Solar electric panels sit a top a home in Portland’s Back Bay area.

The Maine Renewable Energy Sources Act is important legislation designed to stimulate the rapid growth of renewable energy in Maine. Developed by the Midcoast Green Collaborative, the Act closely models Germany’s renowned ‘feed-in tariff’ law, which financially incentivizes home and business owners to install renewable energy-based power generation.

The law will require Maine’s utilities to pay a premium to residential and commercial renewable energy generators for the clean solar power that they produce. The funds to do this come from a small utility rate increase that affects all rate payers.

The price paid to clean electricity generators is locked in by a long term contract between grid operators and qualified generators such that renewable energy generators can expect a return on investment of at least 8% per year.

Germany pioneered the feed-in tariff concept in 1999, embarking the country on an incredible renewable energy growth spurt that has made it the worldwide leader in solar installations. Since implementation, the law has resulted in more than 2,000,000 renewable energy system installations and more than 239,000 new jobs. Grid reliability has also increased as a result, making the country’s incidence of blackouts the lowest in the world.

If passed, the Maine Renewable Energy Sources Act will rouse rapid growth of the state’s renewable energy economy, resulting in thousands of new jobs, reduced reliance on fossil fuel energy and greatly reduced CO2 emissions. Maine relies heavily on natural gas to produce electricity, which is part of the reason that Maine has the highest per capita CO2 emissions of all the New England states.

The Maine Renewable Energy Sources Act is currently being considered by the legislature and needs your support. Please contact your local state Senator and tell them that you want to see The Maine Renewable Energy Resources Program passed for a sustainable future.

Nancy and Al, proprietors of NEWAIM Fiber Mill in Waldoboro, Maine

NEWAIM Fiber Mill in Waldoboro, Maine is a fiber processing mill for spinning and knitting artists.

The owners Nancy Williams and Al Mahoney have been breeding Alpacas since 1999, and currently hold a herd of 25. They opened NEWAIM in 2005 and both now work full time in the fiber business.

Al runs the farm and maintains the mill. Nancy, who has been knitting for as long as she remembers, runs the mill and turns raw fiber into beautiful yarns and rovings.

Last winter Al & Nancy decided to make energy efficient upgrades to their operation. They started by sealing air leaks and improving insulation. Next they decided to tackle their fossil fuel consumption. On energy they say their biggest use is “the propane used to heat the water required to wash the fiber.”

To address this problem, they contracted with ReVision Energy to design and install a 90 tube solar hot water system that acts to preheat the water that enters their propane fired water heater.

How Does the Solar Hot Water System Work?

Propylene glycol, the heat exchange fluid in the system, gets hot in the rooftop collectors. Whenever the temperature of the collector fluid is hotter than the temperature of the water in the 160 gallon solar storage tank, the hot glycol circulates through a closed loop system from rooftop to heat exchange coil located at the bottom of the tank.

The solar heated water then feeds into the propane water heater. The system is designed such that if the sun has made the water hot enough, the propane boiler will not fire.

Visit their website to learn more about the NEWAIM solar installation.

People are always asking, Is there really enough sun in Maine for solar to offset my energy needs?

The answer is absolutely yes! Here’s why…

Insolation is the amount of solar energy hitting the earth’s surface and is measured in kW-hr/m2/day. The National Renewable Energy Lab has assembled worldwide insolation data to learn how much sun falls in a particular location so that one can draw a reasonably accurate conclusion as to the amount of solar energy that can be harvested on an annual basis. Below is an insolation map that has been cropped to show the relationship between Maine’s insolation versus eastern Europe’s.

Germany is the world leader when it comes to solar, yet Maine receives more sun!

Maine receives significantly more annual sunshine than Germany, the world leader in solar energy installations, yet is far behind to implement available renewable technology.

Germany has a powerful government incentive program that financially rewards people and businesses who invest in renewable energy. The ‘Feed-in Tariff’ law requires utilities to pay a premium to any home or business that generates clean renewable energy

The great news is that Feed-in Tariff legislation is currently under consideration in Maine. To support this legislation contact your local representative or senator and say that you support the Maine Renewable Energy Sources Act.

Although the US is generally far behind Europe in terms of renewable energy, we are seeing some hopeful signs of momentum building in favor of sustainable energy sources.

Currently, there is a 30% federal tax credit available for solar hot water and solar electric systems. In some states, like California, New Jersey, and Connecticut, there is also a sizable state rebate to help defray the upfront costs of a renewable energy investment. We are hopeful that Maine will be able to jump start its suspended rebate program in the near future with recent stimulus money (UPDATE: A $1000 state rebate is now available for solar hot water, and a $2000 rebate is available for solar power, thanks to Efficiency Maine)

Scantec Solo Boiler

See the latest technology available for cord wood and wood pellet boilers by attending a seminar entitled Getting Off Oil: Making the Switch from Oil to a High Efficiency Wood or Wood Pellet Central Heating System. Come and learn from the experts how these carbon neutral, cost effective systems may be your sustainable heating solution. View a system in action and learn how these gasification boilers can significantly reduce or eliminate your need for oil!

