Keep your head to the skyfarmQuestPoint

Not too long along I attended one of the brown bag lunches at the Green Zebra’s Environmental Action Center in San Francisco. The speaker, Suzi Palladino of San Francisco’s Victory Garden highlighted the fact that during World War Two 40% of San Franciscans were growing their own vegetables and fruit – through a national incentive program called Victory Farms. By the way attending some of Green Zebra events is like getting an MBA in sustainability. You can learn about solar power, take a twitter class and maybe even get invited to a wine tasting. Plus there are lots of really cool people who come seeking and knowing all kinds of things green and ungreen.

Anyway stay tuned for more information about Urban Farming and Skyfarming. While it’s too late attend the upcoming debate: Agriculture: Does it Belong in urban areas? at the Hub SoMa. The first debate focuses on urban agriculture and whether growing volumes of food in urban areas makes sense, and if so, how. Practitioners and advocates will provide participants with an expansive view of urban agriculture by exploring different angles of the various issues associated with the topic. The are some forward thinking who are exploring the area of sustainable development which can incorporate the use solar power, wind power and forward innovative rain collection systems.

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James Cameron – Avatar, Titanic Movie Producer discusses BP
disaster.

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Energy Deputy T.J. Glauthier Joins San Francisco SunRun

SunRun, the nation’s leading home solar financing company, today announced that T.J. Glauthier has joined SunRun as an Advisor to Management and the Board of Directors. Previously, Glauthier served at the Department of Energy as Deputy Secretary and COO, and Associate Director for Natural Resources, Energy and Science for the White House Office of Management and Budget. From 2008 to 2009, he served as a member of the Obama economic transition team.
In addition to his advisory role at SunRun, Glauthier is President of TJG Energy Associates LLC, which advises venture capital and private equity firms, alternative energy companies, electric utilities, global energy and transportation companies within the energy and cleantech sectors. He serves on three boards of directors in this field and is also an advisor to Booz Allen Hamilton’s energy sector practice.

“SunRun is democratizing the residential solar industry with its PPA and Lease,” said Mr. Glauthier. “SunRun’s offering is a game changer for homeowners, local solar installers, job creation and America’s energy future. I look forward to helping SunRun expand across the country.”

“We are excited to bring T.J.’s wealth of experience in energy policy and business to SunRun,” said Ed Fenster, SunRun’s CEO and cofounder. “As we expand to new markets and new opportunities, it is important to have the perspective of industry thought leaders like T.J.”

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SolFocus and Victor Valley College Complete the Largest Solar Power Plant of its Kind in North America

Victorville, Calif.– Victor Valley College and SolFocus held a grand opening ceremony today for the largest solar power plant in North America using concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) systems. After two months of construction, the one megawatt solar power plant is now providing clean power to Victor Valley College in Victorville, California.

About the Solar Power Plant:
•   The Victor Valley College solar micro-generating facility is now connected to the regional electrical grid operated by Southern California Edison and will produce approximately 2.6 million kilowatt-hours annually, which is roughly 30 percent of the College’s electricity demand.
•   Construction of the six acre plant was completed in two months.
•   The plant is located on the college’s main campus and consists of 122 SolFocus SF-1100S CPV arrays.
Green Jobs Training:
•   The college will be developing curriculum within its existing academic and technical programs around this innovative solar technology, including installation, operations, and maintenance.
•   SolFocus will be supporting the college in its curriculum development around advanced solar energy technology including materials, training, and instruction.
Quotes from Grand Opening Participants:
•   “As we open this facility today, Victor Valley College boasts one of the largest and most innovative on-campus solar plants in North America. In addition to providing energy cost savings and a new revenue stream, these 122 arrays will provide the ideal testing ground for our students to build green careers that support the nation’s new energy economy.” – Dr. Christopher O’Hearn, Superintendant and President, Victor Valley College
•   “The beauty of this project is that we can provide one megawatt of clean power in the desert with minimal land and water impact. At the same time, we can train the next generation of solar professionals with innovative technology. SolFocus believes such distributed generation projects will mobilize other colleges, communities, and organizations across the U.S. to incorporate renewable energy into their power supply on the path toward even larger utility-scale projects. When you add it all up, you have a clear vision for the new energy economy.” – Mark Crowley, President and CEO, SolFocus (technology provider)

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