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Sun Volt

Sun Volt Solar

earth, the final frontier

Clean Energy, Clean Environment

We are at a cross roads in human history, we can choose to continue on as we have been, or we can make a change to improve our future and quite possibly the future for several generations to come. We are here to promote energy independence, a better environment, a secure future and a higher return on investment for your hard earned dollar. It is what I believe in, it is why I am in the solar business.

Web site development

30 Sep 07 | General Business

I am working on developing the website for Hudson Valley Solar. Right now, as you are aware, the website points to this blog through an .htaccess redirect. I will be making a home page which will direct visitors to various parts of my website. Right now, I am trying to determine how much web presence this company will have. After looking at other dealer/installer websites, I get the general idea that most sites have the following things:

  1. Education. Information about solar power, solar systems and how they work. There may also be some type of cost analysis and Return On Investment (ROI) included in this.
  2. Products. A description of the products they sell and or install. Some of these include pictures or spec sheets.
  3. Services. A brief rundown on the company and what services it provides. This often includes a picture gallery of past installation work.
  4. Company history. A brief history of the company or its principles. Sometimes this is lumped in with “services.”
  5. On line store. Some companies offer an online catalog and store where do it your selfers can purchase equipment either directly over the internet or via a toll free number.
  6. A contact form. This is on most websites. It allows internet users to send an e-mail directly to the company.

Those are the elements of the good solar dealer/installer websites that I have seen. I am not sure how much into the online webstore I am going to get, but everything else looks to be pretty easy to set up and maintain. The maintenance part is a biggie when it comes to websites. You do not want to have a site that requires constant html editing to keep it current, especially if you are a single person operation. That eats into valuable time that can be better used doing something more productive.

A little peak of what I am working on is here

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30 Sep 07 | General Business | Comments (0)

Day four "Successful Solar Business" course

28 Sep 07 | General Business, Training

Yesterday was the final day of the SEI Successful Solar Business course given at Sandy Hook National Seashore in Seabright, NJ. I can say I got quite a bit out of the course as many of the things discussed there were unique to the solar business. Overall, I would grade the course as very good and a good experience.

There was also quite a bit of content that I would call “general business administration” which you would receive from any small business course such as the one I took in college.

Yesterday we went over more sales stuff and business plans. Then we met with Mona Rotkopf from SunWize, a photovoltiac distributor. It was very interesting to hear her presentation on what products they offer and how they structure there rates for dealer/distributors.

Some of the things I liked:

  1. The information on marketing. There is nothing better than a seasoned professional to tell you what has worked and what has not worked in the past. That does not mean that you may not try a few of the “has not worked” marketing strategies because maybe you have a new wrinkle, just beware.
  2. The information on sales, particularly on how not to waist a lot of time. If you are in business for yourself, this is key. The sales prequalification information was not something I would have thought of and was worth the price of the course alone.
  3. Meeting with industry reps and professionals. Meeting with Brian from Seabright Solar and Mona from Sunwize was also good.

Some of the things that I did not like:

  1. The accounting classes were a little boring. Not that they are not needed, if you have no business background, this stuff is critical. I have dealt with it before, so it was not edge of the chair material
  2. I could have put up with less stories from students. This is a hard one for the instructors to control sometimes. I think some people like to hear themselves talk and some of the things that were said were marginally relevant at best. Not to say that they all were and there were a lot of genuine good questions asked, but a few of the students had the tendency to prattle on about this or that and I would think to myself “What does this have to do with me?”

I would also like to say that the setting was great. The beach at the National Park was wonderful, and the history of the Fort Hancock historical area was great too. I enjoyed walking around after class and taking in all of the various things. I am sure that had it been in the middle of summer, the place would have been overrun with people, but in mid to late September, it was ideal.

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28 Sep 07 | General Business, Training | Comments (0)

Solar Nation

27 Sep 07 | General Business, Solar Electric, Solar Hot Water

I found this website by accident when I was looking up the Solar Energy Industries Association web site. It is called Solar Nation and is a policy group that puts together information about pending federal legislation. From there website:

Solar Nation will speak up to advance the use of renewable — especially solar — energy by encouraging policy change, informing political leaders and candidates about solar power, and helping to shape policy platforms at the local, state and federal level. Solar Nation will also speak out, not only against the competing use of dirty and dangerous fossil fuels or nuclear power, but also in opposition to lobby-influenced legislation or policy that favors such energy choices.

