Join us at the PA Energy Alliance "Energy Speaker Series"

On Tuesday, March 20th, Jon, represented SunPower Builders, and gave a voice to the solar industry overall as a panel member to discuss the "Energy Workforce" .  The talk went very well, and Jon returned with enthusiasm for the two remaining presentations, one of which he will again be a panel member for.  The series presentations are located at the Montgomery County Community College.  Please see additional information below!


FREE and OPEN TO ALL



Monday, March 26, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
An Energy Forecast for Pennsylvania: How will the state be powered in 25 years?
Advanced Technology Center – Room 101
This panel will provide an overview of the future of energy, and the role that Pennsylvaniawill play as these changes unfold. Energy cost, government regulations and the role of world politics will be key factors in the discussions. Confirmed speakers include:

• Moderated by Stephen Mullin, PA Energy Alliance member and Senior Vice-President and Principal at Econsult Corporation
• Jill Beccaris-Pescatore, Instructor of Economics, Montgomery County Community College
•  Wayne Gardner, Commissioner, PA Public Utility Commission
• Professor Edward Turzanski, International Relations/Espionage and Terrorism, Assistant Vice President for Government and Community Relations, La Salle University

Thursday, April 5, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
Environmental Sustainable Energy
Science Center – Room 213
The state of Pennsylvania features a wide variety of energy sources, and has made significant steps to become a leader in sustainable energy. This panel will focus on the clean energy used in Pennsylvania and the benefits it has for our state. Confirmed speakers include:

• Moderated by Jeff Norton, Energy Group member at Eckert Seamans
• John Hanger, Former Secretary of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Former President and CEO of PennFuture
• Professor Rob Kuhlman, Geology Professor, Montgomery County Community College
• Jon Costanza, SunPower Builders  

For more information, please visit http://paenergyalliance.com/energy-speaker-series, email mmoerder@paenergyalliance.com or call 717-319-1988. For directions and panel locations, please visit http://www.mc3.edu/aboutUs/directions and select Central Campus. We hope to see you there!

Construction of SunPower Designed Solar Home is Moving Forward!

SunPower Builders designed this Solar home in Ambler, PA.  Despite the gloomy weather today, the sun is shining for Jon who returned to the office very excited about the progress of the construction thus far.  We look forward to staying updated on the remainder of the construction and of course eagerly anticipate the final result.  Keep posted for more pictures!

Riley and Sun is Heating Up!

SunPower Builders has teamed up with Riley Sales, a HVAC equipment distributor, to create Riley and Sun, a solar distribution and consulting branch.  The purpose of Riley and Sun is to provide contractors with both a distributor of solar panels and equipment as well as guidance in installation and the logistics of solar.  It is the hope of Riley and Sun that providing solar equipment regularly to contractors will transform solar to a mainstream component of building for contractors, and an expectation for home owners.

Riley and Sun was started by a team devoted to quality work, customer service, and a renewable future.  With the team work of Riley Sales and SunPower Builders, Riley and Sun is sure to achieve their vision of communities comprised of sustainable buildings and homes.

Riley and Sun is eager to work with contractors to provide them with the solar equipment and knowledge necessary to bring solar to the homes of their clients.

Please check out the Riley and Sun website and contact us with any questions or comments!

http://www.rileyandsun.com/index.html

The Big Apple Christmas Spectacle: Rockefeller Tree

We couldn't get through the holidays without a holiday blog post-the demands of the age of technology .  But, hopefully this one gets you thinking.  We don't have any ideas for compostable or reusable gifts...but the "greening" of Christmas is an interesting trend to follow.  The Rockefeller tree has undergone the transformation, the green transformation that is.  But how green is it?  The "Huff Post Green" recently questioned the success of this transformation.  This questioning brings to light a thought process that is important always and especially this season, "green" is marketable-do your research.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harris-silver/rockefeller-center-christmas-tree_b_1125549.html

On the flip side, for the past 4 years the Rockefeller tree trunk has been donated as lumber to "Habitat for Humanity", check out this video on the recent recipients of their "Rockefeller Tree" house.

http://hudsonvalley.ynn.com/content/top_stories/566604/rockefeller-christmas-tree-crafted-into-new-home/

The "Secrets" aren't so Secret. Start with Simple.

Norbert M. Lechner of Solar Today enlightens us in this recent article. 

http://www.solartoday-digital.org/solartoday/20111112/#pg48

*check out the building rotation diagram!!

Just because these ideas are not sold for money doesn't mean that they are not important.  It is easy to identify necessary actions with a monetary cost, but here we recognize decisions and processes that contribute to harnessing solar energy to its fullest potential.

Although the following highlights in responsible solar design may seem obvious, keep your eyes peeled for a truly "solar responsible" building by design.  Lechner points out to us that many modern architecture designs and promotions directly inhibit passive solar benefits.  

PV should be used as a complementary strategy of using solar energy, not as a replacement to these “solar smart” actions


What are passive solar techniques?

o   Form and orientation

o   Size

o   Number of windows

o   Location of windows

o   Solar heat gain coefficient of the glazing of windows

o   Daylighting

o   Shading-most of the world population lives in hot and humid climate conditions! This can make a big difference!

o   Landscaping around the building

o   Color of the roof and walls

Integrity, Workmanship, Honesty and Competence: A Testimonial

“Bill and I work hard for our money so we think long and hard about how we spend it. Like many people, our home is our largest investment - besides, it is where we raised our family and we are rooted in our community. When we thought about choosing a contractor for a new solar system at our home, cost was important of course; but equally important to us were integrity, workmanship, honesty and competence. We found all of these things in Jon Costanza and his team.

At first the vocabulary of solar technology was new and intimidating to us. Jon and his staff took the time we needed to explain the technology, walked us through the grant process, and showed us how it would work and look at our home. They filed paper work and patiently answered all our questions thoroughly and professionally. We are delighted with our new solar powered system and delighted that we chose SunPower Builders.”

Bill and Mary
West Chester, PA

PA Solar and Wind Expo a Success!

On June 11^th and 12^th, Sunpower Builders and Jon Costanza participated in the Solar and Wind Expo at the Valley Forge Convention Center. The Expo was well attended and showcased a variety of vendors, all specializing in the sustainable market, including producers, financiers and top experts in the field.

Jon Costanza was a popular speaker, engaging attendees with two presentations; “Solar Homes, 1711 – 2011: From Commonsense to Green Building, and “ 4 Decades of Solar and Ecological Design and Construction: A Practical Perspective. One listener, hoping to speak to Jon personally after his Sunday talk said, Costanza was “extremely informative and the speech was packed with useful information”.