All Our Patents Belong To You – By Elon Musk, CEO

Posted on June 23, 2014 by QuestPoint

Recently, there was a wall of Tesla patents in the lobby of our Palo Alto headquarters. That is no longer the case. They have been removed, in the spirit of the open source movement, for the advancement of electric vehicle technology.

Tesla Motors was created to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport. If we clear a path to the creation of compelling electric vehicles, but then lay intellectual property landmines behind us to inhibit others, we are acting in a manner contrary to that goal. Tesla will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology.

When I started out with my first company, Zip2, I thought patents were a good thing and worked hard to obtain them. And maybe they were good long ago, but too often these days they serve merely to stifle progress, entrench the positions of giant corporations and enrich those in the legal profession, rather than the actual inventors. After Zip2, when I realized that receiving a patent really just meant that you bought a lottery ticket to a lawsuit, I avoided them whenever possible.

At Tesla, however, we felt compelled to create patents out of concern that the big car companies would copy our technology and then use their massive manufacturing, sales and marketing power to overwhelm Tesla. We couldn’t have been more wrong. The unfortunate reality is the opposite: electric car programs (or programs for any vehicle that doesn’t burn hydrocarbons) at the major manufacturers are small to non-existent, constituting an average of far less than 1% of their total vehicle sales.

At best, the large automakers are producing electric cars with limited range in limited volume. Some produce no zero emission cars at all.

Given that annual new vehicle production is approaching 100 million per year and the global fleet is approximately 2 billion cars, it is impossible for Tesla to build electric cars fast enough to address the carbon crisis. By the same token, it means the market is enormous. Our true competition is not the small trickle of non-Tesla electric cars being produced, but rather the enormous flood of gasoline cars pouring out of the world’s factories every day.

We believe that Tesla, other companies making electric cars, and the world would all benefit from a common, rapidly-evolving technology platform.

Technology leadership is not defined by patents, which history has repeatedly shown to be small protection indeed against a determined competitor, but rather by the ability of a company to attract and motivate the world’s most talented engineers. We believe that applying the open source philosophy to our patents will strengthen rather than diminish Tesla’s position in this regard.

Organic Transit Powers West

Posted on October 4, 2013 by QuestPoint

Organic Transit, manufacturer of the ELFpedal/electric vehicle, is moving to a larger facility in Durham and opening a West Coast manufacturing center in San Jose. Organic Transit has outgrown the old retail furniture store where it began in 2011 in downtown Durham. The new location, located just a few blocks away near Durham’s Central Park District, is 7,500 square feet, much more appropriate than the present location. The company will use sustainable design in the building renovation and implement a higher-volume manufacturing process.

The company builds the ELF, a pedal and solar electric powered vehicle.”We love the old building, and it was perfect for getting us into business,” said Rob Cotter, Organic Transit Founder and CEO, “But like Henry Ford realized 100 years ago, we need more room for a proper assembly line to increase our productivity.” “We will utilize recycled and upcycled materials in our build out. And the building is being prepared with skylights, LED lighting, edible gardens, green walls and bee hives.”

Organic Transit is also opening a San Jose manufacturing facility in partnership with Good Karma Bikes, a non-profit that trains homeless individuals to become bicycle mechanics. Cotter said the San Jose location will also be a base to make local deliveries of vehicles and act as a regional maintenance facility.

Solarthon Brings Solar Power to the People

Posted on September 20, 2013 by QuestPoint

MCE (Marin Clean Energy), a program offering cleaner energy choices for electric customers in Marin County and the City of Richmond, sponsored GRID Alternatives’ largest installation event earlier this of the year at the May 8^th annual Bay Area Solarthon.On September 7, 2013 solar panels were installed on the roofs of more than 8 low income homes in Richmond’s Iron Triangle. The Solarthon community installation event is, a fundraiser and solar block party that brings together hundreds of people including individual fundraisers, corporate sponsors, job trainees, community leaders and the homeowners themselves to install multiple solar systems in one neighborhood in a single day.

The funds raised at the Solarthon event are used to further support GRID Alternatives’ work to bring clean, affordable energy and hands-on solar installation experience to families and workers that need it most. Participants get hands-on experience installing solar with and for local families.

MCE offers its customers 50 percent renewable energy, more than twice that offered by PG&E, at affordable rates and also has one of the best Net Energy Metering programs in California. “The Solarthon event aligns with our mission and goals to provide local clean energy alternatives and demonstrates our commitment to environmental and community sustainability,” said Dawn Weisz, Executive Officer of the Marin Energy Authority, which administers MCE. “We’re pleased to support this event and GRID Alternatives as another way to foster community control, workforce development and renewable energy in Richmond.”

Portland Mayor Welcomes SoloPower

Posted on October 2, 2012 by QuestPoint

SoloPower, the San Jose, California-based leader in high efficiency, lightweight, and flexible thin-film solar cells and modules, recently announced the grand opening in Portland, Oregon of its high-volume manufacturing (HVM) facility. The event marked a significant milestone in the company’s plan to make solar energy the primary source of power for commercial and industrial buildings worldwide, and in its ability to meet demand for its unique solutions. SoloPower was joined at the ceremony by Portland Mayor Sam Adams who toured the state-of-the-art manufacturing floor with local and state elected officials, company executives and customers. “Oregon’s manufacturers are playing a key role as we add jobs back to Oregon,” said Governor Kitzhaber. “With the opening today of this high-volume manufacturing facility, we mark a significant milestone for SoloPower and for advanced manufacturing in Oregon.”

