Temecula Valley Unified School District is moving forward on sustainability and resiliency with the issuance of a request for proposals (RFP) for two new solar and storage microgrids that will be managed by Sage Energy Consulting. The RFP includes two schools in the District that will host these innovative projects, including the new K8 STEAM Academy in Winchester, California, and the Rancho Elementary School in Temecula, California.

The microgrids are designed for three hours or more of backup to the schools, providing power to critical loads at each campus during a grid outage and avoiding the need for diesel generators. The RFP solicits bidders to construct the solar photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage microgrids at both schools, with the option of operating and maintaining the systems.

Sage Energy Consulting continues work with the Temecula Valley Unified School District on sustainability initiatives and resiliency with the issuance of a request for proposals (RFP) for two new solar and storage microgrids.

Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) announced today (Oct 8) that Becky Diffen, Lan Adair Sasa, Daniela Toleva and Yoomin Hong have joined the organization's board of directors. These new board members represent the renewable industry at-large and bring new perspectives and expertise to support the growing programs now offered across the full spectrum of renewable energy.

As a way to reduce risk and costs associated with the procurement of renewable energy and to simplify renewable energy access for the data center provider, Iron Mountain worked with Birch Infrastructure who teamed up with REsurety.

To help reduce risk and costs and simplify renewable energy for Iron Mountain, Birch teamed up with REsurety, a provider of valuation analytics and risk management services in the renewable energy market. Specifically, Birch incorporated two weather-linked risk management products to improve on the standard virtual Power Purchase Agreement (vPPA) – a Settlement Guarantee Agreement (SGA) and a Volume Firming Agreement (VFA).

To help reduce risk and costs and simplify renewable energy for Iron Mountain, Birch teamed up with REsurety, a provider of valuation analytics and risk management services in the renewable energy market. Specifically, Birch incorporated two weather-linked risk management products to improve on the standard virtual Power Purchase Agreement (vPPA) – a Settlement Guarantee Agreement (SGA) and a Volume Firming Agreement (VFA).

Iron Mountain announced Oct. 6 a new project focused on continuously and cost-effectively powering their data centers in five states with renewable energy using risk management tools that increase reliability.

Birch Infrastructure created a solution for Iron Mountain using energy produced at the Ringer Hill Wind Farm in Pennsylvania and the Dermott Wind project in Texas that will be financially firmed up into reliable 24/7 service. The data center provider previously completed PPAs with the two wind farms in 2016 and 2017.

To help reduce risk and costs and simplify renewable energy for Iron Mountain, Birch teamed up with REsurety, a provider of valuation analytics and risk management services in the renewable energy market. Specifically, Birch incorporated two weather-linked risk management products to improve on the standard virtual Power Purchase Agreement (vPPA) – a Settlement Guarantee Agreement (SGA) and a Volume Firming Agreement (VFA).

WRISE and GRID Alternatives today (Sept 23) announced their selection of eight women for the 2020 Rising Women Solar Fellowship. The fellowship is an opportunity for women from diverse backgrounds who are interested in solar careers to participate in North American Smart Energy Week for networking, mentorship and solar education.

WRISE and GRID Alternatives announced their selection of eight women for the 2020 Rising Women Solar Fellowship. The fellowship is an opportunity for women from diverse backgrounds who are interested in solar careers to participate in North American Smart Energy Week for networking, mentorship and solar education. Part of GRID and WRISE’s workforce diversity initiatives, the program is aimed at women training for careers in installation and design as well as college and graduate students studying renewable energy and related fields.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman is launching one of the legal industry’s first dedicated hydrogen practices as the energy sector moves towards cleaner energy and lower carbon emissions.

The new practice will be led by Pillsbury’s energy industry group leader Sheila Harvey and Mona Dajani, who is head of the firm’s renewable energy practice and co-leader of its energy and infrastructure projects team.

WRISE and GRID Alternatives announced their selection of eight women for the 2020 Rising Women Solar Fellowship. The fellowship is an opportunity for women from diverse backgrounds who are interested in solar careers to participate in North American Smart Energy Week for networking, mentorship and solar education. Part of GRID and WRISE’s workforce diversity initiatives, the program is aimed at women training for careers in installation and design as well as college and graduate students studying renewable energy and related fields.

In this webinar, we discuss with Paul Wormser of Clean Energy Associates and Elias Hinckley of K&L Gates the IRS Safe Harbor Provision for Solar Energy Projects and how to take advantage of it. The presenters also cover the “5% rule” and how minimal upfront investment can qualify a project for the full 26% ITC and maximize savings. In addition, the presentation provides comprehensive coverage of both the Continuous Construction clause and Independent Safe Harbor Verification, two other critical aspects of ensuring your project qualifies for the full 2020 Investment Tax Credit.

Chad Farrell, founder and CEO of Encore Renewables, which built the YMCA project, said he worries Vermont is “in a state of correction” after its decade-long solar boom. The rates paid for utility customers’ surplus solar power have been stepped down since 2018, with more reductions possible.

Sage Energy Consulting, a leader in comprehensive sustainable energy project planning and implementation, announced that Theo Bosch is joining their team as a Project Manager. Theo brings experience in both energy efficiency and solar and storage development and deployment to Sage’s work to help businesses, public agencies, and schools save money with renewable energy. He will also assist in the technical analysis of solar, battery, microgrid, electric fleets, and zero net energy projects.

Vermont’s solar farm developers are becoming more enamored with having sites double as habitat for bees and other pollinators.

Chad Farrell, founder and chief executive officer of Encore Renewable Energy, said his company was among the first to incorporate pollinator-friendly ground cover into one of its projects — an array built in Hinesburg.

“We’re basically working on a policy that all of our projects will be completed with pollinator friendly ground cover,” he said. “We’ve been working hard to get our financing partners comfortable and on board with the concept of establishing pollinator friendly ground over at these sites.”