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  • 17 Dec 2014 12:34 PM | Deleted user

    In early 2015 SunShot plans to announce a  $45 million funding opportunity to bring new solar technologies to market and improve solar manufacturing. Historically, funding opportunities in our technology to market focus area have been separated by stage of technology development (e.g., Incubator, SolarMaT, and SUNPATH). In the interest of optimizing the application and selection process, all three funding programs are now combined into one, with the goal of quickly bringing disruptive innovation to the solar industry that will take root in the U.S.  In order to provide ample time to consider applying for this funding, this week SunShot issued a notice of intent for a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “SunShot Incubator 10, SolarMaT 3, SUNPATH 2.” 

    SunShot anticipates this FOA will be open to any for-profit business with a product or solution that directly and significantly impacts at least one of the following SunShot Initiative goals:

    • Achieve the 2020 cost target of $0.06 per kilowatt hour or beyond;
    • Expand domestic solar manufacturing and supply chain value to be commensurate with the level of domestic deployment;
    • Expand the domestic market for solar to be a significant fraction (tens of percent) of our nation's electricity generating capacity;
    • Enable the integration of hundreds of gigawatts of solar on the nation's grid.

    Please stay tuned in early 2015 for the official FOA and check out the website frequently for new information on this and other funding opportunities.


  • 26 Nov 2014 10:13 AM | Deleted user

    ISEA BOARD OF DIRECTOR POSITION DESCRIPTION,

    APPLICATION PROCESS AND ELECTION DETAILS

     

    ISEA BACKGROUND

    The Illinois Solar Energy Association (ISEA) is a 501-c-3 organization established on April 30, 1979. The ISEA currently has a thirteen (13) member Board of Directors (BOD) of whom four Directors serve as Officers - President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Officers are elected for one-year terms by the Board of Directors.


    ISEA MISSION

    The education and advocacy of solar, wind and other forms of renewable energy to the people of Illinois.

     

    BOARD OF DIRECTORS' FUNCTION

    As representatives of the membership of ISEA, the Board of Directors (Board) is the primary force advancing ISEA's fulfillment of service to its membership, to ISEA as a single entity, and to the nonprofit community at large.


    DIRECTOR QUALIFICATIONS

    Directors bring a diversity of talents and capabilities to the ISEA, as well as a passion to materially fulfill its mission.


    ISEA is seeking Directors who represent various aspects of the solar, wind and other renewable energy fields, as well as individuals in potentially impacted industries, such as legal, finance, education, environment, real estate, and manufacturing.  Candidates should have innate leadership, management, and well- developed interpersonal skills, as well as patience and good humor, and be able to participate in and sustain collaborative group efforts.


    Election candidates must be ISEA members to be eligible for a Director position.  The Candidate can be an Individual, Senior/Student or Family Member or part of a Business Member category.  


    DIRECTOR'S ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES 


    ISEA Directors are expected to lend their knowledge, skills and abilities to assist ISEA in executing its mission through fundraising, advocacy, education, marketing and related activities. Fundraising, through direct or leverage actions, is key to the continued growth and success of ISEA. The role of each Director is to serve a two-year term by leading, advising, and supporting the activities of ISEA.  Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

    • Attend all Board meetings prepared to further the success of ISEA and to support the ISEA’s mission and goals.
    • Monitor and mentor standing Committees as assigned and on an as-needed basis providing advice, encouragement and voice for the Committee to the Board.
    • Identify and nominate candidates for vacant Board positions.
    • Accept special assignments designated by the President.
    • Remain current on the activities of ISEA by following its publications (includes electronic, print and virtual), issues and interests.
    • Remain current on issues affecting the non-profit sector as it relates to the mission of the Association, its members and community at large.
    • Inform the Board and remain proactive to assist ISEA with supporting its members and enhancing its funding sources.
    • Act as a role model, change agent and professional exemplar.

    RESPONSIBILITIES BY CATEGORY

     

    1. Planning

    • Approve ISEA’s mission and review management (Board & ED) performance in achieving it. 
    • Annually review and approve the ISEA strategic plan and budget.

    2. Organization

    • Work with the Executive Director to create a strategic direction for the Association and to set short and long term goals.
    • Ensure management continuity is properly provided.
    • Approve appropriate compensation and benefit policies and practices.
    • Identify candidates and determine the eligibility of candidates for the nomination of officers and directors.
    • Actively participate in Board meetings and on Committee assignments.
    • Support sponsoring donor and community-building events as designated by the Board.
    • Identify potential funding sources and serve as an ambassador to secure organizational funding.
    • Annually evaluate the performance of staff and determine any bonus awards or increases in salary.
    • Be an active member of both ISEA and American Solar Energy Society (ASES).
    • Annually review the performance of the Board and take steps (including recommendation for its composition, organization, and responsibilities) to improve its performance.

