Solar Energy Turned To Ice

Posted on November 22, 2011 by quest

When I first read this I thought…what? It turns out the Ice House of New Jersey, the Tri-State area’s largest ice arena, has flipped the switch on an 843 kilowatt (kW) solar system. That’s almost reaching one megawatts of power. And yet even at that level the system designed and installed by Mercury Solar Systems Mays Landing office is expected to meet only 22 percent of Ice House’s annual electricity needs. The facility has consistently drawn the attention of Gold Medal Winning Olympic Skaters to NHL Professionals. In 2002, Ice House sent 9 skaters to the Olympics including gold medalists Sarah Hughes, Elena Bereznaia and Anton Sikharulidze. Tara Lipinski, Oksana Baiul, and Sasha Cohen also utilize Ice House as their local training facility.

Over 3,660 solar panels will produce enough energy to power 265 average size residential homes every year. This is equivalent to recycling over 16 million cans of soda, planting 60,000 trees and taking 110 cars off the road every year. “This system has drastically reduced our reliance on fossil fuels and will provide a cleaner environment for the thousands of kids that utilize our facility every year,” commented Robert Bakos, Operations Manager at Ice House. “We are in the process of installing a solar information station in our facility to help educate the kids about the benefits of solar energy.”

Jared Haines, President of Mercury Solar Systems said, “”We commend Ice House for taking this step toward a greener future. Solar energy systems continue to produce significant savings and a solid return on investment for local businesses in New Jersey and we believe this will continue to drive the market forward.” Mercury Solar Systems is one of the leading solar integrators on the East Coast recognized for two consecutive years as one of Inc. 500′s fastest growing energy companies. The Company designs and installs solar panels and solar energy systems for commercial and residential customers and to date has installed nearly 2,000 solar systems in excess of 30MW of energy.

Global Warming Alert

Green Jobs Future Here Now

Posted on November 20, 2011 by quest

The green jobs of the future are actually already here. Jobs for the Future a national organization that identifies, develops, and promotes new education and workforce strategies and the National Wildlife Foundation are introducing NASA‘s cutting-edge contributions in climate change science to community college green sector curricula as part of a new project launched this month called Building a Diverse, Green Workforce. The project builds on The Greenforce Initiative, a partnership between JFF and NWF to improve green career pathways for underrepresented students and connect campus sustainability to hands-on training opportunities. The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is also a partner in the new project. Edgecombe Community College in North Carolina, Wayne County Community College in Detroit, and Wilbur Wright Community College in Chicago are all piloting the new curriculum in at least nine courses, engaging up to 180 students over two years.

IRobot

In science fiction technology is suspect. Take for example the movies Terminator and iRobot where the machine are out to takeover humans. But then comes Disney’s hardest working droid in show business, Wall – E; and Optimus Prime from Transformers who were meant to save civilization. So I guess it depends how we use it. According to Maria Flynn, vice president at JFF, “Despite the slow growth economy, employment opportunities continue to increase in many clean economy sectors and sustainability skills are becoming more important for economic competitiveness. Through this project, we will strengthen the skill sets that adults attain in their green career training programs while also supporting the development of workers who are knowledgeable about and prepared for well-paying STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers.”

“Climate change, and the challenges it brings, will touch every corner of the American economy, and we must address it in kind at the career training level,” said Kevin Coyle, vice president of Education Programs, National Wildlife Federation. “We are excited to help that process along by adapting our teaching tools using more technically advanced NASA learning opportunities and resources more appropriate for community college faculty and students.” To promote greater access and success for students at different skill levels, Building a Diverse, Green Workforce focuses on credit coursework that leads to green job-related certificates and degrees; workforce training programs endorsed by green sector employers; and basic skills programs for students not yet ready for college credit-level work. The curriculum will be adapted from the National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA Climate Change Connections, which incorporates NASA mission satellite data with ground-based observations for use with high school students and teachers. This national project was made possible in part by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.

Arctic Melt Unnerves the Experts

California’s Ninety Nine Percent Buying Solar Energy

Environmentalist Wins Hispanic Leadership Award

Posted on November 19, 2011 by quest

“I am honored to have been selected as the MillerCoors 2011 Lider of the Year and grateful for the opportunity to continue helping my community,” said Andrea Delgado. “I want to thank everyone who voted for me. Your support inspires me to continue doing everything I can to address the issues that affect our community.”The MillerCoors Lider of the year is chosen by public vote on www.MillerCoorsLideres.com. Andrea won 42 percent of the 25,464 votes cast. She was among twelve outstanding Latino leaders nominated by MillerCoors for their leadership and contributions to their communities. Andrea will receive a $25,000 grant for LCLAA to implement a Latino leadership project with MillerCoors.

“Andrea’s dedication to the Hispanic community and the environment serves as an example and an inspiration to all of us,” said Jose Ruano, multicultural relations manager for MillerCoors. “The competition among this year’s 12 Lideres was tough, as each is an incredible example of Latino leadership. We are proud to highlight the achievements of Latino leaders, like Andrea, so they may continue to be role models for future generations.”Through her work with LCLAA, a national non-profit organization representing the interests of approximately 2 million Latino workers and their families, Andrea helps raise awareness about workers’ rights and environmental problems that impact Latinos in their workplaces and their communities. Through her work with the National Latino Coalition on Climate Change (NLCC), Andrea engages and educates minorities and elected officials about climate change and the importance of environmental protection to safeguard public health and create quality jobs.

“To know Andrea is to understand how passionate she is about addressing the issues that affect the Latino community, especially those related to achieving justice and dignity in the workplace and protecting the environment. Andrea is an example that Latino youth hold a lot of promise for our workplaces, communities and the nation as a whole. We are fortunate to have her as part of our team,” said Hector E. Sanchez, Executive Director, LCLAA. Since 2006, the MillerCoors Lideres program has raised awareness and highlighted the achievements of national and local leaders within the Hispanic community through an online public voting competition and a national advertising campaign.

