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— Welcome to the NEW — hutchinsonbusinesssolutions.com Find Savings Now Modern, clean and bright. The first thing you’ll notice is HBS has adopted a new logo that represents our three core values service, reliability and savings. Hutchinson Business Solutions is very excited to announce the launch of our newly designed website with a brand new look. The site’s homepage features a clean design with the emphasis on our services to customers. The new website creates a faster, easier to navigate, and more user-friendly experience. In today’s market, the competitive advantage belongs to businesses that find smart solutions to the challenges they face. It’s important for us to make information regarding solutions, service and trends accessible for our current and prospective clients. Our new site features an entire section dedicated to case studies and another on testimonials where you see first hand the difference that can be made in your company. If you’d like to know what Hutchinson Business Solutions can do for you, reach out today. Get More Information Hutchinson Business Solutions hutchinsonbusinesssolutions.com 856-857-1230  | george@hbsadvantage.com Connect with us

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Find Cash by Recovering Tax Overpayments

by Jeff Rogyom

In today’s competitive business climate, businesses are paying more taxes than necessary and they do so at their own peril.  But when extra cash is needed, the company can hire tax professionals to recover those overpayments through refunds.

By conducting reverse audits on behalf of companies, we have rarely found a company whose tax department didn’t have some oversights, particularly regarding indirect taxes.  Likely targets for recoverable overpayments include the company’s indirect taxes, such as: sales & use taxes, value-added taxes, and excise taxes.  Certain state-specific taxes are also likely cash sources, such as the Maryland admissions and amusement tax which is levied upon the business not the customer.

Understandably, most companies’ tax staff tend to focus on federal and state income taxes.  Some companies even delegate indirect tax responsibilities outside their tax departments, such as to their accounts payable staff.  Focusing on recovering use tax overpayments and fine-tuning the accounts payable systems can create both immediate cash and long-term competitive advantages.

The process generally begins by the company sending accounts payable information to the tax consultant.  The tax consultant will evaluate the information based upon their knowledge of your company and industry.  The tax consultant will then request sample invoices based upon their analysis.  The consultant then indentifies areas with needed improvements and where refunds can be requested.  The refund recommendations may be limited to certain tax jurisdictions where refund benefits outweigh tax liability risks.

While larger companies provide more opportunities for tax recovery, some industries are particularly affected by indirect tax errors given their many available exemptions.  Companies in those industries include: manufacturers, contractors, service providers, non-profits, pharmaceuticals, and other high-tech companies.  There are many areas your company likely has not considered as tax refund sources.

With modern electronic accounting systems, the tax recovery process can be conducted with minimal burden upon company staff.  In addition, many tax consultants may agree to work on a contingency or a mixed-contingency basis.  Given the minimal risk, companies should not hesitate seeking tax recovery services.

Our Perspective:

This is a great article that outlines the opportunity for recovering overpayments of State Sales Tax. We have worked with many companies with great success in this area. Tax laws are very complicated. Let our team of professionsals help. For more information email george@hbsadvantage.com or call 856-857-1230

Pickens brings his energy initiative to Congress

 

(WASHINGTON) — Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens asked Congress on Tuesday to “clear the path” for his plan to boost use of wind and natural gas for U.S. energy needs.

Pickens has been on a $58 million publicity tour to promote his plan to erect wind turbines in the Midwest to generate electricity, replacing the 22 percent of U.S. power produced from natural gas. The freed up natural gas then could be used for transportation.

Testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, Pickens said the government should begin building transmission lines for wind-generated power or provide the right of way on private land and extend tax credits so the private sector can build the lines. “If the government wanted to build a grid, I mean, do it,” he said. “But if they don’t want to do it, I think the money is there to do it private, and so it’s kind of like either do it or get out of the way, but give us the corridors to put it in and it’ll be done. You could do this on a very, very fast track if you wanted.”

Pickens suggested that Congress follow the lead of former President Eisenhower, who declared an emergency to build the interstate highway system in the 1950s and 1960s.

Pickens has leased hundreds of thousands of acres for a giant wind farm in West Texas, where he plans to erect 2,700 turbines and produce energy for urban areas such as Dallas and Fort Worth. He has run into some opposition from West Texas landowners who are unhappy with his efforts to obtain rights of way to build the wind farm and a pipeline for a separate water project.

Specifically, Pickens asked Congress to extend a 2005 law intended to speed up the creation of energy corridors, and to give him control over any transmission lines he builds for wind-generated power. All electric transmission lines are now regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Pickens also called for a 10-year extension of a tax credit for energy producers. He estimated it would cost taxpayers $15 billion a year in production tax credits for 200,000 megawatts of wind power. “When you look at $700 billion dollars going out of country every year for purchase of oil, $15 billion is somewhat insignificant,” he said.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., called Pickens’ plan bold and said he hoped Pickens’ testimony would “infect people in a position in Washington to do something about it.”

