Podcasts about american solar energy society

This week in eTown we are visited by two musicians from the great white north of Canada. Feist and her band make their first appearance along with fellow eTown neophyte, Sam Weber. Nick also has a chat with Sarah Townes, the CFO of the American Solar Energy SocIety, about aiding Native Americans in South Dakota. That's all this week on eTown!

Joe McCabe has been in the solar industry since before there was a solar industry. In this podcast we talk about many things.    Here is a list of topics: ASES Fellow American Solar Energy Society www.ASES.org International Solar Energy Society www.ISES.org MREA = Midwest Renewable Energy Association SMUD = Sacramento Municipal Utility District PVUSA Davis California PV Policy SAM software PV Reliability Workshop Nerdfest Golden Colorado SANDIA Community Solar Gardens Bifacial Solar Vertical Bifacial produces more than tilted south no matter what the direction Higher latitude better for vertical bifacial Vertical bifacial requires smaller wires because of lower Isc Clipping Hanging vertical bifacial to swing in the wind. North facing PV for used PV PV module size increasing PV efficiency not important; LCOE (levelized cost of electricity) is important.  Monofacial Agrivoltaics Agrisoltaics Dual use of land Mark Fitzgerald Jane Wiseman IREC = Interstate Renewable Energy Council NABCEP Entry Level Praise Ward Bower! George Kelly NREL NABCEP Exam Committees Photovoltaic effect Conduction band Photoelectric effect Becquerel Einstein Quantum mechanics Thermodynamics Nuclear engineering Schrödinger's equation Straw bale construction SERF = Solar Energy Research Facility SERI = Solar Energy Research Institute Neutron Scatter Cadmium rods Neutron magazine Smart Inverter Working Group Dan Shugar Howard Wenger PG&E PV for $9/watt in 90s Richard Swanson and Swanson's curve Colorado Public Utilities Commission CALISO California Independent System Operator BIPV California Energy Commission (CEC) Community Solar Garden Solar Shares Stupid grid vs. smart grid Grid following and grid forming inverters Reactive power Rule 21 Smart Inverter Working Group Smart Inverter Classes Hermann Scherr Frieberg Germany  Smarter E in Munich (formerly Intersolar) Intersolar in San Diego and Long Beach RE+ conferences Making education fun University of Arizona Reactor How PV works Photons Grid Forming and Grid Following Inverters Donating a kidney to Bill Brooks Freiburg Germany NABCEP Certification Energy Ideas Renewable Energy Steward Giant Bifacial module  Joe Mccabe recommends Bill Brooks on LinkedIn  Blue light inside a reactor Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Carl Weinberg Paul Fenn Community Choice Aggregation = CCA  Eicke Weber RE+ Texas Sean Sings ABC 123 at NABCEP Conference   Homework Assignment read: Leverage Points, Places to Intervene in a System by Donella Meadows   Joe McCabe LinkedIn Page   Joe's email: energyideas@gmail.com   Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean's classes at  www.heatspring.com/sean

Sean White was the guest on the Clean Power Hour podcast at the American Solar Energy Society in Boulder Colorado on August 10, 2023. We are reposting this podcasst, which you can also listen to on Tim Montegue's awesome Clean Power Hour podcast, which you can find at www.cleanpowerhour.com    The main topic we discussed was, "Can renewables replace fossil fuels". Tim Montegue's co-host is:  John Fitzgerald Weaver Known online as “The Commercial Solar Guy,” Solar professional and project developer. John Fitzgerald Weaver works as the General Manager of CSG Developers LLC and a technical writer for pv magazine USA, where he covers solar industry data, equipment and manufacturers, trends, regulations and much more! Reach John Fitzgerald Weaver here! LinkedIn Account: www.linkedin.com/in/johnfitzgeraldweaver/ Company Website: www.commercialsolarguy.com/ RSS Feed: www.commercialsolarguy.com/news/ Clean Power Show Notes (directly pasted from the Clean Power Hour): Special guest Sean White, master PV trainer and host of Sean White's Solar and Energy Storage Podcast is joining us LIVE from Boulder Colorado at the ASES Conference (American Solar Energy Society). Please take our listener survey. Stay up to date with the latest solar, wind, and energy storage news and analysis. Join co-hosts Tim Montague, solar & storage expert, and John Weaver, PV Magazine journalist, as they reflect on the latest tools, technologies, and trends driving the energy transition forward. With a strong commitment to decarbonizing the economy and building a safer, healthier future for humanity, this show is a must-watch for any energy professional looking to stay ahead of the game. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, rate and review us on Apple or Spotify, and join us live every Thursday at 12 noon EST / 9 AM Pacific. Contact us at tim@cleanpowerhour.com or visit www.CleanPowerHour.com to learn more. Support the show Connect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTube Tim on Twitter Tim on LinkedIn   Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/ The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America's number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Please subscribe on your favorite audio platform and on Youtube: bit.ly/cph-sub | www.CleanPowerHour.com | contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com | Speeding the energy transition!   For more information on solar, storage and everything else, go to www.solarSEAN.com

