Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging A Reality

Posted on April 30, 2012 by quest

Evatran, the developer of Plugless Power wireless recharging technology for electric vehicles, will welcome EVS26 attendees at the Los Angeles Convention Center May 6th through May 9th. Plugless Power technology will be featured in booth #1115 and also at the Ride, Drive, and Charge event open throughout the four-day conference. Evatran will be showcasing its Plugless Power hands-free charging system on both a Nissan LEAF and a Chevrolet Volt at the event. Booth attendees can interact with automotive-quality components, witness the alignment process, and see object detection technology. Members of the Evatran team will also be available to answer visitor questions regarding the Plugless Power system and discuss integration considerations for automotive manufacturer production systems.

Evatran’s attendance at the EVS26 conference and exhibition follows the launch of its Apollo Trial Program, an initiative that encourages electric vehicle adoption through the trial of wireless charging technology. Prototypes used in the Apollo Program on LEAF and Volt vehicles will be on display at the Evatran booth. Evatran will also be promoting the next phase of its Apollo Trial Program, where select commercial partners can join Hertz, Google, and Duke Energy to trial wireless charging on their own electric vehicles.

Rebecca Hough, chief operating officer of Evatran, commented, “Interest in wireless charging is at an all time high in the electric vehicle market and we’re excited to unveil the current generation of our product at EVS26. Wireless charging is no longer simply about transferring power over a gap; the market is demanding seamless integration into vehicles, safety features, and the incorporation of a simple user interface. With design considerations for each of these requirements, Plugless Power will be showcased as the most production-ready technology available in the market.”

SunRun Invests $150 Million In Home Solar Systems

Solar Power Set For 20 Square Miles Atop LA Rooftops

Posted on April 29, 2012 by quest

The City of Los Angeles has more than 12,000 acres of prime space for solar development on the rooftops of local homes, businesses and multi-family buildings, with capacity to create as much as five gigawatts of clean, locally generated power, according to the Los Angeles Business Council. This massive amount of solar-ready rooftop space is equivalent to nearly 20 square miles. The recent approval by the LADWP to move forward with the city’s first Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) rooftop solar program – CLEAN LA Solar – provides the opportunity to create the first 150 megawatts of rooftop solar in the next three to four years, with a goal of reaching 600 megawatts by 2020. The program enables property owners to install rooftop solar and sell the power generated back to the LADWP.

How best to harvest power from the sun on the thousands of available rooftops right was the focus of the LABC 2012 Sustainability Summit on Friday, April 27 at the Getty Center.”This program will not only reduce our dependence on dirty fossil fuels, it will put LA at the center of the growing clean tech industry which means thousands of local jobs,” City Councilman Eric Garcetti said. “The 12,000+ acres of available rooftop space available for solar could generate as much as 5.5 gigawatts of power in Los Angeles,” said Jacob Lipa, LABC Chairman. “While getting to a 600 megawatt FiT only takes advantage of a fraction of the total capacity in the city, it’s a great start to encourage investment in the city,” he said. LABC President Mary Leslie put the value of the rooftop solar program into context:

“CLEAN LA Solar provides the opportunity to build the equivalent of hundreds, and potentially thousands, of local solar power plants in the heart of the city,” Leslie said. “With the enormous economic and environmental benefits a strong rooftop solar program can bring to the city, we should do everything possible to scale this program and be a national leader.” An LABC-sponsored study by UCLA found that a 600-megawatt FiT could result in 18,000 green jobs, spur $2 billion in investment, and produce long-term cost savings for businesses, ratepayers and LADWP. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa set a vision for a solar FiT in 2008 and has worked with LABC and other stakeholders to bring that vision to life. “Los Angeles has an abundance of both sunshine and ingenuity. By using our resources wisely, Los Angeles will become a long-term national leader in solar energy,” Villaraigosa said. “It’s important to move forward with a smart, responsible Feed-In Tariff to build a strong foundation for a program that will create jobs, help drive our economy, and get us to our renewable energy goals.”

Solar And Electric Cars Key To Cleaning California Air

Social Entrepreneurs Bringing Solar Solutions To Africa

Posted on April 27, 2012 by quest

Students from NYU Abu Dhabi were among the Hult Global Case Challenge winners. NYU Abu Dhabi’s solution focuses on creating a network of entrepreneurs and technicians who will sell and fix solar lamps in a sustainable way. Many Africans still rely on kerosene lamps for light. Hult International Business School (formerly known as the Arthur D. Little School of Management) is the first global business school with campuses in Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai, and Shanghai. The other two wiining teams are Carnegie Mellon and Hult International Business School . The winning teams were honored for their commitment to eradicating poverty at the Hult Global Case Challenge in New York City, hosted by Hult International Business and the Clinton Global Initiative. The three winning teams beat thousands of students from the world’s best business schools for a US$1 million cash grant and were honored by President Bill Clinton.

Started three years ago by Hult graduate Ahmad Ashkar, the Hult Global Case Challenge is the largest and most respected initiative of its kind. Harnessing the power of crowd sourcing, the Hult Global Case Challenge attracted students from 350 colleges and universities to provide solutions to the real challenges facing three NGOs. These are Habitat for Humanity, which builds affordable housing; SolarAid, which brings renewable energy to impoverished communities; and One Laptop Per Child, which provides low-cost computers to children.

