Some of you may have heard stories of neighbors and friends of friends signing up for solar ‘starter kits’ and finding themselves with damage to their roof or, even worse, roof leaks. At Sunetric we take pride in our obsession with attention to detail and quality assurance to ensure that each of our installations is perfect. But what makes for a top-notch installation?

We asked Gabriel Chong, Sunetric Engineer and our Lead of Residential Operations, for what distinguishes the ideal installation. Here are his rules for a flawless installation.

The Importance of Planning

A well-done installation is the direct result of careful inspection and planning. In the photovoltaic industry, there is no room for ‘winging it.’ Any architect or roofer can tell you that their worst enemy is roof leaks. Detailed and easy-to-read construction plans drawn up by an experienced solar professional will guarantee that the installation crews will build systems that are both visually appealing and completely free of leaks.

High Standards

Any reputable solar contractor will:

1. Have a properly designed roofing plan by a trained and certified solar designer.
2. Have a properly designed electrical plan by a trained journeyman electrician.
3. Ensure that your project management team, like Sunetric, has NABCEP Certified personnel.
4. Ensure that your sales consultant has been properly trained to assess your home.

   Sunetric is the only solar contractor in Hawaii that has NABCEP PV Technical Sales Certified employees, so you’ll be getting the best and most accurate customer care and appraisal from day one.

5. Ensure that your installation team uses materials that are certified for use by professional engineers.
6. Ensure that you are provided with a highly trained installation crew.

   Sunetric’s crews have been installing since 2004 — we have the most installation experience.

7. Offer you a minimum warranty of 25 years on your modules’ production.
8. Offer you a minimum warranty of 5 years on your module framing.
9. Offer you a minimum warranty of 10 years on your racking system.
10. Communicate with you often and clearly to be sure the system that they’re building aligns with your standards.
11. Provide you with answers to all questions at any time.

The Final Inspection

A well-done installation is officially well and done when the Final Inspection is passed. Be aware that your NEM (net energy metering) agreement will not be active until your permits are closed. So choose carefully when selecting a contractor: if your system does not pass inspection soon after installing, you’ll be waiting to start offsetting your electric bill and saving money until it does! (With our long history of great installations, Sunetric’s permit closure rate is second to none.)

Our Standards and Yours

Sunetric is proud to call each of these standards our own. Every solar installation we’ve done since 2004 has been given the same level of expert planning and diligent care, and we are serious about our commitment to professional installation and treating your home right. It’s what makes us Hawaii’s Solar Authority.

If your solar contractor doesn’t meet and go above and beyond these standards, ask why!

At the beginning of April, Sunetric joined forces with the American Red Cross and the …With Aloha Foundation to help the victims of and recovery efforts for the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan. For the Solar for Japan fundraiser and giveaway we established donation channels directly to those two organizations, with a chance to win one of two $15K PV systems for every $10 donated.

Solar for Japan was present at the …With Aloha block party and benefit concert, the Kokua for Japan concert, and the fundraiser was covered by dozens of local media and web outlets.

Still Accepting Donations

With your support and donations we raised nearly $10,000 for Japan. We are grateful for your kindheartedness and are extremely proud to share in this expression of aloha. And though the fundraiser is over, the recovery process continues, and we encourage you to join us, Red Cross of America, the …With Aloha Foundation, and dozens of other organizations in continuing to support the people of Japan in this trying time.

• American Red Cross: Donate to Japan
• …With Aloha Foundation: Donate to the Tohoku University Hospital-Japan Relief Fund

The Winners!

On Monday at 7:45am, Sunetric’s Director of Marketing Laura Poirier joined Bobby Curran to announce the winner on ESPN Radio (AM 1420). The two winners of the donated photovoltaic systems were Pam-Carey Goo and Lois Chiu! Listen to the drawing broadcast here!

And see the great video below of our own Laura Poirier and the With Aloha Foundation interviewed on KHON Be Green 2 featuring the Solar for Japan fundraiser and the giveaway winners.

