Conference boosts visibility of Sun power advocates

Monday, Dec. 3, 2007

Conference boosts visibility of Sun power advocates

Businesses advised about state’s growing market for solar power

by Steve Berberich | Staff writer

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Solar markets are really ready to take off for businesses in Maryland, Colin Murchie of Sun Edison told 300 people attending the first Solar Energy Focus conference of the Maryland DC Virginia Solar Industry Association in Annapolis Friday.

‘‘America is growing because of energy,” said Murchie. ‘‘But we need courage to do things that are different.” Murchie is manager of regulatory affairs for Baltimore-based Sun Edison, a worldwide provider of solar electricity.

Businesses and residents could find the courage to go solar easier in January as new provisions of the state’s renewable energy requirement become law.

The state’s total electricity must include 0.005 percent from solar in 2008. In each of the next 15 years, the percentage must increase and by 2022 solar power needs to make up 2 percent of the state’s electricity.

A bill passed in April 2007 also increases the maximum size of customer-owned, grid-connected power systems for net metering and requires utilities to provide net metering for up to 1,500 megawatts of customer-owned generation systems. Net metering allows customers to earn credit for power fed back into the electrical grid.

The Solar Energy Industries Association claims that the new state laws make Maryland one of the nation’s largest markets for solar energy.

The Annapolis conference was co-designed by solar advocate Peter Lowenthal to help businesses take full advantage of stepped up opportunities in solar power and solar heating applications outlined by participants from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., with other presentations from Delaware and Pennsylvania officials.

‘‘The solar industry lacks visibility and the attendance here is a show of faith that people are willing and able to meet the new expectations and opportunities,” said Lowenthal, who recently created a renewable energy⁄clean technology practice at branding company360jmg in Washington.

He said membership of the MDV Solar Energy Industries Association swelled from 30 to more than 90 members this year.

He added that new grants for commercial and residential solar installations are available for the remainder of fiscal year 2008, ending July 1, from the Maryland Solar Energy Grant Program.