The Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastic Expedition (SEAPLEX) went on an in-depth search of the “Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch” this month. Their findings were varied.

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Last July, the City & County of San Francisco launched the first local solar energy incentive program in the nation, The results are in, and, the program is an unequivocal success.

In the year since our solar energy incentive program GoSolarSF launched, we have seen a 450% increase in applications for solar installations in San Francisco over the previous year, from 200 to 850. And despite the current recession, 56 applicants met our low-income standards and will receive incentive payments.

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Editor’s Note: This is the first contribution to gas2.org by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. Mayor Nickels is President of the US Conference of Mayors and was awarded the E-Visionary Award  by the World Electric Vehicle Association. For more, see electriccarrace.org.

When it comes to electric transportation, Seattle has a significant advantage.

Our city-owned utility, Seattle City Light, was the first large electric utility in the country to become carbon-neutral using hydropower, innovative energy efficiency solutions, and carbon offsets. When you are driving on City Light electricity, you are truly driving a zero emission vehicle.

As a new generation of electric vehicles prepare to enter the market, cities along the West Coast from Vancouver B.C. to San Diego are taking steps to get plug-in ready. Because of Seattle’s partnership with Nissan, we will be leading the way and expect to be one of the first markets in the country to see Nissan’s highway-capable EV for sale in fall 2010.

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The whole thing is happening without flashy ad campaigns, so it’s not surprising if you’ve never heard of municipal solar financing. But the financing program, also known as property tax financing, is a veritable underground solar revolution.

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Editor’s Note: The is a guest contribution by Angiolo Laviziano, President and CEO of REC Solar Inc. This is the third post in a series from the CEO’s of major solar companies. The first post was by the SolarCity CEO, Lyndon Rive, and the second was by groSolar CEO Jeff Wolfe. You can follow the complete series here.

Two phrases that are often repeated in the solar industry are “Grid Parity” and “Cost Roadmap”. Grid parity is generally considered to be a key goal of the solar industry. Grid parity will be achieved in the U.S. when customers are motivated to buy solar because the investment has a sufficient return WITHOUT any subsidies from the federal or state government.  At present, most people consider PV to be a financially acceptable investment only if federal, state and rebate incentives are applied.

Currently, the rebates and tax credits offered by the government improve the financial return of a solar project together with other factors, such as the solar electric system cost (lower is better for the return), sun exposure on site (higher is better) and the cost of electricity that the solar system is substituting (higher is better).

The cost of electricity is of particular importance: solar substitutes for electricity demand on the customer’s side of the meter, where it competes with the retail price of electricity. This is in contrast to wind power, which is generated on the utility side of the meter, and therefore competes with the much lower wholesale rate of electricity.

• » Consumer solar power aggregation project launched in San Diego
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My family and I had an opportunity to visit SeaWorld San Diego this past January.  Among the most popular attractions in San Diego, SeaWorld San Diego welcomes over 4 million visitors a year with their sea animal performances, aquariums and a few amusement rides.  SeaWorld San Diego’s aquariums feature more than 5,700 fishes representing 434 species.

While SeaWorld San Diego has a long way to go to earn the distinction of being an ecotourism attraction, the park uses revenues from its admissions to actively implement conservation and animal rescue initiatives, even if they’re only softly mentioned throughout the park in signs and during announcements before animal performances.  After all, we can’t start caring about nature if we don’t have an opportunity to interact with it.  And for that, SeaWorld has honed its craft to capture the imagination of young and old alike and rekindled for many an awe and wonder that many of the avid conservationists and naturalists enjoy daily.

Instead of volunteer docents associated with living history museums providing interpretive programs, highly trained communicators and performers narrate the story of Shamu and friends as well as other exhibits throughout the park.  In a world where a connection to nature couldn’t be more important, SeaWorld can jump start a greater appreciation of it, even if our understanding comes with splashes and tricks.  Like they say at the Shamu Show: “We belong to the same family…”

There’s a lot to fascinate a small child or family at SeaWorld San Diego.  But I was more amazed by what most visitors never witness, at least not directly, in the park:  the SeaWorld Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Program and a water filtration system that actually makes the water cleaner than when it first enters the park.

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Oregon, Sonoma County, Tucson, San Diego, Phoenix, and now Seattle. Nissan has been on a media blitz over the last few months adding partners to its growing list of electric vehicle cooperators. In doing so, a clear picture of the company’s “West Coast Plan” has emerged.

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1 Block Off the Grid, the low-cost solar group-purchasing program, just launched a new campaign in San Diego.

1BOG expects to choose a solar installer around April 18th, and have them evaluting homes by the end of the month. The more people that sign up, the better the discount for anyone buying solar through the program.