Los Angeles The New Mecca For Electric Vehicles

San Francisco Auto Show

A Solar House Divided

Posted on November 18, 2011 by quest

What would Abraham Lincoln think about the internal divide within the US solar industry and its reaction into claims that China is using unfair trade practices to dump solar panels in the US market? A few days go the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) representing dozens of U.S. solar companies and thousands of American jobs, have joined to urge policymakers to help find a resolution to SolarWorld’s harmful trade petition. The Coalition now represents 52 American solar companies from across the United States and throughout the solar value chain or nearly 10% of the U.S. solar industry workforce.”Every day, new American solar companies are stepping forward to oppose SolarWorld’s bid to block competition in the U.S. solar industry,” said Alan Epstein, President and COO of KDC Solar LLC, a new CASE member based in New Jersey. “Competition is good for the U.S. solar industry, good for solar jobs, and most importantly, good for creating and preserving long-term jobs for our electric customers and therefore the economy. The solar industry must remain united in its mission to make solar energy affordable for everyone.”

The Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy actions comes on the heals of the U.S. Department of Commerce‘s decision to initiate an intensive, year-long investigation into Chinese solar export practices. “The anti-competitive tactics of Chinese exporters have threatened to wipe out U.S. producers and jobs said,” Gordon Brinser, president of SolarWorld and a leader for the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM) Brinser said. “Domestic producers look forward to returning to steady increases in efficiency and sustainable decreases in pricing that directly result from legal international competition – and to advances in America’s renewable-energy future.” CASE members represent a large cross section of the U.S. solar industry, both large and small companies, including silicon and module manufacturers, project developers, financial and real estate services and installers.

“We’ve hired 400 employees this year, including electricians, roofers, salespeople, call center professionals – affordable solar energy in the United States is the catalyst for this new economic opportunity and these jobs,” said Ken Button, co-founder and president, Verengo Solar Plus. “If SolarWorld is successful with its petition, it would hurt the broader U.S. solar industry. Are SolarWorld’s jobs more important than ours?” In a recent solar industry report, Jefferies analyst Jesse Pichel explained why SolarWorld’s anti-trade petition could hurt broader U.S. solar industry growth: “The U.S. solar industry, already suffering from a lack of financing, will experience higher panel prices and lower demand if countervailing duties are imposed as early 2012. SolarWorld may see backlash as U.S. developers and installers are hurt by this scorched Earth approach.”SolarWorld‘s trade action has been largely unpopular in the U.S. solar industry, given its potential to hurt thousands of jobs throughout the solar value chain.

Hydropower and Fish Friendly

One Day Electric Vehicles Will Rule LA Auto Show

Posted on November 17, 2011 by quest

The LA Auto Show is serious business. It’s been going on since 1907 with ninety-nine vehicles on display at Morley’s Skating Rink. As the auto industry grew, the auto show changed venues four times throughout the 1920s to accommodate the growing needs of vendors. In 1926, it took place at the corner of Hill and Washington where it stayed for the next four years. Certainly there have been alot of changes since that time. Such as after 50 years the show has changed its name from The Greater Los Angeles Auto Show to the LA Auto Show. Take note as Sam Mui writes, What A Difference A Decade Makes: Electric Vehicles Become Mainstream at the LA Auto Show.

Over at Honda the Honda Civic Natural Gas was Named 2012 Green Car of the Year at Los Angeles Auto Show Press Conference. Green Car Journal announced the Honda Civic Natural Gas as the highly-anticipated 2012 Green Car of the Year winner at a press conference Thursday morning during the Los Angeles Auto Show’s press days. The cleanest running internal combustion vehicle certified by the EPA, the all-new 2012 Civic Natural Gas is the fifth generation of this alternative fuel vehicle and the only assembly-line produced natural gas passenger model manufactured for sale in the United States. It runs on a clean fuel that is almost exclusively domestically sourced and typically priced about 30 percent less than gasoline.

The Ultimate Driving Machine People were on it, As scenes from the latest installment of the Mission Impossible film series played on an 18-foot-tall, 39-foot-wide silk screen, the screen itself was whisked away to unveil the first concept vehicles of the new visionary and sustainable brand, BMW i – the fully electric BMW i3 Concept and the hybrid-electric BMW i8 Concept – from which Paula Patton, star of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and BMW President Ludwig Willisch emerged, officially unveiling the vehicles for the first time in North America at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. The BMW i3 and i8 Concept vehicles represent the first purpose-built electric and electric-hybrid vehicles to be made primarily of carbon fiber when they become available in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

More green at Green News Wall

Environmental Disaster Halted With XL Pipeline Review

Posted on November 10, 2011 by quest

By Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins - CEO Green for All. It’s breathtaking. Stunning. It’s absolutely the right thing to do, of course, to further assess the potential damage the pipeline could do – to the land it runs across if the oil were to spill; to the planet, once its burned. But somehow I don’t think we expected this to happen.   It was your leadership that got this done. It was the leadership of the thousands who protested last weekend in Washington, of the hundreds who went to jail to draw attention to the cause. It was the leadership of young people and indigenous people and retirees and communities of color. It was the leadership of our allies at 350.org.

But it was also the leadership of President Barack Obama. Make no mistake: without his intervention, this outcome may not have happened. We thank him for doing the right thing – and we remind him that the fight for a cleaner environment isn’t over.  Thank you for your engagement and your commitment. It’s been a generally bleak few months. So let’s take a moment today to celebrate a substantial victory.