But the oilman’s plan raised questions with Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, who asked if it would hurt the chemical industry, which relies on natural gas as raw material. He said the industry probably won’t like seeing natural gas costs increase.

Pickens estimated it would cost about $500 billion to increase wind energy production from the 4,000 megawatts to be generated at his Texas wind farm to 200,000 megawatts, the amount needed to power 20 percent of U.S. energy needs. Transmission lines and the tax credit would add another $15 billion.

At that level, he said, “You’re approaching about one year’s supply of oil that you’re buying. But don’t get the idea that replaces that oil, it doesn’t. It will only replace 38 percent.”

In addition to the hearing, Pickens also met privately Tuesday with Democratic and Republican members of Congress as well as Texas senators.

To learn more about solar opportunities in NJ and the Phial area contact HBS Solar 856-857-1230 or email george@hbsadvantage.com Ask about our free proforma.

What Is Solar Power?

Solar energy is among the cleanest forms of renewable energy on the planet. This important resource is being used across the Commonwealth.

 

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Virtually all of the earth’s energy resources, including both fossil fuels and renewables, originate from the sun. Today, solar energy not only takes the form of the more basic passive solar design, but is also applied through highly advanced, cost-effective photovoltaic cells and other solar energy technologies. Solar energy can be divided into three major categories – passive solar, solar-thermal and photovoltaic.

 

Passive Solar

Passive solar design takes advantage of a building’s structure to capture the sun’s heat, either storing or distributing it, reducing the need for conventional heating, cooling and/or lighting. Examples of passive solar design include large, south-facing windows, dark colored tile floors, stone fireplaces, brick interior walls, “sunspaces” (or greenhouses) and super-insulation. Passive solar buildings are often equipped with features, such as overhangs and ventilation systems, which keep them cool in the summer months and warm in the winter months. Commercial buildings present a different type of challenge than residential ones because of the heavy lighting and equipment use. The most crucial aspect of passive solar design for commercial buildings is the building orientation relative to the solar path. Other aspects of passive solar design, such as shade trees and indoor atriums, coupled with energy efficiency measures, can help increase the overall efficiency of a commercial building.

 

Solar-Thermal

Power plants often use fossil fuels as a heat source to boil water. The steam from the boiling water then rotates a large turbine, activating a generator that produces electricity. Solar-thermal concentrating systems use sunlight as the heat source, eliminating the need for fossil fuels. There are three types of solar-thermal concentrating systems – parabolic troughs, parabolic dishes and central receivers. Parabolic troughs, primarily used for industrial purposes, are curved reflectors that focus sunlight into a line receiver in which fluid is heated. Parabolic dishes, also used in industrial applications, are bowl-shaped reflectors that focus sunlight into a small receiver through which passes a heat-transfer fluid. Central receivers, which have traditionally dominated the U.S. Department of Energy’s solar thermal program, are sun-tracking mirrors that focus sunlight onto a large receiver.

 

Photovoltaic Cells

Photovoltaic (PV) cells, or solar cells, convert sunlight directly into electricity. As the sun strikes a PV cell, the semi-conducting materials within the cell absorb the sunlight, producing electricity. Solar cells are often used as simple systems that power small calculators and wristwatches. More complicated systems provide electricity for pumping water, powering communications equipment, lighting homes, and running appliances. A series of solar cells form a PV array or “solar panel.” Between 10 and 50 solar panels are needed to power an average household. PV panels are installed on buildings in places of maximum sun and minimal shade in order to take full advantage of the sun’s power. There is very little maintenance required to sustain solar equipment. So long as panels are kept clean, they can last approximately 20 to 30 years.

 

Solar power can be used in a grid-tied system or in a distributed system. A solar grid-tied system links a series of solar panels through a power inverter to the utility’s electric grid. The solar panels generate a direct current (DC) by drawing on energy from the sun. The inverter then converts that direct current to an alternating current (AC), which electronic devices and appliances can use. Batteries are not necessary to supplement the system and any excess electricity generated by the solar panels is redirected by the inverter back into the grid where it can be used on other premises.

 

Distributed systems work independently from a utility’s electric grid, using batteries to store the power. Similar to a grid-tied system, distributed solar panels typically use a power inverter to convert the direct current from the sun into an alternating current, to be used on location. However, some systems function without an inverter and run only DC appliances.

HBS Solar … Smart Solutions for Smart Businesses

Email george@hbsadvantage.com to learn more about solar opportunities in Nj and the Phila area

BP Solar …. 30 Years of Solar Expertise

 

At BP, our belief in the reliability and strength of solar energy is not only seen through our three decades of solar product design and manufacturing but also by being the world’s largest private sector consumer of solar power.

Growing every day

From automobiles to horserace tracks to wineries, solar technology is providing an ever-growing spectrum of practical applications that continue to improve our lives. BP Solar is committed to making access to this clean, renewable source of electricity a more affordable and accessible part of everyday life.

We invested in an expanded state-of-the-art facility in Frederick, Md. to more than double our production of solar panels. In fact, BP already is one of the world’s largest producers of solar panels.

