Morning Brief: 200 MW proposed in Utah and ‘God likes solar’

200 MW solar proposed in Utah: Two solar projects are being pitched for Box Elder County, Utah, which, if approved, would come in at a combined capacity of 200 MW. The projects will be developed by Enyo Renewable Energy, a company that has previously built three wind farms in Utah. The projects have already been approved by the Box Elder County Commission and Enyo is currently recruiting buyers to sign power contracts for the projects’ generation. Source: Cache Valley Daily

150 MW coming to Pennsylvania: Competitive Power Ventures is set to build a 150 MW solar facility in Portage and Summerhill Townships, Pennsylvania. The company hopes to begin construction by the end of the year. The project will represent a considerable increase in the state’s installed solar capacity, which SEIA currently estimates at 475 MW. The project will employ 150 to 200 workers at peak construction and will bring tax benefits to Cambria County. Source: Competitive Power Ventures

“God likes solar,” Church group petitions for end to ‘solar tax’: Alabama Interfaith Power and Light has delivered a petition to the state Public Service Commission asking the commission to do more to support solar energy, including abolishing Alabama Power’s interconnection fee. The petition was delivered with nearly 32,000 signatures. Alabama Interfaith Power and Light is a Birmingham-based advocacy group which seeks to “engage faith communities in a religious response to global warming,” and advocate for “energy equity.” Source: AL.com

Sunnova to bundle roof replacements with solar+storage under one loan: “Sunnova Energy International is launching a product to bundle financing for roof replacements with a Sunnova solar or solar-plus-battery storage system under a single loan or finance agreement. The new product will allow customers to work with a single Sunnova dealer who will coordinate both the installation of a new roof and the installation of the solar, or solar-plus-battery storage system. The new roof will be covered by both a 25-year manufacturer’s and 10-year workmanship warranties. Source: Solar Builder Mag

A solar-powered big rig in Arkansas: “Chad Fowler and a group of friends transformed his 1996 379 short-hood Peterbilt into a comfortable, energy-efficient ride in about 90 days. The truck features solar panels, a 110-inch double sleeper, a pronounced Batman symbol and a number of other small details. Simply put, the panels funnel energy into a charge controller underneath the sleeper that charges a battery bank. When the batteries are fully charged, the controller shuts the panels off. That means Fowler doesn’t have to idle when he isn’t on the road — at least not for about 10 hours. The energy banked from the solar panels is enough to power everything in his sleeper, including a television, cooking equipment and even the air conditioning system. Fowler said he also saves fuel. How much fuel? Fowler said in the first year the energy from his solar panels kept nearly $20,000 in his pocket.” Source: The Trucker