Solar financing for Guam homeowners - www.micronesiarenewableenergy.com

(MREI) – Locally owned company Micronesia Renewable Energy Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of its solar energy financing program for Guam homeowners. According to MRE Inc. vice president Jeffrey Voacolo, the program is designed with the average homeowner in mind. 

“A high percentage of homeowners we speak to want to decrease or eliminate their power bill but can’t afford the initial cost of renewable energy. This program gives Guam homeowners the opportunity to go solar without the upfront cost,” Voacolo said.

With zero upfront cost to the homeowner, a complete solar energy system which includes solar panels, inverter and typhoon-rated racking system will be installed on the roof.

Voacolo said homeowners will enjoy lower power bills while putting money back in their pockets. “With this program, homeowners will be cash flow positive from day one,” he said. “The goal is to have our customers pay the system back at a lower rate than what they’re currently paying for power. In a few years they own the system; that’s when the big savings kick in.”

Micronesia Renewable Energy has been providing zero down financing for commercial customers. With the addition of its residential solar financing program, MRE is in a better position to better serve the entire island community committed only to using tier-one solar energy products with the best warranties in the business.

“Our customers can rest assured that their solar energy system will last beyond twenty years,” he said.

---

Tracy Voacolo is the president of Micronesia Renewable Energy. She has more than 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry. Tracy can be contacted at info[at]micronesiarenewableenergy.com.

For more information about Micronesia Renewable Energy, visit http://micronesiarenewableenergy.com/. 

President Obama’s support of renewable energy - www.micronesiarenewableenergy.com

I READ an article last week regarding the cold snap or polar vortex that most of the U.S. Mainland is experiencing and especially the northeast corridor. Because of the fierce cold and the extreme need for heat the article quoted, “Winter weather is sapping fuel supplies in many regions and sending prices for propane and natural gas to record highs leading power plants in this region to purchase natural gas at any price to meet the higher than normal demand.” Until we can become independent from fossil fuel, any kind of fossil fuel, we will always see these huge price swings no matter where you live in this world. And living on an island nation, we will always be a slave to any crisis that hits the world that we live in.

I was pleased to listen to our President’s speech on Wednesday and his support for renewable energy. Please read part of his speech below which outlines the major support for renewable energy:

President Obama: “It’s not just oil and natural gas production that’s booming; we’re becoming a global leader in solar too. Every four minutes, another American home or business goes solar; every panel pounded into place by a worker whose job can’t be outsourced. Let’s continue that progress with a smarter tax policy that stops giving $4 billion a year to fossil fuel industries that don’t need it, so that we can invest more in fuels of the future that do. Taken together, our energy policy is creating jobs and leading to a cleaner, safer planet. Over the past eight years, the United States has reduced our total carbon pollution more than any other nation on Earth. But we have to act with more urgency – because a changing climate is already harming western communities struggling with drought, and coastal cities dealing with floods. That’s why I directed my administration to work with states, utilities, and others to set new standards on the amount of carbon pollution our power plants are allowed to dump into the air. The shift to a cleaner energy economy won’t happen overnight, and it will require tough choices along the way. But the debate is settled. Climate change is a fact. And when our children’s children look us in the eye and ask if we did all we could to leave them a safer, more stable world, with new sources of energy, I want us to be able to say yes, we did. “

A powerful quote from his speech, indeed, but we need to do more and stay the course. In 2013, we lost the 50 percent bonus depreciation in year one for businesses. And if the course is not turned, we will lose one of the biggest incentives out there for renewable energy in 2016. The ITC 30 percent credit for residential and commercial businesses is a direct credit against your federal taxes, dollar for dollar, 30 percent on the contractual value of your system.

We as an industry will be holding the president to his word. We do need smarter tax policies and smarter policies in general to support this industry that will leave a cleaner greener world for many generations to come. And I believe that teaching our children how to reduce their carbon footprint by installing these systems is the first step towards independence. They are the leaders of tomorrow.

---

Tracy Voacolo is the president of Micronesia Renewable Energy. She has more than 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry. Tracy can be contacted at info[at]micronesiarenewableenergy.com.

For more information about Micronesia Renewable Energy, visit http://micronesiarenewableenergy.com/. 

The social impact of renewable energy - www.micronesiarenewableenergy.com

WE ALL know that renewable energy is good for the environment but many studies have been conducted reporting that renewable energy is also good for our economy. “Green jobs” are jobs that play a direct role in reducing the environmental impact of traditional energy sources. The renewable energy business is starting to grow and is creating jobs that cannot be out sourced. By creating local jobs we build a strong foundation for domestic stability and growth. This is especially needed as the world, not just the United States, is trying to recover from one of the most sever recessions in decades. Clean energy may just be the answer.

