ATTENDEES:

Gary Dornier

Rex Gay

Jim and Bobbie Cochran

Mona Evans

Steve Coppock

Jeff Shaw

Emily McCalla

Craig Page

Thomas Bennett

Dick Ehrlicher

Herbert and Lois Anne Sumrall

Paul Roberts

Barry Meyer

Matthew Newman

Archie Hall

Chris Trimble

Bill Catchings

Niels deHoop

Morgan M. Watson

*Others not signed in

• SOLAR TOUR
  • April 14-15 Saturday and Sunday 9-5
  • Sent emails to our SolarPros and past participants
  • Have 7 homes signed up already
  • Asked if anyone has any news concerning participants etc.
  • Advertising: We have an offer to sponsor an ad in the Advocate
  • Ask if people can help advertise and to email me with info
  • Issues that we’ve had in the past
    • Scheduling conflicts
    • Website issues
• FUTURE SOLAR LEGISLATION
  • Insurance Policies
    • Brought up in last meeting that insurance for solar needs to be mandated by the state
    • Ask about any existing problems with insurance policies that people are aware of
    • LSES will send out a survey to all of our installers and SolarPros asking if they have had any problems with insurance policies for solar.  The installers and SolarPros should then send the survey to all of their customers.
    • What should homeowners do:
      • Notify agent before beginning installation to understand your insurance company’s policy on solar
      • Check your original policy
      • Maybe look for a rider or endorsement
      • “Use diminished cost value after rebate”
    • Meeting Info:
      • Farm Bureau doesn’t cover solar
      • State Farm will cover
• ST. HELENA PARISH JAIL PROJECT POWER POINT
  • Morgan M. Watson presented a Power Point on the St. Helena Parish jail solar energy project
  • Link to the Power Point will provide complete information
  • Summary:
    • Project included a solar electric component and a solar hot water component for St. Helena Parish jail
    • Solar provides all emergency power and hot water, relieving the jail of security issues
    • Program trained 8 previously unemployed individuals to install solar
    • Has been running since the end of December
    • Backup designed to last 5 days
    • Largest Solar PV 3-phase battery backup system in the US
• OPEN DISCUSSION
  • Panels usually have a 25-year life- most only show a 10% degradation after this time
  • Hail damage- not usually an issue.
    • Panels are tested using 1 inch ball bearings at 52 mph
  • Sader Solar
    • Solar panel leasing program- Complete SCAM!
    • Solar calculator on their site shows $140 worth of electricity in one month no matter what numbers you input
    • Predominately in New Orleans, but has been showing up recently in East Baton Rouge Parish
    • Need to check with the Better Business Bureau to help handle this situation

The next LSES meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 5th, 2012!  The meeting will take place at The Great Wall Chinese Buffet on College Drive in Baton Rouge.  Dinner begins at 6:30pm, and our meeting will begin at 7:00.  Our topics for this meeting are yet to be determined. If you have any ideas for topics or would like to present at the meeting please send us an email!

If you have any questions or comments about this month’s meeting please email emily@lses.org.

The next LSES meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 6th, 2012!  The meeting will take place at The Great Wall Chinese Buffet on College Drive in Baton Rouge.  Dinner begins at 6:30pm, and our meeting will begin at 7:00.  Our topics for this month include the following:

• LSES Spring Solar Tour Update
• Solar Insurance Policy Issues
• Review of the LSES Solar Tax Credit Report

If you have any questions or comments about this month’s meeting please email emily@lses.org.

Meeting Notes

January 16, 2012

*REMINDER: Pay dues as soon as possible through PayPal (link found on LSES web site under JOIN) or check mailed to 5261 Highland Rd. PO Box 217, Baton Rouge, LA 70808

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

Spring Solar Tour 2012 Planning:

Dates set for Saturday, April 14 – Sunday, April 15, 2012

Deadline to add a house to the tour is Friday, March 16, 2012

Cost will be $5 per group- didn’t seem to deter attendees last year

Looking to have houses from all over Louisiana

First step is lining up homes to be on the tour:

