestyle. From educating school children to tracking down government rebates, the California Center for Sustainability is helping those who come through their doors make complete lifestyle changes for a greener California. “People like that we aren’t selling anything, nor are we the government — we’re totally independent and we’re looking out for the customer’s best interests. What we present them is what we have carefully evaluated as the best,” said Irene Stillings who came on as CCSE’s Executive Director a decade ago. The Center is a nonprofit corporation which helps residents, businesses and public agencies save energy, reduce grid demand and generate their own power through a variety of rebate, technical assistance and education programs. CCSE also provides the community with objective information, research, analysis and long-term planning on energy issues and technologies. “We are filling a niche by providing objective and balanced information on all sides of energy issues,” Stillings said. “This field has gotten very complex and we all need some guidance in navigating it for your own home or business.” Stillings certainly should know how to navigate with 40 years under her belt in the field — beginning her career in an entry-level position at the New York State Electric and Gas Utilities and serving as Vice President there for 12 years. In 1997 Stillings decided to become an independent consultant in energy management before stepping into her role at CSSE. “This all began when I read Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring as a student in the 1960s,” Stillings said. “It is a whole new world in 2012. Everything has changed in terms of cost, but the mindset has changed as well. When I began working in 1974 electricity and the technology that uses it was seen as this savior from drudgery of housework. It was a very positive addition to daily life. Now electricity is measured out and we are advocating living more simply without as much electricity usage.” Energy Leaders Today 69

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The Center not only educates about living a greener lifestyle, they also offer guidance when making changes to one’s home or office and guidance on how to buy quality products. They also help those who have already purchased energy efficient products apply for government rebates, leading them through the paperwork. And for those businesses and individuals who have already made great strides in leading green lifestyles, the Center rewards them for their efforts. “We applaud them for their efforts and make a big show out of these positive role models in our communities hoping that other will follow their lead,” Stillings said. The establishment of the California Solar Initiative gave those efforts a boost as well. The California Public Utilities Commission is providing $2.1 billion to businesses, nonprofit organizations, public agencies and homeowners to help lower their energy costs, reduce their reliance on fossil fuel-fed power plants, and create a sustainable energy future through the use of solar technology. The CSI program is directly administered by each investor-owned utility, except for the San Diego Gas & Electric, whose CSI program is administered by the Center. The rulebook of the CSI Program, the CSI Program Handbook, describes the detailed requirements for receiving incentives for the installation of solar energy systems under the CPUC-managed incentive programs: solar photovoltaic, solar thermal and solar water heating, multiple-family affordable solar housing, single-family affordable solar housing and other solar technologies. “We advocate people to reduce and then produce when it comes to making a change to a more energy efficient lifestyle,” Stillings said. “By combining our work with the Solar Initiative we can reach more people. Solar isn’t the answer for every home or office though, which is why present all the options and we don’t make decisions for them.”

CLASSIC RESIDENTIAL classicresidentialinc.com Classic Residential has joined the movement to address home comfort and energy performance from the ‘whole-house’ approach. By applying building science principles, Classic helps customers get access to up to $4,000 in utility incentives while reducing energy bills. They pride themselves on managing the entire process with honesty and integrity. Whether you’re looking to build a new home or remodel/ renovate your existing home, you can count on Classic to do it right the first time. Ad on page 100.

Energy Leaders Today 71

Besides solar solutions, the California Center for Sustainability offers information in several other areas of renewable energy sources — wind, thermal, fuel cell and geothermal. The Energy Upgrade California statewide program is designed to take a comprehensive look at a home and how to make it more energy efficient from changing out the windows to installing highly efficient HVAC programs. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds the Energy Upgrade California and rebates are available to those who participate as well. The idea behind the program is for homeowners to see how some easy changes to their existing homes can make a major impact on the environment, instead of focusing on costly installation of one product. It is meant to attract the homeowner who might be deterred by the cost of solar panels or geothermal heating and cooling. “There are several things that motivate people to install renewable energy or weatherize their homes or offices,” Stillings said. “Though you would think it would be for the financial gains in the long term, those people are generally deterred by the cost of the investment up front. Many of the people who come to us are motivated by the thought that we are hurting the environment by using fossil fuels or that they’d like to leave a greener world for their children and grandchildren.” Always one to look to the future, the California Center for Sustainability is focusing on the next generation of energy users with their education programs focused in elementary schools, the Green Learning Adventure. “We want to get ‘em while they’re young,” Stillings laughed. “We are trying to instill lifelong habits by educating them at a young age about the environment and how to protect it. We will obviously continue to appeal to adults and how they can change their behavior, but ensuring the next generation won’t have bad habits to change is a safer bet!” ELT 72 Summer 2012

COOL CUSTOMERS

COOL AIR SOLUTIONS PROVIDES A WHOLE HOME APPROACH TO MAKE CLIENTS AS COMFORTABLE AND ENERGY EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE. by Paige L. Hill

he staff at Cool Air Solutions isn’t satisfied to rest on their laurels when it comes to providing whole home energy efficient solutions to California customers — they just keep training and learning more in order to offer their customers the most quality practices in their industry. “Our approach is to learn as much and often as we can so we are offering the best,” Justin Holmquist said, Cool Air Solutions’ owner and president. “Since we have gotten involved with the California Center for Sustainability, we have taken advantage of every class, workshop, webinar, you name it," Holmquist said. "They have provided so much assistance in helping get the word out about the benefits of saving energy all the way down to helping us with questions on our current projects. They are truly in it to help the environment and have provided us with such an amazing support system.” Cool Air Solutions is a full service HVAC company focused on ben-

efiting the customer and their comfort needs. When the Energy Upgrade California Program was established, Cool Air Solutions took the opportunity to further improve their service by concentrating on total building performance. “We found that some companies were installing really high-end systems, but only getting them working to deliver 60 percent of their design capacity,” Holmquist said. “We focus on delivered performance, we are not just installing equipment, and we are truly dedicated to building performance and comfort. We have become more invested in finding ways to improve the customer’s comfort whether it be in replacing their HVAC systems, windows, air sealing, insulation, lighting, and even shower heads.” Visit coolairsolutions.com for more information or call (888) 659COOL to speak with one of Cool Air’s helpful staff members. Energy Leaders Today 73

