South Carolina Solar Council

John Wiles, Program Manager at the Southwest Technology Development Institute at New Mexico State University, will conduct a full-day workshop on solar and power systems on Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln Street.  The workshop is entitled, “Photovoltaic Power Systems (Solar and the Electrical Code)”. The seminar, including lunch will be held 8:30am to 4:30pm and will cost $89 per person or $69 per person for more than one from the same organization.  Please arrive for registration by 8:00 so everyone is in place for the start of the workshop.

Please review the press release for more information and register here for the event!

Join us for the Summer quarterly meeting on July 30th from 1-3 at Greenville Technical College’s Northwest Campus in the Heritage Hall located at 8109 White Horse Road, Greenville, South Carolina 29617.  A detailed agenda, registration and a set of directions are posted below. Registration is not required but highly encouraged.  This meeting is free and open to the public.  See you there!

Speaker’s Bureau/Educational Series-Pete Silveston, SCSC Board Member

Upcoming Solar Energy Projects: ARRA grants in action in S.C.-Erika Myers, South Carolina Energy Office

SRNY Solar Energy Initiatives, Inc. ‘Renew SC’ Project-Ellen Reed, SEI, Inc.

Santee Cooper: Lessons learned from the solar rebate program-Phillip Greenway, Santee Cooper

Santee Cooper & Electric Cooperatives interconnection and net metering programs-Phillip Greenway, Santee Cooper

Investor Owned Utility interconnection and net metering programs, coordinating permits, and inspection process-Cayce Logan, SCE&G

Solar Installer Licensing Requirements in S.C.-Mike Anderson, SC Labor Licesing and Regulation

Formal training opportunities in S.C. & NABCEP certification-Erika Myers, SC Energy Office

Presentation 1:  National Legislation Renewable Electricity Standard and Climate Change by Mr. John Boyd of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.

Presentation 2:  North Carolina’s Experience with Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) by Commissioner Bill Culpepper of North Carolina Utilities Commission

Presentation 3:  Progress Energy Experience with RPS in North Carolina by Mr. Grant Blume of Progress Energy

Presentation 4:  Duke Energy Experience with RPS in North Carolina by Mr. Owen Smith of Duke Energy

Presentation 5:  South Carolina’s Renewable Energy Potential by Ms. Elizabeth Kress of Santee Cooper

Presentation 6:  Wind Potential and Opportunities by Dr. Paul Gayes of Coastal Carolina University

Presentation 7:  Solar: The Real Potential by Mr. Bruce Wood of Sunstore Solar, Chair of South Carolina Solar Council

Presentation 8:  Biomass from Agriculture by Mr. Tom French of Savannah River National Laboratory

Presentation 9:  Forests of the Future by Ms. Maud Hinchee of ArborGen, LLC

The next meeting of the SC Solar Council we be on Monday, January 25th from 1pm - 5pm in the Lexington Room at the Columbia Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln Street, Columbia. The SCSC will combine efforts with the SC Biomass Council and the SC Coastal Clean Energy Stakeholder Group to discuss the future of renewable energy policy in South Carolina. The meeting is free and open to the public, but attendees must RSVP by January 18th to emyers@energy.sc.gov. Agenda

We want to welcome our new solar intern, Cameron Williams who will be working with the SC Solar Council through 2010. We also want to thank our former solar intern, Sarah Tholstrup for her hard work and dedication to the organization. She did a great job and we were lucky to have her in 2009.

Despite difficult times, the members and board of the South Carolina Solar Council persevered in their mission to educate and inform people about the benefits of solar energy. After many meetings and a lot of leg work we planned a series of workshops in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Myrtle Beach, which were followed up with the October 3rd Solar Tour in conjunction with the American Solar Energy Society.  Turnout was high at most events with 72 attendees at the Greenville workshop alone.  Santee Cooper stepped up as our platinum sponsor, which allowed us to support the program with some media promotions.  Thank you to all of our sponsors, vendors and volunteers who gave their time and money to help the public learn more about solar!

This year, the South Carolina Solar Council will host a state-wide Solar Tour and Workshop Series. Our 2009 Solar Tour will be in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, and Myrtle Beach on October 3rd from 1 - 5 p.m. 

Additionally there will be a series of workshops that will give the public an opportunity to learn more about solar energy applications for homes and businesses. These workshop dates and locations include:

Monday, September 21st, 6 - 8 p.m.—Myrtle Beach Solar Workshop at Coastal Carolina University’s Wall Auditorium

Test your computer for compatibility prior to the meeting.

For help in joining a conference:
1-800-715-7167
1-514-843-1343

Monday, September 28th, 6 - 8 p.m.—Greenville Solar Workshop at Furman University’s Townes Science Center

Wednesday, September 30th, 6 - 8 p.m.—Charleston Solar Workshop at Weight Watchers in West Ashley

Grant Opportunity
DOE is also offering $117.6 million in Recovery Act funds for solar energy technologies, including $51.5 million for the development of advanced photovoltaic (PV) technologies, such as solar cells and modules; $25.6 million for research and development to support concentrating solar power (CSP), which uses mirrored surfaces to capture the sun’s heat; and $40.5 million to address non-technical barriers to solar energy deployment, including market barriers, cumbersome grid connection requirements, and a lack of trained installers. About $17 million of the solar funding is available only to DOE national laboratories. See the solar energy solicitations on grants.gov, which are divided into high-penetration solar PV deployment, solar market transformation, and the funds for DOE national laboratories. These solicitations can also be found by searching Fed Connect for DE-FOA-0000085, DE-FOA-0000078, and DE-FOA-0000087, respectively. Applications are due by July 30 for the two main solicitations, while the due date for the national laboratory funding is July 15. As part of the funding, DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is also soliciting letters of interest for PV Technology Incubators, with a due date of July 13.

Stimulus funding solicitations
Solicitation: DE-FOA-0000078 “Solar Market Transformation.” (DOE’s Solar Energy Technology Program (SETP))  Applications due July 30, 2009.
 Topic 1: Solar America Cities (SC has none that qualify).
 Topic 2: Solar Installer Instructor Training.

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0000085 “High Penetration Solar Deployment.” DOE’s Solar Energy Technology Program (SETP))  Applications due July 30, 2009.
 Topic 1: Improved Modeling Tools Development
 Topic 2: Field Verification of High-Penetration Levels of PV into the Distribution Grid
 Topic 3: Modular Power Architecture
 Topic 4: Demonstration of PV and Energy Storage for Smart Grids

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0000087 “National Laboratory Call for Foundational Photovoltaics and Concentrating Solar Power Research and Development” Applications due July 15, 2009.  This is restricted to DOE National Laboratories.

Tax Credit Increase
In the FY10 budget recently passed, the legislature was able to insert a proviso which increases the state’s solar tax credit from 25% to 30% during 2009.  That makes now the time to invest in solar power!

89.114.  (GP: Solar Power Income Tax Credit Increased)  The State income tax credit allowed pursuant to Section 12-6-3587 of the 1976 Code for the costs of purchase and installation of a qualifying solar energy system in a taxable year ending in 2009 is increased from twenty-five to thirty percent of such costs.