Will contact participants from previous tours

Will contact dealers and installers to ask for participants

Already have a few people asking to be on the tour

Can choose to open up house for either one date or both dates

Will create a packet of information including maps and figures for tour attendees

Will try to advertise in local newspapers, radio and through social networking

Incentive Update:

Federal:

Residential tax credit remains 30% uncapped doesn’t expire until the end of 2016The US Department of the Treasury 1603 Program expired and Congress did not renew

• This reimbursed up to 30% of COMMERCIAL solar installation
• Does not affect residential tax credits

State:

50% tax credit with no expiration

• Could be in jeopardy every legislative session
• Could cut these tax credits, always a concern

Financing Options:

Installers in attendance explained the financing options that they are offering

• EcoPro offers a $25k loan “same as cash”
• EnerBank offers a $45 loan “same as cash
  • Most installers are using this option

Many people are shifting investment funds to invest in solar because they are getting a better return on investment

“Solar Leasing”- has NOT been approved by the Louisiana Department of Revenue

Open Discussion:

            Herb and Lois Anne Sumrall have been averaging a $3-4 energy bill from use of their solar system

Next Meeting Topics:

Future Solar Legislation

            Idea: Mandate insurance policy for solar panels per state

Spring Solar Tour 2012 Details

*Next meeting is set for February 6, 2012

The next LSES monthly meeting will be Monday, December 5. The location will be in the banquet room of the Great Wall Restaurant on College Drive in Baton Rouge. Dinner at the buffet begins at 6:30 p.m. and meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. Our topics include:

• Recap of the Dallas Solar Power International Conferenence.
• Discussion of Increase Cost of  Power for LA ratepayers.
• American vs Chinese Manufacturing of Solar Panels debate.
• Announcement of Spring Tour Date 2012.

If you have any questions or comments about this month’s meeting please email karen@lses.org.

Hello Solar Enthusiasts!

The next LSES monthly meeting will be Monday, June 6. The location will be in the banquet room of the Great Wall Restaurant on College Drive in Baton Rouge. Dinner at the buffet begins at 6:30 p.m. and discussion starts at 7:00 p.m. Our topics include:

• Recap of the Spring Solar Homes Tour (Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8 ): We would like to hear from members that had their homes on tour as well as visitors that took the tour.   We will also consider ways to improve our annual fall tour.  This October will be the 11th year for LSES  to participate in the annual ASES National Solar Tour!

• Recap of the American Solar Energy Society annual caucus held on May  10 in Raleigh.
• LSES will also be discussing its involvement in a statewide solar project. This wonderful project is set up to collect solar data from individuals in every state and compile it for a continuous study. Come to the meeting on Monday to find out all the project details and how you can become involved!

If you have any questions or comments about this month’s meeting please email lisa@lses.org.

The August 4, 2010 release of a “Letter of Intent – Solar Water Heating System Design Requirements” by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has caused great concern and problems for solar hot water installations in Louisiana.  It was distributed to numerous city and parish permit office officials for their interpretation and subsequent enforcement.   Numerous groups including the Louisiana Solar Energy Society and the Alliance for Affordable Energy have already come out against the requirements.  If a refresher is needed on solar hot water basics and terminology it can be found here: http://homepower.com/basics/hotwater/

The 10 page DHH letter covers some basic, common sense requirements mixed in with many absurd declarations.  Some of these are:

1.       The outlaw of “direct circulation and open loop systems” – This method of solar water heating is ideal for our climate, is the lowest cost and therefore the quickest payback, and has been the recommended system of choice for over 10 years by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources.  With our state paying for 50% of the purchases it would make sense to keep a low cost solar water heating option available.

2.       The requirement of “double-walled heat exchangers to protect the potable water from contamination by the heat transfer fluid” – “Heat transfer fluid” in most solar water heater systems is water.  In some cases where “drainback” cannot be accomplished a mixture of food-grade glycol and water is used.  The use of non-toxic fluid is actually a requirement in the letter.  For the freeze protection level required in Louisiana the typical mix is 25% food-grade glycol with 75% water.  DOWFROST, the most common used heat transfer fluid is USDA and FDA approved for this purpose and is non-toxic.  Specific labeling on the tank indicates the non-toxic fluid requirements should replacement be needed in the future.  Why would a double-walled, less efficient heat exchanger be required when only non-toxic fluids can be used?  In addition, how could a failure of a heat exchanger with UNPRESSURIZED NON-TOXIC fluid contaminate a pressurized water system?  Has it ever anywhere in the world?

