Green Blog

Western Slope Center for Children has a bright future thanks to the efforts of High Noon Solar.  High Noon Solar just announced completion of a donation project install for the group's building, located on Grand Ave. in Grand Junction.

The donation involves installation of 43 solar panels that will offset about half of the building's current loads.  With energy efficiency measures also being planned for the building, the amount being offset by the solar system may range as high as 75%.  At current electric rates, this donation will save the Center about $1,200- $1,500 per year. 

"It's tough economic times.  We saw a decrease in some monies coming in from grants and foundations and even our own fundraiser.  So every little bit helps us," says Shari Zen, executive director of the Western Slope Center for Children.

The solar panels are mounted flush to the Center's south roof and will produce power for the next 30 years or more, so it is a donation that keeps giving to the nonprofit every year. 

The Western Slope Center for Children counsels 300 victims of sexual abuse every year.  No child is turned away.  To get involved with the Center or to donate, click here.

A no-kill animal shelter located at 3320 D-1/2 Road in Clifton, The Roice Hurst Humane Society has helped over 800 animals find ‘forever homes’ but has many more cats and dogs awaiting adoption.  To help make their offices cost less to operate each year, High Noon Solar will be donating and installing a 10 kilowatt solar electric grid tie.  The solar system will be installed as a carport type structure that can provide shade for the new dog exercise area on the property and will save over $1,000 each year. 
Would you like to help Roice Hurst?  Check out their wish list at their website.

High Noon Solar employee Terry Sullivan was recently featured in a KREX News report on the U.S. Department of Energy's statement that a change from black to white roads and roofs could slow global warming.  Get the whole story by clicking the video link below. 

High Noon Solar is proud to present the 4th Annual Mesa County Solar Tour on Saturday June 6th, 2009 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 

If you have ever wondered what solar systems look like, how they work, what the return on investment is, or just want to “check out” how this technology can benefit you, High Noon Solar is offering a self-guided tour of 16 area residences and businesses across the Grand Valley that have incorporated solar systems.  High Noon Solar representatives will be available for questions and consultations at many of the locations.

Download a map below or stop by and pick one up at our offices located at 569 South Westgate Drive, #4 in Grand Junction.

For further information please contact Scott Wegs at 970-241-0209 or via email at HighNoonSolar_Scott@yahoo.com.

Solar Tour Map.pdf

High Noon Solar will be hosting the 2009 Renewable Energy Fair for middle school students on Tuesday May 12th, 2009 at the Mesa County Fairgrounds.  At least 110 students from Mt. Garfield Middle School will kick off the day attending the various educational stations followed after lunch by a group of 45 West Middle School students. 

Education Stations

Off- Grid Electricity
Solar Thermal
Grid- Tied Solar
Wind Energy
Global Climate Change & Conservation
Snack/ Refreshment Station & Alternative Vehicles

High Noon Solar looks forward to this year's fun and exciting day of solar education for our valley's youth!

The time is upon us again to ramp up and get ready for the Earth Day celebration! High Noon Solar has volunteered to organize and help host the 2nd Annual Earth Day Event in Grand Junction because we understand the need for our community to stay involved with one another, as well as to get reliable information about ecologically friendly choices. Plus, it was great fun being involved with so many like-minded individuals last year! Thank you to all of those who participated in the event last year to make it such a success.

Earth Day 2009 is shaping up to be even larger than last year. For one, we will NOT be competing with the Arbor Day Festival at Lincoln Park. The Arbor Day Festival will be held the weekend after Earth Day this year. Earth Day 2009 will be held April 18th, Saturday, from 11am- 5pm at the Mesa County Fairgrounds.

We have all the entertainment we can fit into the schedule already-- entertainment this year includes Flat Top Reed, the 17th Street Band, Sandy Lind, Khubsurat Ruh Middle Eastern Dance Troupe, and a couple more that are still wiggling into time spots. Many thanks to our wonderful performers!

There is still plenty of room for those of you interested in booth space. Booth space is $20, applications and payment must be turned in to Heidi at High Noon Solar by April 6th. The sooner you get your application in the better as time is being donated to organize this and is easier to parcel out when it’s not at the last minute. Nonprofit groups are free this year again. Filled out applications for nonprofits can be sent via e-mail to highnoonsolar@yahoo.com but other groups must accompany the application with payment. Click on the link below to open and print the application.

Set up will begin at 9:30am and booths must be set up by 11am please. There are some spots available with electricity but not lots so please ask for it only if you really need it. Last year was pretty windy so be prepared. There is a lot of parking available and High Noon Solar is providing chairs and a table again, though you will most likely want to bring an Easy Up.

High Noon Solar will be printing posters again this year and posting them around town. Last year we hung about 250 posters and sent out postcards as well and had 600 plus people attend the event. We hope you or your group will join us to make this year even larger! Please keep up the good work and we look forward to another amazing Earth Day Celebration!

