O2 energies, a solar development company based in Charlotte is harvesting something new on the grounds of a family-owned North Carolina soybean farm: 1.5-megawatts worth of electricity produced by the solar array at Sandy Cross Solar. The solar farm is being constructed just an hour from Raleigh and will supply energy through the utility grid to the local community including the neighboring Sandy Cross Vineyard.
Marcilynn Burke, Acting Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Interior, will be in Raleigh next Wednesday to talk about North Carolina’s offshore wind resource. Ms. Burke oversees the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which has jurisdiction over offshore wind leases. The first lease blocks in federal waters off North Carolina’s coast may become available this year.
With the best offshore wind resources on the East coast, it’s no surprise that the issue is drawing attention in North Carolina. Award winning photographer and videographer Art Howard will also sit on the forum’s panel. Mr. Howard will be previewing video from PBS’s upcoming premiere of the final segments of Earth: The Operator’s Manual, to be aired on Earth Day, April 22.
North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the clean energy economy and our state's valuable sustainable energy businesses, local community leaders and organizations, educational institutions, and others are starting new projects everyday to make us a national leader. Below are just a few of the recent major announcements and innovations from across our state. Click on each hyperlink below to read more about each project.
SOLAR
SunEnergy1 is helping North Carolina become a leader in the U.S. solar industry.
WIND
A third large wind farm project is in the pipeline for North Carolina.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Energy Star's appliance rebate program closed Monday.
Don't miss this exclusive opportunity to get inside information on "Financing and Development of Renewables in North Carolina." This exciting panel discussion will take place as part of the Energy Inc. Summit on April 20 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte.
This session will provide an overview of renewable energy financing, project development and how-to tips for company owners, land owners and others interested in installing renewable energy technologies. NCSEA's Executive Director Ivan Urlaub will serve as the session's moderator. Panelists include Sascha Struckmyer, Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo, Gary Hecimovich, Partner of Deloitte Tax LLP, Henry Campen, Partner, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP and Jonathan Gross, Principal, Reznick Group. The session has been scheduled from 3 to 4 p.m. The registration deadline is Friday, April 13.
To register for this event, click here.
3rd Annual 2012 Energy Inc. Summit
Where: Charlotte Convention Center 501 S. College St., Charlotte, NC
Cost: Starting at $115
Suggested Dress: Business
Information: bizjournals.com/charlotte
WASHINGTON, DC – Chad and Jodi Ray were two of eight individuals honored Tuesday, April 12 at the White House as Champions of Change for demonstrating that corporate environmental leadership make senses, both for business and for American communities.
“Cutting waste, reducing energy use and operating more sustainably translates to less pollution and lower utility bills for businesses across the country,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “The leaders we’ve selected as Champions of Change are proving that sustainable practices work for companies’ bottom lines, and work for the health of American communities.”
The Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce has presented its 2012 Green Business Award in the Large Business category to the Renfro Corporation, a leading global manufacturer, designer, distributor and marketer of legwear products, for its sustainability efforts in the effective use of natural resources.
“The Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce was most pleased to award the Green Business Award to the Renfro Corporation. Our selection committee utilizes demanding criteria when determining a winner of the award and after considering all that this company does to eliminate waste and efficiently use resources, choosing Renfro as this year's winner was an 'easy call.' Our chamber is proud of the Renfro Corporation and appreciates all it does to improve the environment that we all share," said Dennis Lowe, Chairman of the Board of the Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce.
Renfro tracks its use of natural gas, water, power and recycled waste to help eliminate the unnecessary waste of natural resources. The company establishes, measures and reports its initiatives through company score cards, so that environmental goals can be continuously improved.
A 4.5 MW solar farm is coming to Fairmont, NC. Progress Solar II, a project developed by O2 energies, will be located near Fairmont High school. The 28 acre solar farm will be one of the largest in the state and will provide work for local citizens and generate clean energy for the surrounding community of Fairmont.
O2 energies recently completed the Mayberry Solar farm in Andy Griffith’s home town of Mount Airy, and the Avery solar farm near Grandfather Mountain, and are working on several other installations across the state. O2 energies is the developer and will be the owner and operator of the Fairmont Solar Farm, which will sell power to Progress Energy.
Please join the NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) at the NC General Assembly for our 2012 "Clean Energy Jobs Lobby Days" - help us meet with and educate our state legislators about the many clean energy success stories in every region of our state and our tremendous opportunities for further progress with additional policy action.
Clean energy = NC jobs & economic opportunities in every region of our state. We will hold two "Clean Energy Lobby Days" at the legislature during the 2012 legislative session and we need your participation to make them a success. If you can join us for an entire day or just a few hours, you will make a difference!
If you missed the Tuesday, May 22 event don't worry! We're holding a second event on June 12!
North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the clean energy economy and our state's valuable sustainable energy businesses, local community leaders and organizations, educational institutions, and others are starting new projects everyday to make us a national leader. Below are just a few of the recent major announcements and innovations from across our state. Click on each hyperlink below to read more about each project.
WIND
Dominion Power, whose service territory extends into North Carolina, is positioning itself to control how and when wind energy is developed off the Virginia coast, and a fair number of environmentalists, local officials and would-be competitors are nervous about that.
SOLAR
Progress Energy customers saved an average of $235 a year by switching to solar thermal water heater, representing an average annual savings of 63 percent on the water heater portion of their power bill.
The North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) is determining whether it will intervene in Apple Inc.'s latest request to build a 4.8 megawatt fuel cell farm at its Data Center in Catawba County. The California-based company is seeking a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the NC Utility Commission for its installation which will be built by California’s Bloom Energy. The fuel cell facility will be the largest such fuel cell installation built outside of the utility industry, according to news reports. Apple filed its application with NCUC on
March 28.
In February, Bloom Energy Corporation filed a petition at the NC Utilities Commission seeking to have "Directed Biogas" declared a renewable energy resource. The petition requested that electricity generated using Directed Biogas would qualify for earning tradable renewable energy certificates (RECs). Directed Biogas is a biomass-based gas, such as landfill methane, that is produced, cleaned, and injected into a natural gas pipeline (where it is commingled with natural gas) for delivery at some distant facility, where it will be used to generate electricity (via combustion or an electrochemical reaction).
Computer monitors require more power to display a light screen than a dark screen. NCSEA has chosen to use a dark background on our website to help your computer conserve energy.