Presentation includes discussion on LED’s, Occupancy Sensors, Wiring in older homes, Residential solar installations, and more.  There will be hands on show and tell and informational literature for those interested.

This presentation is hosted by Angie’s List and is located at the Angie’s List Resource Center in the State Fair Gardens.

THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE:

Review many of our solar installations below, and contact us with any questions.

We’ll help educate and inform you of the importance of solar panel quality, local and state incentives and explain the ROI of a solar power system.

SOLAR PROJECT IMAGE GALLERY>

Solar panel maker Nusun Inc. hopes to begin hiring production workers in summer and expects to employ between 30 and 80 by year’s end.

Owner Ryan Stout, of Indianapolis, recently visited the site of the Columbus facility at 7440 International Drive, in Woodside Industrial Park just west of Interstate 65.

Nusun will buy photovoltaic cells from cell manufacturers and produce cell modules that can be used for application ranging from residences to utility-scale solar farms.

Cells in the panels turn sunlight into usable electricity. Nusun’s modules will be sold through a large distributor.

Stout said he initially will invest $825,000 into the building, which includes an expansion of up to 12,000 square feet on the building’s west side, nearly doubling the facility’s size. The total investment, including wages, will reach about $9 million over the next few years, he said.

Per a job creation and investment agreement with Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety, Nusun is required to have 192 full-time employees by the end of 2014 to keep the $825,000 the company will get in government incentives. The city is giving $125,000, Columbus

Redevelopment Commission is adding $100,000, Bartholomew County is chipping in $100,000 and Lawrenceburg is providing $500,000 in gaming funds.

Employees will earn an average $20.31an hour, or $42,000 a year.

Choosing Columbus Stout, an Indiana native who grew up in Delaware County, initially talked to officials there about his proposed operation.

He also considered California, Ohio and Michigan. However, Stout’s wife, Nellie (Goins) Stout, is from Columbus and formerly worked at Cosco, which led him to talk to local officials.

“Columbus opened up their arms to me,” Stout said. Jason Hester, executive director of Columbus Economic Development Board, and his predecessor Corey Carr helped Stout track down incentives and displayed a different mentality than he had encountered elsewhere, he said.

Carr, with whom Stout met first, “was really energetic,” Stout said. Carr said that when he got a call from Stout, he agreed to meet him in Columbus the next day to show him possible locations. He also immediately began working on possible incentives, and said that the speed

with which he was able to secure tax-increment financing and Economic Development Income Tax funds “were critical in shifting Ryan’s interest to Columbus.”

Stout said he has hired four administrative employees and plans to start hiring the majority of the production workers in

mid-summer, with full production beginning in fall.

He said the Columbus area also attracted him because of the high number of educated and highly skilled workers. “We’re very excited … about the work force,” he said.

Hester said CEDB liked Nusun partially because its operations fit into the existing industries and supply network and because the company brings diversity to the city’s manufacturing base. And, Hester said, Nusun is part of a growing industry.

Growth

Solar photovoltaic power capacity grew by nearly 13,000 megawatts in Europe in 2010, according to Brussels-based European Photo-Voltaic Industry Association. The energy output of these new PV installations roughly equals the electricity production of two large coal-fired power plants.

EPIA President Ingmar Wilhelm said growth was boosted by “decreasing cost, new applications, strong investor interest and continued political support.”

“More than 70 percent of all new installations come from small and medium-sized PV systems,” Wilhelm said. In contrast, according to Washington, D.C.-based Solar Energy Industries Association, the U.S. in 2010 added 878 megawatts, or less than the Czech Republic, a country with a population of about 10.5 million, or about the same as the populations of Indiana plus Kentucky.

Nonetheless, 2010 was a record year for the U.S. PV industry, with a growth of 102 percent in capacity and a market growth from $3.6 billion in 2009 to $6 billion in 2010, according to SEIA.

The U.S. PV market “showed substantial diversity across market segments, geography, and technologies. Solar is growing quickly across the U.S. at the residential, commercial, and utility scale levels,” SEIA wrote in its annual report.

SEIA wrote that the U.S. market “had grown at an average annual rate of 69 percent over the previous ten years, rising from just 3.9 megawatts in 2000 to 435 MW in 2009.”

“Despite this trend, the U.S. constituted only 6.5 per-cent of global PV demand in 2009.

“The U.S. market is slowed by the complexities of state-by-state differences in regulations, incentives, utilities and financing structures. Smart policies at the federal and state level, as well as a solid understanding of market conditions, are needed to continue and accelerate the growth pattern in the U.S.,” SEIA wrote.

Despite those hurdles, Stout said the U.S. is poised to become the next big solar power market.

However, he said Indiana legislators have not strongly supported renewable energy. They are more inclined to push coal and nuclear power, whereas other nearby states are producing more electricity with renewable alternatives and have more employees in the sectors, he said.

