August 2010
August 31, 2010
SunGreen Systems was featured in multiple newspapers in the San Gabriel Valley, here is one of them:
Energy efficient: SunGreen donates solar panels to Habitat project
IRWINDALE – SunGreen Systems Inc. is a forward-thinking company.
But this Irwindale-based business is tuned into more than profits. Consider this: SunGreen is donating photovoltaic solar systems for five new townhomes being built by the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity.
SunGreen will cover the $79,500 cost for the systems and their installation at the Geneva Street project in Glendale. The company is also helping Habitat raise the $600,000 cash needed for building the units.
And if that wasn’t enough, anyone who buys a SunGreen solar power system can request that SunGreen donate $1,000 in their name to the Geneva Street project.
“My wife works as as an accountant for Habitat for Humanity and I also volunteer there and go to all of their events,” said Benny Tse, SunGreen’s chief operating officer.
“This is the first green project for the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity. Their director asked me if we could do something together and I thought this was a good way to partner with the community.”
SunGreen, which provides solar energy systems to both commercial and residential customers, will install nine panels per home, each measuring about three feet by five feet.
“They’ll generate about 2 kilowatts per home. It will save about $80 to $100 on the monthly electric bill,” Tse said.
That’s a good thing, as the homes are being built to house five low-income families.
“The selection process for the families has not begun yet, but it should begin sometime next month,” said Amy Borton, a volunteer coordinator for the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity.
Once the families are chosen, each will be asked to put in 500 hours of “sweat equity,” to helping get their home built.
“That’s a way for them to invest not only in the construction process, but in the community where they will be living,” Borton said.
A groundbreaking for the Geneva project is scheduled for March 2011, provided that an initial $400,000 is raised. The three-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom units will sell for the actual cost of construction with a 0-percent interest mortgage.
Rick Hsu, SunGreen’s chief executive officer, said more and more businesses and homeowners are looking toward solar energy systems.
“Activity is starting to pick up,” he said. “There are a lot of good incentives being offered by the state and federal government – that’s probably the main reason.”
Hsu noted, for example, that the federal government offers a 30-percent tax credit to businesses or individuals who buy and have a solar system installed.
Commercial users can likewise take advantage of a tax grant in the form of cash.
“Once the system is installed, the government will send you a check within 90 days,” Hsu said.
Sonja Yates, executive director of the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity, said SunGreen’s donation is greatly appreciated.
“I am tremendously grateful to SunGreen Systems for their interest in and support of our first green build,” Yates said in a statement.
626-962-8811, Ext. 2701
Pictures of the signing. Please see our gallery for more pictures.
Chairman Y.Y. Lin & Executive Director Sonja Yates
May 2010
5/27/2010
SunGreen Joins Harvard and USC for “Going Green to Earn Green”
How do green practices translate into financial rewards? That was the topic of the standing-room-only “Going Green To Earn Green” panel June 6 in Anaheim, CA. Part of the annual Business Growth Conference, held by the Harvard Business School Orange County Alumni Association and the USC Marshall School of Business, the panel was moderated by SunGreen’s Eugene Page.
Page set the context by polling the packed room to learn that very few were in a “green” business even two years ago. He then noted that two of the panelists, Albertsons Rick Crandall and Allen Matkins’ Bryan Jackson were “accidental environmentalists” after taking the helm of their firms’ green initiatives. Highlights of the lively discussion:
· Brian Jackson, also an adjunct professor at USC for Green and Sustainable Construction, provided data on how green mandates and the public’s interest are heavily impacting much of the economy. He also discussed legal issues and cautions in this developing field
· Rick Crandall described how green initiatives yielded stunning dollar savings for his Albertsons supermarkets. He generated heavy applause when he noted that Albertsons stores in Southern California and Nevada were working with local food banks to distribute good but unpurchased food to the needy. This saved 30 million pounds of food from being trucked to landfills in 2009 — a win for all involved.
· Nikhil Jain, Founder and Chairman of OnGreen, then described the still very new financing market for green technologies and companies.
Based on the success of this panel, SunGreen plans to participate in future conferences to spread the word how being green is not only good for the environment, but also good for a company’s finances and public reputation.
5/12/2010
Solar could provide 25% of Global Electricity by 2025 – IEA Report
5/3/2010
SunGreen’s Eugene Page to moderate “green” panel at Harvard / USC Business Growth Conference
The Harvard Business School has been presenting a business conference in Orange County for 25 years. For 2010, they asked USC’s Marshall School of Business Alumni Association to join forces with them to grow the conference to the next level. The conference takes place this Thursday, May 6, at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel. In addition to being an outstanding networking opportunity, there are very ”beefy” sessions and notable speakers covering many important business topics. Eugene Page will have the privilege of moderating the first panel the conference has ever offered on “green.” Here is the panel description:
Going Green to Earn Green: The new way to profitable business
If you think your business or career has nothing to do with sustainability, think again. In this panel, hear from a major consumer goods company about its early steps into sustainability, the resistance, the costs and the results. How has sustainability delivered competitive advantage? Also, meet a successful serial entrepreneur who has launched multiple companies in the green space. How did he identify the opportunities, get traction and what are the financing sources, especially today? The leader of the green practice of one of California’s top law firms will address risk management issues in green, intellectual property protection, etc. You will never think about green the same after this conference.
