GOING SOLAR PROGRAM

Thanks To The New American Vision Solar™ Power Purchase Agreement

Solar panels create a ‘green’, pollution-free source for heat, light and electricity. The technology has been around for a while, in fact, because satellites utilize solar panels, we already rely on solar power for many of the gadgets we use everyday from cell phones to GPS systems to satellite TV. Large corporations are now relying on solar to power their plants and factories while major league ballparks use it to power LED scoreboards. So what has been keeping the average homeowner from installing solar panels on their home? Hands down, the answer is the upfront cost to install the solar panels.

Thanks to leaps in technology over the years, solar panels are more within your financial reach than you may think. The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) from American Vision Solar™ is a brilliant, cost-effective program that helps homeowners take advantage of solar panels with little to no upfront costs. By signing an American Vision Solar PPA, qualifying homeowners will get professional installation of the highest quality solar panels on their home, and immediately reap all of the amazing benefits solar has to offer.

“A lower carbon footprint, significant monthly cost savings and added home value are just a few significant reasons why homeowners are taking the plunge to go green with solar,” says Bill Herren, President and CEO for American Vision Solar. “And the new PPA from American Vision Solar now makes it possible for virtually every homeowner to benefit from solar panels, with little to no money down as well as no hassle with ongoing maintenance.”

How does it work? American Vision Solar works with Solar PPA Companies who literally purchase the solar panels for you, and in turn act as your ‘local energy company’ –
collecting your monthly utility bill (PPA Payment), as well as any applicable state/local incentives. There’s no initial investment by simply letting someone else pay for the system, handle all the paperwork involved, plus the PPA Company will pro-actively monitor the system and be responsible for any repairs and maintenance over the 20 year term. Production guarantee, inverter replacement and full-system insurance are also included. And the biggest benefit of all, your PPA payment is guaranteed to be LESS than your local Southern California Edison (SCE) bill without solar. Over a period of 20 years, the solar panels will provide a huge rate of return on investment!

Husband and wife team Bill and Kathleen Herren began providing homeowners with
energy-efficient solutions with their window sales and installation company, American Vision Windows™. Now, more than ten years and 30,000 satisfied customers later, the company has expanded its unmatched service to its other brands that will help revolutionize the home improvement industry: American Vision Solar and American Vision Garages™.

To learn more about American Vision Solar, and to find a showroom near you, visit the company online at http://www.americanvisionsolar.com • Call toll free: (888) 635-2579.

El Segundo, Calif., August 8, 2011—Blessed with abundant sunshine and a supportive political structure, California is positioned to add 7.5 gigawatts (GW) of installed power from photovoltaic (PV) sources during the period of 2010 to 2015, further ensuring that the state remains America’s leading light in solar energy, according to new insights from the IHS iSuppli Photovoltaic Service from information and analysis provider IHS (NYSE: IHS).

Installed PV capacity in California is projected to reach 967 megawatts (MW) this year, the highest in the country and part of an increasing push by the most populous U.S. state to derive a greater portion of energy from renewable sources, a mix that also would include wind turbines and fuel cells.

Next year, power from solar sources will generate some 1.2GW in California—more than the PV capacity of the next six-highest states combined. States approaching the land size of California, like New Mexico and Arizona, are projected to have less than a third as much PV capacity by the same time, hovering in the mid-300MW range. And outside of the top 10 states where solar generation will be highest, combined PV capacity from the lowest 40 states will add up to just 395MW, also merely one-third of California capacity, IHS data shows.

“California is indeed at the forefront of photovoltaic technology, and its commitment to the industry is important for the whole North America region,” said Mike Sheppard, analyst for photovoltaics at IHS.

California’s drive to attain clean energy gained fresh impetus during a recent two-day conference in late July at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), attended by 200 researchers, academics, business leaders and politicians. There, Calif. Governor Jerry Brown reiterated the push to obtain by 2020 as much as 33 percent of energy from renewable sources, an amount equivalent to 12GW—enough to power roughly three million homes.

