Lights Camera Food… Farmers Going To LA

Posted on May 30, 2012 by quest

The second Food Dialogues event, June 20-21, 2012. Four separate discussions – held over two days – will bring together entertainment movers and shakers, chefs, academics, large restaurant operators, journalists, local leaders, farmers and ranchers for an in-depth conversation about food. All panel discussions taking place at the event entitled, “Lights, Camera, Food: Perceptions and Realities of Farming and Ranching in America,” will be available online (either live streamed or taped) at www.fooddialogues.com.

“We are pleased to bring this type of conversation to the forefront in a pivotal location like Los Angeles,” said Bob Stallman, chairman of USFRA and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “We chose Los Angeles because of the influence the region and its opinion leaders have on popular culture and trends that affect the entire nation – including how we view our food. These in-depth discussions will not only move the conversation forward about how food is grown and raised, but it will also give those in the agricultural industry the opportunity to learn more from consumers and their needs and expectations for the food-growing industries.”

USFRA will announce the full list of panelists prior to The Food Dialogues events in Los Angeles. Two of the four panel discussions will stream live online on both Wednesday, June 20 and Thursday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. PDT, providing opportunities for farmers, ranchers and the general public to register to watch and participate in the discussion online.

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Intersolar North America Focusing Energy Storage

Posted on May 30, 2012 by quest

Intersolar North America will feature a close look at advanced energy storage and its impact on renewable energy generation. Intersolar North America, the premier solar industry exhibition and conference in North America for solar professionals to exchange information and develop business opportunities in the U.S. solar market, returns to San Francisco July 9-12, 2012 for its fifth year. Co-located with SEMICON West, the event is expected to draw approximately 900 exhibitors and more than 22,000 registered visitors from more than 80 countries to provide a true global perspective of the solar industry.

This year, Intersolar North America features a new special exhibit that promotes innovative energy storage technologies. PV Energy World, located in the Moscone Center, North Hall will offer expert presentations on energy storage and grid integration. The informative exhibits and display boards will stimulate discussion among visitors. As the North American solar industry matures, energy storage has emerged as a key technology to optimize renewable energy generation. Storage enables greater flexibility for the power grid, thus accelerating the deployment of affordable solar energy. The successful commercialization and integration of new energy storage technologies promises to help boost the capacity of solar projects, ease concerns over grid strain and bring more large-scale plants online.

Janice Lin, Executive Director of the California Energy Storage Alliance said,”Energy storage offers the solar industry the opportunity to bring several goals to fruition, including faster grid interconnection, more precise timing of output, fewer curtailment and imbalance penalties, and the potential to secure valuable new revenue from wholesale ancillary services and capacity markets. Advanced  energy storage is poised to have a huge, positive impact on the solar industry in California and beyond, and the storage industry is very excited to see Intersolar North America cover this formative topic in such depth at this year’s conference and on the exhibition floor.”PV Energy World is supported in part by the California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA), an advocacy coalition committed to expanding the role of energy storage to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy. CESA counts storage technology manufacturers, renewable energy component manufacturers, developers and system integrators among its members, and this year marks the first time Intersolar will partner with CESA.

Manitoba Hydro Place LEED Platinum

Russian Students On Global Energy Adventure

Posted on May 29, 2012 by quest

The Energy of Adventure, organized by the non-profit partnership Global Energy, announced in Moscow that two young Russians have won a round-the-world trip to discover the most interesting energy-related stories of the planet. The two researchers, Maria Khromova, a young Muscovite engaged in the power industry, and Egor Goloshov, a future economist from Zlatoust will be taking a trip around the world to 21 countries over a period of three months. The project Energy of Adventure, instituted by the non-profit partnership Global Energy, got under way last November with a nationwide contest. Every day Egor and Maria will share with the global community their power industry impressions and findings, and their small adventures through social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.

“Travelling around the world is always an interesting experience. I have been given this unique opportunity to tell the world about the most important energy-related discoveries, and it’s no secret that the power industry is an integral and key part of the economic stability of any country. I plan to use this unique material to write a scientific paper,” said Maria. Egor Goloshov began to think about energy conservation back in school. Egor has a special interest in renewable sources of energy such as tidal, wind and solar energy. Egor is currently a student enrolled in the Moscow Higher School of Economics. “I have always been aware that traditional sources of energy are running out. I am truly elated that I have been given the honour to tell people all over the world about what are definitely important problems in the modern-day power industry. I will do everything in my power, and even more, to meet the challenges entrusted to me under this project,” Egor pledged.

