The construction industry has been evolving since cavemen walked the earth.  Modern science has improved every aspect of building and new standards continue to evolve.  LEED is one of the latest benchmarks of quality for construction projects.
The non profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), defines and governs the LEED standards.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.   Projects are rated and certified through an approval process governed by the Green Building Certification Institute at several levels.   LEED certification for a project means more costs up front but less costs for the ongoing operation of a building.  A common mosconception is
that a LEED certified building will have a zero carbon footprint.  That would be nice but a LEED certification
tells everyone that the materials and processes meet the guidelines of LEED certification.

Extensive reading, studying and testing go into becoming LEED certified.
Read the History of LEED in 5 minutes here LEED Wiki
Read the USGBC information here   www.usgbc.org 
Read the GBCI information here    www.gbci.org

Take a load off Texas in the ONCOR service area starting June 21st!  The hugely successful program quickly ran out of funds and has announced a new round of funding.

The program accepts businesses and residential customers located in the vast Oncor service area and served by an “ONCOR meter.”  This leaves coops out of the opportunity.

From the ONCOR Website:

Solar PV systems must meet all of these criteria:

• Must be a new grid-connected solar PV system
• Must meet Oncor’s interconnection and Solar PV Program Requirements
• Must meet a minimum estimated performance threshold. Systems with excessive shading or undesirable solar panel orientation will not qualify for an incentive.

Program Incentives & Savings
The incentive level for program year 2010 is $2.25 per watt for residential and $1.75 per watt for non-residential installations. Incentives are calculated based on the total DC capacity of a solar electric system, determined by the sum of the DC capacity of all modules installed. The incentive covers up to 10 kWdc for residential customers and up to 100 kWdc for commercial, government, and nonprofit customers.

This program coupled with the federal program means a significant savings for your business or home.  Texas is blessed with a lot of sunny days and programs like this keep making Texas a brighter place to live!

Review the ONCOR Program Manual Here

Special Opportunity in  Austin Texas June 10th and 11th for a CEU qualifying class in Electrical Grounding for Wind and Solar applications.

Register to Win a Free Electrical Course in Austin Texas!
TexasSolar.com announces an immediate opportunity to win a Free Electrical Course in Austin Texas by the generous partnership with Lyncole XIT base in Torrance California.

Class is June 10th and 11th in Austin covering “best practices” for electrical protection, proper grounding system design process, ground resistance testing as well as the opportunity for hands-on soil resistivity and grounding system testing.  Attendees from both the office and field leave the course with a much better understanding due to the combination of “on the job” training and grounding design theory.

Electrical Grounding Course includes 16 hours of training covering:

• Purpose and Definition of Grounding
• Grounding System Design Process
• Soil Resistivity Testing
• Types and Characteristics of Grounding Electrodes
• Ground System Resistance Testing
• Electrical Bonding
• Exterior Grounding/Interior Single Point Grounding
• Lightning Protection
• National Electrical Code Requirements
• Electrical Surge Protection
  Course Approved for 1.8 CEUs, 16 BICSI CES Credits and 16 NETA CTDs

Signup for the drawing now, the drawing is June 8th

If you absolutely want to get fantastic training you will actually use then
GET MORE INFO AND REGISTER FOR THE CLASS at the LYNCOLE Website.

Everything is setup and looking good.  There is a big money vibe with everyone feeling good about the expo coming to Dallas off of last years success in Chicago.   Texas has one of the largest footprints of renewable energy production, larger than some countries.  

This industry conference brings the best minds and companies together to share real world experiences and upcoming academic technologies. 

Check it out and get more info at Wind Power Expo   See you there.

If you did not know about this event and want to know then go to our SignUp page.

Get ready for the Live Green Expo in Plano.   April 17, 2010 

This is a FREE event with over 150 exhibitors and is probably a better family event than the Renewable Energy Stampede in Salado TX on the same day.
Check it out Saturday,  Plano Centre · 2000 E. Spring Creek Pkwy. Plano, TX 75074

>Exhibits and on-going demonstrations
>Speakers and workshops
>Fun learning activities for kids
>Musical performances

Expo Themes
Education
Energy
Food and Agriculture
Green Building & Remodeling
Indoor Air Quality
Lifestyle & Recreation
Transportation
Wast Reduction
Water

Energy tax credit raised from 10% to 30%.  This is a huge leap forward and
geothermal, solar water heaters, solar panels all qualify.
Work to caulk your office and house to seal up leaks, weather strips on the doors all count.
It is a misunderstanding that to get a rebate you have to go solar or install wind turbines.
A fresh coat of paint even helps and makes the old castle look better at the same time.
What did you do in 2009, it may qualify.  Check with your accountants.

Texas Solar, supporting energy independence for Texas!

We do this by being devoted to youth and general education of alternative energy market updates, current product solutions and upcoming technologies.  As a not for profit, 100% of the dollars raised goes to the mission. There are no employees and all work is done by diligent volunteers.

Participate in Texas Solar Society events and other events around the state.
We provide consulting to civic communities and businesses looking at energy improvements.

What do you get when you have a bunch of engineering types all thinking together?
Texas Solar, supporting energy independence for Texas!

First Solar announced production costs under 1$ per watt.  Now 11 months later the company
is going to help neighbors in New Mexico with a 22MW power exapansion project.  The installation when approved by state regulators, (a formality) will be expected to power another 7,000 New Mexico homes.  The solar foot print in New Mexico has a high “Sun Days” count and favorable climate for solar acceptance.

The new capacity is expected to go online in 2011.  This is progress and everyone hopes the regulatory hurdles and site approval will go quickly for PNM the utility company funding the project. 

About PNM

PNM is a subsidiary of PNM Resources, an energy holding company based in Albuquerque, N.M. PNM provides electric utility service to about 500,000 retail customers in New Mexico. PNM Resources stock is traded primarily on the NYSE under the symbol PNM. For more information, see the company’s Web site at PNM.com.

About First Solar

First Solar manufactures solar modules with an advanced semiconductor technology and provides comprehensive photovoltaic (PV) system solutions. The company is delivering an economically viable alternative to fossil-fuel generation today. From raw material sourcing through end-of-life collection and recycling, First Solar is focused on creating cost-effective, renewable energy solutions that protect and enhance the environment. For more information about First Solar, please visit http://www.firstsolar.com

German power and gas conglomerate E-On has announced production of the largest wind farm to date in Texas and the world.  The company operates in multiple countries. The stock dropped on the news and is operating at a 10% lower stock price than the prior year.

It is great the company is forging ahead with green solutions and putting in substantial capital along the way.   While the ride is not easy the goal is profit and with such large projects already in the ground investors will be happy again soon.

Visit the company website www.eon.com for first hand information because we realize there is a lot of misinformation being blogged with this announcement.  This is a Power Company!

In a country as large as the US deploying a national smart grid had to start somewhere.  Why not Boulder Colorado which is somewhat centrally located?  Xcel Energy has officially announced the city is online after a conversion of numerous switching stations and transformers.   This is a good start and it seems the best benefit is prediction of failures rather than massive redirection of power.   Smart sensors are monitored and fluctuations are detected by the companies specially designed software.   This provides the utility company a better early warning system so they can be proactive and avoid service interruptions.   The overall implementation helps reduce demand and distribute power where needed.  Read the press release and get more links to partner companies here. A number of competitors have smart grid technology but Xcel has the claim this is the first complete city to get smart.  Xcel Energy has the ability to scale. More projects and development are ongoing.  Xcel Energy.