Silverback Solar, a premier designer, manufacturer and distributor of watertight solar racking systems today rolled out FastRack™, the company's new line of 40 pre-engineered solar mounting kits. The FastRack™ suite provides a complete streamlined solution for solar installers making it easier to price, configure, and scale projects of any size in four easy steps. The kits work for a wide range of building and weather conditions, mount over roof obstructions and can handle high winds and snow loads. With breakthrough pricing as low as $0.36 per watt, FastRack™ makes adopting solar energy easier and more affordable for all types of commercial and public building installations, especially those with a lot of rooftop obstacles such as hospitals, schools, office buildings, shopping centers and industrial facilities.
"FastRack™ reduces the complexities of solar racking and provides our customers with an easy, scalable solution at a lower price," said Ryan Bruce, CEO of Silverback Solar. "FastRack™ is ideal for installers who want the Silverback quality, flexibility and watertight roof connections and the freedom to design, configure and price their own racking solution."
Compatible with any brand PV module, the FastRack™ line features Silverback's proven watertight connections ensuring all roof penetrations are completely leak-free. FastRack™ provides the benefits of stronger, longer spans, is lightweight and requires fewer roof penetrations.
"FastRack™ is an off-the-shelf scalable solution that lowers the cost of solar mounting with unmatched reliability," said Mr. Bruce.
The initial suite of kits is available for immediate delivery. Additional kits will be added to the FastRack™ line and available for purchase over the next several months.
About Silverback Solar
Based in Santa Cruz, California, Silverback Solar designs, manufactures and distributes engineered photovoltaic and solar thermal racking systems with proven watertight technology. With over 31,000 leak-free commercial roof attachment systems installed nationwide, Silverback is setting a new standard for value, quality and reliability. For more information, visit www.silverbacksolar.com or call 1-877-765-2759 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-877-765-2759 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
Silverback Solar is exhibiting at Solar Power International, Booth 1627 West Hall, Los Angeles Convention Center Oct 12-14, 2010.
SOURCE Silverback Sola
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Airstreams Renewables, Inc. Appoints Senior Energy Executive Karl W. Miller Chairman of Airstreams Board of Directors
Airstreams Renewables, Inc. (ARI) today announced the appointment of Karl W. Miller as Chairman of the Airstreams Board of Directors. Mr. Miller will serve as Chairman until December 31, 2011.
Mr. Miller has a long history in the global energy business and has held a variety of executive management positions within the United States, Europe and Asia. Mr. Miller is an energy industry expert with a focus on trading, risk management, power plant development and overall management of energy companies in the oil, natural gas and renewable sectors.
Mr. Miller has built, restructured and managed energy businesses for major public energy companies on several continents, including PG&E Corporation, Electricite de France, El Paso Energy, Enron Corporation and JPMorgan Chase.
Mr. Miller holds an MBA in Finance from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Mr. Miller also holds a B.A. in Accounting from Catholic University, located in Washington, DC.
Dave Schulgen, CEO of Airstreams, said, "We are very excited to welcome Karl Miller to chair our board as we continue with our growth plans. Mr. Miller has built a strong reputation in the energy industry that will help us continue to grow Airstreams to the next level."
About Airstreams
Airstreams Renewables, Inc. (ARI) offers safety and technical training solutions throughout the renewable energy sector that are focused on core skill sets designed to meet industry standard expectations for both entry level and advanced construction and service technicians. Courses are instructed by industry experts with over 200 years of combined experience in the wind and renewable energy industry. For additional information, visit our website at http://www.air-streams.com
Mr. Miller has a long history in the global energy business and has held a variety of executive management positions within the United States, Europe and Asia. Mr. Miller is an energy industry expert with a focus on trading, risk management, power plant development and overall management of energy companies in the oil, natural gas and renewable sectors.
Mr. Miller has built, restructured and managed energy businesses for major public energy companies on several continents, including PG&E Corporation, Electricite de France, El Paso Energy, Enron Corporation and JPMorgan Chase.
