New Avatar Sequels Will Be Filmed Using Solar Energy

Posted on June 10, 2011 by quest

When Hollywood wants you, you know you’re hot stuff. And hotter than the Boulevard and casting calls is the news that major film studios are climbing on the solar energy bandwagon. This week, it was announced that James Cameron’s Avatar sequels will be filmed using solar-power energy. Public response to the announcement was nothing but praise for the solar movement. The popularity has created an exponentially-rising demand from businesses interested in the benefits of investing in solar energy — both economic and environmental.

As demands surge, Sun Center Studios is taking the spotlight as an up-and-coming, new age film lot located just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The site houses an $85 million studio stretching over 33 acres. On that 33 acres lie a 4-D movie theatre, five studios, seven soundstages, and a 370,00-square-foot high-tech museum. The 216 kilowatt (kW) energy system ranks in the top one percent of solar projects funded by the Pennsylvania Sunshine Solar Rebate Program, and is the largest solar-related project in Delaware County, PA. Sun Center carefully designed their campus and sound stage to facilitate optimum efficiency, using the newest technology to obtain environmental sustainability.

AVATAR

Senior Vice President of Sun Center Studios Adam Rotwitt elaborates: Sun Center Studios’ commitment to sustainability extends throughout the entire facility from the efficient design of the campus’s new buildings and stormwater management, our use of organic and locally grown foods whenever possible, to our participation in ‘smart-grid’ technology programs through integrated demand response and the installation of electric vehicle charging stations along with a fleet of hybrids for our production company clients. Rotwitt is passionate about the global efforts in solar energy transition and confident that his company is actively setting a good example. In doing so, Rotwitt believes other nearby Pennsylvania business will catch on and follow suit. Sun Center Studios is proud to stand as a role model for local developments, as well as for foreign companies with business in the film and media industry. According to David Richman, Commercial Sales for Mercury Solar Systems: The solar incentives in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are some of the most generous in the country, making this an optimal time to invest. We commend Sun Center Studios for incorporating solar into their state-of-the art facility.

VISIT THE SOLAR WALL

Calls for Solar Farms After Nuclear Disaster in Japan

Posted on June 9, 2011 by quest

Business and government leaders across Japan are calling for creating “solar farms” on damaged or abandoned land to help wean the nation off nuclear energy and provide economic opportunities for future generations. Katsunobu Sakurai, mayor of Minami-soma, told reporters on Thursday he wants to invite experts from around the world to rebuild his devastated city as a center for what Japanese call “natural energy.” His city of 70,000 residents is about 15 miles from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, where three reactors underwent meltdown after being swamped by the March 11 tsunami. “The land is ruined land but we can see this as a chance to fill them with a huge amount of solar panels in one fell swoop,” said Mr. Sakurai, referring to a 25-square-mile area ruined by muddy, salty seawater from the tsunami and radiation from the plant.

“But such a venture cannot succeed unless the government makes a clear policy, and sets regulations where power companies are required to buy electricity at a specified price.” In April, Mr. Sakurai called for Minami-soma to become a global center for “the brave people of the world” to create industries to transcend the nuclear power generation. “We are in need of a new mindset that is totally different from the one that merely envisions creating a new city on higher ground,” he said. Several corporations and state organizations, meanwhile, are making their own moves to create new energy technologies.

Masayoshi Son, president of mobile phone giant Softbank and one of Japan’s wealthiest men, has promised that his company will shoulder most of the $1 billion cost of building 10 massive solar power plants in Japan. Mr. Son says 19 provinces have pledged to join his project to build solar plants to wean Japan off nuclear energy. The provinces include Hokkaido in the north, Nagasaki in the far south, the Tokyo suburb of Saitama, and four central provinces that lost power when the government ordered a cold shutdown of Hamaoka nuclear plant. Mr. Son says the provinces will build solar power farms on abandoned farmland in declining rural areas across Japan. The provinces plan to set up a council to coincide with a meeting of Japan’s National Governors’ Association in July.

“The Hamaoka nuclear power plant had covered more than 80 percent of the electricity needs of our prefecture,” Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu told reporters in May. “We cannot help but switch to solar power to compensate for it. This is a big turning point.” About two-thirds of Japan’s aging nuclear reactors are switched off, and most of the active reactors will shut down for scheduled maintenance in coming months. Opposition from local residents and a growing anti-nuclear protest movement will likely make it difficult for private regional monopolies to restart reactors. By Christopher Johnson – Special to The Washington Times

EXPLORE A GREEN CAREER

Solar Showroom Gives 411 Green Energy and More

Posted on June 9, 2011 by quest

Solar & More, a retail learning showroom featuring clean energy systems such as solar electric and hot water, announced a Grand Opening Celebration to be held Tuesday, June 28, 2011 through Saturday, July 2, 2011 during normal store hours. With all the emphasis on green and environmental concerns, Solar & More has developed a retail model that gives consumers an alternative when shopping for a solar energy system. No longer do they have to deal with fast-paced selling from solar telemarketers and internet salesmen.

