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Iowa’s Next Energy Frontier: Harnessing the Sun

Iowa is a wind energy superpower, second only to Texas in total wind generation. The Hawkeye State generates enough wind energy to power nearly two million homes and employ more than 9,000 up and down the wind energy supply chain.

But on Wednesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds called attention the next big clean energy job creator — solar power. Reynolds shed light on the state’s growing solar economy against the backdrop of Ideal Energy, a Fairfield-based solar company founded in 2009 by Navy veteran Troy Van Beek. Ideal Energy employs 30 full-time employees to design and install solar and battery storage across the Midwest.

Despite entrepreneurs like Van Beek, Iowa has yet to tap into the sun the way it has harnessed wind. It ranks in the nation’s bottom third of total solar installations, generating just enough to deliver clean, homegrown energy to 5,700 families and businesses. And there are just 536 Iowans in the solar workforce, placing the Hawkeye State in the bottom fifth of one of the nation’s fastest-growing workforces.

How can Iowa build its own multibillion-dollar, 21st century solar industry? With the right policies in place, Iowa could march up the ranks, putting people to work and creating homegrown electricity, just as it did with wind.

1.   Eliminate barriers to customer access. Homeowners and businesses that install rooftop solar systems must be fairly compensated for the value of the power they export to the electric grid. In addition, solar customers must not be subject to discriminatory fees, or subject to unwarranted and confusing rate designs. It’s up to state lawmakers and power regulators to ensure that solar customers are treated fairly.

2.   Allow all Iowans access to the benefits of solar. Iowa lawmakers can unlock the benefits of solar power for all customers, including those who rent or do not have suitable rooftop space. States from Minnesota to Maryland have created popular “community solar” policies, which allow customers to subscribe to a share of a local solar system, and capture the benefits of a lower electricity bill as a result. In fact, Minnesota has more than 40 community solar gardens up and running and another 180 in the design and construction phase.

3.   Create a target and stick to it. Iowa can create a solar goal and develop incentive mechanisms to achieve the target. Iowa jumpstarted its wind industry by setting targets and meeting them. The same approach will work with solar at every scale — rooftop, community and larger utility-scale projects. Neighboring Illinois will deploy roughly 3,000 MW of solar in this way, which is enough to power 11,000 homes.

The benefits of a robust solar industry are enormous. One in 10 new jobs created last year were in the solar industry, spurring local development in the clean energy economy all across the country. Solar energy is now among the cheapest sources of power, and rooftop solar further drives down the cost of maintaining the electric grid, resulting in lower power bills and a more reliable, resilient grid for everyone.

Clean renewable energy sources ( like GOAL ZERO NOMAD 20  )is poised to power our future, create jobs, reduce costs and drive economic development, but state policies must work to overcome the persistent barriers to growth. Iowa has done it before with wind. Now, it’s time to harness the sun.

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When Do I Need a Charging Control Board for my Gate Opener?

MIGHTY MULE MM260

One of the many questions that we receive regarding gate openers is “When does my gate opener system require a charge controller?”  So we sat down and put together a quick video guide explaining your options.

Just as a reminder, the info in this post and video typically only applies for 12VDC systems from Apollo, Estate Swing, LiftMaster, GTO, and Mighty Mule.  Typically 24VDC systems do not utilize solar power or batteries and so you will always have a charge controller in your system (if needed).

Most residential gate opener systems ( for example: MIGHTY MULE MM260 )   use solar panels between 5 and 30 watts.  When you buy any 5 or 10 watt solar panel from GateCrafters they have a built in charging diode that prevent the battery from being discharged during the night.  These panels can be directly mounted to the battery terminals on a group size 24 deep cycle battery.  When you start using solar panels greater than 10 watts, you will need a charging control board.  GateCrafters offers a very popular 12VDC charge controller that works with solar panels up to 30 watts and 1800mA A/C charging transformer.

Charging control boards are intended to extend the life of your batteries in your gate opener system.  Most solar gate opener systems utilize group size 24 batteries, however some use smaller batteries such as, 7ah batteries.  Systems with the smaller size batteries will always have to use charge controllers.  This is due to the charging device (whether it is a solar panel or charging transformer) over powering the battery, therefore decreasing its useful life.

When working with commercial 12VDC gate opener systems, you will typically be using solar panels greater than 30 watts.  GateCrafters sells solar panels up to 245 watts and has charge controllers to work with these higher wattage panels.  If you are looking to add a commercial solar powered gate opener system please call the technicians at GateCrafters.com and they will be able to specially design a system based on your needs and unique solar zone.