2nd Annual Earth Day 2009 Application Form

Community members and art lovers gathered Friday, January 9th, 2009 at the non-profit Western Colorado Center for the Arts for a ribbon cutting reception and art opening to celebrate the new solar electric system donated and installed by High Noon Solar in December 2008.  The 9.02 KW system produces about 13,300 kilowatt hours every year, or roughly 10% of the Art Center’s annual usage.  By producing this electricity from a renewable source, The Art Center saves about 16,600 pounds of carbon dioxide from escaping into the atmosphere annually.  Heidi Ihrke, co-owner of High Noon Solar expressed High Noon’s commitment to community involvement stating, “We at High Noon Solar wanted to do our part to make sure our artistic community thrives here in the Grand Valley.”  Long live the Arts and long live green power!  Visit The Art Center’s website to learn more about this valuable community asset.

In the spirit of giving, High Noon Solar and Blue Moon Electric have donated a 9.02KW solar electric system to The Western Colorado Center for the Arts.  The system of 44 Evergreen solar electric panels is mounted on two sections of south facing roof at the Art Center and ties directly into the utility grid, with no batteries involved.  It will produce about 13,300 kilowatt hours every year, or roughly 10% of the Art Center’s annual usage.  By producing this electricity from a renewable source, The Art Center saves about 16,600 pounds of carbon dioxide from escaping into the atmosphere annually, the same amount as 10 midsize cars driving 7,500 miles each year. 

“We want to be the solar company known for helping make solar accessible for everyone in our community,” say Heidi Ihrke, co-owner of High Noon Solar.  “The arts can sometimes be pushed to a back burner when times get tough, economically.  How we treat cultural centers and artists reflects a lot about a society.  We at High Noon Solar wanted to do our part to make sure our artistic community thrives here in the Grand Valley.”

High Noon Solar completed the installation of the system at the end of December 2008 and The Art Center has invited the general public to join us in unveiling the installation at their monthly First Friday free reception and art opening in January! 

First Friday at The Art Center

When: Friday, January 9th, 2009
Time: 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Where: The Art Center 1803 N. 7th St., Grand Junction

The reception will feature the ribbon cutting of the donated solar electric system and the opening of the Art Center's 37th Annual Members Show.  A video of the solar installation by High Noon Solar will be available for viewing and High Noon Solar representatives will be available for any questions visitors may have.  Free to the public, cash bar and hors d’oeuvres.  Come see the new system and artwork!  For more information call High Noon Solar at (970) 241-0209 or The Art Center at (970) 243-7337.

High Noon Solar and Blue Moon Electric have teamed up to donate a 9.02 KW solar electric system to the Western Colorado Center for the Arts.  The free system will include 44 Evergreen 205 solar panels and will produce 13,373 KW hours annually.  Installation will begin the week of December 8th, followed by a January 9th press release and reception at the Center to celebrate the Art Center going solar.  High Noon Solar, Blue Moon Electric, and The Art Center are excited about this collaborative effort to supply one of our community’s best assets with free, “green” power.

High Noon Solar will be installing a solar electric grid tie on KAFM’s roof near the end of March, 2008

As a mixture of rebates available, trade for underwriting, and excitement for solar, KAFM, the local community radio station in Grand Junction will be getting its very own solar grid tie to power its broadcasting room. 

High Noon Solar will be installing a solar electric grid tie on KAFM’s roof near the end of March, 2008 to coincide with their fund raiser.  This solar system will be powering the broadcasting room at KAFM and it gives this local radio station a wonderful opportunity to inspire their community listeners to be more mindful of energy usage and their sources of energy.  Congratulations, KAFM, on your brand new clean power!

2008 marks the third year High Noon Solar will participate in the Grand Junction Downtown Farmers’ Market.

Every Thursday evening, from mid June to mid September, High Noon Solar sets up their booth with many other local vendors to answer any questions you may have about solar, conservation efforts, and any other renewable energy related topic. 

High Noon Solar also participates in the Palisade Peach Festival to help reach even more members of the community.  Come visit us at the Farmers’ Market Thursday nights during summer to have all of your renewable energy questions answered. 

The Western State College Environmental Studies group approached Cory Sullivan, of High Noon Solar, after a presentation he made to their class about solar.

A group of the students were taking a trip to Africa and wondered if High Noon Solar could help in any way.  High Noon Solar decided to donate a 115 watt Evergreen solar panel and five 4 watt LED lights, as well as some wire, spare parts, schematics, and an education day at High Noon Solar's shop.  The LED lights were installed and used for bandas, a kitchen, and the dining hall in the Western Kenya rainforest.

While the students were visiting the village, they helped fix two other solar systems in the area that were no longer working.  For more information about this project, click here.

Touring homes which have actually incorporated solar systems can be an invaluable learning tool for people who are interested but who want to truly see the practical side of using solar technology.

High Noon Solar has hosted 3 solar home tours, which are free to the public, within the last 3 years.  Turnout has reached over 150 participants per tour and homeowners can offer enthusiastic testimonials to the true performance of their systems. 

