Budget, Site, Grants, Brands and Installer
Harvey Abouelata, VP sales & Marketing for Efficient Energy of Tennessee

Setting a budget for your photovoltaic system will quickly determine if a system is right for you. If you are installing a system for your home you should consider spending on average about $7 to 9.00 per watt installed cost before grants and incentives. A residential system is typically under 10kW. If you are a business installing a small commercial system you should look to keep your cost under $8.00 per watt installed cost before grants and incentives. A small commercial system is generally between 20kW and 30kW. With all of the grants and incentives in the State of Tennessee just about any business can make a financial case to install a solar system. It is a little tougher for a homeowner to make a concrete financial decision. For residential systems, I suggest that one follow these rules: evaluate your home and energy needs, make sure you have done everything you can to reduce your energy usage, and then install a solar system. Evaluate, Reduce and then Produce. My last consideration would be, “how long do I intend to stay in the house?” If this is the house I intend on living in for ten years or more, it is an easy decision. If I think I am going to move prior to ten years, then I should consider Wells Fargo Appraisal of 20 to 1. For every dollar your solar system saves you on your energy bill per year – your system is worth 20 times that (which in turn adds to the value of your home).

Your solar site is very important for two reasons. Your site determines your potential ongoing production of your system and your initial install costs. Ideally, you want to install a solar system on a south facing location with no shade. If you have lots of solar obstructions then move on; solar is not for you. The ideal situation is to mount your panels true south at a tilt matching your latitude. The odds of this happening are slim to none but that is okay. There are software packages that can very accurately help determine the production of a system at a different azimuth and tilt. Many times you find the impact is minimal.  Mounting systems for solar systems are very sophisticated these days. There are systems designed specifically for tile roofs and metal roofs. There are literally hundreds of bullet proof systems designed for asphalt-shingled roofs. There are great ballasted-systems for flat commercial roofs requiring no roof penetrations at all.

I do not think you can find a better state to install solar on a commercial business. We have fantastic incentives for 2010. For residential we have less, primarily because we do not have income tax in our state and most incentives for residential are tax-based and not grants. For residential you have a 30% federal tax credit (this is not a tax deduction – it is a full tax credit). Systems must be put into place before December 31, 2016. The tax credit can be carried forward until December 2016. In addition to the tax credit we have the TVA Generation Partners Program. Through your local utility, TVA will give a credit on your utility bill for $1,000 for systems installed over 500 watts. In addition they will pay you $0.12 plus your retail rate for every kWh your system produces for ten years. After ten years, we are not sure if TVA will continue the program or not. However, since they are buying the rights to Renewable Energy Credits my educated guess is this program will continue indefinitely.

For businesses, a solar system is a very attractive financial proposition.  The TVA Generation Partners Program works identically for business and residential customers. There are also grants available for Tennessee businesses. The Tennessee Clean Energy (TN-CET) grant will pay (by contract) 40% of the total system cost, up to $75,000. The business must be for profit and own the property to be eligible for the TN-CET grant.  As a side note this grant is about to run out of funds and will be covered under a similar grant from the Tennessee Solar Institute.  The next grant to look into is the USDA REAP grant. This is an energy grant that has more specific eligibility requirements and the grant application is nationally competitive. First and foremost, the business must be located in an eligible, “USDA designated rural” area. Second, the business must meet the U.S Small Business Administration’s small business industry size standards. There are tables that you can look up to find the criteria for a particular business. However, you need to determine your NAICS code first. This website should help: www.naics.com <http://www.naics.com>  . The NAICS also has a link to the small business standards. If the business is eligible for the USDA REAP grant then they can apply for the 25% grant (capped at $500,000). The USDA grant is a competitive grant with a strict deadline. The USDA also provides a contract for the funds. If the business is awarded the USDA grant, they will also be eligible for a 30% Federal Tax credit that can be taken over five years. The TN-CET and USDA-REAP grants are both counted as taxable income, so the Federal Tax Credit will most likely be used to this additional tax liability. If the business is not eligible for the USDA REAP grant then the company is eligible to receive the 30% Federal Energy tax credit as a grant. The Federal energy grant is not competitive. After the system is installed, the business fills out an online application for the grant funds and they will receive a fund transfered into their bank account within 60 days of the application.