Quantum Quote: “Look at the numbers. Always look at the bottom line-- the numbers. Because that's the best way to back up what you say.” – Richard Perez   "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever had.” – Margaret Mead   Saving Earth and attaining sustainability isn't too late if we know where to rightly invest our time and money. Switching to solar is the most cost effective and impactful way to create the clean, sustainable future we all desire.   As technology advances create a more comfortable way of life, we often turn a blind eye to all things natural. But the Forces of Nature are orders of magnitude greater than any man-made power, and the greatest source of energy on the planet is The Sun.   The AWESome powers of the air, water, earth, and sun can provide all our energy needs. But - how do we get there?    Join us today to hear Dr. Richard Perez discuss his studies in how much power we can tap into from clean energy sources; how those resources are orders of magnitude greater than coal, oil, gas, and nuclear; and how the “out of the box” solution to our energy dilemma is to overbuild solar and waste a third of the solar output.    By building more solar than we need during peak times - and throwing out the extra - we can generate enough energy to carry us through the nights and winters.   Dr. Richard Perez leads solar energy research at U. Albany's ASRC. He has served multiple terms on the board of the American Solar Energy Society and as associate editor of Solar Energy Journal. He has produced over 250 journal articles, conference papers, books & chapters. He holds patents on energy storage, and load management and leads an International Energy Agency Activity on renewable firm power generation.   Eva Hoskin started with the United Solar Energy Supporters (USES) in late 2020 as an intern which budded into a long-term role, eventually leading to her becoming the Executive Director. In addition to working for USES, she is actively organising communities in New York and Pennsylvania to educate them about utility-scale solar projects. –   Sign up for a free webclass to discover how easy is it to get ultra-efficient geothermal heating and cooling installed in your home – without the pain of emptying your savings account.   In “The Power Of Earth With Comfort” From Climate Master webclass, you'll discover the answers every homeowner needs to know, including:   How geothermal heating and cooling can draw energy from the ground beneath our feet (for pennies) Why homeowners everywhere are making the switch The secrets to securing utility incentives and tax credits to pay for a large portion of your new geothermal system and much more…   If you are tired of rising energy costs and want to save up to 70% on your energy bills, go to www.AWESomeEarthKind.com and register now for this FREE special event that will show you exactly how to get geothermal heating and cooling installed in your home.   –   SuperNova #1. The reason why we did the energy study initially - and still -  is to dispel common misconceptions about solar energy being a small niche energy source, when, indeed, it's the largest resource by orders of magnitude.   SuperNova #2. We project there is more solar available for deployments than the finite resource by a factor of 100. Over the next 30 years, you could generate 100 times more solar energy than you could from any of the finite resources.   SuperNova #3. There are three ways to overcome the intermittency issue. The first is to use storage. Energy storage is getting cheaper. The second is to couple solar with other renewables that have another output, like the wind in New York. The wind tends to blow more when the sun doesn't, and vice versa. There is more wind in winter when there's less sun.  There is more wind at night generally. So, there is a good balance between the two. And the third one is out of the box. The solution, in fact, entails wasting roughly a third of the solar outputs-- throwing it out.   Best Advice He's Ever Received: "Don't fight. If you have winds against you, don't go against it. Try to find a way where it blows your way. And you can make it happen that way. So go with the flow and shape the flow." – Richard Perez   "One of the things I've learned from Dr. Perez, since working with him, that really is one of the biggest takeaways for me is just how little of the land is needed to generate all the solar energy we need. Less than 2% of farmland would need to be used. And the efficiency of panels is getting so much better every year." – Eva Hoskin   Most Energized About Today: “It's looking at PV growth over time. Almost since I started in the business, solar has been growing at 20%, 25% every year. It's been growing at a constant rate that, by definition, is an exponential. And one of the very important things about exponential is that you don't even notice they are there until you start noticing them. And when you start noticing them, then they blow up ‘exponentially'." – Richard Perez   “I'm most energized that USES' new solar film series is almost complete. We are very much looking forward to sharing that with the public. It's going to be three 60-second films, highlighting the economic benefits that communities can get through hosting a solar project. Super excited to get that out there and start creating more.” – Eva Hoskin   Parting Advice: “Follow the sun.” – Richard Perez   Connect:   Email: rperez@albany.edu Email: eva@usesusa.org Website: United Solar Energy Supporters:  https://usesusa.org/ USES Solar Film Series: https://usesusa.org/solar-film-series/  Website: American Solar Energy Society: https://ases.org/ Website: International Solar Energy Society: https://www.ises.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnitedSolarEnergySupporters/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/united-solar-energy-supporters LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/veryrich Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unitedsolarenergysupporters/?utm_medium=copy_link

