Governor Rendell Welcomes European Home Energy Efficiency Leader, 300-Plus New Jobs to Philadelphia Navy Yard

Harrisburg – Governor Edward G. Rendell today welcomed one of Europe’s biggest home energy efficiency companies to its new home at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, saying the company expects to hire nearly 320 workers over the next three years as it expands on South Broad Street.

The Governor said the arrival of Mark Group, based in Leicester, United Kingdom, marks the latest positive development at the Navy Yard as it continues establishing itself as one of the nation’s leading hubs for innovation in the clean energy and energy efficiency fields.

“Helping consumers reduce their energy use is one of the best things we can do to help people and employers save money while improving our environment,” said Governor Rendell. “After all, the cheapest and cleanest energy is that which we don’t use. We’ve made great strides in the past eight years to help energy users do that, but the work being done here at the energy innovation hub and by Mark Group will take those efforts to an entirely new level.

“Mark Group’s decision to locate its U.S. headquarters here and become one of the first companies tied to the Department of Energy’s energy innovation hub is an excellent partnership. Each complements the other and each offers a host of great opportunities for the other,” the Governor said.

Since its founding in 1974, Mark Group has improved the energy efficiency of more than 2 million homes and the company says it installs more than 6,000 measures every week that help consumers save. The company’s debut in Philadelphia follows its recent opening of an Australian headquarters.

The company picked the Navy Yard with the help of the Department of Community and Economic Development’s international trade office, the Governor’s Action Team, as well as the City of Philadelphia, Select Greater Philadelphia, TeamPA Foundation, and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp.

“The creation of alternative energy sources is key to America’s economic future, and Greater Philadelphia is the nation’s hub of energy efficiency research and development,” said Mark Group U.S. CEO Jeff Bartos. “We are excited to launch our business from Philadelphia and to deliver energy efficiency upgrades to homes

throughout the nation, and we thank the Rendell administration for the state’s investment in our company.”

The Governor’s Action Team offered Mark Group a $3.28 million funding offer that includes a $2 million Pennsylvania Industrial Development loan, a $500,000 opportunity grant, a $638,000 job creation tax credit, and $143,550 from WEDnet, which is a workforce web portal that is devoted to advancing the training and education needs of workers and employers in Pennsylvania.

Since 2003, the Governor’s Action Team, or GAT, has successfully completed 56 projects in Philadelphia County. The projects account for commitments of 7,342 new and 20,125 retained jobs. The commonwealth has offered more than $192 million in funding to these projects, which will leverage nearly $1.2 billion in additional investment.

Statewide since 2003, GAT has successfully completed 1,188 projects, representing commitments for 130,000 new jobs and 300,000 retained jobs. The commonwealth has offered more than $2.2 billion in funding to these projects, which will leverage more than $16 billion in additional investment.

For more information on the Governor’s Action Team and Pennsylvania’s economic development opportunities, visit http://www.newpa.com/.

 

Also visit http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/

City General Services On-Target to Surpass Baltimore’s Empower Goal of 15% Reduction in Energy Use by 2015

Department of General Services (DGS) Director Theodore Atwood today announced that since 2006 Baltimore City has reduced overall energy use by 6.5% and is already on-target to meet and exceed the state’s Empower goals and those of the City’s Sustainability Plan. These goals call for a 15% reduction in energy use by 2015. In announcing the accomplishment, Director Atwood noted, “A part of this agency’s mission is to make Baltimore more sustainable and one of the ways we accomplish that is through energy conservation and efficiency. Because of this, we are on-target to meet and exceed the 15% energy use reduction by year 2015.” “The City will have a 20% reduction in energy use by 2015” the Director stated, which surpasses the goal.


The City has been working aggressively to reduce its use of electricity in city-owned buildings and from the base year of 2006 to now, have reduced energy use by 6.55% - which is nearly half of the required 15% reduction. The City is on course to reach a 12.9% reduction by January 2012; and by 2020, it will reduce energy consumption by over 30%.

The DGS Energy Division tracks and monitors the City’s use of utilities. This monitoring shows that the City’s use of electricity has gone down from 412 million kilowatt hours per year (kwhr/yr) in 2006 to 385 million kwhr/year now in 2010. This savings comes from energy conservation measures implemented throughout City government which include energy performance contracts and initiatives in City facilities, the use of renewable energy generated in-house at the methane gas-to-energy power plant at the DPW Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant, through cooperative utility buying through the Baltimore Regional Cooperative Purchasing Committee (BRCPC) and through use of BGE’s rebates and incentives such as the capacity reduction program.

A grant-funded project is currently under-way in 82 city buildings and libraries, which will install water conservation retrofits along with other energy efficiency improvements. Last month, the agency announced a project to begin in early November that will produce over a 20% annual reduction in energy usage in facilities and stations of the City’s Fire Department. Other upcoming energy saving projects that will help the City meet and exceed Baltimore’s Empower goals are the installation of solar panels at the Convention Center in Baltimore and new LED lights for the neighborhoods and parking garages.

Empower Maryland is a state initiative to reduce power consumption in Maryland by 15% by 2015.