Mr. Miller holds an MBA in Finance from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Mr. Miller also holds a B.A. in Accounting from Catholic University, located in Washington, DC.
Dave Schulgen, CEO of Airstreams, said, "We are very excited to welcome Karl Miller to chair our board as we continue with our growth plans. Mr. Miller has built a strong reputation in the energy industry that will help us continue to grow Airstreams to the next level."
About Airstreams
Airstreams Renewables, Inc. (ARI) offers safety and technical training solutions throughout the renewable energy sector that are focused on core skill sets designed to meet industry standard expectations for both entry level and advanced construction and service technicians. Courses are instructed by industry experts with over 200 years of combined experience in the wind and renewable energy industry. For additional information, visit our website at http://www.air-streams.com
World Electrotechnical Experts to Discuss Energy Generation, Distribution, and Conservation at Open Session of IEC 2010 General Meeting
The United States National Committee (USNC) of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is pleased to announce that a free Open Council Session on Energy Generation, Distribution, and Conservation will take place on Friday, October 15, as part of the IEC 2010 General Meeting.
The 2010 General Meeting, the largest in IEC history, has brought together over 2,800 delegates from across the globe. More than 80 countries are represented at the events, including gatherings for 100 Technical Committees (TCs) and subcommittees (SCs). All told, over 400 meetings for these TCs, SCs, working groups, and more are being held over the course of the events, which began on October 6. Technical and policy discussions at the meetings will have a powerful impact on the electrotechnical community and its activities in international standardization.
The Open Council Session will take place on October 15, 2010, from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center (800 Convention Place, Seattle, WA 98101), Room 6B.
This free, open event features a keynote address from Dan Reed, Ph.D., corporate vice president of technology strategy and policy & extreme computing group at Microsoft Corporation. Following the keynote, a panel of speakers moderated by Frank K. Kitzantides, senior technology advisor at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and IEC vice president and chair of the Standardization Management Board (SMB), will discuss "hot button" issues including Smart Grid, alternative energies, and electric vehicles.
Discussion topics and panelists will include:
* Wind Energy: C. P. (Sandy) Butterfield, Chief Executive Officer, Boulder Wind Power; Chair, IEC/TC 88, Wind Turbines
* Resurgence of the Nuclear Option: Morgan Cox, Health Physicist, U. S. Department of Energy–Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Chair, IEC/TC 45, Nuclear Instrumentation
* Fuel Cells: Dr. Fumio Ueno, Technology Executive–Devices and Components Control Center, Toshiba Corp.; Chair, IEC/TC 105, Fuel Cell Technologies
* Wave Energy: Melanie Nadeau, Manager–Marine Energy, CanmetENERGY, Natural Resources Canada; Chair, IEC/TC 114, Wave, Tidal and Other Water Current Converters
* Solar Photovoltaic Energy Systems: Heinz Alexander Ossenbrink, Head of Unit–Renewable Energies, Institute for Energy, European Commission DG Joint Research Centre; Chair, IEC/TC 82, Solar Photovoltaic Energy Systems
* Smart Grid: Richard Schomberg, Vice President–Innovation Sourcing and Transfer, Electricite de France, Convener, IEC SMB Strategic Group (SG) 3, Smart Grid
* Smart Grid: Dr. George W. Arnold, National Coordinator for Smart Grid Interoperability, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
* E-Transportation: Ziva Patir, Vice President of Standards, Certification, and Compliance, Better Place
This event is open to the media; to gain press access to the world's foremost electrotechnical experts during this exciting series of events, contact Liz Neiman (eneiman@ansi.org; 917.650.3006 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 917.650.3006 end_of_the_skype_highlighting). Detailed press kits with background information about the event will be available on site.
For more information on the 2010 IEC General Meeting, visit www.iec2010.org.
About the USNC
The U.S. National Committee of the International Electrotechnical Commission (USNC/IEC) serves as the focal point for U.S. parties who are interested in the development, promulgation, and use of globally-relevant standards for the electrotechnical industry. The Committee is also engaged in the assessment of conformance to standards, undertaking work in areas such as testing, certification, and accreditation.