High Noon Solar will continue to organize these home tours to create a hands on opportunity for community members to see solar at work.

Former Construction Chairman for Habitat for Humanity, Dave Lame, approached High Noon Solar at the Grand Junction Farmer's Market, wondering if solar electric systems could ever be feasible for Habitat for Humanity homes.

Numerous meetings and calculations later, Habitat for Humanity realized the payback time and positive environmental impact, as well as the reduction of bills for the new homeowner, was a good incentive to add solar to the 2 homes they were building in the Riverside area of Grand Junction.  Because the Habitat homes are built with so much energy conservation in mind, a smaller size grid tie (a 2.16 KW system) was added on to each of the two homes.

High Noon Solar donated a portion of the products and their labor for this project.

Local middle school students in the Grand Junction area were invited to participate in the High Noon Solar sponsored ‘Solar-Powered Classroom Challenge’ late in 2007.

This competition offered students an opportunity to design the very solar system they could win for their schools.  The design involved incorporating a 2.16 KW solar grid tie into their school’s design, noting the immediate and long term benefits of the solar system and asking for a teacher proposal of how such a system would be incorporated into future classrooms and how it would be used as a teaching tool for years to come.

Three middle schools submitted proposals, which were judged by 3 judges from solar companies located outside of Mesa County.  A school was declared a winner by the judges and we are currently waiting for the winning school to give us the green flag to donate this solar system to the winning students’ school.  At that time we will be announcing the winner to the schools who participated and to the community at large.

2008 marks the 3rd annual Renewable Energy Fair for local middle school students in the Grand Junction area.

High Noon Solar and other Colorado solar companies set up informative stations about renewable energy (solar electricity, solar thermal, and wind), conservation, electric vehicles, and passive solar which middle school students rotate through to learn more about the subject.

Each of the 5- 7 stations offers a 15- 20 minute interactive examination of the subject matter, presented by High Noon Solar or other local solar installation companies such as Sunsense of Carbondale and Authentic Energy of Gunnison. 

The event is held the first or second Friday of April and will be held on April 11th, 2008 this year at the Mesa County Fairgrounds, which brags of its very own solar electric grid tie installation. 

150- 200 students are traditionally involved and the event is held in conjunction with the Home Energy Inspection Competition hosted by the Colorado Energy Science Center at the same location.  High Noon Solar understands the importance of education in renewable energy options as early as possible in our next generation’s development and we are happy to donate time and materials to organize such an event.

High Noon Solar is spearheading the annual Earth Day Event in Grand Junction, Colorado this year.

The Mesa County Fairgrounds will be playing host to the numerous booths of vendors from the green product and services industry, local artisans, musicians, drummers, nonprofits, dancers, and food and drink vendors.  The event will be held on April 19th, 2008, Saturday, from 11am- 5pm at the Mesa County Fairgrounds.  The event will be free and open to the public with a facilitated community drumming circle at noon, live music, arts & crafts demonstrations, belly dancing, kids’ activities, and a plethora of information from companies and organizations that can help you make a positive difference in your world.

High Noon Solar has donated the rental fees for the location of the event, time to organize the vendors, demonstrators, and performers, as well as advertising time and materials.  We have bought posters and postcards to hand out and display as marketing materials to insure that this event is a wonderful success!  Earth Day is a grassroots event that High Noon Solar feels should be celebrated fully by all members of the community and we are happy to consider ourselves a major contributor to the celebration.

High Noon Solar prides itself on the values of being active community members who participate in the events which help make the Western Slope of Colorado a unique blending of cultures and expressions.

As a company, we initiate and participate in as many educational events which create an environment of inquiry about what our company does and how to make the world around us a better place.  In addition, we believe it is our responsibility to give back to the community when the opportunities and funds arise to allow this. 

Listed below are just a few of the events, donations, programs, and festivals High Noon Solar commits to.  We believe that the more we put into the world around us, the more we all can receive in healthy, quality of life benefits.

On October 3, 2008 the Energy Improvement and Extension Act 2008 was enacted, extending federal tax credit incentives for residential and business PV solar installations for another eight years until the end of the year 2016.  This act also removed the $2,000.00 cap for residential solar electric systems and beginning on January 1, 2009 residents who install PV solar systems will be eligible for tax credits of 30% of the total system cost just like their commercial counterparts.  For more on these exciting federal incentives check out the four page Q&A about the tax credits prepared by Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA).

In October 2008 Xcel Energy lowered its rebate for customers who install grid-connected PV solar systems at their residences and businesses.  The rebate shrunk from $4.50/watt to $3.50/watt.  This change became effective at the end of October and was most likely in response to the substantial increase in Federal Tax Credit incentives implemented with the recent government “bailout” package passed on October 3, 2008.  However, any customer who submitted a rebate application prior to this change will receive the original rebate of $4.50/KW.  Despite the reduction the rebate still covers a large portion of the installation cost for Xcel customers; about 40% of the total system cost.  For more on Xcel’s rebate program go to their Solar*Rewards Program webpage.