To learn more about Empower Maryland or DGS energy saving initiatives, visit us on the web at Baltimorecity.gov.

Baltimore vet cuts energy bills with solar

On a ‘green’ mission last spring, a 62 year-old retiree living on a modest income in Baltimore found himself at the Solar and Wind Expo at the Timonium Fairgrounds in Maryland.

A disabled veteran, Paul Bennett was there searching for alternatives to deal with his increasing energy costs. His 125 year-old historic row home with three floors and 40 windows isn’t exactly cheap to heat and cool.

“It more than doubled over the last 15 years,” he says. “I realized I needed to be as energy efficient as possible.”

Baltimore resident Paul Bennett installed 14 solar panels

such as these on his historic row home with the help of a

state solar grant and federal tax credit through the Recovery Act.

 
Bennett and dozens of residents roamed the fairgrounds to learn as much as they could about installation costs and, more importantly, how much it would save them on their utility bills. The first-of-its kind event hosted scores of energy companies and the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) offering up information on incentives for renewable technologies.

There Bennett found out about the MEA residential Solar Energy Grant Program and a renewable energy federal tax credit through the Recovery Act.

Three months later—and after his reverse mortgage was approved—Bennett had 14, 175-watt solar panels installed atop his Mount Royal neighborhood home.

Solar saves green

The $2,860 solar grant from the MEA and a $1,500 federal tax credit helped Bennett pay for the installation, which took place in late July. The solar energy system cost him about $21,000 out of pocket. Already the retiree has saved almost $100 off both his August and his September electric bills.

“It was worth it,” he says. “It’s like I am doing something good for something larger than me, and I am reaping the benefits.”

The payback for his system, Bennett says, will be about 10 years. This is because he plans sell back some of the energy produced by the solar panels to the utility company via renewable energy credits, which could end up being about $1,000 in his pocket a year.

Recovering solar

Bennett is one of about 820 people or families in Maryland who have received a solar grant through the MEA’s renewable energy grant program—which includes solar, geothermal and wind— since fiscal year 2008, when its budget went from $600,000 to $2 million.

A year later, with support from the Recovery Act, that number jumped to $7 million.

“In terms of the residential side of things, it’s helped tremendously,” says Joe Cohen, a MEA clean energy research assistant who oversees the solar grant program. “We’ve gotten more applications because of the Recovery Act—and kilowatts installed.”

Residents can get up a $10,000 grant to install solar panels, but the average grant is about $4,000, Cohen says.

About $4 million of Recovery Act funds have been used so far for solar and about 3.7 MW of clean, solar energy have been placed on the grid, saving 4,440 MWh annually in the state.

“It s certainly helping the state meet it energy goals,” says Cohen, citing Maryland’s objective to have 20 percent renewable energy by 2022.

“And it’s keeping the resident solar sector healthy…We have seen quite few solar companies start up because of this program,” he adds.

Originally posted here http://www.energyempowers.gov/post/solar-energy-maryland.aspx
 "Make green a reality"
visit http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/

2011 Solar and Wind Expo plans move ahead

The Maryland show will once again be held indoor and outdoor at the Timonium Fairgrounds in the heart of the state of Maryland and the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan region. The Expo is easily accessible by car via Interstate 83, as well as the Maryland Light Rail and other public transportation, and offers ample free parking. Max Mosner, manager of the Timonium Fairgrounds made us all feel at home and his staff was excellent, next year's event should be even bigger.


This location provides companies and other organizations with a mission to encourage use of green technologies access to the hottest market in the United States. Not only is Maryland the wealthiest state in the union, it is ranked within the top ten greenest states. This market has both the desire to eliminate its carbon foot print and the financial means to do so.

The Solar and Wind Expo has again partnered with WBAL TV in Baltimore, the top ranked local television outlet (Nielsen), to serve as The Expo’s media sponsor. As part of the partnership, WBAL will be promoting The Solar and Wind Expo utilizing a combination of commercials and mentions on daily news programming for two months preceding the event. We have also secured Baltimore Magazine as our print sponsor. This effort will be supplemented by concurrent paid media on WYPR, the local NPR affiliate, and other well targeted media.

Valley Forge Convention Center

We are very excited to be working with Megan Tomlinson of the Valley Forge convention center, and she too, expressed her delight to see the Expo coming to King of Prussia. The Valley Forge Convention Center overlooks the picturesque, rolling hillsides of 3,600-acre Valley Forge National Historical Park, a place where natural beauty meets high-tech convenience. The Convention Center offers one of the largest exhibit space in Suburban Philadelphia with over 108,000 gross square feet of space. Great Space, Great location and great amenities.

It is very exciting to see the industry developing into a mature and diverse culture. Please join us at these game changing events devoted to the advancement of renewable energy. Our mission to educate the public will make a positive contribution to this important industry.

The first Maryland Clean Energy Summit was held at the Hilton Baltimore-Inner Harbor on October 4th

 The first Maryland Clean Energy Summit was held at the Hilton Baltimore-Inner Harbor on October 4th. The event was created by the Maryland Clean Energy Center in partnership with The Solar and Wind Expo to give leaders in the clean energy industry a forum to discuss the current status of the industry and recommend to government officials, the public and each other the best way to make Maryland a leader in clean and renewable energy.