This is the type of presence that is needed to keep the energy issues front and center with Congress. The only way we can move ahead with solar, especially photovoltiacs, is to have subsidies to help defray the large initial costs of a solar system. This is because competing energy, such as coal and oil, also get huge subsidies from the federal government.

If you are in the renewable energy industry, or are thinking about getting into it, it is important to be involved in the policy end of things. The more people that write to their state and federal legislators about renewable energy, the more those legislators will pay attention to what we want.

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27 Sep 07 | General Business, Solar Electric, Solar Hot Water | Comments (0)

Day Three "Sucessful Solar Business" course

26 Sep 07 | General Business, Training

This morning started out with accounting and business practices. Things like filing taxes, incorporations, payroll, and the very exciting world of worker compensation insurance. This is all needed information if you are going to start and run a business to be sure. It is also information you can get from almost any college business 101 course, or even by doing research on line. The gist of what I got out of this information is “Have a good accountant,” and “hire a payroll company.” Good record keeping is also a must. Pretty much common sense all.

This afternoon we talked about sales and how to prequalify potential customers, how to conduct a site survey and what tools to use. This was very good specific information on the solar business. This information is vital to any successful solar business, as sales is the driving force. Without sales, there will be no installations and thus no income. Anyone in that situation will be out of business in short order.

Good sales requires being prepared, knowledgeable and knowing when to speak up and when to keep quite. Having certain sales tools such as a presentation book is helpful. Other tools such as a solar pathfinder are great for qualifying the site as a good or bad solar site. A tape measure can help with material estimation. These are common sense things for anyone who has been in the contractor business, which is what the solar installation business should be seen as.

The one thing that was covered extensively was return on investment or ROI. This is a major selling point of renewable energy systems because all of the cost of the system is up front with little or no operating or maintenance costs. Traditional power providers such as the electric company are pay over time (for what you use) systems. If you can show that the return on investment is better than a CD (certificate of deposit) then the system makes better financial sense to the prospective buyer.

There are many, many more things that were covered, but once again, I don’t want to give away the store and have SEI get mad at me.

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26 Sep 07 | General Business, Training | Comments (0)

Day two "Successful Solar Business"

26 Sep 07 | General Business, Training

A lot of ground was covered on day two. I am not sure how much information I want to reveal here because I don’t want to get in trouble with SEI with proprietary information. Suffice to say, the instructor, Chuck, has a lot of experience in the field (been in business since 1979) and is willing to share many aspects of the business, so long as we don’t move to New Mexico.

The main subject of the day was marketing and who to establish a company name. One thing that was talked about, but not extensively was an internet presence. I whole heartedly agree that an internet presence is necessary for an progressive business in the renewable energy field. I thought I would expand a little on that subject, since it is something that I understand a little about.

There are many types of websites, from a company information website, to an online store, and so on. So what makes a website good? I was looking around at some of the solar websites last night and made note of the ones that I would do business with. First of all, layout and color have a lot to do with a readers perception. Seabright Solar has a good installation company website, although I don’t like the flash program that loads before you see anything. It takes you to the several examples of the finished product straight away. It also has good coloring and good local information. Local information is key if you want to get local inquiries. After all, it does you little good if somebody from California calls you when you are based in Maryland.

A good wholesale distributor website is AEE Solar. Again, good color combinations, good use of the space above the fold and some example products right on the front page. I would do business with this company. Sunwize, located a few miles up the road from me also has a good distributor website. Since both of these companies are wholesale distributors, they do not sell to the general public.

The Alternative Energy Store has a good online store website. On this website you will find basic tutorials on solar thermal, photovoltiacs, wind, micro hydro. This is not in depth information, but should be enough for the layman to figure out what technology will work for him. They also have a design service. This is a retail sales website designed for do it yourselfers.

