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www.todaysenergysolutions.us
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California-based
energy brokers see solar in a whole new light.....
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Today’s
Energy Solutions took President Obama’s economic challenge
to heart, developing a new business model that ideally
democratizes the way renewable energy is sold in America.
In 2009, when President Obama issued a call for America’s
business leaders and entrepreneurs to find creative ways to
get the country’s economy back on track, Jeff Bertsch
(right) and Jim Gilbeau (left) took note. Very serious note.
Both men had lost their jobs due to the economic downturn
and real estate implosion: Bertsch, a former financial
planner, had worked as a general contractor for the
custom-home market; Gilbeau was owner and publisher of
Today’s Real Estate magazine, an industry publication in
California’s Central Valley. They considered the
country’s dependence on foreign oil to be the main reason
the United States was in trouble, and they wanted to come up
with a way to help create new manufacturing companies for US
exports, as well as jobs—both for fellow citizens and for
themselves. Their logical conclusion? Kick-start the economy
by creating energy independence.
To that end, Bertsch and Gilbeau spent nearly a year
developing a new business model for the way solar energy is
sold in America, and on January 1, 2010, they opened Linden,
California-based Today’s Energy Solutions for business.
The company acts as a commercial, industrial, and
residential energy broker, providing turnkey energy
solutions and services, professional on-site assessments,
custom installations, and ongoing systems monitoring for
photovoltaic solar systems. The difference, though,
according to the company’s founders, comes in the ability
to represent its clients to the entire solar industry
sector—without representing any one product, manufacturer,
or system.
“It enables us to design custom solar systems that best
suit our customers’ needs for their specific energy
situations,” Bertsch explains. “Not being a dealer for
any one company allows us to sell all companies’ products,
and we eliminate any conflict of interest.”
The first step for any new client is a full energy audit.
Today’s Energy Solutions analyzes each type of energy
being drawn off the grid, how much, and at what
times—total power consumption. The company retrofits with
new, energy-efficient materials to lower those costs as much
as possible up front before moving into the design stage of
a custom solar system.
For that phase, Bertsch and Gilbeau have assembled what they
call a “dream team” of like-minded contractors and
suppliers, gleaned from a year of researching and personally
interviewing American solar companies. Those firms include:
• TMW and Associates: LEED AP, BD+C-certified general
contracting firm.
• Allied Building Products: Independent distributor that
serves as the company’s main material and product
supplier.
• Pearl Electric and Envision: Two of the leading
commercial electrical contractors in Central California.
• Solyndra: Photovoltaic manufacturer for commercial and
industrial flattop roofs.
In the first six months of 2010, Today’s Energy Solutions
secured projects ranging from 450,000 kilowatts to 1.3
megawatts, including residential systems, non-profit
municipality audits, and one $6 million project that
includes the installation of nearly 7,000 solar panels;
overall, they estimate first-year sales at $20 million.
Additionally, while there is one other exciting opportunity
about which Bertsch and Gilbeau remain tight-lipped, they
will say this: it could be the biggest commercial solar
project ever completed.
The founders are entirely confident that their business
model is the best possible solution for the design and
development of renewable solar systems. They point to their
exhaustive research efforts regarding current and upcoming
changes in legislation—at both federal and state
levels—in keeping their customers up-to-date with
important developments. They stay on top of new products and
manufacturers, personally vetting any new technologies
before passing them along to clients. The structure of the
business, too, allows flexibility in pricing that other
solar providers may not have. Customers see every expense,
line item by line item, including exactly how much Today’s
Energy Solutions profits—an issue of protocol on which the
company’s founders won’t budge. In fact, they want to
answer the President’s call for action with their own call
for improved business practices: more transparency, more
consistency, and better education.
“We always encourage our clients to ask around and see
where they could possibly get a better deal than with us,”
Bertsch says. “To be honest, the more companies they talk
to, the better we look.”