Onaje Jackson is a leader in the “green” technology, sustainability, and sustainable development and design movements and his company, Sustainable Systems & Design International (SSDI), has been a leading performer in earth-friendly infrastructure and facility design for the past 30 yrs. SSDI has particularly earned recognition as a major leader in solar electric-PV system design and application, being responsible for ground-breaking net-metering and building integrated projects. SSDI has completed successful renewable energy/”green” technology, sustainable development and sustainability proects throughout the Americas including, among numerous others; • The World Bank; Guyana, South America: Planning, engineering, and installation of solar and wind powered water delivery systems in the Rupununi Interior District. • The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority and the Virgin Islands Energy Office; Design, engineering, and installation of pilot Net Metered PV power supply systems, the 1st utility sponsored net metered PV systems in the Caribbean. • The Nature Conservancy: Sustainable Development and technology master planning and project implementation for The Nature Conservancy Conservation Center, at the historic 60 acre Estate Little Princesse, St. Croix, USVI. Before founding SSDI in 1993, Jackson was a Technical Advisor to the Government of the USVI, supporting the formation of solar and conservation programs for the V.I. Energy Office and Directing the VI Coastal Zone Management Program. Between 1981-89, Jackson served as an Applied Research Associate for two top architectural engineering firms in the New York City area focusing on energy conservation in buildings, building integrated solar technologies, and applied materials research. In 1979-80, Jackson completed an internship at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and designed a demonstration project using renewable energy technologies in rural areas for the Government of Jamaica, West Indies. Mr. Jackson has served multiple terms on the US National Boards of Directors of the American Solar Energy Society, the Caribbean Solar Energy Society, the US Green Building Council - LEED Program - Caribbean Chapter, and the Yale African American Cultural Center, and has lectured extensively in the US and the Caribbean on renewable energy and sustainable development.