Other than lack of support from legislators, there is no reason for Indiana to have fewer employees in the solar industry than Illinois and

Ohio, he said.

Stout was happy, however, with the employment incentives that he received from the state — though he said Michigan and Illinois, for example, give incentives specifically for renewable energy.

Eric Burch, director for Policy and Outreach of the Indiana Office of Energy Development, said 79 percent of the state’s electricity comes from coal, with the bulk of the rest coming from natural gas.

The number of Indiana employees in the solar industry is “very small,” he said. “Most solar manufacturing is overseas at the moment. Colorado has some manufacturing and Indiana is trying to move that direction,” Burch said. “Our business climate

is better for manufacturing than our (actual) use of the technology due to the lack of significant high solar days.”

Stout said, however, that the world’s leading solar nation, Germany, gets about 19 percent less sun than Indiana. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there,” he said. As a result of those dynamics, Stout said he expects to export about 98 percent of his production.

However, at least one local developer, Michael Greven, said he looks forward to working with Stout. Greven, who owns Eco- Source Inc., a construction management and building technologies consulting firm, has nine solar panels on an apartment complex on Jackson Street. The panels were assembled in Mexico. For other projects he typically buys panels from California and Tennessee.

Stout’s production in Indiana should increase local demand and reduce prices, Greven said. “I’m just thrilled to have a local supplier,” Greven said.

The company, which will manufacture nano-coated high efficiency photovoltaic solar panels for use in U.S. and international markets, will invest $8.9 million to purchase, improve and equip a facility in the Woodside South Industrial Park in Columbus, Indiana. The company anticipates production to begin in mid-2011.

Citing increased demand for U.S.-manufactured solar panels and advantages over the unpredictable nature of product quality and supply chain from traditional foreign sources, NuSun expects to become a leading U.S. manufacturer of low cost, high quality photovoltaic panels within a few short years.

“We are confident that Columbus will offer us a competitive cost environment and productive workforce,” said Ryan Stout, founder and chief executive officer of NuSun. “As we plan our launch of this exciting new venture in Indiana, the support we have received from the local community and the state has been tremendous.”

Mayor Fred Armstrong welcomes the news of NuSun’s decision to locate its manufacturing and assembly center in the community.

“Columbus is certainly seeing many positive signs that our economy is rebounding,” said Mayor Armstrong. “NuSun’s announcement of up to 240 new jobs is excellent news.”

To win the project to Columbus, the city, Bartholomew County, and the Columbus Redevelopment Commission have pledged $325,000 in combined Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) and Tax Increment Fund (TIF) support, and the city will also make available the proceeds of a $500,000 grant from the Lawrenceburg Regional Economic Development grant program. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has also offered NuSun up to $2.25 million in performance-based tax credits and up to $100,000 in training grants. In addition, the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Development (OCRA) will consider an application from the City of Columbus for an additional $600,000 grant to equip the facility.

“This combined effort is a great example of how we can work together to attract investment and jobs to Bartholomew County,” said Commissioner Paul Franke. “This project will add to our tax base, which benefits everyone, and will bring job opportunities to our residents.”

In preparation for the OCRA grant application, the city on Tuesday entered into an agreement with the company that details the creation of up to 80 jobs during the first 24 months, but local leaders are looking to entice up to 240 jobs by 2014 by offering the local portion of funds as a performance-based forgivable loan over a ten-year period.

This will also be the first time that the city or county will use the EDIT fund as part of an incentive offering.

Columbus Economic Development Board executive director Jason Hester believes it’s an appropriate use.

“Columbus is a community that believes in investing in the future, and in today’s highly competitive environment, using the EDIT fund to attract jobs and additional investment is a very good application of the tool,” said Hester.

Trena Carter of Administrative Resources association provided services to the city in the preparation of the OCRA grant application, and Ed Curtain, executive director of the Columbus Redevelopment Commission, helped in the formation of the incentive agreement.

“An important benefit of winning the OCRA grant for the company is that NuSun will be required to offer more than half of their initial 80 jobs to persons who are currently low- to moderate-income, based on federal guidelines,” said Carter.

NuSun expects to take occupancy of their selected building by the middle of February, with improvements and installation of equipment to begin soon thereafter. The first hiring round of technicians, handlers, and other positions should occur by summer of next year. Today’s announcement comes just a few weeks after Cummins announced plans to add 350 professional employees to the local workforce over the next 18 months, filling engineering, technical and other professional positions.

“We still need a few other items to get put into place for the NuSun project, like the state grant,” said Mayor Armstrong. “Assuming everything falls in line, we will look forward to formally welcoming them to the community in the very near future.”