Residential customers in southern California can visit one of many of The Home Depot® centers and purchase a complete home solar system via the BP Solar Home Solution program. This innovative program is available in many U.S. markets in states including New Jersey, California and New York.

In the commercial market, BP Solar has partnered with Sun Edison to create “SunE Solar Fund 1,” a $60 million fund that will be utilized to support the installation of as many as 25 U.S. solar electric systems. The funds kickoff by installing BP Solar Energy Solutions systems at several Staples stores in California and New Jersey. When fully operational, these three systems will generate a total of 680 kWh of electricity.

Always with an eye on the future and technological innovations, BP is again the corporate sponsor of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon. This university competition encourages engineering and architectural teams to design, construct, transport and erect their own solar homes which will be displayed at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. This program not only encourages pioneering ideas for future solar energy products but is a great avenue for promoting solar power to all people

U.S. manufacturing facility

BP’s solar manufacturing facilities are located in Spain, Australia, India and the United States. At our ISO-14001 certified Frederick facility, all elements of the solar product manufacturing process are vertically integrated, which allows us to ensure the overall quality of the finished products.

BP Solar recently completed a $25 million expansion of its Frederick facility, doubling production capabilities for solar modules at its U.S. headquarters.

This expansion will significantly increase the plant’s manufacturing abilities and will ensure BP remains the largest producer of solar silicon wafers in North America. Solar power products designed and manufactured in Frederick are used for commercial, residential and rural applications.

Bringing on star power

The power of the sun meets the power of Hollywood stars in the BP Solar Neighbors Program. Actor Edward Norton broached the idea of giving low-income families in Los Angeles access to solar power after he installed a BP Solar system in his own home. Norton’s vision was to develop a community partnership between BP and the Enterprise Foundation called the BP Solar Neighbors Program. Also joining in this ground-breaking collaboration is the Environmental Media Association.

              Every time an invited celebrity has a BP Solar system installed on his or her home, BP donates a system to a low-income family                   living  in South Central L.A. More than 25 families have received the gift of clean solar power through this program  to help    lower their electric bills.

Hutchinson Business Solutions is a proud strategic partner of BP Solar. Email george@hbsadvantage,com to learn more about solar opportunities in NJ and PA. Ask about out free proforma.

 

New Jersey’s Experiment With Solar Energy Is Watched by the Nation

Source:  Copyright 2008, New York Times
Date:  June 25, 2008
Byline:  Anthony DePALMA
Original URL

With oil prices skyrocketing, demand for solar power is booming. And New Jersey, which has used a rebate program to help install more solar panels than any other state but California, is getting burned by its own success.

There is a backlog of more than 700 applications for the rebates, and property owners have to wait months, even years, to get solar panels installed. The program, which is paid for by surcharges on all utility bills, has been shut down several times over the last three years because applications far outpaced rebate money. Some solar installation companies have had to lay off workers while they waited for rebate checks to be sent.

All this has convinced New Jersey regulators that it is time to wean solar energy from public subsidies altogether. The state plans to replace rebates with energy credits that can be bought and sold on the open market.

As it works out the details of the transition, New Jersey — not the place most people associate with solar innovations — finds itself at the forefront of a growing national debate about the role of government in helping stimulate this sector of the energy economy.

New York, Colorado, Maryland and several other states with incentive programs are considering whether to scale back public subsidies so solar power can compete more extensively in an open market. And they are confronting another difficult question: Is that best done by turning to a few large companies, or sticking with smaller businesses that can create more local jobs?

“Obviously, big systems get us to our goals much faster, but we want everybody to participate,” said Jeanne M. Fox, president of New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities, which proposed the changes and is expected to give them final approval next month.

Ms. Fox said she believes it will be possible to phase out rebates, create a secure market for trading energy credits, welcome large solar system operators and still protect many — if not all — small installers.

But some of those smaller operators think the proposed transition will replace a proven success with an untested experiment from which they — the entrepreneurs who started the solar boom with the help of rebates — will be excluded.

“The state wants to build a market to suit big companies that have access to huge sources of capital,” said Bill Hoey, managing member of N.J. Solar Power L.L.C., a $10 million company. “They could just crush the mid- and small-size market.”

At SunEdison, one of the largest installers in the state and the nation, Mark R. Culpepper, the vice president for strategic marketing, enthusiastically supports New Jersey’s transition. He called it “a pretty normal market evolution” in which “very small players will probably go away, while small to mid-sized companies will be acquired by others or go into specific niche markets where they can specialize.”

Similar conflicts are arising all over the country, but the battle is most clearly drawn in New Jersey, where state officials feel compelled to act decisively.

Under a state energy master plan, solar power should account for 2.12 percent of New Jersey’s electricity by 2020. But even though more than 3,100 residential and commercial solar systems have been installed during the six years the state has offered rebates, they generate only 0.07 percent of current energy needs.