If you aren’t familiar with 1 Block Off the Grid, what they do may be best explained by today’s article in New York Times Magazine:

…in a cultural moment when many individuals aren’t feeling all that rugged, perhaps it makes sense that a company called 1BOG has put collective buying at the center of its business model. The name is derived from the phrase “one block off the grid,” a reference to the goal of rounding up groups of homeowners willing to install solar-power systems on their houses — removing the rough equivalent of one block from a city’s electrical grid.

If you’re looking for solar in San Diego and want to get involved, check out their website. 1BOG has gone to great lengths to help spread the word, so don’t forget to check out the volunteer kit.

Disclaimer: Both 1BOG and GO Media (aka this blog) are owned by activism startup Virgance. Don’t worry though - we’re an independent media arm and we wouldn’t be telling you about this if we didn’t think it was a great program. Read more about us here.

Since retail electricity prices are expected to increase, these “grid-parity” prices will be higher in 2013. In order to achieve a 7 year payback time in 2013 [assuming an electricity rate escalator of 6% per year] the solar system price in 2013 needs to be around $4/Watt DC in California, $2.25/Watt DC in Colorado and $7.85/Watt DC (!) in Hawaii. For a 4.5 kW residential system where an 8-year payback is considered satisfactory, the non-incentive grid parity price in 2013 will be $5.30/Watt DC in California and $1.95/Watt DC in Colorado.

The point when grid parity can be reached depends largely on the electricity rates increase and the speed of cost reduction from both the manufacturers in the upstream solar market and the system integrators in the downstream segment.

In the past four years we have seen a significant module price increase due to the shortages of silicon supply. This trend will shift in the next few years where the increase of module supply will drive down the cost of solar electric systems.

The above data points show that grid parity will be first achieved in Southern California and Hawaii.

Even with the high electricity rates in both regions, the end-customer price in California still need to decline by 44% between today and 2013.

Most industry players believe that the cost reduction potential in the upstream solar market is larger given the fact that the solar industry saw module prices of $2.80/Watt DC in 2003 - which is significantly below today’s average price of XX.

If the silicon, wafer, cell and module manufacturers contribute to 60% of the cost reduction and the system integrators and BOS-manufacturers contribute to 40% of the cost reduction, the module price in 2013 for California would have to be $1.95/Watt DC and the system integration price (including all BOS components) $2.06/Watt in order to achieve the 7 year payback return without government incentives. The end customer price needs to be $4.01/Watt DC.

The above paragraph explains the price point for modules and installation price. On the cost side, the manufacturers need to reduce their cost to $1.51/watt DC and the system integration and BOS cost need to be at $1.42/Watt DC. These costs assume an average sales tax of 3% (an average aiming to account for the different sales tax rules for PV) and a gross profit margin expectation of 25% in the upstream segment and 18% in the downstream PV industry.

Reaching these objectives will require an aggressive cost roadmap, especially when taking into account that the above numbers are only representative of the best solar locations in the US.

Theoretically if we aggregate the most competitive manufacturers in the upstream value chain we can get the cost down to approximately $1.25/Watt. In addition, the best-of-class system integrators in the German market are able to install large PV system at a turnkey system price of below $5.00/Watt DC with standard modules.

Thus, grid parity and the ultimate goal of bringing solar to the mainstream are within our reach!

Image Credit: richardmasoner via Flickr under Creative Commons License

Ingredients were added, recipes were followed and by lunchtime a variety of dishes were available to taste and share. Lasagna, chicken casserole, and chocolate chip cookies were all made in solar cooking devices of all types just for this potluck event. Solar cooking devices can run the gamut from a pot from your kitchen with added aluminum foil wrapped pieces of cardboard, to professional units with built-in thermometers to monitor internal cooking temperature.

The common theme of all solar cookers is that they are passive cooking devices that require no fossil fuels or wood to turn raw food into a cooked meal. During the solar cooking exhibition, blueprints on do-it-yourself solar cookers and solar cooking recipes were exchanged and passionately discussed. The solar cooker pictured above concentrates the rays of the sun and focuses it on the pot, which can raise the internal temperature to over 300 degrees.

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California utility Pacific Gas and Electric announced yesterday it is signing a 20-year agreement to purchase the first 10 megawatts of electricity from Sempra Energy’s El Dorado Solar project near Boulder City Nevada.

