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Contents

Powering our Parks with Energy from the Sun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

By Marilyn Arnold and Arlene Thompson, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The Sustainable Buildings Industry CouncilCreates a Blueprint for Change . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

By Devin Schroeder, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

FEMP Partnerships Bring Renewables to FederalFacilities Serving Native Americans . . . . . . . . . 3

By Patrina Eiffert, Ph.D., National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Save with Solar Wins Publication Award . . . . . . 5

Western Area Power Administration Is Going Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Treasure Chest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Has Solar Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Spring 2000 — Vol. 3, No. 1

A technical bulletin for Federal solar energy champions

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U.S. Department of EnergyFederal Energy Management Program

One excellent way to help preserve ourfragile wilderness areas, and make visitsmore pleasurable, is to use quiet, nonpollut-ing sources of heat and electricity in thenation’s parks and recreation areas. For more than a decade, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department ofInterior’s (DOI’s) National Park Service(NPS) have been working together to do just that.

Recently, many joint projects have beencarried out through DOE’s Federal EnergyManagement Program (FEMP). In April1999, a new joint partnership created byDOE and NPS, "Green Energy Parks:Making the National Parks a Showcase for aSustainable Energy Future," was announcedat a ceremony at the Presidio of San Francisco.At this event, DOE Secretary of Energy BillRichardson and DOI Assistant SecretaryDonald Barry, standing in for SecretaryBruce Babbitt, signed a Memorandum ofUnderstanding between the two agenciesthat will further encourage the use of solarand other renewable technologies through-out the park system. The Green EnergyParks Program has two primary goals:

• To implement an array of energy andrenewables projectsin the national parks

• To educate the visit-ing public about theimpacts of energyuse and the role thattechnologies canplay to lessen theseeffects.This program will

help to meet the objec-tives of the NationalEnergy Policy Act of1992 and subsequentExecutive Orders, suchas E.O. 13123, as wellas other national and

local regulations calling for greater energyefficiency and better air quality in thenational parks. DOE FEMP, with supportfrom the National Renewable EnergyLaboratory (NREL), has taken the lead inplanning and developing the program, butmost of the offices within DOE’s Office ofEnergy Efficiency and Renewable Energywill also be involved.

These interagency collaborations havebeen strongly supported by staff in severalof DOE’s national laboratories, and as aresult, hundreds of both small and largesolar energy systems have been installed in our parks. Staff in such laboratories asSandia National Laboratories (SNL) in New Mexico, Lawrence Berkeley NationalLaboratory in California, and NREL inColorado have been providing extensivetechnical assistance and project guidance fora number of years. Sandia’s Renew the ParksProgram, funded by DOE’s Office of PowerTechnologies, has been particularly success-ful in implementing many solar projects inthe national parks.

The goal of the new program is to installas many cost-effective, reliable, renewable

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Powering our Parks with Energy from the SunBy Marilyn Arnold and Arlene Thompson, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

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The Sustainable BuildingsIndustry Council Creates aBlueprint for ChangeBy Devin Schroeder, National Renewable EnergyLaboratory

Imagine you are planning to design andbuild a new office complex for a Federalagency or a new elementary school onNative American land. You must make thesebuildings look as modern and inviting aspossible while keeping your costs down.Because new Federal construction must meetcertain goals for energy efficiency, the chal-lenge is to integrate energy-reduction andcost-savings measures into the buildingdesign.

At first, your dream of a low-cost yetattractive and comfortable building mightseem to be disappearing. But take heart;according to the staff of the SustainableBuildings Industry Council (SBIC) and otherexperts, your building can be low-cost, energy-efficient, and more attractive andinviting than ever before—all at once.

For centuries, we have seen buildings get bigger and bigger, and consume moreand more energy, so that, supposedly, thequality of our lives can improve. We havebeen willing to spend millions of dollars inbuilding and energy costs to create comfort-able surroundings. But the cost to our healthand the environment has also been high. Toaddress this problem, the SBIC (formerly thePassive Solar Industries Council) has beenchanging conventional thinking when itcomes to designing buildings for more than20 years.

The council knows that there are manyways to save money and energy by carefullyplanning the essential elements of a build-ing. For example, floors and walls can bedesigned to collect and store solar energy forextra heating and natural cooling. Energy-efficient windows can be placed to bringmore sunlight into the interior, reducing thecost of lighting the building. Simple solarsystems, such as solar water-heating units,can be installed at minimal cost, and thismoney can be recouped through energy costsavings in the first few years of use.