To reach even that, New Jersey has handed out more than $170 million in rebates. The Board of Public Utilities has estimated that if rebate rates remained unchanged, it would cost nearly $11 billion to get to the 2020 goal. According to state calculations, that would add about 7.5 percent to New Jersey electricity rates, which are already among the highest in the country.

“We need to do things differently because ratepayers can’t keep paying for rebates indefinitely,” Ms. Fox said.

Rebates, which have averaged $20,000 for residential projects and more than $1 million for large commercial installations, would virtually end this year under the state’s plan. A limited number for small residential projects producing less than 10 kilowatts would be phased out over the next four years.

In their place, the state would turn to a program it started several years ago that issues energy credits. The concept is simple: Solar projects generate energy credits every year, and the state requires utility companies like PSE&G to buy them to offset carbon emissions from their power plants and to help meet renewable-energy targets. By purchasing credits, the utilities do not actually generate solar power, but they offset the cost of installing and operating solar equipment.

New Jersey plans to greatly expand the program by allowing the credits to be bought and sold like commodities, with long-term contracts and prices set by the open market.

Regulators say that will be fairer to ratepayers and help the state reach its renewable-energy goals faster. They also say the plan provides safeguards for small installers and ensures competition by prohibiting any company from capturing more than 20 percent of a utility’s yearly credits.

But the small companies fear that large businesses are poised to take particular advantage of the credit system. Being bigger, they can handle more credits, cover more long-term commitments and secure more advantageous financing than mom-and-pop operations.

SunEdison, based in Maryland, has already made inroads in New Jersey using a new approach — called power purchase agreements — that smaller companies do not have the capital to duplicate.

Under those agreements, which the state first allowed in 2004, property owners do not have to buy or operate their solar projects, or handle the sale of energy credits. Instead, they avoid all up-front costs by contracting with SunEdison or other large companies, and bill property owners at fixed rates that are lower than utility company rates.

SunEdison has put up more than 22 solar systems in New Jersey, along with dozens in others states, mostly for large retail companies like Kohl’s.

Experts say these purchase agreements can promote the move to solar power. And regulators hope that a vibrant market for energy credits will speed that growth to the point where solar power can compete with conventionally generated electricity.

But Lyle K. Rawlings, president of Advanced Solar Products, in Hopewell N.J., and vice president of the Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade group, said those attempts to make the solar market more competitive could backfire, actually hindering competition by squeezing out smaller companies.

He said that the state’s proposed safeguards did not go nearly far enough. While a portion of new projects would be subject for a few years to caps on how many credits one company can control, he said, those caps would not apply to existing solar installations.

“The model they’re creating is overcomplicated, fraught with uncertainty and really doesn’t protect the small installers who’ve created this industry,” Mr. Rawlings said. He said his own company had laid off 4 of its 15 workers in the last few months, and several New Jersey solar companies had gone out of business. “This is going to lead to a kind of unhealthy market concentration and chaos, like what’s already happened in other states.”

Blake Jones, president of Namaste Solar Electric, in Boulder, Colo., and a board member of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association, said his state was considering changes similar to New Jersey’s.

He said a major goal of solar incentive programs is creating green jobs. “On a per-kilowatt basis, more jobs, more local business and more rural economic development is created by small projects and small businesses than medium or large ones,” he said.

In Maryland, installers hope to persuade regulators to raise the value of energy credits in order to provide more income for small companies.

New York is several steps behind the other states in developing its solar market because of regulations that have limited solar installations to small-scale residential projects. Installers there are watching what happens in New Jersey because they expect to enter a similar debate in the next few years.

To learn more about solar opportunities in NJ email george@hbsadvantage.com . Ask about our free proforma.

The Growing Solar Market in NJ

 

New Jersey has a backlog of more than 700 applications for solar power rebates, and property owners have to wait months, even years, to get solar panels installed, according to a report in The New York Times.

File Photo

The report said the program, which is paid for by surcharges on all utility bills, has been shut down several times during the past three years because applications far outpaced rebate money. Some solar installation companies have had to lay off workers while they waited for rebate checks to be sent.

All this has convinced New Jersey regulators, the report said, that it is time to wean solar energy from public subsidies. The state plans to replace rebates with tradeable energy credits.

With oil prices skyrocketing, demand for solar power is booming, the report said, and the decision is significant because New Jersey has used the rebate program to help install more solar panels than any other state but California.

“We need to do things differently because ratepayers can’t keep paying for rebates indefinitely,” Jeanne Fox, president of New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities, told The Times.

Our Perspective:

NJ is taking great strides to introduce solar and other forms of alternative energy resources. Faced with an annual projected 1.5% increase in energy demand over the next 8 to 10 years, they fear they will be unable to meet the demand. As a result they have introduces a Energy Master Plan calling for a decrease in demand by 20% by the year 2020. They have also established as a goal to have 22.5% of their energy produced by alternative resources ( solar, wind, geothermal ) by the year 2020.