About NuSun, Inc.
Beginning in 2011, NuSun will manufacture low cost, high quality, next-generation crystalline silicon photovoltaic solar panels for U.S. and international commercial and governmental industries from its new manufacturing center located in Columbus, Indiana, USA. For more information please visit www.nusunsolar.com

About Columbus Economic Development Board
For more than 30 years, the Columbus Economic Development Board has supported the growth of businesses in Columbus and Bartholomew County, Indiana, and marketed the region’s strengths in automotive, pharmaceutical and other advanced manufacturing sectors along with emerging renewable energy and national security opportunities. More information on the community’s highly educated workforce, renowned living experience, and I-65 access to more than 1,000 acres of available land is available at www.ColumbusIN.org

Source: Columbus Economic Development Board

Here is a recap of a few of these projects:

Union City, Indiana

Onyx Solar
Indiana Waterworks: North Water Plant
4kw system

See Photos>>

Decatur, Indiana

1 x SB7000 inverter
24x245w Onyx panels
5.88 kW system size

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McCordsville, Indiana

Residential Solar.
1 x SB7000 inverter
24x245w Onyx panels
5.88 kW system size

See Photos>>

If you are interested in learning more about solar and how it can work for you, let us know! We conduct free site evaluations for interested parties. Contact Us.

Our president/owner, Ryan Stout presented an Introduction to Energy Efficiency and Alternative Energy via a web presentation available to Lilly employees around the globe.  Among the topics presented were: Energy Principles, Energy Efficiency & Conservation, Renewable Energy Systems, Solar Photovoltaic, Wind Generation, Solar Thermal and Federal, State, & Local Incentives.

In addition to the web presentation, Greenworks was given the opportunity to educate local Indianapolis Lilly employees one-on-one at the corporate headquarters.  For information about renewable energy or educational opportunites please contact us directly.

In a world where natural resources continue to dwindle while global consumption remains on the rise, no one is immune to the changes in policy that these trends necessitate.  The FMA promotes the most up-to-date green technologies and programs that are both conceived and made available by today’s industry leaders.

The Congress event focuses on next-generation environmental initiatives being implemented in today’s energy conscious operations.  The event focuses on connecting hundreds of corporate decision-makers with the top solution providers, in an environment that opens the doors for discussion, initiative and unique business opportunities, lasting far into the future.  The Congress concentrates on successful strategies aimed at reducing facilities’ operational costs, providing a great return on investment, and minimizing any negative effects on the environment.

For more information about FMA Congresses or this event, visit http://www.fmaintl.com/index.htm

Solar Energy Through History

• In 1515, Leonardo da Vinci began building a parabolic mirror four miles long that could “supply heat for any boiler in a dyeing factory, and with this a pool will be warmed, because there will always be boiling water.”

• In the early 1800’s, the Frenchman Mouchot, a professor of mathematics, cautioned others that with the expansion of industry, France was going to run short on coal very quickly because of it’s aggressive mining operations. Before coal is foolishly used up, he exclaimed, “We should reap the rays of the sun!” and then embarked upon two decades of pioneering solar energy research.

• In 1868, an American engineer named John Ericsson prophesized that with commercially viable solar engines the sunnier parts of the world could become the source of virtually limitless power. “A great proportion of our planet enjoys perpetual sunshine. The field therefore awaiting the application of the solar engine is almost beyond computation while the source of the power is boundless.” Thus he declared that he would dedicate the balance of his life to making solar engines an economical alternative.

• In 1931, Thomas A. Edison said, “We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Natures inexhaustible sources of energy — sun, wind and tide. … I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”

Fun Facts on Solar Power

• Sunlight travels to the earth in approximately 8 minutes from 93 million miles away, at 186,282 miles per second.

• In a single hour, enough sunlight reaches the earth’s surface to meet the entire world’s energy needs for a full year.

• As early as 1921, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded for experiments with solar power and photovoltaics. It was awarded to Albert Einstein.

• When silicon is taken from just one ton of sand, and used in photovoltaic solar power panels, that silicon can produce as much electricity as 500,000 tons of burning coal.

• The price of photovoltaic (PV) solar power panels has dropped 200 percent over the last 30 years, according to the Department of Energy. Owners now pay between 10 and 40 cents per kilowatt-hour.

• In 2009,  the largest solar electric system in the world (25 MW) will be built in DeSoto County, Florida. If will provide electricity to 3,000 homes and will cover 180 acres.
• A 1-kilowatt home solar system will prevent approximately 170 lbs. of coal from being burned, 300 lbs of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere and 105 gallons of water from being consumed each month! The average size house system is 5 kilowatts.
• Da Vinci predicted a solar industrialization as far back as 1447.

• Accounting for only 5 percent of the world’s population, Americans consume 26 percent of the world’s energy.

• Worldwide photovoltaic installations increased by 2,826 MW in 2007, up from 1,744 MW installed during the previous year. In 1985, annual solar installation demand was only 21 Megawatts.

• Cumulative solar energy production accounts for less than 0.01% of total Global Primary Energy demand.

• The sun is the most inexhaustible, renewable source of energy known to our civilization.
• FGCU’s 2 MW solar system will be the second largest system located on a University campus in the US.  Arizona State also has a 2 MW solar system.