Beth Draper at Yellowstone in September…

Ten years ago, Beth Draper had a vision of a magazine which did not exist and which she had to make happen. Now her invention, CHA Magazine (formerly Cape Healing Arts), is closing.

In an interview this week, Draper said the magazine has accomplished its goal of “sharing the stories, passions and commitments of the community” to strengthen the connections “to ourselves, each other, and this magical land, sea and sky.”

Of her reasons for closing, Draper said, “I am an artist before I am a business person, so I didn’t always run the numbers.” The magazine broke even but did not pay staff and herself enough for all the time put in.

As with many media outlets on the Cape a dwindling economy means fewer resources. “In a nutshell, publishing takes deeper pockets to weather a tough quarter or two,” Draper said. “With a small staff and a tight budget, any changes in personal or professional lives can throw you off course.”

Draper has nothing but praise for her staff. She said she is “filled with gratitude” for community liaison Ginia Pati, who helped to manage, distribute copies, and care for the advertisers; Darren Wotherspoon, her graphics man, who gave so much in time and detail to put it together; her sales rep. Jeff Tavares; contributing writers, editors and photographers; and to the Cape community in which CHA became a cult classic, known for pioneering a template combining the green with the spiritual, the local with the cosmic.

“Personal transformation could become community transformation,” Draper said. One of her co-workers said that “CHA has been a wonderful vehicle for both individuals and businesses, to not only highlight their own unique contributions, but also to inspire the dovetailing of shared community goals.”

Printed on chlorine-free recycled paper the magazine was a tactile delight, filled with graphics and layouts both sophisticated and eye-catching, yet keeping the Cape gestalt.

Some issues were themed, some were not, in four issues a year, one compatible with each season. Articles could inform the public about conservation, solstice, green business, or local artisans. One special accomplishment: the magazine provided a place where health providers, the healers, could network out of their many disciplines with each other and with the readers.

“When the time was right, themes just developed, issues came together,” Draper said, citing the spring 2010 edition’s articles on NSTAR, ponds, fertilizers, the health of the water and re-nourishing the earth. “We put it all together to use as a catalyst. We had no fear about saying how things really are, or of driving away the tourists, because the point was to say something that needs to be heard in the community.” Another recent source of pride: a winter issue that talked about why writers write and showcased some of the Cape’s best books. Local booksellers had a terrific season in a bad economy, selling many of CHA’s picks. Coincidence? Or Influence?

Recently, CHA retooled with a new media kit and strategy. The magazine, which is supported by advertising revenues, could publish two times a year and turn a larger profit. Its brand-new on-line presence at www.chamagazine.com, which archives issues back to 2003, could be enlarged. Now a giveaway, it could be turned into a subscription-based or pay-per-issue venture, or even changed to non-profit status. Someone with like vision and funds for a modest investment could take what has been nurtured to a circulation of 20,000 (with an estimated readership of 45,000) onwards.

If Draper cannot find a buyer for the magazine and website as a package, she would still like to find someone to continue the website. She is not sure how to accomplish this, but desires it for the sake of the readers, artistic contributors, and the advertisers. There is really no other source she knows of which provides the kind of local holistic information emphasizing the connection between mind, body, spirit and earth that readers accessed through CHA.

Draper is first and foremost an experienced graphic artist, the head of Open Eye Communications in Brewster on Millstone Road, which will continue to work with clients old and new.

CHA took “a lot of energy to hold on to, and then to let it go takes a lot of energy, which will be released, directed at something new and very powerful, too,” Draper said. “It’s like losing a love,” but she is “ready to move on.”

Go to www.chamagazine.com for resources, green scene, health and wellness, conscious living and more. Readers, writers, buyers or advertisers can get in touch with Draper, et al. through the website.

Where: Truro Public Library  7 Standish Way   North Truro MA

PDF Version: Your Solar Options Truro Feb 2012

For the Brewster Community Solar Garden Website, click here.

Solar incentive programs started making PV an attractive investment in 2009. But the Massachusetts state rebate for solar will eventually phase out. Until recently, no one was sure if the state rebateprogram would continue in 2012. But now we know, it will be around for at least one more year.

2012 brings a few changes to the Photovoltaic (PV) incentive programs. The current incentives combine with the lower cost of PV, making it a great time to invest in this renewable energy source.

Below is a quick snapshot of the incentives available for solar in 2012:

State Rebate: The current rebate of $0.40 per watt installed is cash back incentive for new residential and small commercial solar arrays. Those who qualify for a moderate home value or moderate income adder can double this rebate to $0.80 per watt installed. The rebate has a cap at 5000 watts so the maximum state rebate is $2,000 ($4,000 with an adder).