The $15,000 solar arrays are projected to save an average household more than $100 per month. Both donated systems are identical and offer ten Trina PV panels of 230 Watts per panel. They come with 3000W Centralized Inverters and 25-year production warranties

We thank all who entered and supported our Solar for Japan fundraiser with the American Red Cross and the …With Aloha Foundation.

We’re proud and excited to say that the Solar for Japan fundraiser and PV system giveaway is going strong. We’ve raised a lot money for Japan and spread our message of help and aloha far and wide, and we’re just getting started.

Radio and TV Interviews

Last Sunday, our own Tamara Berger and Kupu’s Noah Coombs talked with Mike Buck on Clear Channel’s Community Matters show about the Sunetric and Kupu educational program and the Solar for Japan fundraiser. Listen to the interview here.

This morning, Sunetric President Sean Mullen talked to Rick Hamada on KHVH radio about the Solar for Japan fundraiser. We’d like to thank Rick for the interview; it was a great opportunity for all. Listen to the interview here.

More Press and Mentions from Around the Web and Hawaii

• Honolulu Magazine: Sendai-Honolulu Journal: The Power of Human Kindness
• Honolulu Magazine: Sendai-Honolulu Journal: …With Aloha Party Pictures
• KTIV: Sunetric aids Japan with solarforjapan.com
• KITV: Fundraiser Aims To Help Japan Hospital
• Star Advertiser: Restaurants and musicians turn out for Sendai hospital
• Green Magazine Hawaii: Sunetric Solar Fundraiser for Japan
• With Aloha Event Re-Cap video on YouTube
• WithAloha.org

Check out the Sunetric Facebook for updates, links, and more! And if you haven’t already, donate $10 to Solar for Japan and get a chance to win a $15K PV system from Sunetric!

Love Hawai‘i? We have the power to change where our energy comes from. Today.

Skyrocketing gas prices—up more than $1 over the past six months. Soaring electricity rates—40% higher than two years ago. Hawai‘i residents are paying the price for the state’s debilitating dependence on oil. It’s expensive—$5 billion each year. It’s dirty—50 billion tons of carbon pollution each year. Yet we rely on it for more than 90 percent of our energy needs, even though we have no control over its price or supply. Hawai‘i residents believe it’s time to change this picture, and Blue Planet Foundation wants the legislators to hear them.

On Tuesday, April 19, 2011, join Sunetric and the Blue Planet Foundation for the 2011 ‘We Have the Power’ Clean Energy Rally at the state capitol. Watt Wheels will be providing power to the event!



We will be sign-waving on S. Beretania Street with a rally at the capitol to follow.

Governor Abercrombie will address students between 11:15am and 11:30am. Students will be recognized by the House and Senate from 12:00-12:30pm.

Click here for more information from Blue Planet Foundation!

We are fighting for bills (HB1019: Barrel Tax & HB1250: On-Bill Financing):

HB1019: Clean Energy Investment: This bill is to support clean energy by adding a surcharge to the barrels of oil being imported to Hawaii each year. Despite 55% of all collected funds are designed to support clean energy, legislators are working on balancing the state budget that could change this breakdown. Let’s make sure our leaders invest in our energy future! HB1520: On-Bill Financing:Blue Planet Foundation is orchestrating a massive push to pass a policy that will literally bring power to the people. House Bill 1520 SD2 is a measure to adopt on-bill financing, which serves to eliminate the restrictive upfront cost of efficiency upgrades such as solar power and energy-saving appliances. Residents will be able to pay off the purchases directly on their electric bill by applying the energy savings over time. On-bill financing makes clean energy accessible to everyone—not just big companies that can finance big renewable projects. On Tuesday, Apr. 19, students and concerned citizens from across the state will gather at the State Capitol to ensure that everyone has a voice in Hawai‘i’s clean energy future.

HB 1520 is the sole energy proposal that helps residents lower their cost of living. On-bill financing offers a choice: Pay less for power, or keep paying more for pollution. Hawai‘i can’t afford not to enact this legislation.
We all believe in clean energy, but for some, affordability is one of the biggest obstacles to embracing it. House Bill 1520 eliminates the upfront cost of solar systems and energy efficient appliances by giving you the option to add them to your electric bill! Your bill will go down-even as you pay off the purchase — because you’re saving more energy!

