#15 Postponed, No Longer on Tonight’s City Council Agenda

Posted on May 9, 2013 by SuzanneSolar

Public input on the Austin Energy governance ordinance has been postponed until May 23rd.

Vocal citizen opposition to handing control of our publicly owned electric utility over to an unelected board has forced major changes in the ordinance. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that the schedule was changed with so little notice.

Don’t show up at City Hall tonight, but mark your calendar for May 23.

Your participation is important and we may find find the ordinance changed again in a couple weeks.

We will keep you updated and let you know when a time is set for the May 23 hearing.

Please contact Kaiba White at kwhite@citizen.org with any questions .

Thank you for staying engaged.

Solar Austin Happy Hour: Tech Innovation Beyond the Panel: Energy Optimization

Posted on May 6, 2013 by SuzanneSolar

RSVP HERE

Wednesday, May 15th, 6:30 – 8:30pm

Spiderhouse Cafe, 2908 Fruth Street, Austin, TX (map)

(in the back, under the big white tent)

Advancements in power converters allow modern solar installations to perform more efficiently and owners to monitor their systems accurately in real time.

On May 15th, we’ll hear from leaders in the power converter field. Each has decades of experience to share. We hope you’ll join us to learn more about energy optimization.

RSVP HERE

Panelist information:

Ray Burgess

Ray is the president of Draker Energy. He has extensive experience in corporate leadership and general management with over 30 years in the technology industry. Mr. Burgess co-founded Solar Power Technologies in 2009 and served as President and CEO through the successful merger with Draker Laboratories Inc. in August 2012. He previously served as CEO of Teravicta Technologies Inc, a Texas based MEMS switch company and of Tao Group, a UK company delivering multimedia software solutions to the wireless industry. Mr. Burgess spent over 20 years with the Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector and was a member of the executive team that led the company through its transition to Freescale Semiconductor and its successful IPO in July 2004.

Draker Energy was founded in 1999. Draker is the global leader in performance monitoring and control of solar power systems. They are the first company in the United States to provide independent monitoring and performance analysis of energy produced by solar arrays. The type of independent energy metering, verification, reporting, and performance analysis we pioneered has become a key contributor to the rapid growth of the solar industry, allowing for validation and enforcement of incentive payment schemes around the world.

John Merritt

John has 30+ years of technical experience spanning product marketing, product development, engineering, and project management in high-tech companies. Prior to joining Ideal Power Converters in early 2013, he spent 3 years at Draker working on both solar monitoring and solar power optimization technologies. In additional to his interests in solar and energy storage, John is passionate about sustainable business practices, energy efficiency and water use, and the smart grid.

Ideal Power Converters has invented, patented and commercialized a revolutionary new technology that significantly improves the weight, size, cost, efficiency and reliability of electronic power converters – the conduits to modern energy. Based on patented indirect Energy Packet SwitchingTM topology that uses a standard lightweight hardware design and embedded application-specific software, IPC serves the multi-billion dollar power conversion markets of renewable energy, electrical energy efficiency, smart grids and electric vehicles.

Paul Malone Craig Lawrence

Craig is the VP Marketing at SolarBridge Technologies. He is responsible for strategic marketing, product management, product marketing and marketing communications. Prior to joining the company, Lawrence served in executive roles at SunEdison, a global leader in solar energy, including vice president of products and general manager of Sun Edison’s Residential and Light Commercial Business Unit. Prior to SunEdison, Lawrence led the Energy Practice at IDEO, a global design and innovation firm providing product design, engineering and marketing services to leading renewable energy companies and utilities. Lawrence also led energy investing activities as a principal at Accel Partners, a top Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Lawrence holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.

SolarBridge Technologies offers solar module manufacturers and installers an innovative microinverter solution that makes rooftop solar simpler, more cost-efficient and reliable. With the SolarBridge AC Module System, module manufacturers and installers can offer their customers a complete, roof-ready AC module solution. With an integrated SolarBridge Pantheon, each AC module can perform its own power conversion. Their on-site and web-based management system completes the solution for 24/7 monitoring of every customer’s system.

Austin Energy Governance

Posted on April 23, 2013 by SuzanneSolar

Solar Austin’s position on the proposed changes to Austin Energy governance, along with additional blogs and video links: click here

Solar Austin Happy Hour: Solar Technology Advancements Beyond the Panel – Energy Storage, April 17th

Posted on April 2, 2013 by SuzanneSolar

The renewable energy sector has been hard at work trying to solve the problem storing energy that is produced by variable methods such as solar, advancing battery technology to provide better options than the short lived disposable batteries with which we grew up.

