tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69671137736578995142012-02-16T15:39:37.370-08:00We are a grassroots neighborhood organization committed to making solar power affordable and widespread in Downtown San Jose and all of District 3.Brian Overlandnoreply@blogger.comBlogger311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-34672099068971495882008-05-07T11:10:00.000-07:002008-10-21T14:44:28.884-07:00

As planned our project ended on March 23rd. The final tally of participating homes is--drum roll, please-- 36 systems for 136.5 kW!!! The project was a huge success for all concerned. And I am thrilled because 3 homes on my block alone are now solar, having chosen to work with both REC and Sun Run. I get a warm fuzzy feeling when I drive past a home with our lawn signs proudly displayed. And I

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-6778843645667729092008-03-14T09:08:00.000-07:002008-03-14T09:20:55.226-07:00

With 9 days left to go on this project, more installations are happening every day, and it is common to see the REC truck in the downtown neighborhoods. Steve's and my installation was finished at the end of February, and now we are waiting for PGE to complete the interconnect. We were very pleased with the work the REC install crew did, and how conscientious they were about doing the job

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-68635621966847722652008-02-24T14:58:00.000-08:002008-02-24T15:26:22.869-08:00

The PG&E interconnect process is complete and we recieved permission and instructions for turning on our system. We thought it would be fun to share the moment with a couple videos.In the first one, we turn the system on. In the second one, you can see the meter running in reverse! Hooray!

Joe Goes Solarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08879815282731977771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-59526700236515352402008-02-22T17:16:00.000-08:002008-02-22T17:19:11.995-08:00

Hi All,Below is the text from a very favorable San Jose Business Journal article that speaks to what makes this such a unique opportunity for the community.Friday, February 22, 2008Emma RitchSilicon Valley/San Jose Business Journalwww.sanjose.bizjournals.comNeighbors don't wait for solar companies to come knockingSilicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal - by Emma Ritch A group of downtown

Joe Goes Solarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08879815282731977771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-25189335049782902362008-02-20T10:33:00.000-08:002008-02-20T10:52:32.549-08:00

The newest numbers are in--24 homes in San Jose are going solar by participating in the Downtown San Jose Solar Project. These homes will be producing 99kW in electricity.I asked REC Solar to give me some information about the long term impact of this project so far, and this is what they say:24 systems in San Jose with 99kW in capacity will produce 3,560,000 kWh over the systems’ lifetime and

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-58900357947240639622008-02-19T16:41:00.000-08:002008-02-19T16:42:54.950-08:00

All,This was just forwarded to me, and it may affect some people's getting to the Solar meeting tomorrow night at 7 PM:FYI – The Amgen Bike Race is rolling through town tomorrow. The City Hall garage will be open tomorrow, but there are street closures downtown, so you might want to allow extra time getting to City Hall. Santa Clara Street from Fourth to Seventh will be closed from 5 a.m. to 8

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-13518500880170108632008-02-19T11:37:00.000-08:002008-02-19T12:00:15.780-08:00

Our last planned Downtown San Jose Solar Project (DSJSP) meeting, as of this posting, is scheduled for February 23rd at 10 AM. The location is the Martin Luther King Library, Lecture Room 255/257 (150 E San Fernando St.). This meeting will be held in two parts. At 10 AM, we will hold a community meeting which will introduce people to the project and the companies who were chosen to be the

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-72655287779452811232008-02-19T11:22:00.001-08:002008-02-19T11:37:10.761-08:00

For those of you who have not yet had a chance to come to one of our Community meetings, tomorrow night is your next chance! The February 20th meeting will start at 7 PM and will be in the City Council Chambers, which are in the City Hall Dome (as opposed to the City Hall Tower.)Our meetings generally take about an hour, and the format is designed to introduce people to the nature of the project

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-79921385107961977482008-02-19T11:17:00.000-08:002008-02-19T11:21:57.157-08:00

Our community is going solar by leaps and bounds! Our latest count is 21 homes going solar, and 88kW of electricity being generated by them. We have already reached one community goal of 60 kW of electricity, and we are on our way to reaching our final goal of 50 homes and 200 kW of electricity! Way to go, Downtown San Jose Solar Project!Marni Kamzan

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-3587912432071391352008-02-14T09:45:00.000-08:002008-11-13T08:46:19.982-08:00

