BY ARIEL SCHWARTZTue Apr 27, 2010
When we last checked in on Armageddon Energy, the prefab solar panel startup had completed panel prototypes and was working on a beta funding round. Now, nearly a year later, Armageddon has teamed up with electronic component manufacturer Tyco Electronics to speed up the release of Armageddon's SolarClover system, which is scheduled to go on sale later this year.
A single 400-watt SolarClover features three 10- to 12-pound silicon hexagonal panels, a triangular frame and a micro-inverter. Armageddon claims that even a larger 1 kW system can be installed by non-specialists--a group that includes roofers, electricians, general contractors, and maybe even your handy neighbor--and can offset the power usage from all major household appliances.
By cutting out the middleman (solar installers), Armageddon increases the efficiency and potentially lowers the cost of installing rooftop panels. No word yet on how much a single SolarClover will cost, but Armageddon claims it will be comparable to a traditional rooftop solar system.
[Armageddon Energy]
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Electricians Course Completed by Paper Employees
FRANKLIN—Thirty-three International Paper employees recently completed a Virginia Master Electrician Tradesman Exam Preparation course at Paul D. Camp Community College’s Regional Workforce Development Center.
The course prepares participants for the 2005 National Electric Code exam.
According to Randy Betz, vice president of Workforce Development at PDCCC, passing the exam will help electricians start and run their own businesses.
“This licensure will increase their attractiveness as employees in many businesses and organizations once the Franklin Mill closes,” Betz said.
The course was funded through the local Workforce Investment Board, Opportunity Inc.
Classes met in the Technology Theater two times per week for four weeks. Lessons included Increasing Code Familiarity, Learning and Reviewing Electrical Calculations, Learning How to Take the Exam, Taking a Practice Exam Together and a Comprehensive Review of all topics. Electricians completed all eight sessions and received a Certificate of Completion with Continuing Education Units.Steve Jurnigan, an International Paper Franklin Mill electrician, took a lead role in identifying the need for the course.
“I was happy that I could help others gain the knowledge to pass the NEC test,” Jurnigan said. “A lot of these people I have been working with most of my career.”
“I am glad we had a large number of people take the class. We also had great participation and discussion,” he continued. “It was an excellent learning environment, which helped everybody. We also had a very knowledgeable instructor that everybody was comfortable with. I would recommend him to others seeking NEC exam prep.”
Gerald Dix, a college adjunct faculty member and vice president of Tidewater Power Electric, was the instructor.
“The last night we had class, Gerald and I both got a lot of ‘thank-yous’ from the students,” Jurnigan said. “This made it all worthwhile.
Gerald added up a total of 850 years of electrical experience from all of our course participants.”
Dix is familiar with the International Paper Franklin Mill, having worked there many years as an electrical contractor. He has completed apprentice school and obtained his Virginia Journeyman Electrician License in 1996, followed by his joining the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1340.
Dix started teaching National Electric Code classes and then became a substitute apprenticeship instructor for the Joint Apprenticeship Training Council. In 2008, he began teaching National Electric Code continuing education classes.
The course prepares participants for the 2005 National Electric Code exam.
According to Randy Betz, vice president of Workforce Development at PDCCC, passing the exam will help electricians start and run their own businesses.
“This licensure will increase their attractiveness as employees in many businesses and organizations once the Franklin Mill closes,” Betz said.
The course was funded through the local Workforce Investment Board, Opportunity Inc.
Classes met in the Technology Theater two times per week for four weeks. Lessons included Increasing Code Familiarity, Learning and Reviewing Electrical Calculations, Learning How to Take the Exam, Taking a Practice Exam Together and a Comprehensive Review of all topics. Electricians completed all eight sessions and received a Certificate of Completion with Continuing Education Units.Steve Jurnigan, an International Paper Franklin Mill electrician, took a lead role in identifying the need for the course.
“I was happy that I could help others gain the knowledge to pass the NEC test,” Jurnigan said. “A lot of these people I have been working with most of my career.”
“I am glad we had a large number of people take the class. We also had great participation and discussion,” he continued. “It was an excellent learning environment, which helped everybody. We also had a very knowledgeable instructor that everybody was comfortable with. I would recommend him to others seeking NEC exam prep.”
Gerald Dix, a college adjunct faculty member and vice president of Tidewater Power Electric, was the instructor.
“The last night we had class, Gerald and I both got a lot of ‘thank-yous’ from the students,” Jurnigan said. “This made it all worthwhile.