As the United States' representative to the IEC and many related regional standardization bodies, the USNC/IEC serves as a conduit to the global standards-setting community for technical and policy positions arising in the U.S. and brings issues from the global arena to the U.S. for review, consideration, and response.
The USNC/IEC is a totally integrated committee of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The Institute provides administrative support to the USNC and its nearly 1,400 U.S. managerial, engineering, scientific, and professional participants.
About the IEC
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the world's leading organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic, and related technologies – collectively known as electrotechnology. With full and associate member bodies representing 81 countries around the world, the IEC promotes international cooperation on all questions of electrotechnical standardization and related matters.
Some of the many technologies embraced by the IEC include electronics; magnetics and electromagnetics; electroacoustics; multimedia; telecommunication; and energy production and distribution.
The IEC also manages conformity assessment systems that certify that equipment, systems, or components conform to its International Standards.
The 2010 General Meeting, the largest in IEC history, has brought together over 2,800 delegates from across the globe. More than 80 countries are represented at the events, including gatherings for 100 Technical Committees (TCs) and subcommittees (SCs). All told, over 400 meetings for these TCs, SCs, working groups, and more are being held over the course of the events, which began on October 6. Technical and policy discussions at the meetings will have a powerful impact on the electrotechnical community and its activities in international standardization.
The Open Council Session will take place on October 15, 2010, from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center (800 Convention Place, Seattle, WA 98101), Room 6B.
This free, open event features a keynote address from Dan Reed, Ph.D., corporate vice president of technology strategy and policy & extreme computing group at Microsoft Corporation. Following the keynote, a panel of speakers moderated by Frank K. Kitzantides, senior technology advisor at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and IEC vice president and chair of the Standardization Management Board (SMB), will discuss "hot button" issues including Smart Grid, alternative energies, and electric vehicles.
Discussion topics and panelists will include:
* Wind Energy: C. P. (Sandy) Butterfield, Chief Executive Officer, Boulder Wind Power; Chair, IEC/TC 88, Wind Turbines
* Resurgence of the Nuclear Option: Morgan Cox, Health Physicist, U. S. Department of Energy–Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Chair, IEC/TC 45, Nuclear Instrumentation
* Fuel Cells: Dr. Fumio Ueno, Technology Executive–Devices and Components Control Center, Toshiba Corp.; Chair, IEC/TC 105, Fuel Cell Technologies
* Wave Energy: Melanie Nadeau, Manager–Marine Energy, CanmetENERGY, Natural Resources Canada; Chair, IEC/TC 114, Wave, Tidal and Other Water Current Converters
* Solar Photovoltaic Energy Systems: Heinz Alexander Ossenbrink, Head of Unit–Renewable Energies, Institute for Energy, European Commission DG Joint Research Centre; Chair, IEC/TC 82, Solar Photovoltaic Energy Systems
* Smart Grid: Richard Schomberg, Vice President–Innovation Sourcing and Transfer, Electricite de France, Convener, IEC SMB Strategic Group (SG) 3, Smart Grid
* Smart Grid: Dr. George W. Arnold, National Coordinator for Smart Grid Interoperability, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
* E-Transportation: Ziva Patir, Vice President of Standards, Certification, and Compliance, Better Place
This event is open to the media; to gain press access to the world's foremost electrotechnical experts during this exciting series of events, contact Liz Neiman (eneiman@ansi.org; 917.650.3006 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 917.650.3006 end_of_the_skype_highlighting). Detailed press kits with background information about the event will be available on site.
For more information on the 2010 IEC General Meeting, visit www.iec2010.org.
About the USNC
The U.S. National Committee of the International Electrotechnical Commission (USNC/IEC) serves as the focal point for U.S. parties who are interested in the development, promulgation, and use of globally-relevant standards for the electrotechnical industry. The Committee is also engaged in the assessment of conformance to standards, undertaking work in areas such as testing, certification, and accreditation.