With a series of intensive solar projects under way, as much as 7.5GW in PV capacity could be added to the local power grid by 2015, more than half the state’s announced goal of achieving 12GW from all renewable sources—and with five more years to spare before the targeted 2020 deadline. What this shows is the likelihood of PV accounting in the future for a great portion of clean energy in California, Sheppard noted.

The figure below shows the cumulative PV capacity for California from 2010 to 2015. Given an installed PV power capacity of 900MW in 2010 that then rises to a forecast level of 8.4GW in 2015, a total of 7.5GW in power will have been added to the state in the span of five years.

California’s natural advantage lends itself to busy PV activity within the state
In the United States, California has among the highest insolation levels for measuring the rate of solar radiation delivery as measured by NASA. With a score of 5.4 kilowatt-hours per square meter per day (kWh/(m2/day)), the Los Angeles area ranks second only to the 5.96 kWh/(m2/day) rate of Honolulu, Hawaii. Los Angeles also places higher than perennial hot-weather spots like Phoenix, Ariz. (5.38 kWh/(m2/day)); Las Vegas, Nev. (5.3 kWh/(m2/day)); and Miami, Fla. (5.26 kWh/(m2/day)).

Two other areas surveyed in California likewise boast of above-average insolation rates: the Bay area near San Francisco at 5.08 kWh/(m2/day), and San Francisco proper at 4.89 kWh/(m2/day).

Aside from an inherent natural resource in plentiful supply, California hosts a number of companies engaged in the solar business, including research and development sites that do not engage in manufacturing. At least 27 firms can be found in the state engaged in solar-related activities including the production of ingots, crystalline silicon cells and modules, and thin-film cells and modules—all components that go into the manufacture of solar panels.

Currently the biggest PV project within the state is the Topaz Solar farm, a 550MW power plant being built by Arizona-based First Solar Inc., located in the Carrizo Plain northwest of Los Angeles. Other solar projects under way or slated to begin are the 55MW Niland Project in Imperial County; a five-year program by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) to develop 500MW of power in northern and central California; the Catalina Solar Project in Kern County; and a project by Southern California Edison for distributed power through commercial rooftops, IHS data shows.

Political patronage a plus, but state budget woes could be a challenge
Adding to California’s built-in advantages for PV power, the state has the good fortune to enjoy the backing of a highly motivated political infrastructure.

“Having sustained political will toward the achievement of renewable energy is definitely a good thing for California, and a strong political will is an encouraging sign for investors to go ahead and make their bets here in the state,” said analyst Sheppard.

California’s continuing experience in the PV field also could work to the state’s benefit, especially if it can find a way to convert its expertise into consultancy projects for other states, similar to what Germany—the world’s foremost photovoltaic market and authority—is doing in Europe. At home, California is ahead of other states in the learning curve for solar-power-generation, and the local state power utilities also have been helpful in setting up programs to help renewable energy efforts.

What could stand in the way, however, of the state making even greater progress, Sheppard remarked, could be the state’s much-belabored budget woes, which if unresolved could lead to a downgrading of the state’s creditworthiness and make it more expensive for companies—including PV firms—to do business here.

Another possible area for improvement is the current system of permits in the state to obtain PV power to streamline bureaucracy. For instance, a consumer who discovers that a PV panel supplier has run out of stock would have to restart the application process instead of- simply attaching an amendment, as is the practice in the rationalized German market.

California’s PV prospects also could encounter resistance from the local populace—an issue underscored by Gov. Brown at the UCLA event. With 58 counties and more than 400 cities in the state, selling the idea of renewable or solar power might run into opposition from residents for any number of reasons, with the potential to slow down planned rollouts or deployments.

