Solar Energy Facts - What Is Solar Energy
Two renewable energy initiatives will be put to the vote this November in California. Proposition 10, or the California Alternative Fuels Initiative, and Proposition 7, the California Solar and Clean Energy Initiative, have brewed up some very heated debate. I focused on Prop 10 in an earlier entry. Here I will try to dissect Proposition 7 and what it could mean for California, already a national leader in renewable energy.
What is Prop 7?
Green Investor Audio Series – Sectors like wind and solar have had a spectacular growth rate
A variety of factors, including global warming and a recent spike in energy costs, have pushed several U.S. states to adopt Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). These standards have been the biggest catalyst behind the ever-accelerating clean energy movement. Essentially, they require a state’s utilities to generate a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, and other sources apart from conventional fossil-fueled technologies.
Promoting Clean Energy
As of yet, no one technology has come to dominate the field. That is why states are developing a portfolio of clean energy sources. RPS’s are effective because they push utilities to promote clean energy through rebates, loans, and other incentives. Furthermore, many states offer their own government-issue incentives in the form of rebates and tax incentives. Fortunately for we solar enthusiasts, the United States is, overall, a very sunny place and, for this and many other reasons, solar is becoming a dominant force as states try to achieve their standards. (more…)
Renewable Portfolio Standards, Pushing Utilities to Promote Clean Energy
While solar energy may feel new to us here in the industrial world, it is, in fact, as old as the sun and humanity. From the beginning humans have learned to use the sun for drying clothes, cooking food, and heating water. Nonetheless, people in the developing world today are well behind industrialized countries such as the U.S., China, and the European Union.
The fact is, these countries are prime candidates for solar energy. Many citizens are without electricity and well off the grid. Solar electric and solar thermal systems would be perfect solutions for delivering clean energy in a fast way to the people who need it most. And it’s not just electricity that solar delivers. Solar collectors are used all over the world to heat water and cook food for communities that are not made of subdivisions and modern kitchens. (more…)
Cinema West has installed solar panels in the Fairfax 5 movie theater in Fairfax Calif. making it the first movie complex to go solar in the USA. The 1952 movie house will by their calculations, be saving $627K over the 30 year life of the panels.
Cinema West founder Dave Corkill said, “Solar energy will not only help us offset our electricity costs, but will also reduce greenhouse emissions and propagate the environmental ideals of this progressive community. The Fairfax Theatre’s marquis is one of the first things you see when entering Fairfax. Now we are proud that it also represents clean energy.”
More details at Emerging Energy News.
Rocky Hill, Conn., September 11, 2008– The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) today announced that the Greenwich Academy solar photovoltaic (PV) array it helped to fund is installed and successfully operating. The 27.6-kilowatt array is located on the new roof of the middle school building of the school and is connected to an interactive data monitoring system that will capture performance data, which, in turn, will be used to teach the students about solar energy generation.
Greenwich Academy Goes Green and Teaches Value of Clean Energy
Ho to focus on biofuels and biomass sectors
Rocky Hill, Conn., September 8, 2008 – The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) announced today that the town of Wilton, Conn., has become the 34th municipality in the state to receive the designation of “Connecticut Clean Energy Community.” As a result of its commitment to clean energy, Wilton has earned a 3-kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) array valued at approximately $30,000 from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund.
Wilton Receives "Connecticut Clean Energy Community" Designation and Earns Solar Energy Array
Reply to: fundself@gmail.com
Date: 2008-08-19, 1:46PM EDT
Summary:
This position reports to the Executive Director.
About SELF:
The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) delivers sustainable solar power and wireless connectivity to rural villages in developing countries. Operating at the cutting edge of solar technology, SELF provides clean energy for water pumps, health clinics, schools, homes, Internet kiosks, micro-enterprise centers and irrigation systems. The goal is to improve health, education and economic opportunity for the two billion people who live without electricity.
Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Works with supervisor to create annual fundraising plan.
2. Researches, formulates and executes effective approaches to foundations and major donors for restricted and unrestricted support for SELF that furthers the mission of the organization and the specific programs articulated in our business plan. Corporate approaches will also be a priority.
