The Solar Foundation, a nonprofit organization that uses research and education to demonstrate the global benefits of solar energy, offers a map of detailed solar energy industry employment data for all 50 states. According to the foundation, the State Solar Jobs Map uses numbers that are "believed to be the most credible and up-to-date state-level jobs numbers in existence," and is the first resource to aggregate this information for all 50 states. Figures provided for each state include the total number of solar energy industry jobs and companies, as well as calculations determining each state's rank in the nation for its maximum solar resource, its number of homes powered by solar energy and its electricity price. For more, explore the State Solar Jobs Map.

Ever since President Obama signed off on the extension of the production tax credit as part of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 on the first of this year, alternative energy developers have been waiting for the IRS to define the new qualification standard for PTCs (See our Jan 02, 2013, blog, "Congress passes a one-year extension of the production tax credit"). The new law replaces the requirement that the project be producing energy in order to qualify for the credit and instead requires that construction of the project begin by Dec. 31. The IRS released rules last week that define "the beginning of construction as 'starting physical work of a significant nature,' including road construction, pouring of concrete or off-site assembly of turbines," Bloomberg reports. Conducting environmental studies, securing financing and getting permits are preliminary development activities that do not qualify as construction; however, developers "can also qualify if they incur 5 percent of the total cost of the project and make continuous progress toward completion," the article said. For more, read the full story.

Kent State University will host its second annual Symposium on Advances in Organic Photovoltaics (OPV) on April 17, 2013, from 9 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. in the Moulton Hall Ballroom on the Kent Campus, a press release from the university announced. The symposium, which is free and open to the public, will feature academic speakers who will discuss recent progress made with regard to OPV, which are "specialized carbon-based materials used in solar cells" that can potentially be "produced at much lower costs than conventional solar cells using processes such as jet printing, spray painting and roll-to-roll manufacturing processes," the release said. For more, read the full press release.

Today, the New Energy Capital Cleantech Infrastructure Fund announced the final commissioning and term financing for a completed, 5-megawatt solar array that is connected to Celina's municipal grid and capable of providing up to eight percent of the city's total energy demand, Columbus Business First reports. The $18 million project, developed by Westerville-based SolarVision LLC and co-owned with New Energy Capital, "was financed with New Market Tax Credits, in partnership with the Finance Fund and JPMorgan Chase," the article said. For more, read the full story.

The City of Cincinnati, which last April put into place an electric supply contract requiring all of the city's power supply to be backed by Renewable Energy Credits, is now working to "establish new financing mechanisms for expanding the city's solar energy capabilities," Business Courier reports. Following a town hall meeting on the topic of solar energy, Cincinnati Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls called on the mayor's administration to "work with local organizations like Green Umbrella, Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority and the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA) to develop Property Assisted Clean Energy (PACE) financing," which would use "third-party financing tools to overcome existing financial barriers" for solar energy projects, the article said. For more, read the full story.

A new report from the Solar Energy Industries Association found that Ohio moved from 18th in the United States in 2011 to 14th in 2012 for the amount of installed solar power, Dayton Daily News reports. Major installations highlighted include: two wind turbines that will be active at the Honda Transmission Mfg. of America, Inc. plant in Russells Point by year's end; IKEA's installation of 4,186 solar panels in West Chester; Wal-Mart's installation of solar arrays atop a dozen Ohio stores; and the Assurant Group's installation of 6,200 solar panels in Springfield, the article said. For more, read the full Dayton Daily News story and access the purchase page of the full report.

Because a "vast majority of interested parties" inquired about obtaining electronic transcripts of testimonies from yesterday's Ohio Senate Public Utilities Committee hearing on the state's energy portfolio rules, a copy of all transcripts complete with any included attachments is now available.  Testimonies are from: Andrew Ott of PJM Interconnection; Samuel C. Randazzo of Industrial Energy Users-Ohio; James Taylor of The Heartland Institute; Eric Thumma of the Mid-Atlantic Renewable Coalition; Daniel R. Simmons of the Institute for Energy Research; John C. Crespo of American Electric Power; and Colin Murchie of SolarCity Corporation on behalf of the Solar Energy Industries Association. For more, read the full document.

With solar power systems installed on 12 Walmart and Sam's Clubs stores throughout Ohio, Wal-Mart Stores is now the state's largest solar power user, The Columbus Dispatch reports. Located at stores in Austintown, Cincinnati, Franklin, Greenville, Loveland, Mason, Middletown, Milford, Toledo, Youngstown and Xenia, these systems generate approximately 6,000,000 kWh of energy, which are expected to supply "between 5 percent and 20 percent of each store's overall electricity use," the article said. For more, read the full story.

This week, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) confirmed tests that show a solar cell constructed by Arizona-based First Solar Inc. at its Perrysburg Township factory “set a world record for cadmium-telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PC) solar cell conversion efficiency, achieving 18.8 percent cell efficiency,” The Toledo Blade reports. For more, read the full story.

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with its RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory,  released the document, “Best Practices for Siting Solar Photovoltaics on Municipal Solid Waste Landfills.” The EPA is encouraging renewable energy development “on potentially contaminated land and landfills when it is aligned with the community’s vision for the site,” and this new document provides, in addition to examples of solar photovolatics projects on landfills, best practices for addressing “various technical considerations when determining the feasibility of a solar PV project on a landfill.” For more, read the full press release and document.

Although the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) voted last month to deny American Electric Power’s plan to subject its customers to new charges in order to pay for the Turning Point Solar project, the project’s developers say their plan to build the “largest photovoltaic array east of the Rockies” will come to fruition, albeit by different means, The Columbus Dispatch reports (See the Jan 11, 2013, blog – “PUCO votes to remove the Turning Point Solar plan from AEP’s projected power needs report”). They have developed a backup plan with the assistance of the PUCO staff that involves “commitments from utilities, universities, in Ohio and elsewhere, to buy electricity from Turning Point,” which will be a 49.9-megawatt plant on a site near Zanesville, the article said. For more, read the full story.

A recent op-ed featured on the Toledo Blade website insists that the federal government must develop a national standard for renewable energy so as to level the playing field among states – preventing those that already have energy standards from engaging in “a tug of war” for investors, and also creating market certainty for these investors. The editorial opines that the United States must invest more in clean energy resources so that it doesn’t fall behind China and parts of Europe; the production tax credits should be expanded; Ohio’s renewable energy laws should be maintained; and Congress should make a “great commitment” to researching and developing clean energy technologies through the nation’s universities. For more, read the full op-ed.

After determining that American Electric Power did not prove that the Turning Point Solar project is needed and therefore does not qualify to be a project paid for by new charges in customers’ utility bills, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) voted 3-1 to strip the plan from a report on AEP’s projected power needs, The Columbus Dispatch reports. The panel said that it is up to the utility to provide further justification for the project. For more, read the full story and PUCO’s decision.

This week, the Washington, D.C.-based Solar Energy Industries Association declared Napoleon, Ohio, “America’s Number One Solar Small Town,” The Toledo Blade reports. Napoleon’s Henry County is home to not only Isofoton North America’s $30 million plant, which employs 30 workers, but also AP Alternatives LLC, which “makes and installs racks to hold solar panels,” the article said. In addition, the town has two significant solar projects: a 4.2-megawatt solar array that supplies electricity to Napoleon’s power system and a 9.8-megawatt solar array erected by Campbell Soup Co. – the town’s largest employer, the article said. For more, read the full story and this SEIA press release.

The American Wind Energy Association submitted a proposal to U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Finance Committee, that would extend a tax break on the industry for six years, Bloomberg reports. The group insists the time frame is “long enough to cut costs and short enough to ease fears the credit will become a permanent part of the tax code,” the article said. The proposed plan would keep “100 percent of the current 2.2 cents a kilowatt-hour for projects started in 2013,” falling to 90 percent for projects completed in 2014, 80 percent in 2015, 70 percent in 2016 and 60 percent in 2017 and 2018, which would be the credit’s final year, the article said. For more, read the full story.

Ohio University and the Ohio Development Service Agency recently developed a database that lists and maps nearly 300 solar companies across the state of Ohio, the Columbus Dispatch reports. The database, which can be accessed at www.ohiosolarenergy.org, is being touted as a way to “help companies in the solar industry work together and attract customers,” the article said. For more, read the full story.

With many customers still without power in the coastal regions of Long Island and the Jersey Shore after Hurricane Sandy, residents are finding ways to use their solar energy that ordinarily depends on the electrical grid, the New York Times reports. It is a common belief that homes powered by solar energy are not affected by power outages, but these systems run by “sending excess power to the utility grid during the day and pulling electricity back to run the house at night,” the article said. When the grid goes down, it is still possible to “tap solar energy” by adding batteries to a home system or using independent solar generators. Despite these challenges, solar energy is providing relief for those who have been without power since the storm as “a multipanel, battery-tied system is helping fuel a relief center’s operations,” the article said. For more, read the full story.

The Ohio University Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs and the Ohio Development Service Agency’s Office of Energy recently announced the development of a new solar energy supply chain database, The Business Journal reports. The database, which was developed to “promote Ohio companies within the solar industry” and connect those companies with potential partners, suppliers and the public, allows users to access a geocoded, interactive online map that provides a comprehensive view of the solar energy industry in Ohio, the article said. For more, read the full story.

An editorial published on the Toledo Blade website Saturday took the position that green energy has many advantages, but is not right for every environment or every community. On the federal level, the editorial argues that the wind-energy industry deserves an extension of the production tax credit since “almost every energy industry – green or otherwise – has relied on subsidies.” On the state level, it maintains that the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority must exercise greater diligence when evaluating the proposals of clean-energy companies since four of the ten projects that received taxpayer-funded loans have “failed to repay the state, or failed to fulfill agreements such as reporting deadlines.” For more, read the full editorial.

The Walmart in Liberty Township is joining the more than 150 of the company’s 4,522 stores across the country that are powered to some extent by solar energy, The Business Journal reports.  More than 2,000 panels installed across the Liberty Township store’s 100,000-square-foot roof will be able to produce 450,000 watts of power, which will cover approximately 60% of the store’s energy needs, the article said. For more, read the full story.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development agency recently awarded a $103,629 Rural Energy for American Program grant to West Chester Twp.-based Winelco Inc. to install “a 90-kilowatt photovoltaic solar power system that will generate 97,570 kilowatt hours annually,” Hamilton Journal News reports. The company, which “designs, builds and operates water and waste water systems for residential, commercial and municipal waste water/water treatment industry sectors,” expects that the new energy system will provide 100 percent of its electric needs at its Centre Park Drive facility, the article said. For more, read the full story.

California-based solar panel manufacturer Solyndra, which gained worldwide attention when it filed for bankruptcy in 2011 after the federal government loaned it $535 million, is suing three Chinese solar companies – Suntech, Trina Solar Ltd and Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. – claiming that these companies used “predatory pricing and price fixing to drive out the competition in the U.S.,” OilPrice.com reports (See the Oct 11, 2012, blog – “Commerce Department finalizes tariff rates for Chinese solar panel manufacturers”). Solyndra says these illegal strategies are responsible for the company’s inability to “meet the contracts that it had announced in 2008” and is asking for a sum of $1.5 billion in compensation, the article said. For more, read the full story.

Using a $50,000 grant from the nonprofit business incubator, TechColumbus, Waseem Roshen – owner and sole employee of SS Power Technology – has invented a circuit board that reduces the amount of power that is “lost in transit between the surface of the solar cell and the battery” and has used it in the lab to increase a cell’s efficiency by more than 50 percent, The Columbus Dispatch reports. Currently working out of the basement of an Ohio State University lab, Roshen is seeking at least $300,000 for another year’s worth of work, which will be spent developing a “durable and inexpensive application for the technology,” the article said. For more, read the full story.

Yesterday, the U.S. Commerce Department assigned Chinese solar panel firms with countervailing tariffs ranging from 14.78 percent to 15.97 percent and anti-dumping tariffs ranging from 18.32 to 250 percent, a press release from the International Trade Administration announced. The U.S. International Trade Commission will decide by November 23, 2012, if “solar cells from China materially injure, or threaten material injury to, the domestic industry,” which will determine whether the tariffs will take effect. For more, including the tariff rates for specific companies and the products that fall under the tariffs, read the full press release.

