SolarCity Provides Solar-Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Homeowners and businesses can install electric vehicle charging for as little as $1,500 with solar; Now more Americans than ever will be able to “drive on sunshine”, by charging their electric cars with solar power, and save up to 77 percent on fuel costs. SolarCity has partnered with industry pioneer ClipperCreek to provide electric vehicle (EV) chargers compatible with all new EVs. SolarCity will initially install ClipperCreek EV chargers through its 24 operations centers nationwide, making it the largest single provider of EV, solar and energy efficiency services in the U.S.

“SolarCity’s mission has always been to help homeowners and businesses adopt clean power while saving on energy costs,” said Lyndon Rive, CEO of SolarCity. “Electric cars are already among the cleanest-running vehicles on the road—charging them on solar makes them that much better. Tens of thousands of electric cars will be delivered over the next year alone, with hundreds of thousands expected over the next five years. We’re making it easier to power them with carbon-free electricity for zero emissions, and to dramatically reduce the cost of driving.”

Pricing for home or business installation of a ClipperCreek 240-volt Level II EV charger, including the charger, starts at $1,500. Charging at Level II is roughly five times faster than using a 120-volt wall outlet. For its solar and energy-efficiency customers, as well as those who wish to install EV chargers only, SolarCity can prepare a home or business to be EV ready even before delivery of an electric car.

Powering an EV with electricity generated from a home solar system can be 77 percent less expensive than powering a car with gas. An average San Francisco Bay Area resident paying the national average of $3.65 per gallon gas spends about $230 per month to fuel her gas-powered car. She’d pay $107 to power an equivalent-size EV with grid electricity, and, by leasing a solar system from SolarCity, only $54 to power the car with solar electricity for the same miles driven.

ClipperCreek pioneered EV charger safety features in the mid-1990s that have become the industry standard. Its UL-listed chargers are designed for use with the Chevy Volt, Ford Transit Connect, Nissan Leaf, Tesla Roadster and all SAE-compatible plug-In vehicles that are soon to be released from major and most new car companies.

“We are pleased to partner with SolarCity to help increase the number of homes and businesses that can run electric cars on renewable energy,” said Dave Packard, President of ClipperCreek, Inc. “Roughly 40 percent of residential EV owners have solar and we expect these environmental and economic benefits to expand with the coming proliferation of electric cars and increasing use of solar power.”

SolarCity installed the world’s first solar-powered enhanced electric car charging corridor, between Los Angeles and San Francisco, in 2009. The EV chargers, located at Rabobank branches along highway 101, support the new industry-standard J1772 protocol common to newer EVs.

SolarCity is also the North American distributor of EV chargers for Toyota Tsusho, which represents a public EV infrastructure of thousands of chargers.
http://www.solarcity.com/
http://www.clippercreek.com/

Cool Energy Receives Funding for Combined Heat and Power, joins Idealab Incubator

Cool Energy, Inc., a developer of clean energy power generation systems, today announced that it has joined the Idealab network of operating companies and received significant funding from Idealab.

Founded by Bill Gross in 1996, Idealab creates and operates pioneering technology companies. Based in Pasadena, CA, Idealab has created companies with breakthrough technologies in industries such as robotics, renewable energy, automotive design, search and Internet media and services, among others.

“Cool Energy’s technology is in a sweet spot for clean energy, enabling low-temperature waste heat recovery, and novel solar and biomass systems for distributed power generation,” said Bill Gross, Chairman and CEO of Idealab. “We are thrilled to be involved with a company that has the potential to make a real difference in the world.”