On April 17th, we’ll hear from leaders in the field of energy storage development. They represent three cutting edge Austin companies that are moving energy storage technology forward with their work.

RSVP HERE

Amanda Brown

Amanda is the Vice President of Policy & Regulatory Affairs at Xtreme Power. She will speak about utility scale storage.

With 8.2 MW of solar variability being managed with high tech energy storage systems in the US, Xtreme Power is demonstrating that managing large scale solar utility projects is absolutely possible.

–

Marc Kohler

Mark is the Director of Product Management at ActaCell. He will focus on energy density and phone and EV type storage.

ActaCell is developing the next generation of Lithium Ion battery technology. Their Power Cell reduces weight, volume and cost by 33%, while increasing energy density by 33%, and the size of the cell can be tailored for different applications from EVs to grid stabilization.

–

Paul Malone

Paul is the Director of Sales and Marketing Communications at Valence Technologies. He will speak about large format rechargeable batteries.

Valence Technologies has developed the first commercially available large format family of lithium iron magnesium phosphate (LiFeMgPO4) rechargeable batteries for EV’s, marine applications, emergency and back-up power, and micro-grids.

–

When: Wednesday, April 17, 2013, 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM (CDT)

Where: Chapel Stage at Spider House, 2908 Fruth St., Austin, TX 78705

RSVP HERE

Solar Austin Happy Hour: A town hall meeting regarding Austin Energy Governance

Posted on March 11, 2013 by mattw

We’ve moved our Happy Hour location to the 29th Street Ballroom at Spiderhouse (2908 Fruth St, Austin, TX.).

Where: Spiderhouse, 29th Street Ballroom

When: Wednesday, March 20. HH start at 6:30 pm, Discussion starts at 7 pm

Please RSVP

Please join us for what may be the first but hopefully will not be the last advertised venue for public discussion of changes to Austin Energy Governance.

City Council is proposing creation of a new board that will have hiring and spending authority. We will provide some overview of the issue and then invite attendees to share their questions and opinions with the group. We intend to have persons on hand who can answer questions, share experience regarding CPS (which has a board structure similar to the one proposed), and share perspective on the purported goals of the change.

Who joins the board and how? What are the implications for the solar industry, the progressive programs that have earned AE national recognition, and the utility’s relationship to the city and its ultimate owners – its citizens?

A new body that can set policy and influence rates merits as much or more discussion than the rates themselves. Please RSVP

Supporting Materials, posted on the City of Austin’s City Council Meeting Agenda

#41: Approve a resolution directing the City Manager to prepare a comparative report evaluating the performance of both Texas and national public utilities that are governed in whole or in part by an independent board, both individually and with respect to Austin Energy’s performance and policy goals.

For reference: Austin American-Statesman editorial from March 5, 2013

Solar Austin Happy Hour – Learn the Latest at Austin Energy!

Posted on February 4, 2013 by KaibaWhite

We invite you to join us at the Chapel Stage at Spider House on Wednesday, February 20th at 6:30 pm to meet Deborah Kimberly, Austin Energy’s new VP of Distributed Energy Services, and get an update on Austin Energy’s solar programs from Lesley Libby, the Solar Program Manager. Please RSVP.

SPEAKERS:

Deborah Kimberly

As of January 22, Ms. Kimberly is the new VP of Distributed Energy Services at Austin Energy. Prior to that, she was the Director of the energy efficiency and marketing groups for Salt River Project (SRP), the third largest public power electric utility in the country, based in Tempe, Arizona. Since 1982 Ms. Kimberly had served in many capacities at SRP including analyst, manager of financial planning, special projects manager, manager of financial services, manager of energy efficiency and policy analysis and director of customer programs and marketing. As Director of the energy efficiency and marketing groups, her responsibilities included energy efficiency product design and implementation, marketing of all SRP products, price plans and services, corporate events management, measurement and evaluation, and customer and market research.

At Austin Energy, Kimberly will oversee the utility’s energy efficiency and load management programs, including Energy Efficiency Services, Green Building, Solar Programs, Emerging Technologies, Key Accounts, and Data Analytics and Business Intelligence.

Leslie Libby

Ms. Libby is the Solar Program Manager at Austin Energy. She graduated from Montana State University in 1984 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. In December 1992, she graduated with a M.S. in Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. From May 1991 to the present, she has been employed by Austin Energy. Leslie has managed Austin Energy’s solar incentive programs from it’s inception in 2004.

