Getaround Selected as Official Transportation Partner for Smart Energy International Summit in San Francisco October 24-26, 2011
Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing Service to Provide Tesla Roadster for Smart Grid VIPs
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – October 5, 2011 – Smart Energy International Summit, to be held at the Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, from October 24-26, 2011, today announced that Getaround has been selected as the event’s official transportation partner. Getaround, a peer-to-peer car sharing service, will provide a zero-emission Tesla Roadster shuttle service for conference speakers and sponsors and an on-site kiosk where conference attendees can instantly rent other available vehicles using http://www.getaround.com.
Hosted by Spintelligent, Smart Energy International is the only international industry conference series where all smart grid stakeholders gather to discuss the strategic future of the energy industry from the perspective of utilities. Whether one is a newcomer to, or a veteran in, the world of smart energy and utilities, attendees gain insights at this event that are essential to the future of smarter energy use. Summit attendees will meet more than 500 senior industry professionals from regulators, IOUs, municipalities, technology vendors, industry bodies, and key executives in smart home, EV and energy storage. To register, please visit: http://www.
“By providing privately-owned cars as rentals, and an electric-powered Tesla Roadster as our VIP shuttle, Getaround is showing us all a tangible example of what companies must do to improve the way the world consumes resources and energy,” said Mark Walker, VP North America for Spintelligent, the company behind Smart Energy International.
“Car sharing helps reduce emissions, traffic and our dependence on fossil fuels and costs – initiatives that are particularly important to energy industry workers – which makes the Smart Energy International Summit the perfect opportunity for peer-to-peer car sharing,” said Sam Zaid, CEO of Getaround. “We’re proud to be supporting the transportation needs of the attendees as the Summit’s official partner.”
About Getaround
Getaround specializes in providing a seamless, peer-to-peer car sharing experience with proprietary smartphone and in-car technology that empowers users to easily and safely share vehicles. For as little as $3 an hour, members can conveniently rent nearby cars by the hour, day, or week, and save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on auto payments, insurance, and maintenance. Car owners can offset the high cost of ownership, while making a positive impact on the environment. Sign-up today at http://www.getaround.com.
About Spintelligent
Spintelligent is part of Clarion Events, a global business-to-business event organizer with over 280 staff in offices in the UK, Netherlands, United States, South Africa, Brazil, UAE and Singapore. Spintelligent forms part of Clarion’s specialist energy and utilities portfolio which also includes Synergy and The Energy Exchange. Spintelligent has established itself as the key strategic information provider to the global metering, meter-to-cash and customer-end technology sector and as a specialist in African infrastructure development, with a focus on the power and mining sectors. Visit http://www.spintelligent.com.
Media Contacts
Getaround
Kimberly Angell, 415-512-0770
Smart Energy International
Chris Greenfield, Rocket Science, 415-464-8110 x213
DOE October Webinar Series: Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals Project
October 03, 2011
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will present a webinar every Tuesday in October, starting at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). This series of webinars will provide information on the Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals project, with an emphasis on how the project pertains to organizations and professionals in the manufactured housing industry.
The Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals project is a collaboration between DOE and the home performance industry. The project aims to support the industry by developing resources to train and certify a highly skilled workforce and focuses on three main tasks:
- Defining standards of work quality for U.S. home energy upgrades
- Training workers to develop specialized knowledge and skills
- Providing professional certifications that assess and standardize the qualifications workers should meet and help workers market themselves
The webinars are intended to inform interested parties, such as stakeholders associated with DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program and the home performance industry at large, about the progress being made under the project. They are also meant to encourage participation in the development and review process.
- Tuesday, October 4, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. EDT:
Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals—The Weatherization Assistance Program and Manufactured Housing
Register now - Tuesday, October 11, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. EDT:
Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals—The Weatherization Assistance Program and Manufactured Housing
Register now - Tuesday, October 18, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. EDT:
Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals—For Manufactured Housing Industry Professionals
Register now - Tuesday, October 25, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. EDT:
Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals—For Manufactured Housing Professionals
Register now
These webinars are free of charge, but you must register in advance using the links above to obtain a URL for the presentation and call-in phone number for the audio.
Green Government Gone?