Those are just a few of the websites that are out there. As I get closer to launching this business, I will make a home page for sun-volt that will hopefully look as good as one of those. Of course, once you have a website, then it needs to be promoted. Joining local business lists, such as the list for the town I live in, and other lists for solar professional such as Find Solar, submitting to Home power magazine, et cetera are all good ways to promote your website and thus your business.

Of course, simply having a website is not enough marketing effort, other avenues are needed. For that information, you will have to take the class.

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26 Sep 07 | General Business, Training | Comments (0)

Day one of "Successful Solar Business" course

25 Sep 07 | General Business, Solar Electric, Solar Hot Water, Training

I am taking the SEI Successful Solar Business course at the Sandy Hook National Park educational center in Sandy Hook, NJ. First of all, this is a great place to have a class. The Sandy Hook National Park is right across the bay from Manhattan, however, it is a different world out here. The educational center is on an old army base called Fort Hancock, which is also pretty cool. This is a great time of year because there are no crowds anywhere and the atmosphere is nice and relaxed.

fairbanks motel seabright nj

I am staying that the Fairbanks Motel and Marina in Seabright, NJ, which is right outside of the gate to the park. The motel itself is a little run down and worn around the edges. Don’t expect a lot of bells and whistles but the rooms are clean, and the staff is nice and the rate are very reasonable. Bring your own shampoo as there is none in the room. If you are taking any classes at Sandy Hook, I recommend this motel. Their number is (732) 842-8450. All of this is right across from the beach, which is where I ate breakfast this morning.

fairbanks-motel.jpg

sandy hook national seashore

The first day was very interesting. The instructor, Chuck Marken gave a brief overview of the course then jumped right in. We learned some of the global view on solar energy from Jim O’Hern of PV1. His presentation was basically on how governments are structuring rebates and clean energy credits to make Photovoltaics more competitive with conventional energy supplies.

Then we had and overview of business administration and a question and answer session. Today we will be learning about Marketing. As it turns out, I am staying at the same motel as the instruction. After class, we were sitting by the pool enjoying a Corona and I asked him what the single most important thing is for a start up business. He thought about it for a second and said “Marketing. You have to have a marketing plan, otherwise no one will know you are there.” I suppose this is true of any business. The minimum marketing a startup business should be doing is:

  1. Yellow pages add. Old school but still effective.
  2. Web page, great way to connect to the tech savy crowd, and the point of this website
  3. Product catalog with basic diagrams and information on systems being sold
  4. Attend fairs and home shows
  5. Logo on the company trucks
  6. Small “real estate” sized sign in front of work sites

Of course the best and most sought after marketing is word of mouth from satisfied customers. There are many many more topics of discussion, such a pre qualifying potential customers, dealing with distributors, and so on. Here are a few pictures of Sandy Hook, Fort Hancock and the Motel. More tomorrow.

fort hancock educational center sandy hook national park

This is the Fort Hancock Educational Center on Sandy Hook. It is an old brick building across from the Coast Guard base.

fort hancock officer housing

These are the former officer housing on Fort Hancock. These were built in 1898 when the fort was first established to defend NY harbor. It is really pretty cool to see, most of these are in a run down condition, but it looks like they still could be fixed up if needed. They face out toward the sound (west)

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25 Sep 07 | General Business, Solar Electric, Solar Hot Water, Training | Comments (0)

Homepower Magazine

22 Sep 07 | Commentary, General, Training

I received my first issue of Homepower Magazine in the mail last Saturday. I am not disappointed. This issue had lots of good information on photovoltaics and renewable energy installations in the Northeast.

Homepower Magazine cover

Many people feel that since the Northeast is not in the sun belt, solar power will be a poor investment. They could not be more wrong. Our cost for electricity is around 14.9 cents per kWh. This is one of the more expensive rates in the US. Even though we typically get less insolation than areas in the south and southwest, the fact that our electricity rates are much higher than most makes solar a good investment.

There is also a great article on how photovoltiacs are made and what is being done to make them more efficient and less expensive. If, for example, renewable energy received the same subsidies that oil or coal received, the prices would be about half of what they are today. Make you wonder, doesn’t it. Also, the fact that more and more renewable energy manufacturing is coming on line, will drive prices down eventually anyway.