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WASTE NOT BioFuels Energy, LLC leads the charge for greener energy with three sites in San Diego, Calif. BY EMILY BOND

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hy wouldn’t you want cheaper energy? More efficient energy? Improved air quality? Build new business in the U.S. and take an existing energy overflow ---- that isn’t being used, but sits wasted as a negative to the environment and turn it into renewable resource? “A lot of people talk green, but when it comes down to being actual innovators, or applying it to business, they back away.” Owner of LNG Energy, Frank Manzanec. Manzanec is right. Restrictions and legislation made generations prior to the current bio-waste technology are out of touch. Those dated restrictions on re-usable biofuels created from an agenda that by the very notion of attempting to be more green --- is more of stagnate red. 76 Summer 2012

There are solutions, the City of San Diego, the University of California, San Diego Energy Innovation Park and the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant are all apart of the largest U.S. renewable-energy project from BioFuels Energy, LLC. The project is led by BioFuels Energy, LLC. a privately held corporation located in San Diego, Calif. BioFuels is developing multiple renewable energy projects, that collect biomethane gas from waste-facilities, like wastewater treatment plants, landfills and anaerobic digesters. Once the biomethane is collected, BioFuels purifies and condenses the gas, which is to be delivered via utility pipelines or with CNG trucks to their clients. The purified biomethane produces clean-

burning fuel cells that can produce energy for power generators or used as CNG to provide fuel to for vehicles. And the result? Cheaper, more efficient energy that actually reduces green house emissions, emissions that have often been left to pollute the air at a much higher rate without benefit of being turned into a renewable resource. Essentially, you can ignore the un-used energy or you can turn it into a benefit for everyone, including the environment. By purifying and destroying the excess biomethane, a very potent greenhouse gas (20 times more so than CO2), BioFuels will be off-setting the need for non-renewable resources like coal, natural gas and perhaps more significantly oil.

Energy Leaders Today 77

Otto H. Rosentreter Co. rosentreterco.co

As the EPC contractor for the UCSD and City of San Diego fuel cell installations, OHR Energy was responsible for the design, construction and interconnection of each system. OHR Energy is the most experienced fuel cell integrator in the country, having designed and installed over 30 fuel cell systems, over 20 MW of fuel cell projects and over 30MW of various cogeneration projects. See ad on page 83.

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BioFuel has the capacity to do this, and is currently doing so with their ground-breaking San Diego project. From the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant, BioFuels has built a biomethane gas purification plant that takes flared biogas from the wastewater treatment plant and directs the biofuels through their purification process, “We’re cleaning the gas up, which is at 62% methane and we take that to 98% methane, maybe more,” Manzanec said. “So we strip out most of the CO2, but we also remove water, sulfur, and VOC to meet the local requirements.” Once purified the resource is then injected into the San Diego Gas & Electruc natural gas pipeline. The renewable biomethane is used for fuel cells at the University of California, San Diego and the City of San Diego. “We’re injecting the cleaned up into the gas distribution –that directed biogas, then becomes a paper trail at that time to the UCSD and the city of San Diego.” Additionally,

the university’s fuel cell also offers the benefits of cogeneration, combined heat and power, in which case the waste heat can be tapped as a secondary power source, creating an overall net efficiency of about 60 percent, compared to about 33 percent for coal and oil fired power plants. The technology for the fuel cells, which was made by Concentrix are a part of a ten-year contract, wherein UC San Diego will buy the electricity produced by the fuel cell from BioFuels Energy at very competitive rates. The three fuel cells will produce approximately 35 million kW hours of electricity per year, reduce annual CO2 emissions by more than 25 million pounds, and save the City of San Diego and UCSD more than $2 million in electricity costs over ten years. “The biofuel is being consumed and used by the city of San Diego, they’re getting the energy at a reduced rate and essentially producing their own energy, becoming closer to a self-sustaining city,” Manzanec said.

The fuel cell located on the campus of UC San Diego is generatin a bit of buzz. Students, particularly from the engineering school, have been circling the project, “With the fuel cells on campus quite a few students who visit the sites right now, are just absorbing the technology, it’s pretty interesting for them,” Manzanec said. To be able to initiate this process was no small feat given the scale --- the U.S. San Diego fuel cell project is currently the second largest in country-presently Korea has the largest fuel cell plant—with all three locations their generating approximately 5.4 mW of fuel. “It was a very complex and very difficult process, it involved many agencies, many elements in regard to financing. We also received federal tax credit grants. What is unique are the new market tax credits, that made it very complex, and because we needed a contract with power purchase agreements,” multiple contracts and multiple financial avenues

necessitated the initiation and follow-through for the project. Contracts with the City of San Diego, the university, the local utility provider and the Point Loma Facility the state of California and HD Engineering (the primary engineering firm BioFuels worked with on the projects). And because BioFuel’s San Diego project was the first to inject the biomethane renewable waste into a pipeline, “the spec is the most stringent in the country,” Manzanec said. All three sites are currently up and running, and have passed all of the acceptance testing. As far as the outdated legislation Manzanec is optimistic it’s only a matter of time before the state of California catches up to the technology that is at hand. After all, increased access to efficient, inexpensive and green friendly energy is a very good thing. And BioFuels Energy, LLC is the premier company leading the charge in the revolution for alternative energy.

“The biofuel is being consumed and used by the city of San Diego, they’re getting the energy at a reduced rate and essentially producing their own energy, becoming closer to a self-sustaining city.”

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Californians for Energy Independence With over 40 megawatts of solar power underneath their belts, Silverwood Energy, Inc. is leading the charge of California's Energy Independence. by Emily Bond

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M BAR C CONSTRUCTION mbarconline.com

Since 1978, family-run M bar C construction has grown into one of California’s leading design build structural steel fabricators and installers of fixtures for solar panel mounting. Serving commercial, industrial, government and education, M bar C is sought by top solar firms like Silverwood Energy to handle small to large scale installations for solar. With over 70 megawatts of structural steel framework under their belt, M bar C has extensive experience installing solar structures. M bar C’s team of dedicated structural engineers work with clients to develop unique structures that serve their solar needs. M bar C has been working with Silverwood since 2002, and has continued their partnership in excellence by building parking lots canopies for the San Diego Unified school district. According to owner Jason Ianni, parking lot solar canopies are fast to install and also function as shade for cars in warmer climates. The payoff is quick, which results in more money that can go toward books and teachers salaries. Some schools are even utilizing the solar structures for science experiments. Ad on page 7.