The main purpose of Energy of Adventure is to draw attention to contemporary global and local energy issues and inspire people to ponder over possible solutions. The president of the non-profit partnership Global Energy, Igor Lobovsky, commented: ” These are real steps and real efforts. This is why talented young people will be crisscrossing the globe in a bid to draw valuable experience from people, companies and authorities in the most far-flung corners of the planet. This is a great opportunity and also an onerous responsibility.”Interest in this unique project has been tremendous, with about 49,000 applications submitted from people in 50 cities across Russia.

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Solar Gets Net Metering Support In California

Posted on May 25, 2012 by quest

By Annie Carmichael We won! Thanks to the 60,000 of you who showed support for net metering, California will continue to be increasingly powered by the sun.

Yesterday, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously voted to give more Californians access to net metering credit for solar power. The 5-0 vote will protect this important solar consumer right for tens of thousands of California homes, schools, businesses and public buildings.
Net metering makes sure solar customers get fair credit on their utility bills for the valuable clean power they put on the grid for others to use (watch this video to see how net metering works). This important solar policy has already delivered tremendous benefits to California: supported 25,000 solar jobs, driven $10 billion in private investment in the state’s clean energy industry, given thousands of homeowners, schools, water districts, industrial users, and cities control over their electricity bills, and installed 2 natural gas plants worth of valuable peak solar power generation that our utilities won’t have to build and you won’t have to fund.

There is still work to be done to iron out the details of the long-term net metering program so that solar can continue to shine – and we hope you’ll continue to help us along the way.

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Solar Impulse Journeys To Morocco

Posted on May 24, 2012 by quest

As reported here back in 2010 and in 2011 the Solar Impulse is a plane worth keeping your eye on. Yahoo News is reporting that Solar Impulse took of this morning on it’s 1,554-mile journey to Morocco. The objective of the Solar Impulse is to demonstrate what we can do with existing technology in terms of renewable energy and energy savings,” project co-founder and pilot Andre Borschberg said last year.

A solar energy plane made the world’s first international flight powered by the sun yesterday to show the potential for pollution-free air travel. “The objective is to demonstrate what we can do with existing technology in terms of renewable energy and energy savings,” project co-founder and pilot Andre Borschberg said. Borschberg believes such solar-harnessing technology can be used to power cars and homes. “It is symbolic to be able to go from one place to another using solar energy,” The Solar Impulse project began in 2003 with a 10-year budget of 90 million euros and has involved engineers from Swiss lift maker Schindler and research aid from Belgian chemicals group Solvay. San Francisco solar company   SunPower announced it is providing solar cells to the Solar Impulse project which requires 12,000 solar cells.

With an average flying speed of 70 km/h, Solar Impulse is not an immediate threat to commercial jets, which can easily cruise at more than 10 times the speed. Project leaders acknowledged it had been a major challenge to fit a slow-flying plane into the commercial air traffic system. This is the first transcontinental flight for the aircraft which is expected to the city of Rabat next week. A larger prototype is scheduled to fly around the world in 2013.

Topaz Solar Farms The Worlds Largest To Date

Trendsetting Tesla Rolling Out Model S Electric

Posted on May 24, 2012 by quest

Tesla Motors one of the trend setters in the electric vehicle industry will begin delivering Model S, the world’s first premium electric sedan, to customers on June 22nd. Several customers will receive their cars that day at an invitation-only event at the Tesla Factory in Fremont, California. In its Q1 financial results communicated earlier this month, Tesla announced Model S would begin deliveries ahead of the July timeframe originally communicated.“In 2006 our plan was to build an electric sports car followed by an affordable electric sedan, and reduce our dependence on oil,” said Elon Musk, Tesla Motors CEO and Chief Product Architect. “Delivering Model S is a key part of that plan and represents Tesla’s transition to a mass-production automaker and the most compelling car company of the 21st century.”

Model S is the first premium sedan designed from the ground up to take full advantage of electric vehicle architecture. A revolutionary powertrain sits under the floorboard of Model S, creating an ultra-low center of gravity. Paired with an aluminum body engineered for superior handling, Tesla has created a vehicle that will raise the bar for vehicle handling and efficiency while meeting the highest standards for safety.

Without an internal combustion engine or transmission tunnel, the interior of Model S has more cargo space than any other sedan and includes a second trunk under the hood. Model S seats five adults and two children in optional rear facing seats and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 4.4 seconds. The interior features a 17” in-dash touchscreen with internet capabilities, allowing for streaming radio, web browsing and navigation. With the most energy-dense battery pack in the industry and best-in-class aerodynamics, Model S has the longest range of any electric car in the world. Model S comes with three battery pack options to fit the unique needs of different drivers. The Model S test-drive events will begin rolling out to select North American cities in July.