Now that the budget, site, and incentives have been discussed it is time to focus on photovoltaic brands. Personally I am very opinionated about this so, be warned. Almost all solar panels carry a twenty-five year 80% production warranty. If the panel you are looking at does not, cross it off the list. There are many “off” brands that are very cheap. These very cheap panels are most likely made in China and my guess is it will be very difficult to enforce the warranty. As a solar installer we will not install them. The next very important consideration is, are they UL listed? If they are not UL listed, cross them off the list. That should leave your list with the bigger name brands that will be around in twenty five years to honor their warranty. For our national economy’s sake, consider panels that are made in the United States and are creating jobs here.  The brand I am and will always recommend is SHARP. SHARP is the only panel that is not only made in the United States, but is made right here in Tennessee!

Finally, how do I pick an installer in such a new industry? Like anything else I think the safest route is to ask lots of questions and be sure to get referrals.  Here are a few questions I would ask:

1.      Ask for a copy of the solar installer’s insurance certificate
2.      Will the solar installer protect the warranty of the roof?
3.      What certification does the solar installer have?
4.      What is the solar installer’s General Contractors limit?
5.      Is the solar installer’s license current?
6.      What type of staff support does the solar installer have (electrician, roofers, engineers, etc)?
7.      What dealership does the solar installer have?
8.      Can you visit a commercial installation to see the solar installer’s work?
9.      What experience does installer have? Again, ask for referrals.

Solar technology is a rapidly growing industry in the State of Tennessee and now more than ever, it is an opportune time to install a system. Keep in mind that delaying a decision could be a missed opportunity. The Federal grants are governed by time and the State grant is limited by dollars. Once the money is divvied up in the state it is gone. Home and business owners that purchase a solar system in 2010 are making a tremendous contribution to our economy, creating jobs and bringing Federal money to the State of Tennessee. While they are making a short-term contribution to our state and economy, long term they are protecting themselves against the rising cost of electricity and the looming threat of the cost of Renewable Energy Credits.  If helping our economy and contributing to a business’s profitability was not enough… a photovoltaic system owner is helping us all breath a little bit easier and getting us one step closer to energy independence.

ES&H, Inc. has been recognized by Environmental Business Journal (EBJ) for the second consecutive year. ES&H, Inc. was honored in Business Achievement: Small C&E Firms Honorable Mention. EBJ is the leading business newsletter for the environmental industry since 1988. It will honor winners of the 2009 EBJ Business Achievement Awards at the Environmental Industry Summit VIII to be held at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego on March 3, 2010.

“It was encouraging to see so many companies submitting award nominations despite the state of the economy in 2009,” said EBJ Editor-in-Chief Grant Ferrier. “While the bar for growth and profitability admittedly was lowered somewhat in our Business Achievement Awards category because of the recession, the amount of projects using innovative approaches and the use of new technology in the environmental market was remarkable.”

Additionally, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce named ES&H, Inc., along with 24 other businesses, Free Enterprise Honorees for their strong business practices and contributions to the economy. ES&H, Inc. was nominated by the Knoxville Chamber along with more than a dozen other Knoxville Chamber members for the U.S. Chamber Small Business Awards program. All nominees were past winners of a Knoxville Chamber Pinnacle Business Award and met the U.S. Chamber’s criteria.

Lastly, Bill Garibay, President of ES&H, Inc., was selected as a Mentor for the Knoxville Chamber’s Mentor Protégé Program. The Mentor Protégé Program is an effort by the Knoxville Chamber to pair small, minority owned businesses with companies that have shown leadership in the business community and have experience in providing business coaching and mentoring.

ES&H, Inc. (www.eshinc.com) is an award-winning company out of Knoxville, TN that provides Construction, Engineering, Disaster Response, Facility Management and Training Services. ES&H, Inc. prides itself in the development of intelligent, result-driven solutions to each client’s need.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. has been named one of “100 Best Corporate Citizens” by Corporate Responsibility Magazine. The “100 Best” list is known as the world’s top corporate responsibility ranking based on publicly-available information.