We are holding two seminars, one in each of our locations. We will discuss financing options for your boiler. Now is a great time to think about a gasification wood boiler, as BioHeat is running their spring sale! Our seminars are free and all are welcome, we hope to see you there!

Wednesday April 22nd – 5-7pm

91 W Main Street Liberty, ME 04949. Please call Holly with any questions 589-4171.

Thursday May 7th – 5-7pm

142 Presumpscot Street Portland, ME 04103. Please call Jen with any questions 221-6342.

Randy Lane, proud owner of a ReVision Energy solar hot water system, is going to be opening up his home at 8 Abby Lane in Richmond, Maine on Thursday April 16th from 6-7:30pm.

This will be ReVision Energy’s first ’sponsored’ Solar House Party event and we hope you consider joining in the fun!

Randy, a 30 year veteran of the building trades, designed and built his home with both active and passive solar applications in mind. The passive solar system is a solarium / greenhouse designed by Lane to provide supplemental space heating.

The active solar hot water application was designed and installed by ReVision Energy. There are 90 evacuated tubes installed on the south facing roof, mounted on a stainless steel racking system at 45 degrees to optimize year round performance. These collectors heat a 160 gallon, super-insulated dual coil storage tank. Hot water from the storage tank supplies both domestic use and supplemental space heating. The system is backed by a high efficiency propane boiler. Lane has been monitoring the energy his systems produce and reports that his savings are quite impressive.

Randy has taken the information he has learned from his own experience and applied it to his building practices. Randy is the founder of New Earth Solutions, Inc., a green general contracting company whose goal is to bring energy efficient solutions to new construction or remodeling clients at an affordable price.

The open house is a chance for those interested or curious about passive or active solar design to come and see it for themselves. There will be a representative from ReVision Energy present to describe how the solar hot water system works. There will be a tour of the systems and plenty of time for questions and answers. The event is free and all are welcome. Please plan to meet at 8 Abby Lane in Richmond by 6pm. If you have questions please contact Jen at (207) 221-6342.

April 16 – Solar House Party! Join us April 16th from 6-7:30pm for our first solar house party! The event will be located at 8 Abby Lane in Richmond, Maine. This home is super insulated, has radiant concrete floors, and is designed to utilize both active and passive solar techniques. The solar house party is a chance for people to view the solar designs used in this home and mingle with the homeowner as well as a ReVision Energy representative to talk about the feasibility of solar and green design. The event is free and all are welcome. Call (207) 221-6342 for more information.

April 17-18th – Midcoast Sustainable Living Expo – Make sure not to miss the third annual energy Expo in Damariscotta. This year’s Sustainable Living Expo will be held April 17 and 18 at the Central Lincoln County YMCA. This is an opportunity for consumers to learn about energy saving and affordable options for a more environmentally responsible lifestyle. ReVision Energy will be there both days. We will have a booth set up inside displaying our solar hot water and solar electric technologies. Outside we will have a wood boiler displayed with experts on hand to answer all of your questions. To learn more about this visit Midcoast Green Collaborative

May 7th – MEBSR Annual Conference Maine Business for Social Responsibility will be presenting People, Profit, and Planet in the New Economy in conjunction with the Muskie School of Public Service and the USM school of Business. The conference is Thursday May 7th from 7:30-3pm at the USM’s Abromson Center. Visit MEBSR to learn more.

May 9th – Smart Energy Expo Maine Partners for Cool Communities is hosting the Smart Energy Expo at the Kennebunk High School from 12-5pm. The Expo aims to bring together people who are marketing or designing renewable, sustainable, efficient energy products and services. The event is free to the public, food and beverage will be sold. Any funds raised from this event will go into a ‘green’ fund that has been created to support sustainability projects at the Kennebunk High School. Contact Jennifer Niese with questions (207) 294-2961.

May 9th – Chewonki Sustainable Energy Conference Located on the Chewonki campus this conference will run from 8:30-4pm and feature experts and academic leaders in the field of sustainability and renewable energy. Phil Coupe, co-owner of ReVision Energy, will be leading the workshop on solar hot water. Visit the Chewonki website to register for this event.

May 9th – Portsmouth Sustainability Fair located at the Portsmouth Middle School. Portsmouth City Council voted to make its city an ‘Eco-municipality,’ a community that is committed to being guided by a set of sustainability objectives for its entire decision making. This fair will be promoting ways to reduce fossil fuel dependence, reduce use of chemicals and synthetic substances, reduce our encroachment upon nature, and how to meet human needs fairly and efficiently. The fair hours are from 10-2pm, there is no charge for the public. Contact Jeffrey Cooper with questions (603) 436-7945.