To provide incentives they have reworked the SREC ( solar renewable energy certificates ) program, increasing the value of the SREC from just over $200 TO $711 as of 6/1/08. The SREC is a commodity that will be traded, you will be assigned a SREC account as soon as a solar panel has been installed and you are producing electricity. One SREC will be paid for every 1000kw of electric produded.

The SREC program is designed to cover 60% – 70% of the installation cost of a solar system. My calculations show that it will cover the cost of the installation over a 15 year period. The payment of The SRECs along with the 30% Federal Energy Tax Credit makes this a home run for businesses.

Gov Rendell is busy persuing a similar plan to promote solar in PA. More on that as the news becomes available.

Bottom Line

With the inabilty to build new power plants to meet the growing demand for energy, the providers are using these funds to underwrite the opportunity of making you the provider and pulling usage off the grid.

Solar has come full circle and has become the talk of the town.

Solar…The New Sexy

Would you like to know more about solar opportunities in NJ and the surrounding Phila areas email george@hbsadvantage.com

Solar Tax Incentives by State

Below is a state by state list of current solar tax incentives. Many are being updated, such as NJ and PA, We will bring them to you as they are published.

Solar Tax Incentives

State	Residential Direct Incentive	Residential Tax Credit	Non-Residential Direct Incentive	Commercial Tax Credit	Net Mettering	Sales Tax	Property Tax	Loan
AL Alabama	TVA: $500 + $0.15/kWh_10 yrs.		TVA $0.20/kWh_10 yrs.
AK Alaska	Golden Valley: up to $1.50/kWh_25 kW		Golden Valley: up to $1.50/kWh_25 kW					AEA Local Gov’t Loan
AZ Arizona	APS: $3/W grid-tied or $2/W_off-grid_=5 kW; SRP: $3/W_=10 kW; Sulphur Springs: $4/W_$8K; TEP: $2-3/W_1.2kW-15kW; Trico: $4/W_$8K; UES: $3/W_1.2kW-15kW	25%_$1,000	APS: $2.50/W or PBI_$500K; SRP: $3/W_=10 kW / $2.50/W_>10 kW_$500K; Sulphur Springs: $4/W_$20K TEP: $2.50/W_$250K; Trico:_$4/W_$20K; UES: $3/W_1.2kW-15kW	10%_$25,000	(U) SRP (Res.) TEP	Y	Y
AR Arkansas					Y
CA California	CPUC: $2.50/W; CEC: $2.50-$2.60/W (new homes); Municipal utilities: $2/W-$4/W; Marin Cty: $500		CPUC: $2.50-$3.25/W_<100 kW; CPUC: $0.39-$0.50/kWh_ 5 yrs._=100kW; Municipal utilities: $2/W -$4/W; Marin Cty $500		Y		Y	SMUD (Res.): 7.5%_10 yrs.
CO Colorado	Xcel: $4.50/W_=10kW Aquila: $5/W_=10kW; CSU: $3.75/W_=10kW; Aspen: $2/W_$6K; Holy Cross: $2/W_$50K		Xcel: $4.50/W_=10kW / $2/W+ $0.115/kWh_>10kW-100kW / RFP for >100kW; Aquila: $5/W_=10kW / $3.50/W >10kW-100kW; CSU: $3.75/W_=25kW; Holy Cross: $2/W_$50K		Y			Aspen (Res.): 0%_5 yrs.; Gunnison: $25K_10 yrs._5%
CT Connecticut	CCEF: $5/W for 1st 5kW; $4.30/W next 5kW_$46,500; Mass Energy: $0.06/kWh, 3 yrs.		CCEF: $5/W_$50K; (non-profit/gov’t); CCEF: $5/W_$4M_>10 kW		Y		Y (Res.)	CHIF (Res.): 1%-6%_10 yrs.; DPUC: financing terms vary_>50 kW;
DE Delaware	GEP: 50%_$22,500		GEP: 50%_$250K		Y
