Date: May 17th. (third Thursday of every month)

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: University of Nevada – Las Vegas (UNLV)

Frank & Estella Beam Hall – Room 110
4505 S Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV 89154
(Maps, directions, parking info)

Meeting Topic: Searchlight Wind Energy Project

Presented by: Nancy Christ, Planning and Environmental Coordinator for the BLM Renewable Energy Coordination Office in Las Vegas.

Searchlight Wind Energy, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Duke Energy, is proposing to develop a 200-megawatt wind energy generation facility on public land located near Searchlight, Nevada, approximately 60 miles southeast of Las Vegas. The proposed project would include up to 96 wind turbines.

Nancy Christ is a Planning and Environmental Coordinator for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) – Renewable Energy Coordination Office in Las Vegas, Nevada. She coordinates the environmental review of renewable energy projects proposed on public land managed by the BLM Southern Nevada District Office. Nancy works closely with renewable energy developers and environmental stakeholders ensuring that environmental analysis meets quality standards and is in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. Nancy is a member of the Project Management Institute. She has been a certified Project Management Professional since August 2008.

Date: April 19th. (third Thursday of every month)

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: University of Nevada – Las Vegas (UNLV)

Frank & Estella Beam Hall – Room 110
4505 S Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV 89154
(Maps, directions, parking info)

Meeting Topic: UNLV Solar Decathlon Project -
The Autonomy House

The UNLV Solar Decathalon Team will compete in the 2013 Department of Energy Solar Decathalon.

Student team leaders and their faculty advisor will present their project at Solar NV’s monthly meeting on April 19th. Here is a colorful description of The Autonomy House project from Team Las Vegas (PDF).

In a recent Green Living column published in the Las Vegas Review Journal, Solar NV co-founder Steve Rypka wrote:

The Solar Decathlon is a serious challenge and only twenty collegiate teams are chosen to compete in this prestigious biennial event, first held in 2002. The next one will take place in the fall of 2013 and it is special, for a few reasons. All previous Solar Decathlons have been held in Washington, D.C. In 2013, it will take place in sunny Orange County, California. That puts it into easy driving distance for Southern Nevadans. What a great opportunity!

If that’s not special enough for you, how about the fact that UNLV is among the teams that will be competing? This is very exciting news and something our entire community can and should rally behind. Students and faculty celebrated the recent announcement after years of hard work honing their winning application. Congratulations to Team Las Vegas! [Read the full article]

Principal investigator

Eric Weber is an Assistant Professor of Architecture and director of David M. Howryla Design-Build Initiative & Building Technologies Laboratory. He currently teaches the fourth-year Design-Build Studio, and has previously taught third-year design studios, building technology courses, and seminars enabling students to explore conceptual/theoretical genesis for material selection and detailing and temporary installation design/fabrication. Weber is a Registered Architect in the State of Arizona. Many of the professional proj-ects with which he has been associated have been published internationally and have won regional AIA honor awards, including the Nevada Museum of Art (Reno, NV); Hercules Public Library (Hercules, CA); AIA Arizona Citation Award, 2008, TAXI Mixed-Use (Denver, CO); AIA Arizona Merit Award, 2008, and Jarson Residence, Paradise Valley, AZ (completed 2009), published in GA Project 103, GA Houses 116, AIA Phoenix Metro Home of the Year, 2009.

Student Leaders

Alexia Hsin Chen is currently pursuing a Master of Architecture at UNLV. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with focus on scenography and technical theatre from University of Hawaii Manoa in 2007. Originally from Taiwan, she had received seven years of academic training in fine arts by the age of 15, which significantly influences her perspective in architectural design. She has two years of experience working as a student supervisor at the School of Architecture’s SimLab, where her primary duties were to oversee and instruct students on the safety and the use of woodworking tools as well as digital fabrication equipment such as the laser cutter and CNC milling machine. In 2010 and 2011, she received AIA Las Vegas Chapter’s YWS Award of Excellence for her academic achievement.

Noel Williams is a graduate student in the School of Architecture and comes to the program as a Licensed Interior Designer with degrees in Interior Design and Art History, both from Louisiana State University. Having lived for years in the deep south, transition­ing to the arid desert was a lesson in the preciousness of our natural resources that has led to a deep interest in and exploration of the conservation resources in the building industry and built environment. He will contribute additional experience in project manage­ment and administration, as well as production and contracting, which will be valuable contribution to the Team.

Christian Iusso is a dedicated graduate student in the Master of Architecture program at UNLV with a focus in sustainability. He is also working to obtain a Graduate Certificate in Solar and Renewable energy by 2013. He is a well-travelled individual, who has experienced a number of different cultures and people around the world. His working experience is primarily in the hospitality industry and also completed a two-month architectural internship he completed in Buenos Aires, Argentina where his family lives.

