INSTALLERS TAKING SUN FROM CALIF TO NEW ENGLAND

Borrego Solar vice president Brendan Neagle led a presentation entitled "The Influence of Rebates and Incentives on the Solar Industry; What Obstacles Remain for U.S. National Adoption of Solar PV?" at Clean Technology 2008 in Boston in June.

Borrego Solar, a company that has been doing solar systems in California since 1980, began doing installations in Massachusetts in July 2007. The company seemed to see a new era dawning in New England solar incentives. Massachusetts' Commonwealth Solar incentive program launched in January 2008. The state passed a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) in July 2008. It requires the state’s utilities to obtain 4% of their power from New Energy sources by the end of 2009 and 1% more every year thereafter.

Just to make things a little better, Massachusetts also passed a net metering law in July 2008.

Firmly planted in New England, Borrego Solar is not resting. Connecticut has had its Connecticut Clean Energy Fund since 2000 and has an RES requiring the state’s utilities to obtain 27% of their power from New Energy sources by 2027. Borrego C.O.O. Chris Anderson earned a PV-1 license there, allowing the company design, install, repair and maintain photovoltaic (PV) systems eligible for all the state incentive and rebate programs.

Moral of the story: Anybody who wants Borrego Solar to move to their state needs to enact New Energy incentives.

Just kidding. The message should be fairly clear: In a nation where the fossil fuel industries own the subsidy- and incentive-granting federal establishment, state incentives are the key to New Energy development.

More than half of U.S. states have RESs and more are working on them. It is long past time for the Congress to produce a national law.

click to enlarge

Borrego Solar Systems, Inc. Expands New England Operations Into Connecticut as Demand for Solar Energy Continues to Increase
August 27, 2008 (Market Wire via Yahoo Finance)

WHO
Borrego Solar Systems, Inc. (Chris Anderson, COO; Brendan Neagle, VP); Borrego Solar Massachusetts

WHAT
Solar system designer/installer Borrego Solar is expanding its operation from California to New England.

New England has modest insolation and will benefit from Borrego Solar's expertise...(click to enlarge)

WHEN
- 1980: Borrego Solar founded.
- July 2007: Borrego Solar opened its 1st New England office.
- June 2008: Borrego Solar opened larger New England office in Lowell, Mass.

WHERE
Notable Borrego Solar New England projects: (1) Haverhill, Mass. ("The River" WXRV-FM radio), (2) Winthrop, Mass. (a 100 kW system at the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority's Deer Island Treatment Plant), and (3) Oxford, Mass. (a 130 kW system at Wilson Language Training's corporate headquarters)

WHY
- Borrego Solar designs and installs commercial, residential and public sector grid-connected solar electric photovoltaic power systems.
- Borrego Solar has done 800+ installations since it was founded.
- Borrego Solar has installed 50+ residential/commercial/public-sector PV systems in New England.
- Borrego Solar has installed 127+ total kilowatts of residential PV in Massachusetts in 2008, more than any other company.
- Borrego Solar has increased its staff 300% (to 30+ employees) since opening in New England

...An expertise learned under the California sun. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Chris Anderson, COO: "Our growth in New England has been fueled by increasing demand for sustainable alternatives to traditional energy, and we anticipate continued success as we expand into Connecticut…The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund represents one of the most generous, comprehensive clean energy initiatives in the country, and its momentum will continue to facilitate the rapid adoption of solar electricity."
- Chris Anderson, COO: "It is extremely important for Connecticut homeowners and businesses to understand that in order to receive the rebates offered by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, their solar electric system must be installed by a PV-1 certified contractor…Borrego Solar is one of just a handful of companies to earn this license…"