THIS SPREAD: Sanford - Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, Calif. Silverwood Energy, Inc. Rooftop solar panels are installed swiftly and efficiently with Silverwood.

EST Silverwood Energy, Inc. isn’t a one-trick pony. The San Diego-based company is a multi-faceted, efficient, adaptable and qualified solar firm with ample experience. Founded in 2005 by President and CEO Joseph Bessler, Silverwood Energy, Inc. inception is largely due to Bessler’s son, Robert Bessler. “We got to work with solar panels, basically because of my son. He graduated from college and I asked him what he wanted to do with his life and to make a long story short, he wanted to get into solar and that’s what we did.” Silverwood, licensed in both Calif. and Arizona and can service a range of projects from the smaller residential to the much larger municipal and commercial scale. With less than 30 employees Silverwood is a medium sized company, but one that packs a large punch. With the experience of installing projects at 1 kW to 3 MW's, through the very quality of their work acquired 22 projects in Calif. and Arizona — with major retail giant, Macy’s. “We we’re hired to work with one Macy’s — they liked us so much, they got us to do more, and more, and more,” Bessler said. “It didn’t

start off as a huge contract. It grew out of them seeing and being happy with the work we had previously done for them.” Since not one Macy’s is identical, there were many different factors involved in the multiple projects, however Silverwood is particularly efficient and swift in their installation process. For instance the mechanical install for Macy’s solar roof installation in Orange County, Calif. took less than three weeks. Not a small feat, given the 334,000 sq. ft. store. To gain a sense of scale of the project, the picture of Macy’s from this article, was taken by a photographer — on a nearby Ferris Wheel. Bessler, however doesn't believe any well-run company would balk at the scale of projects they undertake, and that the typical difficulties other companies face are simply factors. "I don't consider them difficulties, this is normal construction preparations," Bessler said. "With shopping centers, you have to prepare a safety plan, ensure lifts are only done at certain time, so there aren't people in the building, directly underneath the work that is being done on the roof. But safety is the most important part of the business — and that shows through in the quality of the work." And by being asked back 21 times, it's clear the Energy Leaders Today 81

quality Silverwood's work is flawless, without being pigeon-holed into one particular field. “Like any company, if you’re a one trick pony you’ve got a problem, because at any given point the market for residential could be up and retail could be down, or vice versa — basically we want to keep ourselves focused in solar, but in various markets, so we can move with it,” Bessler said. The company is skilled to cover all of solar bases, for instance with numerous Macy projects Silverwood acted as the installation mechanics for the roof, a separate contractor supplied the panels. However with San Diego Gas & Electric Burnham Sanford Institute, La Jolla, Calif. — Silverwood took the lead as the general contractors of the solar roof mount, providing the materials and implementing the installation. The project took place in two phases with two research facilities in La Jolla, while both sites remained opened with students and researchers throughout portions of the project. "When you're dealing with research campuses, there are restrictions to make sure the work doesn't interfere with student's nearby," Bessler said. "With schools and research facilities, the time frame is 82 Summer 2012

more sensitive. "You have to bring in lifts and cranes — and cranes have large fall protection zones. You have to gain permission to shut down certain entrances of the building to maintain the safest possible working environment. With what we do safety is paramount." Silverwood Energy, Inc. draws safety plans in advanced for each project to be inspected by the client, and in the case of Burnham, "they had to physically approve it," Bessler said. To keep a low-to-none incident report means more to Bessler and the Silverwood team than being able to adhere to an OSHA standard, they take their work seriously and the lives of those that work with them and around the projects. "We have a very good safety record." Looking to the future, Silverwood plans on extending their services into the federal arena. Certified by the state of California and the U.S. Federal Government, Silverwood Energy, Inc. is a service-disabled veteran owned small business. And with the recent influx of solar business expected on military bases across the country, Silverwood will be on the GSA list for

potential contractors. Additionally, further adding to their roster of services the solar company has begun to sell solar panels to other companies. "Essentially we will use the panels on our own projects, as well as sell them to other people who are bidding on government contracts," Bessler said. Silverwood plans to also continue selling solar panels to the three major California utilities they do business with — Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric, and San Diego Gas and Electric. "We sell panels from all manufacturers, but for instance with the GSA requirements for the military bases they need to be American made," Bessler said. With the increase in sustainable design and energy efficient practices that the U.S. government is implementing throughout federal buildings, solar will be necessary in securing greener buildings. And Silverwood is among the top tier in the business to provide them with the services the federal government will need. "To be blunt, we know what we're doing. ELT

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Robert W Scherer Power Plant a coal-fire power plant, Juliette, Ga. The plant, which rests on 12,000 acres produces 3,520,000 kW a year via four units, enough electricity to generate power for three cities the size of nearby Macon, Ga.

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A CHIMNEY

SWEEP'S

DREAM

With over a century of work behind them, Hamon Custodis remains eons ahead in the chimney revolution. by Emily Bond

hen you’re in the business of chimneys and you can trace your company’s heritage back to one of the premier chimney inventors, you’re probably in the right field. Hamon Custodis, a subsidiary of the worldwide Hammon Group (Hammon & CIE), can trace it’s design roots all the back to the 1869 invention of the radial brick chimney by Alphons Custodis. The design was revolutionary. The now traditional design was used primarily for industrial operations. The radial design is most often seen in chimneys constructed prior the 1960s, thus were not built to industry or build codes --- and were simply seen as highly effective industrial grade units. With this invention, the radial brick allowed chimneys to be built taller, which in turn allowed factories to discharge gases at greater heights, reducing ground level pollution and increasing draft. After Custodis invented the world-changing chimney (although it’s doubtful he’s received the type of praise his invention truly deserves), he founded a chimney company in Canada, 1896. By 1902, The Alphons Custodis Chimney Construction Company was incorporated in NYC. Despite Hamon Custodis’ turn-of-the-century start, the company remains a modern force in the chimney field. They pioneered concrete chimneys as early as 1906 and feature alloy and fiberglass lining

