Maryland homeowners offered low-cost efficiency loans

Homeowners in Maryland can now apply for low-cost loans to support energy efficiency upgrades from the Maryland Clean Energy Center.


The Center has launched a new Maryland Home Energy Loan Program to help fund upgrades including better insulation and higher-rated heating and cooling equipment.

Using economic stimulus funding, the program will help the state in its goal of reducing carbon emissions by 20% by 2025.

In order to apply for a loan, homeowners must first have a home energy audit carried out by a certified auditor, which will recommend ways that their homes can save energy. Homeowners who have had a qualified audit since July 1, 2010, can apply immediately.

With an audit in hand, homeowners can apply for up to $20,000 each toward home energy improvements, with interest rates for the loans set at 6.99%.

The approval process for the loans takes a few days, and improvements will need to be carried out by certified contractors.

The Maryland Energy Administration, the administrator of state stimulus funds, believes most home improvements will include upgrading insulation, plugging air leaks, sealing ducts and replacing furnaces, heat pumps and/or air conditioners that are at least 10 years old.

Maryland Clean Energy Center Executive Director Kathy Magruder said: “This month’s cold spell is a potent reminder of steps to save money by making our primary residences more energy efficient. A growing number of new Maryland businesses provide energy audits and will help consumers more easily implement the home improvements recommended in those audits.”

Malcolm Woolf, Director of the Maryland Energy Administration, added: “Building on the recent successes of our Home Appliance Rebate Program, these Low-Cost Home Efficiency Loans will help keep money in Marylanders’ pockets and bring our state closer to meeting our EmPOWER Maryland goal of reducing energy consumption by 15% by 2015.” Originally posted here

"make green a reality" visit http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/

SolarBeam is 262%more efficient than flat panels!

SOLARTRON Energy Systems Inc ., Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada has developed the SolarBeam Concentrator which can provide more solar heat (about 44,340 BTU per hour) than conventional hot water and process heat systems at an affordable price. The payback period (after rebates) is only six years, compared with 20+ years for conventional flat panel or 15 years for evacuated tube technology. The SolarBeam Concentrator system is simply the most efficient solar hot water system available. Since it concentrates energy on a focal point using a parabolic mirror, the SolarBeam is 262% more efficient that hot water panels and 98% more efficient than evacuated tube technology. In addition, the SolarBeam concentrator is equipped with a computer-controlled dual-axis tracking system that maximizes solar concentration equivalent to 350 suns, which means more efficiency throughout the day

SolarTron Energy Systems Inc. is leading a movement to make solar heating technologies more energy-and cost-efficient by developing concentrated solar power (CSP) technology that utilizes a reflective parabolic mirror to collect solar energy onto a focal point to produce a high amount of heat. Our engineers designed the SolarBeam as a durable, rugged, and most importantly, affordable commercial unit,” says Edward Herniak, founder and CEO.

The SolarBeam uses patent-pending technology to provide 13kW of heat per hour throughout the entireday. “1 SolarBeam can heat 400 gallons from 62 F to 140 F in 5 hours” says Herniak. With the SolarBeam you can make a major impact to reduce green house gas emissions and lessen your dependency on fossil fuels, whether in the form of electricity, natural gas, or oil. Multiple stand-alone systems can generate thousands of kW or BTU required for even the most demanding applications.

In addition, the SolarBeam produces more power during the course of the day compared to other systems because of its patent-pending celestial tracking system. The SolarBeam is able to follow the sun throughout the course of the day, with 100% accuracy.

In applications where the solar hot water system will be installed on a flat roof, a different mounting application is used. The mounting of SolarBeam on the roof is a perfect option for apartment buildings, hotels, offices, grocery stores and retail stores.

The solar hot water system is designed to take advantage of the parabolic curve performance of a reflector which is the most efficient means of collecting solar energy. By utilizing the parabolic curve, the SolarBeam hot water system focuses the sun’s intensity onto the focal point, where the absorber is located. The solar absorber is made of solid aluminum block to maximize the thermal transfer to the poly-glycol fluid. Incredibly, the absorber is very small (10” x 10”) but has the ability to provide 13kW per hour (44,000 BTU).

