The Solar Garden: A New Model for Communities
March 9, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Denver Colorado, March 09, 2010
Vibrant Solar will be showcasing the highest efficiency solar module in the world at an event that works to expand availability of solar for home owners throughout the state.
The citizens initiative SolarGardens.org will be unveiling a working Solar Garden in Westminster, Colorado March 11, 2010, the same day the Solar Gardens bill (HB 1342) will be introduced into the Colorado State Assembly. The bill, introduced by Claire-Levy (D-Boulder, Gilpin) will allow people to come together in groups from 10-1,500 to establish community-scale power plants. A Solar Garden can be located on multiple homes, large buildings, or integrated into working agricultural land. Vibrant's SunCube™ advanced concentrated solar module produces nearly twice as much power as standard solar panels, taking up less space and costing far less, making it particularly suitable for solar gardens.
The event, beginning at 11am at 4800 West 80th Ave, Westminster CO, will consist of a press conference and tours of the solar garden and will be free and open to the public. This will be the site of a future Solar Information Center open to the public. It will be followed by a lunch presentation at Los Arcos restaurant featuring several speakers, including Senator Gail Schwartz (D- Southern Colorado) and Joy Hughes, founder of SolarPanelHosting.com.
"The idea of Solar Gardens is beginning to capture the public's attention and imagination. We are active in at least a dozen Colorado Counties and a dozen U.S. States. The interest is spreading around the globe through SolarGardens.org and the Solar Gardens Facebook group." says Hughes.
"Imagine getting a check in the mail each month instead of an electric bill. SolarPanelHosting.com pays like a small oil well on your roof, but without the mess." says Hughes. "Property owners and investors have been asking how they can make money from solar energy. We hope to show how investors can realize a rapid return."
"Libraries, schools, and churches can benefit by hosting a solar garden on their property. Homeowners can donate roof space to support their favorite charity. Using rooftops instead of industrial solar farms helps protect important landscapes like Colorado's San Luis Valley. We support independent solar professionals in each area." The hosting revenue for at least 10% of the panels at the Solar Garden in Westminster, Colorado will be donated to a non-profit organization to be chosen by SolarGardens.org members.
At the Westminster model garden, ten subscribers each will purchase the rights to solar panels providing one kilowatt of solar energy. Some of the subscribers will be tenants in the building, demonstrating how a subscription to a solar garden on the same building can be part of a standard rental contract. Other subscribers will be located in the local neighborhood, around Colorado, and as far away as Seattle. According to Hughes, "Remote panel owners can gain more in sunshine than the cost of their subscription. Owning a share of a solar garden could very well be less expensive than going it alone. People will be able to go solar with just a click."
About SolarPanelHosting.com
Based in the rural community of Saguache, Colorado, SolarPanelHosting.com offers a way for everyone to own solar panels in their community, even if they have a shady roof, rent an apartment, or might move. As a pioneer Hosting Service Provider, SPH is bringing together solar subscribers, property owners, investors, and local solar professionals to build and manage distributed power plants throughout America. This independent company is dedicated to protecting critical landscapes through ten principles of responsible solar development. Website:http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
About SolarGardens.org
SolarGardens.org is forming as a non-profit cooperative, organizing communities to pool their resources to go solar. Libraries and schools, churches and non-profit groups can benefit by hosting a distributed power plant where anyone can own solar panels. SolarGardens.org advocates for community based energy development through legislation such as Colorado's "Solar Gardens" bill, introduced in 2010 (HR 1342). Solar Gardens are self-organizing everywhere, beginning to transform America through solar power and people power.
For Further Information Contact:
Mark Simmons
Vice President, Marketing & Sales
Vibrant Solar, Inc.C
4321 Broadway Ste 3
Denver, CO 80216-3500
Office 303-604-6696
Cell 720-985-8522
Fax 303-835-4165
mark.simmons@vibrantsolar.com
www.vibrantsolar.com
Introducing the SunCube™
February 1st, 2010
Download PDF
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vibrant Solar Announces Residential Lease Program for Colorado
February 1, 2010…Vibrant Solar, Inc., announced today that the company is now offering a Residential Lease Program to makes it easier for residential customers to finance solar photovoltaic panel systems for their homes. Vibrant has been developing the new leasing program since the Colorado State Legislature passed, and Governor Ritter signed a new law that allows third party ownership of small category solar photovoltaic systems.