systems. Without a doubt, given their lineage and success Hamon Custodis is the premier chimney company in North America. With a skilled and studied knowledge of turnkey design, furnishing and erection services for new chimney construction and aftermarket chimney repair, maintenance and demolition. Adding to their veteran status is largest staff of in-house engineering resources specifically experienced in the design/build of chimneys, that’s right they have the largest staff of chimney engineers than any other company in their field. This combination of talent plus wisdom are huge factors in the type of client Custodis garners, typically large-scale electric power plants and industrial-grade clients that need safe, longlasting chimneys. In the 1980s, Custodis completed the chimney structures for the Robert W Scherer Power Plant a coal-fire power plant in Juliette, Ga. The plant, which rests on 12,000 acres produces 3,520,000 kW a year via four units, enough electricity to generate power for three cities the size of nearby Macon, Ga. Custodis constructed two 1,001-ft. chimneys, for the plant in the 1980s. They’re still in top condition today used to emit emissions at massive levels, in fact Natural History magazine, in 2006 ranked the Scherer plant as the fifth largest single-point source for CO2 emissions in the U.S. The Center for Global Development listed the plant Energy Leaders Today 85

Custodis constructed two 1,001-ft. chimneys, for the plant in the 1980s. They’re still in top condition today used to emit emissions at massive levels, in fact Natural History magazine, in 2006 ranked the Scherer plant as the fifth largest single-point source for CO2 emissions in the U.S.

as the one of the world’s top 25 CO2, Scherer was the only power-plant to make this list. Proving that Custodis is not single-minded and only focused on industrial sized out-put -- they have a team that is passionately dedicated to safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, an agency within the US Department of Labor and The Stack and Chimney Health and Safety Committee, which includes all the major chimney contractors in the U.S. and representatives from all the major trades visited Custodis’ work-site at the Detroit Edison power plant in Monroe, Mich. Seeking to re-evaluate and update safety standards for chimney and stack design/build and repair Custodis was tapped as the premier source for a job well-done, and safely accomplished. The Detroit power plant work included a 580 ft. high, 70 ft. wide chimney, which was under 86 Summer 2012

construction. Specifically, OSHA and The Stack and Chimney Health and Safety Committee were examining the safety methods used to lift workers in slip form built chimneys. According to the Laborers’ Health & Safety Fund of North America, via blog post, the analysis of Custodis’ work began with a toolbox orientation for the visitors. Custodis had approximately two dozen workers, with operations running at a steady and focused pace. Concrete was raised to the work platform using a materials hoist, “poured into Georgia buggies, dumped into the forms and vibrated by the seven Laborers on the platform” according to the LHSFN post. After the concrete was put in place, rebar was added to the top as the entire form and platform were lifted every three minutes, one inch at a time. An additional hoist was used to transport workers and visitors to the

site platform, which was about 450 ft. high. After the exhibit of Custodis’ work, both OSHA and The Stack and Chimney Health and Safety Committee were impressed with the pre-cautions implemented and project. According to the LHSFN “OSHA representatives said the visit helped the agency acquire a first-hand understanding of the work and procedures in use.” Hamon Custodis, since their revolutionary beginnings in the turn of the century has completed work on over 10,000 chimneys around the world, many of which were world record holders at the time of construction. They excel in the world of the chimney, which is far more reaching in implications to the rest of the world than roasting chestnuts on a fire, but perhaps overlooked in the magnitude and necessity. Custodis truly is a chimney sweep’s dream and the ultimate pioneer in the chimney world.

SCANADA INTERNATIONAL, INC. scanada.com

A one-of-a-kind company based out of Bow, N.H., Scanada International, Inc. has the single largest and most varied fleet of slipform and heavy lift jacking equipment in the world. Utilizing a wide range of selfleveling hydraulic jacking systems complete with hi-yokes, pumps, oil hoses, fittings and jackrods, the firm takes clients from the preliminary stages of assisting in the development of construction details for slipformed structures on through the final stages of design drawings and technical assistance. Further, Scanada furnishes their highly qualified field technicians with the ability to advise clients during the fabrication, installation and operation stages of any and all slipform systems. It’s no surprise that Scanada International, Inc. boasts 40 year plus working relationships with companies like Hamon Custodis. Two of their most recent projects, the Plant Scherer Station for Southern Company and the Monroe Station for Detroit Edison, proved their success in slipform industry once again. “Basically we’re just a company that supplies a very specific service, but our clients have the choice to use foreign companies and they choose us,” said Klaus Hieronymus, principal engineer at Scanada. The two companies have worked on over 14 projects in just the last 6 years. In serving a global market, Scanada International, Inc. has truly become a repository of immense experience and talent. Ad on page 3.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Custodis for generations has been the premier source for chimneys and are experts on the safest process of building and designing the structures. Detroit Edison Power Plant, Monroe, Mich. Custodis completed a 580 ft. high and 70 ft. wide chimney for the plant. Hamon Custodis, since their revolutionary beginnings in the turn of the century has completed work on over 10,000 chimneys around the world. On the Detroit project, OSHA examined Custodis' work as an example of excellent safety used in the construction of the chimney.

