Solar Panels Go Hollywood Primetime at 63rd Emmys

Posted on September 14, 2011 by quest

A 50-kilowatt system goes prime time during the official live pre-show “Countdown To the Emmys,” airing Sunday, Sept. 18 (7:00-8) on FOX, where the hottest names in American television will strut beneath the solar awning outside the Nokia Theatre at the L.A. Live entertainment center in downtown Los Angeles. Jane Lynch will host the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Reliably drawing 12-13 million viewers, the awards show acts as a celebration of popular culture. In that light, this year’s show will present solar power as an energy option available to regular homeowners around the country and even the world. A canopy composed of 225 high-performance solar panels from SolarWorld, the largest U.S. solar manufacturer for more than 35 years, will grace the red carpet at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, giving solar energy its first starring role in U.S. entertainment culture.

The Emmys 1965

FOX, presenter of this year’s Emmys, selected SolarWorld’s solar panels to help power the television industry showcase that increasingly has featured green elements in FOX’s campaign “Green it. Mean it.” The many sustainable enhancements of the awards event will include carpet manufactured from recycled materials, energy-efficient lighting, and locally sourced and organically grown food. FOX believes this year’s red carpet pre-show will be the most visible eco-friendly event of its kind.

After the show, the solar panels will go on to star in a sequel role: SolarWorld and Fox will donate them to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization dedicated to “eliminating substandard housing by making simple, sustainable and affordable housing a matter of conscience and action.” The panels will serve 10-20 households while enabling Habitat for Humanity to provide better energy efficiency to hard-working, low-income partner families and individuals throughout greater Los Angeles.”The Emmys spotlight the tastes, trends and technologies which viewers nationwide are tuning into in their lives,” said Kevin Kilkelly, president of SolarWorld Americas. “This year’s show will mark the historical moment when solar power made its debut in American popular culture.”

Solar Technology Lifts Energy Options In Rural Kenya

Masayoshi Son Backs Renewable Energy In Japan

Posted on September 14, 2011 by quest

By Jay Alabaster – Japan’s richest entrepreneur outlined a plan on Monday to rebuild the country’s energy infrastructure in the wake of its nuclear disaster, shifting the majority of supply to natural, renewable resources by 2030. Masayoshi Son, founder and CEO of SoftBank, was speaking at the launch of his Japan Renewable Energy Foundation. He said Japan could shift to renewable energy sources for 60% of its electricity requirements over the next two decades, calling for a 2 trillion yen (£16.34 billion) “super grid” across the country, and underwater off the coast, that would zip electricity around cheaply and efficiently to meet demand.

“Japan is a country that is riddled by earthquakes,” Son said at a conference hall in central Tokyo. “We must minimise our use of nuclear power over the next 20 years.”The business icon spoke six months after an earthquake triggered a tsunami that ravaged a large portion of Japan’s northeast coast, flattening towns and triggering meltdowns at a nuclear power plant that supplied much of Tokyo’s electricity. The country’s power companies are still struggling to meet demand, and the government has vowed to lessen dependance on nuclear plants, though Japan has few traditional energy resources of its own.

He promised to invest in ventures that backed renewable energy and called for opening up the power industry to allow for more competition. More openness would lead to opportunities for new players like Son, who has made his fortune forcing his way into the formerly tightly run business realms of internet providers and mobile operators. The business leader has already invested 1 billion yen (£8m) of his own money to create the foundation, and announced on Monday that SoftBank would invest 10-20 billion yen in a new renewable energy business. Read the full article: SoftBank founder backs Japan’s shift to renewable energy

Why China And Europe Don’t Have A Solyndra Problem

Yingli Solar Joins GRID Alternatives’ Solarthon

Posted on September 9, 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,” announced today that its U.S. subsidiary, Yingli Green Energy Americas, Inc., is the Presenting Sponsor of Solarthon, nonprofit solar installer GRID Alternatives’ annual fundraiser that brings together hundreds of individuals, teams, solar job trainees, and corporate participants to install multiple solar energy systems in one day for low-income homeowners. The first of the five events takes place on Saturday, September 10th in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood in San Francisco.

“We’re pleased to have worked with GRID Alternatives to install over 250 projects for low-income families to date and are proud to be their Official Solar Module Provider,” said Helena Kimball, Head of Marketing Communications, Yingli Americas. “These unique Solarthon events are a great way to advance our mission to bring cost-effective solar power to the communities who need it most, while creating local job opportunities and growth.” “Every single GRID Alternatives home installation provides thousands of dollars in savings for working families and two days of on the job training for ten job seekers – and we average 15 home installations per week. Because of Yingli Solar’s support, we have been able to multiply this impact hundreds of times over,” said Erica Mackie, Co-Founder, GRID Alternatives.

As Presenting Sponsor and Official Module Provider of GRID Alternatives, Yingli Solar will supply solar modules for 50 participating families from neighborhoods in San Francisco, San Diego, Fresno, San Louis Obispo and Los Angeles during the five Solarthon block parties. The systems will eliminate more than 4,400 tons of greenhouse gas emissions and generate $1.3 million worth of renewable energy savings for families living on very low incomes. The sponsorship of these Solarthons is part of the collaboration between Yingli Solar and GRID Alternatives to install 1 MW of solar energy systems for 400 low-income families throughout 2011. These installations will create thousands of hands-on job training opportunities in PV installation while helping underserved families with immediate financial savings.