The plant was built by Tempe, Arizona-based Firsr Solar using thin film solar panels made of low-cost cadmium tellurium as the material converting sunlight to electrical energy, requiring only 1% of the silicon used in crystalline solar cells. The El Dorado unit is North America’s largest thin-film solar plant, and has plans to expand by another 50 megawatts next year, all part of Sempra’s plan to eventually produce 500MW of thin-film solar power, CEO Michael Altman told Reuters, adding “The size and scope of this new solar generation facility clearly demonstrates that we can build projects on a scale that helps utilities meet their renewable energy goals”.

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Silly question? You might not think so after reading the Natural Resources Defense Council’s new study, “Lowering the Cost of Play: Improving Energy Efficiency of Video Game Consoles.” Prepared with the help of Ecos Consulting, the report finds that energy inefficiencies and poor practices like not turning off games that aren’t in use are wasting huge amounts of energy and generating lots of greenhouse gases.

This is the first time anyone’s taken a hard and comprehensive look at the energy and carbon footprint of video games, and the findings might surprise you:

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These farms, or CSAs, provide fresh produce, and sometimes meat and dairy. For a fee, you get baskets of fresh food once a week. One well-known CSA in LA is the Tierra Miguel Foundation, which drops off batches of organic produce at designated spots around town. All you do is swing by and pick it up. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can visit the North San Diego farm in person the first Saturday of each month. The farm is also a charitable foundation that supports education in sustainable agriculture.

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I just found about this new tool as the fires burned in Santa Barbara. And when I say, “brand new’, I mean it launched yesterday.With the Sylmar Fires burning today…they are quite busy already!This cool tool keeps you informed about disasters in real time using social media.

CrisisWire.comCrisiswire’s gathers information about crises. This site is contains real-time info about what’s happening during a crisis.

A bit brief right now, but hey, they’ve been up less than 24 hours. Let’s give them a break. Here’s the basic concept as I found out on Mashable, from site founder Nate Ritter:

“During a disaster people spend valuable time searching the Internet and waiting for the media to report on their city, their neighborhood, their street,” Nate told us. “While main stream media serves a vital role during disasters, it is impossible to update the population on everything that is happening during a crisis.”

From a green and social responsibility standpoint, this is important news if it takes off. Each year disasters claim hundreds of thousands of homes, wilderness, animal habitats and businesses. This may turn out to be the best early response system we will have. Already MSM news sources are using it to update their reports.

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The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has outlined four easy steps to a thirty fold increase in the size of the US solar power industry between 2009 and 2016, leading to over $230 billion worth of investment and the creation of 440,000 permanent jobs.

The influential industry group laid out the plans at this week’s Solar Power International conference in San Diego. The four key recommendations to achieve this goal are as follows:

1. Utility Ownership of Solar Power Projects

“The utility and solar industries must collaborate to find program structures, such as utility ownership of distributed photovoltaics, that provide a winning scenario for both industries, as well as for customers at large. The solar industry can utilize this new market segment as a buffer until home and small business owners are back on more solid economic footing.”

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Google is holding a Project “10 to the 100th” competition to offer opportunity to all of the unknown geniuses out there who have something world-altering to contribute.Serve up an idea that can improve the planet for the most people you can imagine.

It’s simple to submit an idea online. Check some boxes, fill out some blanks and click the “Submit” button before Oct. 20 to participate.

Source: Google

Since retail electricity prices are expected to increase, these “grid-parity” prices will be higher in 2013. In order to achieve a 7 year payback time in 2013 [assuming an electricity rate escalator of 6% per year] the solar system price in 2013 needs to be around $4/Watt DC in California, $2.25/Watt DC in Colorado and $7.85/Watt DC (!) in Hawaii. For a 4.5 kW residential system where an 8-year payback is considered satisfactory, the non-incentive grid parity price in 2013 will be $5.30/Watt DC in California and $1.95/Watt DC in Colorado.

The point when grid parity can be reached depends largely on the electricity rates increase and the speed of cost reduction from both the manufacturers in the upstream solar market and the system integrators in the downstream segment.

In the past four years we have seen a significant module price increase due to the shortages of silicon supply. This trend will shift in the next few years where the increase of module supply will drive down the cost of solar electric systems.

The above data points show that grid parity will be first achieved in Southern California and Hawaii.

Even with the high electricity rates in both regions, the end-customer price in California still need to decline by 44% between today and 2013.

Most industry players believe that the cost reduction potential in the upstream solar market is larger given the fact that the solar industry saw module prices of $2.80/Watt DC in 2003 - which is significantly below today’s average price of XX.

If the silicon, wafer, cell and module manufacturers contribute to 60% of the cost reduction and the system integrators and BOS-manufacturers contribute to 40% of the cost reduction, the module price in 2013 for California would have to be $1.95/Watt DC and the system integration price (including all BOS components) $2.06/Watt in order to achieve the 7 year payback return without government incentives. The end customer price needs to be $4.01/Watt DC.