The SBIC advocates the integrated use of as many energy-efficient techniques andmaterials as possible. Using sustainableoptions also reduces maintenance costs aswell as adverse impacts on the environment.

Research has shown that these practices alsoincrease employees’ and students’ produc-tivity, sense of well-being, and reported comfort levels.

The council is a nonprofit organizationwhose mission is to "advance the design,affordability, energy performance, and environmental soundness of residential,institutional and commercial buildings." The group is accomplishing this by conduct-ing professional training courses and work-shops, educating designers and consumers,and promoting the use of a range of energyanalysis tools. The council also providesinformation on conservation measures, energy-efficient equipment and appliances,sustainable architecture, and software.

The SBIC also stresses how important it is for people to not just focus on installing a single new renewable energy system. Thatone system won’t make a significant differ-ence if the building is poorly insulated ordoesn’t make good use of natural coolingand heating. A sustainable building requiresthe integrated use of daylighting, thermalmass, an efficient envelope (outer structure),efficient glazing, and materials that areappropriate for a given climate.

The SBIC specializes in teaching peoplehow to locate, design, and construct sustain-able buildings. For example, the councilholds workshops that provide opportunitiesfor attendees to learn and utilize softwaresuch as Energy-10, which was developed atthe National Renewable Energy Laboratory

to help design low-energy buildings. More than 1100 users and 40 schools of architec-ture are now licensed to use Energy-10.

Will Zachmann, Director of Communica-tions for the SBIC, said, "Our biggest chal-lenge has been — and continues to be —overcoming resistance to change." Despitethe great technological strides that have been made in recent decades, the buildingindustry has not experienced a significantchange in many years. However, a greaterinterest in energy efficiency and concern forthe environment are knocking at the door oftoday’s industry.

President Clinton’s Million Solar Roofsinitiative has also brought attention to theimportance of energy conservation and environmental remediation through the useof renewable energy. This renewed interest is bringing new attention to SBIC’s work and its many partnerships, such as with theDepartment of Energy’s Building America,Rebuild America, and Federal EnergyManagement Programs.

For further information, please see SBIC’sWeb site at www.SBICouncil.org. ■

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The SBIC trains others in designing energy-efficient buildings like the District Attorney Building in Jefferson County,Colorado, a high-quality, 52,000-square-foot structure housing more than 130 judicial employees; this two-storybuilding was built with recycled materials.

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By Patrina Eiffert, Ph.D., National Renewable EnergyLaboratory

With the assistance of the Department of Energy’s Federal Energy ManagementProgram (FEMP), many new renewableenergy technologies — solar water heaters,solar-powered lights, rooftop photovoltaicsystems, and more — are being installed at Federal facilities that serve NativeAmericans. These projects were designedmainly to save energy and money. But theyare also providing economic opportunitiesfor the Native Americans who assist in pro-ducing, installing, operating, and maintain-ing the renewable energy technologies and systems installed in each project.

In fiscal years 1998 and 1999, FEMP pro-vided funding and technical assistance forseven projects carried out in partnershipwith the Indian Health Service in the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services,the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the U.S.Department of the Interior, and other projectpartners. The missions of most Federal agen-cies include providing support and servicesto Native Americans, so they were eligible to apply for funding.

To qualify for funding and support, applicants needed to assure FEMP reviewersthat their proposed projects pertained toFederal facilities serving a Native Americanpopulation. In addition, the projects had to be cost-effective; in other words, any new

equipment installed had to have less than a25-year payback period after all applicablestate and utility incentives (e.g., rebates and tax credits) and any non-Federal cost-sharing amounts were subtracted.

The projects were also designed to sup-port sustainable economic development inNative American communities. Applicantswere thus asked to form appropriate col-laborations with others whenever possible;cost-sharing and leveraging of funds wereencouraged. The applicants were also askedto identify likely benefits (such as new jobs)to the associated population. And they need-ed to include any plans they had for imple-menting education and training programsfor tribal members.

