Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Programs

Please join us in celebration for a  

“Solar Energy Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony”

Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 3 PM

Tecate Mission International – Click here to view photos of this project

23945 Tecate Mission Road

Tecate, California  91980-1000

(on the upper campus located just off Highway 188)

We’ve been a proud part of this community since 1962, so come and help us celebrate. There will

be a chance to meet some local representatives and we’ll have music and refreshments as we publicly

declare the value of stewardship by conserving the resources that God has given to us.

For more information:    Dan Bender – 619.851.7451 / danbender@aol.com

Willa Edmonds – 619.468.3355 / willa@tecatemission.org

Click here to download the EVENT DOC Flyer

Richard Swanson is president and chief technology officer of SunPower Corporation, which he founded in 1985 to commercialize the solar cell technology he developed while a professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University.

Swanson figured out how to improve the capture of electrons in solar cells. Solar cells usually contain two thin layers of metal with a sliver of polycrystalline silicon inside. But polycrystalline silicon is in short supply worldwide. Swanson discovered that the metal foil on the top layer of a solar cell reflected some photons before they had a chance to hit the silicon layer. He put both layers of metal on the bottom of the cell, creating greater efficiencies and less need for polysilicon. The result: solar cell “wafers” that are thinner and less expensive to produce.

SunPower designs and manufactures high-performance solar electric systems for residential, commercial and utility-scale power plant customers around the world. Its solar cells and solar panels currently generate up to 50 percent more power than other solar technologies. In 2009, SunPower announced that its latest solar panel for the residential and commercial markets offers a conversion efficiency (a measurement of the amount of sunlight converted by the solar cell into electricity) of 19.3 percent, the highest for a commercially available, mass produced solar panel. The U.S. Department of Energy’s established a goal of is conversion efficiency 20% by the year 2020.

SunPower had revenue of US$1.4 billion in fiscal 2008, compared to US$775 million in fiscal 2007 and US$237 million in fiscal 2006. SunPower acquired PowerLight Corp., a large-scale solar power systems provider, in January 2007 for US$333 million, becoming a producer of energy, as well as energy-production technology. In 2008, this business segment, known as SP Systems, began serving the utility market in the United States. New business includes an agreement with Florida Power & Light Company to design and build two solar photovoltaic power plants, and another with Pacific Gas and Electric Company to design and build a 250 megawatt solar power plant in California.

According to Clean Edge, solar photovoltaics (including modules, system components, and installation) will grow from a US$29.6 billion industry in 2008 to US$80.6 billion by 2018. Annual installations reached more than 4 GW worldwide in 2008, up from 1 GW in 2004. Solar power has grown an average of 40 percent per year since the beginning of the decade, with global solar installations expanding from 600 megawatts in 2003 to nearly 3000 megawatts in 2008.

Written by: http://www.economistconferences.co.uk/innovation/energyenvironmentaward

November 20, 2009.  Albany, NY.  Mr. Mark Mrohs of SunPower Corporation was announced  the winner of the 2009 ISP Mark C. Fitzgerald Memorial Award.  The award was given on November 20, 2009 at the New Ideas in Educating a Workforce in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Conference.

The award was presented by Mr. Jack Werner, Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Power (ISP).  The award is for an individual who is dedicated to promoting quality renewable energy training.

Mark Mrohs is currently the Senior Manager of Training for the Residential and Light Commercial Division of SunPower Corporation and previously worked for AstroPower, GE Solar, Siemens Solar and ARCO Solar. He is a preeminent specialist in PV training, having worked in PV for over 35 years and conducted programs in 23 countries. SunPower has been conducting installation, design and sales training programs for their dealer network since 2006 and under Mr. Mrohs’ direction, the training has evolved into a sophisticated program that offers professional certifications.

SunPower is an ISPQ Accredited Training Program.

Mark Fitzgerald (1955-2005) was a global champion of the development and application of professional standards to the training of renewable energy practitioners. In 1995, he launched the Institute for Sustainable Power (ISP).  Mark’s goal was to contribute to a step-change in the successive installation of renewable energy systems. He identified a serious gap in the quality of installations due to the lack of adequate training for system integrators and installers.  Under Mark’s leadership, the Institute for Sustainable Power prepared an international standard and commenced an application and audit process to ensure continuity, consistency, and quality in the delivery of training.

Mark passed away in June 2005, but ISP continues to grows.  In Mark’s memory, an annual award has been established.

The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) is the North American Licensee for the ISPQ Standard for Accreditation & Certification of renewable energy training programs.  For more information, please visit www.ispqusa.org.

A SunPower® solar system will reap immediate and ongoing returns for San Diego residents.

Purchasing a SunPower solar system is more affordable than ever. With the new federal, state and local  tax incentives, you can save up to 50% on this one-time cost.

save big with solar systems

The federal tax credit for energy efficiency improvements has been raised to 30% and if you qualify for additional state and local incentives, you could save almost 50% on the cost of your new system. But these savings are unprecedented and may not last long.

The state of California allows a property tax exclusion for solar systems—100% of the system’s value. The city of Costa Mesa and the counties of Marin, San Bernardino, San Diego and Santa Monica offer incentives for new constructions with solar systems.

California households with solar can receive up to a 15% return on their investment in the first year.

After purchase, you’ll continue to save every month. With a SunPower solar system on your roof, your monthly bills will drop immediately and hedge against rising and volatile electricity costs for as long you own your solar-powered home.