NRDC Launches Solar Schools Crowdfunding Campaign

October 31, 2013 |

Over the past few years, the terms 'crowdfunding' or 'kickstarting' have taken off, much like the projects or startup companies that the fundraising campaigns are helping reach fruition. Now a somewhat unlikely organization has jumped into the fray, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which is aiming to install solar on schools as soon as January 2014 through a new Indiegogo campaign.

The campaign seeks to raise $54,000, which will help three to five schools buy and install solar installations. “Our ultimate goal is help every school that wants solar power to get it,” said NRDC Renewable Energy Policy Director Nathanael Greene. “If we can hold fundraisers for field trips and sports teams, we can do the same to get our schools on solar.” He added that switching to solar power helps schools cut their energy costs and allows them to use those funds for other purposes while also reducing the environmental impact of energy use.

NRDC used California’s Firebaugh-Las Deltas United School District as an example. After going solar, the district was able to save roughly $900,000 allowing them to reinstate a music program for 2,300 students. It said students at solar schools also get a chance to see how solar energy works, which can help enrich their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs.

“Numerous organizations and programs — mainly through utilities — are putting solar panels on schools,” said Jay Orfield, environmental innovation fellow in NRDC’s Center for Market Innovation. Another company, Mosaic, has also launched crowdfunding campaigns to support solar on schools, community centers and others. However, investments in Mosaic’s projects promise a return on investment over time, akin to a bond. Under the Indiegogo campaign, people can contribute as little as $10 to help a school go solar.

“What’s different about our program is that it aims to make solar an option for any school, anywhere, by beginning with local school administrators, parents, teachers, students and communities and giving them the tools to they need to make solar power a reality,” he said.

The campaign will also include a Solar Schools website that will help potential beneficiary schools apply to the program and for contributors to vote to select a school to go solar. The site, which isn’t up yet, will detail state and local rules about installing solar power in a given community. It will also help connect interested parties with solar installers, and local solar organizations.

Other organizations, including The Solar Foundation, Community Power Network, Bonneville Environmental Foundation (Solar 4R Schools), The Green School Alliance and Three Birds Foundation are partnering with NRDC on the campaign.

While it's NRDC’s first crowdfunding campaign, it is far from NRDC’s first efforts to promote solar. In the past, the organization has worked with professional sports and collegiate stadium owners to develop a guidebook to help them go solar. It’s helped stadiums like the Qwest Field and Event Center in Seattle and Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. go solar.

The original article was posted on SolarReviews.

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President Launches DOE's 'EV-Everywhere Challenge'

The Obama Administration launched a new program aimed at helping increase acceptance of EVs, such as the Chevy Volt shown with a replica lithium-ion battery.
Credit: GM Corp

President Obama on March 7 launched DOE's EV-Everywhere Challenge, allowing scientists, engineers, and businesses to collaborate to make electric vehicles (EV) more affordable than gasoline-powered vehicles in 10 years. The challenge is part of a strategy to help reduce dependence on foreign oil.

The DOE initiative, which will bring together DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Vehicle Technologies Program, its Office of Science, and its Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy ARPA-E, will aim to make electric vehicles affordable. The team will target dramatic technological and cost improvements in batteries, electric motors, power electronics, lightweight structures, and fast-charging technology. The goal is to enable U.S. companies to be the first to produce a 5-passenger affordable EV with a payback time of fewer than 5 years.

The challenge will involve working with industry, universities, national laboratories, and government partners to set technical goals for cutting costs for the batteries and electric drivetrain systems, reducing the vehicle weights while maintaining safety, and increasing fast-charge rates. As part of the initiative, DOE will organize a series of EV-Everywhere Challenge workshops across the country over the next few months. And, DOE will announce over the next few months a series of additional "Grand Challenges," each focused on technical innovations and reductions in cost that will enable clean energy technologies to compete directly, without subsidies, with the energy technologies currently in wide use. See the DOE press release and the President's remarks.

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DOE launches new research programme to advance the solar technologies

Concentration of solar energy, as this system, as also photovoltaic systems, received a boost from DOE's bridge financing.
Credit card: DOI

DOE announced on 23 February that $3 million this year is to support research, significantly reduce the cost of solar energy. Bridging Research interactions through cooperative development grants in funding (energy bridge) enable collaborative research teams from industry, universities and national laboratories of DOE research centres work together. The research teams support the goal of the DOE's SunShot initiative solar energy costs until the end of the decade with other forms of energy competitive make.

The BRIDGE financing allows researchers the tools to use and expertise of scientists on the DOE research facilities so that fundamental scientific discoveries to existing product lines and projects can be converted quickly. The BRIDGE program is the first, engineers and scientists to develop photovoltaic and solar power technologies with the tools and know-how of the DOE research facilities focus offer. These include important equipment for X-ray and Neutron scattering, interdisciplinary nanoscale science, advanced Microcharacterization, molecular life sciences and advanced scientific account. This cooperative approach accelerates innovation to reduce the cost of photovoltaics and solar energy concentrating technologies. Full applications are due May 21, 2012. See DOE Office of energy efficiency and renewable energy progress warning, funding opportunity Exchange Web page for details and the SunShot initiative Web site.

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Total launches Hild field development

Total, operator of the Hild license, launched the development of the field located in the Norwegian North Sea.

"The Hild field development is an important milestone for Total in Norway, made possible thanks to significant technological progress," said Patrice de Vivies, Senior Vice President Northern Europe, Exploration-Production.

"Innovation has opened up new opportunities for Total offshore Norway, where we will continue to invest annually an average of US$2 billion within the next five years. Norway will remain in the coming years as one of the largest contributors to Group production."

The development will represent an investment of US$4.2 billion (NOK 25.6 billion) and is subject to the approval of the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and Norwegian Parliament (Storting).

Total holds a 51 % interest together with its partners Petoro (30 %) and Statoil (19 %). Hild’s reserves amount to approximately 190 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe). Production is expected to start end of 2016 and will reach 100,000 boe per day at peak.

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DOE launches new round of America's top energy innovator

DOE announced that February 1 launch of the second year for his "America's next top energy innovator," a program, the startup company to license groundbreaking technologies developed, providing by the DOE national laboratories. In the initiative entrepreneur can use numbers $1,000 for a technology and it, to build a business. As part of the project, DOE reduces the cost and the paperwork requirements for start-up companies Agreement option, some of the 15,000 patents and patent applications, by national laboratories license held to get. In the first round, option 36 companies signed agreements with the national laboratories.

In the new round must entrepreneurs and startups identify the technology of interest and send a business plan for the program be taken into account. The participants have to send their plans to a laboratory until 10th December 2012. The Department will from 1 February until December 10 in advance reduce the overall cost of licensing DOE patents in a particular technology for portfolios of up to three patents owned by a single laboratory. This means an average savings of $10,000 to $50,000 fees in advance. Other terms, such as equity and royalty, will be negotiated on a case by case basis and usually once the company is growing and commercial turnover. See the DOE press release.

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