A Note from our President
Welcome Back! Solar energy is still finding a home in many places, becoming even more valuable as equipment costs go down, and traditional energy prices continue to go up. Please take a look at some of Altenergy's latest projects, and let us know if we can help build a solar energy system that makes sense for you.
- Paul Risberg, President of Altenergy Incorporated
Project Profile: The Greenhouse at Dinsmore
Altenergy installed this 24 kw solar system on the Dinsmore Greenhouse building in Charlottesville. The Greenhouse, a sustainability-oriented apartment complex, is geared towards University of Virginia students and offers competitive pricing with other apartment complexes in Virginia. It is also the the first 'Green Architecture' based apartment complex in Virginia. It has been nominated for several sustainable architecture awards on the regional and national levels.
Solar Decathlon in Washington D.C.
Altenergy is sponsoring a bus trip to the DOE's Solar Decathlon. The Decathlon is an event that will run from September 23rd to October 2nd. Teams from different schools around the world construct small solar energy powered homes on the National Mall that are judged by DOE experts on efficiency and design. Contact our office if you are interested in attending the event with us. The bus will be leaving for the Decathlon on Friday, September 30th at 7 AM from the Sam's Club parking lot in Charlottesville.
REAP Grants
The United States Department of Agriculture is continuing their Rural Energy for America program. These grants apply for feasibility studies as well as actual energy system installations.
The grants can cover up to 25% of total project costs for your solar installation! Altenergy will work to assist you obtain a grant if you are interested. Altenergy has reviewed the application process and studied its criteria. If you are interested in submitting a grant application or just want to learn more about the program, contact our office.
Altenergy Employee Profile: Chris Ferrufino
A native of the Northern Virginia suburbs, Chris moved to the Charlottesville area in 2001. He spent his first few years here doing tile and stone work around the community. He came to Altenergy about three years ago, and has been one of Altenergy’s installers ever since. He says that he appreciates how Central Virginia provides a much more “relaxed” environment than NoVA or D.C.
In his free time, Chris can be founding rooting for the Redskins and rooting against any other team in the NFC. He also has a large collection of pet fish at home.
Chris enjoys the culture at Altenergy. He believes that the environment here is one that possesses “a great sense of humor”. However, he also stresses that “we are good at buckling down and getting our work done when it needs to be done.”
Keep an eye out for Chris if you are having a system installed!