As the United States' representative to the IEC and many related regional standardization bodies, the USNC/IEC serves as a conduit to the global standards-setting community for technical and policy positions arising in the U.S. and brings issues from the global arena to the U.S. for review, consideration, and response.
The USNC/IEC is a totally integrated committee of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The Institute provides administrative support to the USNC and its nearly 1,400 U.S. managerial, engineering, scientific, and professional participants.
About the IEC
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the world's leading organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic, and related technologies – collectively known as electrotechnology. With full and associate member bodies representing 81 countries around the world, the IEC promotes international cooperation on all questions of electrotechnical standardization and related matters.
Some of the many technologies embraced by the IEC include electronics; magnetics and electromagnetics; electroacoustics; multimedia; telecommunication; and energy production and distribution.
The IEC also manages conformity assessment systems that certify that equipment, systems, or components conform to its International Standards.
Platts Energy Podium: BOEM's Bromwich Defends U.S. Drilling Permits Handling
In advance of an expected announcement on the fate of the deepwater drilling moratorium, U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEM) Director Michael Bromwich Tuesday morning defended the Obama administration's pause in issuing new deepwater drilling permits, saying it was necessary, even though "real and substantial pain has been inflicted on people, particularly in the Gulf region." He made his comments at a Platts Energy Podium newsmaker event in Washington, D.C.
Bromwich delivered a report to U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar October 1 with recommendations on whether to end the moratorium early, but he did not say what was contained in the report.
Substantial progress has been made on breaking the backlog of shallow water permits, especially in the past few weeks, Bromwich told the Platts Energy Podium, a news briefing event hosted by Platts, a leading global energy and metals information provider. BOEM has redirected the efforts of 20 employees to reviewing shallow water permits.
Bromwich said that, as of September 28, only six permits had been issued, prompting drillers to accuse BOEM of enforcing a "de facto" shallow water moratorium.
That number has risen to 12 and only seven are pending, Bromwich said. Most of the new permits have come in since October 1, he added.
The director also said that U.S. oil and gas companies will likely have to provide more electronic data in real-time to federal regulators as part of a "major" overhaul of the government's offshore oil inspection program. The data would be collected as part of BOEM officials' efforts to prevent disasters like the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
"One of the things that have emerged from some of these investigations is that there is a need for more instrumentation on the rigs to provide real-time kinds of electronic data to us as the regulator," Bromwich said.
Bromwich and Salazar were scheduled to make a separate announcement about the drilling moratorium later in the day on Tuesday.
A recording of the Bromwich session is available via podcast at this link: http://platts.com/PodcastsDetail.aspx?xmlPath=EnergyPodium/energypodium.xml. You may be asked to complete a one-time-only cost-free Platts website log-in if you haven't filled one out previously. A video tape is expected to be available by Friday at this video link.
Hosted by Platts, Platts Energy Podium provides an ongoing forum for prominent newsmakers and the media to address important energy and environmental issues.
For more information on energy and energy policy, visit the Platts website at www.platts.com.
About Platts: Platts, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is a leading global provider of energy and commodities information. With a century of business experience, Platts serves customers across more than 150 countries. An independent provider, Platts serves the oil, natural gas, electricity, emissions, nuclear power, coal, petrochemical, shipping, and metals markets from 17 offices worldwide. Platts' real-time news, pricing, analytical services and conferences help markets operate with transparency and efficiency. Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies: Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a global information and education company providing knowledge, insights and analysis in the financial, education and business information sectors through leading brands including Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, Platts, and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2009 were $5.95 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.
Bromwich delivered a report to U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar October 1 with recommendations on whether to end the moratorium early, but he did not say what was contained in the report.
Substantial progress has been made on breaking the backlog of shallow water permits, especially in the past few weeks, Bromwich told the Platts Energy Podium, a news briefing event hosted by Platts, a leading global energy and metals information provider. BOEM has redirected the efforts of 20 employees to reviewing shallow water permits.
Bromwich said that, as of September 28, only six permits had been issued, prompting drillers to accuse BOEM of enforcing a "de facto" shallow water moratorium.
