LSES director Jeff Shaw brought solar to the north last Saturday…north of I-10 at least.

Stewart McFerran, head of the Alexandria LSES sub-chapter, hosted Shaw’s intensive solar informational course in Alexandria for the first time Saturday, Jan. 23.

From solar basics to tax incentives, Shaw covered every inch of solar material to better educate people of Alexandria interested in solar.  By the end of the course, attendants learned what makes a site ideal for solar installation, different system type, sizes, and equipment, tax incentives, and solar economics.

The three-hour course left attendants eager to learn more.

When discussing the price of solar modules, McFerran raised a question.  “Do you think the situation in Haiti will raise the price of modules at all?” he said.

Shaw offered his perspective.

“No, I do not foresee any problem with that,” he said.

He also explained China is the main exporter of modules, which, according to Shaw, do not last as long as American-made modules.  He said in order to compete with China’s module prices, the US has been lowering its prices on its own modules.

“China’s module import causes panel and module prices in US to drop.  I foresee these to drop again in 2010,” Shaw said.

Workshop attendants also gained insight on LSES efforts to improve solar rights in Louisiana.

“We’re trying to stop people from stopping you to put in solar,” Shaw explained.  “We want to get it (new legislation) in statewide before national level takes it over.”

This may have been the push that prompted three attendants to join LSES on the spot.  Kenneth and Melanie McMullan and Ken Farmer from the Alexandria area are the newest members of LSES, which meets in Alexandria on the third Wednesday of each month.

And according to McFerran, Alexandria has a hefty list of solar events ahead for 2010.

LSES director Jeff Shaw educates people of Alexandria on solar basics and provided equipment for hands-on learning.

For more information on Alexandria’s LSES sub-chapter, please contact Stewart McFerran at samcferran@msn.com.