Solar Trees Powering New Las Vegas City Hall

Posted on March 6, 2012 by quest

Yesterday Las Vegas City Hall dedicated its newly completed facility designed by Forest City Enterprises. Company officials joined Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman, City Manager Betsy Fretwell, members of City Council and other civic leaders for an evening dedication ceremony that showcased the building’s iconic architecture and computer-controlled LED lighting. Forest City’s Real Estate Services subsidiary developed the City Hall for Las Vegas on a fee basis. The company owns three additional adjoining blocks of land which it intends to develop into a new civic district with a mix of uses including office, retail and services that support the City Hall and other nearby governmental buildings. Construction of the City Hall is part of a broader strategy by Las Vegas leaders to stimulate job creation and economic revitalization of the city’s historic downtown.

“This project and the benefits it will bring Las Vegas are examples of the power of public-private partnerships to revitalize our cities,” said David J. LaRue, Forest City president and chief executive officer. “Great cities have strong downtowns, and it starts with great public buildings, like the new City Hall. We congratulate Las Vegas and its leaders for the vision that enabled this project to become a reality.” Forest City Enterprises, Inc. is an NYSE-listed national real estate company that is principally engaged in the ownership, development, management and acquisition of commercial and residential real estate and land throughout the United States.

The City Hall is designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. According to the city, the new building will reduce the city’s energy costs by more than $400,000 annually and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2,400 metric tons. Thirty-three “solar trees” on the plaza and solar panels on the building’s roof will produce approximately 290,000 kilowatt hours of power for the City Hall annually.

Hawaii Green Certified Tour Operators

Eagles Green Solar Leaders in American Sports

Posted on March 5, 2012 by quest

NRG and the Philadelphia Eagles today announced a new sustainable energy partnership to make the Eagles’ vision of clean power for Lincoln Financial Field a reality. When construction is completed late in December 2012 the Eagles’ home in Philadelphia will be among the greenest major sports facilities in the U.S. and in the world. NRG will design, build and operate a unique, integrated sustainable energy solution including solar panels and micro wind-turbines that together will provide annually about six times the power used during all Eagles home games. In addition, NRG will be the official supplier of grid power to Lincoln Financial Field and a major sponsor of the Eagles to go.

“The Eagles were pioneers in embracing sustainability when they launched their Go Green! campaign back in 2003, now we are pleased to be their partner in making on-site renewable energy the centerpiece of their commitment to a sustainable future,” said David Crane, President and Chief Executive Officer of Princeton, N.J.-based NRG. “The new clean energy facilities in and around Lincoln Financial Field will make it clear to all that renewable energy makes sense, economically, aesthetically and environmentally, for businesses and individuals in and around Philadelphia.”“The Philadelphia Eagles are proud to announce this new partnership with NRG, a respected leader in the energy field,” said Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie. “We believe that companies everywhere can find ways to Go Green with business practices that help the environment and the bottom line. Together with NRG, we’re eager to use this project at Lincoln Financial Field to continue our leadership role on environmental issues.”

Added Christina Weiss Lurie, “This is another example of our comprehensive, integrated approach to running the greenest business we can. Adding clean energy sources to our existing recycling and energy conservation efforts is the right way for the Eagles to go

NASA Finds Sea Ice Decline Driving Rise in Arctic Air Pollutants

Solar Smart Windows Reflecting Growth

Posted on March 4, 2012 by quest

After many years of being no more than a niche, the smart windows market is starting to reflect growth says a report from NanoMarkets in its latest report on “Smart Windows Markets 2012. NanoMarkets is a leading provider of market research and industry analysis of opportunities within advanced materials and emerging energy and electronics markets. The firm believes that several factors are combining to make this happen. The most obvious perhaps is that there is a growing awareness of energy conservation, green building and fuel efficient transportation by building owners and governments. Smart windows will further provide a growth platform for architectural glass manufacturers and window manufacturers. Already “pricey” architectural glass and window products can be sold at incremental price increase, while providing valuable additional features such as energy savings with smart coatings on the windows and glass facades.

For the construction and architectural side of things, NanoMarkets believes that firms who focus on LEED design and construction, and who adopt smart windows technologies, will benefit the most. As smart windows technology grows and pervades the marketplace, it will eventually become a “required technology” for LEED design and construction. Therefore, architectural and construction firms that are early adopters of smart windows technology in their building designs will gain a sustainable competitive advantage for growing their businesses.With all these developments in mind, NanoMarkets is publishing this new report to pinpoint and quantify where the money will be made – and lost – in the worldwide smart windows business. The report covers both traditional passive smart windows, as well as the new breed of active electrochromic and thermochromic smart window technologies. It also discusses the numerous challenges that will have to be overcome in this market to make new products a success.

This report analyzes the markets for self-dimming windows, self-cleaning windows and the smart windows of the future that will combine window functionality with the ability to serve as either lighting or solar panels; or both.

