Next Md. Expo set for May 13-15, 2011, plus two more possible next year

We've already started the renewable energy wheels turning for next year: The 2011 Maryland Solar and Wind Expo has been set for May 13-15, the weekend after Mother’s Day, like this year at the State Fairgrounds in Timonium.

And we're looking to take The Solar and Wind Expo to one or even possibly two additional locations next year to help further encourage the spread of renewable energy: the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, Pa., with a tentative date of June 10-12; and Northern Virginia, outside Washington, D.C., with that date yet to be determined.

Stay tuned to our newsletters and blogs for all the exciting news and details.

Attendees, exhibitors impressed by, get lot out of Solar and Wind Expo; Baltimore man wins electric scooter grand door prize

Attendees and exhibitors alike said they were impressed by and got a lot out of The Solar and Wind Expo, held May 7-9 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.

“I am so glad the Solar and Wind Expo came to Baltimore,” said Jillian Borchard, a healthcare practitioner from Owings Mills. “I went to all the booths and got ideas for how to make my house less dependent on fossil fuels.”

“I was real impressed,” said Elijah Clark of Bowie, Md. The Solar and Wind Expo “was very engaging, with great speakers such as Malcolm Woolf,” head of the Maryland Energy Administration, “and lots of great information on solar, wind and other topics – and all for only $10,” said Clark, a veterans’ green jobs specialist with the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. “You are definitely ahead of the curve and should stay there,” he added.

The Expo’s exhibitors, which included many Maryland as well as national companies and organizations, were also enthusiastic about the event. “This was the most successful show we have participated in this year,” declared Susan Fausnaught, an operations specialist at A+ Solar in Darlington, Md. “There were significant numbers of attendees who had already researched different products and knew exactly what they were seeking.”

“Astrum Solar was proud to sponsor the first-ever Maryland Solar and Wind Expo,” said Vadim Polikov, Ph.D., president of the Annapolis Junction-based company. “We were able to connect with hundreds of Marylanders interested in clean energy options during the event and educate many more on why now is such a great time to go solar.”

"The Solar and Wind Expo… was the best renewable energy show we have attended, declared Gary K. Sorrelle, a wind specialist with Atech Energy of Oxford, Pa. “We were very impressed with the quality of the attendees. They came prepared to learn about and to see the latest in renewable energy equipment,” Sorrelle said. “The show was well organized. It was obvious that renewable energy was the passion of the organizers. It was not 'just another show' being put on by a show promoter.” And Atech is already looking forward to next year’s show, Sorrelle concluded.

“The number of people attending the Expo was excellent and everyone was committed to going green,” said David Woolley-Wilson, executive director of the Green Building Institute, an environmental education organization based in Jessup, Md. “Going green is gaining momentum and this is a must-attend event,” Woolley-Wilson continued.

Paul Snyder of Baltimore also had to be very pleased by the Expo’s results. Snyder won the top door prize at The Solar and Wind Expo, a Motorino all-electric scooter from Green Rider, located in the Fells Point area of Baltimore. He plans to use the Motorino for tooling around the city and some commuting.

The 2011 Solar and Wind Expo will take place the weekend of May 13-15 in Timonium – and we’re already starting to look forward to it, too.

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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/

Why do we continue to ignore what is so obvious!

The huge, devastating oil spill in Louisiana, including a tragic loss of life among oil workers, has fouled thousands of square miles of water and is now threatening to do the same to the shore. Recently, 25 coal miners died in West Virginia in the worst mining disaster in decades.


The earth is bleeding oil, the sky is crying acid rain, and people and wildlife are dying because of our efforts to extract energy from it the hard way to let us maintain our modern lifestyle with all of its conveniences. What a waste, when will the public stand up against fossil fuels and start buying renewable energy products. Mother Nature has already given us the sun and wind to provide virtually all our power needs. And not only are they going to be much better for the environment and Mother Earth: Renewable energy manufacturing, installing, maintenance and related endeavors already are producing thousands of safe, well-paying jobs in the U.S. and could produce hundreds of thousands more while giving us a badly needed economic boost. It may sound corny, but solar is the new gold and wind is the new silver. Together – including other renewables such as geothermal, wave power and even biofuels – they could become an extremely valuable new energy currency.

Sadly, many other countries are realizing the vast potential of renewable energy much more than we are. In getting power from the sun, wind and other renewables, the U.S. lags behind (and in some cases far behind) nations such as Brazil, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Israel and China, to name a few. The largest nation on earth does continue to build many new coal plants for its current power needs. But it’s also going gang-busters with both large and small-scale wind and solar projects. China and these other countries realize that renewable energy and energy efficiency are the future.

The U.S. is taking steps to show that it’s seeing the light (literally) and jumping on the rapidly accelerating renewable energy train. President Obama, marking the 40th Earth Day at a wind turbine plant in Iowa, said that renewable energy will simultaneously create jobs, increase national security and help the environment. He declared, "The choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy -- it's a choice between prosperity and decline." Obama predicted, "The nation that leads the world in creating new sources of clean energy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy." We better hurry!!
(written by George Lopez and Alan Cohen)
make green a reality!

http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/

Forty years after first Earth Day, first Solar and Wind Expo ready to give renewable energy a boost

• Last week, we marked the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day, which helped create a groundswell of concern about our environment and initiate nearly countless efforts to take better care it, for current and future generations. Now, 40 years later, we’re looking at a new era in which renewable energy and energy efficiency can not only significantly better our environment and reduce our carbon footprint, but also save homeowners, businesses and governments billions in energy costs and make us more energy-independent.
  