In summer 2011, SolarTron plans to deliver a photovoltaic module to produce 4 kW/hour of electricity from a single system, using the latest concentrated photovoltaic technology. This module is 10 inches x10 inches and can be added to existing solar hot water systems.

"make green a reality" visit http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/

City General Services On-Target to Surpass Baltimore’s Empower Goal of 15% Reduction in Energy Use by 2015

Department of General Services (DGS) Director Theodore Atwood today announced that since 2006 Baltimore City has reduced overall energy use by 6.5% and is already on-target to meet and exceed the state’s Empower goals and those of the City’s Sustainability Plan. These goals call for a 15% reduction in energy use by 2015. In announcing the accomplishment, Director Atwood noted, “A part of this agency’s mission is to make Baltimore more sustainable and one of the ways we accomplish that is through energy conservation and efficiency. Because of this, we are on-target to meet and exceed the 15% energy use reduction by year 2015.” “The City will have a 20% reduction in energy use by 2015” the Director stated, which surpasses the goal.


The City has been working aggressively to reduce its use of electricity in city-owned buildings and from the base year of 2006 to now, have reduced energy use by 6.55% - which is nearly half of the required 15% reduction. The City is on course to reach a 12.9% reduction by January 2012; and by 2020, it will reduce energy consumption by over 30%.

The DGS Energy Division tracks and monitors the City’s use of utilities. This monitoring shows that the City’s use of electricity has gone down from 412 million kilowatt hours per year (kwhr/yr) in 2006 to 385 million kwhr/year now in 2010. This savings comes from energy conservation measures implemented throughout City government which include energy performance contracts and initiatives in City facilities, the use of renewable energy generated in-house at the methane gas-to-energy power plant at the DPW Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant, through cooperative utility buying through the Baltimore Regional Cooperative Purchasing Committee (BRCPC) and through use of BGE’s rebates and incentives such as the capacity reduction program.

A grant-funded project is currently under-way in 82 city buildings and libraries, which will install water conservation retrofits along with other energy efficiency improvements. Last month, the agency announced a project to begin in early November that will produce over a 20% annual reduction in energy usage in facilities and stations of the City’s Fire Department. Other upcoming energy saving projects that will help the City meet and exceed Baltimore’s Empower goals are the installation of solar panels at the Convention Center in Baltimore and new LED lights for the neighborhoods and parking garages.

Empower Maryland is a state initiative to reduce power consumption in Maryland by 15% by 2015.

To learn more about Empower Maryland or DGS energy saving initiatives, visit us on the web at Baltimorecity.gov.

2011 Solar and Wind Expo plans move ahead

The Maryland show will once again be held indoor and outdoor at the Timonium Fairgrounds in the heart of the state of Maryland and the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan region. The Expo is easily accessible by car via Interstate 83, as well as the Maryland Light Rail and other public transportation, and offers ample free parking. Max Mosner, manager of the Timonium Fairgrounds made us all feel at home and his staff was excellent, next year's event should be even bigger.


This location provides companies and other organizations with a mission to encourage use of green technologies access to the hottest market in the United States. Not only is Maryland the wealthiest state in the union, it is ranked within the top ten greenest states. This market has both the desire to eliminate its carbon foot print and the financial means to do so.

The Solar and Wind Expo has again partnered with WBAL TV in Baltimore, the top ranked local television outlet (Nielsen), to serve as The Expo’s media sponsor. As part of the partnership, WBAL will be promoting The Solar and Wind Expo utilizing a combination of commercials and mentions on daily news programming for two months preceding the event. We have also secured Baltimore Magazine as our print sponsor. This effort will be supplemented by concurrent paid media on WYPR, the local NPR affiliate, and other well targeted media.

Valley Forge Convention Center

We are very excited to be working with Megan Tomlinson of the Valley Forge convention center, and she too, expressed her delight to see the Expo coming to King of Prussia. The Valley Forge Convention Center overlooks the picturesque, rolling hillsides of 3,600-acre Valley Forge National Historical Park, a place where natural beauty meets high-tech convenience. The Convention Center offers one of the largest exhibit space in Suburban Philadelphia with over 108,000 gross square feet of space. Great Space, Great location and great amenities.

It is very exciting to see the industry developing into a mature and diverse culture. Please join us at these game changing events devoted to the advancement of renewable energy. Our mission to educate the public will make a positive contribution to this important industry.