The 100 Best Corporate Citizens List is based on over 360 data points in seven categories: Environment, Climate Change, Human Rights, Philanthropy, Employee Relations, Financial Performance, and Governance. The 100 Best Corporate Citizens are selected from among the large-cap Russell 1000 companies, with data provided by leading ESG investor data firm IW Financial. GMCR ranked 39th overall and was among the top ten food and beverage companies on the list.

“It’s rewarding to have the passion and work of GMCR employees recognized, and gratifying to see how our efforts contribute to positive change in the world,” said Larry Blanford, President and CEO of GMCR. “We are proud to be included with the other companies on this list that are demonstrating that profitability can go hand-in-hand with social and environmental responsibility.”

GMCR’s “whole system” approach to corporate social responsibility includes donating at least five percent of its pre-tax profits to social and environmental projects in local and supply chain communities; maintaining a robust employee volunteerism program; offsetting 100% of its direct greenhouse gas emissions; and investing in Fair Trade Certified™ coffee.

The list of 100 Best Corporate Citizens will be published in the March issue of Corporate Responsibility Magazine. The list was first published in 1999 in Business Ethics Magazine, and has been managed by CRO and Corporate Responsibility Magazine since 2007. GMCR’s growth enabled the Company to be eligible for the new methodology and criteria used to compile the 2010 list.

East Tennessee scores a hole-in-one with Allegiant Air as the low-cost airline announces new, nonstop flights to Myrtle Beach, S.C. from Knoxville beginning April 22. The low-fare carrier will celebrate the convenient new service to the premier golf and beach destination with introductory low fares.

“We are extremely pleased to again expand the Allegiant brand of low-fare, nonstop jet service to East Tennessee,” Maurice J. Gallagher, Jr., chief executive officer and chairman for Allegiant, said. “This is an exciting new addition for our airline and our customers as we launch the only low-cost, nonstop service between Knoxville and Myrtle Beach.”

The self-proclaimed “Official Airline for Sunshine” will launch the new scheduled service from McGhee Tyson Airport to Myrtle Beach International Airport with two flights weekly. With service Thursday and Sunday, flights will depart Knoxville at 12:35 p.m. arriving in Myrtle Beach at 1:50 p.m. Flights leaving Myrtle Beach will depart at 4:25 p.m. arriving in Knoxville at 5:40 p.m. (all flight times are local.) Allegiant will use 150-seat, MD-80 series, jet-aircraft on the route.

“Allegiant Air’s new nonstop, low-fare flights to Myrtle Beach quickly connect East Tennessee travelers to relaxing beaches and outstanding golf courses,” Kirk Huddleston, Chairman of the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority’s Board of Commissioners, said. “Myrtle Beach is an extremely popular destination for our community and this new service is a welcome addition to McGhee Tyson Airport.”

Known as the “Seaside Golf Capital of the World,” Myrtle Beach offers endless world-class golf and 60 miles of soft, sandy beaches. Recognized as the “World’s Best Beach” and one of the “Top 10 places for Families to Visit in the U.S.” by Yahoo! Travel, the Grand Strand has something for everyone. With more than 100 golf courses to choose from, Myrtle Beach boasts many of the world’s most challenging courses, personally designed by golf greats like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Family fun begins at the beach, inviting visitors to make a splash at any of the many water parks or embark on numerous aquatic adventures like deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, boat rides, and jet skiing. The city’s shopping features fashion from couture boutiques to flea market districts. Visitors can indulge in the city’s culture by watching award-winning live entertainment or sampling an assortment of delicious world cuisine - all while enjoying the ocean view.

Paul K. Fain, III, CFP®, president of Knoxville’s Asset Planning Corporation (APC), a financial planning firm, was recently featured in the WSJBlog of Wall Street Journal’s Digital Network about APC’s move to restore hourly consulting to his firm’s service offerings.

In the interview, Fain said that his objective is to be able to help clients who may not have had access to APC’s expertise due to financial restraints. He told WSJ, “You’ve got to have some community‐mindedness, a heart for helping people and a heart for serving people. I’m really blessed, because I sit at the helm of a 35‐year‐old practice that has an established reputation. We have some savings in the bank, and I’m generally content with my personal lifestyle. So why not share how to attain that with people from all economic strata?”