Mark Simmons, Vibrant Solar’s vice president of sales and marketing, said that, “many home owners cannot afford the significant up-front cost of solar even though they want to save money on electricity bills and want to reduce their carbon emissions. Home equity loans are not a solution for many– either they cannot get one given the current banking
market, or they dare not given their own economic situation. Vibrant has a backlog
approaching 1,500 home owners in this situation.”
The Vibrant Solar Residential Lease Program requires no down payment, no up-front costs and an immediate savings of 20% on customers’ monthly electric bill. “This lease program is unique among the various leasing programs on the market recently because of the zero payment up front and the savings over the long term,” Simmons explained. “The customer doesn’t make a payment until one month after the system is installed. That gives us a month to measure their usage so we can then calculate what their starting charge will be. The charge for the lease is always 80% of their utility electric bill."
“So, the customer pays nothing until one month after installation and then pays 80% of their electric bill each month for the term of the lease,” Simmons continued. “Even with electric bills rising an average of 5% per year, Vibrant customers will always save 20% off their electric usage.”
The Vibrant Leasing Program allows home owners to acquire a solar photovoltaic system, and eliminate their electricity bill and carbon dioxide emissions from coal power plants. Robert Quist, Vibrant Solar's Director Large Array Sales said, "In many cases the lease payment will be substantially lower than what you are paying right now to your utility." The actual savings depend on numerous factors, including which utility serves them and whether a rebate is available. Their home or building increases in value and they cut their carbon footprint. It's a win-win-win." Owners do not need equity to qualify for the leasing program, as the value of the solar array is sufficient.
An average home on the Front Range uses about 8,000 kilowatt hours per year. At current Xcel Energy rates, that costs about $47 per month. With the Vibrant Lease Program, the homeowner would pay $37.60 (80% of the monthly electric bill), saving $9.40 per month or $112.80 per year. If you calculate the projected 5% per year increase in electric charges (which recently have been closer to 8%), then homeowners can expect to be paying $85 per month for electricity. With the Vibrant Lease, they would only be paying $68 per month, a savings of $204 per year.
“So, you can see the long-term savings are great,” continued Simmons. “But the major differentiator for our program is the zero up-front cost. In this economy, we’ve learned that is the most important issue for our customers. With no money down, our customers are excited that they can install their system and start saving on electricity immediately.”
The Vibrant Solar Residential Lease Program then runs for 15 years, but the customer has the option to buy out the lease after the 6th and 10th years if that provides a more positive financial situation for them.
Vibrant Solar is one of the leading solar system design, engineering and installation companies in Colorado. “Customers like the fact that we are locally owned and operated,” said Simmons. “And our leasing program is the only one that is also locally operated. All of the others are run out of state.” J&A Solar is the financial partner with Vibrant Solar for the leasing program.
Vibrant Solar also offers a similar leasing program for their commercial customers, with options for either capital or operating lease programs.
Introducing the SunCube™
December 21, 2009
Download PDF
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Colorado Firm Releases 31% Efficient SunCube CPV Module Highest Efficiency Solar PV in the World
Helios Solar LLC in partnership with designer-integrator Vibrant Solar, Inc, announced today the release of Helios Solar's SunCube™ Mark 9.2 module. Sales have begun with installations slated to begin in Spring 2010. Vibrant will do all sales and installation in the initial phase while Helios focuses on supply and building US factories to produce the SunCube domestically.
The SunCube™ is 31% efficient, whereas the standard PV thin film and flat panels have a 10% to 18.5% efficiency range. This means that fewer solar modules are required, with a lot lower cost, to produce enough electricity to power a home, commercial business, factory or large power user, city, even a utility. Helios' VP Marketing & Sales Mark Simmons noted "Other CPV modules have been announced but none that we know of have near the efficiency of the SunCube."
