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  • 02 Jan 2014 12:01 PM | Lesley McCain (Administrator)

     

    The Illinois Solar Energy Association is excited to announce the results of the Board of Directors Elections. Seven outstanding and talented candidates ran for the four open seats.  Peter Gorr, Amy Antoniolli, Jack O ‘Donohue will join the ISEA BOD along incumbent Glenn Reed. ISEA would like to thank all the candidates for their interest in advancing both the organization and the solar industry in Illinois! 

  • 21 Dec 2013 2:30 PM | Lesley McCain (Administrator)

     

    Voting for the RE-RUN of Illinois Solar Energy Association Board of Directors 2014-2016 Election opens Saturday 12-21-13 at 8PM and will close at 12 noon on 12-31-13. The election needed to be re-started due to a few clerical errors and candidate misunderstanding and to ensure the process is equitable for candidates and voting members. Ballots cast prior to December 21, 8PM CST (the start of the re-run) will be voided.

     

    ISEA board candidates statements can be viewed here.  All ISEA members in good standing as of December 10, 2013 will receive an election ballot by email. ISEA members will have the opportunity to vote for 4 candidates from this outstanding group of applicants.

     

    ISEA BOARD OF DIRECTOR POSITION DESCRIPTION

    APPLICATION PROCESS AND ELECTION DETAILS

     

     

     


    ISEA BACKGROUND

    The Illinois Solar Energy Association (ISEA) is a 501-c-3 organization established on April 30, 1979. The ISEA currently has a nine (9) member Board of Directors of whom four Directors serve as Officers - President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Officers are elected for one-year terms by the Board of Directors.

    ISEA MISSION

    The education and advocacy of solar, wind and other forms of renewable energy to the people of Illinois.

     


    BOARD OF DIRECTORS' FUNCTION

    As representatives of the membership of ISEA, the Board of Directors (Board) is the primary force advancing ISEA's fulfillment of service to its membership, to ISEA as a single entity, and to the nonprofit community at large.

     

     

    DIRECTOR QUALIFICATIONS

    Directors bring a diversity of talents and capabilities to the ISEA, as well as a passion to materially fulfill its mission.

     


    ISEA is seeking Directors who represent various aspects of the solar, wind and other renewable energy fields, as well as individuals in potentially impacted industries, such as legal, finance, education, environment, real estate, and manufacturing.  Candidates should have innate leadership, management, and well- developed interpersonal skills, as well as patience and good humor, and be able to participate in and sustain collaborative group efforts.

     


    Election candidates must be ISEA members to be eligible for a Director position.  The Candidate can be an Individual, Senior/Student or Family Member or part of a Business Member category. 

     


    DIRECTOR'S ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

     


    ISEA Directors are expected to lend their knowledge, skills and abilities to assist ISEA executing its mission through fundraising, advocacy, education, marketing and related activities.  Fundraising, through direct or leveraged actions, is key to the continued growth and success of ISEA.

     


    The role of each Director is to serve a two-year term by leading, advising, and supporting the activities of ISEA.  Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:
    •Attend all Board meetings prepared to further the success of ISEA and to support the ISEA’s mission and goals.
    •Monitor and mentor standing Committees as assigned and on an as-needed basis providing advice, encouragement and voice for the Committee to the Board.
    •Identify and nominate candidates for vacant Board positions.
    •Accept special assignments designated by the President.
    •Remain current on the activities of ISEA by following its publications (includes electronic, print and virtual), issues and interests.
    •Remain current on issues affecting the non-profit sector as it relates to the mission of the Association, its members and community at large.
    •Inform the Board and remain proactive to assist ISEA with supporting its members and enhancing its funding sources.
    •Act as a role model, change agent and professional exemplar.

    RESPONSIBILITIES BY CATEGORY

     

    1. Planning

    • Approve ISEA’s mission and review management (Board & ED) performance in achieving it.
    • Annually review and approve the ISEA strategic plan and budget.

    2. Organization
    •Work with the Executive Director to create a strategic direction for the Association and to set short and long term goals.
    •Ensure management continuity is properly provided.
    •Approve appropriate compensation and benefit policies and practices.
    •Identify candidates and determine the eligibility of candidates for the nomination of officers and directors.
    •Actively participate in Board meetings and on Committee assignments.
    •Support sponsoring donor and community-building events as designated by the Board.
    •Identify potential funding sources and serve as an ambassador to secure organizational funding.
    •Annually evaluate the performance of staff and determine any bonus awards or increases in salary.
    •Be an active member of both ISEA and American Solar Energy Society (ASES).
    •Annually review the performance of the Board and take steps (including recommendation for its composition, organization, and responsibilities) to improve its performance.

