The 2010 Olympics will kick-off today, February 12th, in Vancouver!  Like everyone else, we’re excited for the winter games to begin – what’s more gripping than watching skeleton racers slide headfirst down a track at 80 mph?   But, we’re even more excited about seeing the Vancouver Olympic Committee’s commitment to sustainability in action.  In an effort to be the greenest Olympics ever, the Committee has pledged to manage “the environmental, social and economic impacts and opportunities of our Games to produce lasting benefits, locally and globally.”

So, what are some of the ways in which the 2010 Olympics have gone clean & green?

• LEED Olympic Villages: The two Olympic athletes’ villages are targeting LEED certification of silver or better for its buildings.  LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) provides a framework for green building design and construction in energy savings, water efficiency, carbon emissions, indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources.  Vancouver is targeting LEED “Gold” green building certification for the Village’s new buildings and “Platinum” for the Village community center.  The Vancouver village also uses heat captured from the sanitary sewer’s main line to address the village’s heat and water needs, and has streets designed primarily for pedestrians and bicycles.  In addition, the village’s buildings are fitted with solar panels and self-sustaining “green roofs.”
• Electric Zambonis: These electric ice grooming machines are much more environmentally friendly than their gas or propane counterparts.  The initial cost of these electric Zambonis are twice as much as the traditional ice machines, but are cheaper and cleaner to run ($0.25/run versus $3.00/run for propane machines & $4.00/run for gas machines)
• Public Transit: Not only are all Olympic and Paralympic venues accessible by public transportation, but ticket holders have unlimited access to all public transit on the day of their event.  Extra train cars and buses have been added to accommodate the crowds and public parking is not available at any of the game venues.
• Reducing Fleet Emissions: Over one-third of the fleet vehicles are low-emission vehicles (51 are hybrids and 32 have Active Fuel Management).  The hydrogen-powered Chevy Equinox is the official automobile of the Games.
• Offsetters: The Olympic Committee is using “Offsetters,” a BC-based carbon asset management company to offset its emissions and reach its carbon-neutral goal.
• Waste Diversion: The Olympic Committee aims to divert 85 of its Games-time waste from landfill.  To support this goal, Coca-Cola has ensured that 95% of its waste materials will be diverted from landfills and Mcdonald’s has committed to source separation of organics, waste, and recyclables at its Olympic restaurant locations with 90% of its packaging will be made from renewable resources.
• Olympic Torch: 90% of the materials for the Torch were selected for recyclability, its combustion system minimizes greenhouse gas emissions, and even the remaining fuel will be recycled.
• Recycled Medals: Olympic and Paralympic medals contain recycled metals.

The Games are a great opportunity to showcase clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives and Vancouver has done a great job in placing sustainability front and center.  This Olympics, we’re not just going for the gold, we’re going for the green!

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a solar installer?  Last Wednesday, I climbed onto the roof of a San Francisco home and found out.  With a team from PetersenDean, one of SunRun’s partners, I was able to witness firsthand the ins and outs of home solar installation.

2:00 pm
I’m on-site by early afternoon.  It has been a rainy week and I was worried the rain would spoil my installation plans, but luckily the skies clear by the time I arrive.  The installation team is headed by lead electrician, Steve, and Javier, the head rooftop installer.  There are three others– Gustav, Eddie, and Leandro.  They are hard at work when I arrive – Steve is in the garage, working on the inverter; everyone else is up on the roof, installing the solar panel mounting system on which the solar panels will rest.

Climbing up onto the roof is quite possibly one of the most frightening experiences in my life.  The ladder seems to go on forever and with each uncertain step, my legs shake.  This particular home has a flat roof, which means the team needs to install a mount rail system in order to place the panels on an angle; lucky for me, this also means that I can stand on flat, solid ground.  The team chuckles at my nervousness.  “You’ll get used to it in a week,” they tell me.

2:30 pm
Gustav starts spreading grey gravel on the bottom of the mounts, in order to disguise the black sealant.  We have to make sure we scrape the gravel off the bottom of our shoes when making our way down the roof, so we don’t slip from the reduced traction.

