2010.02.23 – First Light Solar Presents: Economics of Solar (E.O.S.) Informational Session on Solar Hot Water

Posted February 24, 2010 By admin and has no comments yet.

Asheville, N.C. – First Light Solar, a division of FLS Energy, is presenting a solar energy information session called E.O.S (Economics of Solar) for Asheville residents Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 6 p.m.  The session will be held at The Green Sage Coffeehouse and Café located at 5 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville.

The E.O.S. session will cover the history and basics of solar thermal (hot water) as well as the financial benefits of installing a solar thermal energy system.  “Our goal for this session is to explain how solar thermal energy works and help people realize that it is a reliable and economical way to produce renewable energy for their home or business,” says Grant Gosch, director of First Light Solar.

Chad Storck, a CPA specializing in green businesses, will highlight the tax credits and incentives available for Asheville homeowners and businesses, which include a possible 30% federal tax credit, a 35% state tax credit, and a $1,000 rebate from Progress Energy. 

“After tax credits and rebates, installing a solar thermal system will cost less than half the price, reduce your hot water heating costs by 80%, and pay for itself in approximately five years.  That’s information we want to share with the public – for their benefit as well as the environment,” says Gosch.

The session will last approximately one hour with time for mingling and Q&A segment.  Hors devours and beverages will be served courtesy of The Green Sage and First Light Solar.  All attendees will receive a $200 discount voucher towards the purchase of a solar thermal energy system. 

For more information regarding the E.O.S. information session, please contact Grant Gosch, director of First Light Solar, at 828-545-7144 or email grant@flsenergy.com.  For directions to The Green Sage Coffeehouse and Café call (828)252-4450 or visit their Web site at http://thegreensage.net/.

First Light Solar, based in Asheville, N.C., is an award-winning solar energy design and installation company providing residential and light commercial clients with the latest technology in photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal (hot water) energy systems.  For more on First Light Solar visit http://www.firstlightsolar.com or contact Grant Gosch at 828-545-7144.

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2010.02.17 – Greenville Hotel Goes Green: Solar Panels To Heat Marriott’s Water

Posted February 17, 2010 By admin and has no comments yet.

from WYFF News 4 -  http://www.wyff4.com/news/22582921/detail.html

GREENVILLE, S. C. — Downtown Greenville is getting greener. The new Courtyard by Marriott that is the centerpiece of the Main @ Broad development now has 60 solar panels on its roof.

Developer Bo Aughtry says those panels will supply the hotel with about 3,000 gallons of hot water each day, and he expects the panels to pay for themselves within five or six years. Aughtry says it’s the largest commercial solar installation in South Carolina, and it’s the first domestic Marriott to have solar hot water.

The Main @ Broad development will also have bicycle racks in the garage and showers in the offices for those who want to bike to work.

Mayor Knox White said those types of green initiatives help make Greenville attractive to entrepreneurs the city is trying to recruit. White said, “The fact that we have our bike and walking trail system in place, and we’re building it like crazy, the fact that we have wonderful examples of LEED certified buildings, the fact that the city is committed to green development means a lot.”

The Main @ Broad Courtyard by Marriott is scheduled to open this year.

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2010.02.16 – Exploring Possibilities with Solar Field Trip

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http://www.haywood.edu/image_of_the_week

Exploring Possibilities with Solar Field Trip

Members of HCC’s Advanced Technologies Department recently took a field trip to FLS Energy’s Solar Farm in Canton. The division is exploring how to integrate solar technology into the curriculum. Pictured left to right are members of HCC’s Advanced Technologies team Bruce Campbell, Steve Kirton, Mike Moore, Wayne McCrary, Mark Hicks, Tom McAvoy, Darrell Honeycutt, John Gaddis, and FLS Energy representative Adam Sacora.

Members of HCC’s Advanced Technologies Department recently took a field trip to FLS Energy’s Solar Farm in Canton. The division is exploring how to integrate solar technology into the curriculum. Members of HCC’s Advanced Technologies Department recently took a field trip to FLS Energy’s Solar Farm in Canton. The division is exploring how to integrate solar technology into the curriculum.
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2010.2.16 – Main @ Broad seeks to put green in Greenville with solar hot water system

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By James T. Hammond

jhammond@scbiznews.com

Published February 16, 2010

Sixty solar panels atop the Main @ Broad building beside City Hall will provide about 80% of the building’s hot water, an example developer Bo Aughtry hopes will help instill a green building ethos in Greenville’s development and design community.

Main @ Broad includes a Marriott Courtyard hotel, and Aughtry said it is the first hotel in Marriott American hotels to employ such a solar hot water system.

“Our intention is to make environmentally friendly choices where possible and when financially feasible,” said Aughtry, principal of the Windsor/Aughtry Co.

The building has the infrastructure already installed to take advantage of future advances in solar technology, such as adding photovoltaic panels in the future to generate electricity from the sun.

The Main @ Broad hotel is scheduled to open in the spring of this year.

The $250,000 additional cost to install the solar hot water system will be recouped in five to six years, said Frank Marshall, director of sales for FLS Energy, the Asheville company that installed the solar hot water system.