Washington, DC — On March 21, Efficiency First joined Congressman McKinley and Congressman Welch, the US Chamber of Commerce, and other industry leaders to announce the Home Owner Managing Energy Savings (HOMES) Act – bipartisan legislation to provide incentives for homeowners who perform energy retrofits.

Efficiency First Executive Director Jay Murdoch said: “More than any single interest group, it is the contractor and home energy auditor members of Efficiency First who are invited into homes every day – helping to solve real comfort and energy efficiency problems for homeowners.  Because of this close interaction with the homeowner, this is the group that best understands the needs of homeowners and equally important, what motivates them to make the choice to improve their home.  By offering incentives tied back to demonstrated savings, the HOMES Act will be a catalyst and will cause consumers to take action and hire a qualified contractor to make the desired home improvements.”

Residential construction has been among the hardest hit industries in recent years, with construction unemployment double the rate of overall unemployment in many regions of the U.S. Home energy retrofits offer the triple benefit of making homes more comfortable and less costly to heat and cool for owners, helping to achieve energy independence, and creating well-paying jobs for hard-working Americans.

For more information about the HOMES Act, visit www.efficiencyfirst.org/homesact.

U.S. solar developers are luring cash at record rates from investors ranging from Warren Buffett to Google Inc. (GOOG) and KKR & Co. by offering returns on projects four times those available for Treasury securities.

Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK/A) together with the biggest Internet search company, the private equity company and insurers MetLife Inc. (MET) and John Hancock Life Insurance Co. poured more than $500 million into renewable energy in the last year. That’s the most ever for companies outside the club of banks and specialist lenders that traditionally back solar energy, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance data.

Once so risky that only government backing could draw private capital, solar projects now are making returns of about 15 percent, according to Stanford University’s center for energy policy and finance. That has attracted a wider community of investors eager to cash in on earnings stronger than those for infrastructure projects from toll roads to pipelines.

Read the full article…

Note: We’ve changed meeting locations, day of the week and starting time!

6:30 PM on the third Thursday of every month. Our next meeting is March 15th.

University of Nevada – Las Vegas (UNLV)
Frank & Estella Beam Hall – Room 110
4505 S Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV 89154

(Maps, directions, parking info)

Meeting Topic: Energy Efficiency Panel

Comments from our members and meeting attendees have mentioned an array of interests from homeowners looking to maximize their own efficiency or lower their footprints to citizens looking to get involved on a community or regional level. This panel will speak about energy efficiency on the personal homeowner’s level, the business level, and the community level.

Green Alliance – Annette Bubak, President

Since 2000, Nevada ENERGY STAR® Partners / GREEN Alliance has worked to encourage energy efficiency and resource preservation in Nevada and has recognized and promoted the companies, organizations and individuals leading in these efforts. Each year, GREEN Alliance partners are represented in an award-winning annual awareness campaign. The nonprofit group also organizes informative meetings, mixers, seminars and special events that encourage and provide community awareness, education and connectivity for developing a thriving, more sustainable Nevada.

The GREEN Alliance has linked community and national forces in aligning a passion and purpose for the preservation and prosperity of our communities, state and nation. As a result of these collaborative initiatives, a consciousness for energy efficiency and sustainability is spreading, and Nevada ENERGY STAR® Partners-GREEN Alliance has continued to be recognized locally as well as by the U.S. EPA for enduring leadership. From 2003 to 2009 NVESP / GREEN Alliance was awarded the National Sustained Excellence Award, and in 2011, the U.S. EPA honored the organization with their Leadership in Housing Award for Energy Star.

HomeFree Nevada – Denee Evans, Executive Director

HomeFree Nevada, Nevada’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR^®, national sponsor from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy, is leading this campaign with a comprehensive whole-house approach to improving your home’s energy efficiency, comfort, health, safety and durability, while helping to protect the environment.

Green Chips – Shari Farkas

The stated mission of Green Chips is to encourage and facilitate environmental sustainability initiatives in Southern Nevada, advancing the region’s identity as a sustainable destination, promoting green activity, attracting green investment, and stimulating green jobs. The long-term goal is to make the Southern Nevada region a national leader in environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. Green Chips will function as an umbrella organization to raise awareness; gather financing sources to advance specific sustainability projects; and coordinate a green identity for the region. The organization to replace existing community efforts, but seeks to supplement and magnify those efforts that contribute to the region’s identity as a sustainable destination.

