Stock jumps on huge earnings rise, but company sees near-term drop in demand.

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Shares of the DVD rental outfit have almost doubled from their October low. Bulls are rushing into the stock.

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The refining company wrote-down billions on the value of its assets.

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Investors are able to put aside tumbling earnings and drive shares of Texas Instruments and American Express higher.

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Issue #21.04 :: 01/27/2009 - 02/02/2009
Wind turbines generate more debate

County will draft ordinance despite staff concerns

BY SHEA CONNELLY

If you’ve ever dreamed of brandishing a lance and racing at windmills like a modern-day Don Quixote, your fantasy may soon become a reality. Though the Albemarle County Planning Commission has been debating the addition of a wind turbine ordinance for about eight months, the Commission seems close to formulating a resolution.

Jason Ivey, vice president of local wind energy company Skyline Turbine, is petitioning Albemarle County to allow residential wind turbines.

The Commission voted 6-0 on January 13 to move forward with drafting an ordinance, though the commissioners and staff are not without reservations. According to Director of Community Development Mark Graham, the biggest concern is aesthetic.

“There’s a recognition that the prime location [for turbines] is along hilltops,” Graham said. “We have to consider how we are impacting [the county’s] natural heritage.”

To Skyline Turbine Senior Vice President Jason Ivey, however, the benefits of wind turbines are clear. “Why rent your electricity if you can own it?” he said.

Ivey, who, according to Graham, is the only person to seek wind turbine permits in Albemarle County on behalf of two clients, also pointed out the environmental benefits—turbines are considered “carbon neutral.”

Another concern is whether Albemarle County has enough wind to make turbines an effective source of energy.

“We simply don’t have a lot of wind,” Graham said, and a low wind necessitates taller turbines. A wind turbine must be a minimum of 30 feet above any trees within 100 feet of it in order to be effective, Graham said. “We’re talking wind turbines within the range of 120 to 150 feet.”

Ivey, however, said turbines can work for anyone.

“There are all kinds of wind turbines for all kinds of environments,” Ivey said. “If they are correctly installed, they do nothing but benefit the community.”

During the January 13 meeting, several commissioners expressed a desire to make Albemarle County a leader in renewable energy. Commissioner Marcia Joseph said she feared that halting discussion for two years, as recommended by staff, would put Albemarle County behind in renewable energy exploration.

Morgan Butler, director of the Charlottesville-Albemarle project of the Southern Environmental Law Center, echoed this sentiment.

“Albemarle County rightfully prides itself on trying to stay in front of the curve on issues like promoting clean and renewable energy sources,” he said.

In the coming months, this discussion will continue through meetings between the Planning Commission staff and commissioners Marcia Joseph and Bill Edgerton, Graham said. The goal of the group will be to draft a new ordinance.

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Finding the energy

Gina Farthing/Staff News Virginian

By Gina Farthing

Published: January 25, 2009

When soaring oil prices sent prices at the pump spilling over $4 a gallon last summer, renewable energy suppliers such as Charlottesville’s Jason Ivey sensed Americans’ interest in long-ignored alternatives surging.

President Barack Obama has fueled that perception, winning election, in part, on a platform to utilize a green revolution to help fuel the economy’s rise from the doldrums.

“Obama has called on the citizens of the U.S. to rebuild the foundation of this country,” said Ivey, vice president of Skyline Turbine, a wind turbine dealer with operations in Charlottesville and Wilmington, N.C. “He knows we have to harness the wind and the sun to fuel our new economy. Wind and solar are shovel-ready technologies that are creating jobs, tax revenues and profits in rural areas.”

The president plans to increase alternative energy productivity by 10 percent within five years and for renewables to provide a fourth of the country’s energy by 2025. Such initiatives were touted by Democrats throughout last fall’s campaign but frequently criticized by Republicans as unrealistic.

Renewables are riding the political momentum of Obama’s victory, said Jonathan Miles, a professor at James Madison University’s Department for Integrated Science and Technology who specializes in renewable energy design and analysis.

“Obama clearly has a mandate,” Miles said. “Political viewpoints may vary, but already we are seeing both sides coming to agreement that action needs to be taken. A critical mass of organizations of individuals is starting to develop, who are setting aside their personal views.”

But not all have been convinced.

Pushes to bring wind power to central Virginia have met with resistance from neighbors concerned about the impact on wildlife – birds, particularly – and the eyesores some say wind towers form against the Valley’s picturesque landscape.

Among the wind energy skeptics is Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, whose worries are more pragmatic in nature.

“Wind power is a controversial topic in the Valley, due to environmental issues,” the veteran lawmaker said. “Like any alternative energy source. Local governments should make the decision based on a consensus of its constituents.

“In the Great Plains, where wind power is being developed, it’s much windier. Here we get the wind up on top of the mountains. But when it is not a windy day, the turbines can sit and the investment is not being used. The local governments have to have input on that.”

Concerns about wind’s availability and wind power’s need for large amounts of land long have fueled conservatives’ doubts about its practicality.

Though JMU has no formal wind education training, the federal Department of Energy created in 2005 a Wind for Schools program that is taught in schools in the western U.S. The program was designed to give students and teachers a physical model of how communities might participate in the economic and environmental security of the country while providing educational opportunities.

Miles said the program might move toward the East, and JMU could be considered a prime location.

Solar energy offers more long-term promise, Goodlatte said. Reaching the president’s goals might be possible if renewable energy sources become more efficient and, thereby, less cost-prohibitive.

“Solar cells that convert the sun’s rays are inefficient and the cost benefit is not that great. We need to develop more efficient cells,” Goodlatte said. “The same with biofuels.”

The U.S. produces a large amount of ethanol, Goodlatte said, but most of that comes from corn, which competes with food for Americans and feed for poultry and beef stocks.