Gerald added up a total of 850 years of electrical experience from all of our course participants.”
Dix is familiar with the International Paper Franklin Mill, having worked there many years as an electrical contractor. He has completed apprentice school and obtained his Virginia Journeyman Electrician License in 1996, followed by his joining the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1340.
Dix started teaching National Electric Code classes and then became a substitute apprenticeship instructor for the Joint Apprenticeship Training Council. In 2008, he began teaching National Electric Code continuing education classes.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
UK Electrician Education to Improve
A New South Wales north coast politician says the State Government needs to do more to protect electricians and consumers from unsafe insulation in homes.
The Government is currently conducting a review into its electrical safety laws and seeking public comment.
Ballina MP Don Page says electricians on the north coast would have a lot to contribute to the laws.
He says making it harder for shonky tradesmen to get into the system should be a priority.
"I think the federal experience has shown that if you put a lot of money on the table and you don't have the appropriate accreditation for installers and so on you'll end up with shonks installing things that are unsafe and you'll have people abusing the situation," he said.
Bakersfield Apartments |
The Government is currently conducting a review into its electrical safety laws and seeking public comment.
Ballina MP Don Page says electricians on the north coast would have a lot to contribute to the laws.
He says making it harder for shonky tradesmen to get into the system should be a priority.
"I think the federal experience has shown that if you put a lot of money on the table and you don't have the appropriate accreditation for installers and so on you'll end up with shonks installing things that are unsafe and you'll have people abusing the situation," he said.
Bakersfield Apartments |
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Girl to be Electrician
Nobody talked to her the first day in class, except the teachers.
By day two, she'd won her new classmates over.
Nina Day, the daughter of Mary and Gary Day of Six Lakes, and now a graduating senior at Montabella High School, signed up for a class in construction trades last year and was the only girl in the class.
The boys soon learned she wasn't there for decoration.
"They saw I was doing pretty good and they are now some of my best friends I'm going to have for a long time," she said.
Way back when she was in the seventh grade, Nina - rhymes with Dinah, not Deena - had said she wanted to become an electrician when she grew up.
She was told by some that girls couldn't become electricians.
Her parents pushed that thought right of her head, telling her that she could indeed do whatever she wanted. With their help, Nina is setting out to prove that an electrician she will be.
There is some question, however, whether any encouragement was necessary on the part of her parents.
"She's going to do what she's going to do," her mother said.
The former Irish dancer - "She's a little bit of thing," said one of her instructors Bill Leonard - is heading to Mid Michigan Community College. There, she'll take electrical courses in residential, commercial and alternative systems.
Last year, Nina and her classmates built a house.
"It was kind of good for her to be a part of that," her mother said. "She helped with everything. And if she's going to be an electrician, she needs to see how it's done."
Nina is the kind of young woman who, in addition to playing and excelling at sports such as basketball and volleyball, likes to take things apart, her mother said.
"I've always liked to work with my hands," Nina said. "I like to fix things. I like saying, 'I did that.'"
With a 3.7 grade point average, Nina said her favorite regular class is math. She's on the student advisory board and is a member of the National Honor Society.
She has also won an award.
The Michigan Department of Education's Office of Career and Technical Education has something called "Breaking Traditions Award."
This is for students who are successful in programs that are nontraditional for their gender. A male student might do well as a nurse, for example, while Nina builds a house.
The eligibility requirements were pretty stiff, with academic requirements and leadership roles. And Nina was chosen as one of 14 students statewide to win the merit award.
She doesn't take all the credit herself. She couldn't have done it without her teachers Bill Leonard and Dean Gage, she said. She was firm about that.
And what do her girlfriends think of her setting out to become an electrician?
"At first they thought it was weird, now they think, oh, that's just Nina."
Linda Gittleman is managing editor of the Alma Morning Sun.
Bakersfield Apartments |
By day two, she'd won her new classmates over.
Nina Day, the daughter of Mary and Gary Day of Six Lakes, and now a graduating senior at Montabella High School, signed up for a class in construction trades last year and was the only girl in the class.
The boys soon learned she wasn't there for decoration.
"They saw I was doing pretty good and they are now some of my best friends I'm going to have for a long time," she said.
Way back when she was in the seventh grade, Nina - rhymes with Dinah, not Deena - had said she wanted to become an electrician when she grew up.
She was told by some that girls couldn't become electricians.
