The CALSEIA Bay Area Chapter Meets at the New Prospect Silicon Valley Facility

San Jose, CA – November 12, 2014 – On the evening of October 28th, the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA) Bay Area Chapter President and Clean Solar CEO, Randy Zechman, called to order their bi-monthly meeting at the new Prospect Silicon Valley (ProspectSV) Technology Demonstration Center in San Jose, California. Discussion focused on the current state of regulation and legislature as it relates to solar in California.

CALSEIA Executive Director, Bernadette Del Chiaro, discussed the recent victory for solar in California with the passing of Assembly Bill (AB) 2188. This bill streamlines solar permitting across all jurisdictions in California, which will benefit solar clients by eliminating the inconsistencies between cities and expedite the time it currently takes to obtain and complete the steps within the permitting process.

Del Chiaro discussed CALSEIA’s role in passing solar related legislation and the necessary steps to finalize the implementation of Assembly Bill 327, or Net Energy Metering (NEM) 2.0, the successor contract to NEM 1.0, that allows for a financial credit for solar power generated and fed back to the utility. Terms of AB327 must be developed before December 31, 2015. Del Chiaro also reviewed future goals for CALSEIA including incentives for self-generating batteries, utility net metering rate issues, and expanding the presence of CALSEIA by setting up chapters in Sacramento and the Central Coast in 2015.

Industry leader, Del Chiaro, has over a decade of policy and communications experience on renewable energy issues in California, and in particular, solar power. As the Director of Clean Energy and Global Warming Programs at Environment California, she was a leading voice of nearly all of the major clean energy policy initiatives over the last decade. Del Chiaro has now served as the Executive Director of CALSEIA since July 2013.

The meeting was held at the Prospect Silicon Valley facility, the first nonprofit, venture capital community to host pre-commercial technologies in the fields of transportation, building efficiency, energy storage, energy generation, and smart cities sectors.  It has capacity for 15-20 companies to set up for short-term funding of their research and development projects. This $12 million, 23,000 sq. ft. facility has working space, labs, specialized equipment, meeting rooms, and provides commercialization assistance. Highlights of the tour included a car lift for development and technology testing for electric vehicles (EV) and an upcoming auto simulator to imitate driving conditions. The facility opened on October 2, 2014, with goals of connecting emerging technology companies to an ecosystem of incubators that include investors and manufacturers while allowing businesses to demonstrate their market viability, while preparing for scale and commercialization.

 

The Bay Area CALSEIA meeting is a local group of influential companies and organizations in the solar industry.  Clean Solar, Tigo Energy, SunPower and various installers and manufacturers meet to discuss current developments in and affecting the solar industry. The Bay Area Chapter meets at various locations throughout the year. Chapter President Zechman announced that the next meeting will be the Holiday Party & Auction Fundraiser on December 4, 2014, at the SfunCube & Sungevity’s waterfront office in Oakland.  Proceeds going towards hiring a full-time investment tax credit (ITC) employee for CALSEIA.

About CALSEIA

Since the 1970s, CALSEIA (California Solar Energy Industries Association) has advanced the common interests of the California solar industry, helping make California’s solar market the most robust in the United States. Comprised of California solar contractors, manufacturers, distributors, developers, utilities, engineers, consultants and educational organizations, CALSEIA represents a diverse membership committed to growing the California solar industry. For more information about CALSEIA, visit www.calseia.org.

About Clean Solar

Clean Solar is the largest residential solar installation company in the Bay Area. The company’s unparalleled quality and customer service allows for the design of a custom solar system to meet each homeowner’s specific power needs. In addition to custom solutions, Clean Solar offers many financial options including $0 down leases, loans and PACE. The company is a Certified B Corp as well as the recipient of numerous industry based quality and service awards. Clean Solar is headquartered in San Jose, CA, and was founded by Randy Zechman and Jeff Ritchey in 2007. For more information, visit www.CleanSolar.com.

For more information, please contact:

Devraj Grewal – Marketing Coordinator

DevrajG@CleanSolar.com

Phone: 888-551-7652 x316

Fax: 408-216-9578

Leslie Gaynor – Director, Marketing

LeslieG@CleanSolar.com

Phone: 888-551-7652 x305

Fax: 408-216-9578