The Future of Solar Energy
Brightergy’s Susan Brown and Mitch Bode of Fujifilm on the Fox4 Morning Show discussing the latest joint project at a Fujifilm manufacturing facility in North Kansas City, MO.
Brightergy
Choose your incentives
Select LocationFujifilm Installs Conergy Solar Panels at its North Kansas City Facility
One of the First Solar Installs in the NKC Metro Area,
Local Solar Integrator Brightergy completes 50.76 kW roof-top project
North Kansas City, Mo., April 18, 2012 – In an effort to bring down costs while keeping its corporate commitment to sustainability, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division has selected Conergy’s PH 235P panels to install on its North Kansas City, Missouri manufacturing facility. One of the first solar construction projects installed in this part of the metro area, the installation was completed by local clean-energy integrator Brightergy this winter. With 216 modules, the solar installation will produce about 60,000 kWh annually, which is equivalent to taking 600 cars off the road for a year.
With this installation, Fujifilm will realize a substantial cost savings on its current energy usage. In addition, the company will be able to take advantage of the utilities net energy metering program, which will provide ongoing benefits. Globally, Fujifilm has a Greenhouse gas target set at 30% reduction in CO2 emissions by Fiscal Year 2020, as compared to 2005.
“Conergy recently supplied its premium module panels at Fujifilm’s facility in Hawaii last year, and this installation in North Kansas City marks the second solar project for Fujifilm in North America,” said Ray Hosoda, President and CEO, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “This solar panel project will help play a role in Fujifilm’s corporate mission of energy conservation and Greenhouse gas reduction. The combination of Conergy’s PH-Series modules, along with Brightergy’s unique efforts to bring us an affordable, clean, and renewable energy solution, will continue to help us make strides toward our energy goals.”
The Fujifilm installation is the first project with Brightergy. “Fujifilm’s choice of this location was a good one due to the excellent economic incentives in the state of Missouri,” said Susan Brown, principal, Brightergy Solar Solutions. “And Conergy’s PH series panels, matched with our talents and resources as a solar energy integrator, will not only help Fujifilm reach its sustainability goals, but it is a fantastic financial investment for them as well.”
Simone Baeurer, Conergy’s Regional Account Manager, added, “Fujifilm and Brightergy made a great choice when they selected the Conergy PH 235 module for this installation. The PH module offers an excellent balance of reliability, efficiency and value. The Conergy modules have a long service-life design and are a highly-cost effective solar energy solution – a perfect fit for this commercial application.”
About Fujifilm
FUJIFILM North America Corporation, a marketing subsidiary of FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation, consists of five operating divisions and one subsidiary company. The Imaging Division sells consumer and commercial photographic products and services including film, one-time-use cameras, online photo services and fulfillment, digital printing equipment and service. The Electronic Imaging Division markets consumer digital cameras. The Motion Picture Division provides motion picture film, and the Graphic Systems Division supplies products and services to the printing industry. The Optical Devices Division provides binoculars, and optical lenses for closed circuit television, videography, cinematography, broadcast and industrial markets. FUJIFILM Canada Inc. markets a range of Fujifilm products and services. For more information,
please visit www.fujifilm.com/northamerica, or go to www.twitter.com/fujifilmus to follow Fujifilm on Twitter. To receive news and information direct from Fujifilm via RSS, subscribe at www.fujifilmusa.com/rss.
FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials, and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. The company was among the top 16 companies around the world granted U.S. patents in 2010, and in the year ended March 31, 2011, had global revenues of $25.8 billion*. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmholdings.com.
* At an exchange rate of 86 yen to the dollar.
About Brightergy
Brightergy, one of the nation’s fastest-growing full-service solar development and finance firms, offers turn-key solar design, installation, monitoring, and in-house financing services. Our extensive experience includes hundreds of projects completed for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies and utilities, to non-profits and mid-sized businesses from offices in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Boston. We make it simple, rewarding, and profitable to do the right thing. For more information, please visit: www.brightergy.com.
About Conergy
As a full system manufacturer, Conergy Group delivers solar energy systems from a single source and offers all services under one roof.
Through deep-rooted operations in 18 countries, Conergy System Sales sells premium Conergy products to customers in nearly 40 countries worldwide. Conergy supports homeowners, installers, wholesalers and investors in their efforts to “go solar.” With local sales activities on five continents, Conergy has close relationships with all its customers. Listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange, Conergy employs more than 1,500 people worldwide. Since Conergy’s founding in 1998, it has produced and sold more than 1.6 GW of clean solar power, and developed over 500 MW of solar parks.
