HEADLINES

On Solyndra the buck stops with Secretary Steven Chu
Politico

First, Chu counseled with experts inside and outside the department, as well as senior aides, before deciding to grant the California solar company's application for a $535 million loan guarantee in March 2009, DOE spokesman Damien LaVera said in an ...
 
US Could Become Geothermal Leader By 2020
PC Magazine

By Andrew Webster According to a new study from Pike Research, in less than a decade the United States will be the global leader in producing geothermal energy. The report predicts that by 2020 America's geothermal output will reach 4.2 gigawatts, ...
 
Constellation Energy Begins Construction on Maryland's Largest Solar ...
MarketWatch (press release)

"Utility-scale PV solar is a clean, affordable source of renewable energy in many parts of the United States beyond the Southwest, where it is typically thought of." In February 2009, the Maryland Energy
Administration, in partnership with the ...
 
Need a new roof? Solar power's included
CNET

OneRoof Solar is offering a new twist on the solar lease: when you replace your roof, you can get integrated solar panels with no incremental cost. The company today announced it raised a $50 million series A round led by the solar arm of Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group. The company also said it has secured the funding to finance solar installations at residential customers.


Electric car maker Tesla drops bid for Energy Department loans
The Detroit News

Washington— Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk says the start-up electric vehicle manufacturer will not seek any additional Energy Department loans. In 2009, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company received approval for a $465 million low-interest government loan ...

Tesla Motors goes public, will partner with Toyota on all-electric RAV-4

Tesla Motors, the maker of a super-quick, long-range, all-electric sports roadster, began offering stock for sale on June 29. Tesla, which is based in Palo Alto, Calif., is the first American automaker to go public since Ford did more than 50 years ago.


Tesla, which goes by “TSLA” on the NASDAQ exchange, raised $226.1 million in its initial public offering, according to Wired.com. Its shares sold for $20.64 apiece as of July 16.

A Tesla roadster owned by Bill Clark of Maryland was one of the biggest hits at the first Solar and Wind Expo, which took place in May – especially for those persons lucky enough to go for even a brief spin in the car. The roadster can accelerate from zero to 60 in under four seconds.

In another recent development, Tesla and Toyota announced that they plan to revive an all-electric version of Toyota’s RAV4. The small SUV will combine the RAV4 body with a Tesla electric powertrain. Toyota manufactured an all-electric version of the RAV4 in the 1990’s, and a number of these cars were sold in California. An electric RAV4 owned by Robert Neighbour, a member of the Electric Vehicle Association of D.C., that he brought to The Solar and Wind Expo also drew many visitors and much attention.

The Solar and Wind Expo 2010: Large, interested crowds see cool exhibits, hear informative speakers – and ride Segways

It’s hard to believe it’s been a week since The Solar and Wind Expo 2010 wrapped up on a beautiful spring day at the Timonium Fairgrounds north of Baltimore. Throughout the three-day event, we saw large, steady crowds keeping the show’s vendors occupied, with attendees saying they were excited by what they saw and learned, and vendors commenting that visitors to their booths seemed well-informed and serious about renewable energy.

Among the highlights inside and outside Exhibition Hall:

• ATR’s innovative solar tracking device, where you could see, right before your eyes, several pole-mounted panels turning to face the sun from sunrise to sundown;

• The candy-red Tesla roadster that drew constant “oohs” and “ahhs” just sitting on the exhibition floor, and even more excitement when it left noiselessly for brief but thrilling rides, courtesy of owner Bill Harris;

• The numerous excited attendees zipping around on Segways, provided by SegZone;

• The many folks touring the Living Zero Home set up just outside the Exhibition Hall (by Daylight Solar) to get tons of energy-saving ideas, and checking out the solar-powered carport (Timber Rock) next to the home;

• The futuristic-looking Extreme Bug-E – a sleek, three wheeled electric motorcycle pulling a trailer covered with solar panels – that Charlie Garlow unveiled at the Expo and will drive across the U.S. in June;

• The visitors taking advantages of free rides to the Exhibition Hall in all-electric e-Cruisers;

• The steady flow of attendees checking out the powerful and sleek-looking Endurance wind turbine propeller prominently displayed by Atech Energy; Astrum Solar’s online calculator; Groundloop/A+ Solar’s combined wind, solar and geothermal exhibit; the Electric Vehicle Association of D.C.’s all-electric Toyota RAV-4; the U.S. Department of Energy’s informative exhibit; Green Rider’s snazzy collection of electric bikes and scooters; Viridian’s innovative model for buying renewable energy and getting off the grid; and the many other informative and interesting exhibits throughout the Expo.

The Expo was also fortunate to land three wonderful and gracious main speakers. Malcolm Woolf, director of the Maryland Energy Administration, in addition to giving a very informative presentation about Maryland’s extensive renewable energy activities (and participating in our press conference) stuck around for much of the afternoon, making himself available for the numerous folks who wanted to speak with him.

Our great keynote speaker, Mayor Bob Dixson of Greensburg, Kansas, kept a large crowd enthralled with the story of how his town was utterly devastated by a tornado three years ago, and then decided to start rebuilding as the first all-green town in America, with environmental stewardship as its guiding principle. It was one of the most inspiring talks we’ve ever heard (and one of the most inspiring people this writer has ever met), and any community or city that wants to become truly sustainable can look to Greensburg as a wonderful living laboratory and example. (For more information, visit www.greensburggrows.com.)

Paul Scott, vice president of Plug In America, first related the gripping story of how electric vehicles (EVs) such as General Motors’ EV-1, started catching on like wildfire in California in the late ‘90s, only to be squashed – literally – by the car manufacturers (also told in the documentary, “Who Killed the Electric Car?”). He then spoke of how the new generation of EVs, such as the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt and Tesla that are coming out now, are picking up where the EV-1 left off and paving the way for a transportation future based on renewable energy. California is already developing a network of charging stations where EV owners can recharge their vehicles, and other states are going to have to do the same for EVs to truly take off and reach their potential.

And last but certainly not least, let’s not forget the many informative, well-attended seminars – all given by experts – held throughout the Expo, such as “Solar 101,” “Wind Energy 101,” “Geothermal 101,” “Intro to Going Green,” “Green Building Design,” “Why Now is the Time to Go Solar” and “Will a Wind Turbine Work for Me?”

make green a reality!

http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/

Tesla unveils electric sedan with sky-high hopes
March 26, 2009 Camille Ricketts

Tesla Motors, still one of the major players in the electric vehicle game despite recent financial woes, has finally unveiled its hotly anticipated Model S sedan, slated to go on sale in late 2011. With a price tag of $50,000, the car is certainly more practical for prospective buyers than Tesla’s first submission — its $109,000 roadster (beautiful, but unrealistic in today’s economy). The San Carlos, Calif. company has clearly pinned its hopes on this new car to stabilize its finances and catapult it over its growing competition.

With Fisker Automotive countering it in the electric luxury car market (and just sealing a deal to sell cars on Tesla’s turf in Sunnyvale), and General Motors, Toyota, Nissan and other industry big boys planning to roll out everyday driving machines of their own, Tesla is finding itself surrounded on all sides after once leading the pack. In the next couple of years, the landscape will probably change radically, with all of these companies’ success depending on the development of electric car infrastructure, gas prices and the state of the economy.

Make green a reality!
www.TheSolarandWindExpo.com