With Intersolar taking place in San Francisco this week, solar professionals from all over the world are coming together to network and exchange ideas. The Intersolar organizers have chosen the right city for this conference: The city’s mayor Gavin Newsom is actively pushing towards renewable energy sources. Under his leadership, the City and County of San Francisco started the first local solar energy incentive program in July 2008. Since launching GoSolarSF, there has been a 450% increase in applications for solar installations in San Francisco, from 200 to 850. Last week, Newsom announced plans to install three new solar installations with over 365 kw power on the San Francisco Housing Authority as part of the GoSolar initiative. According to a report issued by Environment California last week, San Francisco ranks third in number of rooftop solar installations in California. On a per-capita basis, San Francisco leads the state’s large cities for rooftop solar.

California is leading the US solar energy efforts with 67% of total installed PV capacity (530 MW) in the United States. On average, PV is growing at more than 30% per year – with 2008 having shown more than 150% growth. Californians are thought leaders and progressive thinkers, and much what happens in this state later happens in the rest of the country, according to Gary Gerber, President of CalSEIA (California Solar Energy Industries Association). In a presentation he held at the 5th Germany California Solar Day held by the German American Chamber of Commerce on June 16, he highlighted eight critical factors driving solar in California:

1. Relatively high electricity prices, Time of Use tariffs
2. Increasing electricity demand, especially at peak
3. Electrical infrastructure weakness / grid congestion
4. Strong state rebate program, net metering
5. RPS requirements (Renewable Portfolio Standard)
6. Federal investment tax credit
7. A variety of new incentives
8. Innovative financing (Power Purchase Agreements)

Hurdles to take
Compared to Germany, the cost of installing a solar system in California is more than 30% more expensive. While the average residential system in the US state costs $8 per kw to install, it only costs $6 in Germany. Other challenges Californians are facing include the fact that the installed cost of systems is not (yet) competitive with retail electricity rates without subsidies ($.15 -$.20/kWh), California Solar Initiative incentive levels continue to drop and are now at less than $2/watt, and burdensome paperwork. Gerber during his recent presentation illustrated the latter by the following comparison:

Typical amount of paperwork for one project in California		Typical amount of paperwork for one project in Germany

Germany has been at the forefront of solar PV installations worldwide, accounting for almost half of the global solar power market in 2007. Much of this goes back to the country’s feed-in-tariff, part of the Renewable Energy Law (Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz, or EEG) enacted by the German government in 2000 (a similar incentive program is still being debated in California). In 2008, Germany installed more than 300,000 new solar systems with a capacity of 1.5 megawatts, according to the BSW (Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft). Solar power now meets about 1 percent of Germany’s electricity demand and is expected to reach 25 percent by 2050.

Germany is represented at Intersolar with numerous companies, and the German Consul General Rolf Schuette is hosting a reception at 1:30 at the German pavillion today – hope to see you there!

Related posts:

• Germany Is Calling for Sustainable Development Experts
• Interested in Solar But Don’t Know Where to Start?
• Clean Energy & Green Technology Floundering Towards A Green Economy
• Germany Plans Renewable Energy Superhighway
• Germany Could Be Powered Mostly By Wind

The purpose of the New Leaders Council is to provide emerging progressive leaders with a rigorous 5-month leadership training program that focuses on entrepreneurship, communications and public speaking skills, fundraising, campaign work, new and traditional media, and personal values to shape them into what the NLC calls “political entrepreneurs”.

I had the pleasure of attending the New Leaders Council’s Energy Leadership Awards event at the Minna Gallery on June 15. As the night kicked off, people started trickling in, talking and mingling with the current and former fellows of the New Leaders Council, and soon, the Gallery was filled with conversation and laughter.

Suddenly, a burst of energy emerged from the front of the crowd – this burst of energy was named Kula Koenig, a 2009 New Leaders Council Fellow. She was warm, sweet and full of energy and welcomed all of us to the event. Kula, passionate about making a difference in the world, has found the tools she learned from the NLC to be extremely useful in her quest.

Kula then introduced Phil Angelides, Chairman of the Apollo Alliance and the evening’s host. Mr. Angelides has been an enormous voice and strong promoter of the clean tech industry. Mr. Angelides said, “You don’t need a title to make a difference. The possibilities to make change are limitless.”

The Public Sector Award went to Phil Ting, San Francisco Assesor-Recorder and Founder of the Solar Task Force, for launching GoSolarSF and pushing San Francisco’s businesses to install solar systems, doubling the number installed in a year and a half. If its one thing I took away from his speech, it was this: never take no for an answer.

The Business Sector Award went to Nancy Floyd, Founder and Managing Director of Nth Power, for her continuous dedication in investing and believing in the clean tech market with her venture capital firm, Nth Power. Ms. Floyd said that the NLC had the passion and vision to make a change in the world.

The Non-Profit Sector Award went to Tim Sears and Erica Mackie, the Co-Founders of GRID Alternatives, for their involvement in bringing solar panels for low income families. With the help of numerous volunteers and hours of job training, GRID Alternatives has installed about 200 systems in San Francisco.

As the award ceremony dwindled to an end, the room was filled with renewed passion, hope and determination, inspired by the all the winners that night. It was clear that one point resonated throughout the evening – Edward Everett Hale summed it up quite well when he said, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”

Related posts:

• Solarthon 2009 — Want to Learn How to Install Solar?
• Energy Leadership Awards with Phil Angelides & Fiona Ma
• Ever Installed Solar Panels? Bent Conduit? Mounted Inverters? It’s Fun!
• Clean Tech Event: Smart Grid Bilateral Trade and Investment Opportunities
• What A Party! $4,000 to GRID Alternatives… and I turn 30