What is CHERP?

WHAT IS CHERP? CHERP Solr Works is sustainable energy and economics.

Imagine a locally owned and operated, non-profit, 5,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant, funded by the state, that produces high quality solar panels, skillfully made and carefully installed, by local workers/residents of our community. The benefits? Creates 156 direct middle class manufacturing and construction jobs. 557 total job growth, including indirect jobs. Saves residents money every month, maintained by cap-and-trade funding; projected to last 25+ years beyond that.

Monthly savings - an increase in Disposable Personal Income (DPI) - are spent locally, increasing a family’s quality of life and growing the local economy. DPI spending ($6.5 Million per year) increases city revenues by 12% and state revenues by a 2:1 ratio.

Sustainable energy creating sustainable economics.

CHERP harnesses the total economic value of solar power

The economic benefit of solar power is divided into roughly two halves – manufacturing (the front half) and power production. Currently, most solar panels are manufactured overseas, sending the front-half economic benefits offshore. CHERP will capture the full potential value of solar by bringing manufacturing jobs home. Radically simplified solar-panel manufacturing, developed by idealPV LLC (US patent 8,952,672), reduces costs by solving a 70-year-old fundamental shortcoming in solar power.

CHERP will leverage this technology breakthrough—licensed for manufacture exclusively in the United States—powered by Claremont’s local labor force to create solar panels that are safe, efficient, and so cost effective that each panel harvests enough value every two years to build another panel. Claremont will create the economic power of its own 38.7GWh/yr power plant, offsetting over 26,658 metric tons of CO2 annually.

How CHERP works to add economic value to Claremont

The economics of CHERP are driven by injecting the value of the solar energy already falling on Claremont directly into Claremont’s retail economy. Solar panels and equipment made locally will be provided as an amenity to you on a sliding scale at little (±$800) or no cost up front and no lease. Just like the road in front of your home, CHERP energy makes Claremont a better place to live and contributes to the local economy. CHERP will use local labor to manufacture and install solar PV panels on your roof and connect the equipment to your electric service. Once the proper safety inspections are complete, the system will be switched on and your electric utility will decrease (on average) $860 annually (at 16¢ per kWh, 5,400 kWh per year). Studies indicate that consumers choose to spend savings locally, improving the local economy and generating sales tax. It is also well documented that reductions in utility bills raise property values.

CHERP uses local employment and, of course, the sun to inject about $6,500,000 per year into resident’s local disposable personal income (DPI). This is income that Claremont’s residents were once forced to export out of town to buy imported electricity that is now made available to spend locally. Increased retail consumer spending is increased income to Claremont’s businesses.

In turn, these businesses grow and hire - multiplying the economic effect CHERP is designed to drive $29,360,000 annually into Claremont’s local retail economy. The economy will be 12% larger permanently with continued maintenance of the infrastructure for next 25+ years.

HOW WILL CHERP CREATE JOBS?

CHERP creates both direct and indirect jobs in the city. Local workers will be trained and employed to manufacture, install, and service solar panels that are constructed using locally made materials whenever possible. These panels will then be installed on houses and/or commercial properties throughout the area at little or no charge to the property owner.

THE ROLE OF idealPV LLC

CHERP is made possible by idealPV™ technology which, among other advances, eliminates reverse conduction in solar cells. Reverse conduction is a major problem in solar panels, causing extreme heat as cells are forced into reverse bias. This leads to reduced efficiency and early failure. Eliminating reverse conduction removes over 50% of the rejection specifications for solar cells: CHERP can use solar cells that traditional manufacturers cannot, simply because the cells (otherwise perfectly good) cannot withstand reverse bias. Elimination of reverse conduction also eliminates costly and unreliable bypass diodes and their complex electrical connections. These advances simplify solar panel assembly, while adding durability, performance, longevity, and enhanced safety features.

Handcrafted Electricity

idealPV™ technology simplifies the solar panel assembly process to match the skills found in metropolitan labor pools, which creates local jobs and increases the quality of panel assembly and installation.

Locally sourced materials and recycled solar cells

Additionally, glass, plastic film, aluminum extrusion, metal stamping, vacuum form molding and circuit board assembly will also be sourced locally, providing additional local benefits. We anticipate new businesses will arise to provide these and other components and subassemblies.

How will the solar panels be produced?

A plant capable of producing enough solar panels to completely equip a city of 36,000 residents in five years will occupy about 5,000 square feet of light industrial space housing about $150,000 of equipment. The equipment is standard in the solar industry. idealPV™ solar panels use 100% standard materials, processes, and procedures, and many materials, process and procedures have been eliminated altogether or simplified due to our patented technology.