Even with demand for wind turbines and solar panels growing rapidly over the last five years, China’s manufacturing capacity for these products has grown even faster, creating “a looming financial disaster” due to oversupply and a price war, The New York Times reports. Chinese solar panel manufacturers are cutting back production and the Chinese government is pushing for the country’s more than 20 wind turbine manufacturers to consolidate into five or six companies, but foreign industry rivals insist that China must “subsidize the purchase of more solar panels at home” – instead of relying so heavily on exports – if it wants to help its overcapacity problem, the article said. For more, read the full story.

The National Science Foundation awarded Case Western University a $3.8 million federal grant to help support a five-year effort to replace “gradually unsustainable components” of wind turbine blades and solar panels with biomaterials such as bacteria and fungi, Crain’s Cleveland Business reports. As a recipient, Case Western will work with eight other institutions from around the world to develop “lighter, stronger and more durable biomaterials” for energy applications, according to a press release from Case Western University’s Case School of Engineering. For more, read the story and the press release.

In order to comply with Ohio’s energy law, FirstEnergy Corp. announced yesterday that a request for proposal will be issued to purchase renewable energy credits from renewable generating facilities that are certified, or in the process of being certified, in the state of Ohio, a press release from the company said (See the Aug 17, 2012, blog – “Audit finds FirstEnergy Corp. overpaid by millions for renewable energy credits (RECS)”). The company seeks solar renewable energy credits (SRECS) and renewable energy credits (RECS) produced between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2012. According the release, the amounts and locations sought by the company are as follows: 7,500 SRECS generated in Ohio or states contiguous to Ohio; 140,000 RECS generated in Ohio; and 175,000 RECS generated in Ohio or states contiguous to Ohio. For more, read the full story here.

Athens-based Third Sun Solar has been tapped to install more than 6,200 solar panels atop the Assurant Specialty Property buildings in Springfield as part of the company’s effort to save money and as part of its “launch of a bundled insurance program for commercial-scale solar installations,” Dayton Daily News reports. The $7 million, 1.76-megawatt project is expected to generate 1.9 million kilowatt hours of solar power annually, which is about a third of Assurant’s energy use, the article said. In addition, solar panels being installed near Urbana University’s football field will provide “a fifth of the university’s energy needs.” Cincinnati-based Melink Corp. is installing the 500-kilowatt solar array, which is expected to save “about $2 million over the 30-year lifespan of the project,” the article said. For more, read the full story here.

The Ohio Board of Regents announced today that it has launched a website to help connect “Ohioans seeking education and jobs in the energy industry” with education and training resources, as well as employment opportunities, that are tailored to their needs and interests, according to a press release from the board. Keeping with Governor Kasich’s vision that higher education institutions better equip students with the skills and knowledge needed by Ohio’s businesses and employers, the website – OhioEnergyPathways.org – features information about the advanced energy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and oil and gas sectors. For more, read the full press release here.

Nonprofit renewable energy advocate Green Energy Ohio has scheduled 170 open houses in more than 100 communities in 49 counties across Ohio to showcase renewable energy and green design, a press release from the organization said. Tours, which run from Monday, October 1 through Sunday, October 7, are free and open to the public during designated times and include photovoltaics, energy efficiency features, LEED buildings, Energy Star, electric vehicles charged by renewable energy, passive solar, solar thermal, wind, geothermal and biomass. To view the schedule, pick a tour or design a personalized, self-guided tour, visit the GEO website here.

In an effort to allow the Toledo-area solar firm to pursue a plan that’s “aimed at raising additional funding,” the Ohio Department of Development decided today to change the repayment date for Willard & Kelsey Solar Group’s state loan from September 5, 2012, to October 26, 2012, The Columbus Dispatch reports  (See the Aug 10, 2012, blog – “Ohio Department of Development demands Perrysburg-based solar energy company repay $5 million loan”). While the financial plan that the firm submitted to ODOD is not public record, Daryl Hennessy, assistant chief of the business services division at the department, said the company was able to “convert some of [its] debt into equity” and “secure some outside investment” that put it in “a better financial position,” the article said. For more, read the full story here.

The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority determined that Buckeye Silicon, a solar firm in the Toledo area, “violated several terms of its $1.4 million loan” with missed loan payments, making partial payments and other compliance failures, leading the air authority’s board to rule that the company has defaulted on its state loan, The Toledo Blade reports. With Perrysburg’s Willard & Kelsey Solar Group having defaulted on its $5 million state loan on August 23, 2012, this latest development “marks the second time in less than a month that the air authority has demanded repayment of a loan from a Toledo-area solar company” (See the Aug 10, 2012, blog – "Ohio Department of Development demands Perrysburg-based solar energy company repay $5 million loan”). For more, read the full story here.

In an effort to “continually lower the balance of system costs for large solar projects,” Northern States Metals – developer and manufacturer of the patented Solar FlexRack photovoltaic mounting system – intends to purchase OPEL Technologies Inc.’s Solar Tracker assets, The Business Journal reports. OPEL’s Solar Tracker technology “is designed to increase the yield of a photovoltaic system by up to 30%” and “eliminates inter-row shadowing, allowing for larger systems to be installed in a smaller area,” the article said. For more, read the full story here.

Solarzentrum North America, a German manufacturer of solar panels, is investing $7 million to "expand its PV-Therm Module production facility" in Osgood, Indiana, approximately 50 miles west of Cincinnati, Business Courier reports. The company said that an increase in demand for its PV-Therm product, which “uses sunlight to heat water and generate electricity with the same unit” was responsible for the facility’s expansion and that 140 new jobs will be added by 2016 as a result, the article said. For more, read the full story here.

The Michigan Department of Transportation chose the Youngstown-based Solar FlexRack system for installation as two solar carports at a carpool parking lot by the State Route 44 interchange of Interstate 96 in Grand Rapids, a press release from the company said. One array is 77 x 39 feet and will accommodate 154 Solar World 250-watt modules, while the other is 114 by 39 feet and will accommodate 231 modules. The two arrays will generate 38.5 kw and 57.75 kw of electricity respectively, the release said. For more, read the full press release here.

The Advanced Energy Business-to-Business Conference & Expo has grown out of its northeast Ohio roots and will cover the entire state during its annual event, which takes place this year at the Greater Columbus Convention Center from October 30-31, 2012, a press release from NorTech said. NorTech produced the event and Advanced Energy Economy Ohio is presenting the agenda, which includes sessions with industry experts on key advanced energy sectors like waste and biomass to energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, fuel cells, smart grid, shale gas and solar, as well as a technology showcase featuring “entrepreneurs, companies, and researchers seeking collaborators, partners and funding,” the release said. More than 700 industry professionals are expected to attend and more than 120 companies and organizations are expected to exhibit, the release said. For more, read the press release here or for registration and other information, visit the expo website here.

The abundance of sunshine this summer may prove detrimental to crops, but it’s helped Public Service Enterprise Group’s Wyandot Solar Farm near Upper Sandusky in Wyandot County produce “more energy than expected this summer,” The Blade reports. The 12-megawatt facility, which cost $44 million and covers 84 acres, does not release specific output figures, but did say that the facility is “over the plan for this year” and is selling the extra energy to American Electric Power Co., the article said. For more, read the full story here.

Charley Shin, who started the Charley’s Grilled Subs chain in Columbus in 1986, started another company there two years ago – Solar Planet, a company that finances and installs solar energy systems for organizations facing tight budget constraints like schools, municipalities, universities and nonprofit organizations, The Columbus Dispatch reports. One of Solar Planet’s first projects was a $6.5 million solar-panel installation for Centerburg Local Schools launched a few months ago that “promises to replace as much as 80 percent of the power that the schools currently buy from AEP,” the article said. For more, read the full story here.

The Ohio School Facilities Commission ("OSFC") has released a proposed rule regarding the adoption of standards for "solar ready" school roofs. The proposed rule, available here, leaves most of the work for OSFC Staff, who will craft the standards and include them in the 2011 Ohio School Design Manual. The rule is being proposed pursuant to the authority of Revised Code 3318.112, a statute enacted as part of SB 221 requiring OSFC to adopt "solar ready" requirements and guidelines for schools under its jurisdiction. The standards will apply to all projects funded by OSFC and will address, among other things, roof space limitations, shading and obstruction, building orientation, roof loading capacity and electric systems. The rule allows school districts to seek a waiver of the standards if they show good cause.

Third Sun, a solar developer out of Athens,  financed the installation of 1,716 solar panels atop Kent State University’s field house that will generate enough electricity annually for 50 homes or “a third of the power consumed in the field house and nearby Dix Stadium,” The Plain Dealer reports. Third Sun will own the $1.5-million solar array for seven years, after which the university has the option to buy or change its power-purchasing contract, the article said. For more, read the full story here.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu recognized the grand opening of DuPont's expanded solar photovoltaic manufacturing plant in Circleville last week and "called on Congress to extend the expiring clean energy tax credits that made this investment possible," a press release from the U.S. Department of Energy said. The Circleville plant received $50 million in federal clean energy tax credits to expand its production of a thin film material that strengthens the performance and durability of solar modules, which created 70 permanent operational jobs, the release said. For more, read the full press release here.

Global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, Inc. released a report declaring that it is not death throes that the solar-power industry is experiencing, but natural growing pains. The report, "Solar power: Darkest before dawn," finds that although government subsidies that are set to expire created new producers who oversupplied the market, the industry will stabilize as underlying solar-photovoltaic costs drop and solar power stand-alone economics become competitive in five customer segments. For more, read the full report here.

The (Toledo) Blade reports that the State of Ohio lent millions of dollars to a Perrysburg solar-panel manufacturer despite knowing about budding financial problems at the company. And even when it had a better account of Willard & Kelsey Solar Group's money troubles, the article continues, the state approved requests to defer loan payments, extend financial report deadlines, enter into a new state loan agreement, and modify the terms of a private loan. The full article is available here.

Although the current low price of natural gas threatens the economic rationale for renewable energy, a new report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and GTM Research says that the price of solar panels plummeted by more than 50% in 2010, and estimates that solar power will account for 10% of U.S. electricity by 2020, up from 1% currently. Meanwhile, American Wind Energy Association announced that wind power increased 31% last year, USA Today reports. As government subsidy programs for renewable energy expire, both the wind and solar industries will face "considerable consolidation," the article said. For more, read the USA Today article here or view the SEIA's "U.S. Solar Market Insight Report Year-in-Review 2011 Summary" here.

Xunming Deng has resigned as Xunlight Corp.'s president, chief executive officer, and chairman of the board, according to an article in The (Toledo) Blade. The Toledo-based solar panel manufacturer was started in 2006 by Deng and his wife, Liwei Xu. The article notes that Deng will continue as an adviser to Xunlight Corp., as chairman and CEO of Xunlight 26 Solar, a Xunlight subsidiary with offices in Toledo, and chairman and legal representative of Xunlight Kunshan. Xunlight has a plant in Kunshan, China.

Locally Grown Power and IdealPV, two California-based companies, are partnering with Mansfield, Ohio's North End Community Improvement Collaborative (NECIC) to test an idea that uses low-cost solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to revitalize ailing communities, CleanTechnica.com reports. The proposed public-private partnership would establish a solar PV assembly plant and installation program and would install solar PV for any willing local residents and businesses, the article said. In addition to energy savings, the project would create approximately 440 jobs. If successful, the project could be replicated across the country. For more, read the full story here.

Miamisburg-based Solar Power & Light – in partnership with Athens-based Dovetail Solar and Wind and the Beachwood-based Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance – won a 20-year contract with the City of Cincinnati to "install and operate solar equipment on land owned or controlled by the city," according to an article in the Dayton Business Journal. The city will only have to pay for the electricity generated, the article said. For more read the full story here.

As reported by Forbes.com, Tucson Electric Power said that it plans to add solar power to a coal- and natural-gas-fired plant in Tucson, Ariz. The Sundt Solar Boost Project, slated to begin operating early next year, will use solar steam generators to produce as much as 5 megawatts of power during times of peak demand. The project is the latest of several to combine solar power with fossil fuels in an attempt to increase generating efficiency, according to the article.

FirstEnergy Corp. will host a webinar on Thursday, February 9, at 11 a.m. (ET) to discuss its recently released request for proposals to secure 10-year contracts for solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) for its Ohio utilities. The RFP seeks delivery of 1,000 SRECs produced by qualified generating facilities in Ohio for each calendar year beginning in 2012 and continuing through 2021. No energy or capacity will be purchased under the RFP. Webinar instructions are available here (pdf). More information on the RFP is available here.

The North End Community Improvement Collaborative presented to Richland County commissioners Tuesday their plan to start a company that will "assemble solar panels from mostly locally produced components," according to an article in the Mansfield News Journal. A 30,000-square-foot building and $6.2 million in startup costs would provide the town with 440 living-wage jobs and the ability for homes and government facilities to receive solar panels at little or no cost, the article said. For more read the full story here.