It would appear that in the wake of the house being taken over by the ultra conservative right that renewable energy loans from the US government won’t be around much longer. After the fallout from Solyndra settles, corruption accusations will be flying and the attempt will be made to associate all of the government subsidized green energy companies with wasting money and trying to achieve the unattainable goal of realistic efficiency. The next move that’s underway is discrediting climate change and the need to find more oil at whatever cost. I have always heard that heroin is the most addictive drug in the world but I think its oil. After all the sale and distribution of oil is legal and look at how many are addicted. There is a lot of money to be made off of the sale of oil so why should we replace it with a renewable resource that is available to all. We’d have to come up with a new tax for the middle class if we allowed that. As far as climate change goes I personally don’t believe that humans have caused the problem but I do think that we are accelerating a naturally occurring event.
As a country it seems that the US hasn’t been able to find a common ground these days. It’s always far right or far left with no middle ground and certainly no compromise. This leaves renewable energy in a bad position for the future as most investors will be looking to invest in less risky avenues especially in this economy. In a few opinions this is the best time to spur innovation, create jobs and look for the combination of ultimate efficiency and low cost. When times are bad we need good news, we need entrepreneurs and scientists to show us the way and give us back our swagger. If we allow these investments to slow or falter we will lose another race to China or some other country.
It’s time to contact your leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives and let them know that now is not the time to cut funding of these important projects. We need to hold to these commitments and find a way to ensure that our future energy needs will be met in responsible way.
Webinar: ENERGY STAR Hot Water Systems for High Performance Homes
ENERGY STAR Hot Water Systems for High Performance Homes
Friday, September 30
11:00–12:00 p.m. Eastern
Description: This webinar is presented by research team Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC), and will provide information about how to achieve energy savings from solar water heating, electric dedicated heat pump water heating, and gas tankless systems. Participants will learn how each of these systems work, including savings potential of combining solar with a heat pump or gas tankless system. Instructors will describe how to rate different systems, and explain important maintenance considerations. Presenters will also review results from comparisons in the DOE-funded Florida Solar Energy Center hot water laboratory. Register now.
Target Audience: This webinar is geared toward building industry professionals involved in installing residential water heating systems in new construction and retrofit housing projects, as well as homeowners interested in energy efficient residential hot water systems.
How to Attend: This webinar will be presented using Adobe Connect software; read instructions about joining the webinar. Participants will need a computer with high speed internet connection, speakers or headphones, a modern web browser, and the latest version of Adobe Flash. See what version of flash you have and install the latest version. No microphone will be needed by the attendees, as all questions will be submitted via chat.
DOE Announces Expanded Partnership with Industry to Advance Next-Generation Automotive Technologies
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu today announced U.S. DRIVE, a cooperative partnership with industry to accelerate the development of clean, advanced, energy-efficient technologies for cars and light trucks and the infrastructure needed to support their widespread use. This partnership is part of DOE’s broad strategy to expand the availability of advanced vehicles to American families to help protect them from future spikes in gas prices and reduce our nation’s reliance on imported oil. Formerly known as the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership, U.S. DRIVE – Driving Research and Innovation for Vehicle efficiency and Energy sustainability – brings together top technical experts from DOE, the national laboratories, and industry partners to identify critical research and development (R&D) needs, develop technical targets and strategic roadmaps, and evaluate R&D progress on a broad range of advanced vehicle and energy infrastructure technologies.
Photo courtesy of DOE/NREL
“Government-industry partnerships like U.S. DRIVE can quicken the pace at which affordable, fuel-efficient vehicles reach and succeed in the commercial market,” said U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “By bringing together the best and brightest in government and the automobile, electric utility, and fuels industries, we can develop promising, innovative technologies that move rapidly from the lab into cars on the road, along with the infrastructure to support them.”
Today’s announcement of U.S. DRIVE marks the addition of two new members that bring additional focus on electric-drive vehicle technologies to the partnership. The Electric Power Research Institute and Tesla Motors will join DOE and long-standing industry partners that have renewed their strong commitments to collaborative, pre-competitive R&D.