Her parents pushed that thought right of her head, telling her that she could indeed do whatever she wanted. With their help, Nina is setting out to prove that an electrician she will be.
There is some question, however, whether any encouragement was necessary on the part of her parents.
"She's going to do what she's going to do," her mother said.
The former Irish dancer - "She's a little bit of thing," said one of her instructors Bill Leonard - is heading to Mid Michigan Community College. There, she'll take electrical courses in residential, commercial and alternative systems.
Last year, Nina and her classmates built a house.
"It was kind of good for her to be a part of that," her mother said. "She helped with everything. And if she's going to be an electrician, she needs to see how it's done."
Nina is the kind of young woman who, in addition to playing and excelling at sports such as basketball and volleyball, likes to take things apart, her mother said.
"I've always liked to work with my hands," Nina said. "I like to fix things. I like saying, 'I did that.'"
With a 3.7 grade point average, Nina said her favorite regular class is math. She's on the student advisory board and is a member of the National Honor Society.
She has also won an award.
The Michigan Department of Education's Office of Career and Technical Education has something called "Breaking Traditions Award."
This is for students who are successful in programs that are nontraditional for their gender. A male student might do well as a nurse, for example, while Nina builds a house.
The eligibility requirements were pretty stiff, with academic requirements and leadership roles. And Nina was chosen as one of 14 students statewide to win the merit award.
She doesn't take all the credit herself. She couldn't have done it without her teachers Bill Leonard and Dean Gage, she said. She was firm about that.
And what do her girlfriends think of her setting out to become an electrician?
"At first they thought it was weird, now they think, oh, that's just Nina."
Linda Gittleman is managing editor of the Alma Morning Sun.
Bakersfield Apartments |
Monday, April 26, 2010
West Virginia Electricians
CHARLESTON, W. Va., Apr 22, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The West Virginia Fire Commission Office of the State Fire Marshal recently launched a new service that allows West Virginia's 18,000 electricians to renew their licenses online. The service can be accessed at http://www.firemarshal.wv.gov/oelrs.
"This new service is provided as a convenience to our licensees," said Anthony Carrico, director of the Fire Marshal's Regulatory and Licensing Division. "Electricians can login to the secure website and complete their license renewal in minutes."
Electricians in West Virginia must renew their license each year between April 1 and December 31 but are encouraged to renew before June 30 to avoid penalties. The new online electrician license renewal is the fastest and easiest way for electricians to complete their renewal.
In order to complete a renewal, electricians are asked to update their license information and pay the renewal fee using any major credit card. License cards will be mailed to the electrician once the Office of the State Fire Marshal has approved the application.
"This service allows busy electricians to renew their license any time day or night," said Carrico. "I am very pleased at the number of electricians who are renewing online!"
The license renewal application was developed by the West Virginia Fire Commission Office of the State Fire Marshal in partnership with WV.gov.
About WV.gov
WV.gov is the official Web site of the State of West Virginia (http://www.WV.gov) and is the result of an innovative public-private partnership between the state and West Virginia Interactive. West Virginia Interactive works with government agencies to build and manage interactive online services and is a subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC (EGOV 7.13, -0.06, -0.83%) .
About NIC
NIC Inc. is the nation's leading provider of official government portals, online services, and secure payment processing solutions. The company's innovative eGovernment services help reduce costs and increase efficiencies for government agencies, citizens, and businesses across the country. NIC provides eGovernment solutions for more than 3,000 federal, state, and local agencies that serve 97 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.nicusa.com.
SOURCE: West Virginia Interactive
"This new service is provided as a convenience to our licensees," said Anthony Carrico, director of the Fire Marshal's Regulatory and Licensing Division. "Electricians can login to the secure website and complete their license renewal in minutes."
Electricians in West Virginia must renew their license each year between April 1 and December 31 but are encouraged to renew before June 30 to avoid penalties. The new online electrician license renewal is the fastest and easiest way for electricians to complete their renewal.
In order to complete a renewal, electricians are asked to update their license information and pay the renewal fee using any major credit card. License cards will be mailed to the electrician once the Office of the State Fire Marshal has approved the application.
"This service allows busy electricians to renew their license any time day or night," said Carrico. "I am very pleased at the number of electricians who are renewing online!"
The license renewal application was developed by the West Virginia Fire Commission Office of the State Fire Marshal in partnership with WV.gov.