Department of Energy Finalizes a $967 Million Loan Guarantee to Support the Agua Caliente Solar Project

Arizona Project Expected to Generate Approximately 400 Solar Related Jobs

Washington D.C. – U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that the Department of Energy finalized a $967 million loan guarantee to Agua Caliente Solar, LLC. The loan guarantee will support the construction of the Agua Caliente Solar project, a 290-megawatt photovoltaic solar generating facility in Yuma County, Arizona that will use thin film solar panels manufactured by First Solar, Inc. The project sponsor, NRG Solar LLC, estimates the photovoltaic generation facility will fund approximately 400 construction jobs and 10 full time operating jobs, and will be one of the largest plants of its kind in the world when completed.

“The Agua Caliente Solar project will bring hundreds of jobs to Arizona, while helping increase the reliability of renewable solar power,” said Secretary Chu. “Today’s announcement, in addition to several recent offers of conditional commitments for loan guarantees to solar manufacturing and generation projects, demonstrates the Administration’s ongoing commitment to creating clean energy jobs while bringing innovative renewable energy technologies to the market.”

The Agua Caliente Solar project will deploy fault ride-through and dynamic voltage regulation, innovative technologies that are new to photovoltaic solar power plants in the United States. These technologies will improve the reliability and predictability of the electricity supplied to the electricity grid. Pacific Gas & Electric Company will purchase power generated from the project and will deliver clean, renewable electricity to California consumers.

The Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office administers three separate programs: the Title XVII Section 1703 and Section 1705 loan guarantee programs, and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program. The loan guarantee programs support the deployment of commercial technologies along with innovative technologies that avoid, reduce, or sequester greenhouse gas emissions, while ATVM supports the development of advanced vehicle technologies. Including all three programs, DOE has issued loans, loan guarantees or offered conditional commitments for loan guarantees totaling over $40 billion to support 42 clean energy projects across the U.S. DOE has issued conditional commitments or loan guarantees to support numerous projects, including several of the world’s largest solar generation facilities, three geothermal projects, the world’s largest wind farm, and the nation’s first new nuclear power plant in three decades. For more information, please visit http://www.lpo.energy.gov.

By Daryl J. Ehrmantraut

Our future energy requirements depend on reaching the ‘holy grail’ of electricity generation – Finding a cheaper alternative to coal and other fossil fuels. The availability of an alternative energy source would also contribute significantly to energy self-sufficiency in North America.

Every hour more energy from the sun hits the earth than the world’s entire population consumes in a single year. Given this abundance, solar energy is our world’s most obvious energy choice. Why then, is less than 1% of our global electricity supply powered by solar energy? Because the industry has been unable to harness the three critical success factors for global solar deployment – high efficiency, low cost and high materials availability for deployment on a global scale.

Current solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies generate electrical power by converting solar radiation into an electric current using semiconductor material. The process involved is called the photovoltaic effect (PV). Today, solar PV cannot be realized on a worldwide scale because neither of the two main technologies presented today; crystalline silicon PV and thin-film PV, completely address the three critical success factors. Crystalline silicon PV possesses high efficiency using abundant materials but they are very expensive to manufacture. It wins on two of the 3 critical success factors. Thin-film PV on the other hand is cheap to manufacture but has low efficiency and relies on rare and toxic elements in its manufacture. It wins on one critical success factor. Furthermore most thin-film technologies use dangerous, toxic materials including cadmium telluride and indium among others.

Despite the challenges, the global market for solar PV technology is growing very rapidly. Some analysts predicting solar PV could contribute as much as 10-15% of our global electricity by 2050.
As we seek to move solar energy into the mainstream, we need to retain the industry’s green integrity and bypass the pitfalls of electronic waste. Creating safe, affordable solar energy solutions requires research and development that eliminates the sector’s reliance the scarce and dangerous elements that are in limited supply, toxic, difficult to mine, or found only in select, sometimes geopolitically unfriendly regions of the world.

At Quantum Solar Power Corp., we are developing NGD™ a solar PV device which we believe will address all 3 critical success factors –high efficiency, low cost and high scalability through the use of abundant non-toxic materials. We believe Quantum will win on all three critical success factors. Quantum’s revolutionary approach to solar PV design will revolutionize the solar power market. We invite other solar technology companies and manufacturers to join our quest to create safe, affordable solar technology solutions that will literally light up the lives of people across the world.