“Portland congratulates SoloPower on the grand opening of its operations here, which are ultimately expected to employ 450 people. We have worked proactively and collaboratively to nurture the success of our local industry of which SoloPower is a growing part,” said Mayor Adams. “Portland benefits when we help maximize the global competitiveness of local businesses. SoloPower is creating living-wage jobs in a vital sector of our economy, a sector that is helping to establish Portland as one of the most sustainable economies in the world.”

SoloPower‘s lightweight, flexible SoloPanels and proprietary installation systems revolutionize the rooftop solar integration process, making solar energy easy and cost effective for nearly any commercial and industrial building. The company’s suite of solar solutions optimizes energy performance on a variety of roofs in a range of climates with diverse sun exposure conditions. Non-penetrating installation systems make it simple to remove and reinstall SoloPower‘s solutions, enabling installation on older roofs not yet due for a reroof and substantially expanding the market beyond new and reroof applications. Due to their very low profile on rooftops, SoloPower‘s solutions provide an unparalleled ability to withstand wind, opening additional segments that could not utilize solar energy in the past, particularly in areas susceptible to storms, such as Japan.

“The opening of SoloPower‘s state-of-the-art HVM facility in Portland increases our capacity to meet the energy demands of the world’s commercial and industrial buildings, which consume 40% of global electricity,” said Tim Harris, CEO, SoloPower. “Both we and our customers are very excited: It’s a huge market, our unique solutions expand that market, and now we have the ability to serve our customers who are looking for an easy-to-install, predictable, and cost-effective solution for their energy needs, no matter their continent.”

SoloPower‘s operations in Portland are ultimately expected to have a capacity of 400MW.

Why Electric Cars Are Our Future

Fans Get Charged During Ball Game

Posted on September 20, 2012 by QuestPoint

The City of San Francisco, the San Francisco Giants, ChargePoint and ABM, a leading provider of integrated facility solutions, unveiled four new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at AT&T Park. The stadium is the first ballpark in California to offer public access to Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations, a next-generation technology that can charge an EV in four hours, or about the length of a baseball game.“Our San Francisco Giants lead the division in wins, and have now beefed up their environmental batting average by having the division’s first up-to-date EV-ready stadium”

According to the San Francisco Department of the Environment, San Francisco now boasts a total of 110 charging stations at 42 locations across the city — more charging stations per capita than any other city in California.“San Francisco is the Innovation Capital of the World and the EV capital of the world, because we have focused on building the infrastructure needed to make electric vehicles a viable choice for the public,” said Mayor Ed Lee. “The installation of charging stations at AT&T Park, and another 100 on public property for all to use throughout San Francisco, will help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create a more sustainable environment, while creating jobs.”

“Our San Francisco Giants lead the division in wins, and have now beefed up their environmental batting average by having the division’s first up-to-date EV-ready stadium,” said Melanie Nutter, Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment. “Supporting new EV infrastructure provides ease and accessibility to electric vehicle owners and is part of our ongoing commitment to making San Francisco the most sustainable city.”ABM installed and will maintain the charging stations, and is offering the public free EV charging at the AT&T Park stations throughout the week of September 17-21. For availability or to locate other charging stations check out ChargePoint’s online tools and mobile applications. ABM has installed over 100 ChargePoint EV charging stations throughout Northern California and ChargePoint is the largest online network of independently owned charging stations operating in more than 14 countries.

The charging stations mark another sustainability milestone for AT&T Park, which in 2010 became the first Major League Baseball park to receive LEED Silver Certification for Existing Buildings, Operations and Maintenance.“AT&T Park’s sustainable features, including solar panels, energy-efficient concession stands – and now the EV charging stations – not only have a positive impact on the environment, but also enhance the fan experience at the ballpark,” said Alfonso Felder, senior vice president of facilities, who oversees ballpark operations for the Giants. “Giants fans will now have a quick and convenient way to charge their electric vehicles while they enjoy a baseball game.”

$10,000,000 Offered For Solar Innovation

Solar Energy Innovations In San Francisco

Posted on June 29, 2012 by QuestPoint

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s new environmentally sustainable headquarters building at 525 Golden Gate Avenue, designed in joint venture by KMD Architects and Stevens Architects, provides a poster-child of sustainability innovation for urban office buildings, and reflects the mission of the PUC as a provider and manager of water and energy for San Francisco. All told, 525 Golden Gate in comparison to similarly-sized office buildings features 50% less of a carbon footprint, uses 32% less energy, and consumes 60% less water.The 13-level, 277,511 gross-square-foot, $190 million SFPUC headquarters building is one of the greenest urban office buildings of its kind, bringing together in a modern, contextually-designed office tower some of the most innovative new technologies at the forefront of building design.

“What better organization than a major municipal power and water agency to create one of the most advanced buildings in green design in the U.S.,” said David Hobstetter, Principal of KMD.“Our intent from the beginning was to create the most energy-efficient office building developed in an urban setting in the United States to date,” said Ryan Stevens, KMD’s Director of Design. “Many of these features are uncommon in buildings today, but will be commonplace in years to come.”

A wind turbine tower on the north facade, solar panels on sunny exteriors, sun-shading and other techniques combine to make the building one of the most power-efficient anywhere, using 32% less energy than similarly-sized office buildings. The integrated, hybrid solar array and wind turbine installation can generate up to 227,000 kilowatt hours per year or 7% of the building’s energy needs. A state-of-the-art raised flooring system incorporates the building’s data and ventilation infrastructure and reduces heating, cooling and ventilation energy costs by 51%. Daylight harvesting that bounces sunlight at appropriate amounts into workspaces saves electricity and minimizes artificial lighting, and enhances worker productivity. Other techniques include automatic shut-off sensors after hours for lighting and work station equipment.