About WV.gov
WV.gov is the official Web site of the State of West Virginia (http://www.WV.gov) and is the result of an innovative public-private partnership between the state and West Virginia Interactive. West Virginia Interactive works with government agencies to build and manage interactive online services and is a subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC (EGOV 7.13, -0.06, -0.83%) .
About NIC
NIC Inc. is the nation's leading provider of official government portals, online services, and secure payment processing solutions. The company's innovative eGovernment services help reduce costs and increase efficiencies for government agencies, citizens, and businesses across the country. NIC provides eGovernment solutions for more than 3,000 federal, state, and local agencies that serve 97 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.nicusa.com.
SOURCE: West Virginia Interactive
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Western State Wants Solar Power
by Ryan Randazzo - Apr. 25, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
It's time to consider raising the amount of energy Arizona utilities are required to get from solar power, one of the five state utility regulators said Friday.
Corporation Commissioner Paul Newman issued a statement asking for support and feedback on a proposal to increase the requirement that utilities get 15 percent of their energy from renewable sources, such as solar, by 2025.
He noted that New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, California, Oregon and Utah have higher standards, with requirements to get 20 percent to 33 percent of their power from renewables by 2020-25.
Interest in renewable power is rising, and solar and wind power have many supporters, but Newman's proposal is likely to face opposition because the existing Corporation Commission requirement already is being challenged in court.
Alternative energy is more expensive than power from coal or natural-gas power plants, but it has little to no pollution, and renewables don't need fuel.
"Arizonans are hurting, and we must balance citizen demand for solar with the cost," Newman said. "But let's also keep in mind that investing in solar means we lower significant long-term costs such as fuel."
The written statement follows a promise to explore raising the requirements that Newman made during a recent hearing on the rebates that Arizona Public Service Co. pays people to put solar-power panels and solar water heaters on their homes.
The incentives have been so popular that APS was running out of money to pay the rebates.
APS residential customers pay a maximum $3.46 monthly tariff to fund renewable-energy projects, from major solar, biomass or other alternative-power plants to rooftop solar. The maximum tariff for business customers is $128.70 a month; industrial customers have a $386 monthly cap. APS will collect about $86.7 million from the tariffs this year.
Other utilities fund renewables through similar charges.
"I'm concerned that there is not enough money in the bucket," Newman said at the April 13 hearing.
Newman proposed taking money from the "power-supply adjuster" that APS collects to buy power from other utilities and pay for fuel for its own power plants, and spending it on more solar rebates.
APS collects the PSA money throughout the year in a separate charge on bills. Power and fuel prices spike in summer.
When APS doesn't collect enough through the PSA, it raises the charge, and when it over-collects because prices are lower than expected, it redistributes the money to customers through lower PSA charges. The utility can't profit on the PSA.
Newman said the PSA is "over-collected" by about $102 million today, and he wants to take $25 million from it to spend on more solar.
He could not be reached Friday for further comment.
Having just heard the news, APS officials were hesitant to comment on the plan.
"We are evaluating Mr. Newman's proposal," APS spokesman Alan Bunnell said.
Opponents of the renewable requirement said raising it is a bad idea.
"The existing renewable-energy rules are illegal, costly to consumers, and more about ideology than sound energy policy," said Clint Bolick, who has been challenging the rules in court for the Goldwater Institute. "Commissioner Newman's proposal makes them even more so."
Bolick's group challenged the authority of the Corporation Commission to mandate power from renewables but lost. It is appealing the case.
"The rules relate to ratemaking only in the tortured sense that they inexorably produce higher utility prices," Goldwater lawyers wrote in a recent brief for the appeal.
Other experts said proposal would help the solar industry.
"In this crazy economy we need more competition, more economic drivers, and more jobs," said attorney Jordan Rose, whose law firm represents several renewable-energy companies. "Increasing the (requirement) will make Arizona the unquestionable first choice among renewable-energy companies looking to locate their business in the United States."
Supporting renewable power now will bring the price down in the future, she said.
"A healthy solar market will eventually not need rebate money at all," she said. "The sooner we raise the (requirement) the sooner the solar industry will be able to exist without rebate money."
The Arizona Republic
It's time to consider raising the amount of energy Arizona utilities are required to get from solar power, one of the five state utility regulators said Friday.
Corporation Commissioner Paul Newman issued a statement asking for support and feedback on a proposal to increase the requirement that utilities get 15 percent of their energy from renewable sources, such as solar, by 2025.
He noted that New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, California, Oregon and Utah have higher standards, with requirements to get 20 percent to 33 percent of their power from renewables by 2020-25.
