ReVision joined energy auditors, architects, and builders last week for a rally in support of UBEC, the Uniform Building and Energy Code, which sets standards for how homes and commercial buildings are built, from structural strength to ventilation, foundations and even the size of aggress windows. The Code also includes tough standards for energy conservation to help ensure new homes in Maine are less fossil-fuel dependent than their predecessors.

In a speech given by ReVision’s Jennifer Albee, we took the opportunity to highlight the value of the energy efficiency industry as a bright spot in a tough economy. Albee emphasized how exciting it is for a young person born and raised in Maine, to be in an industry geared for the future!

A 2kw ground mount photovoltaic system installed in Wells, Maine

ReVision Energy, in tandem with trade group MABEP and other partners in Maine’s renewable energy industry, is working hard for enactment of LD 761, An Act To Provide Rebates for the Purchase of Certain Solar and Wind Power Equipment.

The bill would extend Maine’s solar rebate program, which was inadvertently scheduled for termination in legislation passed last year due to a clerical error. But even though the termination was due to an error, our industry has to argue the merits of the solar energy program all over again.

If you’re a Maine resident, please contact your State representative and senator TODAY to request that they support LD 761, “An Act To Provide Rebates for the Purchase of Certain Solar and Wind Power Equipment.” You can click here to look up your legislators and their contact information. You can also see the specific legislators on Maine’s Energy, Utilities and Technology committee.

Action on this bill is expected as early as Thursday 3/24, so time is of the essence!

Here are some of the key talking points about the efficacy of the solar rebate program:

• Support for energy independence and small scale renewable renewable rebates has been unanimous and bipartisan in the past.
• The solar industry creates stable, good paying jobs in Maine.  A reliable rebate program is essential to creating a business-friendly climate. Businesses suffer when legislative snafus cause programs to end abruptly.
• The solar rebate program has distributed $600,000 in rebates, spurring $6,000,000 in private investments in solar energy systems. This 10:1 private/public funding ratio is good for all Mainers because it reduces statewide fossil fuel dependence and keeps money in the local economy.
• 40% of the cost of electricity is to pay for power lines used for transmission/distribution. Distributed generation options – i.e. grid-tied PV – are an important way to reduce the need to invest in expensive line upgrades over time.

One of the things we treasure about Maine is that politics are still local, and a few voices of support on this issue will make a tremendous difference when Maine’s legislature convenes to discuss the future of a state rebate program in Maine.

Please act today, and thank you!

Open to the public, this is MABEP’s second year of bringing trade people and energy professionals together to network and attend workshops to further Maine’s efforts in energy efficiency.

While geared to energy efficiency professionals, there will be a lot of information of general interest including workshops on five different tracks – hardware, building science, business management, renewable energy, and “in-depth” issues.

ReVision Energy is offering three separate presentations – Liberty branch manager John Luft will be discussing solar hot water basics, Fortunat Mueller will be discussing renewable energy system modeling, covering PvWatts, RETscreen, and Polysun, and Geoff Sparrow will be discussing solar space heating. Finally, Pat Coon, a ReVision Energy partner and founder of our sister company, ReVision Heat, will be giving a presentation on air source heat pumps.

Registration ranges from $125 to $325, depending on how many days you plan on attending and whether or not you are a MABEP member. View MABEP’s website for full details, course schedule, workshop descriptions and to register.

Fortunat Mueller, one of ReVision Energy’s resident professional engineers, gave a presentation at the first annual MABEP professional training conference held Jan 12-13 at the Holiday Inn By the Bay.

Fortunat’s presentation was geared towards home energy auditors who want to better understand the economics of solar hot water and in what situations solar hot water can result in tremendous energy savings.

In addition to simply replacing fossil fuels for heating of domestic hot water, a solar hot water system can often enable a home to dramatically reduce the use of a oil burner for water heating – particularly in the summer months, where an oil burner may not need to fire for months at a time.

The above clip shows Fortunat describing why solar hot water works extremely well for domestic hot water, and how boiler upgrades combined with a solar thermal system can dramatically reduce oil consumption.