Through its acquisition of well-established local companies, Conergy began operating as a distributor and project developer in North America in 2005 and currently has five offices, four warehouses and three production sites in the region. In North America, Conergy is both a manufacturer and wholesaler. Conergy manufactures mounting systems in Sacramento, CA. In Ontario, Canada Conergy produces modules and mounting systems that meet local content requirements for the Provincial FIT. Conergy offers innovative products and tailored services to its North American network of system integrators and project developers. Through these activities, Conergy maintains expert knowledge about local market conditions and requirements. For more information, please visit: www.conergy.us.
CONTACTS:
Diane Rainey Susan Brown Jaymie Fuentes
Fujifilm Brightergy Conergy
(914) 789-8657 (816) 877-6760 (720) 305-0720
drainey@fujifilm.com susan.brown@brightergy.com j.fuentes@conergy.us
Brightergy moves KC office to Crossroads, adds new jobs
The Missouri Department of Economic Development has announced that Brightergy Solar of Lenexa, KS, the leading solar development and finance firm in the Midwest, will move its headquarters and operations to Kansas City.
Brightergy, a full service renewable energy service provider, specializing in solar panel system design, installation, and finance, will make a capital investment in the Kansas City area of $2.2 million and create 115 jobs over five years. The company chose to relocate to the Show-Me State due to Missouri’s solar energy policy and tax incentives.
“Having a high-tech company such as Brightergy invest more than $2.2 million while creating new local jobs in excellent news for the Kansas City metros area’s economy,” said Jason Hall, Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. “Under the leadership of Governor Nixon, our administration is focused on creating jobs and moving our economy forward, and I am pleased that we were able to provide the economic tools to help make this project possible.”
The state of Missouri’s incentive package included $1.2 million in Quality Jobs tax credits. The company plans to locate its headquarters at 1617 Main, in Kansas City’s Crossroads District – split between two spaces – doubling the current operation to 10,000 sf.
“We have received an incredible amount of support from building owners downtown, in the Crossroads, and surrounding areas and wanted to be closer to our customer base in Missouri,” said Adam Blake, CEO. “Missouri’s progressive solar energy policy and incentives have been a contributing factor to our company growth and allowed us to create jobs in Missouri and expand to other states.”
Media Coverage:
Is renewable energy reliant on government subsidies?
Nope. Believe it or not, fossil fuels are.
Image via GOOD
We are often asked if our industry would survive without subsidies. The answer is “absolutely”, and we could compete on an even more level playing field if fossil fuels weren’t so heavily subsidized. Fossil fuels have been supported with tax incentives for nearly a century, they continue to receive much more than renewables, and their incentives are written in the tax code – not subject to time limitations like renewable incentives and thus less noticeable.
The Environmental Law Institute released a study recently illustrating this fact – fossil fuels benefitted from approximately $72 billion over the seven-year study period (2002-08), while subsidies for renewable fuels totaled only $29 billion. More than half of those subsidies supported Corn Ethanol! Renewable energy is competing right now with entrenched industries that have more lobbyists than most cities in this country.
Renewables are thriving – not because of subsidies – but because costs are coming down, the fuel is free (for solar), and more and more American businesses are demanding it as a way of diversifying their energy portfolio.
Solar Advocacy Update
We are tracking several bills in the Missouri legislature for the 2012 session, which ends in May. Susan Brown, representing MOSEIA as Vice Chair and Brightergy as Principal, testified at the Standing Committee on Renewable Energy on Feb. 20th in favor of HB 1305- it expands net metering from the current 100 kW limit to 250 kW and offers up other positive changes in our net metering law.
Our trade group, MOSEIA, had a great showing at Solar Advocacy Day on Feb. 15. We met with Representatives explaining the explosive growth of our industry and that we are creating new businesses, jobs, and tax revenue in our state. Our industry is well represented in the Legislature by Former Lt. Governor Joe Maxwell and Former State Rep. Steve Carroll.
We always have challenges and this year is no different – there are a couple of negative bills for our industry – HB 1487 and SB 759. These bills would gut Prop C – the voter passed (by nearly 70%) initiative that really jump started our industry. Please contact your Missouri State Representatives and tell them how you feel about all these issues.