Main @ Broad Rendering with Panels “Solar hot water is the low-hanging fruit of energy conservation,” said Marshall, noting that the basic principles have been used since Roman times, and continue to be improvised by handy-men in their homes.

But this system is no handy-man’s creation. According to John Clark of the South Carolina Energy Office, it is the largest solar hot water heating system employed in South Carolina.

“I hope that’s a record they don’t hold too long,” Clark said, adding that he believes this example and others will hasten the adoption of similar and larger systems in the near future.

With an expected lifespan of 25 years or more, Clark said the free energy being employed to heat the large building’s water means “energy dollars are staying in South Carolina,” instead of buying natural gas from the gulf states.

Mayor Knox White said the building with its green elements symbolize a change that is under way in Greenville.

“People who are coming to Greenville to live are looking for a green city,” White said. “It’s becoming more and more of a testament to who we think we are.”

The FLS Energy system will heat approximately 3,500 gallons of hot water on a sunny day. To ensure an adequate supply on cloudy days, the system has a natural gas backup heating system.

Marshall said the Marriott corporation already is looking at the Main @ Broad solar hot water system with the idea of promoting the use of such systems at other Marriott hotels nationwide.

“This is a marquee project for South Carolina,” Marshall said. “This gives us the opportunity to evolve into a green market leaders.”

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2010.01.25 – First Light Solar Makes History in Historic Montford District

Posted February 15, 2010 By admin and has no comments yet.

ASHEVILLE – First Light Solar (a division of FLS Energy) becomes the first solar energy company to be approved by the Historic Resources Commission of Asheville and Buncombe County (HRC) to install solar thermal panels on an existing residential structure in the historic Montford district. 

The solar thermal installation project is part of a total renovation of a 1912 bungalow owned by Vic and Sharon Fahrer.  “I’m an environmental planner and my husband is an environmental engineer, so when we started this renovation, we decided to pursue Energy Star Certification on the home,” says Sharon Fahrer.  “Solar thermal for hot water is an excellent choice because it’s clean, efficient and cost-effective.”

Although solar energy was an easy decision for the homeowners, it had to be brought before the HRC for approval.  “Every aspect of a major renovation project to an historic structure has to be reviewed and approved by the HRC to ensure that the architectural integrity is not compromised,” explains Fahrer.  “The visibility and aesthetics of the solar thermal panels were main concerns of the HRC – understandably so since it’s their responsibility to preserve the character of this neighborhood.”

With this in mind, the Fahrer’s selected First Light Solar, a local Asheville company that had a unique solution to the aesthetics issue.  “First Light Solar specializes in Velux solar thermal systems.  Velux has been manufacturing and selling solar thermal systems in Europe for 14 years but is just now breaking into U.S. markets,” explains Grant Gosch, director of First Light Solar.  “It’s a unique system because it’s mounted and flashed into the roof so it has a very low profile and is aesthetically pleasing.  Basically, it looks just like a skylight,” says Gosch.

Representatives from First Light Solar and the Fahrer’s, along with other Montford residents, presented the proposed solar thermal project to the HRC on January 20, 2010.  “The board considered the solar installation proposal with open-minded enthusiasm,” says Fahrer.  “They really wanted to be educated on solar energy solutions for Asheville’s historic districts.  I think First Light Solar and Velux did an excellent job of addressing the HRC’s concerns over visibility and preserving the architectural integrity of the structure,” says Fahrer.

The HRC approved the First Light Solar/Velux solar thermal installation project on Thursday, January 21, 2010.  “The approval of this solar technology is a total victory for the community of Montford,” says Tiffany Smith Schroeder, a Montford resident and sustainability consultant and environmental policy writer who consulted on the proposal.  “Many homeowners are indeed excited because they now know the HRC is open to solar energy solutions on existing structures as well as new construction,” says Smith Schroeder. 

The Fahrer’s were also excited and encouraged by the outcome.  “With this approval, it’s our hope that it will be easier for others to apply for solar energy systems, and that in the near future, it will be considered minor work that could be approved without a review board hearing,” says Fahrer.  “We also hope that we get our Energy Star Certification – thanks in part to the solar thermal system – and become the first Energy Star Certified home in Montford.”

The First Light Solar/Velux installation is scheduled to occur on Monday, January 25, 2010.  “We are very excited about providing this forward-looking energy solution to the Fahrer’s and the historic Montford district,” says Gosch.  “This one-panel system will produce up to 50 gallons of hot water a day and reduce hot water heating costs by up to 80% – all while looking terrific!”  The Fahrer’s are also eligible for a 30% Federal and 35% State Tax Credit and a possible $1,000 rebate from Progress Energy.  According to Gosch, there has never been a better time in history to go solar.

For more on First Light Solar visit http://www.firstlightsolar.com or contact Grant Gosch at 828-545-7144.  First Light Solar, based in Asheville, N.C., is an award-winning solar energy design and installation company providing residential and light commercial clients with the latest technology in photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal (hot water) energy systems.

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