3.       The requirement of a “reduced pressure principle type backflow preventer assembly” to be “installed immediately downstream of the water meter” – This has caused the greatest amount of heartburn out of all of the requirements listed in the letter.  The backflow preventers, also known to plumbers as “RPZ’s” are an additional cost to insure backflow protection in the unlikely event of a pressurized heat exchanger failure filled with toxic fluid contaminating the public water supply.  To add to the absurdity, the requirement is that they be placed above ground at the street fully exposing them to damage, theft, tampering and freezing.  Most homeowners, when presented with the requirement of an RPZ sticking up in their yard at the street will decide against solar hot water for that reason.  An alternate to putting these RPZ’s at the street and locating them at the heat exchanger would make a little more sense than street mounted but is not allowed.  RPZ’s can only be installed by a licensed plumber that holds a Water Supply Protection Specialist (WSPS) endorsement which further increases the cost.  Then the letter places the burden of maintenance and annual inspection on the homeowner for life on the installed RPZ.

In addition, to adhere to current plumbing code, if the line between the meter and the home is galvanized the line will have to be replaced as it cannot be spliced. This adversely affects the economic  feasibility of solar hot water installations.

Many solar hot water systems installed in Louisiana are non-pressurized, drainback type meaning they can never cause any backflow pressure on a water system, much less one that is operating under normal pressure.  The letter does not address or exclude these systems nor does it exclude systems where the solar fluid is plain water.

It appears there are good intentions in protecting the public water supply but this letter seems to miss the mark.  When this letter and its requirements have been discussed with parish permit officials, licensed plumbers and licensed solar installers all agree that this is not necessary, costly and detrimental to the installation of solar thermal water heating systems in Louisiana.

First, here is the link to the Letter of Intent: http://www.dhh.state.la.us/offices/publications/pubs-204/Letter%20of%20Intent%20-%20Solar%20Water%20Heaters.pdf

*** UPDATE 11/4/11*** –    The DHH has issued a “Revised Letter of Intent” which strikes “PROBLEM #3″ listed above.  This is a start to retracting the entire letter and will save on some of the state mandated installation costs for the Louisiana homeowner.  It does not retract issues #1 and #2 above.  Reread these and also the following:

http://homepower.com/article/?file=HP102_pg124_Letters_2

Jeff Shaw
Director – LSES

There will be no meeting Monday, May 2. Please check our website for further date changes and future meeting topics.

Any questions or comments may be sent to LSES State Coordinator Lisa Bordlee at lisa@lses.org.

LSES is excited to announce that the 2011 Spring Solar Homes Tour will be Saturday, May 14, and Sunday, May 15! This year’s tour is now a full weekend event.  A total of 19 locations are participating and many new home systems will be on display. Please spread the word to all of your friends and anyone you know that is interested in solar!

Registration can be completed on the LSES website, www.lses.org. Visitors can click to register on the website homepage or under our “Spring Solar Tour” page. Complete registration details will be provided there. Anyone who wishes to attend the tour only needs to make a small donation of $5 to LSES and he or she will receive through email the official tour guide booklet. This guide is an insider’s look into each tour location. It provides pictures, system descriptions, and quotes from the solar homeowners. It also lists which days and hours each location will be open for attendees.

From there, attendees will sign-up for the locations they wish to tour through email. All emails will be sent to LSES State Coordinator Lisa Bordlee, lisa@lses.org, with the following information: (1) Your full name, (2) Number of people in party and (3)Locations you wish to tour and which day you will be attending that location. From there, attendees will receive a confirmation email with location addresses and a link to Google Maps.

The last day to register for locations is Friday, May 13! Any questions may be sent to LSES State Coordinator Lisa Bordlee, lisa@lses.org.