"From the beginning we felt that Maryland was ready for this type of event, but we weren’t sure the industry would feel the same way. In late July, we began to reach out to sponsors, and with the first call we knew we had made the right decision: Sponsors were extremely gracious and excited that we were hosting such an event. Sponsor interest was amazing, with major players such as GE, Toyota, Lockheed Martin, Honeywell and the Reznick Group in right from the beginning. We also had over 55 companies and organizations exhibit, and more than 300 enjoyed the conference exhibits and awards banquet. We ended up with a full house a week before the event; these results exceeded our expectations and left us looking eagerly towards the second annual Maryland Clean Energy Summit and Awards." said George Lopez, Executive Director, The Solar and Wind Expo.

"Our next step is to look over this year’s agenda, venue and other components so we can work on perfecting next year’s Summit. Since this event was packed with so many exciting speakers and exhibits, we may stretch the Summit over two days, and we may also change its hours." Mr. Lopez added.

MARYLAND CLEAN ENERGY SUMMIT 2010

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4th

Baltimore Hilton Inner Harbor

REGISTER TODAY!

LIMITED SEATING! Don’t miss it!

You will want to be included in this gathering of thought leaders designed to elevate the clean energy debate in Maryland, and identify opportunities to grow businesses, create jobs, advance technology and benefit the environment!

Please visit http://www.mdcleanenergysummit.org/ to learn more!

Presentations, panel discussions and keynote speakers will focus on:

• Challenges and opportunities for project financing

• Cutting-edge research in clean energy technologies

• Opportunities to ramp up use of solar, wind and other renewable energies

• The burgeoning industry around electric vehicles and other clean transportation systems

• Conservation potential and business opportunities in Smart Grid

• New options for biofuel production and energy from biomass

• Superior energy management in the built environment

• Policy issues for clean energy ventures

Participants will identify options, issues and action strategies to produce winning outcomes for Maryland in the clean energy economy.

Speakers at Clean Energy Summit 2010 include experts from industry, academia and government with experience in the Mid-Atlantic, national and international energy markets:

• Robbie Diamond, CEO of Securing America’s Energy Future

• Bob Noun, Executive Director of External Affairs, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

• David Walls, California Building Standards Commission and implementer of the California Green Building Standards Code.

• Elizabeth Porter, Director of Corporate Energy Initiatives at Lockheed Martin

• Kevin Madden,VP of Sales, Honeywell

• Michael Mahan, Global Product Manager of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment at General Electric

• Katherine Hamilton, President of GridWise Alliance

• John Christmas, Senior Vice President of Hannon Armstrong, specializing in financing clean energy and energy efficiency ventures

Table space is available at the CONSUMER TRADE SHOW area which will be open and free to the public from 9 am to 9 pm.

Full day conference registration including the AWARDS BANQUET is only $295! Tickets can also be purchased for the banquet only for $150.

To register for Clean Energy Summit 2010, sign up for the summit’s newsletter

or get more information about sponsorship opportunities, go to http://www.mdcleanenergysummit.org/.

Maryland Clean Energy Summit October 4th, 2010

This conference brings thought leaders from industry, academia and government together to focus on the job creation and business development opportunities inherent in addressing the climate change challenge. Looking to the development of future technologies, policies, and finance - participants will identify options, issues, and action strategies to obtain winning outcomes for Maryland.


Morning panelists will build a foundation for change, covering the topics of energy as a national security concern, challenges of project finance and the policy landscape, as well as cutting edge research - some that is taking place right in Maryland! Afternoon breakout sessions and strategy sessions will be convened for conferees to participate in more in-depth discussions guiding the development of specific technologies. Topics include:

TRANSPORTATION

Getting from place to place is one of the most significant impacts on energy consumption and a large piece of the carbon footprint. Manufacturers are building the vehicles of the future! What will it take to adopt these new modes of transportation and how can we assure that we are ready for the ride?

RENEWABLES
Solar and wind power technologies are now mainstream for generation across the state but what will it take to truly ramp up capacity in the future? Panelists will examine supply chain challenges of sourcing panels; how private capital can pick up where incentives leave off; and engaging utilities in implementation of successful commercial scale projects. Qualifying installers, standardizing permitting and inspection protocols to mitigate permitting delays, and driving consumer demand are also on the agenda for this track.

ALTERNATIVE FUELS & BIOMASS
Fuels for heating, and various modes of transportation are now being developed with feed stocks that avoid the “food versus fuel” issue. How can Maryland agriculture and forestry feed stocks contribute and add value for farm operations? What feed stocks will we find for energy in waste management, and is algae the only biotech solution under development?

ENERGY MANAGEMENT & THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Energy consumption will be managed differently in the homes of the future, power distribution and security will be controlled by a Smart Grid, and distributed generation could be a game changer. As we move beyond green building technologies and towards new advancements, how can Maryland lead the way?

Consumer Trade Show Exhibits will be open to the public throughout the event.

For More Information contact MCEC at (301)738-6280 or George Lopez at (410)761-1752