That number has risen to 12 and only seven are pending, Bromwich said. Most of the new permits have come in since October 1, he added.
The director also said that U.S. oil and gas companies will likely have to provide more electronic data in real-time to federal regulators as part of a "major" overhaul of the government's offshore oil inspection program. The data would be collected as part of BOEM officials' efforts to prevent disasters like the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
"One of the things that have emerged from some of these investigations is that there is a need for more instrumentation on the rigs to provide real-time kinds of electronic data to us as the regulator," Bromwich said.
Bromwich and Salazar were scheduled to make a separate announcement about the drilling moratorium later in the day on Tuesday.
A recording of the Bromwich session is available via podcast at this link: http://platts.com/PodcastsDetail.aspx?xmlPath=EnergyPodium/energypodium.xml. You may be asked to complete a one-time-only cost-free Platts website log-in if you haven't filled one out previously. A video tape is expected to be available by Friday at this video link.
Hosted by Platts, Platts Energy Podium provides an ongoing forum for prominent newsmakers and the media to address important energy and environmental issues.
For more information on energy and energy policy, visit the Platts website at www.platts.com.
About Platts: Platts, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is a leading global provider of energy and commodities information. With a century of business experience, Platts serves customers across more than 150 countries. An independent provider, Platts serves the oil, natural gas, electricity, emissions, nuclear power, coal, petrochemical, shipping, and metals markets from 17 offices worldwide. Platts' real-time news, pricing, analytical services and conferences help markets operate with transparency and efficiency. Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies: Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a global information and education company providing knowledge, insights and analysis in the financial, education and business information sectors through leading brands including Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, Platts, and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2009 were $5.95 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.
Air Transport Association to Participate in Fourth Annual Energy Day
The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, along with members of the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), are uniting today for Energy Day 2010.
This year's Energy Day, the fourth of its kind, will be a sustainability forum in which CEA affiliates, industry stakeholders and leading experts discuss how their respective sectors have advanced initiatives aimed at boosting energy efficiency, conservation and sustainability.
ATA participation in Energy Day provides another opportunity to highlight the airline industry's latest sustainability efforts. U.S. airlines remain committed to an ambitious list of goals to address climate change, including:
* Improving fuel efficiency by an annual average of 1.5 percent per year through 2020
* Achieving carbon-neutral growth from 2020 (subject to industry and government support for critical aviation infrastructure and technology)
* Reducing CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2050, relative to 2005 levels
"ATA applauds CEA for hosting Energy Day 2010, which continues to advance energy-efficiency, sustainability and conservation goals – goals that are shared by the airlines," said ATA President and CEO James C. May.
ATA member airlines have improved their fuel efficiency by 110 percent since the late 1970s – saving more than 2.9 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of taking approximately 19 million cars off the road each of those years. Additionally, ATA continues its role as a founding and leading member of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI), a consortium of airlines, manufacturers, airports, energy producers, researchers and government agencies dedicated to the development and deployment of environmentally preferred, affordable alternative fuels.
In conjunction with Energy Day 2010, CEA will be releasing its 2010 sustainability report, "Private Sector Leadership in Energy Efficiency, Conservation and Sustainability." This report outlines the need for sustainability to be incorporated into a rational energy policy, and advocates increased domestic energy production and greater use of renewable and alternative energy. The CEA report is available online at "Sustainability Report 2010: Private Sector Leadership in Energy Efficiency, Conservation and Sustainability"
CEA is a coalition of agriculture, manufacturing, trucking, airline (including ATA), small business, energy producers and municipal governments focusing on sustainability and promoting an "all of the above" approach in developing American energy security.
ATA airlines and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For additional information about the industry, visit www.airlines.org.
This year's Energy Day, the fourth of its kind, will be a sustainability forum in which CEA affiliates, industry stakeholders and leading experts discuss how their respective sectors have advanced initiatives aimed at boosting energy efficiency, conservation and sustainability.