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88 Summer 2012

The Sustainability is the farmer's mantra, while green innovation is iSolara's speciality. In St. Isidore, Ontario, Poulettes Skye Pullets solar power is for the birds. by Emily Bond

hat came first, the solar panel or the chicken farmer? Well, the chicken farmer, but since iSolara Solar Power has installed one of the largest solar panel commercial roof systems in North America — the two seem inextricably linked. Farming has always had a green bent, good farmers know resources are precious and using them to their fullest is not only cost-efficient it also provides a sense of grace to their work, but with mass production to meet demand industrialization farming seems to have taken on a more commercialized product vs. time mentality. Recently, the practice of merging traditional farming practices (that typically exude green-friendly points) with clean-tech (technology geared towards sustainable and green design) is taking hold. Simply, put more people, including businesses in the farming and agricultural field, know that sustainable design leads to a more sustainable business model. Again, something farmers have been doing for years. Cultivating the most out of every resource possible — and with the 2009 announcement of the Feed-In-Tariff program using solar as an energy alternative has become a vastly more viable resource. The FIT program from Ontario’s Green Energy and Green Economy Act, is North America’s first comprehensive guaranteed pricing structure for renewable electricity/resources. FIT is designed to stabilize prices under long-term contracts for business and residencies using renewable sources,

which include biogas, biomass, landfill gas, on-shore wind, solar photovoltaic (solar panels), and water power. The Ontario Power Authority implements the program, while encouraging development and use of renewable energy throughout North America. The goal is to phase-out the demand for coalfired electricity by 2014, making the FIT program the largest climate change initiative in Canada, according to the Ontario Power Authority. Aside from the program’s intent on making coal-fired electricity use as obsolete as possible, FIT will also generate new green start-ups and jobs, through a boost in economic activity geared towards clean-technologies. For three chicken farmers, Marcel Leroux and his partners Marcel Laviolette, Jean Souligny the FIT initiative has a very real affect. The traditional farming lifestyle means more to these three farmers, than just a huge product turn-out — it means quality products and sustainable practices that often involve re-using/recycling as much of your resources as possible. Contemplating the most applicable method to produce energy at a lower cost the farmer’s opted for their pullet replacement barn to be mounted with solar panels, atop their jointly owned chicken barns. Creating the Poulettes Skye Pullets, which is located in St Isidore Ontario. In an effort to put all their solar toasted eggs in one basket, the farmers decided that the pullet (a term for young chickens) barn would be the site for solar rooftop project, which would generate 100 kW of power. The project Energy Leaders Today 89

PREVIOUS PAGE: Gallus gallus domesticus, Red Junglefowl. The domestic chicken. iSolara Solar Power, Can. installed one of the largest solar panel commercial roof systems in North America, that happened to be for young pullets. ABOVE: Poulettes Skye Pullets, St Isidore Ontario. In 14 months, 528 panels were mounted on the 320 ft. long roof of the shared pullet barn.

took 14 months from the application process to the final roof mounting. A total of 528 panels were mounted on the 320 ft. long roof of the barn. iSolara installed the state-of-the-art micro-inverter technology system, with customized mount racking and online performance monitoring for the farmers to use. The total cost was approximately $600,000. iSolara Solar Power in conjunction with Hydro One, Canadian Solar, Enphase, Schletter, and ElectroLann developed and commissioned the system in record-setting time. iSolara President, Warren Abar, P.Eng designed the solar energy system for the pullet barn and kept a very interactive and open communication with the farmers throughout the process. Abar, has been designing solar energy projects since 1994, and strongly believes every building has the capacity to become an energy efficient space. In the 2011 opening ceremony for Poulettes Skye Pullets, barn owner Leroux commented that, “We were convinced from day one that our new chicken barn could be designed to hold a 100kW solar array that would deliver top energy performance. By working with Warren Abar from iSolara we designed the structure with the best slope and pointed it south to gain the most energy production. 90 Summer 2012

"We wanted to be involved in every step of the design so we would know everything needed to operate the system efficiently once the construction was completed.” iSolara, which Abar founded in 2003 has serviced over 200 clients in North America. The solar energy company is member of the Canadian Solar Industry Association, the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, Switch Kingston and Ecology Ottawa. Abar finished the opening ceremonies for the Poulettes project, by recognizing the support and initiative of the farmers and project contractors. “We are proud that Marcel, Marcel & Jean placed their trust in our company to deliver such a grand project on time and on budget” said Abar. “We started the project with a lot of confidence but also a lot of unknowns as the approvals processes were pretty immature and the program was still fairly new to most people. As we encountered issues or concerns, we were able to draw upon the advice and experience of a lot of good people that you see around us here today to find practical solutions that worked for the customer. I am very proud of the team effort and the final results.” iSolara effortlessly merges sustainable design with the traditional argicultural philosophy. ELT

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92 Summer 2012

WISCONSIN

SQUARED The Mid-Western city has more than cheddar on the mind. Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation has been pushing green initiatives since the 1980's in America's Dairyland. by Emily Bond

Good things seem to come from the great state of Wisconsin, famed writer Orson Welles, magician extraordinaire Harry Houdini, the theatrical pianist Liberace, and of course, in my humble opinion the greatest comedian to live, Gene Wilder. The Badger State, perhaps isn’t as well known for its lineage of great celebrities, however recently it’s gaining traction as a green mecca for sustainable design and implementation. Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation, on behalf of cities of Milwaukee, Madison, and Racine, was one of 25 applicants to win a highly competitive federal Better Buildings Grant from the Department of Energy to implement sustainable design and create green jobs. WECC, founded in 1980, collaborates with commercial, municipal, residential, consumer groups and government agencies to help them achieve and implement energy goals. WECC has coined the three green initiatives, Milwaukee Energy Efficiency, Green Madison, and Racine Energy Efficiency as the We2, to representative the collective efforts of the three cities. In a decade when you were more likely to spot lime-green jumpsuits than solar panels energy conservationists, had little options and in many cases little knowledge of alternative methods. WECC, from a growing interest in conservation and the increasing rise in oil prices, like Wilder’s character in Young Frankenstein realized there was an increasing and ugly hump, before many in the Midwest.