From 2004 until the present, Austin Energy has provided customers with $30 million in incentives which has allowed 1900 participants to install 7 MW of solar on their rooftops. Austin Energy’s latest achievement is the creation of an innovative “Residential Solar Rate.” This rate compensates customers who have invested in local, distributed solar for the value these resources provide the utility. This rate has been nationally recognized by Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and most recently by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC).

We hope you hope you’ll join us to hear from both of these great speakers! Happy hour starts at 6:30 pm and the program will start at 7:00 pm.

Mark Your Calendars for The Texas Solar Energy Society Annual Meeting in January

Posted on January 11, 2013 by SuzanneSolar

Saturday, January 19th, 2013, 1:00 – 3:00 pm

Please RSVP to lucy@txses.org

Join us again at Las Casas Verdes, Austin’s first true all solar neighborhood. We will briefly cover basic TXSESbusiness, look at the year ahead and solicit ideas from you on possible future projects.

We’ll hear from Dr. Gary Vliet, a founder and longtime TXSES supporter. He’s been using solar car kits to educate elementary students – future utility users- on power from the sun. A recipient of a DOE Solar America Cities grant for his program, he’s looking to expand this learning tool around the state.

IT’S OFFICIAL! THE GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE COMING!

Daniel Noll and Colleen Dawes, graduate students at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, will discuss their study on the diffusion of solar pv in the U.S. residential market. Part of the study focuses on the influence of non-profit organizations (like TXSES) and information networks on the adoption of solar.

Please join us on January 19! Our hosts, David and Rhonda Martin, will again show folks around this all solar development, which is filling out nicely. You’ll recognize one of the homes gracing the cover of the 2012 ASES National Solar Tour guidebook, a compliment to David’s vision of a solar powered community.

Warm regards,

Lucy Stolzenburg

Please RSVP to lucy@txses.org

www.txses.org

Solar Austin Happy Hour – December 19th

Posted on December 11, 2012 by SuzanneSolar

Solar Austin Happy Hour: Success Stories from Solar Owners & Open Mic Invitation

Walking the Walk and Ready to Talk –

Come one, Come all, Come Share Your Solar Experience!

Do you have solar on your home or business? This is your opportunity to share your experiences with our community! Please join Solar Austin at the 29th Street Ballroom (Spider House) on Wednesday, December 19th to hear the straight scoop on going solar in Austin. We talk a lot at our events about the big picture solar scene – the players, policies and programs that affect Austin’s solar future. Now it’s time to hear from the people who are really making it happen – the owners!

Sign up to attend here

We need you to stand up for solar on December 19th!

Posted on December 7, 2012 by KaibaWhite

We need you to stand up and demand better clean energy policy on December 19th! The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission is holding a hearing on the effectiveness of the Public Utility Commission (PUC).

We need to use this opportunity to push for better policies for clean energy. The PUC has once again refused to implement the non-wind renewable portfolio standard without any public discussion. Let the Sunset Advisory Commission know that you are displeased with the PUC’s refusal to implement the law.

We also need to push for a statewide net metering policy. Many electric customers outside of Austin and San Antonio don’t receive any credit on their electric bills for the energy that they push out to the grid when they are producing more than they are using. This unfair and provides a disincentive for installing distributed systems in many areas. We need to start pushing for a statewide net metering policy now.

We need solar advocates like you to make your voices heard!

Even if you don’t wish to speak at the hearing, your presence would still be a good show of support.

Rally for Clean Energy and Good Jobs – Thursday, October 18 at Noon

Posted on October 15, 2012 by KaibaWhite

[Show as slideshow]

We are taking our Clean Energy Works for Texas campaign to the doorstep of the Public Utility Commission (PUC) this week.

We hope you will join us for a rally on Thursday, October 18 at 12 p.m. in front of the William B. Travis building at 1701 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701

We are urging the PUC to create rules to enforce and expand the non-wind renewable portfolio standard (RPS). Passed into law in 2005, the non-wind RPS has languished at the PUC, thanks to pressure from certain lobby interests not to enforce the law. 7 years is too long to wait.

The PUC needs to hear that the people of Texas are ready to get to work building 21st century energy economies. With more solar potential than any other state, Texas has an opportunity to grow our economy. Our workers should be supplying solar panels, inverters and other equipment to the rest of the country and the world. Enforcing the non-wind renewable portfolio standard will send a message to investors that Texas is open for business.

To RSVP and see updates about the rally, find us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/events/186701511465498/) or Eventbrite (http://rallyforcleanenergyandgoodjobs.eventbrite.com).

For more information on the campaign and to sign on in support, visit www.CleanEnergyWorksForTexas.org.

Contact kwhite@citizen.org with any questions.