Tag Archives: GAF Energy

Titan Solar Power is now the national installer for Go Solar Group

By Staff at Solar Builder Magazine

Go Solar Group inked a deal with Titan Solar Power to be its national installation team. Founded in Utah, Go Solar Group has expanded from its sole Salt Lake City office to include brick-and-mortar commercial and residential solar installation crews to Reno, Nevada; San Antonio, Texas; and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Go Solar Group’s installation partnership with Titan Solar Power expands its solar installation access to Arizona, Colorado, Florida, California, Missouri, Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Georgia, and North and South Carolina. In 2022, Titan Solar Power plans to expand its installation reach to include Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Alabama, which will also further expand Go Solar Group’s installation outreach. Read more here.

WORLD’S FIRST NAILABLE SOLAR SHINGLE

GAF Energy Launches Game-Changing Solar Roof to Power Mass Adoption of Clean Energy

This new system incorporates the world’s first nailable solar shingle, the Timberline Solar Energy Shingle™ (ES), which will be assembled domestically at GAF Energy’s manufacturing and R&D facility in San Jose, California—creating American jobs and delivering a revolutionary product with the potential to drive a seismic shift in residential clean energy adoption.

NFS Note: We emailed the company to ask if the GAF Energy solar roof is available in Nebraska. GAF’s reply: “We are not currently serving your area, but we are expanding across the US quickly. We hope to offer clean, renewable energy where you live soon. Our team is hard at work expanding our services and we hope to serve Nebraska customers in the future. So, please stay in touch! Check out our blog for the latest on what’s happening at GAF Energy and in solar.”

GOODYEAR NEWS RELEASES

Goodyear Develops 70% Sustainable Materials Tire With Industry-Leading Innovations

Goodyear’s new tire features three different carbon blacks that are produced from methane, carbon dioxide, and plant-based oil. Initial life cycle assessments demonstrate either reduced carbon emissions compared with current methods of carbon black production or the use of bio-based or waste feedstock sources.

Previously Posted: Goodyear Collaborates With Monolith On Carbon Black; Initial Testing Demonstrates Reduced Emissions

MORE ON MONOLITH MATERIALS

Turquoise hydrogen leader awarded $1bn US government loan to expand commercial facilities tenfold, Recharge News
Neither Monolith nor the Department of Energy (DOE) has explained the exact conditions that must be met for the 20-year loan to be finalized, but the announcement suggests that both are confident it will go ahead.

Fitch Rates Nebraska Public Power District’s General Revs ‘A+’; Outlook Stable
Scroll down to “New Large Customer” for a statement on Monolith Materials.

Solar Industry Doubles Down on Solar+ Decade Goal, Targets 30% Solar by 2030

SEIA News Release

“The destructive impacts of climate change are happening now, and it’s time to reimagine our entire electricity system,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA’s president and CEO. “The solar industry is leading the way in reducing electricity sector emissions, but we’ll fall far short of the 850 gigawatts we need to reach 30% of electricity generation by 2030 without policy action. It’s time for lawmakers to meet the urgency of this climate moment. If the industry reaches 30% solar by 2030, the solar and storage industry will grow to 1 million workers and add more than $800 billion in new private sector investment. Read the entire news release here.

Learn more about SEIA’s 2030 goals and solar industry’s bold vision for the Solar+ Decade.

GREEN POWER LEADERSHIP

EPA Honors SEIA with the 2021 Green Power Leadership Award for Market Development, SEIA News Release, September 28, 2021

Today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the Center for Resource Solutions, unveiled the Green Power Leadership Awards (GPLA) to recognize outstanding achievements in the clean energy marketplace. This year, the GPLAs honored SEIA as a winner in their Market Development category. Watch a brief video here.

U.S. SOLAR MANUFACTURING – LEGISLATION / LEADERSHIP

Sen. Ossoff Introduces Legislation to Rapidly Boost American Solar Manufacturing, News Release, U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff.
Click here to read the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act.
Click here for a fact sheet on the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act.
Rep. Demings Introduces Solar Supply Chain Legislation, News Release, U.S. Representative Val Demings
Reclaiming the Solar Supply Chain Act of 2021
House bill would channel $3.5 billion to domestic solar manufacturing, PV Magazine
With the Biden administration placing a ban on several companies suspected of forced labor in the Xinjiang region of China, the call for more domestic manufacturing has grown louder.
Progressive poll finds support for solar energy tax credit legislation, The Hill
FACT SHEET: Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal and Build Back Better Agenda Present Bright Future for Solar Power, Good Jobs, and More Affordable Energy, The White House Briefing Room. The DOE issue brief – Investing in the Clean Energy Future: Solar Energy Research, Deployment, and Workforce Priorities – details the immense growth opportunities that exist in the solar energy industry for workers and families, and how investments like those proposed by President Biden can supercharge the benefits of these opportunities.