A group of green energy executives spoke of the positive impact that the renewable energy industry can have on Northwest Ohio's economy during a presentation at the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce annual meeting last week, ToledoBlade.com reports. The executives noted that Ohio's strong manufacturing base make it an attractive location for developing and producing solar technologies, the article said. For more read the full story here.

FirstEnergy Corp. announced that it will conduct a Request for Proposal to secure 10-year contracts to provide solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) for customers of its Ohio utilities--Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating and Toledo Edison--to help meet the renewable energy benchmarks established under Ohio’s renewable portfolio standard. The RFP seeks delivery of 1,000 SRECs produced by qualified generating facilities in Ohio for each calendar year beginning in 2012 and continuing through 2021. No energy or capacity will be purchased under the RFP.

On February 9, FirstEnergy will conduct a webinar to outline the RFP process and the terms of the agreement. To participate in the RFP, bidders are encouraged to submit credit information by February 27, with full proposal information due on March 6. For more information, visit the web site FirstEnergy set up for the RFP.

The Avon Lake City Council approved legislation last week that regulates the "construction, modification and operation of renewable energy sources," according to an article on Cleveland.com. The legislation, which establishes jurisdiction as well as noise and location restrictions for wind turbines and solar panels, allows all pre-existing systems to be grandfathered in, the article said. For more read the full story here.

An IKEA in West Chester Township is the 14th IKEA store in the U.S. to install a solar energy system, according to an article in the Middletown Journal. Rec Solar designed and installed the 1.3 megawatt system from September to December 2011. The 128,000-square-foot photovoltaic system consists of 4,186 panels and will reduce approximately 1,014 tons of carbon dioxide each year, the article said. For more read the full story here.

Athens-based Dovetail Solar and Wind will use "energy tax credits, accelerated depreciation and the sale of solar renewable energy credits" to finance the roof restoration of Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center – an arena and conference center – as well as the installation of 2,470 solar panels that will provide about 15 percent of the power used at the facility, according to an article in The Plain Dealer. For more, including information on other Ohio colleges and universities converting to solar power, read the full story here.

After showing initial interest in a solar energy plan developed by the Shaker Heights-based firm Carbon Vision, the Marietta City School District is no longer pursuing the project because the initially projected energy savings of $20,000 for the first year did not take into account the $60,000- to $80,0000-worth of savings that the district would experience each year over the next two years as part of an electric aggregation contract, an article in The Marietta Times reports. For more read the full story here.

The Battelle Memorial Institute, a Columbus-based nonprofit research institution, has made available streaming video from The Ohio Governor's 21st Century Energy & Economy Summit, which took place from September 21-22, 2011, at The Ohio State University. Topics included coal; wind, solar and efficiency; environment, technology and community impacts; alternative transportation fuels; etc. Speakers included Gov. John Kasich, energy industry executives and energy policy specialists. To view videos from the summit, visit the Battelle website here. 

Perrysburg-based Willard & Kelsey Solar Group has reduced payments on two state loans and laid off 40 employees this month, the latter of which renders the company ineligible for $3 million in state tax breaks for which it was conditionally approved, the Toledo Blade reports. The company, which is "partially funded by millions of dollars in state loans and grants," will be inspected by the state Office of Air Quality Development Authority in February to ensure that a $5 million loan intended for an assembly line was well spent, the article said. For more, read the full story here.
 

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu said that highly efficient gas turbines should be integrated into wind farms and giant solar arrays so that electric utilities can shut down the coal-fired power plants that serve as the "spinning reserve" for generating power when the wind stops or clouds obscure the sun, an article in The Plain Dealer reports. Read the full story here.

The (Findlay) Courier reports that Marathon Petroleum Corp. plans to develop a $4 million solar project that will help power the City of Findlay's sewage treatment plant. The project will aid the company's emerging energy technology research, which also focuses on wind and biofuels, according to the article. The project is expected to generate about 1 megawatt of electricity per year, which will be donated to the city. 

A recent article in The New York Times spotlights two California companies that are planning to build solar storehouses that use solar thermal technology to provide electricity while the sun is down, thereby solving one of solar energy's main problems – the need for expensive gas-fired generators to operate as backup capacity. For more read the full story here.

National Public Radio's Morning Edition program ran a story this week examining how relatively low natural gas prices in the United States are impacting the solar energy market. With increased production due to the kind of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling now occurring in Southeast Ohio holding the line on the cost of electricity produced by natural gas, payback periods for some solar projects are on the rise, according to the story.

The Yellow Springs News reports that SolarVision is moving ahead with plans to develop a 2.5 megawatt solar project in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Last May, Yellow Springs finalized a contract with SolarVision in which the Westerville, Ohio-based company would finance, construct, own and maintain solar facilities on the village-owned Glass Farm land for 20 years, according to the article. Putting together financing for the project has taken SolarVision longer than expected, the article notes, but construction is now expected to start in six months.

The (Toledo) Blade reports that two international energy companies intend to install a large solar energy field on former landfill sites in northern Toledo. OCI Solar Power and CME Energy plan to invest nearly $20 million on the project. According to Toledo Mayor Mike Bell, "It's a very positive use of the land and from the standpoint of renewable energy and creating great green initiatives." The solar field is projected to be finished by 2013 and is expected to generate enough electricity to power 7,000 homes.  

Toledo solar firms First Solar Inc., Xunlight Corp., and Willard & Kelsey LLC are still confident their operations will survive despite predictions from the chief executive of China’s Trina Solar Ltd. that two-thirds of solar-related companies will face mergers, acquisitions or bankruptcy by 2015, according to an article in The (Toledo) Blade.  The article highlights First Solar Inc., Xunlight Corp., Willard & Kelsey Group LLC and Isofoton North America, which is planning to open a solar plan in Napoleon next year.  According to the article, each of the companies "contends it makes a particular type of panel that is in demand and is competitively priced, so it will survive any industry consolidation."

A press release on U.S. Senator Tom Udall’s (D-N.M.) website indicates that a recent amendment to the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act closes loopholes that gave foreign solar manufacturers at an advantage over American companies. Now, in addition to being required to buy American-made goods, the Department of Defense will have to purchase power from companies that use American compliant panels. According to the Senator’s site, “The Buy American Solar Amendment will close this loophole and create a level playing field for U.S. solar manufacturers.” The amendment was co-sponsored by Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). For the full release, read here.

At a recent Marietta City School Board Meeting, members heard a presentation from Carbon Vision, a renewable energy analysis and project development firm, regarding a proposal to build a solar power system for the district. According to The Marietta Times, the company “would install solar arrays at schools at no cost to the district, in an arrangement that could save the district an estimated $20,000 savings in the first year.” In return, the company is asking the Board for a quick decision in order to take advantage of tax incentives. Read the full article here.

Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. announced that its FirstEnergy Solutions subsidiary signed a long-term agreement to purchase the output from a 20-megawatt solar farm planned for Hagerstown, Md. When the Maryland Solar Farm is completed, the project will be the largest solar facility in Maryland and among the largest on the East Coast. Under the terms of the agreement, FirstEnergy Solutions will purchase the facility's output for 20 years.

Michelle Greenfield, chief executive officer of Athens, Ohio-based Third Sun Solar, wrote an opinion column for the Akron Beacon Journal chronicling the industry's explosive growth and urging continued support by the federal government. Greenfiled writes:

More than 5,000 companies are in the U.S. solar energy value chain. The vast majority of these companies are small businesses, the engine of growth slowed by the economic downturn. My firm, Third Sun Solar, began as a mom-and-pop solar installation company in 2000, completing mostly small residential installations.

Third Sun Solar now has grown to 28 employees designing and installing megawatt-scale solar arrays for such clients as the Cincinnati Parks Department, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and the Akron Metro Regional Transit Authority. That’s the kind of growth this country needs.

And, defying the story line that America doesn’t make or export anything anymore, the American solar manufacturing sector is now a net exporter of solar materials and equipment on the order of $2 billion. We’re even a net exporter to China.

The solar industry is diversifying the nation’s energy portfolio. Growth in the industry has resulted in a total solar electric capacity of more than 3,100 megawatts (MW) — the energy it takes to power 630,000 homes, just 10,000 shy of the number of households in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus combined.

And as more solar energy has been produced, prices for consumers have come down dramatically. In less than two years, the price of solar panels alone has dropped 30 percent making solar an increasingly cost-effective option for American families and businesses.

The full column is available here.

The Associated Press (via The Columbus Dispatch) featured Dublin, Ohio-based Tipping Point Renewable Energy in an article about employment prospects for military veterans in the green energy field. Through its Solar By Soldiers program, Tipping Point is hiring veterans for its solar installation crews.

State Representative Peter Beck (R-Mason) wrote a letter to The Columbus Dispatch in support of solar energy, arguing that government should encourage continued investment in the industry. Beck wrote:

A bright spot in Ohio’s economy is the return we get from solar energy. More than 90 companies are manufacturing, installing and distributing solar-energy products in our state, creating 1,000 jobs and helping families regain economic stability and helping Ohio claim its share of this vibrant market.

With the U.S. projected to become the world’s largest solar market in just three years, the solar industry will add tens of thousands of jobs over the coming years, many of them right here in Ohio.

Beck concludes by writing that "[j]ust as it has supported the production of oil, gas, coal and nuclear energy, Congress needs to affirm a commitment to solar, giving our country and our economy the energy and jobs it needs." The full letter is available here.

Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. said a successful long-term request for proposal for renewable energy credits ("RECs") and solar renewable energy credits ("SRECs") has brought its Ohio utilities -- Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison -- into full compliance with the state's renewable portfolio standard ("RPS") for 2011. The RFP sought and procured the delivery of 5,000 SRECs and 20,000 RECs produced by generating facilities throughout Ohio for each calendar year beginning in 2011 and continuing through 2020.

"The robust participation in this RFP is evidence of a maturing renewable energy credit market throughout Ohio," said Dennis Chack, President of Ohio operations for FirstEnergy, in a news release. "There were 28 qualified bids received, offering more than two times the required number of SRECs and over four times the required number of RECs, and many of the credits are originating in Toledo, Cleveland and other cities in our service area."

FirstEnergy sought and received a waiver from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio of its in-state solar requirement under Ohio's RPS earlier this year after arguing that Ohio's solar market was still too underdeveloped to meet the law's requirements. With the apparent success of this RFP, FirstEnergy has canceled plans for a second 10-year RFP for SRECs. Its filing with the PUCO canceling the second RFP is available here.

The Solar Foundation, a nonprofit solar education and research organization, has released its second annual review of the solar workforce in the United States. The National Solar Jobs Census 2011 found that job growth in the industry in the past year was almost 7 percent. More than 100,000 Americans are now employed in the solar industry. A fact sheet on the report is available here (pdf). The full report is available here (pdf).

According to a Cleveland’s NewsChannel 5 report, the installation of 338 solar panels on the roofs of Euclid’s city hall and library will save the city 10 to 15 percent on utilities. This effort is the result of a partnership with Cleveland-based Ohio Cooperative Solar. In the agreement, Euclid will purchase the electricity generated from their panels at a discounted rate through a power-purchase agreement, but they will not pay for the installation of the solar panels. 

Crain’s Cleveland Business reports that Ohio-based Eaton Corp. will receive $8.1 million to provide the electrical power distribution system for Abengoa Solar's solar power plant in Arizona. While other solar power plants use sunlight to generate energy, Eaton Corp’s system uses mirrors to follow the sun and concentrate its energy, which is then used to heat fluids that are used to turn steam turbines.

The New York Times reports that seven U.S. solar panel manufacturers have filed a broad trade case at the Commerce Department in Washington against the Chinese solar industry, accusing it of using billions of dollars in government subsidies to help gain sales in the American market. The companies also accused China of dumping solar panels in the United States for less than it costs to manufacture and ship them, according to the report.

The U.S. companies seek tariffs of more than 100 percent of the wholesale price of solar panels from China. The case is being led by Oregon-based panel maker SolarWorld Industries America. The six other companies that joined the case chose to remain anonymous under Commerce Department rules, fearing reprisals from the Chinese government.