FEMP encouraged agencies to purchasestandardized (virtually "off-the-shelf") energy systems, in part because it fosters the inclusion of renewable energy equip-ment on GSA Federal supply schedules,making the equipment more accessible togovernment procurement staff (for the Solar Supply Schedule, please see http://www.gsa.gov/ regions/7fss/7fx/ sched-ules/sch62ii.html). Standardizing the systems also helps to reduce the cost ofrenewable energy through higher volumemanufacturing and purchases. In addition,agencies were encouraged to use renewable energy technologies in concert with provenenergy conservation measures.

Applicants were also asked to show howthe project could be replicated or serve as apilot demonstration for a larger project. Theyalso needed to state the ways in which a project might be a showcase that would help educate the government and the publicabout the benefits of using renewable energy.

After a number of proposals were evalu-ated on the basis of these criteria and guide-lines, seven projects were funded by FEMPin FY 1998 and 1999. Three of them werefunded for Indian Health Service facilities in the Department of Health and HumanServices:

• Albuquerque, New Mexico — $13,000was awarded to provide solar-poweredstreet lights for the New Sunrise RegionalTreatment Center; the estimated simplepayback period is 4.8 years.

• Anchorage, Alaska — $45,000 went to the Indian Health Service and the AlaskaNative Medical Center, Anchorage, for a groundwater cooling system. The esti-mated simple payback period is 5.1 years.

• Santa Fe, New Mexico — $60,000 wasawarded for a two-phase project to refurbish a large solar water heater for anIndian Health Service hospital. The esti-mated simple payback period is 6 years.

Four projects were funded for theDepartment of the Interior, Bureau of IndianAffairs:

• Fort Apache Indian Reservation,Arizona — $23,500 went to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Fort ApacheAgency to install five new wind turbinesin Arizona. The estimated simple paybackperiod is 13.83 years.

• Riverside, California — $50,000 wasawarded to the Bureau of Indian Affairsand the Sherman Indian School to installa 30-kilowatt photovoltaic system. Theestimated simple payback period is13 years.

• Seba Dalkai, Arizona — $50,000 wasawarded to the Bureau of Indian Affairsand Seba Dalkai School for a photovoltaicsystem for a school to be completed in2001. The estimated simple payback period is 14.26 years.

• Supai, Arizona — $61,300 went to theBureau of Indian Affairs and the TruxtonCanon Agency to install three photo-voltaic systems at facilities on theHavasupai Indian Reservation. The estimated simple payback period is16.4 years.

Projects like these not only foster greaterenergy efficiency in government facilities,they are also good for the environment. The agencies involved are all helping toreduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with burning fossil fuels to generate heat and electric power. For moreinformation, contact Patrina Eiffert, NREL,303-384-7548. ■

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With funding from FEMP, three much-needed photovoltaicenergy systems are being installed on the HavasupaiIndian Reservation in Supai, Arizona. They should supplyup to 2 kilowatts of electric power to a school, a jailhouse,and a government fourplex, which includes housing forlocal teachers and police officers.

FEMP Partnerships Bring Renewables to Federal Facilities Serving Native Americans

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energy systems in the parks as possible,using innovative but well-tested technolo-gies. In many cases, renewable energy systems are the best choice in remote areas.They can provide electric power where it hasnever been available, and they reduce thenoise, air pollution, and potential fuel-spillproblems associated with diesel generators.

Large solar electric (photovoltaic or PV)systems, called arrays, are now providingelectricity for lights, battery charging, andother uses in places like Glen CanyonNational Recreation Area in Utah. Mean-while, smaller solar systems have been usedextensively for many years, especially inremote sites, to heat water or to providepower for radio communications and otherneeds. These systems help to ensure thesafety of park visitors and staff during emergencies such as fires or floods. AndPV/propane generators are becomingincreasingly popular replacements fordiesel-powered gensets. As other nationalparks explore the use of environmentallybenign renewable energy systems, the num-ber of projects should increase significantlyover the next decade.

Two hundred and seventy million peoplevisit our national parks each year. If even aportion of these visitors come away with agreater understanding of the potential roleof renewable energy systems in supplyingclean power for homes, businesses, andcommunities, these projects will have beenmore than successful.