I am very pleased with Homepower Magazine and recommend it to anyone interested in renewable energy.

Here is a list of all the articles in this issue:

  1. Affordable Solar
  2. Efficiency Details
  3. Cashing in
  4. Sunshine states
  5. plug-in hybrids
  6. PV parts
  7. Buyers guide
  8. Pump primer
  9. REview
  10. Solar savings
  11. System monitoring

The there are the regular departments such as:

  1. From us to You
  2. Ask the Experts
  3. Mailbox
  4. Code Corner
  5. Independent Power Providers
  6. Power Politics
  7. Word power
  8. Home and heart
  9. RE happenings
  10. Marketplace
  11. Installers directory
  12. Advertisers index
  13. RE people

Overall a very good trade publication for anyone in the RE business, whether just getting started or a veteran of many years.

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22 Sep 07 | Commentary, General, Training | Comments (0)

Certified Solar Installer

13 Sep 07 | Solar Electric, Training

New York State has several excellent solar PV incentives that greatly lower the price of any installed PV system. The only catch is the installation must be installed by a NABCEP certified installer.

The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) has several certifications available for photovoltiacs, solar thermal, and small wind system. The NABCEP requires several years experience installing the various systems in order to become certified. This requirement is logical, after all, you wouldn’t want to hire a certified installer only to find that this was their first installation. But it does present a bit of a problem.

From their website:

To be eligible for NABCEP solar PV installer certification, candidates must first meet these basic requirements:

1. Be at least 18 years of age
2. Meet prerequisites of related experience and/or education
3. Complete an application form documenting requirements
4. Sign a code of ethics
5. Pay applicable fees (PV Candidate Information Handbook, Sec. 2.6)
6. Pass a written exam (PV Candidate Information Handbook, Sec. 8 )

Prerequisites or Educational Requirements:

The NABCEP Board and PV Technical Committee identified seven different entry tracks for solar PV installer certification.

The first entry path is based upon four years of installing PV systems as the responsible person. As is indicated below, various levels of training and education can be substituted for some years of experience; however, there is a prerequisite for at least one year of actual installation experience in all seven categories. This is based on the core principal that all NABCEP certified installers should have actual experience on the job performing an installation. Candidates will need to show that they meet the prerequisites for any ONE of these combinations:

a) Four (4) years of experience installing PV; OR
b) Two (2) years of experience installing PV systems in addition to completion of a board-recognized training program; OR
c) Be an existing licensed contractor in good standing in solar or electrical-construction related areas with one (1) year of experience installing PV systems; OR
d) Four (4) years of electrical-construction related experience working for a licensed contractor, including one (1) year of experience installing PV systems; OR e) Three (3) years experience in a U.S. Dept. of Labor approved electrical-construction trade apprentice program, including one (1) year of experience installing PV systems; OR
f) Two-year electrical-construction related, or electrical engineering technology, or renewable energy technology/technician degree from an educational institution plus one (1) year of experience installing PV systems; OR
g) Four-year construction related or engineering degree from an educational institution, including one (1) year experience installing PV systems. For definitions of experience and acceptable training, please refer to the PV Candidate Information Handbook.

I meet most of the educational requirements. By their list, I need at least one year’s experience before I can sit for the exam. The definition from page 3 of the PV candidate Information Handbook:

For purposes of this process, experience installing PV systems requires being in a responsible role in decision-making on the job. This includes the foreman, supervisor, site manager responsible for the quality of the installation, or experienced person performing the trade without supervision. There may be several workers that do not carry responsible charge on the jobsite who are aspiring to this role. In these cases, the supervisor may be called upon to make a judgment as to the role of the worker in the process of
documenting their experience. Definition: one (1) year of experience = one year in a responsible role on the job installing PV systems, in the role of foreman, supervisor, site manager, or experienced worker performing PV installation work without direct supervision. This year must include installation of at least two PV systems totaling 1KW. At least one installation each year must be a system with an inverter and subject to a complete electrical permitting and inspection process by a permitting authority OR in the absence of such, an appropriate underwriter authorized to provide an inspection certificate. In regions where neither of these inspection options exists, the Application Review Committee will judge experience based on supplied documentation.