“You know, I’m rather a brilliant surgeon. Perhaps I can help you with that hump?” Dr. Frederick Frankenstein. “What hump?” Igor. WECC partnered with private companies offering alternative energy and green products, supported and assisted with local and federal government initiatives that could support green policy or implement it, and increased the knowledge based for and to accrue public interest in the green energy movement. In the words of Mr. Wilder, the green push, and specifically the We2 in Wisconsin is definitely “alive” thanks to WECC. We2 concentrates and adds to existing programs, like Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy, while implementing new initiatives, in order to deeper and more readily facilitate energy usage. We2 through WECC will expand the reach within the three Wisconsin communities apart of the program through marketing and public out-reach. Increase job-growth (specifically for green jobs), while tailoring each city’s sustainable needs to green efforts they can take. And in an effort to keep the “green,” in grassroots, energy advocates through the We2 program will be going door to door in their respective communities to get the word out. From the additional funds received, via the DOE grant local financing institutions in Wisconsin will assist homeowners and businesses with energy-efficient projects they undertake. According to WECC, Summit Credit Union is the exclusive partnering financial institute for Me2 loans and Green Madison loans. Energy Leaders Today 93

According to the WECC, financing for commercial, residential and companies be developed through finance models to that can scale up on a sustainable basis after the grant-supported program is completed. And the key highlights of the program financial initiatives include: loan loss reserve fund and commercial funding solutions. For the home-owners a portion of the BetterBuildings grant funds will be used to create a loan loss reserve fund. The public/ private partnership will allow funds to be mobilized and support Summit Credit Union, who will then offer specialized loans to residents participating in We2 green update projects, like installing solar panels or rain-water re-use flow systems. Using the funds from the grant will allow Summit Credit Union to create a wholly new financial product for Milwaukee Me2 participants and Green Madison participants. 94 Summer 2012

For the commercial sector, the loan loss reserve fun concept will create a Debt Service Reserve Fun, as well as a commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy initiative. The PACE will use energy savings to help pay down the loan acquired to update businesses to higher green standards, and will be available to all three Wisconsin cities within the We2 program. Me2 launched 2009 to residents and businesses within Milwaukee. The official kickoff occurred February 2011 and encourages the people of Milwaukee to be “Energy Einsteins.” Me2 hopes to improve energy-efficiency to 4,500 homes and 340 businesses by 2013. The Green Madison project, also has a goal of reaching 4,500 homes and 109 businesses by 2013. With a focus on households with moderate incomes and small to medium-sized businesses as a primary focus. Re2, the City of Racine’s program

launched April 2011, and will follow suit with Me2’s additional city programs. WECC recently released a press release May 2012, in which the premier leader in green design implementation of energy savings programs for the state of Wisconsin has won numerous awards for their efforts. Most notably, the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded WECC awards for the green efforts. Mary Schlaefer, the WECC president and CEO announced within the same WECC press release, that they are “proud to deliver real results in Wisconsin.” And that their mission remains to further advanced their sustainable and energy-efficiency agenda and that the, “WECC will contine to have a presence in delivering successful energy saving programs throughout the state.”

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t’s all in a name, and with 5N Plus their name says an a lot. Headquartered in Montreal, Can. 5N Plus takes the purity of their products to the 5’s, creating goods that are 99,999 percent (5 nine, or 5N) purer than the original source they begin with. 5N produces and specialize in the production and purification of tellurium, cadmium, selenium, bismuth and antimony, as well as related compounds such as cadmium telluride. According to their company site, their products are chiefly used in the manufacture of solar cells, radiation detectors, thermoelectric coolants, infrared lenses, optical memory devices and electronic storage devices. Aside from the producing purer compounds ( leading suppliers of CdTe and CdS, the essential components of thin-film solar modules) and metals, 5N Plus also provides clients with recycling solutions to meet green goals and transform production waste into a value-added product. 5N Plus, which began as a small operation with only 14 employees, this past June has been ranked number 15 among Canada’s 200 fastest growing companies by PROFIT Magazine, with a revenue of $162 million -- for the first quarter of 2012. For a 12-year-old company to be reaching such great heights, clearly they are exceptional at what they do. In June, 2000 a select group of forward thinking individuals from the ANRAD Corporation, formerly Noranda Advanced Materials, created their own company via a management buy-out. The buyout group included current 5N Plus President and CEO Jacques L’Écuyer and Marc Suys, our Director of Environment, Health and Safety. From their humble roots, to a company that currently employs more than 200 employees at four facilities and within locations worldwide (including a location in Germany), by 2003 they developed a highly technologically advanced refining plant in Montréal 33,000 sq. ft., which houses its hydrometallurgical operations. With a team of highly trained professionals in the refining world, by 2005, 5N could invest in a nearly $5 million 25,000 sq. ft. facility expansion, as well as in new-more advanced refining equipment. The continual growth allowed them to expand by 2007 further into the international market, by opening a 43,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in

Eisenhüttenstadt. The new German plant is owned and operated 5N Plus’ subsidiary company 5N PV GmbH. In seven short years, 5N Plus became a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange, no small feat, but certainly to be expected for such a well-run company. The specialty metals and compound company currently, as of 2012 employees over 640 employees world-wide and is a major business is supplying the solar industry. When catastrophe struck at Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, this past April leaving millions affected a decided shift was made in the market away from nuclear towards alternative methods. Fukushima, which reached a threat-level of seven from the International Nuclear Event Scale, bringing it within a tier previously held only by Chernobyl, has left a huge imprint in the minds of all those actively involved in the energy business. The worldwide effect, ultimately reached to the individual sectors. Often in the wake of tragedy lessons are to be learned. Companies with uranium stocks went down, while almost any kind of alternative energy stocks, likely went up. According the popular Canadian site, Cantech News, shares for First Solar, a U.S.-based company, which was the first to bring their solar manufacturing cost below a dollar per way, “spiked after the Japanese earthquake, from $139.74 on March 11th to $158.91 on March 15th.” First Solar manufactures thin film photovoltaic modules, or solar panels, to convert sunlight to electricity. Several years ago 5N Plus, with their superior production of essential components of thin-film solar modules, became a primary supplier to First Solar. When First Solar’s revenue was rising, they were being supplied cadmium telluride cells by 5N Plus. It’s unfortunate that such a large increase in solar came through such a monumental tragedy. To find positives seems terribly trite, however 5N Plus has remained just as determined and focused on their companies mission since their 200 inception, “to sustainably develop, produce and commercialize specialty metal and chemical products tailored to meet customer requirements.” Looking ahead, 5N Plus announced plans to build a new recycling plant in Malaysia which is expected to be operational by mid-2012. Energy Leaders Today 95

96 Summer 2012

BIG&BRIGHT Are for more than just the stars of Texas. Solar Community, LLC amps up the solar energy power for Houston-based company, Smith & Associates. Story by Emily Bond Rendering by Wing Yan Wong