The Newark Advocate reports that a $2 million Clean Ohio Revitalization grant will fund the transformation of a contaminated Newark site into the home of 6,000 solar panels. SolarVision LLC of Westerville will manage the project and Dovetail Solar and Wind of Athens will build the energy field. The 24 acres of panels will generate up to 1.5 megawatts of electricity to help power the city's wastewater plant.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has selected Third Sun Solar of Athens, Ohio to design and install a solar energy system to help the Zoo meet its future energy needs, according to an article on WSYX Channel 6’s website.  Construction on the project will begin in 2012, and will entail installing thousands of solar panels at various locations throughout the Zoo. Besides being a significant milestone in the Zoo’s commitment to renewable energy, the solar energy system will also be utilized in the Zoo’s educational program.

The entire Bricker & Eckler Green Strategies team sends congratulations to our client SoCore Energy LLC and its customer Walgreens on a successful Ohio solar roll-out. With the deployment of solar on 52 Ohio stores in 20 counties, this brings to 100 the number of stores nationwide Walgreens has converted to solar energy. Visit here for a short video on this exciting project and here for the Walgreens announcement.

Although the high-profile bankruptcy of California-based solar panel manufacturer Solyndra LLC is grabbing headlines, Toledo's solar industry is continuing to grow, according to an article in The (Toledo) Blade. Bricker & Eckler also recently published an overview of the Ohio solar market, available here.

A team from Ohio State University is among twenty from around the world participating in the U.S. Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratories' Solar Decathlon in Washington D.C. The teams have developed energy-efficient housing prototypes that are being judged for design, performance, market viability and other factors. The OSU team page is available here.

FirstEnergy Corp. will hold a webinar on Fri., Sept. 23 at 11 a.m. ET for parties interested in the company's recently announced request for proposal ("RFP") to secure 10-year contracts for renewable energy credits ("RECs") and solar renewable energy credits ("SRECs") to help meet its state renewable energy requirements.

The registration page for the webinar is available here. The RFP website is available here. The RFP seeks delivery of 5,000 SRECs and 20,000 RECs produced by generating facilities in Ohio for each calendar year beginning in 2011 and continuing through 2020. No energy or capacity will be purchased under the RFP. To participate in the RFP, bidders are encouraged to submit credit information by October 11, 2011, with full proposal information due by 3 p.m. on October 18, 2011.

Tempe, Ariz.-based First Solar Inc., which operates a solar manufacturing facility in Perrysburg, Ohio, announced it has achieved record efficiency for a thin-film solar cell that will help it outpace cost reductions by Chinese rivals and compete against fossil fuels without government aid, according to an article published by Bloomberg.

The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority ("OAQDA") approved a $5 million loan (pdf required) to Isofoton North America, Inc. to build an 86,000-square-foot solar manufacturing facility in Napoleon, Ohio. Isofoton's first customer, and the driving force behind its decision to locate a plant in Ohio, is the proposed 50-megawatt Turning Point solar project in Southeast Ohio.

OAQDA also authorized $4.7 million in financing (pdf required) for Licking County to retrofit twelve county government buildings with various energy efficiency and conservation systems, including lighting retrofits, building envelope and insulation improvements, and roof and window replacements.

Constellation Energy has launched a new program that allows its residential customers in Ohio to lease solar panels installed on their homes, eliminating the need for a large, up-front payment for such systems. Constellation is also operating the program in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. News of the program is available here, here and here.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States has agreed to provide $456 million in financing to First Solar, Inc. customer NextEra Enery Resources for two solar projects in Ontario, Canada, that will support production at First Solar's Perrysburg Township, Ohio, manufacturing facility, as reported in The (Toledo) Blade. As part of the deal, First Solar plans to produce 90 megawatts' worth of solar panels.

In the wake of the bankruptcies of three U.S. solar companies in the past month, a report in The New York Times examines the increasing dominance of China's solar industry. According to the article:

Some American, Japanese and European solar companies still have a technological edge over Chinese rivals, but seldom a cost advantage, according to industry analysts.

Loans at very low rates from state-owned banks in Beijing, cheap or free land from local and provincial governments across China, huge economies of scale and other cost advantages have transformed China from a minor player in the solar power industry just a few years ago into the main producer of an increasingly competitive source of electricity.

The full article is available here.

As reported in multiple news outlets, California-based Solyndra LLC, the recipient of more than $500 million in federal loans, announced that it is closing its doors and filing for bankruptcy. The move leaves 1,100 employees out of work and is likely to lead to additional scrutiny of the federal government's support of clean energy. Reports of Solyndra's closure are available here, here and here. 

According to the Springfield News-Sun, Ohio’s Hi-Point Career Center is training students for manufacturing jobs in the renewable energy arena. The program’s initial focus will center on solar power. Read the full article here. More information on the Hi-Point Career Center is available here.

A new solar array in Toledo will help supply energy to water treatment plant The City of Toledo is using the power of the sun to lower energy costs needed to run its water treatment plant. According to a recent article in The Toledo Blade, a joint venture between the city, the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority and IPS Energy Ventures helped to get the $5.2 million project off the ground. The solar array is expected to save the city one cent per kilowatt hour and provide approximately one-quarter of the plant’s annual energy needs.

The (Toledo) Blade ran a brief article detailing the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s decision to grant FirstEnergy Corp.’s application for a waiver from its 2010 in-state solar requirement under Ohio’s renewable portfolio standard. More information on the PUCO’s ruling is available on the Bricker & Eckler website. As detailed in the Bricker & Eckler overview of the decision, the PUCO rejected the arguments of its staff, the solar industry, and several other intervening parties regarding FirstEnergy’s efforts to procure the required solar renewable energy credits (SRECs). Those parties had argued that FirstEnergy did not exhibit a good-faith attempt to procure in-state SRECs because it did not enter long-term contracts with SREC suppliers or construct its own solar-generation facilities. As noted in a previous post, however, the PUCO did not grant FirstEnergy a complete waiver from the solar requirement, opting instead to follow precedent and increase the company’s 2011 requirement by its 2010 shortfall.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) recently helped launch the Solar by Soldiers program, designed to train and employ veterans in clean-energy installation. Brown also marked the completion of the first solar array built by the Solar for Soldiers program at Flannigam's, a restaurant in Dublin, Ohio, which could save more than $230,000 in utility costs over the next 25 years. "Solar for Soldiers partners two of our state's important assets: dedicated veterans and clean energy manufacturers," Brown said. "Ohio can lead the nation in clean-energy manufacturing and utilization, but this will require that our state's skilled workers have the training and resources needed for 21st century jobs." More information on the program is available here. 

The Ohio Department of Development has approved more than $1.1 million in Energizing Careers Program grants for ten Ohio companies to assist in training workers in advanced energy technologies, including wind, solar and biomass."The future of our economy is advanced energy manufacturing and our workforce must keep up with the demands of the marketplace," said Christiane Schmenk, Director of the Ohio Department of Development. "These training dollars will benefit incumbent workers, as well as allow new employees to be hired." The program is made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act State Energy Sector Partnership Training program, funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.

For a list of companies that will receive grant funding, please visit the Ohio Department of Development Web site.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio this week granted FirstEnergy's force majeure application to reduce its 2010 in-state solar requirement under Ohio's renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The Commission reduced FirstEnergy's solar requirement from the 3,206 solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) that the company was supposed to procure under the RPS to the 1,629 in-state SRECS that it actually acquired. At the same time, however, the Commission followed its own precedent in previous force majeure cases and increased FirstEnergy's 2011 solar requirement by the amount of its 2010 shortfall. The full order is available here.

FirstEnergy Corp. announced that it is a conducting a request for proposal (RFP) to purchase solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) for its Ohio utilities, Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. and Toledo Edison. FirstEnergy is seeking SRECs to help it meet its 2011 solar energy requirements under Ohio's renewable portfolio standard.

The SRECs being solicited include solar from Ohio-certified generation facilities and solar from certified SREC generation facilities in states contiguous to Ohio. Interested bidders can visit FirstEnergy's RFP website. To participate in the RFP, bidders must submit credit information by Aug. 19, 2011, with proposals due by Aug. 29, 2011. 

The U.S. Department of Energy announced an additional $50 million for expansion of the solar industry in America. The goal of the SunShot initiative is to return the U.S. to worldwide dominance in solar manufacturing. The money announced today is intended to increase manufacturing through investments that create, "sustainable, competitive cost and performance advantages." Read more about the announcement at the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy page.

Ohio's small but quickly growing solar industry is facing a slowdown because of the loss of grant money available through the Ohio Department of Development's Advanced Energy Fund, according to an article in the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. As the article details, the revenue source for the fund, a 9-cent-a-month charge for the customers of the state's four investor-owned utilities, was not renewed by the General Assembly at the end of 2010. Without the state grant, solar projects are generally too expensive for residential customers, although commercial customers are still able to fund projects through a combination of federal incentives and the sale of solar renewable energy credits, or SRECs, according to the article.

The Rural Utilities Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hosted a public meeting in Caldwell, in Southeast Ohio, to present information about the 50-megawatt Turning Point solar project planned for the area, according to the Zanesville Times Recorder. The RUS is preparing an environmental assessment to look at the potential impacts of the project, slated for a 771-acre tract of reclaimed strip mine owned by American Electric Power near the Noble-Muskingum County line. The project's developers are seeking a loan from the agency, which could go through in 2012 if the assessment process goes smoothly, according to the article.

The Ohio Department of Development (ODD) says that it will offer $15.8 million in incentives to Isofoton, a European manufacturer of solar-energy technology that plans to open a manufacturing facility in Napoleon, Ohio. The amount will leverage Isofoton’s pledged $16.4 million investment in Ohio.

According to this article in the Toledo Blade, Isofoton—with headquarters in Madrid and Malaga, Spain—said its Napoleon plant will include a 50 MW crystalline silicon solar module assembly line, and the company plans to ramp up to a 100-megawatt assembly line. Initially it will start with 121 jobs and expand to 330 within three years.

City officials in Newark, Ohio, have decided to move forward with a 1.5-megawatt solar field on the city's east side that will provide enough electricity to power the city's wastewater-treatment plant, according to an article in The Columbus Dispatch. The city selected Westerville-based SolarVision LLC to develop the project. Construction will be handled by Athens-based Dovetail Solar and Wind. 

The Ohio Department of Development has released videos promoting Ohio as a destination for manufacturers that produce solar and wind energy components. The solar video is available here. The wind video is available here.

Columbus C.E.O. magazine is featuring an article examining the state of the advanced energy marketplace in Central Ohio. It provides a decent snapshot of major projects and the state and federal policies supporting them.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced that it is offering a $275 million loan guarantee to California-based alternative energy manufacturer Calisolar Inc. to build a plant in Ontario, Ohio, according to this article in The Columbus Dispatch. The Mansfield area could gain more than 1,000 permanent jobs as a result of the project, which will be located on the site of a former General Motors Corp. plant. The facility will manufacture solar silicon from lower-cost metallurgical grade material that Calisolar then upgrades. Its process is said to be less expensive and more energy-efficient than traditional processes, according to the article. Previous posts on the project are available here, here and here.

A 20,000-square-foot solar-panel array, which the College of Wooster claims to be the largest on any college facility in the country, is being installed atop its new student recreation and athletic facility, according to this article in The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer.

The solar array will generate 271,000 kW hours of electricity annually, enough to power a student residence hall. It is being installed by Carbon Vision LLC of Shaker Heights. The company will own the solar installation and lease it to the college, which will purchase all the power generated for 12-and-a-half years. At the end of that term, the college will receive title to the solar installation, which has a life of up to 40 years.

Calisolar Inc. filed an agreement with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio this week that if approved could save the company more than $100 million in electricity costs at its proposed manufacturing facility in Ontario, Ohio, according to an article in the Mansfield News Journal. Calisolar, Ohio Edison Co. and PUCO staff have signed off on the incentive agreement and urged the five-member Commission to quickly approve it. Calisolar, a producer of low-cost silicon for solar cells, plans to take over a vacant General Motors plant.

The incentive agreement is contingent upon several things, including Calisolar hiring a certain number of employees. In exchange for locating in Ohio Edison's service area, the agreement states Calisolar will be eligible for up to $100 million in electric rate discounts if the facility's full-time employment is 1,100 or less, and up to $125 million in discounts if employment exceeds 1,100, according to the article.

As part of the Obama Administration's SunShot Initiative to make solar energy cost-competitive with fossil fuels within the decade, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the availability of more than $27 million in new funding that will reduce the non-hardware costs of solar energy projects, a critical element in bringing down the overall costs of installed solar energy systems.

The funding will support a $12.5 million challenge to encourage cities and counties to compete to streamline and digitize permitting processes, as well as $15 million that will be made available to advance innovations in information technology systems, local zoning, building codes and regulations, and more.