3. Pitches specific programs as well as general support needs that further the stated or potential objectives of funders.
4. Develops endorsed, high level introductions to decision makers inside family offices, financial and philanthropic advisors.
5. Develops and/or leverages credibility and peer persuasion within the foundation community.
6. Develops proposals, as well as presentations and budgets for prospective Funding Partners (primarily foundations and individuals) that appropriately convey mission, vision and programs of SELF.
7. Works with program staff and oversees written reports for submission to Funding Partners.
8. Communicates progress and collaborates regularly with supervisor (weekly, monthly and quarterly reports and projections) and the SELF staff through the database, staff meetings, and periodic department progress reports.
9. Develops and fosters an entrepreneurial cultural exhibited through an aggressive pipeline of prospects while ensuring that the “art of cultivation” is never rushed or hasty resulting in lost, longer term opportunities…
10. Builds a donor base that understands our business model translating into a steady and growing stream of perennial support.
11. Plans, leads and executes a series of cultivation events that leverage the assets of the organization.
12. Manages relationships with external fundraising campaigns by coordinating the annual applications and involvement.
13. Helps to develop and manage annual department budget and performs periodic cost and productivity analysis.
14. Presents at conferences, arranges presentations for the ED, COO and board.
15. Performs duties requested by supervisor.
Essential Deliverables:
Within a 90 Day Timeline a successful candidates will establish:
- a viable and qualified pipeline of foundation relationships and submitted proposals with defensible, targeted giving levels and probabilities equaling $3M
- a list of submitted proposals with high probabilities totaling $500,000
- a schedule of foundation meetings and pitches that average at least three meetings per month
- documentation of all conversations that reflect all aspects, pros and cons of the opportunity
- solid relationships with SELF program staff
- a long term plan or research, cultivation and successful solicitation for the following 12 months
- a proven ability to imbue SELF within existing and new foundation program objectives developed mutually
Essential Functions
Office days may involve sitting at desk, using computer for up to 10-12 hours.
The employee may need to travel up to 30% of the time.
Qualifications:
This position requires quality verbal, written and oral communication skills, as well as excellent interpersonal skills, demonstrated by the ability to establish and maintain relationships with people. High levels of trust need to be established. Earnestness and gravitas are required. The ability to understand and organize information, and to write about or talk extemporaneously on that information, is essential. Experience in developing budgets and understanding common financial documents (such as a balance sheet, the Form 990 and others) is required. Proficient in at least one fundraising software program, as well as the Microsoft Office suite of computer programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.) and comfortable with the use of electronic mail and the Internet to meet daily responsibilities. Finally, a strong ethical character capable of handling confidential and financial information is critical.
The ideal candidate for this position is gregarious, confident and creative. She/He exhibits tenacity and patience in building relationships with donors, but understands the accountability of being responsible for fundraising within a non-profit environment.
Education and/or Experience:
A college degree is required; advanced education or training in fundraising, donor management, finance or law is a plus. Experienced fundraiser with a minimum $5 million annual fundraising record on behalf of national or large regional non-profit organizations. Knowledge of contemporary fundraising practices, individual donor development and donor reclamation campaigns and non-profit collaborative fundraising efforts is necessary, as well as understanding the state and federal tax laws related to non-profit fundraising practices.
Other Information:
Experience as a program officer at a foundation a plus…
To Apply:
Interested applicants should forward a resume, cover letter, and salary range requirements, to (e-mail with attached cover letter and resume preferred):
fundself@gmail.com
SELF is an equal opportunity employer. We reserve the right to remove or change a job posting at any time. While we certainly will try to acknowledge each resume sent for this position, we cannot guarantee that an acknowledgement will be sent to you, nor that an interview will be granted.
This job description does not constitute an employee agreement between the employer and the employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.
Location: Washington, DC
Jobs In Solar: Director of Development for the Solar Electric Light Fund (Washington, DC)
Californians have a lot of homework to do this fall. With two controversial initiatives addressing renewable electricity and fuels on the upcoming November ballot, voters will have to parse through conflicting arguments about what exactly each would do for the state’s clean energy market.
California Ballot Initiatives: Good or Bad for Clean Energy?
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