by DWEA Site Admin | Sep 19, 2014 | News
New legislation extends expired all important clean energy tax provisions including the distributed wind Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
Congress continued to move forward on extending vital clean energy tax provisions that expired earlier this year, which includes the Investment Tax Credit for distributed wind.
“I continue to be impressed with Representative Blumenauer’s leadership in support of our industry,” said Jennifer Jenkins, Executive Director of the Distributed Wind Energy Association (DWEA). “A renewed ITC will provide business certainty to the community and distributed wind segments of the wind industry that are generally unable to utilize the PTC. This incentive enables them to continue to drive economic development across farms, schools, business, and communities across the country. Distributed wind projects are present in all 50 states, providing clean, homegrown, affordable power; helping to keep the lights on and Americans at work. In order for this industry to continue to grow and expand we urge swift passage of the ITC when Congress returns from recess.”
The bill was introduced with 17 co-sponsors who should also be applauded for their leadership:
Rep Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]
Rep Kind, Ron [D-WI-3]
Rep Langevin, James R. [D-RI-2]
Rep Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]
Rep Lee, Barbara [D-CA-13]
Rep Levin, Sander M. [D-MI-9]
Rep Lewis, John [D-GA-5]
Rep Loebsack, David [D-IA-2]
Rep McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7]
Rep Moran, James P. [D-VA-8]
Rep Neal, Richard E. [D-MA-1]
Rep Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [D-NJ-9]
Rep Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-13]
Rep Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13]
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38]
Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [D-PA-13]
Rep Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5]
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About the Distributed Wind Energy Association
The Distributed Wind Energy Association is a collaborative group comprised of manufacturers, distributors, project developers, dealers, installers, and advocates, whose primary mission is to promote and foster all aspects of the American distributed wind energy industry. Distributed wind is the use of wind turbines at homes, farm and ranches, businesses, public and industrial facilities, off-grid and other sites connected either physically or virtually on the customer side of the meter to offset all or a portion of local energy consumption or to support grid operations. DWEA seeks to represent members and associates from all sectors with relevant interests pertaining to the distributed wind industry. For more information on DWEA, please go to www.distributedwind.org. Follow us on Twitter @DWEA and like us on Facebook
by DWEA Site Admin | Aug 15, 2014 | News, Success Story
Pika Energy operated out of Ben Polito’s basement until one year ago. The company’s roots stretch even further back, with its true beginning in 2010, when Polito, company president, and Joshua Kaufman cofounded the company with support from local Maine investors. Now, Pika employs 10 people and is housed in a small commercial facility in Portland, Maine. Pika began to install turbines in the spring of 2014.
“We built a turbine suitable to power an energy-efficient home and we use the wind in combination with solar panels in a microgrid or hybrid energy system, which give you benefits from both the wind and the solar, to give more even power throughout the year and the day,” said Polito. “It’s important to have a steady flow of power, so the hybrid does a better job than either source by itself could do.”
Pika Energy is part of an even bigger movement revolving around the consumer and energy’s future. Until a few years ago, American manufacturing was viewed as a dying industry. Now, it’s still early, but Pika Energy is part of the change to bring jobs not only back to America, but to rural areas. “It’s still challenging, but people are seeing with the right, high-tech product that requires sophisticated manufacturing and top-quality people doing the work, responsive to the market, domestic-based United States manufacturing is in the early stages of what looks like a rebound,” said Polito.
A perfect fit for Maine
Their dream would not have been possible if Polito and Kaufman had not left their hometowns to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Both grew up in rural farm country, with Polito’s family working a farm on Georgetown Island, off the coast of Maine, and Kaufman’s family cutting wheat and seeing the possibility for wind energy in Kansas.
Returning to Maine to build the company was an obvious choice for several reasons. Wind energy is a rural technology, and Maine is not only a largely rural state, but offers a supportive local network that provides advice and financial help. Additionally, Polito is aware of the lack of quality jobs in Maine for those interested in technology. Pike Energy hopes to continue to grow, bringing people back to Maine who left because of the lack of technology-based opportunities. And, of course, there was the Polito family to consider. Four generations of the Polito family currently call Maine home.
As a child growing up without electricity, Polito built small wind turbines out of old motors and scrap wood. His experiments were a success and he was able to produce a small amount of electricity. “I was excited [to learn] how to make more. I wanted to learn how to build better wind turbines and make better electricity,” said Polito. “We had kerosene lamps for light and a hand pump for water out of the well and an outhouse instead of indoor plumbing, and you can imagine how cold that is in the middle of winter in Maine to go outside to use the outhouse. Electricity was this magical technology that I knew was out there that other people had that we didn’t have because we were so far outside of the beaten path.”
The end product
When electricity is readily available, appreciation is lost. One person, without electricity, would not be able to drive a car, produce heat for a home, or even shop for groceries. Energy multiplies a single person’s strength and ability. Being aware of the value and finding alternative means of providing energy plans for a future when fossil fuels are depleted. “In general, I think it’s one of the greatest challenges our world faces,” said Polito. “We’ve developed a dependency on having ample supply of cheap and readily available energy in order to do most of the things we all love to do, and right now, the vast majority of that energy comes from unsustainable, polluting sources that are increasingly becoming scarce and cause harm to the planet. For anyone who looks at the data, it’s obvious that we needs to transition to more sustainable sources.”
Polito has found that clients love making their own power and taking responsibility for their future. “It’s just fun and rewarding for people to make their own electricit,” he observes. “People feel dependent on a source of power they can’t control, and they worry that it won’t always be there. Making their own electricity from the wind and the sun helps them feel more independent, doing their part and taking control of their energy future.”
