Next steps are inspection by the City of Salem and PGE. Once these steps take place, the net meter will be installed and electrons will start to flow. Congratulations Burt and Louise!

The City of Salem and Marion County will soon be considering expanding what can go into the current green yard waste cart. If approved by city and county leaders in upcoming public hearings, the yard cart will soon become the Mixed Organics Cart.

Every year, tons of what otherwise can be turned into useful compost ends up in our ever-growing landfill. The Mid-Valley Garbage and Recycling Association is proposing that Salem customers be allowed to expand the types of waste that can go into the current green cart. The Association projects that 6,000 tons of waste could be recovered each year under the new service!

These items would all organic food and yard waste including:

Breads/Grains
Coffee/Tea; Filters/Bags
Coffee/Tea; Grounds/Leaves
Dairy Products
Egg Shells & Bones
Fruits/Vegetables
Meats/Proteins
Paper Napkins/Towels
Pizza Boxes
Plants/Flowers
Seafood & Shells
Yard Debris

The Mixed Organics Cart would not include animal waste, foil, liquids, grease/oils, metal, personal hygiene products, plastic, plastic bags or utensils.

The new service would slightly increase (35 cents) the monthly charge for waste removal. It is anticipated to begin July 1, 2010 if approved by the City Council at their May meeting, and then by County Commissioners at their June 2 public hearing.

The City Council will be holding a public hearing on the new service this Monday, May 17 at 7:30 a.m. at Salem City Hall Council Chambers, 555 Liberty St., SE, Room 240. See the agenda here. If you cannot attend, please contact our Ward Councilor, TJ Sullivan, and ask for his support of the new program. His e-mail address is: tjsullivan@cityofsalem.net

And while you have your e-mail open, contact our Marion County Commissioners to ask for their support when they meet to consider the program in June. Commissioner’s e-mail addresses are here.

For more information, see the City’s proposal and the documentation for the proposed increase.

After reading todays article in USA Today a Linfield professor, helping his students research the BP oil spill in the Gulf and renewable energy alternatives called me to ask, “why would anyone oppose a solar installation?” He was puzzled as to why anyone, anywhere would oppose solar installations. My response to him was the following:

1. The purpose for HOAs existing is to keep the neighborhood from changing. A set of rules are written by the neighborhood developer that are intended to fix the aesthetics of the neighborhood with rules to prevent changing the rules without 75% of the neighbors agreeing. I doubt you could get 75% of any neighborhood to agree to anything these days, even the time of day!
2. Aesthetics are typically the main issue with solar. Some people think that solar panels are unsightly. Perhaps, but increasingly we need to start balancing the aesthetics of our neighborhood with the impact in other neighborhoods (like the Gulf coast) where our non-renewal energy is being created.
3. There is a political component to solar as with most issues. The fact is, not everyone believes that it is important to move towards renewable energy.

I just talked to Burt and he said:

“I attended the meeting tonight (4/22) of the Creekside Architectural Review Committee and am happy to report that my 2.5 kW photovoltaic solar energy project was approved.  I will provide updates as the project progresses.

I hope this news will prompt others in Creekside who are interested in pursuing solar energy projects to do so, and will be happy to be of assistance.”

I wonder if the ARC realize they made this decision on earth day?

After Statesman Journal reporter, Beth Casper researched the issue she found that:

1. HOAs do not need to register with any government agency.
2. HOAs don’t have consistent enforcement policies.
3. No one even knows how many HOAs there are in Salem.

Despite the positive media coverage of the new Creekside installation guidelines and Burt’s upcoming solar installation the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) has run over their allotted 30 days for review. Burt is ready to start his solar installation but there’s approval yet from the ARC.

Well, not you…..let beneficial parasites eat the grubs.

Each summer we see those giant “mosquitoes” flying around our yards. These are crane flies. They don’t bite–but are an annoyance–and the grubs they hatch from can cause lawn damage.

Crane flies lay eggs in your lawn that eventually become grubs. These grubs, which come to the surface in the spring, munch on lawn roots before turning into crane flies and starting the process all over again. Here is a good calendar of the crane fly life-cycle in your lawn.

If your yard becomes overly infested with crane fly grubs, you might note brown patches in your lawn. But be aware that many other pests and lawn diseases can cause the same conditions. Don’t overreact.

Homeowner will often douse their yards with pesticides because they think they have a grub problem. Most times, however, crane fly grubs are not prevalent enough to cause real damage.

The certified smart people on the subject recommend examining parts of your lawn to first determine if crane fly grubs are even a problem. A good way to evaluate your lawn condition is found here.

If you do have a grub problem and need to treat your lawn, don’t default to pesticides. While treating your lawn with chemicals may kill grubs, you are also adding to the growing problem of these chemicals seeping into our waterways and potentially harming other suburban wildlife such as birds.

Instead, use nematodes.

Nematodes are tiny beneficial parasites that can be added to your lawn. Nematodes act by entering and “hosting” on grubs(and other harmful lawn pests). They normally are purchased in a dormant state and can be applied by mixing them with water and spraying on the grass.

Nematodes are sold by many garden centers. I paid $20 for a container of nematodes (about the same price for a bag of grub killing chemicals). Nematodes do not harm plants nor do they harm helpful critters like earthworms. And best of all, they are organic; you are not adding yet another (unnecessary) pesticide to your lawn and our environment.

Some retailers and garden centers may not recommend nematodes, but I think these are usually the places that would rather sell you a bag of poison instead of an organic alternative. There is ample evidence that nematodes are a great, organic alternative to lawn pest control. Below are a few links (from respectable research centers) to check out, or just Google “beneficial nematodes.”