3:00pm
The next half-hour is dedicated to wiring.  The team guides three different wires – black, white, and copper, through metal poles.  According to Javier, the thick black wire is for the negative connection, white was for positive, and the copper is the ground wire.  It becomes quite complicated after that and I use this time to move away from wiring and ask Javier other questions:

Me: How long have you been a solar panel installer, Javier?
Javier: One and a half years
Me: What were you doing before then?
Javier: I was a supervisor for construction sites.  For 17 years!
Me: Wow, what made you switch? How did you find out about solar installation jobs?
Javier: I looked on the internet. Installing solar panels is a lot less stressful than construction.  This is better.
Me: Well, that’s good – what’s your favorite part of the job?
Javier: Definitely laying out the panels, that’s the best part.  And we get to go everywhere to install panels; I like to travel.  Sometimes in San Francisco, sometimes in Monterey County…  This July, through December, I’m even going to Texas – installing over 400 panels.  It’s going to be a big job.
Me: How long do home solar installations usually take?
Javier: Usually two to three days. Today’s just going to take one or two, though.

The installation team moves quickly and efficiently, occasionally conversing in a mix of English and Spanish.  I observe them with pen, paper, and camera and try to stay out of their way.  They tell me they work on installations every day; I can’t help but think of all the jobs home solar panel installations have created – team manager, lead electrician, roofers, and that’s not even including the jobs created further down the supply chain.

3:30pm
By this time, the winds have chilled and I am freezing.  Clad only in my SunRun long sleeve, I muster up the courage to climb down the ladder and get my fleece sweater, which I had left on the ground level, with Steve.  “Don’t look down,” Eddie yells down.  I can’t help it.

In the garage, Steve is tinkering around with the inverter and we get to talking:

Me: What are you working on right now?
Steve: This here is the inverter.  The electricity from the roof solar panels goes to the inverter, where it’s changed from DC to AC power.  From here, it goes to the SunRun meter.  If something goes wrong, SunRun is the first to know!  Then, they call us.
Me: Do you have solar panels on your roof?
Steve: We don’t right now because we’re trying to move but if we don’t end up moving and stay in our home – we’ll definitely get panels.

4:00pm
Eddie helps me back on to the roof.  He climbs down the ladder and climbs back up with me; I feel slightly foolish for making him go through the trouble.  He tells me he’s been with PetersenDean for fifteen years, starting right after high school graduation.  That’s a long time.

The team has started laying down the panels – Javier’s favorite part!  The panels are dark and slick-looking, 18 in total.  Javier tells me he likes to lay them all flat before screwing them in one by one, so he can measure everything out and align them precisely: “I like them to be super straight.”  Javier is quite the perfectionist.

He has home solar panels, as well, he tells me – has had them for six years now.  I ask him why he decided to get home solar panels and his face glows.  “The bills!” he exclaims enthusiastically, “My electric bill went from $200 to almost $10.”  Javier is from sunny Santa Cruz.

4:30pm:
The installation crew members climb up the ladder with additional panels held over their shoulders.  Quite a feat of strength and balance; move over Cirque du Soleil!  When I express amazement, Leandro laughs, “This is nothing.”  They finally start screwing the panels onto the mount.  I take so many photos that my camera battery dies shortly after I completely use up my memory card.  I shift gears to writing notes.

While Eddie and Javier work on aligning the panels, the others work on connecting the wiring underneath the solar panels.  This is very careful and precise work; talking ceases and silence abounds.  It is cold and quiet and I pull on my hood as the wind starts to blow.

5:00pm
All solar panels are installed, secured, and connected!  Cleanup begins immediately – everyone does his part, cutting excess metal off the edges, picking up loose tools.  Another tucks in the wiring, making sure that not a single wire touches the physical roof.

I bid the solar installers farewell and make my way down the roof, to say goodbye to Steve.  Steve tells me they just need an additional half-day until they are completely done with the installation.  The next step is to complete the wiring from the solar panels to the meter.