At the core of Cool Energy’s solutions is the SolarHeart Engine®, a low-temperature Stirling engine that creates electrical power from low-temperature heat sources. The main applications today are waste heat recovery (conversion of excess heat to electricity) and combined heat and power (CHP) systems for buildings and residences. In ongoing testing at a temperature differential of only 210ºC, the 3rd generation SolarHeart Engine has consistently produced 2000 watts of electric power, and reached a thermal to electrical conversion efficiency of over 16%. The 4th generation units are expected to produce up to 3000 Watts of electricity at temperatures up to 300°C, and larger units are in development

“Bill Gross and Idealab are great to work with,” said Sam Weaver, a founder and current CEO of Cool Energy. “They have years of experience in developing successful technology companies and have a complete understanding of renewable energy markets, and what choices are needed for solid growth and success."
http://www.coolenergyinc.com

* 11 investors have helped fund Cool Energy, according to an SEC filing made on Friday, July 15.

Nordex 52,5 MW Order in UK - Baillie - Statkraft

Nordex UK has obtained an order to supply 21 N90/2500 wind turbines. The customer is a joint venture company, majority owned by Statkraft, Europe´s leader in renewable energy. The 21 turbines are to be installed in the Scottish Baillie Wind Farm during August 2012. Statkraft has also signed a Premium Service Agreement with Nordex for five years.
Baillie Wind Farm is to be built near the north coast of Scotland so enjoys high average wind speeds over 9 m/s, requiring a robust machine certified for high-wind sites in accordance with IEC 1a. After raising the wind class suitability in the whole multi-megawatt product family, Nordex now offers the N90/2500 for these locations. "The N90/2500 is the most cost-efficient machine providing high wind yield at a tough site. In the UK and Ireland there are many invitations to tender for high-wind regions. This is why the IEC 1a certificate for the N90/2500 offers a major opportunity on the market," says Bryan Grinham, Managing Director at Nordex UK.
The Baillie Wind Farm was developed by Steven and Thomas Pottinger who remain partners with Statkraft and are developing further wind turbine sites in the area. To comply with the restrictions of 110 metres tip height, Nordex is setting up the 21 turbines on 65-metre towers. These are able to generate a yield of approximately 180 gigawatt hours a year, sufficient to meet the demand from some 39,000 British households.
"We are very pleased to be working with Statkraft for the first time. During the negotiations we showed once again that we are able to react flexibly to the complex requirements of a major utility. This is a good basis for future projects together," says Lars Bondo Krogsgaard, CSO Sales and Marketing at Nordex SE.
www.nordex-online.com

Opening of first tranche of 46 MW solar farm in Zerbst - Q-Cells and Getec

GETEC green energy AG, a member of GETEC Group and Q-Cells SE, one of
the leading photovoltaic companies in the world, will jointly realise
a 46 MWp solar plant. GETEC AG is the lessor of the complete land and
GETEC green energy AG is the investor of the first section of the
solar park, namely Zerbst I, amounting to a capacity of around 9 MWp.
This first section will be officially opened in Zerbst town in
Saxony-Anhalt today. Dr. Reiner Haseloff, Premier of Saxony-Anhalt,
symbolically turned on the switch to start the flow of electricity
generated from solar energy.

'The new solar power plant is 'Saxony-Anhalt pure'. It stands for a
climate-friendly energy supply in this State and for strengthening the
domestic solar and environmental sector,' Haseloff said during the
opening ceremony on the site of the former military air base in
Zerbst. More than 200 guests followed the invitation and were welcomed
by Dr. Karl Gerhold, spokesperson of GETEC Group.

The Zerbst solar park encompasses five sub-projects with a total
output of 46 megawatt-peak (MWp), making it one of the largest solar
parks in Germany. The first section, PV Zerbst I, has an output of
approximately 9 MWp. GETEC green energy AG commissioned Q-Cells for
the construction of the solar park.

The photovoltaic park is being constructed on the site of a former
military air base in the city of Zerbst, Saxony-Anhalt, with a total
area of 108 hectares. GETEC AG is the lessor of the land. With the
planned capacity of 46 MWp the Zerbst I-V solar park as a whole
corresponds to the annual demand of around 11,500 households (based on
average annual consumption of 4,000 kWh per household). Producing
climate-friendly solar electricity at this location reduces annual CO2
emissions by approximately 25,000 tons. The photovoltaic park is
slated for completion in September 2011.