    3. Operations

    • Review results achieved by management in comparison to ISEA’s mission, program plans, and strategic plan, as well as similar metrics for like organizations.
    • Ascertain that the financial structure of the ISEA is adequate for its current needs and the implementation of the strategic plan by approving an annual budget.
    • Provide advice, comments, and direction to the members of the Board and Executive Director.
    • Approve major actions of ISEA, such as capital expenditures on all projects over authorized limits and major changes in programs, services, office location, etc.
    • Review monthly and annual financial results for the organization and ensure, through the oversight of the Finance Committee, that reports are accurate and in accordance with accepted accounting principles.

    TIME COMMITMENT

    Board members serve a two-year term.  In-person BOD meetings occur monthly for two hours in the evening.  Members will be required to travel to in-person meetings and efforts will be made to hold meetings in an equally-agreeable location to limit travel as much as possible.  Conference call meetings are also occasionally hosted. Additional meetings (i.e committee, or special circumstance) may be scheduled with advance notice. 


    APPLICATION PROCESS

    There will be four Director positions open for re-election. These Directors will serve two years - 2015 and 2016.  Candidates are requested to submit their candidacy announcement in an email to contactisea@illinoissolar.org to the attention of David Brochu, ISEA Board Secretary.  In the email response please state the candidate’s name, affiliation (if any) and contact information, as well as a maximum of 125 words supporting her/his bid for candidacy.  Electronic submissions of candidacy will be accepted until 12 PM, local time on December 10, 2014.


    Candidates will also have the opportunity to announce their candidacy during the ISEA Annual Membership Meeting, which will take place on Saturday December 10, 2014, 6 PM,  Emmett’s Brewing Company in Palatine, IL, 110 N Brockway St, Palatine, IL 60067.  Such candidates may also wish to prepare a written statement of their candidacy so that ISEA may publish it for voters' benefit during the election.  Nominations in person will be accepted until the close of the meeting.  

     

    ELECTION

    Voting will occur by electronic ballot and emailed on December 16, 2014 to all ISEA members in current good standing as of Dec. 10, 2014.  Responses will be due by 12 noon on December 23, 2014 in order to be counted.  Votes will be tallied, elected persons privately notified, and results publicized on the ISEA website prior to the January 2015 ISEA Board of Directors meeting.

  • 16 Nov 2014 7:45 PM | Deleted user

    The ISEA Board of Directors (Board) is currently comprised of 14 Directors and may, according to the bylaws, increase to as many as 15 members.  The Board may consist of up to 8 Membership-elected members, 4 Board-Appointed members, and 3 Board-Elected members.  As representatives of the membership of ISEA, the Board is the primary force advancing ISEA's fulfillment of service to its membership, to ISEA as a single entity, and to the nonprofit community at large.  


    The ISEA has 4 Membership-Elected Board positions to fill in the December 2015 election to serve a two year term, January 2016 - January 2018.  We are looking for Directors who represent various aspects of the solar, wind and other renewable energy fields, as well as individuals in potentially impacted industries, such as real estate, legal, finance, education, environment, transportation and manufacturing.  It is also desired that as diverse a range of people as possible make up the Board.

    Candidates should have innate leadership, management and interpersonal skills, patience and good humor, and the ability to participate in and sustain collaborative group efforts.


    Click here to read the candidate bios


  • 04 Oct 2014 11:11 PM | Lesley McCain (Administrator)

     

     The winner of the ISEA 2014 TESLA raffle is ticket number 2215!
    Congratulations ! 


      We have spoken to the winner and will announce the name after their eligibility has been verified!


    Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2014 ISEA Tesla raffle!

  • 18 Sep 2014 12:20 PM | Deleted user

    Brighter Future: A Study on Solar in U.S. Schools is the first nationwide assessment of how solar energy helps to power schools in communities across America. Most importantly, the report shows that thousands of schools are already cutting their utility bills by choosing solar, using the savings to pay for teacher salaries and textbooks. What’s more, the report estimates that more than 70,000 additional schools would benefit by doing the same.