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Confronting the Fear of What Other People Think

The stories we invent from a place of fear don’t serve us. They aren’t the truth. They’re bullshit. The truth is, the future hasn’t happened. The decisions we make and action we take create the future. So what is one decision you can make right now that will move you toward the future you deserve? What is the next most important action to take? Go do that! Bold, decisive, intentional action is the antidote to fear.

I couldn’t move. Fear of failure paralyzed me. The great recession turned out to be my greatest gift because it forced me to reinvent myself. I look back on my decision to quit my job and become an entrepreneur as the single best career choice I have ever made. Not for what I have accomplished but for who that has helped me become.

Fear of failure is such a barrier to creating breakthroughs in both business and life. Here is how I’ve learned to dance with my fear.

I am passionate about the subject of confronting failure because it’s something I still have to work through regularly. And for many people, it isn’t just the fear of failure that has the potential to hold them back.

It’s also the fear of criticism and what other people think.

I’ve been called a total fraud and a whole lot worse. Those moments used to set me back. That was simply my ego getting in the way of both my own forward progress and the ability to impact and serve others.

I’ve learned.

If you are in the practice of putting your ideas out into the universe — if you seek to challenge the status quo and change behavior — it only makes sense to anticipate criticism. It’s coming. I don’t have to look any further then my Facebook news feed to know that the personal attack is on the rise. The online disinhibition effect, in which factors like anonymity, invisibility, a lack of authority and not communicating in real time strip away the mores society spent millennia building, is real.

The important thing is not to give that bullshit any more power than it deserves.

Case in point, when I get passionate my language can occasionally get a bit colorful. For some people, that only elevates the impact and reinforces the message. For others, not so much. Check out this keynote feedback just in:

One person loved the presentation and the color clearly resonated. Another hated the presentation for exactly that reason.

Was the presentation epic or a total failure? I guess it depends.

Here is the point: You can’t please everyone. Stop trying. When I try to please everyone, I lessen my ability to impact the people who matter the most — the people who truly care and value my contribution. I’m not for everyone — and that’s okay. Far better to focus on the people who value your work, and improve what you’re giving them. That is the opportunity!

I’ll never forget watching Tony Robbins a few hours into his UPW event specifically invite people to leave. He walked them through the process of getting a complete refund and calmly pointed to the exits. A number of people promptly walked out the door. He gets it. He isn’t trying to be your guru. His beyond-colorful language isn’t for everyone. Neither is change and transformation, which is kind of the point of his events. He would rather focus his message to serve the millions of people who benefit from his ideas. We can all do likewise.

Of course, we don’t need millions to make an impact. We do need to confront our fear, find the courage to do our very best work and serve those who value our contribution and stand to benefit.

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4 Ways Smart Business Owners Create New Income Streams

The New Year is in full swing, and if you’re like most business owners, you’re looking for ways to add to your bottom line in 2017. Many bemoan the lack of options. But, if you know the basic laws of economics, and are willing to get a little creative, it is actually easy to become wealthy.

The trick is to have more than one income stream, regardless of what line of business you’re in. Here are four ways business owners are adding new income streams to their portfolio this year.

Consider partnership opportunities. Partnership opportunities come in many shapes and sizes.

It could mean running a co-branded marketing campaign and splitting the cost with another company, but still reaping some of the benefits of the campaign. Or it could be as simple as monetizing your blog with affiliate marketing.

Odds are, there are additional monetization opportunities in your current line of business that you’re simply overlooking.

Invest your profits. This should go without saying, but smart business owners invest. What you decide to invest in obviously depends on your risk tolerance, age and financial goals, but the important part is to get started.

Tobias Robinson, of Binary Options, a training house for options trading, says, “Investment opportunities are only limited by your imagination. Everything from options trading, to peer to peer lending, and regular stock trading are available at the click of a mouse. You can even uncover your risk tolerance, and educate yourself on various investment vehicles using free online tools. There’s no excuse for business owners not to be investing and diversifying their income streams.”

Think about what you’re good at. This requires an honest self-evaluation of what you are naturally good at doing. If you love what you do, you will do it much better.

If you do not know how to evaluate yourself, try a quality free professional test. By taking an honest assessment of your strengths, you can brainstorm new ways to add revenue to your current business model, or even think of ways to make money on a side business.

Consider what your competitors are afraid to try. Your competitors are the people or businesses who are good at doing what you are doing.

Identify their fears. If you do what they are afraid to do to appease your target market, you will have the cake, and eat it too. And nothing says additional income stream like solving a problem no one else is solving.

If you’ve fallen short on your business profit goals in previous years, let 2017 be the year you turn it all around. Start by adding one income stream, and then another and another. After all, just about anyone can earn a liveable wage, but very few people will ever become truly wealthy in their lifetimes. And if we’ve learned anything at all, it’s that wealthy people never put all their eggs in one basket.