The list of national parks and recreationareas that are now home to renewable energy systems is extensive (see, for exam-ple, www.eren.doe.gov/femp/techassist/greenparks.html, www.sandia.gov/pv/rnwprks.pdf, www.nps.gov/renew). Somerecent examples of collaborative DOE/NPSsolar energy projects can be found at JoshuaTree National Park and Mojave NationalPreserve in California, and at Sleeping BearDunes National Lakeshore in Michigan’sLower Peninsula. Brief descriptions follow.

Joshua Tree National Park and MojaveNational Preserve

Joshua Tree National Park comprises794,000 acres in the area between the Mojave and Colorado Deserts in SouthernCalifornia. Proclaimed a national monumentin 1936, Joshua Tree was designated anational park in 1994. The eastern part of the park features abundant natural gardensof creosote bush, ocotillo, and cholla cactus.Forests of Joshua trees, which usuallyrequire a little more moisture and cooler air,make up the western part. Five fan-palmoases mark the areas where water occursnaturally and desert wildlife abounds.

Mojave National Preserve was created in October 1994 with the passage of theCalifornia Desert Protection Act, and it isone of the most diverse desert environmentsin the world. The area features low flatsdominated by creosote bushes as well ashigher elevations marked by pinyon pineand juniper woodlands. In more than1.6 million acres of desert, one finds sanddunes, volcanic cinder cones, Joshua tree

forests, vast vistas, and high mountains,among other natural wonders.

These unique areas will now have cleanerair, as well, since many of the diesel genera-tors used in park operations are beingreplaced with PV systems to produce elec-tricity. This is significant, because these areashave suffered the worst air pollution of anyof the 378 national parks. Reducing this pollution has long been a priority of severalnational and local government and environ-mental groups.

A contract awarded through EdisonCompany, the local utility, recently resultedin the installation of a 21-kilowatt, off-gridhybrid PV/propane system at CottonwoodCampground in the park. The system elimi-nates the need for 16,000 gallons of dieselfuel per year, and will reduce generatornoise in the area as well as the risk of a cost-ly fuel spill. The renewable part of the sys-tem will provide 76% of the area’s electricalrequirements. The project was a combinedeffort of NPS, Southern California EdisonCompany’s Utility Power Group, SNL,FEMP, and NREL.

Southern California Edison offered utilityservices to help leverage funds and imple-ment the project through its ExperimentalSchedule PVS Tariff, California PublicUtilities Commission Resolution E-3367. Thetariff allows the utility to install PV systems,controls, batteries, mounting hardware, and other necessary equipment for a fixedmonthly service charge equal to 1.6% of the PV system’s installed cost for a term of15 years (this works out to an annual pay-ment of 19.15%). The utility also assumes the responsibility for operation and mainte-nance of the power generation system. InSeptember 1997, contracts were signed toprovide nonpolluting solar-generated elec-tricity at both Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve. And inOctober 1998, the first system became operational; it is now the prime powersource for the Cottonwood complex. Formore information, please contact AndyWalker, NREL, 303-384-7531 (e-mail:andy_walker@nrel.gov).

Sleeping Bear Dunes National LakeshoreSleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula is a pic-turesque 35-mile stretch of Lake Michigan'seastern coastline; the park also includesNorth and South Manitou Islands. This park

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A cost-effective PV array has replaced a diesel system at Joshua Tree National Park’s Cottonwood Campground in theCalifornia desert.

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contains forests as well as beaches anddunes, among other natural features. TheLakeshore is also home to such historic land-marks as a lighthouse dating from 1871 andan extensive rural historic farm district.

As part of a hybrid energy system madeup of both renewable and conventionalsources of energy, an 11.2-kilowatt PV sys-tem was installed on North Manitou Islandto reduce the use of conventional generatorswhile meeting the area’s electrical needsaround the clock. The generators are nowoperated only when needed during daytimeworking hours; they are turned off in theevening. This change greatly reduces thenegative impacts of generator noise on bothemployees and visitors.

Solar-powered fans provide ventilationfor vault toilets throughout the Lakeshore.

And solar water-heating systems have beenoperating successfully there for the pastseven years, demonstrating that solar energycan be used all over the nation, not just inthe Southwest! The pressurized, chlorinatedwater-heating systems support camp-grounds and picnic areas on the mainlandand the islands. The park is also planning toinstall a PV system on South Manitou Islandas part of a cost-shared project with SNL.