Tax Credits: The federal and state tax credits remain in effect for 2012. The federal credit provides an impressive 30% of the cost of the system with no cap. The state credit is set at $1,000.00 per primary residence.

Solar Renewable Energy Certificates: The Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC) program is continuing strong into 2012. The prices of SRECs remain high as supply is short relative to the demand. Installing a solar array before July of 2012 will lock you into the SREC program for a 10 year term.

Contact My Generation Energy for an in depth explanation of how you can take advantage of this year’s incentives.

Cape Codder

BREWSTER: The twin wind turbines once proposed for Freeman’s Way in Brewster remain only a dream, but town-owned land is about to host the largest solar project on the Outer Cape.

“At the end of this week it’s essentially complete,” declared Luke Hinkle, president of MyGenerationEnergy.

Hinkle’s company has finished installing 1,440 solar panels manufactured by Sharp Electronics of Memphis, Tenn. on three-acres of land next to the water department in Commerce Park, just off Freeman’s Way.

“It’s one of the most innovative concepts for the production of renewable energy,” observed Jillian Douglass, assistant town manager and member of the energy committee “It makes it accessible to regular folks. Anybody can buy into it, even if the don’t have a site at their home they can participate in solar energy by purchasing a share.”

Construction started just after Thanksgiving.

“We still have to finish the wiring and get it inspected,” Hinkle said. “It’s on schedule to turn on in February.”

The company has been selling “SunShares” that purchase the electricity produced by 28 solar panels for $5,000 each. Hinkle said each share would be worth at least $6,400 in electric credits ($106 a month) over the next five years. That can be used to offset homeowners’ or businesses’ electric bills, or if the bill is less than the credits they can be used after the five years as well.

“They’re carried forward indefinitely,” Hinkle said.

The 28 panels will produce about 9,000-kilowatt hours worth of electricity a year. Each SunShare comprises 2 percent of the energy produced and they’ve sold about half of the 50 shares so far. The electricity will be metered into the grid and NStar will distribute the credits as the cooperative instructs it.

“This was the first ground-mounted grid in Brewster,” Douglass declared. “We liked the idea of having the community invest in solar and this was a different way to do that. Having the benefits come back to the individual is a nice concept.”

MyGeneration hopes to sell $250,000 worth of sun shares to help finance the $1.5-million dollar project. They’ll also sell renewable energy credits benefit from tax incentives. If the tax laws are altered by a new regime it won’t matter.

“If politics change and you’re in – you’re in,” Hinkle said.

At the end of five years the cooperative (comprised of sun share holders) can decide whether to renew the contract or not. The panels have a life expectancy of 25-years and the lease with Brewster is for 20 years with to optional five-year renewals.

The panels sit on concrete posts in an old sand pit across from the Captains Course driving range.

“The concrete is made in Yarmouth, the steel from Hingham,” Hinkle noted.

MyGeneration will pay Brewster about $11,500 in 2012 and that will creep up to $18,844 by 2032. Brewster received one other response to their request for proposals: from Project Navigator, a multi-National cooperation. That was for a power purchase lease, not what the town wanted.

Brewster has another project on tap: Cape and Vineyard Electric Cooperative will build a solar array atop the landfill at the transfer station. That is permitted and construction could start this spring. The CVEC project has a 1,219-kilowatt capacity compared with MyGeneration’s 346.

MyGeneration, which is based in Brewster, has other projects on tap for 2012, including 10,000 panels planned for just north of the Barnstable Airport.

Also impressive is the range of customers who have chosen My Generation Energy for their solar services: prestigious non-profits, professional service companies, retail locations, retired residents, young families, engineers, scientists, and many more members of the community. As an employee who has been involved with the company since performing seed-stage market research , to recently being named the Policy & Regulations Manager, it has been gratifying to see so many taking part with My Generation Energy in the clean energy transformation.

This new role as part of that transformation is to continue to accelerate the adoption of solar through working with our legislators and state officials. One current effort includes ensuring the passage of Massachusetts House Bill 1776. If it becomes law, it will double the amount of energy available from renewable sources, such as solar, right here in Massachusetts. It will allow companies like My Generation Energy to continue generating jobs, creating more resilient communities and reducing the $22 billion each year we send out of the state a year for oil, natural gas and coal. That’s $60 million gone every day; we need to keep more of those energy dollars in the community. Having more solar here in Massachusetts also means lower healthcare costs as a result of cleaner air and electricity price stability by avoiding wild fossil fuel price spikes.

Solar is not only a clean energy choice, it just makes sense for our economy. If you agree and would like to make a difference, please contact your legislator and ask them to support Massachusetts House Bill 1776. To get in touch with me with questions about how you can aid these efforts please email me at michael@mygenerationenergy.com.