  The first Solar and Wind Expo will help advance renewable energy in Maryland and the mid-Atlantic by connecting homeowners, businesses and government agencies with solar, wind and geothermal energy providers, all in one location. In addition, attendees will be able to learn about – and experience – renewable energy in many other ways at the Expo. Here’s a rundown of some of the many exciting things visitors to this innovative, three-day event will be able to do:
  
• See, touch and learn about solar, wind and geothermal energy devices directly from top manufacturers, and suppliers.
• Attend informative seminars all weekend long on solar, wind and geothermal energy, green building design, renewable energy financing and much more.
• Tour the “Living Zero Home,” an educational modular home that toured the U.S. last year, for great ideas on how to save energy and money.
• Hear keynote speaker Bob Dixson, the inspirational mayor of Greensburg, Kansas, tell how his town is rebuilding “all-green” after being devastated by a tornado just three short years ago, in May 2007.
• Let your children participate in the fun and educational “Solar and Wind Expo Renewable Energy Scavenger Hunt.”
• See electric vehicles, including the all-electric Tesla sports car and the Extreme Bug-E, a three-wheeled, solar/electric motorcycle, which is being unveiled at the Expo before crossing the U.S.
• Take home one of a number of great door prizes, including a nifty, all-electric Motorino scooter.
• Buy a ticket for a chance to win a $1.9 million solar home, a 2010 Honda Insight hybrid or a number of other wonderful prizes in Maryland Public Television’s “Green Home Raffle.”
• Catch a ride in an all-electric E-Cruiser from the parking lot to the Expo.

make green a reality!

www.thesolarandwindexpo.com

Maryland Energy Administration “Project Sunburst” grant “makes solar a reality” for Frederick County

(from Frederick County Government) –Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley notified the Frederick County Office of Environmental Sustainability on April 16 that the county has been selected to receive $500,000 to install solar photovoltaic systems on Oakdale and Linganore High Schools. The award was made from the Maryland Energy Administration’s Project Sunburst Initiative.

President Jan Gardner of the Frederick Board of County Commissioners noted, “We are delighted to receive this special award as part of our environmental sustainability program. Project Sunburst makes solar a reality for Frederick County. This is a huge step forward for our schools and our county, and moves us toward a promising future of reliable, affordable, clean energy for our citizens.”

In 2007, the County Commissioners set a strategic plan goal to reduce the county’s use of non-renewable energy in its office buildings, vehicle fleet and facilities by 50% over a 15-year period. Seeing Project Sunburst as an opportunity to meet that goal, the board directed the Office of Environmental Sustainability to assemble the Frederick County Sunburst Partners Team in January 2010. The team was comprised of partners from Frederick County Government, Frederick Community College (FCC), Frederick County Public Schools and the Frederick County Sustainability Commission.

In total, eight buildings were forwarded to the Maryland Energy Administration for consideration: Oakdale High School, Linganore High School, FCC’s Advanced Workforce Training Center, the Division of Utilities and Solid Waste Management Transfer Station, the Reich’s Ford Road Leachate Waste Water Treatment Plant, the New Design Road Water Treatment Plant, the Ballenger Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant and the Potomac River Pump Station.

Project Sunburst builds on Frederick County Public Schools’ ongoing energy conservation efforts. Recent projects include replacement of inefficient lighting systems and poorly insulated windows and roofs in many buildings, installation of a geothermal heat-pump system at the new Earth Space Science Lab and installation of solar panels to operate a portable classroom at Oakdale Elementary School.

The Lincoln Elementary School remodeling and expansion project, currently in the design phase, will be the first U.S. Green Building Council LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certified elementary school in western Maryland.
"We are pleased to partner with Frederick County Government in realizing energy savings in two of our high schools,” said Frederick County Public Schools Superintendent Linda Burgee. “The project will result in unique energy savings plus afford us an excellent opportunity to educate students and the public about alternative energy options and conservation."

The high schools were selected due to their large, new roof structures and high demand for electricity. Both schools use approximately 3,750,000 kilowatt hours per year.

The school system will enter into a long-term Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with a private solar developer where it will commit to purchasing clean, solar energy produced on-site. The solar developer will be responsible for materials, installation and maintenance of the project over the term of the agreement. The Sunburst grant provides the school system with upfront funding to be used in negotiating a rate for solar energy competitive with current electricity rates.

Project Sunburst utilizes American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to promote clean energy on public buildings in Maryland. The initiative makes installation of renewable energy systems a reality for local governments across the state.

For more information on the Maryland Energy Administration and the Sunburst initiative, visit www.energy.state.md.us/sunburst.asp.
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Ross Tyler, the MEA’s director of clean energy, will be one of many experts and officials giving free, informative presentations on renewable energy throughout The Solar and Wind Expo, taking place at the Timonium Fairgrounds May 7-9. Visit www.thesolarandwindexpo.com for details and discounted tickets.

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Paul Scott test drives the GM Volt and loves it!

Monday, GM's Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for the Volt, and Dave Barthmus, GM's communications director, invited a dozen Plug In America members to Dodger Stadium for what turned out to be an exciting test drive of the Chevy Volt. Coming hard on the heels of our Nissan trip, it's clear the leading car makers bringing back plug-in cars are serious about soliciting input from the people who have the most experience driving EVs. That's a good sign.

We started off with a thorough explanation of the car including the charge port and 120Volt cord set with the standard three pronged plug. Given that the battery pack holds 16 kWh, but only 8 kWh will be usable (this is to protect the longevity of the pack), Level one charging on a 120V should suffice for most folks. According to Dave Barthmus, Level two charging (240V) will be available, but it's not been decided whether this will come standard, or be an option.

To read the rest of this story go to Paul's Blog @ http://evsandenergy.blogspot.com/2010/04/chevy-volt-prius-killer.html

make green a reality!
http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/