At 19 homes and 82kW, we are well past the threshold of 60kW that triggers the maximum community discount. We have 39 days left which will go by fast, so tell a friend or neighbor and come to one of our upcoming meetings (see details to the right). It's great to see our Community Solar Meter rising! In these pictures you can also see solar enthusiasts, Lynette Bunyard (my wife) and Godiva (our

Joe Goes Solarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08879815282731977771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-47953733042278038012008-02-14T09:07:00.000-08:002008-02-19T11:19:39.885-08:00

That's right, as of yesterday night our project encompassed 19 homes that have comitted to going solar, with a total of 82kW of electricity being generated. I am sure that Lynette and Joe are going to update thier sign soon and post photos for us here, but--we have already reached one community goal of 60 kW of electricity, and we are on our way to reaching our final goal of 50 homes and 200 kW

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-62921614757552842012008-02-08T11:40:00.000-08:002008-11-13T08:46:20.329-08:00

We got the big sign finished and hung on our house today. 10 houses - 40 kW and counting! Our next step is to get the word out beyond our email lists, so please tell your neighbors and friends who live in or near Greater Downtown San Jose. If you click on the picture it expands and you can just make out our black dog Baxter, who is also a big fan of solar. Below is a close up where he's a little

Joe Goes Solarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08879815282731977771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-18582586002641894732008-02-06T15:42:00.000-08:002008-02-06T15:47:06.204-08:00

Come to our informational event tonight to learn more about the Downtown San Jose Solar Project, get the facts on solar technology, and sign up for a free site evaluation.You’ll also hear about an innovative new arrangement which reduces your cost to go solar even more, and guarantees your solar system’s performance at the same time.When: tonight, Wednesday February 6, from 7 pm - 8 pm.Where:

Brian Overlandnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-29657872304257491272008-02-06T13:07:00.000-08:002008-02-06T14:50:59.823-08:00

All,Well, today I spent some time searching for the financial impact of adding solar panels to a house.I found three articles of interest that were not posted by companies who would finaancially benefit from a solar transaction. Click here to read an article from Wells Fargo about which remodels offer the most payback to a homeowner.Click here for an article titled House Resale Value Rises with

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-49714937648092263732008-02-05T17:39:00.000-08:002008-02-05T17:46:30.388-08:00

Hi all,Please click here to see solar installations underway in District 3 along with residents who have expressed interest in the program. You'll still be able to keep track of this information in the recommended links portion of the blog on the right side as well.Very exciting to see members of our community going solar! Join us today.Marni

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02649610464484750959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-49265894670741764432008-02-05T11:04:00.000-08:002008-02-05T11:10:03.093-08:00

Well, this is exciting! The google map has been updated and there are now a veritable forest of pins marking homes that are in the process of looking at solar, and homes that have decided to move forward. Scroll down to Recommended Links and click on the Solar Project Map. Give it a moment to load--on my computer it takes a few minutes to load all the pins since there are so many of them!Marni

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-42231437992828338682008-01-30T21:45:00.000-08:002008-11-13T08:46:21.316-08:00

And now the dramatic conclusion to our installation story- here come the panels. Despite the rain, REC installed the entire system in just 4 days. We have been delighted at every step in the process. Larry, our project manager methodically communicated what to expect and when. Alex, Scott and Goncolo, who did the actual work, were superb. REC's professionalism and committment to quality have

Joe Goes Solarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08879815282731977771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-71348666316096743632008-01-30T18:07:00.000-08:002008-11-13T08:46:22.097-08:00

Resuming the photo saga of the our solar installation...Guess what's in the truck? Yep, 30 solar panels. Call us strange, but after all the anticipation, that's a beautiful sight.Here the rails have been attached to the roof jacks, but our 100 year old roof isn't really flat, so a rail is being used as a guide. There's City Hall in the background. Next connectors and clips are added to the

Joe Goes Solarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08879815282731977771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-3048112985493915892008-01-29T15:15:00.000-08:002008-11-13T08:46:22.387-08:00

Great news! Less than 1 week after our kick off meeting, 7 homes have signed up for solar installations for a total of 30.6 kW DC. Those of you who attended the meeting may recall that the first threshold for community discount occurs at 30 kW and the second at 60, so we are well on our way!This seemed like a great time to show the latest version of the sign Lynette and I have been working on.

Joe Goes Solarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08879815282731977771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-78314299529347310552008-01-29T14:36:00.000-08:002008-11-13T08:46:22.751-08:00

Trying to figure out what your PG&E energy usage is but can't seem to track down all those old bills?

