A few weeks ago, SEM’s solar team started installing new solar panels in Raleigh that are unlike anything you’ve ever seen — at least in the Eastern US. These two-in-one Echo arrays combine PV and thermal technologies in the same solar panels. There are a couple reasons this makes sense: first, the thermal side helps boost the efficiency of the PV side…and at the same time, these things look slick, meaning people can put both types of solar panels on the same roof and still keep their HOA happy. We’re partnering with Meritage Homes and EchoFirst to get these installed, and it’s the first time this type of panel has Read the rest of this entry »
Meritage Homes, EchoFirst and SEM Partnering to Bring Complete Solar Solutions to NC Homes
May 8th, 2012Energy Monitoring For Small Businesses
May 3rd, 2012
There’s no getting around one of energy efficiency’s biggest PR problems: it’s just not as sexy as some other sustainable energy choices. People love the idea of something like solar, producing their own clean energy — and for good reason! We love solar, too. But energy efficiency is frequently overlooked, especially on existing buildings, when the fact of the matter is that it is a great opportunity to make a quick impact with a ton of low-hanging fruit options. Often, small business owners think of that as something better suited for huge buildings or homes. But here’s something that might make them look a little closer: according to a study by the US Energy Information Administration, small commercial facilities typically use 30% more energy per square foot than Read the rest of this entry »
Construction Progressing on 1.5 Megawatt Sandy Cross Solar Farm
April 17th, 2012
Our commercial solar team has been hard at work for a few weeks as they install the new Sandy Cross Solar Farm in Elm City, NC. This is a cool project for a few reasons. Not only is 1.5 Megawatts the second-biggest system SEM has done, but it’s situated on a family-owned soybean farm and is being welcomed with open arms by the nearby Sandy Cross Vineyard. We’re happy to work with O2 Energies on this system, and look forward to doing more in the future!
A LEED Project Nearly 100 Years In The Making
April 4th, 2012
The Bahnsen-Herzenberg house in Chapel Hill sits just a few blocks from Franklin Street. It was built in 1915 as an Aladdin “Sherwood” model kit home. After some major renovations, it still looks a lot like the original, but things are not always what they seem. Kits homes were not exactly shining examples of efficiency, so you might be surprised to find out that its newest incarnation includes an Energy Star 2.0 label and LEED For Homes Silver rating. Those are not the types of achievements you would expect for a 97 year old home — and it certainly wasn’t born that way! It took a lot of work from a lot of dedicated people to get the home to this point, but they would all agree it was totally worthwhile. Read the rest of this entry »
SEM Named “Green Partner of the Year” By NAHB Research Center
April 3rd, 2012
A few months ago, we found out SEM was the number one accredited verifier of National Green Building Standard (NGBS) homes in the entire country. It seems the group that oversees that program, the NAHB Research Center, has taken notice. Our residential building performance team has done an incredible job of helping bring NGBS homes into the mainstream, and now SEM has been named an NAHB Research Center “Green Partner of the Year!” This is the first time they have ever handed out awards, and we’re honored to be a part of the inaugural class.
Spotlight: Solar Skyline in Charlotte
March 13th, 2012
This is a guest blog entry from Craig Merrigan, CEO of Spotlight Solar and longtime friend of Southern Energy Management. As a sustainable entrepreneur he agreed to discuss his latest efforts to make solar power a little more prominent in The Queen City. Enjoy!
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We’re thrilled to report the arrival of two Spotlight Solar structures in downtown Charlotte. We’ve always said that solar should be more visible. This ought to do it. Read the rest of this entry »
EPA Recognizes Southern Energy Management With 2012 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award
March 1st, 2012This has been a pretty incredible run for our Building Performance team. Just a few weeks ago we surpassed 10,000 Energy Star homes, and now Energy Star is recognizing SEM yet again. This is the sixth consecutive time SEM has won Energy Star Partner of the Year, and the second time in a row we’ve earned the Sustained Excellence designation. 
We’re proud of all the hard work that’s gone into this over the years — and blown away by how much good it’s done. In 2011 alone, the 2,500 Energy Star homes we qualified prevented more than 16-million pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere! Read the rest of this entry »
Discovery Place Branches Out With New Solar Trees
February 27th, 2012This really is one of the most interesting solar jobs you’ll ever get to see. SEM installed a pair of “solar trees” for Discovery Place museum in Charlotte for our friends at Spotlight Solar. The purpose is two-fold: they are designed to look interesting and they offer an opportunity for education. Aside from the bright orange and blue bases overlooking downtown Charlotte, there will be a kiosk in Discovery Place’s lobby, letting people get a better understanding of how solar works and what impact things like seasons, shadows, angle of sunlight, etc. can have on production. Read the rest of this entry »
Going Sub-Zero; A HERS Index Score To Be Proud Of
February 22nd, 2012One of the fun things about working on energy efficient homes is the constant challenge of trying to top the previous best effort. One of the ways we “keep score” with residential construction is through the Home Energy Rating System, otherwise known as the HERS Index, which is sort of like a miles per gallon for your home. A code-built home, for example, would be Read the rest of this entry »
Nation’s Oldest Family Mushroom Farm Goes Solar
February 8th, 2012This was a really cool project for SEM, and a great way to introduce ourselves to the Pennsylvania solar market! The Brosius family has been running the Marlboro Mushrooms farm for six generations in West Grove, Pennsylvania. Solar was a great choice. We were able to help them figure out a way to offset all of their electric needs, which is significant, considering how much power it takes to maintain the mushroom crops. The 1.13 MW system uses SunPower modules on a T0 tracking system, which makes sure the panels are always getting optimal exposure to the sun. Read the rest of this entry »
