Linuo, the big Chinese manufacturer of solar panels, was announced to have bought the IBM plant in East Fishkill for its American manufacturing. It never followed through. The debate over the Chinese dumping of solar panels to gain market share has been a rancorous one.
Private investment in the sector has continued to lag, particularly in New York. For investors, clean tech of the kind Alfandre is pursuing can often be capital-intensive, complicated to explain, and requires long validation times compared with e-commerce, ad tech or social media. Private investors are usually looking for a cheaper, quicker payoff.
In recent years, plentiful supplies of inexpensive American natural gas, new sources of domestic oil, extensive fracking of shale deposits and new pipelines to transport energy have all combined to reduce the competitiveness of investments in clean tech. But the state government is not giving up in trying to build and properly incentivize the sector. The high indirect environmental costs of traditional energy sources make an eventual transition inevitable.
So the state is pursuing new approaches. The most prominent recent one may be the Green Bank. NYSERDA plans to use approximately $165 million in uncommitted agency funds to spur private-sector investment in clean energy projects of a billion dollars. If approved by the state Public Service Commission, the initial capitalization will allow the state Green Bank to open for business and offer financial products in early 2014. Administrators of the bank hope to grow its capital base to make it a self-sustaining support mechanism for clean energy.
Panels at the right angle
Already roughed out inside and decked out with super-insulated Fox Blocks on the outside, the architect’s dream office is taking shape. Alfandre’s wife, nutritionist Vicki Koenig, and lawyer Joe Morrissey have signed up for space on the second floor. The architecture firm is looking for a tenant downstairs.
With about 5,400 square feet of office space, the building is on track to being LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Energy-conscious insulation, heavy-duty R-9 rated windows and an air-tight, mega-insulated roof are earning the structure that designation. Some 131 solar panels slated for the rooftop will generate almost 98 percent of the electricity used inside, Alfandre expects.
Tom Kacandes is a former state official in economic development for 13 years, a New Paltz resident, and a renewable energy expert who works for Westchester-based Solar Advantage Solutions, which is in essence subcontracting for the installation of Alfandre’s solar panels. This is the firm that is expecting the state rebate on Alfandre’s project.
Kacandes explained that installation of a roof pointed in the right direction with the right angle can make a big difference in solar-energy production. The technology is highly predictable. Surplus energy goes back into the utility grid. Is the investment risky? “What’s the risk the sun won’t shine?” Kacandes retorted.
The demand for state energy rebates has been robust, allowing NYSERDA to decrease the amount of the state incentive. The most recent round of applications, adjusted to allow for larger projects, was fully subscribed within a week, Kacandes said. Some are predicting a renaissance for domestic solar-panel manufacturing.
Design plays a large role in why Alfandre’s structure will be energy-efficient. “The building is actually designed to shade the windows as much as possible,” the architect said.
Building green means addressing drainage and stormwater issues. Stormwater runoff is a big concern in development. The building design is intended to ensure that less water leaves than when a house occupied the site. And the water that does exit the site will be cleaner. Porous paving stones in the parking lot will assist in drainage improvement.
A shower inside the office will be available to fitness buffs who’d like to bicycle to work. The building will be home to four functioning workplaces
Construction at the new 231 Main Street began early this spring and is expected to be completed late this year or early next year. Most people have seen the construction fencing and signs advertising the new building. One of the town’s bigger and more visible current construction projects, it has turned heads.
The place will probably become a must-see on the region’s grand tour of energy-efficient structures. According to the architect, tours and open houses will begin when the office opens. It’d be best to call first. To learn more, call 255-4774.
For further insight into the local economy, go to Ulster Publishing’s hudsonvalleybusinessreview.com.