The United States has passed several acts and regulations to start shifting away from its dependency on fossil fuel and start using domestically produced clean energy. This shift will create jobs as the use of renewable energy increases. Workers will be needed to fill these newly created green jobs; many of these jobs would not need significant additional training and/or education. Not only can clean energy create jobs in its industry but as we shift away from fossil fuels the outdated and antiquated infrastructure will have to be replaced.

I read an article on www.renewableenergyworld.com that refers to a report from the American Solar Energy Society and Management Information Services Inc. This report states that, 4.5 million jobs will be created in the United States by 2030 if the government gets serious about undertaking climate change. This would take into account the numbers of jobs lost if the United States displaced around 1.2 billion tons of carbon emissions annually by 2030. This level of displaced carbon emissions is needed to stop the devastating effects of global warming and climate change. 

The report also mentions that not only will the renewable energy industry benefit from more jobs, but so would other industries such as construction, manufacturing, metal fabrication, professional services, trucking and transporting, and farming. Renewable energy technologies are generally more labor intensive than traditional fossil fuel technologies. Solar, wind, and other fuel-free renewable energies jobs mostly come from the manufacturing, installing, and maintenance of these systems. Most jobs in the energy technologies that use renewable fuel sources come from farming feedstock and distribution of the biofuels that they create.

I found another article on renewableenergyworld.com that mentioned a report from the University of California. The report calculated that if the United States remains status quo with the current mix of energy we use today, there could be 86,370 jobs created by 2020. But if the United States were to increase energy that comes from renewable sources by 20 percent, the U.S. could expect anywhere from 188,000 to 240,850 new jobs created. This would depend on the mixture of renewable energy of solar, wind and biomass.

This University of California report also states that more jobs are created by solar photovoltaic per megawatt than other energy technologies. About twenty manufacturing and 13 installation/manufacturing jobs are created per installed megawatt. Solar heating creates two to eight times more jobs than traditional power plants and solar PV creates 55 to 80 times more jobs than traditional power plants.

There are many more studies that show that renewable can be an industry that will help lower unemployment and help create a stronger economy. Overall, going green is not just to save our environment but it can save our economy. Green jobs are going to help build a better future for us all by creating a clean and healthy environment and jobs that will be around for years to come.

---

Tracy Voacolo is the president of Micronesia Renewable Energy. She has more than 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry. Tracy can be contacted at info[at]micronesiarenewableenergy.com.

For more information about Micronesia Renewable Energy, visit http://micronesiarenewableenergy.com/. 

2013 Clean Energy Breakthroughs - www.micronesiarenewableenergy.com

AS WE head into 2014, let us take a look back into what 2013 had to offer the clean energy industry.

There were many breakthroughs last year from salt batteries to changes in the laws. Technology is quickly taking us closer to our goal of a zero-carbon future. Here are my four top innovations of last year:

1.     Vehicles that power buildings: We have all read or heard about the electric car owner who drives to work, plugs his car in and by the end of the work day his battery is fully charged to take on whatever after work activity he has. Nissan has taken it one step further by pioneering a new system that allows the flow of electricity to go both ways. This innovative technology is called vehicle-to-building. Basically what it does is reverse the flow of energy during peak hours in which the building draws energy from the vehicle’s battery. When the energy consumption slows, the energy then flows back to the vehicle. The U.S. military is also trying out this technology with their vehicle-to-grid pilot program. Because of the capability to store energy in the car’s battery, the car can be a source or power during power outages. Imagine turning your car on instead of running a generator. As more renewable energy is added to the grid, battery storage is a necessity and this innovation is helping bridge that gap.

2.     Battery power: As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, being able to store the energy created for a time when it is most needed is the key to renewable energy. Batteries of the past are bulky, costly, have low storage and are not very safe. The renewable energy industry has been working hard to make batteries more efficient and more affordable. Last year saw the use of nano-technology that yielded a higher level of conductivity in a smaller, lighter, lithium-sulfur battery. Tests are still undergoing if the battery is safe enough to be used. The year 2013 also saw a solar plant in Arizona come online, but this was no ordinary plant. For the first time in the United States, this plant has a battery that will keep generating power even after sunset. The battery uses a thermal energy storage system made of molten salt and can produce energy up six hours after the sun sets. This breakthrough is a huge step for solar photovoltaic (PV) technology that is dependent on the sun.