There is no doubt that our predicted energy needs have a “sunny” future. According to the American Solar Energy Society, U.S. manufacturing of PV components — wafers, cells, and modules — has increased substantially year-over-year, with growth rates demonstrated at 97%, 81%, and 62% respectively. In 2009, the U.S. solar industry grew 36% to nearly $4 billion and supported the addition of 17,000 new jobs.

It is important for our geopolitical future that we create a clean energy economy along with a strong energy policy. A sunny future for our children demands that we continue to create green sector jobs that replace our dependency on fossil fuels with renewable energy through wind turbines, hydro-electric power and solar photovoltaic technologies that make solar energy a globally deployable, environmentally smart energy source.
# # #

About the author:
Daryl J. Ehrmantraut is Chief Executive Officer, President & Director of Quantum Solar Power Corporation, which is developing a “Next Generation Device” (NGD™) photovoltaic technology. Mr. Ehrmantraut lives and works in Vancouver, Canada. He can be reached at info@quantumsp.com

4.4 MW of Solar Power from Constellation Energy

More than 8 Megawatts of Solar Now Supplies 6 Percent of DIA’s Total Electricity Needs

DENVER, July 28, 2011 – Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG) and Denver International Airport (DIA) today announced the completion of a 4.4-megawatt, ground-mounted solar power system. Constellation Energy built, owns and maintains the solar installation, and DIA will purchase the electricity produced by the system over a 20-year period. It is the third large-scale solar project for DIA, bringing the airport’s total amount of hosted solar power to more than 8 megawatts – the most solar generation at a commercial airport in the United States.

In honor of the solar project’s completion, a celebration and ribbon-cutting were held today at DIA. Business and community leaders, as well as representatives from state and local government were on hand for the event, including Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.

“With the addition of this solar facility, Denver International Airport’s three solar array systems now produce approximately six percent of the airport’s total power requirements,” said Kim Day, aviation manager for DIA. “We support alternative energy applications at DIA because these projects are good for the environment while positively impacting our bottom line; they are financially sustainable. This airport was built with a goal of being green, and with this additional solar array, Denver International Airport now has one of the largest solar installations in North America.”

The system is expected to supply approximately 7,000 megawatt-hours of electricity to DIA each year, utilizing approximately 19,000 Yingli Solar photovoltaic panels. Generating the same amount of electricity using non-renewable sources would result in the release of more than 5,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data.

“Constellation Energy congratulates DIA for its continued commitment to clean energy,” said Michael D. Smith, senior vice president of green initiatives for Constellation Energy’s retail business. “Thanks to the shared commitment of federal, state and local government, along with private business, more businesses are able to rely on solar power to achieve environmental goals and control electricity costs. Constellation Energy thanks the public and private partners who worked with us in bringing this newest solar installation online for DIA.”

Denver-based solar development firm Oak Leaf Energy Partners originally developed the project; its third at DIA. Oak Leaf has developed 27 commercial and utility scale solar projects in Colorado, totaling over 35 megawatts of production. Quanta Services (NYSE:PWR) Intermountain Electric, which installed and manages DIA’s 2 MW and 1.6 MW solar facilities, installed the 4.4 MW project. Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE) supplied the photovoltaic panels for the project.

Constellation Energy currently owns and operates approximately 95 megawatts of solar installations that have been completed or are under construction for customers throughout the United States. By structuring its solar projects as power purchase agreements, Constellation Energy requires no upfront capital from its customers and is able to provide power at a fixed cost that is less than projected market rates.

Commercial customers, universities, school systems, hospitals and government agencies interested in on-site solar installations of 1 megawatt or larger may contact Constellation Energy at sustainable-solutions@constellation.com or 1-877-427-2005.

To watch a brief video about Constellation Energy’s solar power systems, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyaXDmgM55M .