I’d only been up on the roof with the solar panel installers for around three hours, but I’m exhausted.  I feel more connected than ever to the solar energy movement now that I’ve seen it in action.  In a matter of hours, solar panels were installed and a regular home was transformed into a clean, green solar home.  And that’s all in a day’s work for a home solar panel installer.

The importance of a clean energy economy was visited time and again in President Obama’s State of the Union address.  With such strong support coming from the White House, we here at SunRun are very excited about what 2010 will bring for solar.  SunRun’s president, Lynn Jurich, spoke to Fox Business on Thursday about the future of the solar energy sector, as well as the hundreds of green jobs the solar industry has been able to create.





Not only has home solar become an affordable option for millions of homeowners, but it has also been able to create clean, permanent jobs.  According to research, for every six homes that goes solar, a green job is created — and that’s not including the other jobs created down the supply line.  And these are jobs created within the nation – here and at present.

Watch the Fox Business clip to hear more about green jobs, federal subsidies, and the future of solar.

Is your home perfect for solar? Not sure? Take SunRun’s new solar quiz to check if your home has solar potential! Select your roof pitch and level of shade, enter your ZIP code, and find out if your home makes the grade.

Chances are that if you didn’t know your home was ready for solar, your friends and family won’t either — make sure to share the home solar quiz with them by installing the widget on your blog, Facebook page, or website.  Home solar electricity is a great way for you to save money and support clean energy so don’t wait to see if your home’s ready. For a more accurate assessment of your home’s solar potential or to learn more about solar energy across the nation, visit SunRun’s new Solar Calculator and Map.

Remember the game of “Telephone”?  The first person comes up with a phrase and whispers it to the next person.  The phrase moves down the line until it reaches the last person, who repeats what he’s heard for all to hear.  More often than not, the phrase is rendered almost completely unrecognizable, altered with each transference.  Much is lost in translation.

This is more or less the same with energy transmission.  The way our current grid system works in the United States is that electrical energy is generated in bulk from plants located miles away from cities and population centers.  The energy is transferred via power lines to substations, which are closer to home.  The substations then transmit the electricity to the customers.  What we mean by “the grid” is a series of high voltage transmission networks, with interconnected transmission lines.

There are currently three major networks in the U.S.: Western Interconnect, Eastern Interconnect, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.  These transmission lines can span a great distance and some of the electricity generated is lost through transmission.

A percentage of the electricity generated is lost because energy is necessary to move the electricity from the production site to your home. Additional energy is also lost as the voltage level changes from high to low as it moves from the power plants to your home.  Electricity is transmitted through power lines at very high voltage levels over long-distances, but is lowered to a safer and more manageable level for your home.

As you can see, long-distance transmission gets messy.  On average, 7-8% of the total energy generated is lost during this entire process.

On the other end of the power transmission spectrum is distributed generation.  Also known as on-site generation, this is when electricity is generated close to where it is used, i.e. rooftop solar.  Unlike transmission via grid networks, distributed generation reduces the amount of energy lost, the size and number of power lines and associated corridors that need to be constructed, and the number of new power plants that need to be built.  With rooftop solar, your energy goes straight from your roof to your home (or back to the grid if you generate more than you use).  Home generated power can also help the grid system as a whole by lowering demand during peak times and minimizing congestion, reducing the risk of blackouts and brownouts.  For more on the benefits, see the Department of Energy’s 2007 report on the potential benefits of distributed generation.

The nation’s current energy transmission system needs much improvement, and while a new smart grid would indeed help, this is easier said than done.  Rerouting entire transmission lines can get complicated.  According to the Western Resource Advocates, the “smartest powerline is the one that is never built.”  Distributed generation is efficient, safe, and direct.  From the sun to your roof, powering your home is simple again.

SunRun has expanded our relationship with our trusted partner PetersenDean Roofing and Solar Systems in order to bring affordable solar to new homes across California.  While residents will still be able to retrofit their existing homes with solar panels through SunRun financing, this new partnership will allow buyers to purchase new solar homes in the future without paying any money upfront for the solar panels through SunRun’s solar lease program.  With top quality solar systems and electricity savings already built into their homes, new homeowners can settle in without the fear of rising utility prices.