The SunCube™ CPV uses technology which has been in satellites and spacecraft for more than a decade. Emcore, in Albuquerque, manufactures the triple junction gallium arsenide cells which are the heart of the SunCube. These cells have three layers, converting the visible light spectrum, infrared and ultraviolet. Silicon cells convert only part of the visible spectrum. The chips are housed in a highly specialized ground mounted dual axis tracking system, optimizing the available sunlight, concentrating 750+ suns on the chips. The result is about double the electrical output compared to standard solar panels. Triple junction cells have a very high tolerance to heat and produce power when silicon cells fail in the heat. SunCube arrays could be placed in desert areas throughout the southwestern USA where temperature prohibit standard PV panels.
The SunCube™, developed by Australia's Green and Gold Energy Pty (GGE), is licensed exclusively to Helios Solar LLC of Denver, for the Southwestern USA and Hawaii. Until there are other American licensees Helios can sell throughout the country. GGE's CEO and SunCube's developer Greg Watson and Deepak Kelkar, Managing Director of GGE's India licensee Square Engineering have been in Denver for two weeks of consultation and planning at Vibrant's Denver office. Helios is sharing space, given the shared ownership of the two firms, until their factory is built. They completed installation of Helios' demonstration array last week.
Helios' CEO President Scott VanKirk stated "I watched Green and Gold develop from one inventor, Greg Watson, and one working model nearly four years ago through his R&D facility opening in January 2008, licensing to India then Spain, until they were ready for us." VanKirk founded Helios in 2007 and awaited the time when GGE could supply the American market.
Simmons, one of the Helios partners, stated "We recently quoted a project for military base housing which required $14.6 million in standard rooftop solar panels. Using SunCubes instead the project only costs $9.1 million, for the same amount of electricity production." Simmons estimates he and Vibrant's Director of Sales Robert Quist have delivered proposals for over 3,000 Megawatts of SunCubes thus far. Quist said "A lot of RFPs from government and other non-profits are non-starters with the cost of standard solar modules, but work economically with SunCubes." Vibrant has Leasing and Power Purchase Agreement partners who can offer the product on a 10 to 25 year basis at very competitive power production rates– as low as $.04/kWh when local or state incentives are available. This makes it competitive with new coal plants, a cost parity essential for renewables to eliminate coal.
The SunCube represents a paradigm shift, though, which requires some educating. Most Requests for Proposal (RFPs) stipulate an array size such as One Megawatt or, in the recent case of the Denver Public Schools RFP, 100 Kilowatts of solar times 30 to 50 sites. "With SunCubes," Simmons observed, "we have to ask "Do you want the output of one megawatt of standard solar, about 1.4 million kilowatt hours (kWh), which would only require 600 Kilowatts of SunCubes, or do you want one megawatt of SunCube which outputs up to 2.5 million kWh/year depending on insolation?"
The SunCube™ requires half the acreage of standard solar ground arrays per megawatt hour of production. It can be repaired and retrofitted in the field. Emcore is already working on chips with 50% and higher efficiency. The SunCube's plug and play feature allow it to keep up with current chip technology. These and its obvious competitive advantages give Helios' founders, ten local entrepreneurs, confidence to move forward on plans to build the assembly plant.
VanKirk said a primary goal is to create American jobs, by hiring for the assembly plant, by sourcing all parts locally, and by contracting installation through Vibrant and its large array and civil engineering partners. "The farthest we will need to go for parts supply is Albuquerque" said VanKirk. He stressed that Helios is not yet ready to receive resumes, saying "We are in the process of site selection, while sales ramp up. We should start hiring in second quarter 2010."
Helios is planning to build one or more manufacturing plants in Colorado and possibly more across the southwestern USA, to produce these revolutionary solar modules. Until the Colorado plant is opened, Helios is importing the SunCube™ from Square's ISO 9001 certified Satara, India plant. Each assembly line at the factory is capable of producing 100 Megawatts of SunCubes per year, with capacity of four lines, to produce 400 Megawatts per year. Vibrant Solar will do all sales and installation for the near future.