By Elizabeth Silverstein, guest writer for the Distributed Wind Energy Association
by DWEA Site Admin | Jul 15, 2014 | News
With Acquisition, Renewable Energy and Wireless Services Leader Becomes Ethos Distributed Solutions, Expands Operations to Nearly All 50 States
Ethos Distributed Energy and Rev1 Renewables have now joined forces to become Ethos Distributed Solutions. With the acquisition of Rev1 Renewables, Ethos solidifies itself as a leader in the installation, operations and maintenance of distributed renewable energy systems.
“We are really excited about the marriage of these two businesses,” says Paul Roamer, President of Ethos Distributed Solutions. “By combining resources and talent with Rev1 Renewables, this acquisition allows Ethos to provide competitive professional services nationwide and increase our effectiveness with our current clients. Additionally, our name change better reflects the inclusive spectrum of services we provide in both the renewable energy and telecommunications industry.”
Ethos leads the way in distributed maintenance, system upgrades and engineering consulting within the wind, solar and wireless markets. Adding the portfolio of projects from Rev1 Renewables compliments Ethos’ current work with renewable energy systems. Ethos currently serves 50 KW to 2.5 MW wind systems, solar systems up to 20 MW, and maintenance, repair, upgrades and installs for telecom clients.
Ethos is one of only a few companies operating in the nexus of renewable energy and telecom. The synergy in expertise and operational structure between the three business segments allows Ethos to efficiently schedule its field service crews throughout the United States, providing customers with superior technical knowledge and competitive pricing.
“We are very optimistic about our company’s future,” says Roamer. “The renewable energy market will continue to grow in the United States, and as these systems age, uptime and healthy operation of these assets will be of upmost importance. Likewise in telecom – with competition between carriers heating up, we see service upgrades occurring at a higher frequency than in the past. Protecting these renewable investments and maintaining the competitiveness of our telecom customers is where Ethos shines.”
About Ethos Distributed Solutions
Ethos was founded in 2009 in Colorado to provide cost-effective and reliable renewable energy solutions and support to distributed generation systems and telecom markets. Expertise and engineering backbone is what separates Ethos from other service providers. Our cross-training between renewable O&M and telecom creates a technical competency that is unmatched in the market. For more information, visit: www.ethossolutions.com.
Ethos media contact:
Paul Roamer, President
303-590-9423
proamer@ethossolutions.com
by DWEA Site Admin | Mar 3, 2014 | News
Industry advocates often talk about wind farms contributing revenue to local communities, so it’s nice to hear specific and tangible examples of wind power at work on the ground (that is, as opposed to 80-plus meters in the air, working to generate clean electrons). So here’s one.
In Ohio Iberdrola Renewables, along with State Senator Cliff Hite and State Representative Tony Burkley, this week presented checks to local officials in both Van Wert and Paulding counties to commemorate the first of the annual payments the wind power company’s Blue Creek Wind Farm will be making to the counties.
Speaking of tangible examples, it’s interesting to take a look at both the sheer dollars contributed as well as how those funding levels are calculated (usually by number of turbines).
Photo credit: Iberdrola Renewables
Iberdrola injected Van Wert County, which hosts 115 turbines, with over $2 million, making the wind farm the largest single taxpayer in the county. That figure, in fact, is equal to the current top 11 revenue contributors combined as of 2012. Wind farms often generate revenue for communities that need it most, and so the statistic concerning the top 11 revenue contributors is a case in point. Paulding County, meanwhile, received $666,000, based on the 37 turbines located in the county that each pay $18,000 per year.
As the wind farm is spread across two counties, six townships – Tully, Union, and Hoaglin in Van Wert County and Benton, Blue Creek and Latty in Paulding County – and four school districts, the project’s contributions to localities will be spread far and wide. The townships will each see an average of $1,400 per year per turbine. With 76 wind turbines, Union Township will see a revenue boost of 25-30 percent in 2014 compared to 2013.
“These funds support projects and services that benefit everyone across the region, from schools, public safety and public health programs, to road repairs,” said State Representative Tony Burkley (R-Payne). “It’s great to see this kind of investment in northwest Ohio, and it’s better to see the benefits have such a positive impact on the people who live and work here.”
The school districts will see the lion’s share of revenue. With 81 turbines spinning within its boundaries, Crestview Schools will see about $850,000 per year in new revenue, a boost of about 10 percent.
“This is my 40th year in education and I don’t think I have ever seen a source of revenue like this offer itself to a school district like this,” said Crestview Superintendent Mike Estes. “It’s really a windfall for us.”
Now, just imagine the additional community revenue trickling through from the 500 jobs created during construction, the $25 million spurred in local spending, the 30 local companies that worked on the project, et cetera et cetera. Those are some good, tangible benefits. And we haven’t even begun to talk about what the wind farm is built for, the product it will give the region: clean, fuel-free electrons.
As a footnote, here are some extra-curricular initiatives Iberdrola has sponsored in the community:
Flat Rock Creek Festival
Friends of the Paulding Chamber, Inc.
Iberdrola Renewables Scholarship Fund administered by the Van Wert County Foundation
John Paulding Historical Society
Paulding County Youth Baseball
Van Wert County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau’s Rib Fest
Van Wert County Historical Society
Van Wert Elementary School book fair
Van Wert County Junior Fair
Vantage Career Center
Village of Convoy Fire Department
Iberdrola is not unique among developers in its good-neighbor giving. First Wind, for example, is just one name that comes to mind for reaching out to the community in multiple ways. Does your company have some community-participation information you’d like to share? Share your story in the comments.
This is cross posted from AWEA’s Into the Wind Blog written by Carl Levesque.