The full list of U.S. DRIVE partners includes:
- Auto industry – United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (the collaborative research company for Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors) and Tesla Motors
- Energy industry – BP America, Chevron Corporation, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil Corporation, and Shell Oil Products US
- Electric utility industry – DTE Energy, Southern California Edison, and the Electric Power Research Institute
U.S. DRIVE partners work together on an extensive portfolio of advanced automotive and energy infrastructure technologies, including batteries and electric-drive components, advanced combustion engines, lightweight materials, and fuel cells and hydrogen technologies. By facilitating frequent and detailed technical information exchange among DOE, the national laboratories, and industry partners, U.S. DRIVE will help to accelerate technical achievement as the nation’s top experts identify R&D needs, explore solutions to technical problems, and evaluate R&D progress. It will also help the partners avoid duplicating efforts in government and industry and ensure that publicly funded research delivers high-value results that help overcome key barriers to technology commercialization. Not only will the efforts under the partnership contribute to reducing our nation’s dependence on oil, they will also lower carbon pollution and help to secure U.S. leadership globally in the development of innovative, clean energy technologies for the transportation sector.
For more information about U.S. DRIVE, visit the DOE Vehicle Technologies Program Research Partnerships website.
Renewables Could Provide almost 80% of Global Energy by 2050: UN Report
Nearly 80% of the global energy supply could be met by renewables by 2050 if backed by the correct public policies, a new United Nations report shows. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released on May 9, indicates that the rising adoption of renewable energies could lead to cumulative greenhouse gas savings equivalent to 220-560 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide between 2010 and 2050. The upper end of the scenarios assessed, representing a cut of around a third in greenhouse gas emissions from business-as-usual projections, could assist in keeping concentrations of greenhouse gases at 450 parts per million.
Photo courtesy of DOE/NREL
The report’s findings are contained in a summary of the “Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation.” The summary is a short version of a roughly a thousand-page comprehensive assessment compiled by more than 120 leading experts from all over the world for the IPCC. The report noted that the substantial increase of renewables is very challenging technically and politically. The six renewable energy technologies reviewed included bioenergy, solar, power, geothermal power, hydropower, ocean energy, and wind energy. More than 160 existing scientific scenarios on the possible use of renewables by 2050 were reviewed. See the IPCC press release and the report summary .
DOE-Supported New Mexico Hydropower Project Begins Operation
The Abiquiu Low-Flow Turbine Hydropower Project in northern New Mexico, which is the first completed hydropower project funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, started operations on April 21. The project received a $4.5 million Recovery Act grant from DOE’s Wind and Water Power Program that was leveraged with $4.5 million from the private sector. The low-flow turbine will increase renewable energy generation capacity by 22% at the Abiquiu Hydroelectric Facility, boosting its output from 13.8 megawatts (MW) to 16.8 MW. The new turbine will produce enough energy to power 1,100 homes annually and will supply clean energy to Los Alamos County, including DOE’s Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The 3-MW turbine-generator was installed by the Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities at the Abiquiu facility on the Rio Chama River in New Mexico. DOE’s Wind and Water Power Program works to improve the performance, lower the costs, and accelerate the deployment of innovative wind and water power technologies. See the DOE press release.
DOE and HUD Launch Pilot Home Efficiency Financing Program
Courtesy of DOE/NREL
DOE and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) unveiled on April 21 a list of 18 lenders that will participate in a new two-year pilot program offering homeowners low-cost loans to make energy-saving improvements to their homes. These new “PowerSaver” loans, backed by the Federal Housing Administration, will offer homeowners up to $25,000 to make energy efficient improvements of their choice. Applicants can use the loans for the installation of insulation, duct sealing, replacement doors and windows, HVAC systems, water heaters, solar panels, and geothermal systems.
Initially, the PowerSaver pilot program will assist approximately 30,000 homeowners in their financing of energy efficient upgrades. According to HUD projections, more than 3,000 jobs will be created through this pilot program and the impact could be larger if market demand for the loan program increases over time. Loans will be offered to areas across the United States, including regions participating in DOE’s BetterBuildings program. Loans are only available to borrowers with good credit, manageable debt, and at least some home equity. See the DOE press release, a PowerSaver fact sheet, and the BetterBuildings program website.
DOE Announces Nearly $170 Million in Available Funding to Advance Solar Energy Technologies
Investments will Help Achieve Cost-Competitive Solar Energy by 2020
Photo courtesy of DOE/NREL
WASHINGTON, DC - As part of the Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative, Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today nearly $170 million in available funding over three years to support a range of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology areas. The SunShot Initiative aims to reduce the total cost of solar energy systems by about 75 percent – to roughly $1 per watt – before the end of the decade. The research and development funding announced today will support four areas of investment, including improving the efficiency and performance of solar cells; developing new installation – or balance of systems – technologies; advancing solar energy grid integration; and researching new materials and processes for solar PV technologies. Together, these investments will help reduce the cost for utility-scale solar energy installations, increase American economic competitiveness, and help the U.S. lead the world in the global market for solar photovoltaics.
