Thursday, April 2, 2009

Letters in the Ether, "We just get by, however we can. We all gotta duck...."

To the good people at Alameda Municipal Power, April 2, 2009

As most of you know, in January of 2009, I was contacted by Marie Spark (Board of Directors from the Alameda Food Bank) regarding a proposal to have Solar PV installed on the Food Bank. The broad strokes, as I understand it, of the original proposal are the following:

• AMP has funds available to supply materials for a Solar PV system.
• Sun’s Free Solar would design and install the solar array, raceways,solar collection panel, disconnect, and EG meter “pro bono”.
• Norman Sanchez Architects will provide system drawing “pro bono”
• Jack Rafferty Engineering will supply P.E. “pro bono”
• AMP will use its resources in PR generation to promote the installation for community collaboration and promotion of Solar Electricity on the Island.

Currently, the project is either derailed or slated for another building (not related to the Alameda Food Bank). I have been given reasons for the “plug being pulled” (forgive the pun) for the Food Bank project and the position taken by AMP and the City of Alameda is largely logistical.

What I’m being told is, the building cannot support solar on the roof. From the information I have gathered, the structure has 2x4 rafters @ 24” on center, just like thousands of homes with solar in California. I have personally contacted our distributors and their suppliers regarding the structural issues and I have been assured there is nothing unusual about this installation.

Another counter position to the project is the temporary nature of the Food Bank. This seems ideological rather than logistical. There will always be a need for a Food Bank in Alameda. In the event the Food Bank is relocated, there is nothing unusual about dismantling the solar equipment and reinstalling the equipment at the new location. All this, of course, is based on an assumption that the Food Bank is subject to relocation.

Sun’s Free Solar prides itself on being the only locally owned and operated Solar contractor. Sun’s Free has partnered with SEE Green Careers (SGC) to enlist the latest graduated class of Solar PV installers to perform this installation. SGC provides training to underprivileged youth, primarily Latino and African American (but in this class there were 4 Nepalese and 1 Iraqi refugees).

So you see, we are ready and willing to get moving. Let’s not delay another moment. I believe we are doing much more than helping the Food Bank and the Environment, we are showing the City of Alameda and surrounding communities the power of Public and Private collaboration.

Sincerely,


Kevin Good