…With Aloha Fundraiser

Over the weekend, the With Aloha Foundation held a fundraiser on Saturday, April 9 at the Pagoda Hotel. Presented by aio, the fundraiser was a block party, benefit concert, and food tasting featuring 24 local restaurants and entertainers from around the world. All of the proceeds from the event, along with donations we raised through the Solar for Japan giveaway, will be sent to Tohoku University Hospital in Sendai, Japan, where many of the earthquake and tsunami victims are receiving care.

We’ve uploaded a ton of photos from the event. Check out Facebook for more!

And if you haven’t already, donate $10 to Solar for Japan and get a chance to win a $15K PV system from Sunetric!

One Great Cause, Two Chances to Win.
ENTER NOW

Press and Mentions from Around the Web and Honolulu

• Aloha for Japan
• Blue Planet Foundation on Facebook
• Hawaii Home and Remodeling — ‘Thoughts of Home’
• Renewable Energy World — ‘Sunetric Offers Free Solar PV Systems to Raise Money for Japan’
• Honolulu Weekly
• KGMB’s Morning Show
• ESPN and KSSK Radio Shows
• The Mike Buck Show
• …With Aloha TV PSA and ads
• Radio Spots on ESPN and KSSK

If your PV system is tied to the electric grid, like most, some solar energy resellers will tell you it’s a good idea to have a battery backup system in place. Are they right?

These folks will tell you need a battery backup because, if your PV system is tied to the grid, the inverter — the component that turns alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC) — has a built-in shut-down switch which turns everything off in case the grid itself goes down. This is designed to protect utility workers, who would otherwise risk being electrocuted by your system. The battery backup will keep you going, at least for a little while, even if the grid itself goes down.

Now, this is true — but the downside of a battery backup system is the up-front capital expense. These systems cost so much that more than 99% of home PV installations don’t include one. The fact is, batteries are so expensive that the added cost of the backup system pushes the net cost over the price-parity line – adding many years to your system payoff. It might even mean that the solar system ends up costing you money, rather than saving it. The batteries that are used as backups for solar systems resemble automobile batteries, but run anywhere from $150 to over $500 apiece – and depending on your load requirements, you’d need quite a number of them. To run an “island” system like this, you also need special (and expensive) inverters and switches.

There are some people for whom a battery backup can make sense. Folks living in real isolation, where grid access simply isn’t an option, need a battery system if they want to use power at night or during bad weather. Those who suffer from frequent power outages may prefer a battery to having a generator. Hobbyists who are only running a few appliances from a small-scale PV system might want a small battery backup to extend their hours of use. The really hard-core environmentalists who want to do without the grid at all, or survivalists worried that the whole grid will someday come crashing down are also good candidates for this kind of system.

Most homeowners, however — and nearly all of our customers — will do a lot better financially by signing up for net metering. With net metering, the grid simulates storage for you — excess production in the day goes into the grid and credits your account, and at night you pull from the grid and run the credit down, just as if you had been charging your battery during the daytime and then drawing it down at night. The grid isn’t really a storage system — but from the point of view of the individual homeowner, it acts like one — and there is no added cost.

In the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, funds and resources for the recovery have been in urgent need. In an effort to assist and provide for the people of Japan and the organizations helping to care for and rebuild, Sunetric has donated two solar photovoltaic systems to raise funds for two local charities — the American Red Cross Hawaii State Chapter and the With Aloha Foundation.

We are collecting donations at solarforjapan.com, and all donations raised through the website will go directly to the American Red Cross Hawaii State Chapter and the With Aloha Foundation to aid in their relief efforts. Donations may be made to either or to both charities, and for every $10 donated to either cause, entrants receive one entry to the drawing for one of the photovoltaic systems from Sunetric. (No donation necessary to enter or to win.)