3.     Solar cells: In March last year, Alta Devices set a new record of 30.8 percent conversion efficiency. Conversion efficiency is the measurement of the amount of light that hits the solar cell and is changed into electricity. The industry standard is usually 18.7 to 24 percent. To achieve this record, the solar cell was made with a smaller thinner surface area. These cells are perfect for mobile phones, tablets, watches and more.

4.     Wind turbines: Last year was a big step in wind energy. A Norwegian-based oil and gas company started work on floating wind turbines that is taking advantage of the offshore wind. The traditional wind farm requires a lot of construction and cannot be put in water over 195 feet. The floating wind farm simply needs a few cables to moor with and can be placed in water up to 2,295 feet.

GE has also done some innovations with its line of wind turbines. They have turbines that calculate wind availability and the demand for power. When used with a grid-scaled energy storing battery, it will smooth out power fluctuations to the grid and will have power available during peak hours.

---

Tracy Voacolo is the president of Micronesia Renewable Energy. She has more than 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry. Tracy can be contacted at info[at]micronesiarenewableenergy.com.

For more information about Micronesia Renewable Energy, visit http://micronesiarenewableenergy.com/. 

Battery storage – get ready! - www.micronesiarenewableenergy.com

THE use of energy storage in various forms has been around most of our human existence in one form or another. An example dates back to the 1300s where stored or dammed waterways controlled watermills for use in grain processing and farm irrigation. Energy storage gives us control over the supply and demand of energy. In the next two years, battery storage systems will become mainstream and change the renewable energy industry forever.

Japan, Germany, the United States and China have been investing millions of dollars into battery storage over the last three years and it seems that it will be finally paying off. In the past, the problem with this technology has been the low energy density, its availability and the high costs. The density of storage is the relation of the amount of energy stored in a given unit, the higher the energy density the more energy you can store.

Now is the time to get excited because battery storage will not only be affordable but will make sense to add this technology to renewable energy systems that will help save you a lot money in the years to come.

Solar and wind farms naturally have additional challenges such as cloud cover and changing weather conditions. When these systems are connected to the grid, these uncontrollable conditions cause fluctuations of energy. When a battery storage system is added, these systems deliver reliable and efficient energy to the grid with minimal voltage fluctuations. Batteries that use Ni-Cd (Nickle-Cadium), Ni-MH (nickel-metal hydrate), and Li-ion (Lithium-ion) deliver a high performance, long service life and low to zero maintenance. Even in extreme conditions, these batteries stand the abuse. This value proposition is designed to optimize energy efficiency, enable more flexible grid management, maximize investments and provide peace of mind knowing energy balance is under control across the entire energy supply chain.

In the commercial and residential markets, solar companies are partnering with energy storage companies and creating hybrid systems. These systems can store your excess energy produced during the day and delivering this energy to your electrical system once the sun goes down. This new technology is being produced with logic controls in which the owner can preset and program when to dispatch the stored energy and under what conditions. When commercial and residential storage become more common it will eliminate the heated debate about net metering. Net metering gives power customers who generate renewable power the opportunity to give their excess power to the power company in exchange for reduced power bills. Battery storage will give customers the opportunity to store their excess renewable energy for later in the day when needed and not adding it to the grid once it is created.

Continued research and development from the pioneers of energy storage and the decrease in prices will upgrade the renewable energy industry. I believe battery storage is the missing link needed to complete our need for energy independence from fossil fuel. This new and exciting technology will soon be mainstream and it could not come at a better time. 

---

Tracy Voacolo is the president of Micronesia Renewable Energy. She has more than 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry. Tracy can be contacted at info[at]micronesiarenewableenergy.com.

For more information about Micronesia Renewable Energy, visit http://micronesiarenewableenergy.com/. 

PACE Now - www.micronesiarenewableenergy.com

I HAVE had the pleasure of meeting a lot of people on Guam who would love to go solar or install some means of energy efficiency to help lower their energy costs, but simply have no way of coming up with the extra cash to pay for it. It’s that old catch-22 situation that if I had the money to install these systems I could save money, but my energy costs keep rising and with my everyday expenses there is simple no way to come up with the money. Although regional banking institutions will loan monies now for solar energy and energy-efficient systems, the finance term is usually five to seven years and for most households that are struggling already to make ends meet, this is usually very cost prohibited. But what if there was a program that would amortize this loan for up to 20 years at a low interest rate with no money down – wow! Please sign me up.

PACE – Property Assessed Clean Energy – is an innovating way to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades to residential and commercial buildings. Interested property owners evaluate measures that achieve energy savings and receive 100 percent financing for these measures while repaying the loan as a property tax assessment for up to 20 years. Owners of these properties under the PACE program can eliminate upfront fees and greatly reduce their energy bills with very low cost financing which greatly overcome the challenges otherwise faced by the costs associated with these technologies.