VanKirk and Simmons have been meeting with Economic Development Corporations and Colorado state officials in the process of site selection for the first plant. An RFP to all EDCs and cooperative groups along the Front Range will be sent out soon. Each assembly line in the plant is expected to employ 180 staff directly and over a thousand indirectly. Therefore the full factory can employ thousands, in well-paid long term positions. This is the essence of sustainable business.
An alliance between Helios and the only independent nuclear power plant company in the USA is in the planning. Colorado commercial real estate broker Thorne Davis, of Davis Company, with ex-State Representative Dr. Juan Trujillo consulting, is spearheading the effort to develop the Colorado Energy Park outside Pueblo, intending 20 Megawatts or more of SunCubes along with other renewable energy producers plus a state of the art nuclear plant. But the client has also requested and received a proposal for 2,000 MW of SunCubes per 3,400 MW nuclear plant. Now THAT is a solution for continued greenhouse gas emissions.
Illustrations & Photos Available Upon Request.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mark Simmons
Vice President, Marketing & Sales
Vibrant Solar, Inc. & Helios Solar LLC
4321 Broadway Ste 3
Denver, CO 80216-3500
Office 303-604-6696
Cell 720-985-8522
mark.simmons@vibrantsolar.com
www.vibrantsolar.com
www.heliossolarcpv.com
SunCube™ is a trademark owned by Green and Gold Energy Pty., Ltd. Used under exclusive license authority. All Rights Reserved.
Vibrant Solar Breaks Sales Record Despite Poor Economy
November 30, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
It's been an extremely difficult year for many local industries, including solar. The near-boom times of 2007 and 2008 were crushed in late 2008, in large part due to the loss of home equity, banks not willing or able to make loans, loss of jobs and the threat or more losses. Solar was hit harder than some local industries, as laid off workers from other industries took a solar course at a local community college and started their own solar installation company. The number of companies jumped from 200 in early 2008 to 700 early this year. Competition made prices lower but decreased operating margins, destroying what thin profitability there was. This happened throughout the country, but with Colorado's drive to create a green energy job sector the damage is more severe. According to Mark Simmons, VP Marketing & Sales for locally owned Vibrant Solar, "we, along with our major competitors, were forced to lay off staff to survive." Exactly the opposite effect desire by the industry, the Governor and the Governor's Energy Office.
Worldwide sales of solar photovoltaic panels collapsed.
Prices dropped for the first time, an unexpected 45% during the first half of the year. Manufacturers and distributors began layoffs, struggling to remain solvent. Given there is little renewable energy manufacturing, and no distributors, in Colorado, it was mostly the installers who suffered... and every local firm supporting the solar business.
Vibrant laid off half it's 42 staff. Vibrant's eight sales staff hunkered down and worked extra hours. "We had made sales to look easy to our Operations side, but this year they saw it was terribly difficult to make a sale," said residential-commercial specialist Tom Schwing. With marketing budgets drastically reduced they had to find more sales leads themselves. And they succeeded. July saw the beginning of the turnaround, setting monthly sales record of $720,000. Key was a 100 kilowatt array for Andrews Foodservice Systems in Pueblo. August eclipsed July and Vibrant saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Vibrant beat last year's total of $6.1 million, reaching $7.7 million in sales by end of November. Three large projects 100KW, 186KW and 235KW, are included. Vibrant has held off announcing the last two until their rebates have been approved by Xcel Energy. Schwing had two sales pending, at 100KW and 300KW, $2.2 million. Both have been canceled due to the changes.
Simmons observed "Our partnership with the Denver Botanic Gardens, the startup of our Southern Colorado branch, and our experience in commercial solar made a huge difference, helped us survive and force the turnaround." Senior VP Peter Frost, who took over Vibrant's Accounting Department last month, said "We are still running lean, to get back to full health. We re-hired most of the staff we laid off, but not all of the positions have been reinstated. Our suppliers are again happy with us."
