The DOE's New Solar Array!

Here are the pictures of the solar array the DOE put on roof of their DC headquarters.

"SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWR), a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of high-efficiency, solar cells, solar panels, and solar systems, today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has installed a 205-kilowatt SunPower solar-electric system atop the roof of the Forrestal Building in Washington, D.C. U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman dedicated the system at a ceremony being held at the facility today.

"The significance of this solar array is both practical and symbolic -- it improves the way the Department consumes energy and it is a symbol of America's commitment to using the best available new technologies to confront the energy challenges we face today and will face tomorrow," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman."

"We are proud that the Department of Energy, which is investing research and development funding into a wide spectrum of solar technologies, chose SunPower's high-efficiency solar panels to help power its headquarters," said Tom Werner, chief executive officer of SunPower. "This installation is a testament to the growing adoption of solar energy on commercial and public buildings. Solar power systems help to minimize a customer's exposure to electric rate volatility for decades into the future."

SunPower PowerGuard(R) was chosen for the DOE's rooftop because it integrated well into the existing roofline. PowerGuard is a patented, non-penetrating lightweight photovoltaic roofing system that delivers clean solar electricity to the building while protecting the roof from damaging effects of weather and UV radiation, as well as insulating the building to reduce heating and cooling costs. SunPower's high-efficiency 230 solar panels were used in the DOE's solar system and will generate approximately 222,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually"

Nicely done SunPower Systems!

Vote Solar Party for Peace!

Good Morning All!

Jackson here.
Last week I was lucky enough to go down to Washington DC to cover a Peace party that Vote Solar threw.

Vote Solar is an incredible organization whose mission is to get better and more comprehensive solar-supporting legislation on the books.

All those delicious tax incentives for putting solar panels on your roof? Vote Solar played a big part of getting those incentives in place.

Last week the Department of Energy did something wonderful (and little publicized.) They put a big honking solar array on their roof to minimize their grid use!

Sweet.

Vote Solar organized a group of people, journalists, solar company owners, solar contractors, empathisers, to meet up in DC and (get this) congratulate the DOE on a job well done.

No chanting, no anger, no outrage. We were only there to support.

It was wonderful! Smiles everywhere. People meeting, exchanging information, putting faces to names. The main point of the gathering was to attract a bit of the run-off press from the rooftop press conference, but what ended up happening was more interesting.

What happened was a real group was formed. A group of like-minded, positive, enthusiastic people, all of whom are passionate about free energy from the sun.

In my humble opinion, the creation of this group was the big win that day. Now all of these contractors have fellow contractors they can call on in times of need. The journalists all met fellow sustainability-loving newsfolk who they can infotrade with.

It was a wonderful thing to be a part of. I shot some video as well, but I'm going to save it for a later post.

In the meantime, check out the photo set above.

Check out Vote Solar, they do wonderful non-partisan work.

Free, clean, sustainable energy from Big Yellow. Who doesn't like that?

A huge congratulations to Vote Solar for cleverly harnessing the power of positivity, and to the U.S. Department of Energy for their foresight and smart use of the sun.

Love to All,

Jackson