One Great Cause, Two Chances to Win.
ENTER NOW

The American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter

The American Red Cross has been a primary source of support for the residents in the wake of the disasters in Japan. Coralie Matayoshi, CEO of the American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter, said:

“We are so grateful to Sunetric for their compassion in this time of great tragedy. Their efforts in raising much needed funds for the American Red Cross Japan Earthquake & Pacific Tsunami relief effort will help us save lives and give hope to those in need. We cannot thank them enough for their wonderful contribution to the cause of humanity.”

The With Aloha Foundation

The second donated PV system supports the With Aloha Foundation, which is holding a fundraiser on Saturday, April 9 at the Pagoda Hotel. Presented by aio, the fundraiser is a block party, benefit concert, and food tasting featuring 24 local restaurants and entertainers from around the world. Proceeds from this event, along with donations raised by the solar giveaway, will be sent to Tohoku University Hospital in Sendai, Japan, where many of the earthquake and tsunami victims are receiving care. Susan Eichor, aio President & COO, said of the fundraising effort:

“We are so thankful for Sunetric’s generosity in donating not one, but two, photovoltaic systems to help raise funds for the victims of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami. With Aloha is a community inspired movement of Hawaii organizations coming together and helping those in need. We are humbled to partner with companies like Sunetric to support Japan …With Aloha.”

The Photovoltaic Systems

The $15,000 solar arrays are projected to save an average household more than $100 per month. Both donated systems are identical and offer ten Trina PV panels of 230 Watts per panel. They come with 3000W Centralized Inverters and 25-year production warranties. (Installation and permitting are included. The systems must be installed on the island of Oahu, but winners can transfer their prizes to a friend or family member.)

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As a local company, we are incredibly proud to provide help and kokua for Japan. This partnership allows us and the residents of Oahu to directly help the people of Japan and have the opportunity to go solar in the process. We hope that our customers, friends, and neighbors will join us in this humanitarian effort.

One Great Cause, Two Chances to Win.
ENTER NOW

Click to see a sample HECO letter (PDF).

In October of 2010, the feed-in tariff system was approved in Hawaii. In December applications were being accepted, and later that same month Sunetric weighed in on what FIT means for Hawaii.

We recently learned that HECO has been soliciting PV owners, offering a ‘one-time opportunity’ for a switch to FIT (feed-in tariff) metering. We don’t believe that feed-in tariff systems are a financially prudent option for Sunetric customers who already have NEM systems in place. Here’s why:

For Commercial Customers

We at Sunetric are very confident that we have sized your system appropriately, and you should keep your system as NEM (net-energy metered) unless you have plans to either a) build a secondary FIT system separate from your NEM or b) plan to add panels to your current system (thus increasing its size) beyond your current usage requirements.

For Residential Customers

For homeowners, we do not believe that converting a residential system makes sense, except in the very rare case of uninhabited or abandoned properties.

When in Doubt, Call Your Energy Consultant

In any case, if you are unsure or unclear about your options in any way, please get in touch with your Sunetric Energy Consultant. We are standing by and waiting to assist any of our customers with questions.

Sunetric is dedicated to pushing solar forward in Hawaii, and our primary concern is creating the most efficient, money-saving systems for our customers. We will always keep you updated when there are changes afoot in the industry that might affect you, and let you know the smartest way to proceed.

This is an excellent question. It’s no surprise that we have no shortage of sun in Hawaii, but you may be surprised to learn that a PV system does not necessarily need direct sunlight in order to be effective.

All it really needs is daylight. Even if you live in the shadow of a hillside or your property is covered with shade from abundant vegetation, you can still benefit from a PV system. That said, direct sunlight is always better — ideally, you want your PV panels exposed to the sun for at least six hours a day, between 9 AM and 3 PM. (Though Hawaii is fairly far south on the globe, we are still north of the Equator, and PV panels on the islands should be oriented southward in order to get the full benefit.)

But exactly how much sun do you need, and how is it measured?

How much sun you need depends on how much electricity you typically use. An energy-efficient home — one with energy-efficient appliances or low usage rates from its occupants — is going to need fewer photovoltaics than one that’s running a large number of high-load devices. Chances are you will have to get a professional assessment of your home and load potential in order to determine exactly how much photovoltaics you will need in order to zero out your bill.

