APC, based in Lacey, Washington, was one of a select group of solar companies that worked with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Solar Energy Industries Association to develop the national solar program. The Million Roofs Initiative is expected to transform the domestic market and the U.S. solar industry, creating as many as 70,000 new jobs that would otherwise migrate to Japan and Germany.

The proposal is founded on four key components: leveraging existing government programs to install solar electric systems on federal buildings; offering low-interest financing to homeowners and businesses for residential and commercial installation of solar power; advocacy of net metering laws that allow homeowners to feed solar power back into the grid and essentially run their meter backwards by selling the power back to the utility at retail rates; and the potential formation of a national renewable energy trust providing “greenback” incentives to solar consumers.

Idaho Power, a pioneer in renewable energy, was the first investor-owned utility in the United States to offer solar photovoltaic (PV) electric service to its customers.  It was also the first U.S. utility to enter into an equity partnership with a solar electric system provider when its subsidiary Idaho Power Resources Corporation (IPRC), acquired APC last year.

According to IPRC President, Larry Crowley, Idaho Power and APC are poised to serve the new U.S. market opportunity.

“We have seen in customer opinion survey after survey, the desire for clean, renewable energy alternatives,” Crowley said. “These customers also expect utility-grade power quality and reliability, as well as dependable service and support. Together, Idaho Power and APC provide what the market wants—reliable solar power and dependable service.”

Applied Power is one of the most experienced solar companies in the U.S., designing and installing thousands of solar electric systems worldwide over the past 17 years. It is the largest solar electric system supplier to the U.S. government through the Government Services Administration.

APC President Tim Ball notes that his firm will deliver new products and services to serve the emerging U.S. market under the Million Roofs program. Applied Power is developing new high efficiency AC modules that generate alternating current electricity, simplifying system installation and reducing costs. Today’s solar technology converts sunlight into direct current (DC) which must be converted to AC before it can be used in homes or businesses. APC is also developing standardized grid-connected systems for homes, schools, and business rooftops.

“The Million Roofs proposal has the potential to change our communities in subtle but important ways,” Ball said. “For example, solar schools can provide clean, cost-effective power and introduce younger generations to a technology  they’ll be using and needing in the future. PV systems on schools can also be used as an emergency communications source, to train vocational students in installation and maintenance, as well as teach college students how to use solar in engineering, architecture, and urban planning.”

“Million Roofs builds the foundation that will allow solar power to enter the mainstream in the U.S. It helps expand the awareness and utilization of solar power, and also promotes sustainable development and a cleaner future,” Ball said.

In additional product development, Crowley adds that information and communication systems from Idaho Power subsidiary, IdaCom, can play a key role in the Million Roofs program as well. With the initiative calling for net metering as a national standard, IdaCom is deploying smart home technology that can improve energy efficiency in the home and meter electricity from the rooftop PV system fed back to the grid.

“Rooftop PV system packages from Idaho Power and APC will deliver excellent value to the customer with a high-quality and economic solar-electric system; all the tools needed to optimize the energy efficiency of the home; and the economic benefits of solar net metering,” Crowley said.

The Million Roofs Initiative points to a growing global trend in using solar energy as a tool for climate change. At the upcoming Global Climate Change Conference to be held in Kyoto in December, Japan is expected to point to its national solar residential program, the largest in the world, as one of Japan’s answers to global warming. Million Roofs signals America’s willingness to join in that effort.

“The future is here,” Crowley said, “a new era when solar energy will play a key role in our communities will start to unfold. We look forward to forming the partnerships with cities, schools, architects, and builders that will implement the President’s vision for a sustainable future through solar power.”