The Future Looks Both Dicey and Bright
Vibrant has six months of projects on the books now, so a full recovery is certain. But the local industry, including Vibrant, is reeling from changes in the Xcel Energy Solar Rewards Program, enacted September 21. The rebate program has two components– the $2 per watt rebate mandated by Amendment 37 and the optional Renewable Energy Credit (REC) that Xcel pays to purchase the RECs and prove it has achieved the goal of 20% of its electricity production from renewable energy by 2020. The amount Xcel pays for RECs is purely up to Xcel... and there are reducing the amount dramatically this quarter and into next year. As the REC payment goes down buyers' out of pocket costs go up, making purchasing a solar array a harder decision. Worse,
no longer is the rebate total affixed when a rebate application is submitted. It's only secured weeks later when Xcel approves the rebate. There is a limited amount of available REC payment, decreasing each time another megawatt of applications are approved. One megawatt is equivalent of 200 home systems but only three or four medium category commercial systems.
Not knowing what REC payment the customer will receive necessitated adding a clause to every contract, allowing the customer to cancel if the REC payment has dropped more than they can tolerate. "... so a sale is no longer a sale," said Simmons with a wry smile. Vibrant received three approved rebates last week, all at a lower rate than expected. This has jeopardized more than half of those sales everyone at Vibrant worked so hard to achieve. Simmons does not know whether those three projects will move forward or be canceled. Jack Studebaker, one of Vibrant's part-time sales reps, lost a 20 kilowatt sale, $120,000 sales earlier this month two days after signing, when Vibrant discovered the ramifications of the rule changes.
As the REC payment continues to drop, to a scheduled 5¢ per watt, the market will get worse. Many local installers have already shut their doors. The startups, who were arguably underemployed already, are back to unemployment.
Vibrant, at least, has a positive outlook.
They recently launched a leasing program for both residential and commercial systems. The REC payment is larger in that category, and nearly three megawatts are available before it begins to drop. This will help in the near term.
Vibrant recently opened an office in Pueblo, were Black Hills Energy has maintained a larger rebate program and business continues to be good there. Vibrant is the market leader in southern Colorado, with about 1/3rd of total sales there. They began hiring local staff for the Pueblo operation in October.
Vibrant's sister company Helios Solar LLC is the exclusive licensee for the highest efficiency solar photovoltaic product in the world, the SunCube™ from Green and Gold Energy, Pty, Australia. At 31% efficiency the SunCube produces twice as much electricity as flat solar panels at only 1/3rd higher cost. Vibrant is the exclusive installer throughout the US Southwestern states and Hawaii. Frost said that a UL listing is expected in the first quarter of 2010, whereupon Vibrant will secure a CEC certification and be able to begin selling and installing. "The SunCube does not need a rebate to be economically viable," stated Simmons with a much brighter smile. We can sell it statewide, and will have markets that have no rebate program completely to ourselves." Vibrant has already quoted numerous large arrays, from 500 kilowatts to 20 megawatts, throughout the state.
Andrews Foodservice Gets Largest Solar Array in Pueblo
October 29, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vibrant Solar is about to install the largest commercial solar array in southern Colorado, a 100 Kilowatt system for Andrews Foodservice Systems on Industrial Boulevard in Pueblo West. The project is expected to be completed in January 2010. Along with energy controllers this system will offset 23% of Andrews' huge electricity demand, reducing pollution by 1.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year. Owners George Andrews III, Jacque Ponx and Debbie Hinkle are proud to get this massive solar array. George said "We are very excited to be able to reduce our electricity bills by a substantial amount. This also marks a great attempt for us to support the ‘Go Green’ initiative and we will be looking for additional ways to expand this. Overall, we feel this is a win in many ways; for us, the community and the environment."