EPA Finding on Greenhouse Gases Could Cost Businesses and
Consumers Tuesday, December 08,2009
Washington (AP) The Obama administration took a major step
Monday toward imposing the first federal limits on
climate-changing pollution from cars, power plants and
factories, declaring there was compelling scientific
evidence that global warming from manmade greenhouse gases
endangers Americans' health.
PG&E Net Metering Cap To Be Raised - Renewable Energy
World |
This week
Governor Schwarzenegger secured a commitment from PG&E
to increase the amount of solar net metering allowed in its
territory from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent of peak demand.
Ag industry seeing huge growth in solar San Joaquin
Farm Bureau News
California’s on track to more than double its power
generated by solar panel installations by the end of the
year with the surge expected to continue in 2010, and this
trend is also gaining steam in San Joaquin County as more ag
operations turn to solar panels for power. Solar is part of
sustainable winegrape growing "Solar is part of
sustainable winegrape growing" (see entire
article)
California FIT & Net Metering Bills Signed - Renewable
Energy World
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last week signed
two solar bills designed to give added incentive to
businesses and homeowners to invest in a solar system and
help the state achieve its aggressive renewable energy
goals. |
Click
to view this story >>
9/15/2009California Moves To 33% Renewable Energy By
2020
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif., has joined members of
Independent Energy Producers (IEP), a trade association
representing developers and operators of independent energy
facilities and independent power marketers, at the signing
of an executive order establishing the most aggressive
renewable portfolio standard (RPS) in the U.S. The standard
will require that 33% of California's energy be derived from
renewable by the year 2020. |
7/1/2009Governor
Schwarzenegger Praises Success of California Solar
Initiative
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following
statement after the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
issued its Annual Program Assessment |
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of the California Solar
Initiative (CSI) showing the continued success of the state's
program to encourage residents to install solar panels on their
homes and businesses: "The results of today's report
demonstrate what I pictured for this program five years ago. My
vision of powering California homes and businesses with the sun is
creating green jobs, lowering energy costs for thousands of
Californians and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As the federal
government turns its attention to the dangers of global warming
and the economic benefits of green technology, the California
Solar Initiative is proving to be a great model for the nation to
follow." The report shows that the annual rate for new
installed capacity in California nearly doubled in 2008 over 2007,
and installations to date in 2009 indicate that at least the same
amount of installations will likely occur this year. The CSI
program has now installed 13 percent of the total program goal,
and has another eight percent of pending installation.
Furthermore, demand for the program has grown rapidly with over
22,000 solar applications which, including both pending and
installed systems, will account for an estimated 373 MW of new
solar capacity.
2/24/2009Federal Government Stimulus Package Gives Boost to Solar
Customers
If you are considering a photovoltaic system for your home or
business, it just got even more affordable. Along with the new
2009 tax incentives and rebates that make your system almost 50%
paid for, the February 2009 stimulus package from the federal
government makes it even better. For more information,goto
>>
12/5/20082009 Is The Year for Solar: New Federal Tax
Incentives
The economic "bailout" package had important legislation
to make solar electricity even more affordable for homes and
businesses. The combined tax credits and rebates can pay for over
half of a system cost. Federal tax credits are expanding from a
cap of $2,000 on residential systems to 30% of a system cost.
Commercial tax credits have been extended along with residential
credits for several years. Today’s Energy Solutions designs each
system individually to give you the fastest return on your
investment, and your energy bills will be dramatically lowered.
For more information about the federal tax credits, go to: http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm
and when you are ready for a system, contact Valley Solar for a
free estimate or for answers to any questions you may have.
7/28/2008Valley Solar Begins Installation at Tracy DMV
The Department of Motor Vehicles in Tracy will be getting a new
way to power its equipment and offices: solar electricity. The
developer selected Valley Solar to do the design and installation
of the system. Work has begun on the system which will be online
soon.
The system is expected to generate approximately 19,000 kW of
power each year, and is using BIPV (Building Integrated
Photovoltaics) Unisolar panels. The project is slated to achieve
LEED Gold certification. Visit
the website at www.todaysenergysolutions.us
or 
| Article submitted by: |
| Michelle Silva, Publisher
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