Call us at 262-6600 to schedule a free evaluation!

Measuring sunlight is another matter altogether. Sun-recording instruments are expensive and delicate, precision devices. One of these is known as a pyranometer, which consists of a transparent dome over a round, flat plate. A thermophile (a type of radiation sensor that gauges the intensity of light waves) is used to measure the temperature of the plate’s surface as it heats up, which in turn will provide a measurement of the voltage potential. A few digital alternatives exist as well.

In Hawaii, the State’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) provides solar ‘sun zone’ maps. Each sun zone provides an average production via effective ‘sun-hours’. These sun-hours provide a great way to estimate daily production for a PV system and effectively size your system to zero out your energy bill!

To get the best answer to these questions, a professional solar integrator like Sunetric will come to your home and take these measurements for you prior to design and installation to ensure the most cost-effective, energy-efficient solution. Many contractors will abide by the sun zone estimates when determining accurate production for your home, thereby making it unnecessary to use a pyranometer to measure solar irradiation at your home. The importance of this dedication to accurate property assessment and system design cannot be overstated, and it’s important to choose a solar contractor whose experience and knowledge can serve you best.

To get a rough idea of your solar savings, check out our Solar Calculator. It only takes a few seconds:

Average Monthly Electrical Bill

NOTE: Normally, pyranometers aren’t useful in residential applications for solar installers. The device was made to do solar averaging for yearly production, which is precisely how DBEDT created the sun zone map. Hence, using a pyranometer at a home for a single day is in no way representative of how production will be over the course of a year.

As a full-service renewable energy firm, Sunetric has its own specially trained installation team, and safety is absolutely vital to our PV installation process. Jane McKee knows the importance of safety — from Oahu’s rooftops to its 6-foot waves, she possesses an intuitive knowledge, foresight, and care that make her the perfect Sunetric Safety Manager.

A Wealth of Experience

With a degree in Environmental Science from the University of California Santa Barbara, Jane comes to Sunetric with nearly thirty years of experience in the energy and safety industries. While residing in California, McKee worked for Chevron as a production operator on six different offshore oil platforms, and spent 13 working for an oil and gas plant in Santa Barbara before moving to Hawaii in 2002.

Jane was familiar with Hawaii — her family had been visiting Hawaii since the age of ten — and as an avid paddler, she immediately jumped at the chance to move here upon receiving a job offer on the Marine Force Base in Kaneohe. Since then, she has held management positions with Hawaiian Telcom, Aloha Petroleum, and Hawaii Biotech. McKee has a Safety Trained Supervisor certification and is an OSHA-certified trainer for the Construction Industry.

Here at Sunetric, my only priority is safety. I do one thing, and I do it well. I’m out in the field with the guys learning what they do and watching how I can protect them while on the job. Our top priority is fall protection because the installers are up on the rooftops all day long.

Jane is an invaluable addition to the Sunetric team, and we are incredibly grateful and at ease knowing her expertise is keeping our installation teams safe.

Sun, Surf, and Wheels

When she’s not ensuring the safety of Sunetric’s installation crews, Jane is at sea:

I love to paddle my one-man canoe in the open ocean, preferably in 20-knot winds and six-foot seas! The energy of the ocean has the ability to heal and relax me like nothing else. I’m in the water, either paddling or surfing, almost every day.

McKee is a four-time Hawaii State Champion in the one-man outrigger canoe race. Last year, she finished the Kaiwi Channel Molokai solo Championship — a solo race of 32 miles from Molokai to Oahu — in 3rd place.

Jane has also recently taken the helm of Watt Wheels, our mobile solar energy station — catch her at a Sunetric event showing off the power of PV right on top of our retrofitted green Honda Element.

A Special Commitment

Though Jane’s number-one concern at Sunetric is safety, her dedication to solar power and sustainability in Hawaii runs deep:

Our island home is quickly running out of resources, so working for a company that truly makes a difference in our environment – and in people’s lives — is the highlight of my career. Coming from an environmental background, I was thrilled to be able to work for a green company. Since Sunetric is the leader in Hawaii’s solar industry, I’m getting the opportunity to work with the best of the best within an up-and-coming industry. Sunetric is a perfect fit for me. I have the responsibility to provide a safe work environment to protect Sunetric’s most valuable resource – our staff.