     

     

    3. Operations
    •Review results achieved by management in comparison to ISEA’s mission, program plans, and strategic plan, as well as similar metrics for like organizations.
    •Ascertain that the financial structure of the ISEA is adequate for its current needs and the implementation of the strategic plan by approving an annual budget.
    •Provide advice, comments, and direction to the members of the Board and Executive Director.
    •Approve major actions of ISEA, such as capital expenditures on all projects over authorized limits and major changes in programs, services, office location, etc.
    •Review monthly and annual financial results for the organization and ensure, through the oversight of the Finance Committee, that reports are accurate and in accordance with accepted accounting principles.


    TIME COMMITMENT

    Board members serve a two-year term.  In-person BOD meetings occur monthly for two hours in the evening.  Members will be required to travel to in-person meetings and efforts will be made to hold meetings in an equally-agreeable location to limit travel as much as possible.  Conference call meetings are also occasionally hosted. Additional meetings (i.e committee, or special circumstance) may be scheduled with advance notice.

     


    APPLICATION PROCESS

    There will be four Director positions for re-election for the 2014-16 term.  Candidates are requested to submit their candidacy announcement in an email to contactisea@illinoissolar.org to the attention of the ISEA President Shannon Fulton and Secretary David Brochu.  In the email response please state the candidate’s name, affiliation (if any) and contact information, as well as a statement (up to 100 words) of their candidacy.  Electronic submissions of candidacy to contactisea@illinoissolar.org will be accepted until 12 PM, local time on December 7, 2013.

     


    Candidates will also have the opportunity to announce their candidacy during the ISEA Member Meeting to take place on Saturday December 7, 2013, 10:00 AM; Chicago Center for Green Technology; 445 N. Sacramento Blvd, Chicago, IL 60612.  Such candidates may also wish to prepare a written statement of their candidacy so that ISEA may publish it for voters' benefit during the election. Nominations in person will be accepted until the close of the meeting. 

     


    ELECTION

    Voting will occur by electronic ballot and emailed on December 21, 2013 at 8PM CST to all ISEA members in good standing as of Dec. 10, 2013.  Responses will be due by 12 noon on December 31, 2013 in order to be counted.  Votes will be tallied, elected persons privately notified, and results publicized on the ISEA website prior to the January 2014 ISEA Board of Directors meeting.

  • 10 Dec 2013 12:13 AM | Lesley McCain (Administrator)

    ISEA would like to congratulate the winner of the 2013 raffle~ Mike Linder of St. Charles Illinois! Thank you to everyone who participated!

     

    ISEA drew the winning ticket  at our annual meeting this past Saturday December 7th! 

    Approximately 35 solar and raffle enthusiast were in attendance for the event.

     

     As stated in the rules 2,500 tickets needed to be sold in order to award the car otherwise the raffle would be a 50/50 split of the pot .  1915 tickets were sold as of noon on December 4th.  We think the lucky winner will be pretty happy with the winning of over $23,000!!

     

    We appreciate everyone who purchased tickets and your support of our work towards a clean energy future for all!  Your all winners in our eyes!

  • 31 Oct 2013 5:35 PM | Lesley McCain (Administrator)

    The Illinois Green Economy Network is disbursing funds to Illinois community colleges for installation of renewable energy projects on their campuses or at partnering public or private facilities.

     

    The following colleges have submitted grant proposal and been selected as a grant recipient. Each of the colleges will have their own RFP process and should be contact directly.

     


  • 08 Oct 2013 10:57 AM | Lesley McCain (Administrator)

     Solar in the City Tours

                                                                                                         

      The Illinois Solar Energy Association (ISEA) is hosting free Solar in the City tours for Solar Power International (SPI13) attendees, the general public and Illinois state legislators on Monday October 21st.

     

      These tours will showcase the best examples of innovation in renewable energy and sustainability that Chicagoland has to offer!

      ISEA is offering four separate tours which will depart from the Millennium Park Welcome Center on an iconic red and green Chicago Trolley.  Tour attendees will meet at the Millennium Park Welcome Center for a brief tour of the integrated solar on the northwest pavilion. Participants will  then be transported via a classic green and red Chicago Trolley to their tour location. Morning tours are from 9-11AM and afternoon tours are from 1-3PM

     

     Tours location include Testa Produce Inc., Exelon City Solar, Galvin Center IIT and Oak Park Parking Garage!

    Space is limited! Sign up for your free tour today!