APC has increased its staff to accommodate this new move in addition to one staff member obtaining her CFP designation. APC will also continue to focus on core asset management clients with utmost care.

Asset Planning Corporation focuses on wealth management strategies for all personal financial situations. Offering timely and accurate advice since 1975, Asset Planning Corporation is a client‐centric, fee‐based firm that implements a holistic approach to financial wellness. It has been nationally recognized by numerous national magazines, including being named in Money magazine’s “top financial planners”, Financial Advisor’s “top independent Registered Investment Advisor firms”, one of Wealth Manager’s “Top Dogs”, and Medical Economics “150 Best Financial Advisors”. Additionally, its founder, the late P. Kemp Fain, is widely recognized as one of the founding fathers of financial planning, forming the first chapter of the International Association of Financial Planning (now the Financial Planning Association or FPA with more than 50,000 members) in 1972.

To read the online version of the article at WSJ, go to http://blogs.wsj.com/financialadviser/2010/02/08/voices‐paul‐fain‐on‐hourly‐consulting/

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – A 60-year Knoxville company, Broadway Electric Service Corporation (BESCO) has joined the unique East Tennessee consortium that provides engineering employment and educational opportunity for our military veterans.  BESCO provides electrical construction and maintenance services to industrial, commercial and institutional customers in Tennessee and throughout the United States.

The program, known as America’s Veterans to Tennessee Engineers, is a Scientific, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program that provides an opportunity for veterans completing their Active duty service or who are in the Guard or Reserves to complete their engineering degrees.  Upon completion, they will be guaranteed full-time employment with one of the consortium’s regional technical companies or institutions.  The program is a result of commitments made by regional business, government, and education leaders, under the sponsorship of the Department of Energy.

“Broadway Electric Service Corporation is proud to be a part of this STEM program and hopes to increase its level of support in the future,” said Rodney Napier, BESCO president. “The leadership of America’s Veterans to Tennessee Engineers program is a group of dedicated individuals who are both knowledgeable and helpful to veterans and sponsors alike.”

This STEM program matches the military service, discipline and skills of primarily noncommissioned officers to help support future regional technical needs.  Simultaneously, the program supports veterans pursuing their degrees in a number of ways, including part-time employment, community sponsors and academic mentors, and ultimately matches graduates with engineering and technical jobs.  The program is intended to help Veterans transition from military status through education to employment in needed technical and scientific fields.

The program is intended to attract retiring veterans with math and science skills and for those veterans interested in becoming nuclear, chemical, mechanical, electrical, or civil engineers.  Currently, 30 veterans have been selected for the program.

BESCO is the most recent member to the consortium, which includes the following participating companies and agencies:  B&W Y-12; Tennessee Valley Authority; Bechtel; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Pro2Serve; Energy Solutions, Science Applications International Corporation; GEM Technologies; B&W Clinch River, Material and Chemistry Laboratory Inc., Ingenium Professional Service, Inc.; URS Washington Division; Information International Associates; EnergX; and the U.S. Enrichment Corporation.  Educational organizations participating include Roane State Community College, Pellissippi State Technical Community College, The University of Tennessee, and Tennessee Technological University.  Supporting organizations and governments include Anderson County; Akins Crisp Public Strategies; City of Oak Ridge; City of Knoxville; Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office; East Tennessee Economic Council; Innovation Valley, Inc.; Knox County; Lawler-Wood LLC; National Nuclear Security Administration Y-12 Site Office; Oak Ridge Associated Universities; Roane County; Tennessee Valley Corridor; Energy, Technology & Environmental Business Association; and Wackenhut Services, Inc. – Oak Ridge.

More information regarding America’s Veterans to Tennessee Engineers program is available at B&W Y 12’s Web site at http://www.y12.doe.gov/jobs/stem/.

Y-12 is a key facility in the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Complex and is responsible for ensuring the safety, reliability, and security of the nuclear weapons stockpile. It serves as the nation’s primary repository of highly enriched uranium and provides fuel for the Navy, for commercial and research reactors, and for the production of medical isotopes. B&W Y 12 operates the Y 12 National Security Complex for the National Nuclear Security Administration.