GETEC green energy AG is a member of GETEC Group, which builds power
plants for the generation of energy from renewable sources. 'With the
solar park in Zerbst, we make a contribution to the transition in
energy supply already today. Not only is generating electricity from
renewable energy sources especially environmentally friendly, the
decentralised power production also makes us more independent of
global energy markets and saves natural resources,' so Chris Döhring,
CEO of GETEC green energy AG.

'We are pleased to realise the Zerbst solar park in cooperation with
GETEC. Not only are we prepared to implement the remaining
sub-projects, we can also provide long-term support for the solar park
as a whole,' said Nedim Cen, CEO of Q-Cells SE. 'The professional
planning, realisation and support of solar parks is amongst our core
competencies. In addition to our know-how, we count on our
high-quality solar modules for such tailor-made solutions.'

Q-Cells employs optimised, standardised system solutions for solar
parks in order to guarantee high electricity yields for the operator,
reduce the construction time and minimise ongoing operating costs. The
Zerbst solar park also follows this design principle. It took less
than two months to construct the first section.

Formerly used by the military, the air base in Zerbst is a good
example for the effective transformation of disused sites with a
sustainable usage concept, illustrating how unused areas are
reintegrated into nature and used for economically beneficial
purposes.

Cisco partners with Schneider Electric for Buildings Energy Efficiency

Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, announced at Cisco Live, Cisco's annual IT and communications conference, that it has teamed with Cisco to provide an innovative comprehensive energy management solution that monitors and manages energy consumption across all building domains. With this combined solution, building owners and managers, architects, contractors, and IT managers will now be able to optimize energy efficiencies and business operations to save energy.

Schneider Electric's comprehensive EcoStruxure(TM) active energy management architecture portfolio offers a single point of access that connects five domains of business expertise -- power, data centers, process and machines, building control, and physical security – all within an open and flexible technology framework. The EcoStruxure architecture integrates with Cisco EnergyWise(TM) embedded on the Cisco network infrastructure to provide a holistic building management solution, managing all energy-consuming building assets, such as HVAC, lighting, security and, for the first time, reduce energy waste generated from IT/IP assets, including PCs, phones, Catalyst switches, Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) endpoint devices and other IT devices.

With rising energy costs in buildings accounting for 42 percent of energy usage worldwide, there is an impetus to find ways of reducing energy consumption with these IP/IT devices within buildings and across the network.

"Looking for innovative ways to increase energy efficiency and enable business performance within buildings is what Schneider Electric does every day with thousands of customers worldwide," said Chris Curtis, president and CEO, Buildings Business, Schneider Electric. "Combining Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure architecture and Cisco EnergyWise provides organizations with the capability to go one step further and manage the energy consumption of IT/IP devices and PCs in the building management system domain for the first time. We are very excited about this opportunity and what our joint innovation will mean for reducing energy consumption in buildings across the globe."

For example, two schools in Europe used the combined solution from Schneider Electric and Cisco in a pilot project and are currently saving approximately 30 percent of their IT energy, resulting in an overall reduction of close to 6 percent of their overall energy spend. Delivering a rapid, measurable return on investment (ROI), the combined solution provides users with the ability to reduce overall IT operating costs by up to 30 percent and overall building costs by close to 9 percent; to meet regulatory and compliance mandates; and to accomplish corporate sustainability goals.
http://www.cisco.com/
http://www.schneider-electric.com/

Q-Cells Confirmed in 60 MW Solar Project in Ontario, Sponsored by Starwood Energy Group

Q-Cells, one of the world's largest photovoltaic companies, has been
issued a full notice to proceed with construction activities of a 10
Megawatt project as final part of a combined 60 Megawatt project in
Ontario, Canada. Q-Cells will implement this project on a turn-key
basis for Starwood Energy Group Global, LLC, a private investment firm
focused on energy infrastructure projects.