ATA participation in Energy Day provides another opportunity to highlight the airline industry's latest sustainability efforts. U.S. airlines remain committed to an ambitious list of goals to address climate change, including:
* Improving fuel efficiency by an annual average of 1.5 percent per year through 2020
* Achieving carbon-neutral growth from 2020 (subject to industry and government support for critical aviation infrastructure and technology)
* Reducing CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2050, relative to 2005 levels
"ATA applauds CEA for hosting Energy Day 2010, which continues to advance energy-efficiency, sustainability and conservation goals – goals that are shared by the airlines," said ATA President and CEO James C. May.
ATA member airlines have improved their fuel efficiency by 110 percent since the late 1970s – saving more than 2.9 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of taking approximately 19 million cars off the road each of those years. Additionally, ATA continues its role as a founding and leading member of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI), a consortium of airlines, manufacturers, airports, energy producers, researchers and government agencies dedicated to the development and deployment of environmentally preferred, affordable alternative fuels.
In conjunction with Energy Day 2010, CEA will be releasing its 2010 sustainability report, "Private Sector Leadership in Energy Efficiency, Conservation and Sustainability." This report outlines the need for sustainability to be incorporated into a rational energy policy, and advocates increased domestic energy production and greater use of renewable and alternative energy. The CEA report is available online at "Sustainability Report 2010: Private Sector Leadership in Energy Efficiency, Conservation and Sustainability"
CEA is a coalition of agriculture, manufacturing, trucking, airline (including ATA), small business, energy producers and municipal governments focusing on sustainability and promoting an "all of the above" approach in developing American energy security.
ATA airlines and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For additional information about the industry, visit www.airlines.org.
Michigan Readies as the U.S. Prepares for Electric Vehicles
More than 5,300 home and workplace charging stations are planned to be installed in Michigan as the state prepares for the introduction of new electric vehicle technology. General Motors and its partners are teaming up to help give Chevrolet Volt buyers more options for charging their vehicles.
DTE Energy pledges to install 2,500 240V home charging stations for plug-in vehicles, and Consumers Energy is matching that pledge. The utilities will cover up to $2,500 of the cost of the charging station and installation. GM's Voltec 240 V home charging station is priced at just $490 plus an estimated $1,475 for installation. The city of Lansing Board of Water and Light will provide an additional 25 charging stations to its customers and by the end of 2011, General Motors plans to have almost 350 charging stations in place for employees at its facilities in Michigan, with more than 100 already installed.
In addition, more than 1,500 Chevrolet dealers across the U.S. plan to install charging stations for use by customers. This number includes nearly 650 dealers that will soon begin selling the Volt in retail launch markets and approximately 900 others across the country that are authorized to provide service.
More important than the total volume of charging stations is where they will be located, according to Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman, Global Product Operations. "Since our homes may soon be our fueling stations of the future we believe the most important way to make communities 'plug-in ready' is by enabling residential charging."
Most of these stations will be placed in consumers' garages, carports and driveways. A few will be strategically located, such as the two GM placed in front of its headquarters at the Renaissance Center at the building's entrance off of Jefferson Ave in Detroit. A total of 18 charging stations will be operational in and around the Renaissance Center within the next week.
"We think this opens up doors for those Volt owners who want to charge at work or who don't have a place at home to charge the car overnight. They'll be able to drive electrically when they can, and they can drive on gasoline when they need to," Stephens said in remarks at the Business of Plugging In Conference in Detroit on Tuesday. "We see these stations as an incentive to our employees to join the Electric Vehicle movement … and as a demonstration to other businesses to encourage their own employees to drive greener."
GM-installed charging stations for use by its employees in Michigan will include 34 at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly center where the Volt is built and 140 in the homes of employees driving early-build models for quality evaluation.
Many of the stations at GM facilities will be powered by renewable solar energy. The Detroit-Hamtramck assembly center already has 10 stations in place powered by photovoltaic systems from SunLogics Inc. Envision Solar International will provide its innovative Solar Tree® with EnvisionTrak™ system for use at the Warren Technical Center and Milford Proving Ground.