“It creates wild swings in the economy when ethanol production is high, which causes food prices to rise,” he said.

Nuclear energy, he said, is more efficient and has been proved safe, though the country hasn’t built reactors for decades.

“It’s much better than coal,” Goodlatte said. “The government has recently changed its laws to provide incentives for building additional nuclear plants, though there won’t be any energy produced from those new plants for at least 10 years.”

Federal and financial incentives already exist for Virginia homeowners, builders and manufacturers who install, produce or use energy-efficient products or homes, according to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency Web site.

Increasing awareness and use of green energy will depend upon such enticements, said Scott French, of SUNRNR of Virginia in Port Republic.

“The cost basis for renewables doesn’t pan out in the 10-year payout for capital investments,” said French, whose company created a portable solar-powered generator. “When gas is higher, alternative energy is more affordable. We’re power hungry in this country.”

Like others at companies specializing in alternative energy, French is counting on Obama to provide a boon for renewables over the next four years.

“As a renewable energy company, we’re looking forward to working with the Obama administration,” French said. “He seemed to have good intentions with his pre-presidential rhetoric. I’m optimistic about alternative energy development in America and in the world.”

The big question: How long will America’s interest in alternative energy last, particularly given the considerable research needed in renewables?

“Hopefully the Fed and Obama recognize Americans’ energy requirements and the consumers see the need for change. Energy efficiency increases the value of a home. It keeps prices down and reduces consumption,” French said. “[Gas] prices have gone down again because people cannot afford to buy it. Not because of increased efficiency.”

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Reply to: job-1003412073@craigslist.org
Date: 2009-01-22, 3:35PM EST

kvar rep. and building air rep. overseeing and dispatching solar waterheater and kvar installers seeking qualified individual to install a kvar power saver box near the main breaker panel and connect two wires to the top breaker in the main breaker panel.typical installs are approx 15-20 minutes. we supply all boxes,clients and payments.multiple installs per day …

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Reply to: job-1008113136@craigslist.org ^[?]
Date: 2009-01-26, 11:26AM EST

Join our program to get people solar energy technologies at little or no cost. You can make money signing people up for the program. You Interested??? Contact - Brian (727)277-2270

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The Rise & Shine is your daily source for all solar-industry news. Brought to you by Sweet Solar Home and the Experts at SunRun.

CALIFORNIA NEWS

San Domenico School to Dedicate New PV System
San Domenico School, the oldest independent Catholic school in California, and Recurrent Energy, a distributed power company and a leading provider of onsite solar energy, are to dedicate a 412 kilowatt solar energy system, the largest school installation in Marin County.

MMA Renewable Ventures Completes Solar Fund III
MMA Renewable Ventures LLC, a subsidiary of Municipal Mortgage & Equity LLC, has completed Solar Fund III, raising nearly $200 million to support the creation of new solar energy projects nationwide.

NATIONAL NEWS

Beyond Rebates: State Solar Market Transitions
The solar industry is going through a rocky period of change due to the economic crisis. This restructuring is most evident in individual cash-strapped states, where legislators and regulators are exploring how to move beyond solar programs that rely on traditional rebates funded by tax payers.

Pittsburgh Gets Money for Solar Project
The U.S. Department of Energy has named Pittsburgh one of the country’s 25 solar cities, a designation that brings $400,000 in a grant and technical assistance.

After Katrina, New Orleans is Going Green
In the Lower 9th Ward, hit particularly hard by Katrina, some 20 energy-saving homes are using solar panels.

Suntech and Standard Solar Reach 5MW Solar Panel Supply Agreement
Agreement strengthens both companies’ ability to respond to President Obama’s call to ‘harness the sun’

UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS

Obama’s New Green Grid Regulator
FERC will play a key role in the administration’s efforts to digitize the nation’s aging analog power grid to promote solar and wind energy while creating green jobs.

FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS

Yingli Green Energy Secures Three-Year Loan Facility
ADM Capital has agreed to provide a three-year loan facility of up to $80.0 million to Yingli China for its production capacity expansion and general corporate use. The loan will accrue interest of 12% per annum.

MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH

BIPV Market in Europe Showing Growth
According to the research, the European BIPV market in 2007 was estimated at €143 million [US $188.59] with a total installed capacity of 25.7 megawatts (MW) for the commercial, residential, industrial and public markets combined.

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

Geography is Dividing Democrats Over Energy
By coincidence or design, most of the policy makers on Capitol Hill and in the administration charged with shaping legislation to address global warming come from California or the East Coast, regions that lead the country in environmental regulation and the push for renewable energy sources.

TECHNOLOGY

Spire and HHV Enter into PV Strategic Relationship
Spire and HHV shall cooperate to better address the Indian PV industry by offering a more complete and competitive portfolio of solar manufacturing equipment and service capabilities.

Solar Power Inc. Announces Peaq Solar Shade Structure
The new product offers a striking design, kit-build installation and a price tag comparable to that of rooftop installations, SPI says.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Roth & Rau to Supply Production Lines to Korea
The lines, which are worth a combined €26 million [US $ 34.29 million], have production capacities of 60 megawatts (MW) each and are due to be supplied to the Korean solar cell manufacturer Millinet Solar.

Air Products Supplies Gases to Spanish Start Up, Gadir Solar
The contract includes the long-term supply of nitrogen, hydrogen, argon, oxygen, and specialty gases such as silane, NF3 (nitrogen trifluoride), and dopant gases.

TEPCO Plans 10MW Solar Plant to Cut CO2 Emissions
Tokyo Electric Power Co plans to build a 10MW solar power plant in central Japan, as Asia’s biggest utility works to meet targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Are you in California and interested in solar for your home? Call us at 877.SUN.MOJO or visit our website to learn more.

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