U.S. SOLAR MANUFACTURERS IN THE NEWS

GAF Energy Completes Build Out Of First U.S. Solar R&D And Manufacturing Facility, GAF News Release, PR Newswire
Silfab doubles U.S. solar panel manufacturing capacity, PV Magazine
Meyer Burger to open U.S. manufacturing facility, PV Magazine
Minnesota’s Iron Range may soon be home to one of the largest solar panel manufacturing facilities in the country, Energy News Network
Solar Power World Resource: See a list of U.S. solar panel manufacturers here.

FORD MOTOR COMPANY

Ford To Lead America’s Shift To Electric Vehicles With New Mega Campus In Tennessee and Twin Battery Plants In Kentucky: $11.4B Investment To Create 11,000 Jobs And Power New Lineup Of Adlvanced. EVs, News Release, Ford Media Center

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 27, 2021 – Ford Motor Company is announcing plans to bring electric vehicles at scale to American customers with two new massive, environmentally and technologically advanced campuses in Tennessee and Kentucky that will produce the next generation of electric F-Series trucks and the batteries to power future electric Ford and Lincoln vehicles.

Ford plans to make the largest ever U.S. investment in electric vehicles at one time by any automotive manufacturer and, together with its partner, SK Innovation, plans to invest $11.4 billion and create nearly 11,000 new jobs at the Tennessee and Kentucky mega-sites, strengthening local communities and building on Ford’s position as America’s leading employer of hourly autoworkers.

OPPD’S NEW EV GUIDE

Thinking about making the switch? Here’s your EV guide, by Julie Wasson, The Wire

With its new EV guide, OPPD has made it easier than ever to learn about making the switch to electric vehicles. EV 101 explains the basics of owning and operating an EV. The EV calculator provides a personalized estimate that lets you compare vehicle models side-by-side. That can help you understand the near- and long-term costs of switching to an EV, based on your driving habits, electricity use and savings potential.

You can also check out a map of the public charging stations available in the Omaha area and across the state. And you can learn about incentives and rebates available to EV buyers, including OPPD’s rebate program.

ALSO IN THE NEWS

WATCH NOW: Carthage students form business to promote renewable energy, Kenosha News

OPPD Maintains Strong Credit Rating, Helping Utility Keep Rates Low For Customer-Owners In Challenging Economy

OPPD News Release

Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s latest ratings give OPPD an Aa2 and AA, respectively. These ratings are among the highest ratings a public power utility can receive. OPPD’s solid financial position has allowed it to access credit markets during the current market downturn, while lower rated entities have had limited access . . . The board received an update on OPPD’s Pathways to Decarbonization strategic initiative. A long-term study is underway to identify pathways to improve our environmental impact while maintaining reliability, resiliency and affordability. During its committee meetings this week, the board received an update on OPPD’s Power with Purpose (PwP) plan, approved in November 2019. The plan includes the addition of between 400 and 600 megawatts of accredited utility-scale solar generation, as well as the addition of modernized natural gas backup generation assets. Read the entire news release here.

For more information, click here.
OPPD invites customer-owners to submit feedback at OPPD Listens.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED READING

SMUD mapping tool aids investment in under-resourced areas, American Public Power Association. The Sustainable Communities Resource Priorities Needs Map incorporates several layers, including education, tree canopy, electric vehicle charging, food deserts, public transportation information, as well as a variety of economic government data, in an interactive format and covers SMUD’s entire territory.
Renewables accounted for more than 61 percent of MidAmerican Energy electricity delivered last year, Daily Energy Insider
Boiling Point: Giant batteries are changing everything for clean energy, Los Angeles Times
4 reasons clean energy jobs are key to economic recovery, GreenBiz

THE HEROES ACT

House Democrats unveil $3 trillion COVID-19 response proposal, American Public Power Association. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was signed into law in late March by President Trump included $900 million for LIHEAP to help low-income households pay their utility bills during the crisis. But the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) on April 6 said that due to the depth of the crisis, “this funding only scratches the surface of what families will need to stay afloat.”