The green-agenda is working. You can see it slowly taking hold in more tactile applications --- like re-usable FEED bags in grocery check-outs, to farther reaching, more abstract goals ---- like the massive implementation of solar panels a top commercial and municipal buildings. And from an unlikely city, well-known for its Halliburton headquarters. Blackwater base and various other energy heavy industries, comes a solar knock-out from Houston, Texas. Solar panels company, Solar Community, LLC based in Austin, Texas with locations throughout the North-East installed the roof mount and for Smith & Associates. A $2.2 million project, that has set a high standard for Houston as a place, not only to be known for its barrels of oil, but for a forward thinking approach to energy. Smith & Associates is a supplier for top-quality electronic OEMS and EMS providers. Solar, is a rapid growing aspect of the energy sector in the U.S. currently, a $6 billion industry, according to the Houston Chronicle. A number, not to balk at and clearly means that solar is so much more than buying that re-usable bag for your organic goods, it’s a long-term commitment with a long-term pay-off, for the client and for the environment. Not to mention the increase of potential jobs the alternative energy sector can produce, with an industry that large and growing. For Solar Community, LLC being headquartered in Austin, Texas is definitely a positive. Despite the lone-star state’s reputation for big hair, big oil rigs, and cowboys with boots dipped in that black gold it’s a surprising energy conscious place, specifically in Austin, one of the further left-leaning cities in the state. The Energy Conservation Office ranked Texas as first in the U.S. for possessing some of the richest solar resources with the potential to be the leading state in solar potential. According to the Houston Chronicle, in 2011 Texans installed “$112 million worth of solar energy systems, which meant meant a jump from 4.2 megawatts installed in 2009 to 22.6 megawatts in 2010,” enough to power an entire town.

And Houston, with its reputation for big oil and not necessarily for going big green is quite the misnomer. Houston, with over 200 companies in the oil and gas exploration based there, actually has a very large stake in the alternative energy push. Named after the American statesman, Samuel Houston, the city has consistently been ranked as a top ten U.S. city for Energy Star-certified Buildings, according to the EPA. And is often a LEED darling for architecture. Houston’s mayor, Annise Parker along with the city recently held a “Green Office Challenge,” in which approximately 300 businesses took place in, to create greener spaces in which to live and work. The challenge aimed to get Houston based companies and residencies to reduce their energy and water usage, and to produce less waste via environmental stewardship initiatives. The city wide-challenge raised the stakes for corporations to meet the aggressive green goals, which included a 30 percent reduction in energy use by 2014, a pretty big deal for the fourth largest city (population wise) in the U.S. The winners wouldn’t be receiving some huge-pay-off other than what would be expected from implementing higher-energy standards throughout their buildings, however Smith & Associates was thrilled to be noted as one of the business to meet the challenge. Solar Community, LLC helped the Houston company to reach that goal, to better improve their green footprint, while adding to the positivity and pride within Smith & Associates. Recently, Solar Community installed a 100 kW parking structure for the city of Round Rock, 30 miles north of central Austin. The system installed used solar panels, inverters and steel all manufactured in the U.S. Additionally, the Round Rock project provided jobs for local electricians, steel riggers, crane operators and painters. This large-scale system will generate approximately 135,000 kW hours of energy, which is the equivalent consumption of 10 homes. The city is now able to reallocate the savings from the electricity produced by the solar system elsewhere. Energy Leaders Today 97

MATT ANDERSON ELECTRIC & SOLAR

Prospect Identification • Geological Analysis • Drilling Mineral Lease Acquisition • Production Operations

C O MM ER C I AL • I N DU S T R IA L • R E S ID E NT IA L

MAKING THE WORLD A

BRIGHTER PLACE We specialize in high voltage and solar power. Working together with

JKB Energy, Matt Anderson Electric & Solar is dedicated to providing green energy alternatives for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. In addition to green power solutions Matt Anderson continues to provide service for all of your other electrical needs, such as lamp repair, landscape lighting, new LED technology, celling fans, sensor lights and extra outlets, just to name a few.

www.mattandersonelectric.com PO Box 175 • Turlock, Ca. 95381-0175 • 1487 Atlanta Court Turlock, Ca. 95380

Phone (209) 634-8706 • Fax (209) 632-8417

Chi Operating, Inc. is an independent oil and gas operating company based in Midland, Texas. Since 1983, we have specialized in the exploration of oil and gas reserves, primarily in Texas and New Mexico. We are strongly committed to developing and utilizing new and innovative technology and handle all our work in-house. Small and independent, Chi is a unique company that takes personal pride in making each venture a success.

Chi Operating, Inc. 212 N. Main Street Midland, TX 79701 Tel: (432) 685-5001

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Congratulations! to Swiss Solar Tech and their wonderful work. It has been a pleasure working with them and we look forward to future endeavours.

Utility Scale Solar Foundations Helical Piers installed by D&B Engineering Contractors is the ideal high performance foundation to support all types of solar panel racking systems. D&B has the experience and know how along with custom design and manufacturing that allows us to get your project out of the ground quicker and cleaner; keeping well ahead of racking assembly to put you that much closer to project completion.

Fabricator/Manufacturer & Distributor of Mechanical Insulation Since 1982.

Insulation and Aluminum Jacketing & Fittings for Solar Heating Systems Now Available!

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DEPENDABLE ELECTRICAL SERVICE

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S O LU T

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Put our Powerful Thinking to work for you. Steel Tree Structures modular racking system offers superior strength and ensures an efficient installation. As a company where Powerful Thinking drives innovation, Steel Tree Structures is a leading manufacturer of light gauge steel structures, including the introduction of a modular concept to solar racking. These racking systems are designed to fold down for ease of transportation and craning. The racks are manufactured and assembled in our environmentally-controlled factory located in Orillia, Ontario. Since most of the work is done in our factory, this system is ideal for difficult locations as the racking leaves our manufacturing plant preassembled, which dramatically minimizes the installation time. For a roof top installation, the modular system allows up to a 300kW system to be installed in less than three days by a six-man crew.

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Go Green with WILO. Conserve up to 80% Energy with our Stratos® Commercial High-Efficiency Circulators.