To learn more about the announcement, visit the U.S. Department of Energy website.

Case Western Reserve University announced that it is teaming up with industry on research to dramatically improve the productive lifetime of solar energy technologies, energy-efficient lighting, roofing, building exteriors and more. The collaboration is receiving help from the Ohio Third Frontier Commission, which recommended a $2.9 million grant to help fund the Solar-Durability and Lifetime Extension Center at Case. Awarded under the Third Frontier Wright Projects Program, the S-DLE Center will include new labs and a sun farm on campus.

Toledo-based Pilkington North America Inc. is taking the wraps off of a 250-kilowatt solar array at its Northwood, Ohio, research and development center. The array will supply roughly 12 percent of the facility's power. The $1.5 million project was developed in partnership with Dublin, Ohio-based engineering firm Hull & Associates.

Solar energy developer SolarVision LLC is planning a 3 megawatt (MW) solar field in Celina, according to a company news release. The project will be located on a 20-acre tract in what will become the Celina Renewable Energy Center, which will include the solar field, a biogas plant, lake sediment ponds and manmade wetlands. SolarVision anticipates building an additional 2 MW of solar capacity as part of the plan's second phase. Groundbreaking for the project is set for June 23, 2011.

According to the news release, the City of Celina signed a power purchase agreement with SolarVision in December 2010 to purchase all of the solar plant’s electrical output. The system will be owned and operated by SolarVision. As a part of the transaction, SolarVision secured $17.7 million in new market tax credits and financing.

Swedish home furnishings retailer IKEA announced plans to install solar PV systems on six of its stores in the United States, including its store in West Chester, Ohio. Collectively, the solar arrays at the six stores will total 5.1 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity. The array at the West Chester store will include 4,452 solar panels with a generating capacity of roughly 1.3 MW. Pending governmental permits, installation can begin in late spring, with completion expected this fall, according to the company.

South Euclid is kicking off its involvement in the Northeast Ohio Advanced Energy District by investing in a solar-powered spotlight in front of its community center, according to this article in the Sun Messenger. South Euclid is one of fifteen communities, including Cleveland, that make up the energy district, which is affiliated with the First Suburbs Development Council.

The City of Pataskala is considering installing a 1.3 megawatt solar system to help offset some of its energy consumption, according to an article in The Newark Advocate. Tipping Point Renewable Energy, a company that is also working with Columbus, Upper Arlington and Dublin on solar projects, recently pitched the project to the Pataskala City Council's building and grounds committee. As currently proposed, the project would entail installing solar panels at the city's two water treatment plants and its wastewater treatment plant, according to the article. 

Courtesy of The New York Times Green blog, a new study by three researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory concludes that homes with solar photovoltaic systems sell at a premium over comparable homes without PV systems. The researchers studied California home sales over an eight-and-a-half year period ending in mid-2009. According to the blog:

The premium ranged from $3.90 to $6.40 per watt of capacity, but tended most often to be about $5.50 per watt. This, the study said, “corresponds to a home sales price premium of approximately $17,000 for a relatively new 3,100-watt PV system (the average size of PV systems in the study).”

The full study is available here (pdf required).

The Ohio State University’s Team enCore is getting ready to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon this fall. The team, which placed 10th in the 2009 Solar Decathlon, is planning to bring a “bigger, tougher and more efficient house” to this year’s event, according to a report in the DOE Energy Blog.

Team enCore’s two-bedroom, one-bath design places all the mechanical systems in the center of the home, and uses exterior components, such as walls, shades, windows and the roof, to control temperature and produce energy. The roof is also entirely covered in thin-film solar cells, a first for the competition.

The DOE Solar Decathlon challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost effective, energy efficient and attractive. As set forth by the DOE, the winner of the competition will be the team that “best blends affordability, consumer appeal and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.”

For more information, and to see a photograph of Team enCore’s solar home design, visit the DOE Energy Blog.

As expected, FirstEnergy refiled its application to reduce its in-state solar requirement for 2010 (pdf required) under Ohio's renewable portfolio standard. FirstEnergy included its "force majeure" application in its annual status report of its overall RPS compliance. The company said that it satisfied the requirements for non-solar resources and solar resources procured from other states. However, FirstEnergy said that it was able to obtain just 1,629 of the required 3,206 in-state solar renewable energy credits ("SRECs") for 2010. The 51 percent compliance rate is a substantial increase over the 3 percent compliance rate for in-state SRECs in FirstEnergy's initial force majeure application, filed in late January. The company said it purchased the additional SRECs in 2009 for delivery this year--to meet its 2011 in-state solar requirements--but discovered that it could use the SRECs for its 2010 compliance efforts.

FirstEnergy withdrew its original force majeure application after PUCO staff filed comments concluding that FirstEnergy did not provide enough information to determine whether the utility fully explored all available options to meet the state's renewable requirements. The Commission has 90 days to determine whether to grant FirstEnergy's request.

An article in The Marietta Times provides an update on the 50 MW Turning Point solar project in Southeast Ohio. The Noble County project is currently under consideration by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio as part of a rate case brought by AEP Ohio, which plans to purchase electricity from the facility once it is operational. An official with New Harvest Ventures, one of the entities collaborating on the project, said in the article that he expects a decision by the Commission sometime in September.

Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. has informed the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio that it is withdrawing its application to reduce its in-state solar requirements for 2010 and will refile the application with amendments later this week. In its "force majeure" application filed in January, FirstEnergy said that it had procured only 112 of the 3,206 in-state solar renewable energy credits ("SRECs") that it needed to comply with the 2010 solar requirements under Ohio's renewable portfolio standard ("RPS"). In its withdrawal filing this week, FirstEnergy says that it has now procured a total of 1,752 in-state SRECs. The utility says it will refile its force majeure application to coincide with the status report it is required to file with the Commission on April 15, 2011, regarding its overall compliance with the state's RPS. The full filing is available here (pdf required).

FirstEnergy's withdrawal filing comes after PUCO staff filed comments last week concluding that FirstEnergy did not provide enough information in its force majeure application to determine whether the utility fully explored all available options to meet the state's renewable requirements. 

TecnoSun Solar Systems AG, a German company that makes mounting systems for solar panels, plans to bring 20 to 40 jobs to Toledo in the next two years when it opens an office at the University of Toledo, according to this report in The (Toledo) Blade. Peter Fischer, TecnoSun Solar System's chief executive, recently signed a one-year lease to open a 1,390-square-foot office at UT's Nitschke Technology Commercialization Complex. The facility will serve as the North American headquarters for TecnoSun, which plans to hire a CEO for the Toledo office within six weeks, according to the article.

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Calisolar Inc. is in the final stages of negotiations with state and local officials to remake a former General Motors plant in Ontario, Ohio, near Mansfield, into a facility that produces silicon for use in solar cells, as reported in the Mansfield News Journal. The $750 million project is expected to create 831 full-time jobs. Government officials and job-training providers met this week to discuss developing a training program for the Calisolar facility, according to another News Journal article.

Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Staff filed initial comments (pdf required) in the case in which FirstEnergy is seeking to lower its 2010 in-state solar requirement under the state's renewable portfolio standard. In its "force majeure" application filed in January, FirstEnergy argues that, despite its best efforts to comply, there were not enough in-state solar renewable energy credits ("SRECs") available for purchase. FirstEnergy is requesting that the Commission lower its 2010 in-state solar requirement to the 112 out of 3,206 required SRECs it was able to purchase.  

In its comments, PUCO Staff concludes that FirstEnergy did not provide enough information in its force majeure application to determine whether the utility fully explored all available options to meet the state's renewable requirements. Specifically, Staff notes that while FirstEnery discussed its efforts to comply through short-term REC purchases, it is not clear whether FirstEnergy "fully considered such options as (a) entering into long-term contracts for RECs and/or (b) constructing new in-state solar generating capacity." Staff wants more information on FirstEnergy's efforts, if any, in those areas. Staff would also like FirstEnergy to discuss how its 2010 solar shortfall could be incorporated into the REC RFPs that are the subject of the application currently pending before the Commission in Case No. 10-2891-EL-ACP.

A former tire dump in Wyandot County that was the site of a disastrous fire in 1999 could be redeveloped as a solar farm, as reported in The Columbus Dispatch. Under the terms of a proposed deal with Ohio EPA, the current owners would give up the 136-acre property in exchange for the agency dropping all but a fraction of the $65.4 million in unpaid environmental fines and cleanup costs at the site, according to the article.

The state has not revealed the identity of the solar developer interested in the site, but the article notes that it could be New Jersey-based utility Public Service Enterprise Group, which built an 80-acre solar farm near the Wyandot County Airport last year. The group is listed as a party to a Jan. 6 memorandum of understanding signed by Wyandot County and Ohio EPA officials, according to the article. 

Work is now complete on the Cincinnati Zoo's $11 million solar "canopy" covering nearly four acres of the zoo's parking lot, according to an article in USA Today. The project is designed to produce 1.56 megawatts of electricity, about 20 percent of the zoo's annual need and enough to power 200 homes.

Solar energy provider SolarVision, headquartered in Westerville, Ohio, has recently completed a 250 kW solar photovoltaic array for the city of Washington Court House, according to this article in Solar Industry magazine. The installation is expected to generate approximately 292,000 kW of energy per year, which will be purchased by the city at a discounted rate.

As recently reported in this article, SolarVision has also proposed to build a solar array that would generate 3 MW of power for the city of Clyde in Sandusky County. If the city decides to accept a power-purchase agreement before May 1, 2011, SolarVision will pay the city a $600,000 solar-licensing fee.

The mayor of Newark, Ohio has unveiled plans to install a solar field at the site of a former manufacturing facility on the city's east side, according to an article in The Columbus Dispatch. The solar field is one component of a citywide initiative promoted by Mayor Bob Diebold to encourage "healthier lifestyles for Newark residents while also attracting businesses and promoting renewable energy." Milford, Ohio-based Melink Corp. is helping the city with its plans for the solar field. 

FirstEnergy Corp., Akron, Ohio, has announced that a fourth Request for Proposal (RFP) will be conducted to secure Ohio in-state solar renewable energy credits (Ohio SRECs) for customers of its Ohio utilities, which include Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison. The Ohio SRECs will be used to help meet the companies’ 2010 solar renewable energy requirements under Ohio law.

The RFP seeks to secure Ohio SRECs for compliance year 2010, which must have been generated from solar facilities in Ohio between July 31, 2008, and January 1, 2011. There is no limit to the number of bidders, but they must meet certain proposal qualifications as outlined in the RFP. Also, no energy or capacity will be purchased under this RFP. The due date for proposals is March 18, 2011. Navigant Consulting, a global consulting firm with experience in energy markets and procurement, will manage the RFP.

Bidding information for the RFP is available on FirstEnergy's Web site, and questions will be answered directly through the site. Interested parties may also contact Navigant at (516) 876-4036, or via e-mail at rfp@navigantconsulting.com.

The Solar Alliance, an industry trade group, has filed comments opposing FirstEnergy Corp.'s force majeure application with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio seeking a waiver of the utility's in-state solar requirement for 2009 and 2010 under Ohio's renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The group is asking the Commission to order FirstEnergy to issue a long-term request for proposal for solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) to cover the shortfall. In the alternative, The Solar Alliance asks the Commission to require FirstEnergy to pay a RPS compliance penalty of $1.3 million. Additional background on FirstEnergy's force majeure application is available here and here. 

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio recently issued an order deferring FirstEnergy Solutions' 2009 solar requirement under Ohio's renewable portfolio standard. FirstEnergy Solutions, an unregulated subsidiary of Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp., filed its force majeure application seeking a waiver in April 2010. The company was 58 solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) short of its 2009 target, procuring 246 out of the necessary 304 SRECs. In its decision last week, the Commission granted FirstEnergy Solutions' request but ordered the company to make up its 2009 shortfall in 2010. The Commission's order is available here.

A recent study conducted for the state of Oregon finds that Toledo, Ohio, has the overall lowest costs for solar-panel manufacturing when compared to ten other states with solar-panel production. According to this article in The (Toledo) Blade, the 2010 study also finds that when operating a parts supplier plant, Ohio—and particularly Toledo—trails only Utah, New Mexico and North Carolina in lowest costs.

"The Toledo region is definitely the most progressive within the state of Ohio and it's becoming more widely known as a place to manufacture [photovoltaic products],” said the study's co-author, Michelle Comerford, managing director of Austin Consulting in Cleveland, Ohio. “The economic developers are certainly doing their jobs there in Toledo."

