Save the Date! Nebraskans for Solar Presentation: “Solar Power for Farms, Homes, and Businesses” April 20, 2021 - 7:00 to 8:30 pm

Residential Project: GenPro Energy Solutions Solar-Powered Irrigation System: Solar Heat & Electric

Please join us on Zoom for this special Earth Month event to learn about solar options for your farm, home, or business. Our guest speakers will be Jeff Berggren and Michael Shonka. All Nebraska solar installers are invited to attend this event and contribute to the Q&A and discussion following the presentation.

Jeff Berggren manages GenPro Energy Solutions projects in Nebraska from the company’s office in Central City. Michael Shonka is owner of Solar Heat and Electric based in Omaha.

Moderator: Leo Arens, Nebraskans for Solar President Please email your questions to: Leo Arens sirsolarman77@gmail.com. Use this link to join the Zoom meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89193196410?pwd=cnhEY0g2SHZJWC91SlQ0K2l1VGNHQT09 Meeting ID: 891 9319 6410 Passcode: 015253

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Solar Power World Virtual Roundtable

"Must-Have Power: Solar + Storage in the Age of Emergencies" April 20, 2021 - 1:00 to 2:30 pm REGISTER HERE Join Solar Power World and Top Solar Contractors for a live roundtable discussion on the best business practices the installation community has adopted for energy storage systems, large and small. The rise of extreme weather has many homeowners concerned about keeping the lights and refrigerators on through extended power outages. And with more utilities looking at energy storage to improve the resiliency of their grids, the storage market has finally hit its tipping point. Solar installers across all markets will describe how they’ve incorporated batteries into their service offerings along with the important installation considerations that come with storage systems. Roundtable Participants Brent Bergland, Energy Storage & Solutions Market Director, Mortenson Molly Brown, EVP of Energy Development, GenPro Energy Solutions Scott Maskin, Co-Founder and CEO, SUNation Moderator: Kelly Pickerel, Editor in Chief, Solar Power World

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Nebraska Earth Day Passport Hosted By: Earth Day Omaha & Sarpy County Earth Day

Sign up for free at: earthdayomaha.org or greenbellevue.org Earth Day Omaha and Sarpy County Earth Day are teaming up to present an online Nebraska Earth Day Passport—a month-long series of activities and in-app “Passport Challenges” that will take place from April 15–May 15. Activities will feature local nonprofits, businesses, and other organizations that care deeply about protecting and preserving our environment. Up to 10,000 participants from Douglas & Sarpy County and beyond will be able to visit virtual Exhibitor “booths” for free by selecting exhibitor Challenges and competing for daily points and prizes.   If your community is hosting an Earth Month event, we would like to include it on our website calendar and in our newsletters. Please send your event information to nebraskansforsolar@gmail.com or share it on Facebook.

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51 Environmental Activities Kids Can Do for Earth Day An Environment America Resource

Building on their list from last year’s 50th anniversary of Earth Day, staff at Environment America put together 51 activities families can do at home to celebrate Earth Day and connect with the natural world around us. Examples of activities: Become energy waste detectives by using our citizen’s guide to reducing energy waste.  Make your own at-home wind turbine and learn about the power of offshore wind. Make your own solar oven from a pizza box and find out how using solar power could make your community healthier and cleaner. Calculate your family’s carbon footprint. Make videos in support of moving our country to 100 percent renewable energy. Post the video and tag your elected officials on social media. Learn about the impact of transportation on our climate. Make a plan for how to incorporate more walking, biking and public transit into your family’s daily life. Click here to find 45 more family activities for Earth Day.

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Featured Do-It-Yourself Project By A Professional Solar Installer

Ric and Janet Hansen’s home has been running partially on solar energy since 2017. They have 40 modules, or panels, installed in their backyard that generate 10 kilowatts per hour. It’s enough to power their home and some small outbuildings on their hobby farm. Ric got his introduction to solar five years ago when longtime friend Wayne Williams hired him to do engineering, installation and quality control for his solar company in Central City, NE. The business, called Interconnection Systems Inc., does large solar installations in nine states. Ric started his own business, Solar and Automation Controls Solutions, shortly afterward. Read more and see examples of Ric’s Omaha projects here: Alton couple power home with solar energy

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Q&A

In each newsletter we feature a question and answer about renewable energy and related issues. Please send your questions to nebraskansforsolar@gmail.com

Q: We’re installing a 25-kilowatt, ground-mounted PV system on our farm as a DIY project and would like to hire someone to install a battery system. Can you recommend a company? A: We can’t recommend one company over another, but a number of businesses in our directory install energy storage systems. Also, the nonprofit organization Solar United Neighbors (SUN) has put together a helpful guide that is free to download: Battery Storage for Homeowners

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Renewable Energy Jobs & Resources

Google Search Solar Energy Jobs Wind Energy Jobs An additional search strategy is to check for jobs listings on the websites of solar and wind energy companies that have installed renewable energy projects in Nebraska. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Resources Careers in Solar Power Careers in Wind Energy

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More News & Resources

OPPD inks agreement with developer for solar farm in Saunders County; it would be Nebraska’s largest, Omaha World-Herald Initial solar contract inked for OPPD’s Power with Purpose, The Wire, OPPD Blog How a new infrastructure package could impact Rural America, Agweek article by Sara Wyant, President and founder of Agri-Pulse Communications Inc. Inside Clean Energy: The Coast-to-Coast Battle Over Rooftop Solar, Inside Climate News 2020 EnergySage installer survey finds one in five solar installations nationwide included a battery, Solar Power World Study shows homeowners with PV are subsidizing their neighbors, Renewable Energy World Four RSOs receive E.N. Thompson sustainability honors, UNL News NASA Announces 12th Round of Candidates for CubeSat Space Missions, NASA News Release The Final Chapter In The Volkswagen Diesel Cheating Saga Is Being Written, CleanTechnica. In a press release dated March 26, 2021, the Volkswagen Supervisory Board declared that an extensive review of what went wrong has been completed. Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund: Nebraska Diesel Emission Mitigation Program, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy More than 374,000 MW of new generation capacity under development in U.S., APPA reports, American Public Power Association Solar Energy Generation in Nebraska, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy Wind Energy Generation in Nebraska, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy President Biden proposal includes $100 billion for power infrastructure, American Public Power Association Nelnet Renewable Energy Partners with Three Co-Investors to Complete $9.9 Million Solar Tax Equity Investment in the Northeast, Nelnet Renewable Energy, PR Newswire USDA Seeks Public Input to Help Create a New Rural Renewable Energy Pilot Program, USDA News Release

Visit our Website and Facebook Page for more news, resources & events. Thank you for all you are doing to advance renewable energy in our state!