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The Classic Residential Inc. team has over 70 years of combined experience in building over 9,000 homes in Southern California, ranging from the starter home for the first time buyer to step up homes in the multi-million dollar range. Our relationships with over 200 professional trade partners and suppliers in Southern California allow us to deliver the highest quality in materials and workmanship at a very competitive cost. As an Energy Upgrade California Participating Contractor with support from the California Center for Sustainable Energy, the identification of comfort, safety and energy performance issues in clients’ homes sets Classic Residential apart from its competition. Acknowledgement: This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under Award Number DE-EE0000902. Disclaimer: This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United State Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

• Free In-Home Heating & Air Conditioning Estimates • Energy Saving/Gas & Electric Bill Analysis • BPI Certified Air Quality/Comfort Specialist • Duct System & Asbestos Assessments • Fiberglass and Cellulose Insulation • Attic Air Sealing • NATE Certified Service & Maintenance Contracts

Lic# 853661 This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under Award Number DE-EE0000902.

www.classicresidentialinc.com 3969 Nobel Drive, Suite 284, San Diego, California 92122 info@classicresidentialinc.com • Tel: 619.818.5793

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United State Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

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Committed to Quality, Safety, and Our Community Over the past 30 years Dennis Steel has developed an excellent reputation as a turnkey structural steel fabrication and erection contractor. Dennis Steel takes great pride in satisfying its customers’ needs and has worked with most of the major Central Texas general contractors for many years as a result of our commitment to our craft and excellent workmanship. Dennis Steel works with many different types of projects, from large scale commercial and industrial projects, all the way to small walk-in orders. There is no project or customer too big or too small, after all we started with just one truck. Follow us on:

Full-line Stocking Solar Distributor and Electrical Wholesaler Residential, Commercial and Industrial Project Support Credit Services Free Job Site Deliveries Within Southern California Product Training Classes Knowledgeable and Experienced Sales Staff C.E.D. Greentech is a division of C.E.D. Inc. that specializes in the distribution of solar equipment and energy efficient products. We stock every component needed for a solar install from P.V. modules to circuit breakers. We proudly serve the installer, integrator and utility communities.

7980 Ronson Road  San Diego, CA 92111

Toll-Free: (877) 801-5747  Phone: (858) 277-4223 Web: www.cedgreentechsd.com www.dennissteel.com

it comes to your l needs, our job is e your job FOR ALLeasier. YOUR ELECTRICAL & ENERGY NEEDS

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one-stop shopping for all your electrical needs. We understand that your job is a challenging

Or, if finding environmentally viable energy-saving options is a concern, you can turn to us for a variety of solutions, which conserve energy and lower operating costs. Solutions such as lighting upgrades can reduce the energy consumed while maintaining or enhancing your work environment. It’s the perfect way to lower energy bills and apply the saved dollars towards developing new technologies, new products, and improving your market position.

one, often filled with safety, environmental and financial issues. That’s why our dedicated staff is always available to consult with you on a one-to-one basis. Whether you face the prospect of ordering lighting, lamps, and switches, or choosing the right lighting or solar solution for your

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FC&T

LOCATIONS Augusta, NJ Bergenfield, NJ Fairfield, NJ Fairview, NJ Jersey City, NJ Phillipsburg, NJ Bricktown, NJ Flemington, NJ Freehold, NJ Hamilton Twp, NJ Linden, NJ Middletown, NJ Morristown, NJ Ocean, NJ Swarthmore, NJ Plainfield, NJ Egg Harbor Twp, NJ Manahawkin, NJ West Berlin, NJ West Deptford, NJ Bay Shore, NY Elmsford, NY Garden City Park, NY New York, NY Newburgh, NY Bethlehem, PA

FUELLGRAF CHIMNEY & TOWER, INC.

1126 New Castle Road Prospect PA 16052

ELECTRICAL DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

P: 724.865.8091 F: 724.865.8095

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www.cooper-electric.com

CHIMNEYTOWER.COM CONGRATULATIONS TO HAMON CUSTODIS • We’re proud to be partners in success.

Colonial ElECtriC Has all tHE

Solar SupplieS You’ll Need

uNder The SuN!

The world around us is changing, and at Colonial Electric, we are proud to be a part of “go green” innovations. With our years of experience and large network of solar vendor partners, Colonial Electric will have the solar products you need, when you need them, for your next solar project.

www.ColonialElectric.com

• • • • • • •

Reliable. Resourceful Responsive PROVIDING DESIGN/PERMITTING SERVICES FOR LARGE-SCALE SOLAR FACILITIES • Site Feasibility and Due Diligence • Site Plan / Land Development Design • Project Management

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PRINCETON, NJ

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PITTSBURGH, PA

100 Overlook Center, Suite 200 Princeton, NJ 08540 609-920-0268

201 Penn Center Blvd., Suite 400 Pittsburgh, PA 15235 412-253-6569

www.LANDCOREconsulting.com

LOW ENERGY COSTS HIGH VOLUME HOT WATER Delmarva Roofing and Coating specializes in installation of commercial and industrial roofing systems and also home or commercial deck waterproofing membranes. We focus on eliminating leaks and repairs while providing unparalleled waterproofing and long-lasting solutions. To save an existing roof or outdoor living space, or to complete new construction, we are the first choice across Delmarva; from Rehoboth Beach to the Baltimore Inner Harbor— and from Wilmington to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

Visit us online: www.delmarvaroofing.com Or call for a free estimate!

Indirect Fired Hot Water Tanks for any Hydronic Application

Advance Metalpres stainless steel, indirectly fired hot water tanks are the most efficient method of providing your home or small business with the comfort of undisrupted hot water while saving energy and money. Advance Metalpres will accommodate fitting changes for custom tanks, both pressurized and non-pressurized styles.

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302-349-5174 Delaware: Wilmington • Dover • Rehoboth Beach Maryland: Salisbury • Easton • Cambridge • Baltimore • Ocean City

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156 Railroad Avenue • Albany, NY 12205 • Ph: 518.438.0139

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20 Jetview Dr • Rochester, NY 14624 • Ph: 585.235.0160

22432 US Route 11 • Watertown NY 13601 • Ph: 315.782.8247

We believe a solar distributor should deliver value through quality products, knowledge and personal service!

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