Norma and Alan Williamson are a husband / wife team who in 2003 renovated their home into an energy efficient solar home.  As it generates more energy than it consumes, it is technically a zero energy building. Alan is a certified Building Performance Institute technician and photovoltaic specialist with 20 years of experience.  Norma is a retired teacher, environmental project leader, and was named 2020 Woman of the Year by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia from Assembly District 58.  ​For several years, from 2004 – 2008, they opened their solar, net zero, energy efficient home to the public for the annual National Solar Tour, sponsored by American Solar Energy Society. On one Saturday, they received 250 visitors, which led them to an invitation to submit an article on their home to Solar Today magazine, which became a cover story. Let’s hear from you for the general audience why “Net Zero Energy”?When you bought your home in 2003, were you already planning to do the net-zero conversion and looked for a property with that in mind?We can see all the details on your website about what you did to transform your home  from the ‘60s, but can you please briefly tell us some of the key elements you did in your make-over process?Did you do all the research in deciding the technology to implement, sourcing the materials, vendors and contractors?  And how was that process look like?You have been actively promoting this concept of retrofitting existing old homes to net-zero or near-net-zero.  Tell me about where you have been presenting and how the audience is responding.I've been trying to promote the idea by trying to reach the builders who are flipping old homes, but I find it hard to convince them from the investment stand point from time and money standpoint. Do you have any suggestion?

Jack Barnett, Co-founder and President of the Northeastern Pennsylvania-based Clean Energy Co-op, discusses its formation and projects the organization has supported. Clean Energy Co-op was started in 2014 as a 'spin-out' from the local non-profit Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support (SEEDS), with a mission to develop clean energy resources for the benefit of its rural community and it's current 80+ members. Jack is a board member with SEEDS. He has been a solar advocate for decades, and past chair of a state chapter of the American Solar Energy Society. To date the Clean Energy Co-op has financed two commercial-scale solar system projects at farms and one on a non-profit community center. This Spring Clean Energy Co-op hopes to complete a fourth project with a local government entity, using cooperative capital, along with grant funding.

Sponsored by: Fairfax City, VA; LookingGlassCyber; Scientific Logic ZOLAIKHA STRONG Director of Energy Policy and Electrical Markets for the Copper Development Association (CDA) Zolaikha Strong serves as the energy expert on sustainable energy markets for the copper industry. She supports policy makers in the development of energy policies and regulations, collaborates with manufacturers on the development of new technologies, promotes the value of copper related solutions in energy efficient systems, and builds partnerships with sustainable energy advocates. Among her many activities, Strong recently hosted an electric vehicle summit in Washington, D.C. entitled, “EVs: Navigating the Road Ahead, an industry event powered by CDA.” The event gathered industry stakeholders for two robust panels featuring key leaders discussing the technology and policy advancements needed to accelerate the EV market. Among her many speaking engagements and presentations, Strong has presented at the American Solar Energy Society's Solar Conference, the TechConnect World Innovation Conference, the Alliance to Save Energy's Energy 2030: On the Road events, the Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) – Policy Forum and the GLOBALCON Conference. Strong has also commissioned industry studies on electric vehicles, energy storage, solar energy and wind energy. Strong served on the U.S. Department of Commerce's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee (REEEAC) and as co-chair of the Outreach and Education Sub-Committee. She is also a member of the Edison Foundation Institute for Electric Innovation Technology Roundtable, and an active participant and contributor to policy initiatives for the Alliance to Save Energy, the American Wind Energy Association, Energy Storage Association, American Copper Policy Council and the High Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition. A regular contributor to many energy and policy publications, Strong has been recently published in The Hill, The Washington Times, ElectroIndustry Magazine, Renewable Energy World, Metal Center News, Wind Systems Magazine, IAEI Magazine and Energy & Mining International as well as Wind Power Engineering and Development's Wind Talks podcast. Prior to her work at the Copper Development Association, Strong was the Manager of Federal Regulatory Affairs at the Edison Electric Institute in Washington, D.C. During her time at Edison Electric Institute, Strong developed, analyzed, and advocated the Institute's positions for federal and state energy regulation and legislation. She also has served as an Energy Analyst with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, where she developed and implemented regulatory policy to foster nationwide competitive energy markets. Zolaikha was the International Policy Fellow and directly reported to President Clinton during his post Presidential transition while he was establishing the Clinton Foundation. Zolaikha was also an intern at the White House during the Clinton Administration. Zolaikha holds a graduate degree in Public Administration from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Seton Hall University