GM envisioned the need for public and workplace charging stations in 2007 when it formed a collaboration with DTE, Consumers Energy, the Electric Power Research Institute and more than 50 other utilities. Many of those utilities are or will be launching similar programs to help customers prepare for electrification.
Michigan is one of nine regions in the United States identified by the U.S. Department of Energy to lead the electrification movement. Free home charging stations provided by ECOtality and Coulomb Technologies will be available to 4,400 eligible Volt owners through a program funded by the DOE.
"We've put a lot of thought into the best way to enhance the electric vehicle experience," Stephens said. "We've focused on everything from vehicle-to-grid technical interfaces, codes and standards to leading consumer education and outreach."
In fact, the Society of Engineers-approved industry standard for charging equipment was led by a GM engineer. And GM's Opel subsidiary recently announced a vehicle-to-grid experiment in Germany involving a battery electric version of the Opel Meriva.
About General Motors – General Motors, one of the world's largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 208,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, FAW, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.
DTE Energy pledges to install 2,500 240V home charging stations for plug-in vehicles, and Consumers Energy is matching that pledge. The utilities will cover up to $2,500 of the cost of the charging station and installation. GM's Voltec 240 V home charging station is priced at just $490 plus an estimated $1,475 for installation. The city of Lansing Board of Water and Light will provide an additional 25 charging stations to its customers and by the end of 2011, General Motors plans to have almost 350 charging stations in place for employees at its facilities in Michigan, with more than 100 already installed.
In addition, more than 1,500 Chevrolet dealers across the U.S. plan to install charging stations for use by customers. This number includes nearly 650 dealers that will soon begin selling the Volt in retail launch markets and approximately 900 others across the country that are authorized to provide service.
More important than the total volume of charging stations is where they will be located, according to Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman, Global Product Operations. "Since our homes may soon be our fueling stations of the future we believe the most important way to make communities 'plug-in ready' is by enabling residential charging."
Most of these stations will be placed in consumers' garages, carports and driveways. A few will be strategically located, such as the two GM placed in front of its headquarters at the Renaissance Center at the building's entrance off of Jefferson Ave in Detroit. A total of 18 charging stations will be operational in and around the Renaissance Center within the next week.
"We think this opens up doors for those Volt owners who want to charge at work or who don't have a place at home to charge the car overnight. They'll be able to drive electrically when they can, and they can drive on gasoline when they need to," Stephens said in remarks at the Business of Plugging In Conference in Detroit on Tuesday. "We see these stations as an incentive to our employees to join the Electric Vehicle movement … and as a demonstration to other businesses to encourage their own employees to drive greener."
GM-installed charging stations for use by its employees in Michigan will include 34 at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly center where the Volt is built and 140 in the homes of employees driving early-build models for quality evaluation.
Many of the stations at GM facilities will be powered by renewable solar energy. The Detroit-Hamtramck assembly center already has 10 stations in place powered by photovoltaic systems from SunLogics Inc. Envision Solar International will provide its innovative Solar Tree® with EnvisionTrak™ system for use at the Warren Technical Center and Milford Proving Ground.
GM envisioned the need for public and workplace charging stations in 2007 when it formed a collaboration with DTE, Consumers Energy, the Electric Power Research Institute and more than 50 other utilities. Many of those utilities are or will be launching similar programs to help customers prepare for electrification.
Michigan is one of nine regions in the United States identified by the U.S. Department of Energy to lead the electrification movement. Free home charging stations provided by ECOtality and Coulomb Technologies will be available to 4,400 eligible Volt owners through a program funded by the DOE.
"We've put a lot of thought into the best way to enhance the electric vehicle experience," Stephens said. "We've focused on everything from vehicle-to-grid technical interfaces, codes and standards to leading consumer education and outreach."
In fact, the Society of Engineers-approved industry standard for charging equipment was led by a GM engineer. And GM's Opel subsidiary recently announced a vehicle-to-grid experiment in Germany involving a battery electric version of the Opel Meriva.
About General Motors – General Motors, one of the world's largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 208,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, FAW, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.
