Virginia Solar Archives - Page 2 of 5

Building a Sustainable Future for Rural Communities

By Lea Maamari|2020-11-19T14:00:58-05:00November 19th, 2020|Company Update, Industry, Virginia Solar, Workforce Development|

By Francis Hodsoll and Melody S. Gee Melody S. Gee is a business and technical writer in St. Louis, MO. From September 15 through October 30, 2020, Tom Tom Foundation hosted the City Rising Summit, a virtual gathering of global changemakers whose sessions focused on creating sound solutions for community recovery and rebuilding after COVID-19. During Week 7, “The Small City Movement,” SolUnesco CEO Francis Hodsoll and Becky Campbell, Manager of Government Affairs at First Solar held a fire-side-chat. Together,

New Report Details Major Economic Impacts of Solar

By Lea Maamari|2020-02-20T11:46:02-05:00February 20th, 2020|Industry, Policy, Virginia Solar|

By Francis Hodsoll and Melody S. Gee Melody S. Gee is a business and technical writer in St. Louis, MO. Richmond-based Mangum Economics has just released an in-depth analysis of the the fiscal impact of utility-scale solar facilities over projects’ 35-year lifetime. The detailed report examines factors driving solar development and how Virginia localities are impacted. The surge in solar interest is notably reflected in the rise in megawatt hours generated. According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, solar facilities

SHINE Continues to Prepare the Next Generation of Solar Workers

By Lea Maamari|2019-12-23T09:52:03-05:00December 20th, 2019|Company Update, Construction, Industry, Virginia Solar, Workforce Development|

by Francis Hodsoll, Jon Hillis and Melody S. Gee Melody S. Gee is a business and technical writer in St. Louis, MO. Since 2018, The Solar Hands-on Instructional Network of Excellence (SHINE) has worked with Southside Virginia Community College and solar developers like SolUnesco to educate, train, and secure jobs for a new generation of solar workers. As Virginia commits legislatively to meeting ambitious renewable energy goals, and corporations like Microsoft are making major solar purchases in the state, SHINE

How SolUnesco Helped Launch SHINE, an Immersive Solar Training Program

By Lea Maamari|2019-12-05T16:19:14-05:00November 18th, 2019|Company Update, Industry, Virginia Solar, Workforce Development|

by Francis Hodsoll, Jon Hillis and Melody S. Gee Melody S. Gee is a business and technical writer in St. Louis, MO. SHINE: Partnerships that Bridge Gaps The Solar Hands-On Instructional Network of Excellence (SHINE), is a public-private partnership dedicated to building innovative solar career pathways in Virginia. SHINE’s mission is to develop a qualified, diverse, equitable, and inclusive solar workforce, equip Virginians with the tools and knowledge to enter the solar sector, help solar developers and construction companies source

How SolUnesco Became One of Virginia’s Leading Solar Developers

By Lea Maamari|2019-08-22T14:46:54-04:00August 22nd, 2019|Company Update, Virginia Solar|

by Francis Hodsoll, Jon Hillis and Melody S. Gee Melody S. Gee is a business and technical writer in St. Louis, MO. Next spring, SolUnesco will celebrate five years as one of our state’s leading solar developers. As we reflect on our growth and the excitement of upcoming projects, we wanted to share the story of our beginnings: two passionate developers, a well-timed market opportunity, and deep commitment to best practices. Seizing Opportunity from the Beginning In 2015, Jon Hillis

What Local Governments Need to Know about Sustainable Practices

By Lea Maamari|2019-07-09T12:58:53-04:00July 9th, 2019|Company Update, Industry, Policy, Virginia Solar|

by Francis Hodsoll and Melody S. Gee Melody S. Gee is a business and technical writer in St. Louis, MO. At the 2019 SolSmart Virginia Local Government Solar Procurement Meeting on June 17, Francis Hodsoll joined five other presenters for a workshop focused on learning, sharing, and discussing solar procurement opportunities for local governments. Topics included green tariffs, non-utility procurement options, the market dynamics and the drivers of solar generation’s extraordinary growth, and examples of successful local government procurement. In his presentation, Hodsoll spoke to local governments eager to

Our State Legislature’s Role in a Clean Energy Future

By Lea Maamari|2019-05-29T12:57:32-04:00May 29th, 2019|Company Update, Industry, Land Use, Policy, Virginia Solar|

A Panel Presentation Recap from the 2019 Tom Tom Summit and Festival by Francis Hodsoll and Melody S. Gee Melody S. Gee is a business and technical writer in St. Louis, MO. This April, SolUnesco CEO, Francis Hodsoll, moderated and presented on a panel at the Tom Tom Summit and Festival in Charlottesville. This annual event brings together a diverse group of thought leaders to discuss a revitalized approach to civic life and community, and this year devoted an entire

Best Practices for Utility-Scale Solar Decommissioning in Virginia Pt. 2

By Lea Maamari|2019-04-25T11:56:12-04:00April 25th, 2019|Company Update, Industry, Land Use, Policy, Virginia Solar|

by Lea Maamari and Melody S. Gee Melody S. Gee is a business and technical writer in St. Louis, MO. On March 27, SolUnesco president Jon Hillis presented at the 2019 Environment Virginia Symposium. Speaking to other industry and environmental leaders, Jon covered the evolving nature of Virginia counties’ requirements imposed on solar electric generation facilities as part of their permitting process. Jon generally focused on the decommissioning requirements placed by the counties on these solar facilities. For the past year, SolUnesco has conducted research and published reports on Virginia’s decommissioning requirements across all ninety-five counties (Review of Counties

The Unified Future of Clean Energy

By Lea Maamari|2019-04-25T10:44:44-04:00March 28th, 2019|Company Update, Industry, Land Use, Policy, Virginia Solar|

By Francis Hodsoll, Lea Maamari and Melody S. Gee Melody S. Gee is a business and technical writer in St. Louis, MO. Decarbonizing energy through solar and wind technologies, as well as harnessing geothermal, hydropower, and biomass power, moves us toward meeting American’s growing desire for zero emission, zero carbon energy. The question of how and whether these discreet clean energy industries can join forces or align interests has stirred efforts and prompted discussion among industry experts and stakeholders, including at the recent Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) Conference this past October. In this article, we explore the possibilities of organized and unified efforts among clean

Revisiting the Composite Index of Virginia

By Francis Hodsoll|2018-12-20T14:53:10-05:00December 20th, 2018|Industry, Land Use, Virginia Solar|

By Francis Hodsoll and Aaron Morrow In a series of blogs in March and April 2017, we discussed the Composite Index (CI) and the impact that solar energy facilities (solar projects) have on the calculation of the CI. In turn, we discussed some of the possible repercussions of the CI policy concerning the awarding of solar project permits. We continue to run across fundamental misunderstandings when it comes to the impact of solar projects on the CI calculation. To offer