This is our second conversation with Dave Renné. He has such a wide range of experience in renewable energy that we invited him back for another interview. He has focused much of his career on measuring and analyzing the amount of solar energy that renewable energy developers around the world can expect. That’s important when they are designing solar installations and they need to know how many panels they will need and how much electricity they will generate at different times throughout the year. Dr. Renné retired in 2012 from an exciting career at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) where he worked on renewable energy development projects with the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Development Programme, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Since then he has served as president of the International Solar Energy Society and consulted for the International Renewable Energy Agency, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. In this episode he gives us a glimpse into the the state of renewable energy development around the world. This episode of Clean Power Planet is brought to you in partnership with the American Solar Energy Society. ASES advocates for sustainable living and 100% renewable energy. They bring scientists, policy-makers, business people and citizens together to share knowledge and build community. You can join ASES at https://www.ases.org/.

Our guests today are Chris Carter and Jack Martin, also known as Solar Jim and Sustainable Jack. Chris is a performing artist and sculptor with 20 years of experience designing and installing standalone power systems. Jack is a professor in sustainable technologies at Appalachian State University, and together they’re pioneers of DIY wind turbines and co-hosts of their own radio show, The Home Power Hour, where they discuss homemade wind turbines, alternative energy and environmental issues. They also teach Home Brew Wind Turbine workshops at the Handy Village Institute in central North Carolina. This episode of Clean Power Planet is brought to you in partnership with the American Solar Energy Society. ASES advocates for sustainable living and 100% renewable energy. They bring scientists, policy-makers, business people and citizens together to share knowledge and community. You can join ASES at https://www.ases.org/.

Ben Bunker is the CEO of the Global BrightLight Foundation, which provides access to affordable solar-powered lights to people living without access to electricity. Many of the people that they help live in very rural areas. They rely on kerosene, candles or even wood chips for light. BrightLight’s vision is a world with universal access to clean, sustainable, and affordable energy. Ben: You know, those of us who have had the power go out before, whether because of a storm or something going wrong with the utilities, we’ve had this experience together but often it’s not one that’s a prolonged experience, maybe one or two days, maybe a week if you’re unlucky without power. And most of us resort to candles, flashlights or batteries. And so for a billion people around the world that’s actually every single day. It moves from being a minor inconvenience to something that significantly impacts their life in a series of different negative ways. I’ll give a couple of examples. One is economics. Some folks are spending up to 25% of their income on candles or kerosene or batteries every single month. When you only make $100 and you’re living in Guatemala or Peru, that $25 represents a significant amount of your income. David: So, you said over a billion people? Ben: Yes. David: And there are what, 7 billion people on the planet? Ben: Every day there’s more but that’s a good round number. David: So this is one out of every 7 people that doesn’t have electricity. Ben: Whether you’re in a waiting room or you’re in traffic or wherever you are just imagine that one out of every seven of those people is going to go home to a house without electricity and is going to have to endure a series of hardships because of that. Our work is focused primarily in Guatemala and Peru and we work in rural areas where most folks are day laborers or do some sort of farming often either as an employee of a larger agricultural operation or just to survive on their own. And these folks in the rural areas are usually somewhere between 5 to 10 hours or even a day away from the nearest town that has electricity. So, let’s say on an average day someone could get up, go into the fields, work on their harvest, come home and then probably have between 30 minutes to one hour of sunlight left, if they’re lucky. Often they work until sundown because they’re using all the productive light they have. And then when they get home, as I mentioned, they’re using candles and kerosene, so the house is almost completely black. To move around from room to room they actually have to pick up this light source and carry it with them. It’s a very dark way to live, not just in terms of the amount of light but also in the quality of the connections you can build because if you think about the time you spend with your family in the evenings that is all predicated on having light to bring together the community and the family. Not that folks don’t do that but it’s just a little harder when everything’s dark. David: I can’t even really imagine what that’s like. Please listen to the episode for the full interview. To learn more about the Global BrightLight Foundation or make a donation go to https://globalbrightlight.org/. Your gift will light a light. This episode of Clean Power Planet is brought to you in partnership with the American Solar Energy Society. ASES advocates for sustainable living and 100% renewable energy. They bring scientists, policy-makers, business people and citizens together to share knowledge and community. You can join ASES at https://www.ases.org/.

