North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the emerging clean energy economy. Below is a small sampling of what's happening across our state. Click on each link to learn more about these recent innovations, announcements and advancements. (And, remember to forward your announcements to amneris@energync.org, if you would like your information posted on NCSEA's website and included in our eNews.).

Wake Tech automotive instructor Rich Cregar was named a “Champion of Change” by the White House for his role in preparing workers for careers in sustainable transportation technologies.

Watagua High School plans to install a 35-foot wind turbine, as a tool that could bolster hands-on education for students and offset the school's energy bills.

A 3 megawatt solar project in Lilesville, about 60 miles east of Charlotte, is being planning for North Carolina. Not long ago 3 megawatts would have been unprecedented in size in North Carolina, but in recent months several projects have been proposed at 4.5 megawatts and 5 megawatts.

Manufacturer FMC Lithium is making a $50 million investment in Gaston County.

Duke Energy Renewables has acquired three 1-megawatt (MW) commerical solar projects in the southwestern corner of NC.

Success stories defined the NC Sustainable Energy Association’s annual conference on November 9 at the Raleigh Convention Center.  More than 400 clean energy and energy efficiency experts, economic developers, stakeholders, elected officials and others gathered for Making Energy Work 2011. The discussions focused on the successful projects and initiatives that have created jobs, generated savings and advanced the clean energy and energy efficiency economy in North Carolina.

“Through our combined efforts, North Carolina has become a leader in the Southeast in creating market-based clean energy policy, understanding how a clean energy economy develops and becoming a regional hub for clean energy manufacturing and research and development,” said Ivan Urlaub, Executive Director of NCSEA. “It is our aim to capitalize on our state’s momentum and continue to lead the growth of clean energy in every region.”

The conference featured the NCSEA Clean Energy Awards, sponsor exhibits, displays of the hottest electric vehicles and Sprout, an educational kiosk that illustrates the connection between renewable energy and the weather. Educational sessions included state and federal clean energy policy updates, “Clean Energy 101,” innovations in creating clean energy opportunities, emerging technology and finance trends, online energy data tools, a CEO panel discussion on the future of clean energy and the release of the 2011 North Carolina Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Industries Census.

RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina continues to recover from one of the longest recessions in our nation’s history – marked by ongoing high unemployment. Retaining jobs and fostering economic development has become a priority for businesses, policymakers and residents across the state. Since the passage of the Southeast’s first renewable energy and energy efficiency law in 2007, the clean energy sectors – broadly categorized as renewable energy and energy efficiency – have burst onto the scene and are found in every region of the state.

North Carolina boasts an international smart grid cluster, two of the 50 fastest growing companies in the nation (both are renewable energy companies), and regional initiatives, including the Evolve Energy Partnership, Charlotte New Energy Capital and the Research Triangle CleanTech Cluster.

These assets are supported by a diverse sector with industry activities across all major focus areas. In only a few short years, the clean energy sector has become a North Carolina success story and a valued component of our state’s economic landscape.

These and other findings are outlined in the 2011 Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Industries Census. The NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSESA) presented the Census during its annual Making Energy Work conference on Wednesday Nov. 9 at the Raleigh Convention Center.

“One of the key findings of the 2011 census is that the clean energy sector in North Carolina is really a statewide sector. While we do find concentrations of specific technologies like Smart Grid in the Research Triangle, we have found that in addition to the major city hubs like Charlotte and Raleigh, there is an ever-increasing physical presence of firms in the clean energy sector in areas like Hickory, Boone and other areas,” said Rich Crowley, Manager of Market Research & Spatial Analysis for the NC Sustainable Energy Association. “It is important to note that this is using a conservative metric – companies are actually reporting these locations. Unlike national surveys that use large top down database approaches, the NCSEA industry clean energy sector maps are locations that companies are verifying in 2011. In short, there is much more certainty and accuracy with the NCSEA maps since it’s coming directly from industry.”