Investor of the project is Starwood SSM3, an affiliate of Starwood
Energy Group Global. The Starwood SSM3 project builds on the success
of Starwood SSM1, a 20MW AC project that came online in October 2010,
and Starwood SSM2, a 30MW AC project expected to be completed during
Q3 2011. The solar plant Starwood SSM3 is scheduled to be operational
by the end of 2011. Q-Cells acts as prime contractor as the company
already did in case of the two preceding projects and on top of that
delivers operations and maintenance services post-completion. The
combined 60 MW AC project, when complete, will be the second largest
in North America and among the largest in the world.

Starwood SSM3, once built, will provide power for up to 4,000 Ontario
homes, generating its power predominantly during the middle of the
day, a time of highest demand on the local power grid. The facility
will also reduce yearly carbon emissions by an amount equivalent to
displacing 1,900 cars and light trucks each driving 12,000 miles per
year or to planting more than eight million trees in Ontario's
forests.

'Our winning partnership with Starwood in Sault Ste. Marie
exemplifies Q-Cells' unique offering in blending its leading and
processes with local partnerships for the utility-scale market,' said
Marc van Gerven, Managing Director of Q-Cells North America. 'We look
forward to rolling out our market strategy and offering for the
commercial and residential markets with the same rate of success.'

'We are grateful to Q-Cells for their continued hard work on these
projects. We look forward to pursuing similar investments in the
Ontario renewable energy sector in the near future and applaud the
strong community and provincial support towards realizing a new green
energy economy in Ontario,' said Himanshu Saxena, Senior Vice
President of Starwood Energy.
www.q-cells.com

Nordex Commissions 150 MW Project in Colorado - Largest Project in Company History

Delivering on the potential that the American market holds for the
wind industry, Nordex USA, Inc. announced completion of the largest
project ever undertaken by Nordex Group. The 60 N90/2500 wind turbines
at Cedar Creek 2 are commissioned. The logistical challenges of
preparing and delivering a project of this size are significant. If
the blades and towers for the project were placed end-to-end, they
would stretch for 8 miles (13 km).

The wind farm, 20 miles north of New Raymer in Weld County in
northeastern Colorado, is jointly owned by BP Wind Energy and Sempra
Generation. The power produced by this 150 MW project, enough to
supply 45,000 American homes, has been purchased by Public Service
Company of Colorado, an Xcel Energy company, under a 25-year
agreement.

"We are pleased that BP chose Nordex turbines for Cedar Creek 2, one
of the largest projects in Colorado. Our relationship with BP dates
back to 2002 when Nordex first supplied turbines to one of their
refinery sites in the Netherlands," commented Ralf Sigrist, President
and CEO of Nordex USA, Inc. "As a growing global company it is
important for Nordex to build on its connections with existing
customers to continue our expansion in America."

The site's strong wind resource made it a perfect location for Nordex'
high-yielding N90/2500 wind turbine with 80 m tower height. Recognized
for its reliability, the machine is a stalwart in the company's
multi-megawatt Gamma generation – a proven product line with 11 years
of operating history and more than 1,500 turbines on the grid.

Nordex was responsible for the turbine supply and commissioning and
will continue to provide service and maintenance under a 5-year
contract. The mile-high altitude required some special adaptations,
including increasing the turbines' heat exchanging capacity.

Nordex has both completed and current American installations totaling
500 MW in several states, including Minnesota, Pennsylvania,
Wisconsin, Maryland, Iowa, and Idaho.
http://www.nordex-online.com

TXU Energy and SolarCity in $5M Solar Fund for Residential PV

TXU Energy and SolarCity, a leading solar and energy efficiency
provider, are expanding their partnership by establishing a $5 million
incentive fund to encourage and accelerate solar energy adoption in
Texas. The new solar fund will provide a $1,000 incentive for up to
5,000 new or current TXU Energy residential customers who sign up for
the solar offer.

The companies previously launched the first residential solar lease
offering in Texas in February 2010. The fund announced today is
available immediately in the Dallas, Fort Worth area and makes TXU
Energy's solar solutions even more attractive for interested
consumers.