Vibrant Solar is based in Denver and is all Colorado-owned. They are dedicated to becoming a local Pueblo solar company, by hiring local people. Vibrant has contracted Abel Engineering Professionals for structural engineering and two local firms are in line for electrical work. Canyon National Bank provided financing. Vibrant is hiring most of it Pueblo staff from the local area. Denver managers are rotating through the Pueblo office while local staff is being trained.
Dr. Juan Trujillo, who introduced Vibrant to Andrews, commented "I am aiding Vibrant Solar for the Pueblo jobs. The Vibrant staff have a lot of experience and knowledge. Their design and financial projection tools are superior. They are an excellent addition to our community."
Vibrant was first brought to town by Dr. Trujillo and his partner, southern Colorado real estate broker Thorne Davis. They are cooperating to develop the Colorado Energy Park southeast of town. The Colorado Energy Park vision includes new generation safe nuclear power plant with renewable energy arrays with the goal of replacing coal fired power plants for baseload electricity in southern Colorado. AEHI and Vibrant are both involved, and the talk is a solar array between 20 megawatts and a staggering 2,000 megawatts of solar. That would make this by far the largest solar array in the world, but even the 20 megawatt size would be the largest in Colorado and one of the largest in the USA. Mr. Davis has been the primary catalyst, bringing together the partners in renewable and nuclear energy, to move the project forward. Vibrant's sister company Helios Solar LLC has licensed a high efficiency concentrated solar photovoltaic product from Australia with the plan to build an assembly plant along the Front Range.
Meanwhile, Vibrant is making hay while the sun shines. They have sold 65 solar arrays in Pueblo since July, making them one-third of the total solar market in the area. Vibrant expects to sell six to ten systems per month as they ramp up the Pueblo operation. This will employ a growing number of residents. These are well paid jobs with a solid future... and the promise of many more green jobs as the economy recovers.
About Vibrant Solar, Inc.
Vibrant Solar is the second largest Colorado-owned solar photovoltaic (solar electric) designer-installer, with 2.2 megawatts sold. Vibrant installs systems throughout the state. With partners Vibrant installs geothermal, solar thermal systems and energy controllers, and does energy efficiency evaluations. While Vibrant installs on homes they have specialized in commercial solar, where incentives are larger and electrical systems are more complex. Recent customers included the Denver Botanic Gardens, Red Robin Restaurants, First National Bank, ADCO General Insurance, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals and Lockheed Martin. Pueblo projects in process include Andrews Foodservice Systems, Colorado Saw & Tool, and Cambria Suites. Vibrant has done commercial and residential projects throughout the state.
Vibrant Exceeds One Megawatt
December 11, 2008
Locally owned Vibrant Solar, Inc. has, in its first two years, sold one thousand kilowatts of solar photovoltaic systems. In the process they have grown from two staff to 40, plus numerous partners and contractors.
Mark Simmons, recently promoted VP of Marketing & Sales, stated “At our current rate of growth, tripling each year, we may achieve a second megawatt in 2009 in Colorado alone. Operations are beginning in southern California, and Vibrant has begun quoting large scale projects throughout the USA.”
About 60% of Vibrant’s 2008 installations were residential, 40% were commercial. Commercial is increasing quickly, while residential has tapered off during the past quarter, primarily due to economic factors.
One megawatt of solar reduces carbon emissions from coal fired power plants by an estimated 38,000,000 pounds per year. Systems installed with current technology are expected to operate for 60 years or longer.
Residential installations have reached from Denver to Grand Junction, from Fort Collins to Salida.
Commercial installations in 2008 included 1st National Bank in Boulder & building owner LJD Enterprises; Egan Printing, Denver's Green Printer; Jenkins Marketing; Wright Events Group and Lockheed Martin. Coming soon will be arrays at three Denver area Red Robin Restaurants and the Broomfield facility of worldwide generic drug manufacturer Sandoz International.
Simmons stressed “We could not have achieved our first megawatt without the excellent staff of Xcel Energy’s Solar Rewards Program plus the Holy Cross & Aspen Municipal rebate programs.”
The citizens of Colorado caused the growth in solar when they passed Amendment 37 four years ago. A federal tax credit program, plus accelerated depreciation for commercial installations, covers about 60% of the cost of residential installations. For commercial installations about 80% of the cost is covered.
