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Energy Investment Forum – Austin January 25-26, 2012

1call — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:45:02 +0000

Investors and industry players from around the country connect to discuss the most important topics facing the energy sector.

The energy conference will host representatives from America’s foremost family offices, foundations, high-net worth individuals and other institutions as they network with the industry’s most innovative private equity firms, venture capital firms, and other investment professionals in the energy space.

Discussions on upcoming and current investment opportunities cover renewable energy investing, smart grids, oil and gas, green real estate, project financing, and other investment opportunities.
In light of our current geopolitical climate, this conference is a necessary forum in which energy experts can inform and collaborate with the nation’s largest institutional investors.

Registration Info

Solar Power International

1call — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:37:43 +0000

Just wanted to say thank you to all the companies that we got the opportunity to visit with at the Dallas Convention.

Jiangsu Bright Group Rolls Battery Engineering

Mage Solar Projects, Inc. Firestone Energy Solutions

Changzhou EGing Photovoltaic Technology Co., Ltd.

Wesco Distribution Topsun Co., Ltd.

SolarBridge Technologies SunEdison

Eopplly New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.

Azuray Technologies Tigo Energy

Contractors’ Commercial Architectural Products, Inc.

Emerson Network Power Skytron

HellermanTyton The PowerStore Ltd

Duro-Last Roofing, Inc. Legrand

Meridian Solar Soltage

Opti-Solar Solar Power Technologies

Raycap Inc. Draker Laboratories

Sonepar USA Kotra

Zhejiang Shinew Photoelectric Technology Co., Ltd.

Hansol Technics Co., Ltd. KPE Co., Ltd.

HC Solar IndoSolar Limited

HelioPower Eaton

SolarCity Morningstar Corporation

GLADCH China Solar Power Ltd.

Quanta Services Crown Battery

Moteck Electric Corp Enecsys Micro-Inverters

Bechtel Power Technology Contacts Quick Mount PV

Phoenix Solar Semiconductor Vacuum Group

Shinsung Solar Energy TrackerKing Solar

Solar Power International Dallas Texas

1call — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:15:45 +0000

Mark your calendar October 17-20, 2011, and get your attendee passes for the only Texas stop of Solar Power International industry tradeshow.
Anyone that is anyone will be at this show and business is getting done. This will be a historic milestone in Texas history
as the state could become one of the great solar powers in the world. The state has great sun resources and vast areas available
for utility scale projects.

The event being put on by the Solar Electric Power AssociationSolar and the Power Industries Association . The combined
resources are bringing first class sponsors and vendors to the show.

Visit the event website at http://solarpowerinternational.com and soak up a sunny future!!

Clean & Green Investment Forum

1call — Tue, 24 May 2011 05:39:09 +0000

Industry insider event coming up June 6, 2011 in San Francisco.

This event will cover the most important subjects within both Cleantech and Greentech. Investors will be educated on topics ranging from Algae, Biomass, and Solar to Wind, Hydro, and Fuel Cells.

This event is ideal for institutional investors, fund managers, and energy companies. In addition, academics, consultants, and energy associates are encouraged to attend.

Online Conference Info

How Wasteful the Older Generation Was..

1call — Thu, 12 May 2011 17:23:47 +0000

Author Unknown:

How Wasteful the Older Generation Was …

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. The woman apologized to him and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.”

The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment.”

He was right, that generation didn’t have the green thing in its day.

Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over.. So they really were recycled.

But she was right. They didn’t have the green thing in her day

Back then, they washed the baby’s diapers because they didn’t have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts – wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

Back then, they probably had no TV, or radio, in the house – not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen if they had one, the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn’t have electric machines to do everything for you.

When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, they didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she’s right, they didn’t have the green thing back then.

They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But they didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

The current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were just because they didn’t have the green thing back then? Consider the resources you used today and ask if you could reduce the demand in the future. Reducing consumption means lower costs for implementing solar and wind hybrid energy solutions. A triple play!