"Our goal is to deliver innovative solutions that give customers more
choice and flexibility in managing their energy usage" said Jim Burke,
CEO for TXU Energy. "Through our partnership with SolarCity, the
national leader in solar services, we are making renewable energy even
more affordable to our customers"

TXU Energy and SolarCity's expanded partnership also offers a full
service solution that includes system design, financing, equipment,
installation, insurance, monitoring, warranty and a guaranteed amount
of solar power production.

Most customers will realize savings on their total monthly electricity
costs while adopting clean power and reducing their carbon footprint.

"By making solar more affordable, more homeowners are able to go
solar. Our solar offer is the best in the Texas competitive
marketplace, and as a full service solar provider, we provide
homeowners with unmatched service" said Lyndon Rive, CEO of Solar
City.

This is TXU Energy's latest in a string of innovations that help
customers better manage their energy use and control their electricity
expenses.
www.txu.com
www.SolarCity.com

PowerCost Monitor and People Power Help Homeowners Consume Less Energy

Blue Line Innovations makers of the proven PowerCost Monitor™, today announced a big step forward in choice and consumer engagement with their application partnership with People Power Company. The solution is live today and enables homeowners to see their real time electricity usage anywhere, anytime on iPhone and Android smart phones. People Power1.0 receives live data feeds every 32 seconds from the PowerCost Monitor™ WiFi Gateway, which is broadly available through Lowes, Amazon and other retailers.

Peter Porteous, CEO Blue Line Innovations, comments, “this is a huge step forward for consumers. As we know information is only the first baby step, what the consumer chooses to do with that information or what that data can enable in the home is the key. Early attempts such as the dashboards created by Microsoft Hohm™ or Google PowerMeter™ were terrific first steps but People Power1.0 takes the feature set and the opportunity for full family engagement to a whole new level. We have pioneered in this category since 2004, have over a 150,000 families using the PowerCost Monitor™ today and have terrific customer feedback and input. This partnership and mobile application really hits the mark”.

A full product overview and video can be found on the Blue Line website. People Power1.0 offers out of the gate today the following features with more layers to come;
• Real time energy use monitoring – now and trend charts. Real time rate structures are automatically loaded for the homeowner based on their specific utility or energy reseller.
• Energy Use Benchmarking – compare vs. others
• Set budgets and get recommendations. Track usage and progress against your own budget amounts and get real time alerts vs. end of month surprises
• Compete against friends – energy efficiency quizzes

“We are delighted to be partnered with Blue Line Innovations. We believe simplicity is key to a great customer experience and we love the fact that the PowerCost Monitor™ is proven and is easy to buy at any neighborhood Lowes. It's easy to install by anyone and does not require an electrician or an understanding of the breaker panel”, said Gene Wang, CEO People Power Company. "With People Power 1.0's easy set-up process on any Android or iOS device, customers are going to be excited about our Blue Line People Power solution to start managing their personal energy, anywhere, anytime” Porteous added, “this is another important step in bringing choice to our customer base. Our Blue Line strategy hinges on our unique and patent protected optical sensor. We are in the business of providing universal access to real time electricity data for both utilities and homeowners”.
http://www.bluelineinnovations.com
http://www.peoplepowerco.com

Consolidated Edison and Comverge Provide Energy Efficiency to New York City's Homeless Services

Comverge, Inc. (Nasdaq:COMV), the leading provider of Intelligent Energy Management solutions for Residential and Commercial + Industrial (C+I) customers, today announced it has partnered with Consolidated Edison Company of New York (Con Edison) to help New York City's Department of Homeless Services reduce energy cost by approximately $120,000 per year. By leveraging Comverge's intelligent energy management software and services, New York City's Homeless Services will be in a better position to achieve its energy efficiency goals, reduce daily energy costs, and become eligible for financial incentives. The new deal marks more than 7,200 customers that Comverge and Con Edison have partnered with to help reduce their energy consumption.