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10 Attributes of Visionary Leaders

Visionary leadership is a style of leading others.

There are other leadership styles, but this one is arguably the most vital for today’s business leaders looking to create thriving organizations that achieve long-term success.

The late Steve Jobs is the poster child for this style. Surely, Jobs demonstrated most of the qualities we will highlight below.

What is Visionary Leadership?

Visionary leaders have a compelling vision for their business. They can see beyond the ambiguity and challenges of today to an empowering picture of tomorrow.

Visionary leaders impregnate their team and the organization itself with this vision.

Fueled by inspirations, the organization charts its course to this new future.

Visionary leaders aren’t authoritarian or dictatorial; they don’t seek control over their employees.

Instead, they provide freedom to employees to determine the best path to actualizing this vision.

It’s a discipline to hold the end picture in mind. It takes commitment to work towards this vision each day.

Why Visionary Leadership is So Important

Endless information inundates all of us. We live in a world of endless distractions.

How challenging is it to focus on a given task for a mere hour?

Now consider the inherent challenges of holding a long-term picture in mind over a period of years.

Effective collaboration is necessary for any group of people looking to create something, bring it to market, and grow in a competitive arena.

Visionary leaders have a way of inspiring their organization to rally around a shared vision. This alignment gives the organization a competitive advantage.

10 Qualities of Visionary Leaders

Here are ten hallmark traits of visionary leaders:

Inspirational

What does inspirational mean? It means that visionary leaders tap into our emotions.

They ignite our passions. They drive our emotions in the right direction to bring out the best in us.

Emotionally Intelligent

To inspire with consistency, a leader must be aware of his emotions and empathic (aware of the feelings of others).

Only through empathy can a leader connect with the hearts of their team and inspire them to realize their greatness.

Open Minded

Although visionaries hold a big picture in mind, they are flexible on how they get there.

They are receptive to new information and can hold multiple perspectives. This open-mindedness allows them to navigate difficult situations with a flexible mind, pulling from many resources and sometimes unrelated industries to arrive at creative solutions.

Imaginative

Visionary leaders have a childlike playfulness. They value their imagination and allow themselves to dream, exercising their mind’s eye to see beyond what’s in the physical world at the moment.

They encourage others to dream big too.

Resolute

Social pressures influence visionary leaders less than most others. Their high conviction holds in the face of adversity.

Setbacks aren’t a sign of failure to them; they are mere stopping points on the way to realizing their vision. As such, they are willing to take calculated risks and endure uncertainty. They give assurance and clarity to others when facing uncertainty.

Persistent

Obstacles are constant. Realizing the vision will not be easy. With inner resolve, visionary leaders push through difficulties and setbacks.

They remain agile enough to pivot and make course corrections, but they always persist.

Collaborative

You can’t bring a vision to life alone. It takes a talented team that can work together. Visionary leaders inspire others to harness their unique gifts and strengths to innovate and find creative solutions.

They create an open environment where people learn to trust each other. And that trust starts with the leader.

Bold

There’s no place for timidity in visionary leadership. These leaders are courageous and daring, willing to take calculated risks.

They don’t fear failure as much as they fear not going for it. Visionary leaders foster innovative organizations because their people can fail quickly, learn, adapt, and grow.

Magnetic

Visionary leaders are inclusive, inviting others to make the vision their own. They attract talented people who are passionate about what they do, who are inspired by the company’s vision.

They create thriving, innovative cultures where individuals have the freedom to create their best work and take pride in their efforts. Visionary leaders bring out the best in their people.

Optimistic

Visionary leaders hold a positive outlook for the future. They are hopeful they will achieve success. They don’t view problems as personal, permanent, or pervasive. Instead, they are impersonal, temporary, and relate only to the present situation.

These leaders are driven to create more value but are content where they are now. Their optimism is infectious throughout the organization. It’s a powerful anchor when setbacks occur.

Are You a Visionary Leader?

Although this visionary leadership style may come more naturally to some, it’s still just a style of leading. That is, it’s a set pattern of behavior encoded within each of our minds.

This means that everyone can access this powerful style of leadership.

How can you access more of this style of leadership right now?

Start by reviewing the ten qualities listed above.

Reflect on any one of them for a minute or two.

Let your mind find ways to bring this quality to life in your behavior and mindset right now.

Visualize yourself embodying this visionary leadership trait.

Notice how it feels within yourself. In your mind’s eye, see how those around you respond to you.

Hold this feeling and gently smile. Acknowledge the presence of this attribute within yourself.

Now, create. Lead. Act as if you are a visionary. Make it a reality right now. Repeat this process often.

(And be sure you have a compelling vision to intend to bring to life.)