Eugene Page, Managing Partner, SunGreen Systems, Moderator
Rick Crandall, Director of Sustainability, Southern Calif. Div., Albertsons, Panelist
Bryan Jackson, Editor, Green Building Update and Partner, Allen Matkins, Panelist
Nikhil Jain, Founder, Clean Green Guy, Inc., Panelist
For details on the conference go to www.bgc2010.org.
April 2010
4/23/2010
Eugene Page, Managing Partner, represented SunGreen Systems this week at Chapman University’s “Beyond Copenhagen” international conference on climate change presented on campus in Orange, California. Mr Page attended a thought-provoking lecture presented by Dr Paul Chan, Senior Visiting Scientist in Earth Science, on the science and statistics of climate change on Wednesday afternoon. Dr. Chan attended the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change in December and illustrated how differing points of view towards the statistics for emissions and climate change fueled the acrimony between developed and developing countries at the conference. Chan’s presentation was followed by a welcome reception on a sound stage of the Marion Knott Studios. Later, Greg MacGillivray, Chairman of MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation screened his Oscar nominated film, The Living Sea.
Thursday morning featured presentations on “Best Green Business Practices” and “Best Green Government Practices” from a host of business and government leaders including Bank of America, Toshiba, UPS, the Orange County Water and Sanitation Districts, UCI, etc. One theme was the old saw “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” All talked about increasingly sophisticated tools and methodologies for measuring the problem and the costs and returns of various prospective solutions. Financiers addressed the challenges of financing “green.” Mr. Pierre-Andre Senizergues, founder of Sole Technologies, parent of Etnies, Thirty-two and other action sports brands spoke as the key note presenter at lunch about his life long concern for the environment, his goal to make his company carbon neutral by 2020 and the extraordinary steps he has undertaken to get his suppliers in China on board with his goals for sustainability.
4/6/2010
Oil Reality Check: It’s Going Higher
Absent a nuclear war, pandemic or another Great Recession, oil demand is going up faster than supply.
March 2010
3/26/2010
SunGreen Systems donates five solar systems to Habitat For Humanity!
Check out their Blog Here: Habitat For Humanity and SunGreen Systems!
3/22/2010
With diesel fuel retailing around $4.00 a gallon, algae-based oil sources are beginning to look better. More than 50 companies in the U.S. are working to commercialize algae-generated biodiesel.
3/19/2010
Ted Lieu, California Assemblyman from the 53rd District and Chair of the Assembly Rules Committee, visited SunGreen Systems’ offices in Irwindale. Assemblyman Lieu expressed strong support for renewable energy and for creating green jobs in California.
3/16/2010
NREL Opens Detailed Solar Info on the Web
The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) launched an interactive website that shows exactly where solar installations are being installed, how big they are, how much they cost and how fast the industry is booming.
3/3/2010
Climate Bill: Congress Draws Line In Sand
Clean Air Act protections that require coal-fired power plants to meet modern pollution standards in any energy and climate legislation that reaches the Senate floor.
January 2010
1/28/2010
Check out live data from one of our installations online! Link Below
SunGreenSystems Commercial Installation
1/13/2010
Green building has been a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster year, according to non-profit Earth Advantage, which works with builders and developers in the US Northwest to bring energy efficient and healthy homes to the market.
December 2009
12/8/2009
SunGreen Systems On The News!
12/4/2009
The Solar Impulse prototype plane, part of a planned solar-powered circumnavigation of the globe, has left the ground for the first time.
12/4/2009
2010 May Be $200B Year for Renewables
Renewable-energy investment may climb to a record $200 billion worldwide next year, according to Machel Liebreich of New Energy Finance.
12/1/2009
Declining panel prices, a federal tax credit and a state rebate all make now a good time to at least investigate whether solar power might make sense for your home — and your budget.D
November 2009
11/30/2009
US, China Pledge Emission Reductions
Both the United States and China last week announced goals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
11/25/2009
Secretary Chu Announces $620 Million for Smart Grid Demonstration and Energy Storage Projects
At an event in Columbus, Ohio this afternoon, Secretary Chu announced that the Department of Energy is awarding $620 million for projects around the country to demonstrate advanced Smart Grid technologies and integrated systems that will help build a smarter, more efficient, more resilient electrical grid.
11/12/2009
Green Building Programs, Jobs on the Rise
Two new reports on green building in the US show that the industry has a strong hold on the future, despite–or perhaps because of–the current economic downturn.
