The Community Power Report Summer In Review

THE COMMUNITY POWER REPORT: SUMMER IN REVIEW"M"umtaz Derya Tarhan"The Community Power Report"September 4, 2012"We had a summer full of sun here at The Community Power Report. That was the case not only because we are in the Northern Hemipshere, but also because solar energy projects have been proliferating in communities all across the world for the past 3 months. Let's take a look at different factors that enabled this growth:"FAITH COMMUNITIES HAVE FAITH IN SOLAR"The Sun has been considered sacred by humans since the dawn of time. Nowadays, this belief has taken a whole new level: Faith-based organizations of all backgrounds are putting their beliefs in practice by not only praising the sun, but also using its energy to protect the environment, to generate extra income and/or save on energy costs, and ultimately to pursue their missions as faith communities. * Agricola Lutheran Church Injects Faith in Other Groups With Their Solar Project (Toronto, ON, Canada) * Amherst Church Reduces Carbon Footprint Through Energy Efficiency and Solar Power (Amherst, MA, U.S.A.) * Wokingham (England) Congregation Raises Money For Solar Panels, Halves Energy Costs For Community Centre * Sikh Temple in Leicester, UK Installs 400 Solar Panels * Barrie Mosque and Community Centre To Install Solar Panels (Barrie, ON, Canada) * Erin Mills United Under The Sun (Mississauga, ON, Canada)There also exists a wonderful organization that assists faith communities with their renewable energy initiatives. Based in Canada, Greening Sacred Spaces (GSS) encourages and supports faith-based communities from across the world to generate their own renewable energy through resources, tools, education programs and showcasing best practices.To follow or share solar projects by faith-based organizations, use #faithinsolar on Twitter!"GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES FOR SOLAR IN RURAL AREAS"Climate change, rural poverty, urban sprawl, food and water insecurity, energy poverty, and the danger and costs involved with kerosene lights...These are all pressing issues of our days that need to be addressed immediately before it's too late. Abundant and cost-effective, solar energy in rural areas is a great way to address all these issues at once. Governments from across the world have begun to realize this immense potential and put in place support and grant mechanisms to spur the proliferation of solar energy in agricultural areas. In some cases, the demand came from rural communities themselves struggling with rising energy costs and water insecurity. Here are great sources of inspiration for governments and rural communities worldwide: * Two Community Power Stories From Rural Turkey * Fiji's Department of Energy Installs 2,400 Solar Home Systems in Partnership with the Government of Japan * Karnataka Government To Harness Solar Energy For Household and Agricultural Activities (India) * Solomon Islands Rural Communities Receive Solar Panels from Provincial Government * Mozambique's Rural Electrification Agency Promotes Use of Solar Power in Rural Areas"ISLAND COMMUNITIES LEADING THE WAY IN RENEWABLE ENERGY "When we think of an island, first images that pop in our minds are natural beauty, tourism, water and a strong sense of community. These are all true; but innovative renewable energy projects being developed in islands by local governments and communities across the world are about to add one more aspect to that list: * Three Community Wind Turbines Made Fox Island (ME, U.S.A) A Net Seller Of Energy * New Energy Co-operative Launched on the Aran Islands, Ireland * Community Windmill Generating lb90,000/year For Remote Island in Scotland * Tiny New Hampshire Island Turns To Solar Become Carbon Neutral and Reduce Bills Drastically - (U.S.A.) * World's First Community-Owned Tidal Turbine To Be Built in Shetland Islands, ScotlandIn order to exchange information and their experiences and look for ways to strengthen islands' renewable energy output, island communities from across the world will gather at Ecoislands Global Summit on October 16 and 17 at the Isle of Wight, Scotland."COMMUNITY POWER SERIES: RENEWING COMMUNITIES THROUGH RENEWABLES"Finally, The Community Power Report collaborated with SolSolution to provide you with a detailed analysis on Community Power's potential to empower communities to address their local issues; whether economic, social and environmental. It is concluded that Community Power's benefits have the potential to go much beyond the traditional triple-bottom line; through bringing community members together to achieve something extraordinary and engaging our children, Community Power can integrate sustainability in a community's fabric. * Community Power: Putting 'Power' in the Community * Community Power: Where Economic and Environmental Benefits Go Hand-in-Hand * Beyond Megawatts: The Social Implications of Community Power Projects Community Solar Gardens have also been proliferating across the United States, but we'll talk about them in a separate article to be released soon.Of course, there are many more project and policy updates shared on our website; all you need to do is go to our homepage and search for a specific location, technology, ownership structure.Wishing you all days full of sun and power!In friendship, M"umtaz Derya TarhanThe Community Power ReportWeb: www.communitypowerreport.comTwitter: twitter.com/thecpreportFacebook: facebook.com/thecpreport