Universities Offering Joint Program in Energy Law

Energy From Solar Panels Building Electric Vehicles

Posted on March 2, 2012 by quest

It’s real hard not to like BMW’s new electric, prototypes and fossil fuel cars. But now motoring giants BMW and Honda are building solar panels into their production plants and other facilities. With the rising costs of gas and energy; this is a logical move for big commercial energy users and residential users who are ready to use solar power to cut energy usage, transportation costs and dependence on oil. Just imagine the day when you don’t have to go to the gas station to fuel up? You simply plug your electric powered car into your solar powered home and zaaaaap you’re good to go! This is no fantasy…. not anymore and the fact that BMW and Honda are using solar energy to build electric vehicles should be a clear indication where the smart money is going.

Both of these behemoths in the automobile industry are looking to start incorporating more on-site solar electricity generation. Honda has been installing solar power generation systems at their plants all around Japan and they have so far reached a total combined capacity of 3.3 megawatts.

Honda’s own solar power branch is Honda Soltec and they are using their own solar panels, the “Honda Soltec CIGS thin-film solar cells” on all of tir branches. Among the recent installations by Honda there’s been a 9 kilowatt-solar power system fitted at the Honda Cars Tokyo Chuo dealership. This installation marks the beginning of a solar power initiative from Honda that will see over 100 dealerships fitted with similar solar panels. BMW has been pulled over to the ‘green side’ after having just recently finished installing 400 solar modules that each has a 240 watt capacity. They have been installed at BMW Manufacturing heritage museum and visitor centre which is situated next to their South Carolina plant.

Los Angeles Growing Green & Cleantech Businesses

Michael Picker To Keynote San Diego Solar Symposium

Posted on March 1, 2012 by quest

In an effort to continue the San Diego region’s rapid deployment of residential and commercial solar power installations, CleanTECH San Diego and the Solar Electric Power Association are co-hosting the San Diego Solar Energy Symposium on March 6 at the University of San Diego . The symposium will feature a number of distinguished guests from the solar industry to discuss the future of solar power in San Diego.”No matter how much has been done, we’ve only just tapped into the full potential of rooftop solar solutions and mass adoption,” said Jim Waring, President and Chief Executive Officer of CleanTECH San Diego. “The lessons learned are the platform from which the region can grow to reach its full solar energy potential.”

Michael Picker, Senior Advisor to California Governor Jerry Brown for Renewable Energy Facilities, will keynote the symposium, discussing the region’s solar market and how to build a foundation for sustainable solar energy growth. A host of industry experts including representatives from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), Kyocera Solar, REC Solar, Xtreme Power Solutions, Soitec, UC San Diego and the Clean Coalition will bring perspective to today’s trends and challenges as well as outline a San Diego vision for solar power generation over the next decade. Scott Anders, USD Energy Policy Initiatives Center Director, and Andrew McAllister, Director of Policy and Strategy for the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE), will moderate the panel discussions.

“Transforming solar from a niche technology to a mainstream resource is a complicated undertaking. Our San Diego event brings together a productive mix of viewpoints that can serve as a model for the conversations that must take place across the nation,” said Bob Gibson, SEPA Vice President of Market Intelligence. SDG&E echoed the need for collaboration as the region continues to move forward and distinguish itself as a solar power leader. “SDG&E is fully committed to the development of solar power and entered into 12 contracts with developers for 897 megawatts of new solar energy in 2011,” said James P. Avery, SDG&E Senior Vice President of Power Supply. “The Solar Energy Symposium is a key part of our ongoing effort to collaborate with leaders in the solar industry, policy makers and our customers as we progress in transitioning SDG&E to a clean energy future.

Apple Using Solar Power To Power Itself

SolarCity Raises $81 Million In Growth Capital

Posted on February 29, 2012 by quest

SolarCity today announced that it has raised $81 million in equity financing. SolarCity allows homeowners, businesses and non-profit organizations to buy renewable energy for less than they currently pay for electricity from utilities. The company has more than 30,000 clean energy projects completed or underway. The round was co-led by Silver Lake Kraftwerk and Valor Equity Partners, and included investments from Nicholas J. Pritzker, partner at Tao Ventures and senior development advisor for Hyatt Hotels Corp., and Shea Ventures, an affiliate of SolarCity partner Shea Homes. SolarCity Chairman Elon Musk and existing SolarCity investor DBL Investors also participated. The new financing will fund SolarCity’s expansion of sales, marketing and operations, technology development and potential acquisitions.

“Individuals and organizations of all shapes and sizes are fed up with the growing cost and consequences of traditional energy,” said Lyndon Rive, SolarCity’s CEO. “This investment provides SolarCity the resources to explore new products and services and identify new geographies and potential acquisitions as we seek to deliver better energy choices to more customers.”Silver Lake Kraftwerk (SLK) is an investment strategy of Silver Lake, the global leader in private investments in technology and technology-enabled industries. SLK was created to provide growth capital to innovators in the energy and resource sectors.

“SolarCity is the leader in its space,” said Raj Atluru, co-founder of Silver Lake Kraftwerk. “The company’s unique, vertically-integrated model, paired with incentives and falling technology costs, allows it to provide solar electricity to customers at lower rates than they pay for utility power. We’ve thoroughly analyzed SolarCity’s full-service approach to solar and energy efficiency and we believe it has the ability to deliver superior customer experience and service across multiple sectors.”Valor Equity Partners pursues investments in leaders in their respective markets. Valor is also an investor in Tesla Motors.