Jane is optimistic about Hawaii’s goal of reaching 70% renewable energy generation by the year 2030, and is eager to help more customers make the affordable, environmentally friendly switch to solar with Sunetric.

We are honored to have Jane McKee watching over our staff — every member of the Sunetric team and each of its customers benefits from her experience, knowledge, and range of talents.

You can often find Jane McKee on our Facebook page. Come say hello!

Kupu is proud to announce its partnership with Sunetric, Hawaii’s largest solar installer, to train under-resourced young adults to install photovoltaic panels as part of Kupu’s pilot Urban Corps program. Urban Corps is a free job training and service learning program that seeks to equip corpsmembers with the experiences, education, training, and support needed to become productive members of society, with a heart to serve and positively impact the community around them. The training runs from March 2 – June 3, at which time the corpsmembers will receive both classroom and on-the-job training.

Throughout the pilot program, Sunetric will donate materials and staff time to run weekly labs that will introduce corpsmembers to a range of job opportunities at a solar company, from initial sales to actual installations. After corpsmembers gain foundational skills, they will join Sunetric field crews to assist with residential and commercial installations. This valuable on-the-job training will prepare corpsmembers to become solar installers, helping to develop local talent in a growing industry while providing a social benefit to the recipients of training. According to a December, 2010 report released by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, one of Hawaii’s fastest growing green jobs is solar photovoltaic installers. Over 447 positions are projected to open up by 2012.

“Kupu is so excited about this opportunity to partner with such a well-respected company like Sunetric,” says Kupu Executive Director John Leong. “The experiences which our corpsmembers will gain will not only help to prepare them for jobs in this emerging field, but married with the life and jobs skills training they receive through the Urban Corps, this partnership will help these young adults to socially advance and transform to become catalysts of positive change in their communities.”

Sunetric CEO Alex Tiller describes the partnership as a winner for all concerned. “Installing solar panels is more than a business to us,” he said. “It’s a passion. That’s why this partnership with an organization as important to this community as Kupu is an ideal fit. It’s a great way to give back to the local community by doing what we love to do – create clean, renewable energy for the future. This is just the beginning of Sunetric’s long-term commitment to Hawaii’s youth, environment, and green job training.”

The pilot Urban Corps crew consists of six underserved young men ages 18 to 23, several of whom have recently graduated from the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program. In addition to job training, corpsmembers will serve their communities by helping to restore and steward Ha’iku Valley and the He’eia Wetlands under the guidance of Kāko`o `Ōiwi and Papahana Kuaola, two conservation agencies based in Windward Oahu. Corpsmembers will also participate in life skills and job readiness workshops throughout the program. The Urban Corps pilot kicked off on February 22 and will run until June 3, 2011, with expected summer and fall sessions to follow.

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Founded in 2007 by John Leong, Julianna Rapu-Leong, and Matthew Bauer, Kupu is a 501(c)(3) Hawaii-based nonprofit whose mission is to empower youth to serve their communities through character building, service learning, and environmental stewardship opportunities that encourage integrity (pono) with Ke Akua, self, and others. Through its various programs, Kupu offers short- and long-term opportunities for approximately 400 Hawaii youth statewide to learn about and get involved in conservation, sustainability, and renewable energy. Kupu provided an estimated benefit of over $7 million dollars to Hawaii in 2010 through its programs, volunteer opportunities, and direct service. The Urban Corps program is actively seeking other fee-for-service projects to engage young adults in service-based job training opportunities in the conservation, maintenance, green energy, and sustainable agriculture fields. For more information, visit kupuhawaii.org.

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Sunetric’s partnership with Kumu was featured in this week’s Pacific Business News.

A Hawaii nonprofit that works with youth has joined with the state’s largest solar company to train young adults in how to install photovoltaic systems.

Read the article here.

