Solar Roundtable

Since December, 2007, the Alliance for Affordable Energy has hosted monthly Solar Roundtable meetings of solar energy industry professionals and advocates. Agenda items have included relevant policy and regulatory issues, emerging technologies, market transformation and events. Since 2010, these meetings have been made possible by the generous contributions of the following sponsors:

August 2011:  RiverView Solar specializes in Solar Thermal Domestic Hot Water along with Solar Thermal Space Heating & PhotoVoltaic 'electric panels'. RiverView incorporates an exclusive design to lower energy cost through consumption, together with Solar to achieve the Net Zero goal. Our solar energy professionals design, consult, install and maintain your system for 10 years, labor included. We are certified with the Building Performance Institute 'BPI', Resnet, State Licensed Electrical, Mechanical, Building along with several other licenses and certifications. As our company has been in New Orleans since 1998, where we advanced our training to incorporate Solar & Energy Efficiency but still perform projects in GEO Thermal, Air-Conditioning, and Electrical. We will continue to be around when the government incentives are gone. For additional information about RiverView Solar, visit www.riverviewsolar.com

June 2011:  Sustainable Systems Integrators, llc. (SSI) is an employee-owned cooperative of solar energy professionals offering design, consultation and installation services for licensed electrical contractors, educational programs and building professionals. Owners are certified in PV and Solar Thermal installation by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). For more information about SSI, visit www.ssillc.coop

May 2011:  Artisan Solar is a New Orleans based business that performs integration, installation, and consultation specializing in residential solar PV and solar thermal. For more information about Artisan Solar, visit www.artisansolar.com

April 2011:  In 2007 and 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) designated 25 major U.S. cities as Solar America Cities and provided financial and technical assistance to help the cities develop comprehensive approaches to increasing solar energy use. Sixteen of these designees received additional Recovery Act funding in 2009 for special projects that tackle specific barriers to urban solar energy use. The unique federal-local partnerships have enabled DOE to identify barriers to solar energy use in diverse locations and at various stages of market development, and to collaboratively develop solutions to those barriers. The Solar America Cities project in New Orleans is unique because of the unprecedented rebuilding of the city. The New Orleans Office of Recovery Management and its partners have a great opportunity to encourage solar in the city's energy marketplace. During the reconstruction process, the city has a chance to structurally alter the ways in which solar energy technologies are regulated, incentivized, produced, and consumed in the Greater New Orleans area. This effort is part of New Orleans' larger vision of becoming a model sustainable city.

Feb. 2011:  The Mechanical Contractors Association is a New Orleans-based business league for companies performing pipefitting, plumbing and HVAC at private or public facilities. In the late 1960's, MCA contracting companies brought forward measures to help their customers reduce monthly utility bills on new construction, renovation, replacement, retrofit and service. 43 years ago, MCA and Tulane University Engineering School developed a curriculum and trained professionals in Test-Balance-Adjust (TBA) processes to reduce monthly utility bills. Today, TBA is a core competency in modern energy efficiency and LEED construction practices. MCA's energy efficiency efforts earned the association a charter seat on the New Orleans City Council's first Collaborative Working Group for Integrated Resource Utility Planning. Today, MCA member contractors are helping reduce monthly utility bills by building schools that are LEED Silver Certified, and helping customers with commercial cisterns, GREEN Plumbing and other energy efficiency and conservation systems. For more information about the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, please visit www.mcaa.org

Jan. 2011:  Make It Right Solar, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Make It Right Foundation, functions as a solar energy development company to facilitate photovoltaic systems in low-income communities. With the help of numerous local, properly licensed and insured solar contractors, we have installed solar electric systems on more than 50 LEED Platinum homes in the last two years. MIR Solar provides turn-key solutions along with flexible financing for builders who are investing in solar energy for their programs. For more information on Make It Right please visit www.makeitrightnola.org

Dec. 2010:  Joule Energy specializes in solar thermal and solar photovoltaic sales, service and installation for residential and commercial customers in Southeast Louisiana. We represent a vast selection of solar manufacturers and provide free on-site evaluations and estimates. Our mission is to provide environmentally safe products that enhance the quality of life. For more information about Joule Energy visit our website at www.joule-energy.com.

Nov. 2010:  Solar Energy Services specializes in solar thermal and solar photovoltaic sales, service and installation for residential and commercial customers in Southeast Louisiana. We represent a vast selection of solar manufacturers and provide free on-site evaluations and estimates. Our mission is to provide environmentally safe products that enhance the quality of life. For more information about Solar Energy Services visit our website at www.solarenergyservices4u.com.

Oct. 2010:  For more than three decades, the "AMERESCO Solar" team has been providing solar energy solutions to customers just like you ----- using its talent and experience to generate a good payback. The company offers a full range of services from a broad array of products to engineering and design/build capabilities. A few of the markets we serve are; Grid-Tie, Remote Homes, RV and Marine, Village Electrification, Communications, Oil and Gas, Remote Monitoring, Lighting, Government, Transportation, Environmental Systems and more. To learn more about our experience, please see the "Case Studies" section on our web site by clicking here.

Sept. 2010:  Headquartered in New Orleans and serving the entire Gulf Coast region, South Coast Solar, LLC is the premier solar panel installation company. South Coast Solar provides turn-key solar energy systems for homes, businesses and governmental clients from concept to commissioning. To learn more about South Coast Solar, visit their website at www.southcoastsolar.com

Aug. 2010: ONTILITY is proud to support the growth of the solar industry in Louisiana and to be one of the first corporate sponsors of the Alliance for Affordable Energy's Solar Roundtable meetings. ONTILITY provides professional training and support services, and product distribution for the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency markets throughout North America. ONTILITY's clients and partners represent a wide range of market segments including residential, commercial, industrial, educational, and governmental, as well as home builders, real estate developers, communities and electric utilities. For more information visit www.ontility.com