You can read more about SunRun’s and PetersenDean’s partnership in the latest article by San Francisco Business Times.

Buying a home is a big step, but we at SunRun are excited to bring affordable solar solutions to new homeowners all across California!

Last weekend, SunRun was voted the Best Clean Tech at the Crunchies!

SunRun is so grateful for this honor. It was an exciting night to be surrounded by some of  the best tech companies.  The beautiful  location of San Francisco’s Herbst Theater made the awards an excellent way of being acknowledged for our hard work to have a green business that stays true to what we believe in!

SunRun is honored and thankful for a successful 2009 year, but  we are excited for the possibilities of 2010!

We love holidays, here at SunRun, especially ones that save you energy and money.  That’s why yesterday, on January 10th, 2010, we celebrated National Cut Your Energy Costs Day!  There are so many ways to reduce energy usage and costs around your home, from long-term investments, such as installing new heating and cooling systems, to easy fixes, such as unplugging your television.

Here are five quick tips to cut costs and save energy this holiday.

1. Power Strips: Plug your TV, computer, and other home electronics into power strips and flip the switch when they’re not in use.  Even when appliances are turned off, they’re still running on phantom energy.  If you don’t use power strips, remember to unplug your appliances when you’re done with them.
2. CFLs: Switch out your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs.  CFLs last up to 10 times longer than and use about one-fourth the energy of incandescents.
3. Solar Panels: Reduce your electricity costs by installing solar panels in your home.  You use the same amount of energy but pay less for it, because you can lock in a rate with solar, rather than be subject to your utility’s rate increases.
4. Sleep mode: Set your computers to sleep mode, rather than screen saver mode, when not in use.  It takes about 100 Watts/hour to run a screen saver on your graphics card.  Cut energy costs by letting your screen go black.
5. Air sealing: Seal cracks and openings to prevent outside air from otherwise entering your house.  Paired with proper insulation, air sealing can increase energy efficiency and drastically reduce your heating and cooling costs.

Have you ever wondered what the power plants near your house are like? Now you can find out how clean your local power plant is.

Around 129 million tons of coal combustion waste (CCW) is produced at American power plants every year.  A threat to public health, CCW makes up the second-largest waste stream after municipal solid waste.  Here’s a list of the top 25 dirtiest power plants in the United States from the ISS, in terms of coal waste:

1. Stanton Energy Center; Orlando, FL
2. Sherburne County Generating Plant; Becker, MN
3. Coal Creek Station; Underwood, ND
4. Scherer Steam Electric Plant; Juliette, GA
5. Detroit Edison Monroe Power Plant; Monroe, MI
6. Gibson Generating Station; Owensville, IN
7. Gorgas Steam Plant; Parrish, AL
8. Cholla Power Plant; Joseph City, AZ
9. Wansley Steam Plant; Roopville, GA
10. Kentucky Utilities Ghent Station; Ghent, KY
11. J.M Stuart Station; Manchester, OH
12. Branch Steam Plant; Milledgeville, GA
13. Barry Steam Plant; Bucks, AL
14. Gaston Steam Plant; Wilsonville, AL
15. Miller Steam Plant; Quinton, AL
16. Lacygne Generating Station; Lacygne, KS
17. Gallatin Fossil Plant; Gallatin, TN
18. Boswell Energy Center; Cohasset, MN
19. Leland Olds Station; Stanton, ND
20. Widows Creek Fossil Plant; Stevenson, AL
21. Paradise Fossil Plant; Drakesboro, KY
22. Labadie Power Plant; Labadie, MO
23. Kingston Fossil Plant; Harriman, TN
24. Cardinal Plant; Brilliant, OH
25. Bowen Steam Plant; Cartersville, GA

Check out our solar map to see where the dirtiest power plants are compare to where you live!

Happy New Year!

We at SunRun look forward to bringing solar into thousands of more homes in 2010.
This year, start your year off bright with clean, renewable solar energy.