  • 11 Sep 2013 10:04 PM | Lesley McCain (Administrator)

     

    ISEA has traditionally held an all state solar tour the first Saturday in October. This year ISEA is planning eight City of Chicago solar tours in conjunction with Solar Power International (SPI13) being held in Chicago the third week of October.

     

    These free tours will be open to SPI13 attendees and as well as the  general public.  ISEA will be hosting a solar lunch and learn that day for Illinois state legislators, who will then have the opportunity to attend one of the tours.  

     

    ISEA works to identify and remove barriers to renewable energy development in the Illinois.  This unique opportunity will bring attention to local solar development and provide a platform to educate our legislators on the importance of good renewable energy policy.

     

    A state-wide solar tour is tentatively being planned for the spring of 2014.  We greatly appreciate and acknowledge the many volunteers that have opened their homes and businesses to allow others to learn about the many benefits of being powered by the sun!  ISEA will be reaching out for help developing and implementing an 2014 Illinois Solar Tour.

  • 11 Sep 2013 5:39 PM | Lesley McCain (Administrator)

     

    DCEO is releasing a Request for Application for the FY 2014 Large-Distributed Solar and Wind Grant Program (was previously called the Community Solar and Wind Grant Program) on Monday, September 16th.

     

    This RFA is a competitive solicitation, with applications due to DCEO on or before 4:30 p.m. on November 7, 2013.  Program guidelines and application forms will be available from the Illinois Energy Office’s website at http://www.illinoisbiz.biz/dceo/Bureaus/Energy_Recycling/Energy/Clean+Energy/01a-Community+Solar.htm on September 16th.

     

    The focus of the Large-Distributed Solar and Wind Energy Grant Program is to support the development and implementation of distributed community and commercial-scale solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, and wind energy technologies in Illinois. 

    Proposed solar photovoltaic projects are eligible for grants up to 25 percent of eligible project costs for business entities and 40 percent for local government and non-profit entities.  Solar thermal and wind energy projects are eligible for grants up to 30 percent of eligible project costs for business entities and 40 percent for local government and non-profit entities. The maximum grant award is $250,000.    Eligibility is limited to project costs for the purchase and installation of solar and wind generation equipment, and related metering components as appropriate.  Total funding for the program is a minimum of $1.75 million for Fiscal Year 2014. 

     

    Here are some key changes we are making to the grant program from last year:

    • Incentives for business will be $1.25 per watt (instead of $1.50) or 25% of project cost, whichever is less. Maximum grant will still be $250,000.
      We added language in section 8.2.8 to require any project that is completed after December 31, 2013 must be completed by a certified distributed energy installer (as will be required by Illinois Commerce Commission rules)
      In Section 8.3 we added more program information of details that will be in the grant agreement
      In section 8.4.3 we included language that makes it clear that any applicant that is a current or previous grantee of the Department and was/is delinquent in its compliance with grant provisions shall have such delinquency included as one of the application evaluation criteria for this current application
      In Appendix A (Documentation Requirements outline) we now request that applicants provide a payback analysis.
  • 09 Sep 2013 10:21 PM | Lesley McCain (Administrator)

     An informative program designed to educate consumers on the benefits of solar energy and demonstrate that solar power have never been cheaper or easier to install. 
     
    Register for one of these unique, free events called McHenry County College Power Hours and learn the basics about solar, find out how to get a site assessment to see if your home or business meets specifications for solar and get information on qualified solar installers and incentive information.
     
    These FREE sessions on September 19 and November 14 will be led by experienced Midwest Renewable Energy Association staff. They will be able to answer your questions about solar and help you find low cost options for installation.  Through this program, a homeowner or business can save money, create jobs and expand the use of clean energy. 
     
    To register for this free event, please call MCC Registration Office (815) 455-8588 Sept. 19: Course ID NPG S88 019 and Nov. 14 Course ID NPG S88 020  or go to http://www.growsolar.org/power-pack-program/program-for-homeowners/.   We have a limited number of seats, so please register as soon as possible.
     
  • 09 Sep 2013 9:55 PM | Lesley McCain (Administrator)

     

    Earlier this year the City of Chicago created an expedited permitting process and established a new set of standards designed to facilitate and encourage the installation of Photovoltaic Panels (PV panels) in Chicago.  The new process and standards are detailed in the Department of Building’s new Photovoltaic Panel Permitting Guidelines.  Lindsay Anderson, the author of the guidelines, will be offering three training sessions to help design professionals to become familiar with the specific requirements for the Zoning, Electrical and Structural aspects of PV installations.