Staff in DOE, its national laboratories,DOI, and the NPS are all enthusiastic aboutworking together, and with other agencies in the future, as part of this exciting newprogram. For more information, please con-tact Marilyn Arnold, NREL, 202-651-7533 (e-mail: marilyn_arnold@nrel.gov). ■

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This 11.2-kilowatt photovoltaic array is part of a hybrid solar/diesel generator power system on North ManitouIsland, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan. Three identical subarrays, each with eight strings of nineSiemens Solar M55 PV modules, provide a total peak current of 75 amperes for charging a 288-kilowatt, 120-voltbattery bank.

Before PV Installation After PV Installation

System 2 diesel generators 21-kW PV array, 30-kW ($32,000) propane backup generator

($47,875 including financing)

Comparison of Diesel System and Current PV Systemat Joshua Tree (1996 data)

Simple Payback 5.6 years

Fuel Costs/year $10,950 $1,100

Emissions/year 5,770 lb NOx 0 lb NOx120 tons CO2 30 tons CO2286 lb SO2 0 lb SO2218 lb particulates 0 lb particulates

Total Operating $49,770 $4,065Costs/year

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Save with SolarWins Publication Award

Save with Solar: A Technical Bulletinfor Federal Solar Energy Championsreceived a 1999 Award of Merit from theSociety for Technical Communication’s RockyMountain Chapter. With more than 20,000members worldwide, STC is the largest pro-fessional organization serving the technicalcommunication profession.One competition judge complimented us onour "clear and engaging style." We hope you are enjoying this publication, as well,and finding it informative and useful. Asalways, we welcome your suggestions forimproving it. ■

A Federal Energy Management Program initiative, You Have the Poweris designed to raise awareness of energy efficiency in the Federal sector. Find

out more about it at http://www.eren.doe.gov/femp

6 Save with Solar Spring 2000 Vol. 3, No. 1

Treasure Chest: Events, Publications, Web Sites, and Other Gems

EventsDesigning and Installing Code-Compliant PV Systems:This three-day workshop includes hands-ontraining and provides contractors with basicrequirements for properly installing PV sys-tems as part of the Million Solar Roofs initia-tive and the California Buydown program.Sponsored by PVUSA, which presents a certificate to attendees after the successful completion of all three days.

Dates: April 12–14, 2000Location: Davis, CaliforniaContact: Bill Brooks, 530-753-0725http://www.pvusa.com.

National Center for Photovoltaics Program ReviewMeeting 2000: This meeting will review recentdevelopments in photovoltaic technology, fromthe laboratory to the marketplace. It will focuson highlights from the U.S. Department ofEnergy PV program at the National Renewable

Energy Laboratory and Sandia NationalLaboratories. Sponsors include DOE, NREL,and SNL.

Dates: April 16–19, 2000Location: Denver, ColoradoContact: Camilla Course, 303-275-4321http://www.nrel.gov/ncpv_prm.

Soltech 2000: The largest solar gathering in theworld will feature a Solar Exhibition Tent onthe Mall, as part of the 30th anniversary ofEarth Day, and the Million Solar RoofsInitiative Quarterly Meeting on April 19.Sponsors include the Solar Energy IndustriesAssociation and DOE.

Dates: April 19–22, 2000Location: Loy Auditorium, U.S. Department of StateContact: Michelle Crespo, 301-941-2553http://www.seia.org

Earth Day 2000 — New Energy for a New Era: TheEarth Day Network is launching "a global cam-paign to bring about a swift transition to clean,renewable energy sources and a giant leap for-ward in energy efficiency." The Earth Day 2000Clean Energy Agenda has a goal to provide atleast 12% of U.S. energy needs from renewableenergy sources by 2010 and 25% by 2020.Activities will be held all over the nation.Sponsors include DOE, EPA, state organiza-tions, environmental groups, and many others.

Date: April 22, 2000Location: All Across the United StatesContact: Earth Day Network, 206-264-0114http://www.earthday.net;www.earthday.net/energy/agenda3.html

11th Annual Global Warming International Conference& Expo: Some of the topics to be covered areGlobal Warming and Climate Change,Greenhouse Gas Production and Utilization,Industrial Technology and Greenhouse Gas

Western Area Power Administration’s Rocky Mountain CustomerService Center (RMR) recently installed a 4-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV)array at an RMR building east of Loveland, Colorado; the system is nowthe largest PV installation in Larimer County. Western also held a hands-on workshop for 35 local electric utility staff, students, and Federal agencypersonnel on how to install the system. In addition to gaining direct experience, workshop attendees learned about the technical and marketaspects of adding solar to buildings and to the utility grid.

