Wanted to share something from Pure Energy Solar when thinking about putting up solar panels in Gainesville:

Gainesville has seen a gold rush in terms of the rush towards solar in recent weeks. With the three tiers of incentives, the return on investment has caught the attention of many investors. Unlike California, which has a long history of solar programs, Florida is lacking in some of the front-end consumer safe guards. Therefore consumers need to be more educated when dealing with companies selling solar equipment and providing solar system installation services.

There are many solar providers available offering a variety of levels of service. The spectrum ranges from licensed solar contractors providing turnkey system design and installation to other types of providers that act as equipment middlemen leaving the customer as the sole contractor.

What do you need to know if you are considering installing a solar photovoltaic (PV) system? This article lists important considerations all consumers should be aware of before signing a contract.

1. Find out if the person or company you are considering is a licensed contractor. Beware of ‘Solar Businesses’ that are not properly licensed! Ask what kind of license they have. Ask for their license number or to see a copy of their license. Any licensed contractor should easily and willingly provide this information to you.

2. Does the person or company you are considering have a license other than a SOLAR CONTRACTORS LICENSE? If so, ask them to provide you with documentation demonstrating that they have formal training and certification for solar system design and installation.
(Gainesville Regional Utilities requires the following to establish interconnect agreements: Proof of a Florida State Solar Contractor License or Proof of a State Electrical Contractor License WITH certification from The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) or The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC)).

3. Is your home or business protected from accident liability during the installation? Ask your potential contractor to provide you with proof of general liability and worker’s compensation coverage.

4. Have you been provided with a clear, understandable solar access and shade report? As a result of a solar site assessment, you should receive a solar analysis report informing you about your solar window and the kind of output you can expect from your system throughout the year.

5. What type of installation will be provided? Equipment only, a TURNKEY Service? With a TURNKEY service you are not expected to do any subcontractor hiring/coordination, deal with the permit process, or coordinate with building inspectors. If you are provided with equipment only, you may be expected to coordinate the process and hire subcontractors to perform your installation.

6. If there is a problem after the installation is completed, who will warrant your system? Will your solar installer service your system and do so in a timely manner? Will your installer charge you for service calls?

7. Can your solar contractor provide references? Can you call any of your solar installer’s customers and ask about their installation experience and system satisfaction?

Earth Hour- a measley 60 minutes in a day in which people, communities, and municipalities have pledged to turn off the lights may just be a gesture, but it can make a difference if it catches on. Please take an hour between 8:30 and 9:30 on March 28th to turn off your lights and have an Earth Hour Par-tay! Let us know if you are pledging and what in the dark are you planning to do? Check out the official website at: http://www.earthhour.org/home

If you have been chicken about getting your business started in Gainesville because of financial reasons, physical space limitations, or expert help,look no further than Santa Fe College's Center for Innovation and Economic Development (CIED) program. Citizen's Co-op has recently taken advantage of the opportunity and according to CIED (pronounced seed)

"Entrepreneurs are supported through access to business development resources, shared office space, and administrative and technical support. Professional meeting space is also available.
If you are interested in further information about the Entrepreneur Incubator please contact Dug Jones, (352.395.5269, dug.jones@sfcollege.edu)."

A sustainable community makes it easier for businesses to flourish within it and this seems to be a great opportunity in this economic climate.

Don't miss the meeting Monday night at the Thomas Center in Gainesville sponsored by Florida Organic Growers (FOG) with Tom Stearns of High Mowing Seeds in NH, sharing with us how they successfully maintain sustinable food networks up north. We are on the cusp of some new possibilities around here between GRU's solar Feed-In-Tariff, the county's ECSC recommendations, applied-for Federal stimulus monies for weatherization and energy efficiency (see Community Weatherization Coalition efforts), and groups like Sustainable Alachua County trying to unite county-wide sustaibility efforts under one umbrella.
Here's the skinny on the event for Monday:

and check out this from co-op america:
http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/realmoney/articles/food.cfm

Happy St. Patty's Day to Ya! In honor of green and beer, we are posting a link to Grist's online organic "Brewer's Dozen" of organic beer. Now, we have to think about where the hops are coming from and what it means to buy organic beer and if hops are one of the most heavily fertilized crops out there? Which is better organic or local?