Paul Bony has worked in several areas of the energy industry. At the moment he’s a Senior Program Manager for energy efficiency firm CLEAResult, Board president for Solar Energy International and a board member of the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association. He has also worked in the electric and gas utility industries. Maybe that’s why he’s excited about clean electrification. It combines everything that he’s done in his career. Clean electrification and the transition away from fossil fuel-based electricity and end use fossil fuel for heat and transportation has the potential to completely disrupt the regulated utility industry and the way we use energy. We met Paul at the 2018 American Solar Energy Society conference and had a chance to talk about the energy efficiency movement that started with Jimmy Carter’s sweater speech and the challenges that utilities and regulators are facing now. This episode of Clean Power Planet is brought to you in partnership with the American Solar Energy Society (ASES). ASES advocates for sustainable living and 100% renewable energy. They bring scientists, policymakers, business people and citizens together to share knowledge and community.

Sandra Begay grew up in Gallup, New Mexico, near the Navajo reservation. Her grandmother lived on the reservation and her father and grandfather served on the tribal council. Sandra remembers going to her grandmother’s house when it was first hooked up to the grid. The family got to watch as her grandmother turned on the porch light. That was only twenty years ago. Roughly 18,000 households in the Navajo nation are still without power. Today Sandra is an engineer which makes her pretty unusual. Only one in every 13,000 engineers in the U.S. are Native American Women. Her job allows her to help bring renewable energy to the reservations and to help young Native American students pursue engineering careers. She is a Principal Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories where she assists Native American tribes with their renewable energy development. She also runs Sandia's Indian Energy Internship Program for the DOE Office of Indian Energy. Interview excerpt DB: So talk a little bit about the program that your involved in. SB: Sure. The sponsorship for my work at Sandia National Labs is from the Department of Energy’s Office of Indian Energy, and specifically I am given assignments to help tribes across the United States, upon their request to the Federal government. And then I can get an assignment to help them out with a specific energy problem. One of the specific things that I enjoy doing is strategic energy planning. So we’ll take a team of three of us from Sandia and our contractors and we’ll go out to the tribal community and host a three-day strategic energy planning session. So at the end of the day we’ve looked at a vision for ten years in the future all focused in on energy and we wind up on that third day with a two year action plan, and part of that is not only to support the tribes in their efforts but to give them the documentation for the tribe to implement. And then we write a report for the federal government so that they’re ready for what the tribes might be requesting in the two year time frame. DB: Do you work with tribes all across the nation? SB: I work with tribes all across the nation but it also includes Alaskan natives out in the state of Alaska. It just depends on the tribe and their readiness to ask for this type of strategic planning assistance. DB: What’s the state of the grid or electrification for a lot of the tribes? SB: The tribes are behind all the way dating back to the 1940s when the rural electrification act was incorporated where many rural communities were connected with lines and poles. For whatever reason tribal lands were skipped over, maybe too complex to deal with from a federal level, and so infrastructure was not actually put in place. Some tribes who might have more money to invest are getting ahead of the curve and having modern infrastructure yet those who do not have a lot of gaming revenue have to go by grants or giving some of their own revenue to put in lines and poles and other infrastructure that they need. DB: So there are still homes out there that aren’t wired yet. SB: Navajo nation is a tribe that skews the numbers quite a bit when you talk about national populations of American Indians or Alaska Natives. So, I’ve heard numbers from 18,000 households all the way to 30,000 people that do not have electricity yet at this point and this is as of 2018. And so the way to answer those problems is, yes there’s need for lines and poles in certain circumstances but the cost of $30,000 to $35,000 per mile is very expensive and that would be out of that person’s pocket. Most people don’t have that kind of money sitting around. So there may be grant dollars available but my unique piece to this puzzle started about 15 years ago where I helped support the tribal utility on Navajo put in solar energy. So it’s off-grid homes that have energy from solar panels and batteries and many even have a small wind turbine associated with it. (For the full interview please listen to the podcast) For more information on the Tribal Internship Program click here. This episode of Clean Power Planet is brought to you in partnership with the American Solar Energy Society. ASES advocates for sustainable living and 100% renewable energy. They bring scientists, policymakers, business people and citizens together to share knowledge and build community.