Raising Awareness. In conjunction with community partners, Green Chips will seek to offer guidance and leadership to develop a regional green ethos:

• Promoting environmental sustainability
• Encouraging involvement of businesses, residents, and visitors
• Educating Southern Nevada about how their individual efforts can make a difference
• Publicizing green initiatives and marketing the region’s quality of life
• Attracting green investment
• Stimulating the creation of green jobs and training programs

Leveraging Green Financing. As a non-profit 501(c)3, Green Chips will aggregate federal, state, local, non-profit and charitable financial programs and resources to encourage renewable energy and conservation projects, offering affordable and effective assistance to both households and businesses seeking to improve environmental sustainability and improve energy efficiency.

Promoting the Region’s Green Identity. The Green Chips public/private partnership will encourage involvement of businesses, non-profits, residents, and visitors alike to advance the region’s identity as a sustainable destination. The long-term mission of Green Chips is to:

• Build Southern Nevada’s reputation for offering a green quality of life
• Have a measurable impact on energy conservation
• Lower the community’s carbon footprint
• Provide a way for the public and visitors to get involved on a personal level

Note: We’ve changed meeting locations, day of the week and starting time!

6:30 PM on the third Thursday of every month. Our next meeting is February 16th.

University of Nevada – Las Vegas (UNLV)
Frank & Estella Beam Hall – Room 110
4505 S Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV 89154

(Maps, directions, parking info)

Our meetings feature speakers from a variety of renewable energy disciplines and are also a great place to network with people who share an interest in renewable energy.

For February’s meeting, we have Greg Helseth as a speaker:

Greg Helseth is the Southern Nevada Renewable Energy Manager for the Bureau of Land Management. Stationed in Las Vegas, he had been with the BLM for three years, managing the Renewable Energy Coordination Office Southern Nevada District. Greg successfully accomplished two fast track Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) in 2010 and has the first solar energy site on federal land sending power to the grid. Southern Nevada has 5 EIS (4 solar, 1 wind) processing now. Before the BLM, Greg worked as a Mechanical Engineer, Senior Mechanical Engineer, and Engineering Manager for more than 15 years. He recently graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management Green and Sustainable Enterprise.

Each meeting features an update on what’s happening with Solar NV and at least one interesting guest speaker. Meet designers, installers and just plain folks who are living with the sun… and using it to their advantage!

Please be our guest at our next meeting. Bring your friends. Everyone is welcome and no reservation is required.

We hope to see you! It is open to the public.

There’s a lot we can do with the sun -  from powering our homes and businesses to telling us the time of day (ok, that’s not exactly high-tech, but it’s a nice image).

There has never been a better time to get involved in the transition to clean energy. We hope the New Year is a good one for you and that we’ll be seeing you in 2012!

Solar NV board member and electrician/solar installer Guy Snow will give a presentation that will teach you everything you need to know about getting that solar installation you’ve always wanted. Come prepared to learn and ask questions from one of the most experienced and busy installers in town!

Then, learn about a great financing option available from US Bank, as branch manager Denise Lyon will be speaking and providing information about their solar financing programs!

Meeting Info:

When: December 8, 2011, 6:30pm

Where: Vegas PBS Building, 3050 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas NV, 89121

We hope to see you at December’s meeting! It is open to the public.

Our mastery of the material world, on the other hand, has advanced much more slowly. The sources of energy, the way we move stuff around, are much the same as they were a generation ago.

But that may be about to change. We are, or at least we should be, on the cusp of an energy transformation, driven by the rapidly falling cost of solar power. That’s right, solar power.

If that surprises you, if you still think of solar power as some kind of hippie fantasy, blame our fossilized political system, in which fossil fuel producers have both powerful political allies and a powerful propaganda machine that denigrates alternatives.

Read the rest of “Here Comes the Sun” by Paul Krugman

November’s event is a very special opportunity to learn about a major solar project in our backyard, BrightSource’s Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS) in construction near Primm, NV. Solar NV thanks the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for orgainzing this meeting! Members from both groups and the public will be in attendance.

Todd Stewart P.E., BrightSource’s Senior Director for Project Development, is our guest speaker. BrightSource’s main office is in Oakland, CA, however as a fellow engineer Todd is visiting for our event – please come to this rare opportunity!

Meeting Info:

When: November 10, 2011, 6:30pm

Where: Vegas PBS Building, 3050 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas NV, 89121

More: Meeting Flyer (PDF)

Project Overview:

ISEGS is a 3-plant, 392-megawatt solar complex using mirrors to focus the power of the sun on solar receivers atop power towers. The electricity generated by all three plants is enough to serve more than 140,000 homes in California during the peak hours of the day. The complex is located in Ivanpah, about five miles from the California-Nevada border, on federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The project – which counts RG Solar, Google and BrightSource as equity investors – is currently the largest solar plant under construction in the world. The project is being constructed by Bechtel.

For more detailed information on the project, visit IvanpahSolar.com.

We hope to see you at this special event! It is open to the public.