Friday, 29 January 2010
Energy Conversion Devices and Enfinity Corporation Announce Plans to Co-Develop 10 Megawatts of Rooftop Solar Projects in Ontario, Canada
Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD) (Nasdaq: ENER) and Enfinity Corporation today announced plans to collaborate on the development of a 10MW portfolio of rooftop solar installations in Ontario, Canada.
ECD and Enfinity will partner to co-develop a series of rooftop solar projects throughout Ontario, Canada under the province's new feed-in-tariff program. The companies expect to complete construction of approximately 10MW of projects during calendar 2010. ECD, through its wholly owned subsidiary, United Solar Ovonic, will provide a combination of UNI-SOLAR® photovoltaic laminates and its new PowerTilt™ product for the projects.
The rooftop installations will be on a number of different roofing materials, and ECD's new PowerTilt product is particularly well-suited for the Ontario market given its easy installation on any roof type, light weight, and higher energy production. ECD will also provide development equity during the construction phase of the projects.
Enfinity will lead the rooftop acquisition from its Ottawa office, and will arrange construction debt and take-out equity financing for the projects. Upon commercial operation, the projects portfolio will be sold to the permanent equity owners.
Mark Morelli, ECD's president and CEO, said, "We are pleased to announce this expanding partnership with Enfinity with the collaboration on this Ontario portfolio. Since announcing the Framework Agreement with Enfinity last year, thus far we have partnered on nearly 6MW of projects in Belgium and France that are being supplied by our roofing materials channel partners. This co-development approach in Ontario is a further example of our demand-creation strategy where we will partner on solar projects that have attractive rates of return for project investors. The Ontario Power Authority has demonstrated an impressive commitment to the promotion of renewable energy development and ECD intends to be a major player in the province in the years to come."
"We consider ECD to be one of our key global partners, and together we are moving quickly on this co-development effort," explained Rafael Dobrzynski, CEO of Enfinity Corp. "The feed-in-tariff structure in Ontario rewards investors with higher incentives for distributed rooftop solar and it is the objective of Enfinity to finance and develop projects that produce steady, predictable power for stable and secure investments. The UNI-SOLAR laminates are ideal, having proven capable of meeting our performance requirements given the environmental and climate variables of this region."
ECD and Enfinity will partner to co-develop a series of rooftop solar projects throughout Ontario, Canada under the province's new feed-in-tariff program. The companies expect to complete construction of approximately 10MW of projects during calendar 2010. ECD, through its wholly owned subsidiary, United Solar Ovonic, will provide a combination of UNI-SOLAR® photovoltaic laminates and its new PowerTilt™ product for the projects.
The rooftop installations will be on a number of different roofing materials, and ECD's new PowerTilt product is particularly well-suited for the Ontario market given its easy installation on any roof type, light weight, and higher energy production. ECD will also provide development equity during the construction phase of the projects.
Enfinity will lead the rooftop acquisition from its Ottawa office, and will arrange construction debt and take-out equity financing for the projects. Upon commercial operation, the projects portfolio will be sold to the permanent equity owners.
Mark Morelli, ECD's president and CEO, said, "We are pleased to announce this expanding partnership with Enfinity with the collaboration on this Ontario portfolio. Since announcing the Framework Agreement with Enfinity last year, thus far we have partnered on nearly 6MW of projects in Belgium and France that are being supplied by our roofing materials channel partners. This co-development approach in Ontario is a further example of our demand-creation strategy where we will partner on solar projects that have attractive rates of return for project investors. The Ontario Power Authority has demonstrated an impressive commitment to the promotion of renewable energy development and ECD intends to be a major player in the province in the years to come."
"We consider ECD to be one of our key global partners, and together we are moving quickly on this co-development effort," explained Rafael Dobrzynski, CEO of Enfinity Corp. "The feed-in-tariff structure in Ontario rewards investors with higher incentives for distributed rooftop solar and it is the objective of Enfinity to finance and develop projects that produce steady, predictable power for stable and secure investments. The UNI-SOLAR laminates are ideal, having proven capable of meeting our performance requirements given the environmental and climate variables of this region."
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