FL Flordia	DEP: $4/W_$20K GRU: $1.50/W_$15K		DEP: $4/W_$100K; DEP: Demo Grants; GRU: $1.50/W_$15K	$0.01/kWh thru 6/30/10 (sold to unrelated party)	(U) JEA (Res.); Lakeland; NSBUC	Y
GA Georgia	TVA: $500 + $0.15/kWh_10 yrs.		TVA: $0.20/kWh_10 yrs.		Y			Satilla REMC (Res.): $25K_10yrs.
HI Hawaii		35%_$5,000		35%_$500,000	Y
ID Idaho	NWSC: 5¢/kWh thru 12/31/09	100% deduction _$20K	BEF Grants / BEF Solar Schools; NWSC: 5¢/kWh thru 12/31/09		(U) Avista; ID Power; Rocky Mtn.	Y (>25 kW)		IDWR Loan: 4%_5 yrs._$100K
IL Illinois	RERP: 30%_$10K		RERP: 30%_$10K; ICECF Grants (non-profit/gov’t)		(U) ComEd		Y
IN Indiana					Y (Res./ Schools)
IA Iowa	Independence L&P: $1-$3/kWh (est. annual output)_$10K		Independence L&P: $1-$3/kWh (est. annual output)_$10K	$0.015/kWh_10 yrs. (sold to unrelated party)	Y	Y	Y	AERLP: 50% rate reduction_20 yrs._$250K; IEB Non-profit/Gov’t Loan
KS Kansas							Y
KY Kentucky	TVA: $500 + $0.15/kWh_10 yrs.		TVA $0.20/kWh_10yrs.		Y
LA Louisiana					Y		Y(Res.)	HELP (Res.) 2%_$6K
ME Maine			RRMF: $50K_50%		Y
MD Maryland	MEA: 20%_$3,000	20-25% incremental cost (multi-fam. green bldg.)	MEA: 20%_$5,000	20-25% incremental cost (green bldg.); $0.0085/kWh_5 yrs. (sold to unrelated party)	Y		Y(Com.)	MEA Community Loan: 3%_7yrs._$600K; MEA State Agency Loan: 0%
MA Massachusetts	MTC: $2+/W_=10kW; Mass Energy: $0.06/kWh, 3 yrs.	15%_$1,000	MTC: $2+/W_=10 kW / MTC: $2.25+/W_$250K (>10kW); Mass Energy: $0.06/kWh, 3 yrs.	100% deduction; 100% exempt.	Y	Y (Res.)	Y
MI Michigan	Participating WPPI munies: $1-$3/kWh (est. annual output)_$10K		DLEG: Demo Grant 90%_$50K (non-profit/gov’t); Participating WPPI munis: $1-$3/kWh (est. annual output)_$10K		Y		Y(Res.)
MN Minnesota	MDC: $2/W_$20,000; MN Power: $2/W_$4,000; GRE co-ops: $2/W_$4K; Austin PU : = $1/kWh_40kW; Owatonna PU: = $1/kWh_40kW; Rochester PU: =$1/kWh_40kW		MDC: $2/W_$20,000; MN Power: $2/W_$4,000; GRE co-ops: $2/W_$4K; Austin PU : = $1/kWh_40kW; Owatonna PU: = $1/kWh_40kW; Rochester PU: =$1/kWh_40kW		Y	Y	Y
MS Mississippi	TVA: $500 + $0.15/kWh_10 yrs.		TVA: $0.20/kWh_10 yrs.					MDA Bus. Loan 3%<prime_ 85%_$300K_7 yrs.
MO Missouri								DNR Non-profit/Gov’t Loan
MT Montana	NorthWestern: _$3.50/W_$7K; NWSC: 5¢/kWh thru 12/31/09	$500	NorthWestern: _$3.50/W_$7K; BEF grant / BEF Solar Schools; NWSC: 5¢/kWh thru 12/31/09	35%	Y*		Y	AERLP: 5%_$40K_10 yrs.
NE Nebraska				$0.00075/kWh_ $400K_=1MW				Energy Loan: 50% rate reduction _$175K_10 yrs.
NV Nevada	NV/Sierra Power : $2.50/W_ $12.5K		NV/Sierra Power: $2.50/W_$75K (com.) / $5/W_$150K (gov’t); Portfolio Energy Credits		Y		Y
NH New Hampshire					Y		(L) (Res.)	NHBRC (Com.): $10K min._7 yrs.
NJ New Jersey	NJ CEP: $3.80/W_$38K RPS Solar RECs		NJ CEP: $3.80/W (com.) / $4.40/W (non-profit/gov’t), lower amt for >10kW; RPS Solar RECs		Y	Y
NM New Mexico	PMN: $0.13/kWh thru 2018_=10kW	30%_$9,000	PMN: $0.13/kWh thru 2018_=10kW	30%_$9,000 (non-corporate); $0.015-$0.04/kWh_ 10yrs._=1 MW	Y