Interest in renewable power is rising, and solar and wind power have many supporters, but Newman's proposal is likely to face opposition because the existing Corporation Commission requirement already is being challenged in court.
Alternative energy is more expensive than power from coal or natural-gas power plants, but it has little to no pollution, and renewables don't need fuel.
"Arizonans are hurting, and we must balance citizen demand for solar with the cost," Newman said. "But let's also keep in mind that investing in solar means we lower significant long-term costs such as fuel."
The written statement follows a promise to explore raising the requirements that Newman made during a recent hearing on the rebates that Arizona Public Service Co. pays people to put solar-power panels and solar water heaters on their homes.
The incentives have been so popular that APS was running out of money to pay the rebates.
APS residential customers pay a maximum $3.46 monthly tariff to fund renewable-energy projects, from major solar, biomass or other alternative-power plants to rooftop solar. The maximum tariff for business customers is $128.70 a month; industrial customers have a $386 monthly cap. APS will collect about $86.7 million from the tariffs this year.
Other utilities fund renewables through similar charges.
"I'm concerned that there is not enough money in the bucket," Newman said at the April 13 hearing.
Newman proposed taking money from the "power-supply adjuster" that APS collects to buy power from other utilities and pay for fuel for its own power plants, and spending it on more solar rebates.
APS collects the PSA money throughout the year in a separate charge on bills. Power and fuel prices spike in summer.
When APS doesn't collect enough through the PSA, it raises the charge, and when it over-collects because prices are lower than expected, it redistributes the money to customers through lower PSA charges. The utility can't profit on the PSA.
Newman said the PSA is "over-collected" by about $102 million today, and he wants to take $25 million from it to spend on more solar.
He could not be reached Friday for further comment.
Having just heard the news, APS officials were hesitant to comment on the plan.
"We are evaluating Mr. Newman's proposal," APS spokesman Alan Bunnell said.
Opponents of the renewable requirement said raising it is a bad idea.
"The existing renewable-energy rules are illegal, costly to consumers, and more about ideology than sound energy policy," said Clint Bolick, who has been challenging the rules in court for the Goldwater Institute. "Commissioner Newman's proposal makes them even more so."
Bolick's group challenged the authority of the Corporation Commission to mandate power from renewables but lost. It is appealing the case.
"The rules relate to ratemaking only in the tortured sense that they inexorably produce higher utility prices," Goldwater lawyers wrote in a recent brief for the appeal.
Other experts said proposal would help the solar industry.
"In this crazy economy we need more competition, more economic drivers, and more jobs," said attorney Jordan Rose, whose law firm represents several renewable-energy companies. "Increasing the (requirement) will make Arizona the unquestionable first choice among renewable-energy companies looking to locate their business in the United States."
Supporting renewable power now will bring the price down in the future, she said.
"A healthy solar market will eventually not need rebate money at all," she said. "The sooner we raise the (requirement) the sooner the solar industry will be able to exist without rebate money."
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Electrician Has the Power
Rob Morris | March 28, 2010
Two Thursdays ago, a crowd gathered in Manteo to launch a study of plans to build the country’s first windmills on the water. Turbines taller than the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse would test whether offshore wind power, already used in Europe, makes sense for us.
The day before, Kevin Goode stood before the Nags Head Board of Commissioners to describe his own test, which took place during a blustery week in November. He was alone. His windmill was about the size of a ceiling fan.
To get their windmills turning in the Pamlico Sound, Duke Energy will have to negotiate a regulatory maze. For Goode’s tiny turbine, it took one man to persuade town official to give him a chance to do essentially the same thing, though on a much smaller scale.
Goode moved to the barrier islands from the Washington, D.C. area around 20 years ago, spending his first eight or so on Hatteras Island, ground zero for hurricanes and tropical storms on the Outer Banks. He went through enough power outages that he decided to do something about it when he moved north to Old Nags Head Cove.
Goode doesn’t claim to be an environmentalist, just a guy who likes to keep his drinks chilled and the lights on when the power dies, and maybe save some money when electric rates inevitably go up. He does, however, describe himself as “sort of a mad scientist.”Solar panels on his roof already capture energy. If he has to, he can fire up a generator that burns vegetable oil. He figures a gas generator would burn about a gallon an hour. That comes to around $2.75 at today’s prices. He uses the discharge from his geothermal heat pump to water his lawn.