Solar photovoltaic panels are manufactured primarily in the USA, China, Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany. India and Australia are both growing powers in the manufacture of solar panels. The United States’ largest manufacturer is Evergreen Solar of Massachusetts. Evergreen recently opened a vastly expanded plant, increasing production from 20 megawatts to 160 megawatts per year. Evergreen is sold out into mid 2010. Prices of solar panels are beginning to drop moderately, due to production capacity increases and a glut of silicon.
Bank of the West Helps You Go Green
Our partner Bank of the West, offers loans on both residential and commercial solar projects. Contact Jason Tammen for details.
Jason Rammen
Bank of the West
Cherry Creek Branch Manager
303-331-3578
Jason.Tammen@bankofthewest.com
Legislative Breakthrough
Residential Systems Gain In 2009
The 2009 program removes the residential cap. Homeowners will get the 30% tax credit, BASED ON THE AFTER-REBATE COST. The rebate continues to NOT be considered taxable income.
One of our sales staff's sons works for a US Senator and has been involved in drafting solar tax program bills. He commented on the nuances. Then we took the information and our questions to Vibrant Solar's lawyer, Gary Nakarado, who is one of two attorneys in Colorado that specializes in the solar industry. All information is opinion only, and should be run by your own tax professional.
AMT Relief?
On review of the solar tax credit is that you can get out of the Alternative Minimum Tax with this tax credit. The previous program excluded AMT relief.
Tell Your Friends
We suggest you pass this news along to your family and friends. If they are in Colorado (most parts anyway) or Southern California we’d be glad to give them top priority, get them a design and quote before things get too crazy. If they are in a different state we can find them a trustworthy installer through our partner, national distributor groSolar, Inc.
We can give you details on the tax credit and other factors, and do a 3D model of your home with your new solar system, all no obligation.
For more information call us at 303-604-6696 or email sales@vibrantsolar.com.
Further News & Events
30KW System Installed on First National Bank, Boulder
We completed a 20 Kilowatt solar PV on the north building, then 10KW on the south building. Congratulations to building owners LJD Enterprises of Boulder. LJD are aggressively going green and we salute them.
Lockheed Goes Green with 10KW System
This ground mounted system producing nearly 14,000 kWh and saving over 32,000 pounds of CO2 emissions per year.
28KW System Installed on Boarding House
During Fall 2008 we completed a 28 Kilowatt solar PV system at a boarding house at 1746 Emerson Street, Denver. This system features the newest panel from Evergreen, the 195 watt zero-tolerance E195, in both rooftop flush mounts and a cantilevered side mount window awning. Check it out next time you are in Denver. We appreciate our customer Granite Realty's dedication to reducing CO2 emissions. This array reduces CO2 by 54,000 pounds per year!
Colorado Garden & Home Show
Vibrant Solar is the Official Solar Sponsor at the 49th Annual Colorado Garden & Home Show February 7-15, 2009 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. www.gardeningcolorado.com
Thanks to cooperative funding support from our national distributor, groSolar Inc. and support from the top US manufacturer Evergreen Solar, we have expanded our booth and presence at this huge event. Come see the latest news, including Evergreen's new 200, 205 and 210-Watt panels with the first ever zero tolerance rating. Evergreen is the major American solar panels manufacturer.
This is an exciting time for solar. We are thrilled to meet every new person who contacts us to get the information, makes an informed decision, and takes advantage of the rebate and tax credit to go solar.
We have recently released new brochures, including key information that is also on this web site. For those who prefer hard copy, we are happy to mail the information.
Earthworks Expo 2008
Vibrant Solar was just inside the front doors at this excellent public showcase of renewable energy, energy conservation and recycling products. www.earthworks2008.com
Denver Parade of Homes
Vibrant Solar was proud to be the Official Solar Sponsor of the 2008 Parade of Homes at Solterra in Lakewood, Colorado. www.paradeofhomesdenver.com