11/09/2009
31 States can be Self-Sufficient with Renewable Energy – Report
States in the U.S. don’t need to seek energy imports to meet their renewable energy goals. That’s the conclusion of a new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a group that works with citizen groups, governments and private businesses in developing practices that extract the maximum value from local resources.
11/06/2009
Since 2007, there have been applications to license 26 new nuclear reactors in the US. Nine have been canceled or suspended indefinitely in the last 10 months, and 10 have been delayed 1-5 years.
11/03/2009
Export-Import Bank Adopts a Carbon Policy
The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) today became the first Export Credit Agency (ECA) to adopt a comprehensive Carbon Policy to guide its support of United States exports in light of climate change concerns.
11/02/2009
Historic Weatherization, Smart Meters Added Thanks to Recovery Funds
DOE says the $3.3 billion in smart grid stimulus has lead to $4.7 billion in private funding. Electricity metering is also expanding very rapidly. Advanced meters
11/1/2009
SunGreen Systems’ principals travel the world inspecting manufacturing facilities, seeking the latest technology, learning about pending technical breakthroughs and staying current with industry trends. In the last year, the firm has participated in trade shows and seminars on three continents. Finally, close to home, last week (Oct. 23-26), SunGreen Systems attended and participated in Solar Power International 2009 – in nearby Anaheim, California. This time some 25,000+ participants traveled here to attend the show – and many of them visited SunGreen Systems’ booth. All of SunGreen’s staff had the opportunity to experience firsthand the size of the industry in the massive exhibit halls and to attend cutting-edge presentations. SunGreen met with customers, alliance partners and several suppliers. It was a very productive week for SunGreen
October 2009
SunGreen Systems works diligently to stay ahead of the industry in terms of technology, manufacturing techniques, financing innovations, etc. Accordingly, SunGreen’s partners have been on the move this month. Our chairman, Mr. YY Lin, traveled to Germany, the world’s leader in solar adoption and innovation, for the second time this year. Mr. Lin participated in Solar Summit 2009 in Freiburg where the world’s leading photovoltaic experts met to discuss such topics as sustainable development, BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics), “solar cities,” net zero-energy (NZE) buildings, “the building shell of the future,” multi-functional facades, etc. Mr. Lin also visited the renowned solar institute and many examples of advanced solar applications in and around Freiburg. Rick Hsu met with leading PV cell and and panel manufacturers in Taiwan early in the month to discuss the global solar market and their intentions for the United States. He also met with financiers in Taipei. Later in the month, principals Benny Tse and Eugene Page accompanied by two quality control specialists inspected a major panel manufacturing facility in China. They also met with “green” financiers in Hong Kong. SunGreen will close October with its participation in one of the world’s largest solar conventions, Solar Power International in Anaheim, California. SunGreen will have a prominent booth and participate in many of the educational sessions.
July 2009
Three SunGreen executives attended PVJapan 2009, June 24-26, at Makuhari Meese, just outside Tokyo. PVJapan is a comprehensive trade show and seminar series for the global solar-photovoltaic industry co-organized by SEMI and the Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association (JPEA). SEMI is a global industry association serving the manufacturing supply chain for the microelectronic, display, and photovoltaic industries. SunGreen was there to meet with prospective equipment suppliers, scout new products, and stay abreast of technical advances in the industry coming out of Asia and Europe.
Last week, two SunGreen partners visited Jiangsu province in China, which has developed into the epicenter of China’s photovoltaic industry. The partners met with solar cell and module manufacturers to understand their objectives for entering the US market and to observe their manufacturing processes, quality control procedures, etc. China has serious environmental issues and SunGreen believes it is inevitable that China will eventually make such a major push into photovoltaics for its domestic market that it will have implications for the industry worldwide.
June 2009
Mr. YY Lin, Chairman and Co-Founder of Los Angeles-based SunGreen Systems attended InterSolar 2009 last week in Munich, Germany. This important exposition featured more than 1500 exhibitors from around the world including equipment manufacturers, integrators, financiers, architects, engineers, consultants, etc. High energy costs since the early 1970′s and long-standing government support including feed-in tariffs have afforded the EU considerable experience with solar and its applications. Mr. Lin held high level meetings with leading European manufacturers and integrators, many of whom are now eyeing expansion to the US market, about potential strategic alliances or partnerships.
SunGreen is proud to announce that it will be participating as an exhibitor at Solar Power International 2009, the year’s largest business to business solar event in North America! The event is being held in Anaheim, California from October 27 – 29, 2009. We will have a booth at the event and look forward to meeting you in October! To visit our booth, check this floorplan. We are Booth #1691.
SunGreen Systems launches new web presence to better serve commercial, residential, municipal and wholesale clients. We know that the technical side of what we do can sometimes be daunting, so we have included a glossary of solar terminology, spec sheets on our products, and documentation on cost savings and rebates available to those taking the forward step of incorporating SunGreen solar systems as part of their energy plan.