SOLAR POWER IS COMING TO WESTERN NEW YORK

From May 12th to 16th, 2009, the American Solar Energy Society's (ASES) National Solar Energy Conference will be held at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. In its 38th year, this is the largest and most inclusive solar and renewable energy conference held in the US, which promises to bring 4,000-5,000 industry professionals to Buffalo from all over the country to learn hands-on from leaders and innovators who are shaping the industry. CIR is proud to be a partner organization for this national event.

The 2009 conference theme is "You've Got the Power," and will include technical presentations, forums and workshops along with exhibits by manufacturers, installers, dealers and distributors, and other related businesses. Local tours and other events will be organized for conference attendees, and the conference will be open to the public with applicable programming on Friday afternoon and Saturday, May 15th and 16th. The main goal of Local Organizing Committee, chaired and coordinated by the WNY Sustainable Energy Association Trust, is to maximize local participation and attendance from all segments of the Western New York community. For more information about the conference and to find out how you can get involved, visit www4.bfn.org/wnysea or www.ases.org.

Involvement in the ASES National Solar Energy Conference is just one way for CIR to fulfill our commitment to being a green company. In another effort to fulfill this commitment, we are pursuing knowledge and training in the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Late last month we completed the first step in this process by attending "Solar Photovoltaic Systems for Contractors," a 16-hour International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) National Joint Apprentice and Training Committee (NAJTC) course hosted by the WNY chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA.) This course included an overview of PV systems and equipment, applications, installation requirements and other related issues such as industry certification.

Are you skeptical about the application of solar energy in WNY's cold and cloudy climate? Don't be! Depending on the size of the system and individual energy usage, PV systems can save WNY businesses and homeowners 20-50 percent or more on their annual electric bills. Plus state and federal incentives are available that reduce the initial cost of the system by more than 50 percent. To see where you fit in visit NYSERDA's Solar Power Naturally Clean Power Estimator at http://nyserdaweb.cleanpowerestimator.com/nyserdaweb.htm