The Oregon study is somewhat in contrast to a Blade investigation a year ago that found Ohio had early success in the solar industry in part because of solar research at University of Toledo, but it lost out on thousands of solar manufacturing jobs in recent years to states offering more incentives and stronger product markets.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio recently issued an order deferring Duke Energy Ohio's 2009 in-state solar requirement under Ohio's renewable portfolio standard (RPS). Duke filed its force majeure application seeking a waiver in April 2010. The utility was 80 solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) short of its 2009 target, procuring 264 out of the necessary 344 SRECs. In its application, Duke asked the Commission to count 80 Pennsylvania SRECs as Ohio SRECs. In its decision last week, the Commission denied the request and ordered Duke to make up its 2009 shortfall in 2010. Duke has not indicated whether it plans to submit another force majeure application covering its 2010 solar requirements under the RPS, a course recently followed by FirstEnergy. 

The (Toledo) Blade reports that after nearly three years of delays in its announced production schedule, Perrysburg-based Willard & Kelsey Solar Group LLC started commercial production of solar panels last month. Its first line is running at about 20 percent capacity, but the company's executives say they hope that line will reach full production by mid-March, according to the report. It expects by year's end to have 250 employees, up from about 90 now. CEO Michael Cicak said the company plans to run four production lines out of its 262,000-square-foot plant, generating each year about 300 megawatts of solar capacity, or 4 million panels. 

A segment aired on WKSU, Kent State University's public radio station, details FirstEnergy's attempt to receive a waiver of its in-state solar requirement for 2010 under Ohio's renewable portfolio standard. FirstEnergy claims that Ohio's solar market is too underdeveloped to produce the solar energy resources necessary to comply. As the segment notes,

[a]nother Ohio utility, American Electric Power, contracted its solar requirement from a developer who built Ohio’s largest solar array in Wyandot County. It’s also contracted with a Spanish company to build an even larger solar field over an abandoned strip mine in southern Ohio.

First Energy’s Ellen Raines says that’s fine for AEP, but First Energy is not getting into the solar energy business – “we really don’t have expertise as an operator of renewable resources." But, she says, they are willing to support the development of solar energy.

The full segment is available here.

Campbell Soup Company announced that it has entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with BNB Napoleon Solar LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of BNB Renewable Energy Holdings, of Exton, PA, to construct a 9.8-megawatt capacity PV solar power generation system on 60 acres at the company's largest plant in Napoleon, Ohio.

Campbell will lease the land to BNB, which will own the system and be responsible for its financing, construction, operation and maintenance. Under the PPA, Campbell will purchase all of the electrical power generated by the system. FirstEnergy Solutions will purchase the solar renewable energy credits from the project. Over the course of the 20-year PPA, Campbell expects to save up to $4 million dollars on energy costs. A TV news segment on the deal is available here.  

As part of SunShot, an initiative to dramatically reduce the cost of installed solar energy technologies by the end of the decade, the Department of Energy (DOE) has introduced the second edition of Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments. The guide is a comprehensive resource designed to help communities accelerate their adoption of solar energy technologies. Additionally, the guide is intended to help communities better understand the steps necessary to permit and license solar energy installations, and how to streamline those processes and deliver significant savings.

Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments also offers communities guidance on how to expand the use of solar energy, and ways local governments can tailor their approach to implementing solar projects based on their community and local circumstances. The guide is available online here.

Read the full story on the Department of Energy Web site.

The (Toledo) Blade published two worthwhile articles in the past week that help give a snapshot of the renewable industry in Northwest Ohio. The first details the resiliency and production capabilities of solar arrays in the face of severe winter weather. The second details growing opposition to wind farms in Southern Michigan that is spilling across the border into Ohio.

Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. is asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to lower its 2010 solar requirement under the state's renewable portfolio standard because, according to the utility, there were not enough in-state solar renewable energy credits ("SRECs") available for purchase. In a so-called "force majeure" filing with the Commission, FirstEnergy said that, despite its best efforts, it was able to procure just 112 of the 3,026 in-state SRECs it needed to meet its solar benchmark. The utility is asking the Commission to lower its 2010 in-state solar requirement to the 112 SRECs it was able to purchase. The full filing is available here (pdf required). 

As reported in The Cincinnati Enquirer, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is installing a solar array that will begin providing about a fifth of the park's energy needs by April. Workers this week began installing the first of 6,400 panels on metal canopy structures. The zoo says it will be the country's largest urban solar array accessible to the public. According to the article, Melink Corp., based in Clermont County's Union Township, is the developer and designer of the $11 million, 1.56-megawatt project, and will own and operate the system.

The news agency Reuters has a worthwhile article this week examining the prospects of a solar indsustry trade war with China over the country's special treatment of its solar manufacturers. As the article notes, "resentment [at the Chinese government] in western capitals is growing."

Virtually non-existent a decade ago, Chinese solar companies now control two thirds of solar cell production in the $39 billion global PV market. Critics say this is mostly because the generous subsidies they receive at home give them an advantage over other countries' manufacturers and restrictions keep foreign companies from competing for China's domestic projects. European and U.S. subsidies are designed to boost solar usage no matter who builds the hardware. Chinese subsidies, western firms complain, help Chinese solar manufacturers alone.

First Solar, one of the world's largest solar manufacturers, which has a major manufacturing facility in Perrysburg, Ohio, and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) both make appearances in the article. Sen. Brown is quoted as saying: "I think [the United States is] always afraid of a trade war so we don't act. The Chinese are never afraid of a trade war so they do act. And that's why they're beating us in too many cases on clean energy and other industrial concerns."

A number of conditions in the Midwest have allowed the sector to flourish. The upper Midwest has a history of advanced manufacturing, and machined parts and many of the basic materials of photovoltaic panels — polycrystalline in central Michigan, glass in the Toledo region, plastic films in Ohio — were already being made in the region.

Both states have an abundance of shuttered plants that can be readily converted to new uses and are close to highway, rail and shipping supply lines in the center of the country.

Equally important, both states have an army of unemployed or underemployed skilled manufacturing workers.

The (Toledo) Blade joined the list of news publications analyzing the impact of the midterm elections on the U.S. renewable energy market, and specifically, the solar industry in the Toledo area. According to the report, despite a growing U.S. solar energy market, a changing political landscape – including the sweeping success of Republicans in last week’s election and the pending expiration of important government incentives – is presenting challenges for the industry.

Campbell Soup Co. is moving ahead with plans to develop a $21.6 million solar facility that will provide power to its factory in Napoleon, Ohio, the company's largest, according to this article in The (Toledo) Blade. Campell is working in conjunction with Pennsylvania-based BNB Renewable Energy LLC, which plans to finance, develop, own, and operate the facility. The Ohio Department of Development recently approved a $10.5 million loan this week for BNB. According to the article, state officials said Campbell plans to sign a 20-year power-purchase agreement to buy all the energy produced through the proposed facility, which would generate about 50 MW a year.

Uncertainty about two major federal renewable energy incentives could considerably slow solar development in the United States, according to this article in The New York Times. The first is a loan guarantee program, expiring next September, that allows solar developers to borrow money on favorable terms to finance up to 80 percent of construction costs. The other is the option to take a 30 percent tax credit in the form of a cash payment once a project is built. As the article notes, although the tax credit does not expire until the end of 2016, the option to take it as a cash payment disappears this year, making it far less valuable to a start-up company that is just beginning to generate revenue. With both Democrats and Republicans promising to rein in the federal budget, it is unclear whether lawmakers will extend the programs in any form.

A report by the non-profit Solar Foundation estimates that the number of solar industry jobs in Ohio will increase by 6 percent in the coming year. The report estimates that Ohio's solar installers and manufacturers currently employ about 1,088. News coverage of the report is available here and here. The full report is available here.

A parallel study released a week ago by the Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade group, put Ohio in the top five for growth in solar installations in the first half of the year, but outside of the top ten in terms of the number of solar jobs in the state.

Courtesy of The (Toledo) Blade, the Toledo area could be among the locations First Solar Inc. is considering for a new manufacturing facility. The company said it will open one new plant in the United States and one in Vietnam by 2012, each with 600 jobs. It needs the added capacity to meet anticipated demand for its thin-film solar panel technology, according to the article.

The 119-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array is on the roof of a building shared by Kastle and the Dayton Daily News. The newspaper's distribution operation there will rely on power from the array through a power purchase agreement. The rooftop array has 528 panels, manufactured by Albuquerque, N.M.-based Schott Solar PV Inc.

For more information see the Dayton Daily News article.

American Electric Power is partnering with a developer to build a $250 million, 50 MW solar field on 500 acres in southeastern Ohio. The land, located next to The Wilds wildlife conservation park, was once used as a strip mine, as reported by The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer.

The project and the factories needed to make the solar panels will create 600 jobs in Ohio, of which 300 will be permanent, according to Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who participated in the project announcement. When operational, the solar field will power 25,000 homes when the sun in shining.

The solar field will require more than 239,000 solar panels, which will be built in a new Ohio factory by Isofoton, one of two Spanish companies that have agreed to put their North American headquarters in the state. For more information on the economic impact of the project, see this article from The Marietta Times.

For more information read The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer article here.

The Clermont County Communities Energy Special Improvement District (C3ESID) and Melink Corp. announced that Miami Township, Union Township, and the city of Milford have approved the creation of an Energy Special Improvement District (ESID). By allowing property owners to pay for energy improvements to their properties via a bond issue tied to a special assessment on their property tax bill, ESIDs help companies reduce energy costs with no upfront investment. The new SID, the first of its kind in the state, will be limited to commercial property owners and solar photovoltaic systems for the first round of financing, and can be expanded to include other forms of renewable energy or energy efficiency should interest materialize.

San Francisco-based One Block Off the Grid (1BOG), the nation’s largest solar group purchasing company, launched a new program to support Cleveland-area homeowners through the solar buying process. Homeowners who join the free online group are eligible for a 15 percent group discount rate and advice and tools for installing solar systems.

1BOG selected Astrum Solar, the Maryland-based solar developer that recently set up shop in Youngstown to service the group’s installs for the program’s three-month duration. The 1BOG Cleveland solar group purchase program is available to Cleveland-area homeowners through November 30, 2010. For more information, visit the 1BOG Solar Cleveland homepage.

Registration is now open for the renewable energy roadshow coming to the Columbus Hyatt Regency on Sept. 29. Sponsored by the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, the roadshow will focus on the wind and solar industries' supply chains. Admission is $65 for Chamber members and $75 for nonmembers.

Governor Ted Strickland and Ohio State University President Gordon Gee were on hand yesterday in Upper Sandusky to help unveil the largest solar installation in Ohio and one of the largest such facilities east of the Mississippi River. The 80-acre, 12-megawatt facility is owned by New Jersey-based PSEG Solar Source, but was built by Ohio workers with much of the equipment produced in-state. With more than 159,000 ground-mounted panels, the solar farm produces enough emission-free electricity to power about 1,500 homes.

The Ohio State University Extension helped Wyandot County officials study the project and organize public forums. Juwi Solar Inc. developed the solar farm. Vaughn Industries, based in Wyandot County, was the primary construction contractor. Ohio residents filled nearly all of the construction jobs created by the project. First Solar, which has a major manufacturing plant in Perrysburg, OH, supplied the solar panels. Myers Controlled Power of North Canton, OH, provided the power stations.

American Electric Power subsidiaries Columbus Southern Power and Ohio Power companies have a long-term agreement with PSEG Solar Source to purchase the electricity generated at the farm.

Maryland-based solar company Astrum Solar announced that it has entered the Ohio market and opened a 25-person office in Youngstown. The company, which installs solar panel systems on residential and small commercial properties, said it is responding to the growing demand of Ohio and Western Pennsylvania energy consumers aspiring to become clean energy producers. Astrum started selling solar systems in Northeast Ohio in April. Besides Ohio, the company has operations in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington D.C. 

The 25-person Youngstown office installs solar panel systems throughout Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. Already one of the largest residential solar panel system installers in Pennsylvania, Astrum said the Youngstown office will bolster its ability to serve homeowners throughout the region.

The Columbus Dispatch has an article detailing a clean energy conference held in Columbus this week. Business leaders at the inaugural event--dubbed Innovation Starts Here--discussed the need for a comprehensive and coherent climate and energy policy at the federal level. There conference was sponsored in part by The Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy, an advocacy group composed of Ohio businesses that support climate legislation.

