eNewsletter - December 2006

December Meeting & Holiday Celebration

You are invited to join Solar NV in a special Holiday Celebration, Wednesday, December 20th from 6 PM to 9 PM. This is a season for sharing so we're making this a potluck event. Please bring your favorite dish or some goodies to share. It is also a time to acknowledge each other and the value of our relationships. Download the incredible Solar NV Holiday Party announcement (pdf).

Solar NV has been fortunate to collaborate with many wonderful people this past year, so this invitation is for all of you! Whether you're a friend or member of Solar NV, part of the team at the Springs Preserve, the U.S. Green Building Council - Las Vegas Regional Chapter, the Sierra Club, the Nevada Conservation League or one of the incredible people who volunteered to make a difference, we would like to share this evening with you!

We will meet in a large room with a view, at NV Power, Meeting Room A (4th floor), located at 6226 West Sahara, Las Vegas, NV.

We sincerely hope you can join us. Solar NV wishes each of you a wonderful holiday season and a new year filled with even greater success in our shared goals of sustainability through renewable energy, green building, conservation and common sense.

If you are planning to attend, please email Allison Gray. She is coordinating the food lineup. Thanks!

UNLV's Renewin' Las Vegas


Les, the Solar NV banner & a solar oven.	UNLV students supporting renewable energy.
December 7th was a perfect day for the UNLV Sierra Student Coalition's Renewin' LV renewable energy fair, a celebration of CLEAN, GREEN technology. The organizers invited Solar NV to participate in the educational event. Members Les Lazarek, Diedre Radford, Chris Brooks and Steve Rypka spent a few hours speaking with those who stopped by. Diedre and Chris manned the trailer-mounted PV array that provided solar power for some of the other equipment on display at the fair. Les was showing a blower device that he uses to measure homes for energy efficiency. Efficiency and renewable energy go hand in hand so it was very appropriate. Steve had cookies in the solar oven, creating an aroma that drew people in for a closer look and the possibility of a hot, solar-baked treat. There were several tables set up with various companies and groups represented. Special interest was generated by the hybrid and fuel cell vehicles on display. Representatives from the Springs Preserve discussed their new project that will be opening next year. Overall, it was a great day and a fun event. Hat's off to the students of UNLV for getting the word out on renewable energy! For further reading, check out this article in UNLV's Rebel Yell.


A flick of the switch that will help save the planet
From The Sydney Morning Herald.... In partnership with Fairfax Media, the publisher of the Herald, WWF yesterday launched an ambitious campaign called Earth Hour, to encourage the commercial sector and the broader community to address climate change by using less electricity. The aim is to get as many Sydney households and businesses as possible to switch off their lights for an hour on Saturday, March 31. WWF Australia's chief executive officer, Greg Bourne, said a darkened Sydney would be a powerful visual statement from Australia's largest city about coal-fired electricity. more... There is a lesson here for Las Vegas. It's time we started acting more responsibly regarding the incredible amount of light pollution, and the associated energy waste, that is created here. There is a better way, not just for an hour-long lights-off demo, but a permanent reduction in energy use that can reduce our need for CO2-producing coal-fired electrical plants. Let's look at using what we need, not just what we can afford, and then start filling that need with new ultra-efficient lighting solutions. The world we help save just might be our own.
The Climate Project
Speaking of CO2, Al Gore is training 1,000 people to take his incredibly informative slide show on climate change to more live audiences. There is no message that is more important and several people from Southern Nevada have been selected to participate. I came across a report, on the World Changing site, written by a recent attendee. In the article, the author wrote, "Global warming is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and also a unique opportunity for a shared planetary goal few generations before us have known; a shared purpose that crosses political, cultural and geographical barriers." more...
Solar NV Welcomes New Board Members
Last month's meeting included an election for new board members for Solar NV. We had seven nominations for the four available elected board positions. The four nominees who were at the meeting were all elected - Guy Snow, Deidre Radford, Allison Gray and Robert Buntjer. Solar NV welcomes them to the board of directors. Congratulations to each of you! Special thanks to outgoing board members, Eric Dominguez, Laura Padilla and Par Rasmussen. Your dedication, hard work, insight and leadership has been invaluable. Thank you. The new board will hold officer elections at the next meeting. Par is still technically our president until then. We are especially grateful for his vision as he was the impetus behind the formation of Solar NV. Thank you Par! Solar Today Article - Net-Zero Energy Home
Like many people interested in alternative energy, we used to believe that owning a net-zero-energy home was possible only through new construction, with its high price tag. Yet today we live in a house that we retrofitted with renewable energy systems that generate more energy than we consume — enough to power our air conditioning and heating systems, appliances and an electric car, too. more...

Upcoming Events


EVENT	LOCATION	DATE	TIME
Solar NV Holiday Gathering	Nevada Power	Wed, Dec. 20	6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Solar NV Monthly Meeting	Nevada Power	Wed, January 17	6 PM
Solar NV Monthly Meeting	Nevada Power	Wed, February 21	6 PM
Power-Gen - Renewables	Mandalay Bay	March 6 - 8
Solar NV Monthly Meeting	Nevada Power	Wed, March 21	6 PM
Solar NV Monthly Meeting	Nevada Power	Wed, April 18	6 PM
Windpower 2007	Los Angeles, CA	June 3 - 6
Solar 2007 (ASES conference)	Cleveland, OH	July 7 - 12

Please visit our Events Calendar for the latest information.

Federal Solar Tax Credit Extension

Federal Solar Tax Credit Extension ACT NOW!

This is an important issue. Please call and email your legislator to support the increase and extension of solar tax credits beyond 2007. Read the details on the Solar Nation action alert.

Solar NV Mission Statement

Our Mission is to educate the public regarding the benefits of renewable energy; to promote the use of renewable energy and sustainable energy technologies; and to function as a clearinghouse and local resource for renewable energy information.

Some Things to Think About

Please don't just skip over this, or read it and think, "Oh yeah, somebody else will do this." We REALLY want your involvement! Keep in mind that what we do is a group effort. Empower yourself!

We welcome ideas and submissions for articles for the newsletter and the Solar NV web site. If you would like to contribute something of interest (articles, links, photos or ideas), and we hope you will, please email it to us at info@solarnv.org.

If you appreciate the Solar NV eNewsletter, we encourage you to become a member. Please visit our membership page and sign up today. We are a pending 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

Board of Directors
President:	Par Rasmusson
Vice President:	Chris Brooks
Secretary:	Steve Rypka
Treasurer:	Gary Wood
Directors:	Tim Biedinger, Robert Buntjer, Allison Gray, Deidre Radford, Guy Snow and Pamela Vilkin

This eNewsletter is published by Solar NV, the Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Solar Energy Society.

www.solarnv.org

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To make a comment or suggestion, contact Steve Rypka at steve@solarnv.org.

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