Category Archives: energy

Photos From Friday’s March

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While Dominion’s RiverRock festival is still raging on the riverfront, here are some photos from Friday’s poignant environmental justice march, which ended with a rally at the Overlook. The official title was “End Environmental Racism Now: March With Union Hill, and it brought people of many faiths and ideologies (including Green Party) together to protest gas pipeline construction in Virginia. WRIC, Channel 8 news, did a good job of not only supplying video of the event, but informing people of the bigger picture (click here for story). While a few neighbors expressed some nervousness regarding this political happening outside their doors, they were gratified that the march organizers did a good job of making sure the area was clean afterwards.

Richmond Solar and EV Charger Co-op

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Solar United Neighbors is launching another Richmond co-op.

We’re bringing homeowners and small businesses interested in installing solar and/or electric vehicle chargers together in a group, or co-op. Homeowners join the group at no obligation to receive discounted pricing and unbiased, installer-neutral support throughout the process. Our experienced team ensures you understand the basics of installing solar and EV charging as well as receive a competitive proposal from a qualified installer.

The co-op is accepting new sign ups through October 31. But they are holding an info session this Tuesday at 6 pm at the Main branch of the Richmond Public Library. Be sure to RSVP.

Trash/Recycling Pickup Tomorrow

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This Wednesday is a “Red Wednesday”, which means trash and recycling pickup. Ideally, rolling recycling containers are stored and deployed in the back alleys along with trash cans. Please make sure you pick up containers after pickup tomorrow night.

If you have not done so already, don’t forget to sign up for your Recycling Perks.
In order to take your recycling to the next level, read this: 10 ways to improve your recycling.

Pretty happy with the turnout for this year’s RVA Solar Tour, which was part of the National Solar Tour. Hopefully the next iteration will be even bigger. One recycling tidbit to keep things in perspective- as much as I love independently producing power from the sun, (and please note I am not really that into numbers,) I am pretty sure from scratching out the math on napkins that my collecting and recycling of aluminum cans from around the neighborhood in one year conserves more energy than my solar house solar panels produce in one year. That says more about the amount of energy that can be conserved from recycling aluminum than it does the utility of solar. (Recycling of aluminum cans saves 95% of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its virgin source. One ton of recycled aluminum saves 14,000 kilowatt hours (Kwh) of energy, 40 barrels of oil, 130. 152.32 million BTU’s of energy, and 10 cubic yards of landfill space. Or to put it another way, recycling one aluminum can save the equivalent energy for powering a television for over at least 3 hours.)

Mark your calendar and plan ahead…

American-Made Solar Prize, RVA Solar Tour, And Yes, Solar Schools

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Tonight, there is an event at HackRVA about the American-Made Solar Prize. This event is FREE and open to the public! Local nonprofit Indie Lab is entering the American-Made Solar Prize competition and is making a presentation on their entry. Wait, what is this? It’s a $3 million prize competition designed to revitalize U.S. solar manufacturing through a series of contests and the development of a diverse and powerful support network that leverages national laboratories, energy incubators, and other resources across the country. The American-Made Solar Prize is directed and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. Learn more here: https://americanmadechallenges.org/solarprize.html
See their presentation event, then help them put Richmond on the map for solar innovations! For those unable to be physically present, they will be streaming the event using Zoom. Please follow the link to connect: https://zoom.us/j/663212254
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Also, coming up this weekend, the RVA Solar Tour, part of the National Solar Tour. And yes, there is an Oregon Hill house on the tour. Here is a word from sponsor Virginia Sierra Club:

RICHMOND, Virginia – This weekend, the Greater Richmond Solar Tour will take place as part of the world’s largest grassroots solar event. Across the country, homeowners, businesses, volunteers, solar installers, public officials and grassroots organizations will welcome the public to learn more about solar energy. The tour, made up of energy efficient and solar-powered buildings, includes eight locations open for touring in the greater Richmond area this year.

The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, in partnership with the American Solar Energy Society and Solar United Neighbors of Virginia, will host the Greater Richmond Solar Tour. Information about the solar installations and the benefits of solar energy will be available to tour participants.

The kickoff event for the Richmond Solar Tour will be held at 10:30 a.m. at 4986 Burnham Road in Chesterfield, at the home of former Sierra Club Virginia Chapter director Glen Besa and Tyla Matteson, long-time advocates for solar energy. Attendees will have the chance to see solar installation in their own communities and ask direct questions of homeowners about the positive impacts to their lives and the environment.

The public is encouraged to stop by any of the featured tour locations on Saturday, October 6 and Sunday, October 7 in area homes in the City of Richmond, Chesterfield and Caroline Counties. A full list of locations is available at https://nationalsolartour.org/tour-locations/

WHO: Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, American Solar Energy Society, Solar United Neighbors of Virginia. Speakers at the kick-off event will include: Glen Besa, Solar Advocate, Drew Gallagher, Richmond Sales Manager at Sigora Solar and Zach Jarjoura, Conservation Program Manager at the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter.

WHEN: 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 6, 2018

WHERE: The home of Glen Besa and Tyla Matteson, 4986 Burnham Road, North Chesterfield, Virginia 23234

For more information, contact Zach Jarjoura, 804-241-8226, zachary.jarjoura@sierraclub.org

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Last but not least, a bit of editorial- Governor Ralph Northam is trying to make up for his status as a ‘Pipeline Democrat’ by announcing an energy policy that includes more renewable energy, including more solar. The big picture is that the world is looking increasingly grim with climate change.

At the same time, Virginia knows it needs to modernize its schools. Richmond, of course, is an epicenter for this need. Why not look upon this as an opportunity to update, build, and renovate every school in Virginia for green building and solar?
Why not do what other states are doing, and turn ‘solar schools’ into emergency shelters for hurricanes and other disasters? This community news site will continue to advocate for using solar as a solution for emergency planning in the state.

Solar Schools For Richmond

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Some good news- announcement from District 1 School Board representative, Liz Doerr, on Medium.com:

Richmond, Va. — As the new school year begins, Richmond Public Schools is making moves toward a bright year and an even brighter future thanks to a generous grant from the Community Foundation and a partnership with innovative clean energy company Secure Futures Solar. RVA Solar Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, recently committed the $100,000 award to support a new Sustainability Associate position for RPS, as well as the purchase and installation of energy monitoring systems at selected school sites.

Go to the article for more information.