“These investments will drive innovation in the solar energy field – laying the groundwork to meet our SunShot goal of dramatically reducing the cost of solar energy nationwide and helping America to win the race to produce the most cost-effective, high-quality photovoltaics in the world,” said Secretary Chu. “A robust American solar industry will boost our technological leadership and competitiveness, improve the nation’s energy security, create skilled manufacturing jobs, and help reach the President’s goal of doubling our clean energy in the next 25 years.”
The four funding opportunities announced today build on the Department’s strong portfolio of research and development efforts in solar energy. Activities under these funding areas will help improve the performance of current and next generation PV cells, develop advanced power electronics that optimize the performance of PV installations, and reduce the costs of PV balance-of-system hardware. These include:
- Foundational Program to Advance Cell Efficiency (F-PACE): In a collaborative funding effort with the National Science Foundation, $39 million is available for research and development in solar device physics and PV technology to improve PV cell performance and reduce the costs of modules for grid-scale commercial applications.
- PV Balance of Systems: $60 million in funding is available for research, development, and demonstration of balance of system components. Projects may include new building-integrated photovoltaic products, new mounting and wiring technologies, and new building code language that can foster the use of innovative, low-cost hardware designs while maintaining safety and reliability.
- Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems (SEGIS)-Advanced Concepts: $40 million in funding is available to develop technologies that will help increase the integration of solar energy onto the electrical grid and facilitate interactions between solar energy systems and Smart Grid technologies. This could include projects focused on improved energy storage technologies and better system functionality. SEGIS-Advanced Concepts will also support projects like high voltage systems that reduce the overall installed costs associated with balance of systems components costs for installations, and projects focused on technologies like micro-inverters that are capable of harvesting more energy from the sun.
- PV Next Generation: $30 million in funding is available for early-stage applied research to demonstrate and prove new concepts in materials, processes, and device designs for solar PV component development at the laboratory scale.
Read more information and view the application requirements for each Funding Opportunity Announcement.
The SunShot Initiative builds on the legacy of President Kennedy’s 1960s “moon shot” goal, which laid out a plan to regain the country’s lead in the space race and land a man on the moon. The program will aggressively drive innovations in the ways that solar systems are conceived, designed, manufactured and installed, to bring down the costs of solar energy systems so that they are cost-competitive without subsidies with other forms of electricity generation. SunShot is a DOE-wide initiative that leverages investments from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), and the Office of Science.
In the last ten years, DOE has invested more than $1 billion in solar energy research that has been leveraged with significant private industry funding to support more than $2 billion in total solar R&D projects. To achieve the SunShot goal of reducing the total installed cost of large-scale solar electricity by about 75 percent, DOE will be working closely with partners in government, industry, research laboratories and academic institutions across the country. For more information and to follow the progress of the Initiative, visit the SunShot Initiative webpage.
EPA Announces Updated Energy Star Standards for Lighting
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing updated standards for light fixtures to qualify for the Energy Star label – an efficiency program that has saved consumers money on their energy bills while contributing to cleaner air and protecting people’s health since 1992. Effective October 1, 2011, to qualify for the Energy Star label light fixtures will need to increase efficiency 30 percent above currently qualified fluorescent-based fixtures. In 2013, performance requirements will increase further, providing 40 percent higher efficiency compared to currently qualified models.
Light fixtures that earn the Energy Star save consumers money on their energy bills and reduce the costs and hassle associated with bulb replacement. The bulbs in Energy Star qualified fixtures last at least 10 times longer than standard light bulbs. The fixtures will continue to meet other strict performance requirements that ensure quick start-up and high quality light output, as well as reduced toxics in the fixture materials. Additionally, the fixtures will come with a 3-year warranty, which is above the industry practice.
Consumers can expect to see a range of technology options qualifying under the new Energy Star requirements — including fluorescent and LED lighting — each held to the same high standard. In order to earn the Energy Star label under the new requirements, product performance must be certified by an EPA-recognized third-party, based on testing in an EPA-recognized laboratory. In addition, manufacturers of the products must participate in verification testing programs run by recognized certification bodies.
Energy Star was started by EPA in 1992 as a market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products as well as new homes and commercial and industrial buildings that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by EPA. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved $18 billion on their energy bills while reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 33 million vehicles.