Washington State University

Cornell University

Ohio State University

So after 8 months of working the problem of getting the Creekside HOA to create a process for allowing and approving solar panel installations, the Creekside Architectural Review Committee is now prepared to accept and review installation plans for solar installations in Creekside.

I would like to publicly thank Creekside HOA President Suzanne Towery, past ARC chairman Rich Fry and current ARC chairman Don Wildfang for their cooperation in getting this important Creekside HOA process changed.

Eight months may seem like a long time to get something like this fixed but a little research on the Internet will quickly show that there are many cases all over the US where HOA boards resist these kind of changes for years and end up backing down and doing the right thing only when threatened with litigation. Our previous post on this subject is just one example.

1. Guidelines will be reviewed by the HOA legal council (complete).
2. Guidelines will be presented to the board at the 2/10/2010 meeting (at 4PM).
3. Guidelines will be mailed to all Creekside residents.
4. There will be a special meeting of the board for the purpose hearing input from residents on the subject of solar guidelines.

1. Creekside residents are supportive of solar power: Granted that not everyone in Creekside has voted in the poll but we feel that we have a significant sampling of Creekside residents voting.
2. Request for the Creekside mailing list: Our mailing list was developed from public tax records available at the Marion County Assessors web site. Since the Creekside HOA does not share the Creekside Mailing list we will be making the public version available on this website.
3. Issues other than solar power: Creekside residents tell us they have other issues they are concerned about in addition to solar power such as: Wind power, grass requirements, Wacky fence aesthetic priorities which encourages chain-link fences but prohibits wood no matter how elegant the wood fence is.
4. Many would prefer to remain anonymous. As a result we’ve added the Discussion page that allows feedback and discussion on any subject where the commenter can remain anonymous.

There are currently seven facilities, from Portland to Eugene, producing everything from silicon ingots and wafers to solar cells to inverters.

These facilities employ about 700 people, with plans to expand to over 2700 in the period 2010-2011.  This means at least 2000 Valley residents currently work in or serve/supply this industry and  within two years that figure will jump to over 8000.

In addition, the article indicates the (disclosed) investments made, or to be made, in these plants and facilities exceeds $700 million.

Another way to look at how green solar power can make our valley is the home owner’s investment when installing a photovoltaic system.  We recently received a proposal to install a 2.5kW PV system for $17,500.  After figuring in the Energy Trust cash incentive and the federal and state tax credits which can be taken, the net investment in this system will be only $3188.  Our estimated savings in electricity costs results in a payback of a bit over 14 years.  In addition, data is beginning to come in indicating that solar power installed on a home increases its value and resale price (more on this in another article).  Put together, that’s a lot of green to get by being green!

Read the whole article at: http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/11/report_gives_oregon_high_marks.html

Solar shingle are just that: shingles similar to roofing shingles on most homes. Except these shingles are photovoltaic and produce electricity, like solar panels.

While solar shingles (versus panels) have been around for awhile, there does not appear to be many if any big-name manufacturers producing them.

Enter Dow Chemical.

In October of this year, Dow unveiled its “Powerhouse” Solar Shingles, which can be integrated into a home’s array of asphalt roofing shingles. Dow anticipates having a limited supply available in 2010, with a larger supply coming in 2011.

Dow has invested $50 million in a photovoltaic facility at the company’s 1,900-acre complex in Michigan, a sign that big players like Dow recognize that solar is here to stay….. and is a good business move from an industry’s perspective.

So what does this mean for consumers?

First, solar shingles are cheaper to install. They are typically installed just like asphalt shingles, and by regular roofing contractors. Unlike panels, there is no need for specialized roof construction, but an electrician is still needed to do the hook up to the home’s electrical system.

Second, solar shingles are cheaper to produce, which can reduce costs to end users. Panels are still a bit pricy.

Third, and let’s face it, some folks are just turned off (or their neighbors may grouse) by having a solar panel sitting on a home’s roof. Solar shingles blend in much better with asphalt shingles.

I am sure there are still pros and cons with solar shingles versus panels. For one, currently more square feet of shingles are needed to produce the equivalent wattage of a smaller panel. However, shingle materials and contractor costs can be less expensive, which may offset needing a larger shingle “footprint.”

With Dow in the solar shingle game, others are sure to follow. This means more research and improvements in the technology…. and hopefully lower prices for homeowners as competition drives prices down, while technology improves effectiveness.

PS. The northwest is also a player in solar shingles. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington recently unveiled a flexible solar shingle based on technology originally designed for television screens. For more info, click here.

So, after attending the Solar Expo in Portland in May I found a solar installer and started moving towards the installation of a 3000 watt solar photo voltaic installation. Since our HOA (Creekside in Salem) requires approval for all home modification projects I submitted the plan to the HOA for approval. Much to my surprise the HOA said, “no, the CC&Rs don’t allow solar panels”.

After some research, I found that HOAs all over give homeowners push-back on solar installations. However, there are many states (OR, CA, CO, AZ, FL and others) have solar rights laws that say that Home Owner Associations cannot outlaw solar power installations. Oregon’s solar rights law ORS 105.880, was enacted in 1979 during the first oil crisis when it first became clear that solar power needed to be encouraged. After, pointing ORS 105.880 out to my HOA board they finally agreed that they could not ban solar installations but they did have the power to establish guidelines to guide the installation of solar systems. They are currently in the process of establishing solar power installation guidelines.

The important message from this experience is that in Oregon your HOA cannot stop you from installing solar panels on your home. Apparently, ORS 105.880 has not been tested in the courts but the prevailing legal opinion is that this law is valid and enforceable. I have anecdotal evidence that this same situation that occurred in my case has happen to other people in Oregon. That is, HOAs try to stop solar but end up reconsidering when they are made aware of ORS 105.880.