NY New York	LIPA: $3.75/W_=10kW; NYSERDA: $4-$4.50/W 1st 5kW, $3-$3.50/W next 5kW_60%	25%_ $5,000; 5-20% incrementa l.costs_ $3/W (multi-fam. green bldg.)	LIPA $3.75/W (com.); $4.75/W (non-profit/gov’t)_=10kW; NYSERDA: $4-$4.50/W 1st 25kW, $3-$3.50 next 25kW_=50kW (com.) / $5/W 1st 25kW, $4/W next 25kW (schools/non-profits)	5-20% incremental. costs_$3/W (green bldg.)	Y Res/Aug	Y Res.	Y	NYSERDA: 4% below mkt._ 10 yrs.
NC North Carolina	NCGP: ~$0.18/kWh; TVA: $500 + $0.15/kWh_10 yrs.	35%_ $10,500	NCGP ~$0.18/kWh; TVA: $0.20/kWh_10 yrs.	35%_$2.5M	Y			EILP : 1%_10 yrs._$500K (non-res.)
ND North Dakota		15%		15%	Y		Y
OH Ohio	ODOD: $3.50/W_$25K		ODOD: $3.50/W_=10kW / lower amt. for >10kW_$150K					ODOD: 50% interest rate reduction_$5K-$25K_5 yrs.
OK Oklahoma				$0.0025/kWh_ 10 yrs._=50 MW	Y
OR Oregon	Energy Trust: $2-$2.25/W DC_$10K; BEF: $0.10/k Wh_10kW_5yrs .; CPI: $500/kW; Ashland: $2.25/W_$10K; NWSC: 5¢/kWh thru 12/31/09	$3/W_50%_ $6,000	Energy Trust: $1.25-$1.50/W 1st 30 kW, $1-$1.25/W next 20kW; BEF Grant / BEF Solar Schools; Ashland: $2.25/W_$10K; NWSC: 5¢/kWh thru 12/31/09	35% credit _$3.5M	Y*		Y	SELP 4.9-6.95%_5-15 yrs._$20K -20M
PA Pennsylvania	Regional Clean Energy Funds		DEP: Energy Harvest Grant PEDA: Energy Grants Regional Clean Energy Funds		Y			Regional Clean Energy Funds PEDA: Project Financing Keystone (Res.): 7.99%_ $10K_10 yrs.
RI Rhode Island	People’s P&L $0.06/kWh, 3 yrs.	25%_$3,750	People’s P&L $0.06/kWh_3 yrs.		(U) NE	Y	Y (Res.)
SC South Carolina
SD South Dakota							Y
TN Tennessee	TVA: $500 + $0.15/kWh_10 yrs.		TVA : $0.20/kWh_10yrs.; TN-CET: 40%_$75,000					DECD (Sm. Bus.): 0%-3%_$100K_7 yrs.
TX Texas	Austin: $4.50/W_ $80%_$13,500		Austin: $4.50/W_ $80%_$100K		Y		Y
UT Utah	St. George: $2/W_ $6K_=10kW	25%_$2,000	St. George: $2/W_$20K_=10kW	10%_$50,000	Y*	Y (Com)
VT Vermont	VEIC: $1.75/W_$8,750 (res.); $3.50/W_$35K (multi-fam., low-income)		VEIC: $1.75/W_$8,750		Y	Y
VA Virginia	TVA $500 + $0.15/kWh_10 yrs.		TVA $0.15/kWh_10 yrs.		Y		(L)
WA Washington	DOR $0.15-$0.54/kWh_10 yrs._$2K/yr.; Chelan PUD: up to $1.50/kWh; Clallam Cty: $500/kW; Franklin PUD: $500/kW; Klickitat: $400/kW_$1,200 Okanogan: up to $1/kWh; Orcas: $1.50/W_$4,500; Puget Sound: $525-$600; NWSC: 5¢/kWh thru 12/31/09		DOR $0.15 – $0.54/kWh_10 yrs._$2K/yr.; BEF Grant / BEF Solar Schools; Chelan PUD: up to $1.50/kWh; Klickitat PUD: $400/kW_$1,200; Okanogan: up to $1/kWh; Orcas: $1.50/W_$4,500; NWSC: 5¢/kWh thru 12/31/09		Y*	Y		Clallam Cty (Res.) Clark PUD (Res.) Franklin Cty (Res.) Grays Harbor Ferry Cty PUD (Res.) Klickitat PUD (Res.)
WV West Virginia					Y
WI Wisconsin	FOE: $1.50/kWh est. annual output_25%_ $35K_=20kW; Participating WPPI munis: $1-$3/kWh (est. annual output)_$10K; WE Energies: $0.225/kWh_10 yrs._1.5kW-100kW		FOE: $1.50/kWh est. annual output_25%_ $35K_=20kW; FOE: $1/kWh est. annual output (com.); $1.50/kWh (non-profit/gov’t)_25 %_$35K_>20kW-50kW; Participating WPPI munis: $1-$3/kWh (est. annual kWh)_$10K; WE Energies: $0.225/kWh_10 yrs._1.5kW-100kW / $5/W_$2M_100kW-400kW; WE:_50%_$100K (nonprofit/gov’t)		Y		Y	WPPI (participating munis): $2.5K – $20K_ 1.99%_10yrs.
WY Wyoming	WBC: 50%_$3,000				Y	Y (Com)