Japanese Nuclear Reactor Blows Up

1call — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:41:11 +0000

Japanese officials confirmed reports of an explosion at the Fukushima nuclear plant and the evacuation area was increased to 10 miles. This expanded buffer is probably not wide enough considering an open radiation release and constant trade winds. Tokyo is 160 miles away. Radio active levels are 1000 times normal around the plant. This nuclear plant is 100 times more powerful than Chernobyl and everyone knows how that turned out with huge cancer and deformed wildlife which continues to this day.

The situation is not made better by authorities saying the winds are westward so this will all blow out to sea. US scientists report the situation is under control but analysts are speculating that 1 or more cores could meltdown as cooling is still a problem.

Bryan Williams of MSNBC ran this video story with a video summary of the quake damage so far. MSNBC Coverage.

Stunning aerial coverage from a Japanese news helicopter. This video shows 12′ high water at the airport

Did this all start last week with the California event that resulted in a huge fish kill? USGS Earthquake site Earthquakes are steadily happening. This is a list just along the California region reports.

The area is known to be unstable. Stay tuned as trouble from more earthquakes in the 5-6 range continue in the region. We do not call a 5-6 magnitude earthquake an aftershock.

Tax Credit Extended Until December 31, 2011

1call — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:53:57 +0000

Good news has been reported by Reuters as President Obama signed legislation extending the 30% tax credit for certain renewable projects either completed or to be started. This is good news for our domestic industry because much of the work is labor and other things that cannot be imported. This is great for supporting solar and wind projects as the primary benefactors.

Read the full report at Reuters

Merry Christmas!

Get An Insulated Garage Door

1call — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 14:55:23 +0000

Ok, do not just go buy one however the next time you have to replace your garage door make the slight investment of getting an
unsulated garage door instead of a standard garage door. They are good sound barriers in addition to helping keep the elements out.
They work great for both hot and cold climate areas. We have seen some retrofit kits but really would not bother.

Check with your installer about the product they are selling you so you get qualified for tax credits for a home insulation improvement.

The federal tax credit is 30% of cost which means you could reduce your actual cost for the insulated door to below the cost of a plain garage door!

General info:

Any type of home qualifies.

Installation and labor costs are not included but since the doors contain the insulation you are paying for the doors to be installed not the insulation. Check with your installer and your CPA to see what else you are doing that might help lower your energy costs and help your budget.

Solar Screens

1call — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 16:01:07 +0000

Screens were intended originally to keep out bugs and were made of steel which rusted out. Screens are now made from vinyl and other materials that weather better especially in coastal areas where mosquitos and other biting flies prevail. Screens come in different decorator colors now to match the exterior which is nice so be sure to take advantage of color choice.

Screen installation is pretty easy with basic tools but the cost is also affordable when hiring a company that does glass or screen replacement. We were told that you can sometimes get a better price by using a glass company instead of a company offering screen repair but you will have to do your own checking on this area to see if the companies advertising solar screens do offer a better value.

Solar screens offer a decorative opportunity for improved energy savings.

What is LEED building all about?

1call — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:15:31 +0000

The construction industry has been evolving since cavemen walked the earth. Modern science has improved every aspect of building and new standards continue to evolve. LEED is one of the latest benchmarks of quality for construction projects.
The non profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), defines and governs the LEED standards.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Projects are rated and certified through an approval process governed by the Green Building Certification Institute at several levels. LEED certification for a project means more costs up front but less costs for the ongoing operation of a building. A common mosconception is
that a LEED certified building will have a zero carbon footprint. That would be nice but a LEED certification
tells everyone that the materials and processes meet the guidelines of LEED certification.

Extensive reading, studying and testing go into becoming LEED certified.
Read the History of LEED in 5 minutes here LEED Wiki
Read the USGBC information here www.usgbc.org
Read the GBCI information here www.gbci.org