So it looks like I need to install two PV systems so that I can get certified. I can install one on my house, that is easy. Next I need to find somebody else that needs a system. Bueller? Bueller? Anybody?

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13 Sep 07 | Solar Electric, Training | Comments (3)

Dealer Opportunities

12 Sep 07 | Business administration, Solar Electric, Solar Hot Water, wind power

I have been looking around at solar product manufacturer’s web sites and noticed that many of them have “dealer opportunities” links. This is also true of many online solar suppliers as well. I find this interesting because if you can become an equipment retailer, you have another good income stream for your solar business. Here is a brief list of solar manufacturer’s and online solar distributors which have dealer opportunities:

  1. Alternative Energy Technologies (AET), Manufacture of solar collectors, solar water storage tanks and parts.
  2. AEE solar, photovoltaics, microhydro, small wind
  3. SunWize, photovoltaices, small wind
  4. Evergreen Solar, Photovoltaic manufacture
  5. Solar Depot, Photovoltaics
  6. Bergey Windpower Co, Small wind
  7. Southwest Windpower, Small wind

I am sure that I missed a few others that are floating around. A good google search should turn up more if you are interested.

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12 Sep 07 | Business administration, Solar Electric, Solar Hot Water, wind power | Comments (0)

Enviro-phoneys

06 Sep 07 | Commentary

I read a very interesting article in the Providence Journal (Providence, RI) about the Nantucket sound wind project. It starts out:

There are two sets of environmental policies in the United states today: one for the very rich and one for the yahoos. Once you understand this, a lot of things fall into place. You know how developers and mining magnates get away with turning your local landscape into a hideous mess, while they live in perfect, super zoned enclaves.

That is an excellent point. I once heard Jim Hightower, the semi-famous radio talk show host, say we should do away with all zoning and environmental laws, in fact, these corporations should be allowed to do what ever they want, so long as they do it within two hundred feet of the CEO’s house.

About the Cape Wind Project; it seems some of the more influential (read rich) residents formed a group opposed to the project called “The Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound.” That sound great, until you start to peel back the layers and find out who is behind this group. The groups first president, Doug Yearly, was the CEO of Phelps-Dodge. Under Yearly, Phelps Dodge earned first place in the US EPA’s toxic release inventory for both Arizona and New Mexico. It seems Mr. Yearly either has a double standard or suffers from amnesia. Most of the members of the “Alliance” are fabulously wealthy, and in fact, the headquarters is located at an exclusive Wianno Yacht Club. Naturally, nothing is mentioned of the gas guzzling behemoths sailing in and out of the marina and their effect on the sound. Nor is anything said about the 10,000 square foot energy inefficient mansions most member’s own. Where does the power come from to keep those mansions running? Inland generating plants, near the homes and back yards of middle class working people like you and me.

Hypocrites.

Here is a very funny bit from Comedy Central that sums it up nicely:

 

 

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This is of course, but one example of the double standards that the wealthy power brokers force on the rest of us. I for one, think than any renewable energy project is worth the investment. Solar, wind, hydro, can all make small reductions in our fossil fuel usage.Fortunately, this country is still nominally a democracy. If you care to , and you should, look up the voting record of your elected officials in all levels of government. Fortunately for us, there is a website out there called “Project Vote Smart,” where you can look up the voting record of any elected official. If you don’t know who your elected representatives are, that’s okay, just type in your zip code.

If they do not meet with your approval, voice your opinion in a letter or e-mail. If you choose to do this, it is important that you are registered to vote. I know first hand, any letter or e-mail received by a congressman or senator, the first question asked is “Is this person registered.” If the answer is no, it goes right into the round file. That is just the way it works. Once you are registered to vote, then do it. Voter apathy is what has gotten us into this situation, the idea that nobody really cares and the wealthy can do what ever they choose. It has got to stop.

The only way is if we all stand together. We have to ask questions, scrutinize agendas and hold our publicly elected officials accountable because they are supposed to represent our needs, not their own.

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06 Sep 07 | Commentary | Comments (0)
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