Retirement village to turn on area’s largest solar system
As we wrap up the 146kW solar installation at John Knox Village (JKV) in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, client Brian Petersen can’t help but share his excitement with the Lee’s Summit Journal about their new solar array. JKV recently took advantage of our solar lease and installed one of the largest systems in the area at no cost to them. Sound too good to be true? Check out the details on our solar lease.
Read the full article.
2011 Year in Review: U.S. Solar Energy Market
The 2011 roundup below is from our industry organization, SEIA, and includes highlights from 2011 for our industry. Everything following the image is from SEIA:
WASHINGTON – Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, today published the following review of the U.S. solar energy market in 2011:
“In contrast to some of the recent headlines, the solar energy industry is a strong, thriving industry in the United States that is creating jobs and lowering costs for the consumer. In 2011, a number of myths about the solar energy industry circulated nationally. Let’s set the record straight. Here are seven truths about this thriving American industry:
1. Solyndra did not kill the industry. In fact, the solar energy industry is expanding rapidly and has become a highly competitive, thriving industry in the United States. Solyndra’s high-profile bankruptcy in August was an anomaly in what proved to be the industry’s most successful quarter on record. Although Solyndra couldn’t compete, the rest of the industry grew by 140 percent in the last year and costs came down by 40 percent. America discovered that one company’s failure does not reflect an entire industry. In fact, 9 out of 10 Americans feel it’s important to develop and use more solar in the U.S., according to an independent national poll conducted a month after Solyndra declared bankruptcy.
2. Today, U.S. solar is an economic force: employing more than 100,000 Americans at 5,000 businesses across all 50 states. The solar industry proved itself to be a strong job creator in the United States. The vast majority of the 5,000 companies that make up the industry in the U.S. are small businesses, engines of growth for our economic recovery. These are real people in real solar jobs as reported by The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census 2011. The solar value chain includes engineers, sales people, and other administrative professionals as well installers, roofers, electricians, plumbers and contractors – skilled labor professions hit hard by rampant unemployment in recent years – now finding new opportunities to put their expertise to work in the solar industry.
3. The solar industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in our economy.The solar industry set a record for installations and achieved 140 percent annual growth in the third quarter of 2011. In fact, more U.S. solar electric capacity came online in Q3 2011 than in all of 2009 combined; Q4 2011 is forecast to be even larger as solar becomes a cost competitive choice for more homeowners and businesses across America.
4. Consumer, business and industry support for solar continues to grow. Solar’s growth is leading to rapid innovation across the spectrum – from factory improvements to new financing and sales mechanisms – that allow more and more Americans to turn to solar energy. Target, Walgreens, Whole Foods, Johnson & Johnson, Safeway and others are powering their businesses with solar. In addition to GE’s investment in new manufacturing in the U.S., 2011 also welcomed new household-name corporations to the solar industry, with Warren Buffett’s MidAmerica Energy, Total Energy and Google all making sizeable investments in solar in 2011.
5. Solar is now affordable for more Americans. Today, there are 1.5 million households using solar water heating and enough solar electricity to power 730,000 homes. And solar is becoming more affordable every day with technology innovation, scaled up manufacturing, faster installation techniques, and new financing options. The price of solar panels dropped 40 percent since the beginning of 2010 and the average installed system price dropped 14.4 percent from Q2 to Q3 in 2011 alone.
6. Growing markets bring increased competition. Global trade in solar products has benefitted the United States by expanding export opportunities for domestic manufacturers, creating jobs and driving down costs. In fact, the U.S. was a net exporter of $2 billion in solar products in 2010. As global competition intensifies, the need is even stronger for open markets operating on rules-based trade principles and for governments and private parties to follow the framework of internationally-negotiated trade rules.
7. Uncertainty remains as a successful investment mechanism expires. Congress left Washington, D.C. without continuing the important 1603 Treasury Program, a program that provides flexibility in how developers finance projects. This program, which allows the market to choose winners and losers, was the single most effective policy for deploying a dozen energy technologies in the last year. The program has spurred completion of more than 22,000 energy projects across all 50 states and attracted $23 billion in private investment. The industry will push to renew this successful program when Congress returns in January 2012.
Solar works for America and 2011 was a record year for the U.S. solar industry. Although the past year presented challenges to the solar industry, with American ingenuity, hard work, and smart and consistent energy policies our industry is on track for another record year in 2012.”
Rhone Resch, President and CEO
Solar Energy Industries