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PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

Click on a photo to zoom in. Download all photos in high-resolution here.

Would you believe it’s Hawaii?

That’s right, folks — in the Aloha State, a tropical paradise where the residents live in eternal summer amidst palm trees, sun-kissed beaches and the warm blue ocean, residential utility customers pay a whopping .29c per kilowatt hour for their electrical power, the highest electric rates in the country. Commercial and industrial customers have it better, paying around .25 and .20 respectively, but that still ain’t cheap.

At the other end of the spectrum, the lowest rates are found in Idaho — where residential rates are under .08c per kilowatt hour.

Why this huge difference? And why are rates in Hawaii, which should be a haven for solar energy, more than three times that of a state that has three months of road construction and nine months of winter?

One reason is that since the industrialization of the islands, Hawaii has had to import virtually everything — including the oil that fires the state’s power plants, generating 80% of the state’s electricity. And as you are no doubt painfully aware, petroleum is not getting any cheaper.

The upside is that our high electric rates have given Hawaii a whole lot of motivation to develop alternative energy sources — and fast. And the advantage here is that Hawaii is the one place in the US where all the conditions and materials for every type of alternative energy is available, from solar and tides to geothermal and various biofuels. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, the plan is to get no less than 70% of Hawaii’s electrical energy from renewable sources.

As part of a nation that is hopelessly and firmly under the corporate jackboot of Exxon-Mobil, BP, and Royal Dutch Shell, this is both amazing and inspiring — all the more so because this target was set by our former governor, Republican Linda Lingle.

Even Big Oil’s best friends can see the writing on the wall, it seems. Former Governor Lingle was also correct in her realistic assessment of alternative energy when she told the Wall Street Journal: “If our experience with petroleum has taught us anything, it is not to get reliant on any one source of energy.” Solar is leading the way, if only because the cost of oil has risen to the point that solar — which at present, costs between .20c and .24c per kilowatt hour — is starting to look better and better.

Other alternative energy sources that are being developed include bio-diesel from plant oils and geo-thermal — which, as a volcanic island, Hawaii has in abundance. (In fact, back when Hawaii was still a sovereign kingdom back in the 1880s, the reigning monarch, King Kalakaua, discussed the possibility of harnessing geothermal energy with Thomas Edison — though he might have gotten further with Edison’s rival, Nikola Tesla!)

There are a few snags. Environmentalists are concerned that the use of palm oil for biodiesel might create its own problems, particularly in developing countries. Meanwhile, some native Hawaiians consider volcanoes as sacred ground, and are worried about upsetting Pele, the fire goddess — who according to tradition, lives in one of Kilauea’s vents.

Hopefully, Pele can be convinced to share some of her inexhaustible wealth…

We are very proud to announce that Gabriel Chong, Sunetric Engineer and our Lead of Residential Operations, has earned his NABCEP certification.

The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, is the “gold standard” for PV and solar thermal installation certification. Designed to raise industry standards and promote consumer confidence, NABCEP offers certification and certificate programs to renewable energy professionals throughout North America.

Gabriel recently mastered the NABCEP certification for the new ‘PV Technical Sales Professional’ certificate, which focuses on what is arguably the most important part of the photovoltaic contract process: a professional sale. Commenting on the test and its significance, Gabe’s commitment and knowledgeability is clear:

“The NABCEP PVTS examination rigorously tests individuals in the overall sales process: from the first meeting all the way until a signed contract. It’s a benchmark for the best of the best in the industry that understand how to make a homeowner comfortable during a high-cost sales process. Like the NABCEP organization states, ‘A bad sale will always turn into a bad construction project and an angry customer.’”