San Jose Downtown Solar Associationnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-58872613360161872652008-01-28T15:01:00.000-08:002008-01-29T12:11:37.171-08:00

All, To help people respond to our sense of urgency with some urgency of their own, we have scheduled another Community Presentation in February.Date: February 6th Time: 7 PMPlace: San Jose City Hall, Council Chambers (in the Dome)We will be having two additional meetings in February:Date: February 20th Time: 7 PM Place: San Jose City Hall, Council Chambers (in the Dome) Date: February 23rdTime:

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-73393418166510842792008-01-28T14:46:00.000-08:002008-01-28T15:05:22.567-08:00

A few days ago I promised to post more information about the URGENCY connected with the fast-diminishing PGE rebates. I asked Kent Halliburton from REC to make me up a small spreadsheet with lots of information about rebates for different sized systems.Kent suggested a better way to explain the financial effect of the rebates becoming smaller and smaller, and since it was so easy to understand, I

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-77540044833674178092008-01-25T14:01:00.000-08:002008-11-13T08:46:23.178-08:00

Guess who came to 158 North 15th Street? Yep, REC solar has already started the first installation of the Downtown San Jose Solar Project. I'll share a few pictures as they progress, so you can see what the process looks like. Feel free to ask any questions that you may have in the comments section below.Our roof was on it's last legs, so we decided to get it done before installing the solar

Joe Goes Solarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08879815282731977771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-72710261373897220942008-01-25T11:37:00.000-08:002008-01-29T16:38:30.179-08:00

Hi everyone,The Sun Run team put together a bunch of frequently-asked questions to help us better understand their offering. Please don't hesitate to contact Lynn Jurich or Sydney Larson from Sun Run at (415) 982-9000 if you need help with anything.Marni Kamzan

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02649610464484750959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-29236081322195609752008-01-25T09:43:00.000-08:002008-01-25T09:47:00.797-08:00

My neighbor Pete Smith is a local real estate agent, and when I asked him about the value of adding solar panels to a home, he was kind enough to write this for me:The return on investment for installing Photo Voltaic Panels on your property is the minute you install them as the value of your property is increased by roughly the cost of the system. Consider that anyone purchasing a property with

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-70809057315560939642008-01-25T09:35:00.000-08:002008-01-25T09:43:20.863-08:00

My neighbor Colleen lives a few houses down form me, and she and her husband met with Brandon from REC to review the solar proposal for their house. This is what she wrote to me--unsolicited!--and thanks very much Colleen for letting me share this:.....we're thinking of doing the Sun Run route, seems the most logical, especially given that we've no plans to move anytime soon or ever for that

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-66239338604984499892008-01-25T08:21:00.000-08:002008-01-28T15:06:32.063-08:00

The following Downtown San Jose Solar Project community meetings are now planned for February:February 6th, San Jose City Hall Council Chambers (in the Dome)February 20th, 7 PM, San Jose City Hall Council ChambersFebruary 23rd, 10 AM, Martin Luther King Library, Lecture Room 255/257. Martin Luther King Library is at 150 E. San Fernando, SJ. Ask for directions to the lecture room at the

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-5329400186031484372008-01-24T22:56:00.000-08:002008-01-25T08:21:29.169-08:00

I've been trying to think of what I can say about the Kick Off meeting that will be able to convey the HUGE smile that I have on my face thinking about it. And words fail me. Except that--the evening was almost perfect.To give you idea of the grueling timeline that the Steering Committee had set for the meeting--we only chose the REC Solar /Sun Run on January 10th, on January 14th we met with

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03495270680028640251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-12407134494496859082008-01-17T09:47:00.000-08:002008-01-17T12:04:52.868-08:00

Dear Neighbors, On January 23rd, at 7:00 PM in Wing 118 at City Hall, there will be a presentation and official kick off meeting about the Downtown Solar project, which is available to all residents in District 3. A committee of interested residents, including myself, was created after the first Community Solar meeting last September, to investigate the feasibility of contracting with a

Solarvangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02649610464484750959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-22846793366512877512008-01-09T15:35:00.000-08:002008-01-09T15:36:34.787-08:00

Stay tuned for more information about an exciting new residential solar program coming to San Jose soon!

San Jose Downtown Solar Associationnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967113773657899514.post-17065809902174575952008-01-04T17:01:00.000-08:002008-01-04T17:05:35.239-08:00

San Jose Downtown Solar Associationnoreply@blogger.com0