"Homeless Services is committed to conserving energy and investing in environmental efforts for New York City," said Todd Hamilton, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Facility Maintenance and Development for the Department of Homeless Services. "By partnering with Comverge and Con Edison, we were able to strike a balance of serving our clients while effectively managing energy."

Comverge and Con Edison worked closely together to design a program that helps Homeless Services facilities operate more efficiently; this program calls for facilities to install energy efficient measures to reduce energy use during times of peak demand. By securing rebate incentives and lowering use on unusually hot days, New York City' s Homeless Services is able to reduce daily energy usage and generate capital to offset operational costs without sacrificing the well being of those it provides services for.

"Comverge and Con Edison have a long history of helping the residents and businesses in New York save energy by delivering intelligent energy management products and services," said Chris Camino, executive vice president of sales and CMO, Comverge. "The flexibility of our solution allows us to turn our understanding of complex customer challenges into programs that fit specific needs. Whether it be a need to reduce cost and understand the profile of their energy usage or a desire to serve as an energy steward in the fight against global warming, Comverge and its utility partners deliver savings without sacrificing operations or comfort."

Wind Energy Foundation: Darlene Snow appointed Executive Director

Darlene Snow has been appointed Executive Director of the Wind Energy Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based organization founded in 2010 to educate the public about the benefits of wind power.

Bringing to the Foundation over 20 years of experience leading public education campaigns at several of the world's largest communications firms, Snow most recently headed up the Industry Affairs and Energy practices at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, where she created a number of award-winning campaigns as a senior vice president in the firm's Washington office.

Prior to Ogilvy, Snow led the technology practice at Edelman Los Angeles during the dot-com boom, working with a number of leading technology and Internet companies.

The Wind Energy Foundation is focusing in its first year on U.S. education programs, Snow said,. However, its scope is global, and the campaigns will ultimately be geared to reach an international audience. In addition to supporting research projects and wind education programs, the Foundation is a partner in WindMade™, a new labeling program for companies, facilities, and soon, products that source at least 25 percent of their electricity from wind energy.

"I am tremendously excited to take this opportunity to share the compelling story of how wind power is good for America," said Snow. "Having produced 35 percent of our nation's new electricity generating capacity during the last few years, wind energy is now a major player in the energy industry and enjoys tremendous public support, especially in communities powered by wind. What's exciting about the Foundation's education-centered mission is that the facts best tell wind's story. By educating the public on those facts and supporting research that will enable an ever-increasing body of information to come to light, the Wind Energy Foundation will provide an invaluable service—not only to wind energy—but to America and every country seeking to diversify into clean energy."

Virtually each stop along Snow's career has helped to make her an ideal fit for the executive director post. As a private consultant, Snow led several national initiatives for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Solid Waste. Earlier, she served as a national spokesperson on recycling and resource recovery programs at the National Solid Wastes Management Association. Snow began her career at Gershman, Brickner & Bratton (GBB), an environmental consulting firm specializing in solid waste project development. She has a B.S. degree in Environmental Resource Management from the Pennsylvania State University, where she served as president of the university EcoAction chapter.

"Darlene Snow brings a stellar combination of experience, skills and talents to the Wind Energy Foundation. As Executive Director, she will lead our campaign to educate America about the extraordinary benefits wind energy brings to the American people: homegrown and reliable electricity, jobs and economic development in every corner of the country, and a tremendous hedge against volatile fuel costs," said Don Furman, vice president of external affairs Iberdrola Renewables and chairman of the Foundation's board of directors.
http://windenergyfoundation.org/

Solar Impulse: Live return flight to Switzerland

All flight parameters live on:
http://www.solarimpulse.com/europeanFlights/google.php?id=23

http://www.solarimpulse.com/

Top 10 Green Giants 2011 - Greentech Media Selection

Greentech Media published its selection of top green giants for 2011 few months ago already.
The winners are:

1 - France
2 - ABB
3 - Samsung
4 - Waste Management
5 - NRG Energy
6 - DuPont
7 - Netflix
8 - Ford Motor Company
9 - Lockheed Martin
10 -Tata Group