RMR’s new system is composed of 96 Solarex Millennia thin-filmamorphous silicon modules with an Omnion inverter to convert direct-current solar power into alternating current. The electricity is then fed into the building to offset energy purchased from the utility. The systemcan generate more than 8000 kilowatt-hours of clean energy every year.RMR chose Altair Energy of Golden, Colorado, toinstall the system and Energy Solutions of Gold River,California, to conduct the workshop. The thin-film PVsystem was funded through a cost-shared grant fromDOE FEMP. Three more systems will be installed atWestern’s facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah, Phoenix,Arizona, and Folsom, California, for an additional12 kilowatts of green power. All systems will be listedon the registry of the Million Solar Roofs Initiative. ■

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"Never be afraid to try somethingnew. Remember, amateurs builtthe ark; professionals built theTitanic." — Anonymous

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Emissions, Carbon Emissions, Energy Use andCost, State and Local Government Actions, and many more. Sponsored by the GlobalWarming International Center.

Dates: April 25–28, 2000Location: Boston, MassachusettsContact: Global Warming International-USA,630-910-1551http://GlobalWarming.net

Windpower 2000: One of the most importantannual conferences in the United States on the progress and potential of wind energy, the fastest growing energy technology in theworld. Sponsored by the American WindEnergy Association and several other organizations.

Dates: April 30–May 4, 2000Location: Palm Springs, CaliforniaContact: AWEA, 202-383-2500http://www.awea.org

Course on Renewable Energy Technologies andProjects: This two-day course provides engi-neers, architects, energy specialists, Federalfacility managers, and project leaders withinformation about renewable energy technolo-gies and tips on how to implement projects tomeet the goals of E.O. 13123. Sponsored byDOE, FEMP, and NREL.

Dates: May 1–2, 2000Location: Golden, ColoradoContact: Gail Norby, 303-384-7407E-mail: Gail_Norby@nrel.gov

Photovoltaic Design & Installation: Participantslearn how to design, install, and use photo-voltaic technology to produce electricity fromthe sun. They learn system sizing, site analysis,hardware specification, and component selec-tion. This workshop is for the beginner andthose seeking employment in the solar indus-try. Given by members of Solar EnergyInternational.

Dates: May 1–12, 2000Location: Carbondale, ColoradoContact: Solar Energy International, 970-963-8855http://www.solarenergy.org

Life-Cycle Costing: DOE’s Federal EnergyManagement Program is presenting workshopsto help implement Executive Order 13123.They are open to engineers, architects, energyanalysts, Federal energy coordinators, andmanagers of Federal, state, and local govern-ment facilities as well as those in the privatesector. The basic two-day workshop provides aframework for evaluating and comparing theeconomic performance of alternative energyconservation strategies.

Dates: May 15–16, 2000Location: Denver, ColoradoContact: Amy Tilton, P.O. Box 999 (K8-62),Richland, WA 99352http://www.pnl.gov/femp

11th Annual Midwest Renewable Energy Fair: Thefair will be held at the Dane County ExpositionCenter in conjunction with the American SolarEnergy Society’s Solar 2000 conference (seebelow). Sponsored by the Midwest RenewableEnergy Association.

Dates: June 16–18, 2000Location: Madison, WisconsinContact: MREA, 715-592-6595http//: www.the-mrea.org

Solar 2000 (Solar Powers Life — Share the Energy):Solar 2000 will explore the many ways solarpowers life. This meeting is held in conjunctionwith the Midwest Renewable EnergyAssociation’s Midwest Renewable Energy Fair. A Million Solar Roofs Initiative QuarterlyMeeting will also be held here on June 21.Sponsored by the American Solar EnergySociety (ASES) and others.

Dates: June 19–21, 2000 Location: Madison, WisconsinContact: ASES, 303-443-3130http//:www.ases.org/conference/solar2000.htm

PublicationsThe following publications can be obtained on the Web at http://www.repp.org or by contacting Mary Kathryn Campbell at theRenewable Energy Policy Project, Center forRenewable Energy and Sustainable Technology(REPP-CREST), 202-293-2898.

