We, July 8, 2009 @ 6:30pm
(from 6:30 onwards: 30 min of networking; presentation starts @ 7pm)

Abstract:
   The California Solar Initiative has provided generous PV subsidies to tens of thousands of homeowners.  But what has it done for renters?  And condo owners? Nothing -- yet.  “Solar for All” is a proposal that would enable any residential customer to use Virtual Net Metering to offset their electric bill.  The solar panels would be owned or leased by the customer, but located on a solar farm.  The idea is similar to SMUD’s SolarShares program.  In addition to giving renters and condo owners a chance to go solar and actually save money each month, this approach also lowers costs and expands the market for homeowners.  The proposal is currently under consideration by members of the California Legislature.

(A proposal by Bruce Karney for Assembly Member Paul Fong) (.pdf file)

Speaker bio:
   After taking early retirement from HP in 2005, Bruce Karney began his second career as an environmental activist. He organized and led the largest group purchase of solar PV in US history in Mountain View in 2007, then went on to lead more than twenty similar programs as an employee of SolarCity. When SolarCity introduced its innovative SolarLease program, he joined the Customer Finance team to develop new features for the lease and investigate the most profitable markets for expansion. 

In 2008 he chaired the City of Mountain View's Environmental Sustainability Task Force. He holds a BS from Stanford in Mathematical Sciences and an MS from UC Berkeley in Management Science.

(http://www.linkedin.com/in/brucekarney)