Dayton Power & Light Co. this week officially opened a 1.1-megawatt solar array at a substation in suburban Dayton. According to the company, the facility--being hailed as the largest in Southwestern Ohio--should be able to supply 150 homes annually with power. Coverage of the opening is here, here and here. Last week, Juwi Solar Inc. announced the completion a 12-megawatt solar project in Wyandot County. The Juwi facility is the largest solar project currently operating in the state.   

USA Today published a story detailing Toledo's growth as a leader in the solar industry, thanks in large part to the efforts of The University of Toledo. As the article puts it, the payoff for the region's efforts so far:

"At least 6,000 people work in the area's solar industry. First Solar, which makes solar panels, was founded here and employs more than 1,000 at its 900,000-square-foot plant here. There are more than a dozen solar-related start-up companies in the area. The University of Toledo is home to top solar researchers and has a business incubator that provides business services to solar entrepreneurs. It has graduated four solar companies and is working with six more. Owens Community College, which had 13 students in its first solar class in 2004, has trained 255 solar installers."

On June 9, The Cleveland - First Suburbs Solar Special Improvement District Pilot Program (District) was awarded an EfficientGovNow grant after voters cast nearly 17,500 votes in May. The grant-winning program, called “Let the Sun Shine In,” is intended to assist local businesses in implementing solar energy. Cleveland’s Fund for Our Economic Future, which issues the grants, called the program – the first of its kind in Ohio – “a novel effort to stimulate greater use of solar electricity.” 

The goal of “Let the Sun Shine In” is to build a financing mechanism to make solar photovoltaic and solar thermal projects more financially feasible. The program will create a solar special improvement district (SID) to facilitate solar improvement projects within its member communities, as allowed recently under House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 232. With an anticipated budget of over $5 million, the program is expected to serve about 911,000 people in the Cleveland metropolitan area. After the pilot program, the District anticipates soon adding programs for energy efficiency, wind, geothermal and biomass.

The program is a collaboration between the First Suburbs Consortium Development Council, a not-for-profit organization aimed at fostering economic and community development in Cleveland-area suburbs, and the City of Cleveland. A key goal of the City of Cleveland and First Suburbs is increasing private sector interest in development projects within its sixteen suburban member communities.

EfficientGovNow “is a competitive grant awards program that encourages and accelerates government collaboration, cooperation and efficiency by providing rounds of funding to government collaboration projects as selected by the residents of Northeast Ohio.” The Cleveland – First Suburbs solar program was one of four proposals to win the grant, which is funded in part by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and overseen by the Kent State Center for Public Administration and Public Policy. The program will receive disbursements of the $100,000 grant in stages, as it reaches certain benchmarks.

Thanks to Daniel Gerken, Bricker & Eckler Summer Associate, for his contributions to this post.

The (Toledo) Blade has a story about the largest solar power field in Ohio starting operations. The Wyandot Solar project, developed by Juwi Solar Inc. and located on an 83-acre site near Upper Sandusky, started supplying two American Electric Power companies -- Ohio Power and Columbus Southern Power -- with 12 megawatts of power on May 26. That is enough electricity to power more than 1,400 homes.

American Municipal Power, Inc.,  a Columbus-based power wholesaler, is making headlines on a variety of fronts these days. This week, it announced plans to team with Maryland-based Standard Energy LLC to develop up to 300 megawatts of solar power, potentially making it one of the country's largest solar developers. As reported by The Akron Beacon Journal, AMP would offer solar-generated electricity to its 128 member communities in Ohio and five other states. Other news of the deal can be found here and here.  AMP is also developing two hydroelectric projects on the Ohio River, in addition to the one it already operates.

AMP has also been in the news because of its plans to retire its Richard H. Gorsuch coal-fired power plant in eastern Ohio as part of a settlement resolving alleged violations of federal clean air laws, as reported by The New York Times and a variety of other news outlets (see here, here and here). AMP agreed to spend more than $15 million to settle the lawsuit, stemming from allegations that AMP made modifications to the power plant without obtaining the proper permits and installing necessary pollution controls. AMP's consent decree with the U.S. EPA and Justice Department is available here.

Youngstown State University announced plans to install a 10,000-square foot solar array on the roof of Moser Hall, which houses the school's engineering programs. According to a YSU news release, this is the first such installation at YSU and one of the largest of its kind in Northeast Ohio. Installation is expected to take place by late summer or early fall. In addition to its foray into solar power, YSU recently committed to $10 million in energy efficiency upgrades, including more efficient lighting, improved steam traps and insulation, and more efficient chillers. The schools hopes to achieve a 20 percent reduction in energy consumption and savings of $500,000 per year in lighting costs alone. Shaker Heights-based Carbon Vision LLC will coordinate the installation. Carbon Vision's announcement of the project is here. News of the project is here.

SunEdison, the solar energy development division of MEMC Electronic Materials, announced an agreement with private equity firm First Reserve Corporation to establish a joint venture that could provide for the acquisition of up to $1.5 billion in current and future SunEdison solar photovoltaic energy projects.

The two companies will make capital contributions to the joint venture as qualifying projects are constructed in the target markets of the United States, Italy, Spain and Canada. SunEdison will lead the project identification and development process and First Reserve will lead the project financing efforts. Once constructed, the projects will be purchased by the joint venture and then operated and managed by SunEdison. Power generated by the projects will be sold pursuant to long-term power purchase agreements or feed-in tariff arrangements.

On April 16, 2010, TransCanada Power Marketing, Ltd., a power marketing company, filed a lawsuit in a Massachusetts federal court challenging the constitutionality of the solar "carve out" in Massachusetts' renewable portfolio standard (RPS) -- click here for a copy of the complaint. More specifically, the lawsuit alleges that the provision in Massachusetts law requiring electric suppliers to purchase a portion of their required renewable energy credits from in-state solar generators unlawfully discriminates against out-of-state solar developers. The ramifications of this lawsuit could be far-reaching on states such as Ohio with similar requirements in their RPS. In fact, Ohio's RPS contains a broader in-state requirement than Massachusetts that requires at least one-half of all renewable energy resources generated in Ohio to be derived from facilities located in Ohio.

According to NBC 4 in Toledo, the Veterans' Glass City Skyway, which carries Interstate 280 across the Maumee River, will be equipped with an array of solar panels. Transportation officials are trying to determine if the technology can produce energy savings on other highway projects. The project is being funded with a $1.5 million federal grant.

According to an article in Columbus Business First, a project to install solar panels at Bexley's new police station has fallen through because the developer ran "out of time to cash in on a $335,000 economic stimulus grant." The article details how Westerville-based SolarVision LLC missed a state deadline to show it had an agreement with the city of Bexley because of lingering questions about the "project’s financial implications and aesthetics.

The Vote Solar Initiative and Clean Power Finance are hosting a webinar on Thursday, April 8, to provide information on solar legislation in the Midwest. The webinar, starting at 2 PM ET, is free and will include:

• Introduction to the Vote Solar mission and Midwest Director, Claudia Eyzaguirre;
• Overview of Midwest solar standards and what roadblocks remain in building lasting and larger markets;
• Updates on the latest policy and legislative goals in:
  • Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, & Michigan
• A Question and answer session: Email your Midwest solar policy questions

Register for the webinar here.

State Rep. Roland Winburn (D-Dayton) has introduced a bill that would abate the tangible personal property tax levied on wind- and solar-power generating facilities, substituting in its place an annual fee based on a facility's power generation and the amount of its employees that are Ohio residents. The bill is a response to Governor Ted Strickland's proposal to eliminate the tax in his State of the State speech earlier this year. The bill is competing with one introduced by State Sen. Chris Widener(R-Springfield). Under Widener's bill, in lieu of the tax, wind and solar companies would pay an annual fee based on power generation and would be subject to a less stringent jobs requirement than the one in Winburn's bill.

Previous posts on the competing bills are here, here and here.

The Columbus Dispatch reports today that U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown is "hopeful" after a meeting with President Obama that Congress can reach a bipartisan agreement on comprehensive climate change legislation. Off the negotiating table is a House bill passed last year that would have created a cap-and-trade regulatory system. "Instead," according to the article, "senators are trying to bridge party differences by creating incentives that would encourage the development of wind and solar energy, boost the use of nuclear power and open large swaths of the coastal United States to oil exploration."

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reports that wind power advocates "blew through" Washington D.C. with a message to Congress that up to 274,000 green energy jobs could be created if the federal government begins requiring utilities to produce a portion of their energy from renewable sources. According to the article, 29 states, including Ohio, have already set such targets. The advocates were critical of a so-called "Buy American" plan being floated by U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown that would apply to clean energy projects funded by federal stimulus dollars.

In the final installment of its three-part series on Ohio's attempts to grow its clean energy economy, The (Toledo) Blade details how the University of Toledo's solar energy programs have to compete with larger, higher-profile institutions--such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Michigan--for federal grants and other investments. Part one of the series is here. Part two is here.

Congratulations to the City of Athens and SolarVision on what looks to be a win-win solar deal!  Read full story in the Athens Messenger.

A new coalition has formed to encourage the General Assembly to carry out Governor Ted Strickland's proposal to abate the tangible personal property tax on wind and solar generation facilities that break ground in 2010, begin operating by the end of 2012, and create jobs in the process. Led by the American Wind Energy Association, the group--Wind and Solar Jobs for Ohio--is made up of advanced energy manufacturers, developers, public officials, community leaders, policy advocates, researchers, and other Ohioans that support the adoption of a competitive tax structure for wind and solar projects in Ohio. The Coalition believes an adjustment to Ohio's personal property tax would encourage billions of dollars worth of investments in renewable energy. These investments, the Coalition believes, will create thousands of jobs, stimulate local economic activity, and create new manufacturing opportunities throughout Ohio.

For more information, or to add your name to the coalition roster and be kept informed on the issue, visit: http://www.windandsolarjobsforohio.com.

Ever wonder how much it would cost to install solar panels at your home or business? The folks at Find Solar have an impressive collection of online tools to help you find out. The tools at Find Solar include a solar calculator and a map that breaks down solar power incentives by state. The site also contains a ranking of states based on their Solar Power Rating, calculated by determining the state incentives available for a sample project. Ohio is 26th on the list. Find Solar is a partnership between the American Solar Energy Society and Cooler Planet, a Seattle-based company that acts as a matchmaker between people who want to install solar projects and companies that can assist them.

The Section 1603 grant program which was created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, whereby eligible applicants and renewable energy projects may receive a 30% cash grant in lieu of an investment tax credit (“ITC”), is set to expire at the end of 2010.

In an effort to prevent this program from expiring, Senators Dianne Feinstein, (D-Calif.), and Jeff Merkley, (D-Ore.) introduced the Renewable Energy Incentive Act (S. 2899) to extend the program until 2012 and to expand the Section 1603 program to continue to spur the development of renewable energy employment, construction, and development. 

The Section 1603 grant program has already distributed over two billion dollars to eligible projects and is a key component in financing renewable energy projects given the decline in the tax equity market. 

The Section 1603 grant program helps renewable energy developers secure affordable financing to move forward with capital-intensive projects. As noted above, it is currently slated to expire in 2010, but this deadline is well before most large scale renewable energy projects will be ready to begin construction or the tax equity market will be primed to rebound. The legislation will also expand this program to allow public power utilities to participate and will create a new tax credit for solar manufacturing facilities and the construction of large solar projects on disturbed private lands.

The key provisions of the Feinstein-Merkley bill are:

• Extend the Treasury Grants Program until 2012: The program allows renewable energy developers to take grants, or payments, from the Treasury department instead of claiming tax credits in order to help build projects that require a great deal of capital upfront.
• Permits Public Power Utilities to receive Treasury Grants for Renewable Energy: The bill will also allow public power utilities to receive Treasury Grants for renewable energy projects. 
• Expands the solar investment tax credit to include manufacturing equipment and solar water heaters for commercial and community pools. The bill would allow equipment that makes solar panels to qualify for the 30 percent solar investment tax credit.
• Establishes a new solar tax credit for consolidation of disturbed private land with high solar value. The bill would create a 30 percent investment tax credit for the purchase, consolidation, and use of multiple, 100 acre or less blocks of high solarity, disturbed private lands for solar development. 

If you have any questions related to this legislation or the Section 1603 program generally, please contact Kevin M. Kinross (614-227-8824 or kkinross@bricker.com)

The folks at RenewableEnergyWorld.com have published a nice breakout of the clean energy funding proposals in President Obama's $28.4 billion budget request for fiscal year 2011. The budget request includes $2.36 billion for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), a 5 percent increase over fiscal year 2010. The increase in funding for a number of EERE programs would be substantial, including a 53 percent increase for wind energy, a 43 percent increase for the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program, a 32 percent increase for the Federal Energy Management Program, a 25 percent increase for geothermal energy, and a 22 percent increase for solar energy.