Financing Solar Energy in the U.S., by Michael T.Eckhart: This paper creates a framework for afuture project on the "finance ability" of solarenergy. It considers solar energy from the pointof view of potential lenders, who assess thelikelihood of repayment on the basis of threefactors. Policies and programs must addressthese factors to have an impact on market-based lending decisions. This paper proposes a project to develop such policies.

The Grassroots Are Greener: A Community-BasedApproach to Marketing Green Power, by RuddMayer, Eric Blank, and Blair Swezey; ResearchReport No.8, June 1999: One of the most suc-cessful U.S. green pricing programs emergedfrom an innovative partnership between theLand and Water Fund of the Rockies andPublic Service Company of Colorado. Anapproach in which the environmental grouphelps to market the utility's green powerentails risks but has potential benefits, andmay be a model for other organizations andstates.

Power Switch: Will the Restructured Electricity UtilityHelp the Environment? by Richard Hirsh andAdam Serchuk; reprinted from Environmentmagazine, September 1999: Some worry thatless regulatory oversight will harm the envi-ronment and create a market dominated bycheap, polluting sources of electric power.Others hope that new technologies will becleaner and cheaper, and people will volun-tarily buy "green" power from renewableresources. Which vision is right?

Renewable Energy Policy Outside the United States,by Curtis Moore and Jack Ihle; Issue BriefNo.14, October 1999: Many developed nationshave enacted policies to commercialize renew-able energy. Our nation can learn from all ofthem in order to expand the domestic renew-able energy market. But unless a multiyearplan for commercialization is created soon, our share of the global market will continue to shrink.

Rural Electrification with Solar Energy as a ClimateProtection Strategy, by Steven Kaufman withRichard Duke, Richard Hansen, John Rogers,Richard Schwartz, and Mark Trexler: As we tryto control energy-related greenhouse gases,rural families in the developing world struggleto build decent lives. Photovoltaic systems canbring power to those who need it most whilemaking a contribution to climate protection.

Web SitesFor up-to-date information about other newpublications, conferences, special events, andfunding assistance and opportunities, pleasesee the following Web sites:

The American Wind Energy Associationhttp://www.awea.org/

Center of Excellence for Sustainable Developmenthttp://www.sustainable.doe.gov/

Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Managment Programhttp://www.eren.doe.gov/femp/

Million Solar Roofs Initiativehttp://www.MillionSolarRoofs.org

National Renewable Energy Laboratoryhttp://www.nrel.gov/

Sandia National Laboratorieshttp://www.sandia.gov/

Renewable Energy Policy Projecthttp://www.repp.org/

Solar Energy Industries Associationhttp://www.seia.org/

The Sustainable Buildings Industry Councilhttp://www.sbicouncil.org/

Utility PhotoVoltaic Grouphttp://www.upvg.org/upvg/index.html

Save with Solar: A Technical Bulletinfor Federal Solar Energy ChampionsPatrina Eiffert, Ph.D., EditorNational Renewable Energy Laboratory1617 Cole Blvd.Golden, CO 80401-3393(303) 384-7548

Production editor: Paula PitchfordGraphic designer: Susan SczepanskiIllustrator: Jim Leyshon

Produced for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a DOE national laboratory

DOE/GO-102000-0974April 2000

Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper,including 20% postconsumer waste

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The visitors’ parking area at the USS Arizona Memorial inPearl Harbor, Hawaii, has been outfitted with new solarsafety lights. Nineteen units were installed in a joint projectfunded by the National Park Service (NPS) and the Departmentof Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). Allthe electronic components, including the single solar panelsinstalled on top of these low-profile solar lights, are housed inthe fixture frame, which is mounted at the top of the lightpole.The frame is one-piece, heavy-gauge aluminum, powder-coatedto resist corrosion. NPS staff completed the installations onsite. Both the solar units and the poles are listed on the GSAFederal Supply Schedule for quick procurement. (Online, pleasesee http://www.gsa.gov/regions/7fss/7fx/schedules/sch62ii.html.) ■

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For More InformationFEMP Help Desk:1-800-363-3732

Anne Sprunt CrawleyTechnical Assistance Program ManagerFederal Energy Management ProgramU.S. Department of Energy1000 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington, DC 20585202-586-1505

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