CLEAN ENERGY FORWARD INITIATIVE

Republicans Are Leading On Clean Energy, Newsweek
Opinion contributed by Heather Reams, the executive director of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, a non-profit organization that recently launched Clean Energy Forward to engage Republican policymakers and the public about responsible, conservative solutions to address our nation’s energy, economic and environmental security while increasing America’s competitive edge.

TRANSITION PATHWAY INITIATIVE

Investor group: No European oil and gas major has a credible net zero plan, GreenBiz
That is the conclusion of a new analysis from the influential Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI), backed by investors representing $19 trillion of assets worldwide.

TRI-STATE

Once a cautionary case study, Tri-State is lauded in report as a standout example among utilities on renewables, The Denver Post. Tri-State CEO Duane Highley said the average, combined cost of the 1,000 megawatts of wind and solar energy the utility will add is 1.7 cents per kilowatt hour. “That’s generally lower cost than anything else we can do, in terms of fossil fuel or anything.” While Highley doesn’t think the utility’s transition to more renewables has been “abrupt,” he said it has been rapid.
Colorado Tri-State ruling could provide co-op exit template amid rising tensions with G&T providers, Utility Dive. Tri-State wants a ruling by FERC, but two Colorado co-ops asked state regulators to decide on a fair cost of moving to local renewables

SOLAR PLUS STORAGE

The largest US solar-plus-storage plant will deploy 690 MW of bifacial modules on trackers, PV Magazine. The Gemini project will be the largest solar plant in the U.S. and among the top-ten worldwide when completed on BLM land near Las Vegas. We spoke with the project developer to get some details on “one of the purest forms of time shifting you’ll ever see.”
The challenges and tricks of adding battery storage to existing solar projects, PV Magazine
Alencon Systems teamed up with Duke Energy to look at some of the challenges faced by a utility when adding a battery storage system to an existing solar installation.

GAF SOLAR ROOF

GAF Energy Launches New Flex Option for Roof-Integrated Solar System, Solar Industry Magazine

GAF Energy, a provider of roof-integrated solar solutions in North America, has launched their “Flex” option for use with the company’s redesigned Decotech 2.0 roof-integrated solar product. Flex maintains the efficiency of standard system sizing, while also introducing new configuration choices for homeowners.

Homeowners interested in learning more about the GAF solar roof, click here.
Roofing contractors interested in installing GAF Energy products, click here.

THIN-FILM SOLAR MODULES

A new player appears in American thin-film cadmium telluride solar module manufacturing, PV Magazine. Toledo Solar is trying to distinguish itself from First Solar’s cadmium telluride dominance by operating in the residential and commercial markets, markets which have been historically unkind to the technology.

GREENTECH MEDIA’S INTERCHANGE

Mapping the Post-COVID Future for Electric Cars, Behavior Change and Energy Demand, Greentech Media. This week on The Interchange, we talk with futurist Ramez Naam about a wide range of scenarios for energy.

MORE ON MICHAEL MOORE’S CONTROVERSIAL DOCUMENTARY

What Michael Moore’s New Climate Documentary Gets Wrong About Renewables, Forbes

LONGi joins the Global Initiative RE100; commits to 100% renewable power across its entire global operations by 2028

***LONGi News Release, PR Newswire***

LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd (hereinafter referred to as “LONGi”), the world’s leading solar technology company, announced that it has officially joined the global RE100 initiative led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP, on March 12th, 2020. LONGi commits to sourcing 100% renewable electricity across its entire global operations by 2028 with an interim target of 70% by 2027.

The global RE100 initiative aims to unite Global Fortune 500 companies such as Apple, Google, Facebook, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Philips and Goldman Sachs, to the committed goal of 100% renewable energy in the shortest possible timeframe. In order to achieve this climate goal, each company in the RE100 will commit to source 100% of the electricity used across their global operations from renewable energy. Continue reading here.