* = one or more utilities not subject to state net metering rules offer it; Y = Yes; (U) Offered by select utilities: (L) Local option to provide property tax exemption

To find out more information about solar opportunties or receive a free proforma email george@hbsadvantage.com

Note: Proformas apply to those living in the South Jersey and Philadelphia surrounding areas.

US again looking to allow solar installations on Public Land

WASHINGTON — The government said Wednesday it is calling off a recently announced moratorium on applications to build solar plants on public lands.

The Bureau of Land Management made the announcement after public opposition to its original decision, reached at the end of May.

The BLM had wanted to put new applications for solar plants on federal land on hold while undertaking a comprehensive review of potential environmental impacts from such plants. That review was not scheduled for completion until May 2010.

Meanwhile, BLM planned to keep processing the applications it’s already received for 125 proposed solar projects on about 1 million acres in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.

BLM has yet to approve a solar project on federal land; the solar projects already built or under way in this country are on private property.

Still, industry officials already impatient about the BLM’s pace worried that putting a stop to new applications would allow other industries to lay claim to federal land that could go to solar. They feared it would also send the wrong signal to potential investors just as the solar industry is getting started.

“Hitting the brakes before we’d really gotten off the ground was definitely a scary prospect for the industry,” said Katherine Gensler, manager of regulatory and legislative affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association.

BLM Director James Caswell said the agency’s action Wednesday was intended to address such concerns.

“By continuing to accept and process new applications for solar energy projects, we will aggressively help meet growing interest in renewable energy sources, while ensuring environmental protections,” he said in a statement.

Just this week, while officiating at the opening of a solar manufacturing plant in his home state of Nevada, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had vowed to get BLM to overturn the moratorium.

Nevada is more than 85 percent federal land and is a prime destination for solar because of its climate and terrain.

“Nevada is the Saudi Arabia of solar energy and is poised to lead a global clean energy revolution, and we need to do all we can to encourage public and private investment in projects to develop this amazing potential,” Reid, a Democrat, said in a statement praising BLM’s decision.

The BLM’s environmental review is taking place in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah, the states deemed to contain public lands with solar resources.

BLM’s decision to reverse the solar application moratorium comes as the alternative energy industry remains jittery about another issue: a $6 billion package of alternative energy tax credits, including about $1.3 billion for solar, that’s gotten stalled in Congress. Reid wants to get that resolved after lawmakers return from the July 4 holiday.

There are currently nine utility-scale solar plants in the U.S. capable of producing a combined 425 megawatts of solar power, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Solar industry officials and environmental groups agreed that BLM, which has granted numerous leases to the oil and gas industry, needs to move faster on the solar proposals.

“The real problem here is that the Bush administration is starving key government agencies of the resources they need to effectively do their jobs,” said Carl Pope, Sierra Club executive director

Our Perspective:

Both the Federal Government and the States are realizing that new alternative sources are needed to meet the growing demand.

Is nuclear the answer? They still have not found a solution fowhat to do with the spent fuel. You just can’t keep burying it. If a solution is found, this will help to meet future demand. In the meantime, incentive are being provided for alternative sources such as solar ,wind and geothermal.

To learn more about solar opportunities in NJ and PA email george@hbsadvantage.com

Worlds Largest Solar Installation Planned

 

A Michigan company, Energy Conversion Devices, plans to announce Tuesday that it is providing the solar electric system for what it says will be the world’s largest rooftop array, on a General Motors assembly plant in Zaragoza, Spain. The project will be 12 megawatts, a huge number in a field where most arrays are measured in kilowatts, units 1,000 times smaller.

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The project will use solar devices manufactured in rolls, like carpet runners. Installation will be completed this fall, according to the company, which is based in Rochester Hills, Mich. Energy Conversion will supply the equipment to Veolia Environment and Clairvoyant Energy, which will lease the rooftop space from G.M. and own and operate the installation, which will be two million square feet.

 

Spain has become a center of solar installations because it offers generous subsidies, 0.42 euro a kilowatt-hour (66 cents). That is about five times the average cost of a kilowatt hour to residential customers in the United States. The Spanish government is considering a reduction in the subsidy for installations after September.

 

Energy Conversion plans to produce about 150 megawatts of cells this year. Last month, the company raised $400 million in new capital and announced plans to raise its annual production to 1 gigawatt, or 1,000 megawatts, by 2012. The company did not say what the Zaragoza installation would cost.

 

Solar cell arrays on houses are commonly a handful of kilowatts, or thousandths of a megawatt. On big commercial buildings, installations of one or two megawatts have become common. A one-megawatt installation will run about 1,000 window air-conditioners simultaneously, at least as long as the sun is shining.

 

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade group based in Washington, the largest installation planned in the United States, announced in June, was in Atlantic City, where the convention center will have 2.36 megawatts, about one-fifth the size of the installation to be completed in Spain.

 

Southern California Edison announced in March that it would install 250 megawatts of rooftop solar arrays, spread over 100 or more roofs.

 

Our Perspective:

 

With the demand for energy projected to grow at 1.5% a year for the next 8 to 10 years, you will be seeing a lot of these solar installations popping up. The providers will not be able to build sufficient new plants to help meet to rising demand so the alternative is to incentize businesses and homeowners to become their own source of electric. New incentives have been initiated to provide a ROI that finally makes sense.

 

NJ is planning to issue rebates of $3 per kwh for non profits, municipal properties and homeowners. Add to this the payment of SRECs (solar renewable energy certificates ) and the majority of the cost is underwritten by the state and the provider.

PA is also looking to roll at a program, more on that as it develops.

 

To learn more about solar opportunities in the NJ and PA area email george@hbsadvantage.com

 

Visit our website www.hutchinsonbusinesssolutions.com to learn more about opportunities to create savings.