PACE was first introduced in the United States in 2008. Today there are 31 states and the District of Columbia that have adopted legislation that enables local governments to offer PACE benefits to building owners. This community initiative creates permanent private sector jobs, strengthens our local economy and helps Guam become less dependent on fossil fuel. The PACE program is also increasing property values. Data shows that PACE homes are less likely to default and many studies have found that homes with energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades sell at higher prices relative to those without.

The steps needed for Guam to become the first territory and enable every homeowner or business owner the ability to own an energy-efficient or renewable energy system through a PACE program are as follows: establish public policy promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency as a means to enable every credit-worthy building owner the means to lower their energy bill, and in turn, lower the carbon foot print and help to create a third industry here. Building owners who voluntary participate in the program can hire an experienced energy auditor, which can be found through the Guam Renewable Energy Association membership, to provide the building owner with a full audit and proposal. The government provides financing for the project typically by selling bonds secured solely by payments from the property owners. The building owners receive financing from the government and agree to repay the loan usually through a property tax assessment for a 20-year term.

Everyone wins with PACE. The building owner has a renewable energy system that now enables the owner to become cash flow positive from day one; in some situations, cutting their energy bills by up to 40 percent. The community wins by lowering the carbon footprint of Guam and benefiting from not only a cleaner world, but the buildup of a viable third industry that Guam truly needs.

And the government wins by providing the people of Guam with smart policy that will provide everyone with the opportunity to investment in renewable energy and our children’s future.

---

Tracy Voacolo is the president of Micronesia Renewable Energy. She has more than 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry. Tracy can be contacted at info[at]micronesiarenewableenergy.com.

For more information about Micronesia Renewable Energy, visit http://micronesiarenewableenergy.com/. 

Climate change and the deterioration of our oceans - www.micronesiarenewableenergy.com

THE argument of climate change has been around now for more than 10 years. Whether you believe in it or not, the facts are stacking up that this is a real phenomenon and is becoming a tangible problem for us all.

The Chamorro people of Guam and Micronesia region have a kindred relationship with the ocean. Guam has been inhabited since approximately 2000 B.C. The Chamorro people were excellent sea men and a lot of their diet came primarily from the sea. The ocean has been a major part of the Chamorro culture and today, unfortunately, our oceans are in trouble. Earth is heating up, putting extreme stresses on our oceans.

On Oct. 3, an international panel of marine scientist published disturbing results from the latest International Program on the State of the Oceans report. The report stated, “The ocean is absorbing much of the warming and unprecedented levels of carbon dioxide and warn that the cumulative impact of this with other ocean stressors is far graver than previous estimates.” The decreasing oxygen levels in the ocean are being attributed to the climate change, chemical pollution, overfishing, and many other factors.

There are three major concerns affecting our oceans today. The first is de-oxygenation, which is a decline in dissolved oxygen in the ocean interior. Evidence shows the oxygen levels of the ocean are gradually declining at an alarming rate. Second is acidification, or the unbalanced chemical equilibrium of the ocean, caused by the absorption of carbon dioxide. If the current levels of carbon dioxide release continue, we can anticipate extremely serious consequences for ocean life, our food and coastal areas. Third is the climate change, which, in turn, is warming up the ocean. Many of us who dive the oceans have experienced these three factors through observing the bleaching and dying of our coral reefs.

Our glaciers and Artic ice shelves are melting at alarming rates causing the seas to rise. Islands such as Kiribati and Tuvalu in the South Pacific could disappear within our lifetime. NASA’s website, www.nasa.gov, has some concerning pictures that show how detrimental climate warming is. Compare the 1917 picture of the Peterson Glacier in Alaska to the picture taken in 2005 – the glacier has literally disappeared.

I do not understand why we as a civilization continue to harm our planet, especially with all of the renewable energy technology that we have now such as wind, solar and hydro. On Guam, we must find better ways to scale back our use of fossil fuel and eliminate the dangerous emissions our power plants produce. We must join the renewable energy movement so future generations will the have the opportunity to experience this beautiful island and Mother Earth for many, many more generations to come. It truly is in our hands now. Pope Francis said in a biography, “We must be protectors of our Earth that the Lord has entrusted us with.” Powerful words indeed!

---

Tracy Voacolo is the president of Micronesia Renewable Energy. She has more than 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry. Tracy can be contacted at info[at]micronesiarenewableenergy.com.

For more information about Micronesia Renewable Energy, visit http://micronesiarenewableenergy.com/.