Speaking in support of the winning team’s solution, SolarAid CEO Steve Andrews said: “Our goal is to eradicate the kerosene lamp from Africa by the end of this decade. That’s simply a huge challenge, which will only be possible with massive innovation. Having the top students from around the world competing to come up with great ideas for how we will do this is an extraordinary boost. It’s already changing the way we think and work.”Ahmad Ashkar, the founder and CEO of the Hult Global Case Challenge, said: “This initiative aims to revolutionize how we think about the world’s most pressing social challenges. With US$1 million in seed capital, students from all over the world have a chance to establish social enterprises that achieve real results.”

Washington, D.C. Gets Top Environmental City Ranking

Eco Friendly Travelers Growing Greener

Posted on April 20, 2012 by quest

Trip Advisor one of the world’s largest travel sites today announced the results of its eco-friendly travel survey of more than 700 U.S. travelers. The green travel trend is gaining momentum among TripAdvisor members, as 71 percent said they plan to make more eco-friendly choices in the next 12 months compared to 65 percent that did so in the past 12 months.

“Green initiatives are an increasing priority for hospitality businesses that are trying to reduce their environmental footprint,” said Jenny Rushmore, director of responsible travel for TripAdvisor. “Our survey shows that TripAdvisor travelers are interested in eco-friendly practices, but hungry for more information about which green plans and policies are actually in place.”

The travel survey found among other things that twenty percent of respondents said they would consider an “eco-tourism” trip but 17 percent said they are unfamiliar with such trips. Nearly a third of travelers (30 percent) would choose a destination for a trip because it is considered eco-friendly. And this was no surprise, Costa Rica is the most popular destination in the world for travelers interested in an eco-friendly trip. TIES a trade organization founded in 1990 has been dedicated to promoting ecotourism. It defines “ecotourism” is defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.”

Eco-Conscious Companies Are Growing on Job Seekers

Winning The Solar And Renewable Energy Race

What Green Jobs? These Green Jobs

Posted on April 19, 2012 by quest

Earlier this year Kellé McMahon is the CEO of The Green Science Academy wrote,”American companies, small companies, large companies, startups and mid-size companies all of which contribute to the growth and development of a new established emergent industry coined “the green economy.” The green economy encompasses many different aspects of the energy market sector. The United States has seen the largest growth in the solar market sector over the past two years. The industry has seen growth over 120% since 2006 (Engineering Magazine July 2010) and is experiencing a explosion of growth in the commercial residential sectors.”

Carol McClelland, PhD author and Founder of Green Career Central recently wrote -
Debunking Myths About Careers in the Green Economy, she says,” As we talk with people at networking meetings and our group calls, we hear them make assumptions about the Green Economy that aren’t true. They may have been true at one point, but times have changed. Are you holding yourself back from entering the Green Economy due to any of these assumptions?”

Now a new study from Environmental Entrepreneurs‘ report shows clean energy sector growing across country, industries could lead to 46,000 jobs in 42 states. Among other things the report says,”Manufacturing companies making everything from electric vehicles to solar panels and wind turbine parts announced 35 projects in the quarter that would create more than 10,000 jobs.” Read the article…

Solar Panels “Photosynthesis” Art In Milan Exhibit

Solar Roof Juice From Sungevity Goes Down Under

Posted on April 19, 2012 by quest

Oakland, California-based Sungevity and Australian solar company, Nickel Energy, today announced a joint venture partnership called Sungevity Australia that will provide Australian homeowners with the first ever pay-as-you-go solar option and introduce Sungevity’s innovative brand of online sunshine to the “land down under.” The new pay-as-you-go service, dubbed “RoofJuice,” broadens options for the burgeoning Australian solar market that until now, has been limited to an upfront, cash purchase model. The average cost of a five-kilowatt system (the average system size in Australia) is 12,000 Australian dollars ($12,400). Now, with the introduction of Sungevity Australia’s “RoofJuice” option, homeowners can purchase solar-generated electricity with no upfront cost, giving them instant savings on their utility bills. Sungevity Australia’s “RoofJuice” option will be available starting in late May 2012 and will incorporate the company’s brand assets and proprietary software tools, including the company’s remote solar design services.

Sungevity’s expansion to Australia marks the second global move by the company in less than six months, following an expansion to Europe in November 2011 through a partnership with Dutch Solar firm, Zonline. The company’s highly scalable model, rooted in the use of satellite and Internet technology to design rooftop solar arrays remotely, also enabled the company to simultaneously launch in five Northeast states in July 2011. Sungevity now has a presence in eight U.S. states – Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York – as well as the Netherlands and Australia internationally.

“We share a common vision with Nick Lake and his team, and we are excited to partner with them to introduce easy and affordable solar power to Australian homeowners,” said Andrew Birch, Chief Executive Officer, Sungevity, Inc. “Our move in to the Australian market is further proof that our business model is exceptionally scalable and that customers all over the globe are demonstrating the desire to get easy access to clean energy.””Sungevity’s innovative iQuote technology, coupled with a ground-breaking and disruptive pay-as-you-go model, will enable a new class of Australian customer to go solar,” said Nick Lake, Managing Director, Nickel Energy. “The introduction of Sungevity ‘RoofJuice’ will undoubtedly transform the Australian solar market, and we are excited about leading the way.”