228 RE100 companies have made a commitment to go ‘100% renewable’. Read about the actions they are taking and why here.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED READING

Amazon places 300MW clean power order, reNEWS
Amazon is backing clean power projects in Europe and the US, as well as Australia, as part of its goal to reach 80% renewable energy by 2024 and 100% renewable energy by 2030, towards net zero carbon by 2040.
Green tariffs drive big increases in corporate renewable procurement, Utility Dive
Jinko enters the residential solar game with a bang, PV Magazine Editorial Team
Chinese module manufacturer Jinko Solar has unveiled a few details about its newly-launched all-black monocrystalline module for residential PV projects, the first purely residential module ever released by Jinko.
Construction begins on Ohio’s largest solar project, PV Magazine
The installation marks the beginning of what is expected to be an Ohio solar boon, with Wood Mackenzie ranking the state as top in the Midwest for development over the next five years.
Offshore wind’s once-in-a-generation opportunity, by Greg Alvarez, Into the Wind, AWEA Blog
The big takeaway from AWEA’s just-released Offshore Wind Economic Impact Assessment: Offshore wind could create 83,000 new jobs by 2030. That means opportunity up and down the East Coast as we construct America’s 26,000 megawatt (MW) offshore project pipeline. Building an offshore wind project is a true team effort, requiring electricians, engineers, pipefitters, vessel operators, wind technicians and dozens of other occupations. In fact, 74 different professions are needed to build an offshore wind farm according to the Workforce Development Institute.
In Utah, Hydrogen And A Massive Salt Dome Are Winning The West For Renewable Energy, Forbes
Apartment Dwellers At New Complex Benefit From Rooftop Solar Panels, NPR
A Utah company is expanding the solar panel business to apartment complexes, where renters can benefit from renewable energy usually reserved for individual homes.
Archived Clean Energy Group Webinar Recording & Slides – Soleil Lofts: The Largest Solar+Storage Virtual Power Plant in the Country

GREENTECH MEDIA PODCAST

Watt It Takes: Turning Real Estate Into Clean-Power Assets
This week on Watt It Takes: Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch sits down with Robyn Beavers, the co-founder and CEO of Blueprint Power. Blueprint works with real estate companies to turn their buildings into clean energy power plants. Blueprint developed software that helps building owners optimize their use of co-generation, fuel cells, solar or batteries.

BUILDING INTEGRATED PV (BIPV)

GAF Energy, part of the world’s largest roofer: The time is now for building integrated PV and solar roofs, PV Magazine

Martin DeBono, president of GAF Energy, part of the world’s largest roofing company, thinks that the time is now for building integrated PV (BIPV). He told PV Magazine: “You have the backing of GAF — a 100-year old company and the world’s largest roofer.” He added, “I can assure you — without naming names — the largest solar companies in the U.S. are getting into roofing. I think that Tesla has it absolutely right. They’re playing the long game, as are we. The industry will evolve from rack-mounted to BIPV.”

OF POTENTIAL INTEREST TO NEBRASKA MANUFACTURERS

EPA encourages manufacturers to save energy, Yale Climate Connections
More than 1,000 plants have signed up for the Energy Star Challenge for Industry.

RECOMMENDED VIEWING

Seven of the best new documentaries about global warming, Yale Climate Connections
The films screened at the recent Wild & Scenic Film Festival. Throughout these diverse pieces was a common probing of the disproportionate impacts of climate change on the health and wellbeing of indigenous communities, people of color, and economically disadvantaged individuals.

NEW APPA INFOGRAPHIC: ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

What makes a utility environmentally responsible?, American Public Power Association

Environmental responsibility is a key cornerstone of public power. In meeting this, utilities fulfill a variety of roles, such as:

SOLAR RECYCLING

Washington State Passes Bill That Will Improve Solar Recycling Program, Solar Power World
This week the Washington State House and Senate passed a bill that will update the state’s solar recycling policy. This bill will inform the final design and adoption of a comprehensive solar recycling program that is data-driven and considers the lifespan of modules that can last up to 50 years in the field.

GLOBAL NEWS

Storage Hybrid Plants Becoming More Attractive in Maturing Wind and Solar Markets, Greentech Media. Cramped grids, project repowering and a growing demand for “firmer” green PPAs are changing the equation for storage co-location globally.
Wind and Solar Power Will Soon Be Cheaper Than Coal Globally, New Research Shows, EcoWatch

Nebraskans for Solar

Solar: the energy of life