    Key Findings:
    • An analysis performed for this report found that 450 individual school districts could each save more than $1,000,000 over 30 years by installing a solar PV system.
    • Of the 125,000 schools in the country, between 40,000 and 72,000 can “go solar” cost-effectively.
    • There are 3,752 K-12 schools in the United States with solar installations, meaning nearly 2.7 million students attend schools with solar energy systems.
    • The 3,727 PV systems at all U.S. schools with solar installations have a combined capacity of 490 megawatts (MW), and generate roughly 642,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity each year.
    • The electricity generated in one year by all 3,727 PV systems represents a combined $77.8 million per year in utility bills ‒ an average of almost $21,000 per year per school. This combined energy value is roughly equivalent to 155,000 tablet computers or nearly 2,200 new teachers’ salaries per year.



    More information and a call to action from Ken Johnson, VP of Solar Energy Industries Association on our Schools for Solar Page.

  • 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM | Deleted user


    Earlier this year, EPA announced a new initiative under the Green Power Partnership: the On-site Renewables Challenge. The Partnership is tracking all Partners’ annual combined on-site renewable energy use, updated quarterly. As part of the Challenge, EPA invites Partners to increase the amount of energy they produce and use from on-site renewables by the end of the decade.


    Currently, more than 250 Green Power Partners are using more than one billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of on-site green power annually. The Challenge aims to double this amount to two billion kWh by the end of 2020. And, we need your help to get there!

    We want to hear about what your organization is planning in terms of launching or expanding your on-site green power use. Are you adding solar panels to your facilities? Have you set a goal to produce a percentage of your electricity use from on-site resources?


    Partners that have made tangible commitments to increase the deployment of on-site renewable energy systems by 2020 are featured on our website. And, we plan to highlight Partners’ on-site green power commitments in our upcoming monthly Program Updates. If you have news to share, please contact Mollie Lemon, Partnership Program Manager, at lemon.mollie@epa.gov by September 5.


    If you’re not already a Partner, we invite you to join us today!


    For more information on the On-site Renewables Challenge, please visit: epa.gov/greenpower/initiatives/onsite_challenge.htm


    Since 2001, EPA’s Green Power Partnership has worked with businesses, local and state governments, schools, NGOS and Federal agencies to expand the use of clean, renewable energy. More than 1,300 Green Power Partners are currently purchasing more than 28 billion kWh of green power annually, which has the equivalent impact of avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity use of more than three million homes each year.


  • 25 Aug 2014 12:57 PM | Deleted user

    The Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) recently released its 2014 Environmental Scorecard.


    IEC has been producing this scorecard for over forty years and it is an incredibly important tool to measure how a legislator voted on environmental issues.


    Click here to view the 2014 Environmental Scorecard online.


    Congratulations to the 35 legislators recognized for their votes on the 2014 scorecard!  View the scorecard to find out how your legislator voted and go to the IEC website for a summary of this year's scorecard.


  • 22 Aug 2014 2:15 PM | Deleted user

    Check out this story about solar power used on an Illinois farm!


    Tim and Austin Ridgely installed panels on Tim's Southeast Illinois 2,700 acre farm in Richland County. 

    Tim's solar system powers his entire farm.


    "Sun catchers" in Illinois Farmer Today


    "So, why aren’t more farmers choosing solar energy?

    'I don’t think people realize how cheap it has gotten,' Austin says."

  • 22 Aug 2014 12:21 PM | Deleted user

    The FY15 Large-Distributed Solar and Wind Grant Program is now open!


    Program guidelines and application forms are available from the Illinois Energy Office’s website at http://www.illinois.gov/dceo/whyillinois/KeyIndustries/Energy/Pages/01aCommunitySolar.aspx  


    This RFA is a competitive solicitation, with applications due to DCEO on or before 4:30 p.m. on October 17, 2014.  Eligibility is limited to solar and wind energy projects over $100,000 in total project costs.  The expected budget for the grant program is approximately $2.5 million.

  • 20 Aug 2014 11:36 AM | Deleted user

     DCEO will accept applications until October 10th, 2014.  Applications will be assigned a number as they are received, and we will have a pre-selected list of random numbers that we will use as the order we will consider applications.  Any applications received after the deadline will only be consider if program funding is still available or becomes available later in the program year.


    The guidelines and application are available at http://www.illinois.gov/dceo/whyillinois/KeyIndustries/Energy/Pages/01-RERP.aspx

     

    One clarification  - all solar PV and wind energy systems, except those that are self-installed, must be installed by a certified distributed generation installer.

     

    Good luck!


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