In passing the exam, Gabriel has demonstrated his excellence not only in technical understanding of the Sunetric product, but also his command of relaying financial information to a homeowner to properly set a homeowner up for success. Gabriel was the 18th person to complete the exam, and had one of the highest passing grades. Only 97 individuals nationwide received this certificate after the first exam. The NABCEP certification exam focuses on eight separate areas of knowledge:

1. Customer Outreach and Qualification
2. Site Analysis
3. Conceptual Design
4. Financial Costs, Incentives, and Savings
5. Financial Benefit Analysis and Financing
6. Non-financial Benefit Analysis
7. Performance Analysis
8. Preparing Proposals

You may remember Gabriel from his employee profile in our blog last June. Well, he’s been busy! He went on to explain his preparation and sales approach:

“Over the past year, I’ve been researching from an engineering standpoint how to understand a technical product and then be able to explain it to a homeowner in such a way that is not overwhelming for them to comprehend. Our customers end up with a VERY satisfactory sales process ’ they’re comfortable in their decision, happy with the result, and excited about recommending Sunetric at any time. “I made four sales during this study period, following a strict process that allowed for all of them to be completed within an 8-week timeframe. This was done more as an independent and personal study and performed outside of the scope of my normal work schedule, all done on the weekends outside of company time. I received letters of appreciation from each customer, all of whom sent their letters without my request.”

Gabriel’s commitment to his craft and his customers is commendable, and this certification is something that all of us at Sunetric are proud of. With an engineer and salesperson like Gabriel leading our Residential Operations, we can serve Hawaii’s solar customers better with each passing day.

Sunetric will have a booth on display and be giving a seminar at The Hawaii Buildings, Facilities & Property Management Expo on Wednesday and Thursday, March 9th and 10th, 2011, from 10am to 4pm on both days. The Expo will be held at the Neal Blaisdell Center on 777 Ward Ave. in Honolulu. The Expo is open to the industry only, and admission is free.

Sunetric will be in booths 202, 200, 203, and 201. (See booth chart PDF.)

Commercial Energy Consultants will be in the booth to discuss solar options for businesses in Hawaii. With all of the businesses Sunetric has helped go solar, we are able to answer any business owner’s questions about the process — from financing to installation, we are experts in helping Hawaii’s businesses and commercial buildings go solar.

Free Feed-in Tariff Seminar

Neal McCartney, a Commercial Energy Consultant with Sunetric, will be giving a seminar on both Wednesday and Thursday from 10:30am to 11:30pm explaining Hawaii’s new Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program.

TURN YOUR BUILDING’S ROOFTOP INTO REVENUE
Profiting from Hawaii’s New Feed-in Tariff
Wed. and Thurs. • 10:30am to 11:30am • Kauai Room
Join Sunetric, Hawaii’s solar authority, and learn how Hawaii’s new Feed-in Tariff (FIT), enables companies generating up to 500 kW of renewable electricity, to SELL IT BACK to the utility companies on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island.

Click on the flyer below to register for the Feed-in Tariff seminar — it’s the fourth seminar listed for each day.

In recent months, the Hawaiian state legislature has seen a number of misguided efforts to balance the local budget by slashing funding and tax incentives related to alternative energy programs. Though the proposals may appear to save money in the short term, the long term effects are devastating — home- and businessowners are disincentivized to invest in solar technology, the solar industry is crippled, and the transition to sustainable energy is completely stalled. The drawbacks are undeniable and dangerous.

You can help.

HB796 — This bill, currently deferred for a finance committee hearing, reduces or establishes a ceiling for tax credits for systems installed on multi-family residential or commercial properties. Read the measure history for HB796. HB566 — This bill, which we highlighted previously and which is currently in committee hearings, “requires a renewable energy technology system to be placed in service prior to December 31, 2016, to be eligible for the renewable energy tax credit,” “delays the beginning of the payout for refundable tax credits claimed in 2012 to July 1, 2013,” and “requires Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to complete an assessment on the effectiveness and ongoing need for the renewable energy tax credit after 2016 by October 1, 2014.” Read the measure history for HB566.

What’s Wrong?

These bills stand to destroy the renewable energy industry, kill the jobs it creates, and rob its customers just as they are coming together to change the way we get our energy. Furthermore, both bills cast 2016, a mere five years from today, as the expiration date for solar tax credits. We are optimistic and enthusiastic about the shift away from fossil fuels, but it’s a safe bet that we won’t be free of oil in just four years! KHON reported that these plans could hurt renewable energy goals.