“We’re excited to be able to offer to our clients a unique showroom where they can be educated about solar and other renewable energy options in a non-threatening environment,” said Tom Ferraro, President of Solar & More. “With state of the art technology, we’re able to look at a home, its shading, utility bills and know if a homeowner can install a system that will provide a return. If a home is not suitable for a solar system, we recommend other products to reduce energy costs.” Ferraro’s showroom is different and it can be seen immediately upon entering the store. It’s a learning center and the unique design of the store immediately instills a comfortable level for the client. The store is a first of its kind! The store’s core product is solar energy. “Current paybacks can range from about 4 – 6 years with most Return on Investments close to 20%,” Ferraro says. “And we help people understand that it is an investment, as opposed to a home improvement, as there is an ongoing revenue stream from day one.” Ferraro gives an example of a financing option where the customer has no out of pocket expenditures, gets a payback of 5 years and is cash positive in year 1. The systems are warranted for 25 years and typically last much longer. Combine that with a 30% Federal Income Tax Credit and it’s a winning investment … without the risk associated with most other investments.

Coffee grounds as biomass fuel

Yingli Solar To Sponsor World Cup Brazil

Posted on June 8, 2011 by quest

“Yingli Green Energy” a leading solar energy company and one of the world’s largest vertically integrated photovoltaic (“PV”) manufacturers, which markets its products under the brand “Yingli Solar”, today announced the sponsorship of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil on the occasion of the 2011 Intersolar show in Munich, Germany. During a joint press conference, both FIFA and Yingli Green Energy’s top management addressed journalists and guests from around the globe. A special attraction was the display of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ Winner’s Trophy and introductory speeches by Mr. Liansheng Miao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yingli Green Energy, and Mr. Thierry Weil, Marketing Director of FIFA.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th edition of world football’s flagship event and is scheduled to take place in June and July 2014 in Brazil. Yingli Green Energy is convinced that the FIFA World Cup™ is one of the best marketing platforms. This particular FIFA World Cup™ will ensure not only brand exposure into Brazil, one of the largest consumers of energy in South America, but all around the world. Brazil, with an estimated cumulative solar PV capacity of currently 20MW, has long been referred to as the “pais do future” – the country of the future. Mr. Liansheng Miao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yingli Green Energy, said: “After our 2010 FIFA World Cup™ sponsorship, we saw a tremendous increase in our brand awareness and inquiries for our products. We were also very happy to see how our products brought smiles to the children in need by supplying our solar solutions for FIFA’s Football for Hope program. Thus, we are thrilled to continue our sponsorship with FIFA by becoming an Official Sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and to be an important renewable energy partner to the world’s most-watched single-sport event. We are excited to once again join hands with FIFA, to build a greener FIFA World Cup™ and a more sustainable future with affordable clean energy provided by the sun.”

Mr. Thierry Weil, FIFA Marketing Director said, “We could not have organized the FIFA World Cup on the scale that we saw in 2010 without the support of sponsors such as Yingli Solar. Yingli Solar’s activities have had a wide geographical impact, from raising the awareness of the FIFA World Cup™ in their home market China, to providing solar expertise and products in rural parts of Africa as part of the “Football for Hope” program. We view our agreement as a strategic long-term cooperation and I am delighted to welcome Yingli Solar on board as a committed sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™.”

GREEN INVESTING

Solar and Clean Energy In the Midst of a Transformation

Posted on June 7, 2011 by quest

As the clean energy industry emerges from a challenging period caused by the global economic downturn, it is entering a stage of rapid change in which business models are being transformed against a backdrop of regulatory uncertainty. In several key sectors, the market is shifting back toward business structures and technologies that were once abandoned, but are now being revived. A new white paper from Pike Research identifies 10 key trends that are part of this transformation. The paper, which includes commentary and predictions about the state of the clean energy industry in 2011 and beyond, is available for free download on Pike Research’s website.

“Clean Energy: Ten Trends to Watch in 2011 and Beyond”
“As the clean energy industry matures and as it simultaneously comes to grips with economic challenges, market leaders are experimenting with new business models, both at a large scale and on a distributed basis,” says senior analyst Peter Asmus. “At the same time, key industry players are utilizing an increasingly wider diversity of technology options, especially in the solar and wind sectors.”
Key clean energy trends that Pike Research is watching in 2011 and beyond include the following:

Japan to use coffee grounds as biomass fuel

Solar Powered Train Stations No Fantasy

Posted on June 6, 2011 by quest

A two-mile-long Belgian rail tunnel, built to shelter trains from falling trees, will from Monday provide a double environmental benefit by hosting a unique solar power project. The high-speed line running from Paris to Amsterdam passes Antwerp and a nearby ancient forest. To avoid the need to fell protected trees, a long tunnel was built over the line which has now been topped with 16,000 solar panels. The electricity produced is equivalent to that needed to power all the trains in Belgium for one day per year, and will also help power Antwerp station.

“For train operators, it is the perfect way to cut their carbon footprints because you can use spaces that have no other economic value and the projects can be delivered within a year because they don’t attract the protests that wind power does,” said Bart Van Renterghem, UK head of Belgian renewable energy company Enfinity, which installed the panels. “We had a couple of projects lined up around London with train operators and water utilities, but they have been put on hold.”

Van Renterghem said this was due to the UK government’s controversial review of subsidies for large-scale solar power projects, which will lower the returns available. The UK government argues that solar technology is too expensive, but Van Renterghem said he had seen the cost of cells halve in the last two to three years thanks to economies of scale in Germany, France and Belgium. The new Blackfriars station in London, which will span the River Thames, will host the largest single collection of solar panels in the UK when it opens in spring 2012. The roof of the new station will have 4,400 panels and a capacity of 1MW, enough to provide 50% of the station’s electricity. However, the development is not dependent on the level of government subsidy for solar power as the £7.3m bill was paid by the transport department’s environment fund. Source: Business Green