High Desert Cali City To Go Net Zero Using Solar Power

Solar Powered Farming Takes Root With Cali Growers

Posted on September 7, 2011 by quest

By Kate Campbell – With harvest in full swing, trucks laden with bell peppers, watermelon and onions unloaded at a rapid pace last week at Morada Produce near Linden. Crews washed and packed the produce into boxes before a chain of forklifts carried the market-bound food to coolers. Harvest activity is being played out across California right now, but there’s something different about Morada Produce: The company’s energy-intensive packing and cooling activities are costing a fraction of what electricity bills totaled in the past.

Skip Foppiano, owner of Morada Produce, pointed to a newly installed two-acre, 390 kilowatt solar energy system outside his office. The once-unpaved employee parking lot is now shaded by four canopies of solar photovoltaic panels that measure more than 40,000 square feet. The company spent nearly a year researching solar technology to determine the best system for its needs and carefully analyzed the investment decision to determine cost benefits and eventual payback. Foppiano said the new system supplies 60 percent to 70 percent of the energy needed for the farm’s packing and cooling activities.

Company owner Skip Foppiano said the system helps the company hedge against increased energy costs, is good for the environment and provides shaded parking for company employees. The solar energy is delivered from the onsite system when utility rates are at their highest, he explained. “Our family has been farming here since the Gold Rush,” Foppiano said. “We’ve always tried new technology to stay competitive. Solar helps us do that and it’s the right thing to do for the environment.” Foppiano said the farming operation worked very closely with Pacific Gas and Electric Co., county government and the equipment vendor to complete the project. An investment tax credit and historically low interest rates helped make the system “pencil out,” he said, adding that payback will take about nine years—or less—depending on future energy prices. An increasing

Hertz To Rent Electric Vehicles With BYD In China

Solar Adding Green Jobs Says US Labor Secretary

Posted on September 5, 2011 by quest

By Hilda L. Solis: IT IS time to dispel a myth. To paraphrase Mark Twain, the rumors of manufacturing’s demise are greatly exaggerated. In fact, manufacturing in America is not only alive, it’s thriving. America’s manufacturing industry is expected to grow by 6.2 percent this year, outpacing the overall economy. Last year, the auto industry’s Detroit Three of Chrysler, GM, and Ford gained U.S. market share for the first time since 1995. And this July, motor vehicle and parts manufacturing jumped by 5.2 percent over the year-ago month, a direct contributor to the increase in factory outputs of 0.6 percent that month.

Better yet, this industrial growth has spurred job growth. In July alone, manufacturers created 24,000 jobs. Since December, 2009, the manufacturing sector has created more than 289,000 jobs — more than 1 in 10 of all jobs created during our recovery. GM announced this summer that it is creating 4,000 jobs at 17 facilities, including at least 250 at its Powertrain plant in Toledo. It is investing $204 million there.

Solar at Work

In all sorts of industries, manufacturers are making investments that hold great promise for American workers and our economy. Pittsburgh Glass Works LLC is spending more than $85 million to set up a manufacturing hub that will retrofit a vacant 416,000-square-foot plant into a center that will create more than 260 jobs. Then, there’s the ripple effect. For every job created in the manufacturing sector, four to seven jobs are created in the broader economy. The auto industry supply chain now employs three times as many workers as auto companies themselves. This supply chain accounted for almost 3.5 million workers last year. This growth contributes to gains in other industries, from retail to hospitality to tourism. That’s good news for every small business near the Powertrain facility — from Craig’s Flowers & Gifts to The Original Gino’s Pizza on West Alexis Road… America working its way back

Plush Organic Dog Toys

Solar Technology Lifts Energy Options In Rural Kenya

Posted on September 4, 2011 by quest

South Korean electronics maker Samsung has launched a solar powered laptop in the Kenyan market with the capacity to run for 15 hours, nearly double the seven to eight hours lasting power of rivals. Korean electronics giant Samsung has launched a solar powered laptop in the Kenyan market targeting thousands of potential consumers currently locked out of the computer revolution by lack of electricity. Kenya, with a large rural population that is not connected to the national power grid, is among the few countries Samsung picked for the global launch that began last week. The Samsung Netbook NC215S lap top is priced at Sh35,000 and is also targeting consumers who are connected to the national electricity grid but suffer erratic power supply.

The solar-charged laptop is loaded with a front cover panel that captures energy from the sun and automatically recharges the battery. When fully charged, the lap top can run for up 15 hours – nearly double the capacity of its closest competitors that have seven or eight hours stand-by capability. “With Netbook NC 215S Samsung is demonstrating its capacity to bring to the consumers technology that satisfies their needs and takes care of the environment,” said Samsung Electronics East Africa Business Leader Robert Ngeru. The Korean firm is building consumer electronics and mobile technology for sub-Sahara Africa where it set a $10 billion revenue target by 2015. Samsung’s sub-Saharan Africa market is currently worth $1.23 billion.

Massai Traditional Dances

Launch of the Netbook NC 215S comes as Kenya’s four mobile telecoms firms, Safaricom, Airtel, Telkom’s Kenya Orange and Essar’s Yu have intensified their activities in the data market and are looking for affordable internet enabled devices such as laptops and mobile phone handsets to expand the number of data users. Growth of the data market is particularly critical to the long term survival of the telecom operators who have had to contend with steep decline in voice revenue in the past couple of years. Samsung is among the hardware vendors who have partnered with Safaricom in the laptops market. Available only in black, the netbook’s solar panel can also be used to charge a smartphone, MP3 player and other devices via its USB port, even when the PC is switched off or in power-saving mode. The Netbook NC 215S also features an ultra-portable and stylish design, weigh–ing just 1.3kg and featuring a slim display rim that is as thin as a finger.