Mary Marshall studied journalism in college and then jumped right into a career in television news, working on NBC’s Dateline and Nightly News with Lester Holt. But she became disillusioned and wanted to do something more meaningful. So she took a walk to clear her head. Actually she hiked 500 miles of the Appalachian trail by herself. When she got off the trail she signed up for AmeriCorps and discovered Solar Energy International (SEI). Mary’s AmeriCorps VISTA project at SEI involved community outreach efforts in Delta County, Colorado where SEI is located. The goal was to bring jobs and clean energy to small towns in the county that were suffering from recent coal mine closures. After her AmeriCorps project she stayed on at SEI and is currently developing Solar Forward, a program with the goal of growing solar in rural communities across Colorado. I had the chance to talk with Mary in person at the American Solar Energy Society’s Solar 2018 Conference in Boulder.

We’re very excited to announce that we’re partnering with the American Solar Energy Society for a series of interviews from their Solar 2018 conference in Boulder, Colorado. In this episode I’m talking with ASES Chair Lucas Dixon about the organization’s history and vision. ASES was created in 1954 by researchers at Bell Labs that had discovered the photovoltaic effect of silicon. They quickly understood the potential impact of photovoltaics in combination with proven technologies like passive solar design and solar thermal. They understood that we could start down a path toward a more peaceful and sustainable energy economy. ASES was founded to allow them to publish their research and build a community of like-minded scientists and educators that would help develop and promote all solar technologies. Now the solar industry is growing by leaps and bounds and regularly exceeding projections for capacity and reduced costs. And yet there is still a lot of work to do before we reach that peaceful and sustainable energy economy. Today ASES is focused on the goal of achieving 100% renewable energy and sustainable living for the benefit of all life on Earth. If that sounds like a good idea to you go to ases.org and become a member today.

This week we focus on the energy system of the home.Even though humans have relied on the power of the sun as a source of heat and light for thousands of years, it is only recently that solar energy has become a regular topic of conversation when discussing our dependence on fossil fuel burning power. The idea of placing solar panels on the roof once seemed out of reach for most homeowners but advancements in this technology are making it more efficient, more affordable and an increasingly attractive option for offsetting energy costs and selling homegrown power back to the grid. From rooftop panels, to sunlight absorbing house paint to flexible panels that can be worn on clothing and backpacks, tremendous resources are being spent to develop efficient means of harnessing the sun’s rays. Leaving us to wonder: Can solar power be the answer to our energy needs?Here to provide more insight about the future of solar energy is Cecile Warner.Cecile Warner is a Project Manager at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). She is recognized for her outstanding and sustained work towards the advancement of solar photovoltaic technology. She received the Women in Solar Energy Award from the American Solar Energy Society for her contributions, particularly her public outreach efforts.Cecile has led the Laboratory in developing and managing the highly acclaimed U.S. Solar Decathlon. This a competition where teams of college and university students compete to design the most attractive, effective, and efficient solar powered house. She was also project director of Sunrayce 93, a university competition of solar cars. She holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering.For more information about the National Renewable Energy Lab, the U.S. Solar Decathlon and the subject of solar photovoltaic technology, check out the following links:www.nrel.govwww.solardecathlon.orgThe two songs used in today's program are both about the sun. These songs were created by independent artists willing to share their music online for free. The artists can be found on garageband.com a website promoting new and emerging independent musicians. Here are links to the artists:Bye, Bye Sunshine by Sleepy Greenwww.garageband.com/song?|pe1|S8LTM0LdsaSkYla3a20Sun by Mike Massewww.garageband.com/song?|pe1|S8LTM0LdsaSnY1a3ZG0Join us next week for another episode of World House Radio: Stories of Home.