     

     The sessions will be held in the ground floor, large conference room in the Department of Building’s Racine Office located at 120 North Racine.  They are scheduled for September 24th, 25th and 26th from 9:00 AM to 12:00 (noon).  The material covered at each session will be the same so no need to register for all three. 

     

     Seating is limited so please register for one of the sessions by calling Michael Berkshire at 312.744.9363 or emailing at michael.berkshire@cityofchicago.org.

     

    LOGISTICS
    1. 120 North Racine is a 3-story office building located at Racine, Washington Street and Randolph Street.
    2. Please park on the street.  Do Not park in the parking lot adjacent to the building. They are owned by the CTA and unauthorized vehicles will be towed.
    3. If you would like to use public transportation, use the CTA #20 bus running along Madison Street (1 block to the south) with a designated stop at Racine or take the Green Line / Lake Street Train to the Morgan Street Station and walk west 4 blocks to Racine Street.
    4. All participants must check in with the security desk in the lobby to receive a temporary ID.

  • 09 Sep 2013 4:15 PM | Lesley McCain (Administrator)

     

    The IL DCEO made the following announcement for the state rebate program today 9/9/13

    The program guidelines and application will become available on this date at our website at http://www.illinoisbiz.biz/dceo/Bureaus/Energy_Recycling/Energy/Clean+Energy/01-RERP.htm.

     

    All applications must be submitted, without exception, on these new forms for Fiscal Year 2014 and must be filled out completely and signed and dated by both the applicant and the installer/project manager. Any applications received under previous application forms will be rejected.


      Here are some key changes we are making to the rebate program from previous years:

    • We have changed the system for considering rebate applications from first come first serve to random selection (Section 3.1 of new guidelines). We will accept applications until October 31, 2013. Applications will be assigned a number as they are received, and we will have a pre-selected list of random numbers that we will use as the order we will consider applications. We will keep moving down the list of applications based on the random numbers list until all rebate funds have been allocated. The remaining applications will be on our waiting list and will be considered (again, based on the random number list) as projects are cancelled or if additional funds become available.
      We are requiring that the application be submitted by the applicant. While the installer/developer may assist in filling out application and organizing the required documents, the application cannot be sent to us by the installer.
      We added language in section 2.6 to require any project that is completed after December 31, 2013 must be completed by a certified distributed energy installer (as will be required by ICC rules)

    We have also made some changes to the incentives


    • Will keep $10,000 as maximum rebate for residential, but increase it to $20,000 for businesses, and $30,000 for public sector/non-profits; lowered per watt incentive for businesses installing PV from $1.50 to $1.25 per watt (or 25% of cost, whichever is less)


    • Changing incentives for wind energy projects – keeping it at $1.75 per watt if applicants install a SWCC (Small Wind Certification Council) certified turbine, but only a $1.00 per watt for turbines that are not SWCC certified


    We have also added appendix C that provides a template for installer certification letter – this letter is required at the completion of a project.


    We prefer that applications be submitted via email (ceo.rerp@illinois/gov), though we do also allow applications be sent through regular mail.  However, please do not submit both ways – we just need one copy of the application.  If you send applications by email, you will receive a response that your application has been received.  And again the application must be send by the rebate applicant.


    We have allocated a minimum of $1.5 million to the rebate program this fiscal years, similar to what we have had available the last few years.

    We have changed the system for considering rebate applications from first come first serve to random selection (Section 3.1 of new guidelines). We will accept applications until October 31, 2013. Applications will be assigned a number as they are received, and we will have a pre-selected list of random numbers that we will use as the order we will consider applications. We will keep moving down the list of applications based on the random numbers list until all rebate funds have been allocated. The remaining applications will be on our waiting list and will be considered (again, based on the random number list) as projects are cancelled or if additional funds become available.


    We are requiring that the application be submitted by the applicant. While the installer/developer may assist in filling out application and organizing the required documents, the application cannot be sent to us by the installer.


    We added language in section 2.6 to require any project that is completed after December 31, 2013 must be completed by a certified distributed energy installer (as will be required by ICC rules)


    We prefer that applications be submitted via email at ceo.rerp@illinois.gov, though we do also allow applications be sent through regular mail.  However, please do not submit both ways – we just need one copy of the application.  If you send applications by email, you will receive a response that your application has been received.  And again the application must be send by the rebate applicant.


    We have allocated a minimum of $1.5 million to the rebate program this fiscal years, similar to what we have had available the last few years.


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 | 1281 E. Brummel Ave Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
 | contactisea@illinoissolar.org

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