The above paragraph explains the price point for modules and installation price. On the cost side, the manufacturers need to reduce their cost to $1.51/watt DC and the system integration and BOS cost need to be at $1.42/Watt DC. These costs assume an average sales tax of 3% (an average aiming to account for the different sales tax rules for PV) and a gross profit margin expectation of 25% in the upstream segment and 18% in the downstream PV industry.

Reaching these objectives will require an aggressive cost roadmap, especially when taking into account that the above numbers are only representative of the best solar locations in the US.

Theoretically if we aggregate the most competitive manufacturers in the upstream value chain we can get the cost down to approximately $1.25/Watt. In addition, the best-of-class system integrators in the German market are able to install large PV system at a turnkey system price of below $5.00/Watt DC with standard modules.

Thus, grid parity and the ultimate goal of bringing solar to the mainstream are within our reach!

Image Credit: richardmasoner via Flickr under Creative Commons License

It’s art in action for the planet. CoolGlobes is a project confronting the need for a cooler planet, by generating awareness via art such as Karen Ami’s Wind Andamento that is on view in San Francisco. Chicago, San Diego and Washington, D.C. are also into the CoolGlobes scene, with London planning to debut in 2009.

Source: CoolGlobes

Since retail electricity prices are expected to increase, these “grid-parity” prices will be higher in 2013. In order to achieve a 7 year payback time in 2013 [assuming an electricity rate escalator of 6% per year] the solar system price in 2013 needs to be around $4/Watt DC in California, $2.25/Watt DC in Colorado and $7.85/Watt DC (!) in Hawaii. For a 4.5 kW residential system where an 8-year payback is considered satisfactory, the non-incentive grid parity price in 2013 will be $5.30/Watt DC in California and $1.95/Watt DC in Colorado.

The point when grid parity can be reached depends largely on the electricity rates increase and the speed of cost reduction from both the manufacturers in the upstream solar market and the system integrators in the downstream segment.

In the past four years we have seen a significant module price increase due to the shortages of silicon supply. This trend will shift in the next few years where the increase of module supply will drive down the cost of solar electric systems.

The above data points show that grid parity will be first achieved in Southern California and Hawaii.

Even with the high electricity rates in both regions, the end-customer price in California still need to decline by 44% between today and 2013.

Most industry players believe that the cost reduction potential in the upstream solar market is larger given the fact that the solar industry saw module prices of $2.80/Watt DC in 2003 - which is significantly below today’s average price of XX.

If the silicon, wafer, cell and module manufacturers contribute to 60% of the cost reduction and the system integrators and BOS-manufacturers contribute to 40% of the cost reduction, the module price in 2013 for California would have to be $1.95/Watt DC and the system integration price (including all BOS components) $2.06/Watt in order to achieve the 7 year payback return without government incentives. The end customer price needs to be $4.01/Watt DC.

The above paragraph explains the price point for modules and installation price. On the cost side, the manufacturers need to reduce their cost to $1.51/watt DC and the system integration and BOS cost need to be at $1.42/Watt DC. These costs assume an average sales tax of 3% (an average aiming to account for the different sales tax rules for PV) and a gross profit margin expectation of 25% in the upstream segment and 18% in the downstream PV industry.

Reaching these objectives will require an aggressive cost roadmap, especially when taking into account that the above numbers are only representative of the best solar locations in the US.

Theoretically if we aggregate the most competitive manufacturers in the upstream value chain we can get the cost down to approximately $1.25/Watt. In addition, the best-of-class system integrators in the German market are able to install large PV system at a turnkey system price of below $5.00/Watt DC with standard modules.

Thus, grid parity and the ultimate goal of bringing solar to the mainstream are within our reach!

Image Credit: richardmasoner via Flickr under Creative Commons License

Genomatica, a company “focused on producing sustainable chemicals,” says its new version of the E. coli bacterium naturally produces 1,4‐butanediol (BDO), an organic and petroleum-based compound used to manufacture hundreds of different kinds of plastic, rubber and fiber products. The process not only uses 30 percent less energy than standard BDO production techniques, but can be fueled with non-food-based, renewable plant waste.

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Oreskes, you might recall, is the University of California, San Diego professor of history and science studies who thoroughly discredited the argument that there’s yet no scientific consensus on climate change. Her 2004 analysis of 928 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 1993 and 2003 found that not one author disputed the consensus that Earth’s climate is changing.

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Under the program, last used in 1992, the state can buy back water allocations from farmers in the Sacramento Valley who don’t need their supplies, then sell that water to agencies around Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and other dry regions.

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