North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the emerging clean energy economy. Below is a small sampling of what's happening across our state. Click below on each link to learn more about these recent innovations, announcements and advancements.  (And, remember to forward your announcements to amneris@energync.org if you would like your information posted on NCSEA's website and included in our eNews.)

North Carolina’s fourth annual sales tax holiday on Energy Star products runs Friday, Nov. 4, through Sunday, Nov.6. During those days, certain Energy Star-qualifiedproducts that meet energy-efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and the Department of Energy are exempt from sales and use taxes.  

The Biltmore Estate announced plans to install 5,000 solar panels on six acres. The project will be completed over two months at a cost of $5.2 million.  It will be one of the largest solar arrays in North Carolina.

Gov. Bev Perdue recognized Appalachian State University students and faculty for their participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon 2011 international competition. Perdue signed a proclamation declaring Oct. 28-Nov. 4 as Appalachian State University Solar Homestead Week.

NC Sustainable Energy Association’s Executive Director Ivan Urlaub and Solar and Renewable Energy Industry Specialist Miriam Makhyoun acquired inside knowledge into community energy at Solar Power International in Dallas the week of Oct. 17. Community energy includes anything above one customer and one meter. It is not yet a reality in North Carolina.

At SPI, Urlaub and Makhyoun attended two sessions where they learned from utility companies and local leaders who have designed successful programs that work for their communities. The three basic models for community energy include the following: Utility-Sponsored, Special Purpose Entity (SPE), and Nonprofit “Buy-a-Brick” models (U.S. Department of Energy, Guide to Community Solar, 2011). The three main types of meter configurations include: virtual net metering (across a number of noncontiguous properties), meter aggregation (for multiple meters such as farmers), and joint-billing for multiple customers.

North Carolina ranks ninth in the U.S. for additional installed PV capacity and eleventh for cumulative installed PV capacity, according to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010 report.

The Interstate Renewable Energy Council publishes the report each year. North Carolina ranked above Texas on the 2010 list. California came in first followed by New Jersey, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Florida. All of the top 10 states made the list, the report said, because of their state renewable portfolio or financial incentive programs.

A sold out auditorium of mostly Georgia and Southeast business leaders, legislators, regulators, utilities, researchers and investors packed the Georgia Tech Research Institute last Friday, June 24 for the 2011 Southern Solar Summit.  The event focused on how the solar market and industry can scale up in Georgia and across the Southeast.  The number one take-away from this conference:  there is no “free market” when it comes to electricity and solar power, so the solar industry cannot have a viable market growth opportunity without policy and regulatory change – no matter how much further the cost of solar falls over the coming months and years.

As part of a panel on economic development, NCSEA’s Executive Director, Ivan Urlaub presented North Carolina’s progress in...

Last week, the NC Utilities Commission conducted hearings on Duke Energy's progress toward complying with our state's Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) law - and specifically the solar set aside. Attendees, including NCSEA's staff, were stunned by their testimony. And, in a second blow to NC's clean energy industry and consumers this week, our utilities finally convinced legislative leadership to not take up the Solar Jobs Bill (HB495/SB473) and the Energy Independence & Job Creation Bill (SB694). These much-needed bills would have retained jobs, created up to 8,300 new jobs across North Carolina by 2015, and allowed a reasonable amount of market competition.

This past July and August NCSEA administered the Annual North Carolina Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Industries Census.  The Census was distributed to over 1,000 North Carolina companies.  Over 50% of the companies took the time to send in their completed census and comments, and another 25% contacted NCSEA to let us know they were unable to participate this year.

Over the next several weeks as the census report is being written, NCSEA is pleased to be able to share some important trends that we are seeing.  Please make sure to check back in late October for the final Census report which will include detailed breakdowns and analysis of these trends, as well as the employment and revenue impacts of renewable energy and energy efficiency industries in North Carolina over the past year.