In today's Dayton Daily News there's more evidence of government money flowing to renewable energy projects. The story details how the company, Assembly & Test Worldwide, will add 82 jobs to its Dayton plant to produce glass-coating machines for solar panel manufacturers. The $1.4 million expansion was made possible by city and state government grants.

State Reps. Debbie Phillips (D) and Dan Stewart (D) have introduced a bill in the Ohio House of Representatives that would exempt from property taxation the cost of energy-conservation and renewable energy projects installed on business property in Ohio. The bill would also create a capital gains income tax deduction on the sale of business property with such improvements. Covered projects include solar, wind, geothermal, and energy efficiency improvements.

Under the terms of the bill, starting in 2010, business property owners would be able to claim a property tax exemption equaling the lesser of 35 percent of the cost of the qualifying improvement to the property or the increase, if any, in the assessed value of the property caused by the improvement. Under the income tax provisions, if a business property owner would recognize a capital gain on the sale of property containing an improvement made by that same owner, the owner could claim a deduction calculated based on the length of time since the improvement was installed. The deduction schedule would be:

• 100 percent: For improvements put into service within the five years before the end of the taxable year
• 75 percent: For improvements put into service more than five years but less than ten years before the end of the taxable year
• 50 percent: For improvements put into service more than ten years before the end of the taxable year

Jeff Bell with Business First continues his comprehensive coverage of advanced energy issues in Ohio. Today he looks at the proposed expansion of Ohio's law allowing municipal bonds to finance solar systems. The bill, Senate Bill 223, would allow energy efficiency and a few other renewable technologies to qualify for this financing. The article is a good primer on the new bill. More information on the topic can be found at our HB 1 Resource Center.

Read the article on Business First's website
(subscription required for full article).

Bricker and Eckler LLP has added a resource center with information on Solar SIDs and PACE financing opportunities for your local government, your industry, your business or your home.

Energy SIDs Resource Center

Applications pending as of February 2, 2010 with the Ohio Power Siting Board.
 

Governor Strickland focused on advanced energy in his State of the State address on January 26, 2010. Without providing extensive details, the Governor called for the suspension of Ohio’s tangible personal property tax on generation for wind and solar companies that break ground on projects in 2010, produce energy by 2012, and create Ohio jobs in the process. It is not clear if other forms of alternative energy will qualify for the personal property tax exemption.

The Governor also announced the creation of a $40 million "Energy Gateway Fund." The combination of state and federal funds will be used to help companies start or expand clean and advanced energy projects in Ohio. The fund will offer capital to companies with products ready for the commercial market, and will require a 1-to-1 match from private dollars.

Changes in the tangible personal property tax will require action by the Ohio General Assembly. Details on both programs will be forthcoming. The text of the speech can be found here, and Strickland Administration highlights here.

Established as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the Section 48C Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit Program is a competitive program aimed at revitalizing manufacturing through the production and manufacturing of certain eligible advanced energy equipment and products.  The Manufacturing Tax Credit will provide manufacturers with an investment tax credit of 30 percent.  For more information on the Manufacturing Tax Credit, see Bricker & Eckler's August 2009 bulletin entitled "Stimulus to Provide Tax Breaks for Manufacturers of Advanced Energy Products and Equipment."

On January 8, 2010, President Obama announced the selection of 183 projects in 43 states, including Ohio, that will receive approximately $2.3 billion in such tax credits.  Among the selected projects in Ohio are the: (1) expansion of the solar PV manufacturing facility of FirstSolar, Inc. in Perrysburg, Ohio; (2) expansion of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.'s production of certain films used in solar PV in Circleville, Ohio; and (3) production of a flexible, lightweight solar cell for easy application on rooftops by Xunlight Corporation in Toledo, Ohio.  A complete listing of all 183 projects can be found here.

In a press release from the Corporation today, Melink Corp. announced that it's headquarters, located in Milford, Ohio, is the State's first LEED Platinum Certified building. The complex included solar panels on the roof and a wind turbine on premises. According to Melink, their building is 75% more efficient than a conventional building. Read more below or click here for a photo of Melink's headquarters.

[January 14, 2010. MILFORD, OH] Melink Corporation just received notification from the United States Green Building Council that its super energy-efficient headquarters has earned the LEED Platinum Certification for Existing Buildings.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a rating system for green buildings. Platinum is the highest rating that can be achieved and Melink is the first in Ohio to achieve this distinction for an existing building. There are only 24 LEED Platinum Existing Buildings in the world. 

The Melink headquarters was the first LEED Gold Certified building in Ohio in 2006. Since then the company has even further improved its energy efficiency and installed additional renewable energy, ie. solar and wind power systems. 

At present the 30,000 square foot office and manufacturing facility is 75% more energy efficient than a conventional building. As a result the company is saving more than a $100 per day and $35,000 per year in energy costs.

Steve Melink, President of Melink Corporation, states that the next goal is to make the facility a net zero energy building within another year. This means that the building will export as much energy to the grid as it imports and uses from the grid.

"The building industry is rapidly embracing sustainability and we want to help lead the way," says Steve. "Though the Midwest is typically conservative, Ohio is becoming both a market and supply chain for green technologies and best practices." 

Melink is a provider of building commissioning services, ventilation controls, and renewable energy products for commercial building owners. They work with national retail, restaurant, supermarket, and hotel chains, as well as hospitals, schools, and other institutions across the country. 

Contact Info:

Jennifer Sivak
Melink Corporation
5140 River Valley Road
Milford, OH 45150
513-965-7318
jsivak@melinkcorp.com

Before wrapping up for the year, the Ohio House of Representatives passed an amended House Bill 113 which promotes advanced energy projects at Ohio's Primary and Secondary schools. The bill was amended heavily in Committee, making it a pilot project instead of a full-blown initiative. 

The provisions in the bill set different renewable energy generation standards based on school enrollment and shorten the allowable pay-back period from the originally proposed 30-year timeline to the new 15-year timeline. In addition, a floor amendment to the bill makes it easier for school boards to terminate a contract with a provider "if the board determines that the cost the district pays for the electricity generated by the renewable energy system is substantially greater than the retail rate of electricity that would have been payable by the district if the system had not been installed."

Read the full text of the bill

Avon Lake has enlisted Engineering Process Systems and NexGen to install solar panels for its safety building which is estimated to replace 15 percent of the building's current energy use and save approximately $100 - $200 per month.  Read more about Avon Lake's recent council meeting.>

Today, Governor Strickland announced that 25 Ohio projects will receive more than $13 million in grant awards through the ARRA State Energy program. Congratulations to the Ohio recipients of AARA funding for wind and solar projects! Read full press release here.

Congratulations to First Solar on its exciting plans for continued growth!

Read full article in The Toledo Blade

Here is the latest list of projects submitted to the PUCO for Renewable Energy Credits.

Applications filed as November 16, 2009.
 

On October 7, 2009, the US DOE announced that it will provide $750 million in credit subsidy funding to help accelerate the development of commercialized renewable energy projects under the Section 1705 Loan Guarantee program of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Department's plan is to utilize the new Financial Institution Partnership Program (FIPP) through which approved private sector lenders will underwrite loan guarantees for conventional renewable energy projects such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and hydropower. For more detailed information on the program, see the US DOE's Loan Guarantee Program (http://www.lgprogram.energy.gov/) and Bricker & Eckler LLP's Green Strategies Bulletin Loan Guarantees for Commercial Renewable Energy Projects Announced.

See this Business First article about the potential for Ohio to become a leader in the solar energy space.

http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/10/12/story3.html
(subscription required to read full text of article)

Please join Bricker & Eckler LLP and Novogradac & Company LLP for a one-day intensive training workshop that will explore options and tools for financing Ohio renewable energy projects. 

Featured panelists include:

• Mark Shanahan, Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, Executive Director and Energy Advisor to Ohio Governor Ted Strickland
• Steven Klein, First Infrastructure LLC, Financial Advisor to the upcoming U.S. Department of Energy's 1705 Loan Guarantee Program
• Darrell Fields, Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, General Counsel 

Agenda at a glance:

• Tour of State Subsidies 
• Debt Financing 
• Structuring Equity Transactions 
• Ohio's Role & Next Steps 

Wednesday, October 14th 
10 am - 4 pm
Cleveland Forum Conference Center

For agenda and registration information visit: http://www.novoco.com/emails/events/2009/aug_09-5.htm

Financing Ohio's Renewable Energy is being co-sponsored by Bricker & Eckler LLP and Novogradac & Company LLP.

The Ohio Department of Development and Governor Ted Strickland’s office recently announced the Deploying Renewable Energy: Wind and Solar Grant, a $14 million program that seeks individuals, partnerships, companies, and entities that meet the requirements of a proposal to install qualified solar electric, solar thermal and wind electric technologies.  Third party ownership projects are also eligible to apply.  Between $250,000 and $1 million will be awarded to each project through a competitive process.  Applicants must be in the State of Ohio, and match the total investment with at least 50% of total costs.  Completion of the project must be within 12 months and have a direct economic impact in Ohio.

For more information on this program please go to the website:  development.ohio.gov/recovery/FundingOpportunities.htm

The folks at Green Energy Ohio do an excellent job with the annual solar tour.  It's a nice opportunity to see PV installations all across the state.

Details on Solar Tour

Don't miss this excellent news clip of Toledo solar developer Norm Johnston and State Senator Mark Wagoner discussing a plan to roll out utility scale solar fields across Ohio.  Johnston believes his plans would create thousands of jobs for Ohioans building the solar fields required by the state's new advanced energy law, Senate Bill 221.

The current issue of Business First of Columbus has two interesting articles exploring Ohio's continuing entry into the advanced energy marketplace.

Green Report: Manufacturers primed for wind turbines, but market soft

Green Report:  Companies, environment stand to benefit from solar growth

Bricker & Eckler client bulletin on grants available in lieu of traditional renewable energy production or investment tax credits which are intended to provide incentives for businesses to move forward with renewable energy projects in 2009 and 2010 in spite of the economic downturn.

Read the full bulletin

The Interstate Renewable Energy Council recently released this Report highlighting the major trends that occurred in the U.S. solar marketplace in 2008.

Visit the IREC website here

As of July 23, 2009, nine certification applications for biomass facilities have been filed at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio pursuant to the certification process established by the not-yet-effective rule, Ohio Administrative Code Rule 4901:1-40-04, which permits an alternative energy project to be certified as one that is eligible to produce Ohio Renewable Energy Credits (RECs).

One out-of-state wind application was filed for an existing Indiana facility, Fowler Ridge Wind Farm LLC, located in PJM territory, owned by Fowler I Holdings in Houston, Texas, with a name plate capacity of 301 MW. The distributed generation net metering facility has an interconnection agreement with Indiana Michigan Power Company.

There have also been two solar applications, one by Twenty-First Century Energy LLC, requested certification for a photovoltaic facility in Fairborn, Ohio with a nameplate capacity of .041 MW to be sold in a distributed generation setting involving a net metering agreement with Dayton Power and Light. The other facility, the Exelon-Epuron Solar Energy Center in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in PJM territory, is owned by TD Bank of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and has a name plate capacity of 3 MW that will provide distributed generation without net metering to PECO.

There are five biomass certification applications. The first, by Schmack BioMass OARDC, requested certification of its anaerobic digestion facility (with a nameplate capacity of .4 MW) as an Ohio renewable energy resource. The electricity produced will be supplied directly to buildings on its campus located in Cleveland, Ohio. The second, located in Shakopee, Minnesota, the Koda Energy facility, is owned by Trinity Carbon Management, LLC of Austin, Texas, has a nameplate capacity of nearly 24 MW and is located in MISO territory. The facility is interconnected with Northern States Power and provides distributed generation with both on-site use and wholesale sales.

Three separate limited liability companies which appear to be ultimately owned by Energy Developments, Inc., filed for landfill gas projects in Lowellville, Oberlin and Port Clinton, Ohio. The projects’ aggregated nameplate capacity of 35.1 MW with the output to be sold to AMP-Ohio in distributed generation settings involving American Transmission Systems and Oberlin Municipal Light and Power System. 

Wabash Valley Power Association, Inc., a rural electric co-operative, filed for Jay County Landfill Gas Facility, a solid waste facility, located in Portland, Indiana, in PJM territory, that has a nameplate capacity of 3.2 MW.