(Knoxville, TN /February 23, 2010)– Kramer Rayson LLP is proud to be named one of the Best Employers in Tennessee for the fifth consecutive year. The “Best Employers in Tennessee” project is a statewide program managed by Best Companies Group.  It is dedicated to finding and recognizing Tennessee’s best employers.  The survey examines the employer’s policies, practices and demographics and then sends out survey questions to employees.

The firm of Kramer Rayson LLP was established in 1948 by the late Russell Reed Kramer.  The firm engages in the general practice of law with the majority of its work consisting of representation of businesses in employment, tax and contractual matters, the representation of individuals in tax, estate and trust matters, health law, and the defense or prosecution of civil claims.  The firm handles both litigation and transactional matters.

Kramer Rayson LLP has twenty-five lawyers who are graduates of law schools at the University of Tennessee, the University of Memphis, Vanderbilt University, The University of Arkansas, Seattle University, the University of Virginia, Southern Methodist University and the College of William and Mary.  The firm encourages its members to become involved in activities outside the practice of law.  The attorneys have served on many local boards, including such institutions as the Knoxville Museum of Art and the University of Tennessee.  In addition, firm members are actively involved in state and local bar associations and otherwise participate in numerous charitable and educational entities and activities.

The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

Mark DeNicola, CFO for Thermocopy, states “We are very excited about earning this award. What makes it very special to us is that the information used as the basis for the award was third party provided. It is an indication of how highly our customers and community think of Thermocopy as a business and the impact we have on the community.”

For more information about the awards visit www.us-ca.org.

About Thermocopy
Thermocopy is East Tennessee’s largest business technology company offering multi-functional digital office equipment, managed print services and managed IT solutions to help businesses better manage their office documents and information workflow infrastructure. Now in its 46th year, the company has more than 60 employees at offices in Knoxville and Johnson City. For Thermocopy’s complete range of products and services, visit www.thermocopy.com.

VMC’s Restaurant of the Month for February is Mahogany’s at the Crowne Plaza Knoxville. Mahogany’s will be providing a portion of sales on February 18th to the nonprofit. For more information click here.

For the last five years, the 489th CAB has had soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan in rotating deployments, and for the first time in five years, all of the soldiers from the 489th are back home. Unfortunately, upon returning home, many did not have jobs and have had to turn to soup kitchens in order to feed themselves and their families.

MAJ Bryan Bailey, Operations Chief of the 489th Civil Affairs Battalion, located at the Army Reserve Center on Weisgarber Road, reached out to the Knoxville Chamber, East Tennessee Military Affairs Council, and the Employers Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) requesting assistance in trying to help his soldiers find jobs.

MAJ Bailey said many do not have the skills needed to write resumes translating military skills into civilian skills as well as actual job interviewing skills since they have been in the military for many years. Upon hearing MAJ Bailey’s request for help, an unemployed veterans task force was created and consists of staff from the Knoxville Chamber, ETMAC and ESGR, the Red Cross, and various other concerned individuals.

On Sunday, 2/21, the task force will present the first Unemployed Veterans Assistance Program at the 489th CAB offices. It is the hope of the task force that this will be a great success on a smaller scale, with plans of offering a larger scale program when the 844th Engineering Battalion returns in April, and the 278th Armored Calvary Regiment returns in 2011.

Participants/contributors to this program are the Tennessee Career Center, M-Force Staffing, WSI of Oak Ridge, Knox County Human Resources Department, Knoxville Chamber, ETMAC, and ESGR. Program focus areas will be a resume-writing workshop, job-interviewing skills workshop, social media/internet job search workshop, and individual resume review sessions for all soldiers bringing a resume.

It is also the tasks force’s mission to get the word out to area employers that have job openings to hire veterans who have the discipline and work ethic many companies are desperate for and just haven’t been able to find.

If your company is interested in helping our unemployed veterans either by offering employment or taking part in a future assistance program being offered to returning veterans, please contact Doug Minter or Patrice Collins at the Knoxville Chamber at 637-4550.