Power from the solar panels is stored in 16 batteries — the kind used on electric golf carts — and his system is set up to automatically switch over to them if the power goes out. Meanwhile, he estimates the solar panels can harness about $15 worth of power a month.
These days, Goode, 43, works on boat engines. While he was on Hatteras Island, he worked with an electrician installing load management devices that regulate power during peak periods.
Last year, he went to Nags Head town hall to look into permitting for a rooftop windmill. But he was told there was no provision in the town’s zoning to allow one in a residential area. After consideration of his windmills by the Board of Commissioners was delayed, Goode decided to conduct a test alongside the canal behind his home.
Approaching was the big Veteran’s week storm, which earned the name Nor’Ida after spinning off from remains of Hurricane Ida. Like the team studying the proposed Pamlico Sound turbines, he wanted to see how it would hold up against storm-force winds, “mainly as an experiment for me.”
“That thing was angry fast,” he said.
The test accomplished something else. It got the town’s attention since it was in violation of the local ordinance.
Two Wednesdays ago, Goode found himself providing practical expertise on residential rooftop wind power, answering questions posed by the Nags Head commissioners. Their main concern was how durable it would be in the Outer Banks environment and if it would put neighbors at risk.
In the end, the commissioners approved an ordinance that would allow Goode’s turbine and any like it as long as they are commercially manufactured. If they meet certain conditions, they can also be put up on a separate structure. So far, there doesn’t appear to be a line of people ready to follow Goode’s lead.
Goode had to take the windmill down before the town would consider the zoning amendment. As of last week, he hadn’t put it on his roof yet. He said he wanted to make sure he was legally squared away. The amount of power it will generate won’t amount to much, but he hopes it will do a little to supplement the solar panels.
“I’m happy with the town right now,” he said.
Meanwhile, the study of the big Pamlico Sound turbines is just getting started. Environmental impact statements take months, often years, to finish. Even then, there is no guarantee that the turbines will ever be built.
Two Thursdays ago, a crowd gathered in Manteo to launch a study of plans to build the country’s first windmills on the water. Turbines taller than the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse would test whether offshore wind power, already used in Europe, makes sense for us.
The day before, Kevin Goode stood before the Nags Head Board of Commissioners to describe his own test, which took place during a blustery week in November. He was alone. His windmill was about the size of a ceiling fan.
To get their windmills turning in the Pamlico Sound, Duke Energy will have to negotiate a regulatory maze. For Goode’s tiny turbine, it took one man to persuade town official to give him a chance to do essentially the same thing, though on a much smaller scale.
Goode moved to the barrier islands from the Washington, D.C. area around 20 years ago, spending his first eight or so on Hatteras Island, ground zero for hurricanes and tropical storms on the Outer Banks. He went through enough power outages that he decided to do something about it when he moved north to Old Nags Head Cove.
Goode doesn’t claim to be an environmentalist, just a guy who likes to keep his drinks chilled and the lights on when the power dies, and maybe save some money when electric rates inevitably go up. He does, however, describe himself as “sort of a mad scientist.”Solar panels on his roof already capture energy. If he has to, he can fire up a generator that burns vegetable oil. He figures a gas generator would burn about a gallon an hour. That comes to around $2.75 at today’s prices. He uses the discharge from his geothermal heat pump to water his lawn.
Power from the solar panels is stored in 16 batteries — the kind used on electric golf carts — and his system is set up to automatically switch over to them if the power goes out. Meanwhile, he estimates the solar panels can harness about $15 worth of power a month.
These days, Goode, 43, works on boat engines. While he was on Hatteras Island, he worked with an electrician installing load management devices that regulate power during peak periods.
Last year, he went to Nags Head town hall to look into permitting for a rooftop windmill. But he was told there was no provision in the town’s zoning to allow one in a residential area. After consideration of his windmills by the Board of Commissioners was delayed, Goode decided to conduct a test alongside the canal behind his home.
Approaching was the big Veteran’s week storm, which earned the name Nor’Ida after spinning off from remains of Hurricane Ida. Like the team studying the proposed Pamlico Sound turbines, he wanted to see how it would hold up against storm-force winds, “mainly as an experiment for me.”
“That thing was angry fast,” he said.
The test accomplished something else. It got the town’s attention since it was in violation of the local ordinance.
Two Wednesdays ago, Goode found himself providing practical expertise on residential rooftop wind power, answering questions posed by the Nags Head commissioners. Their main concern was how durable it would be in the Outer Banks environment and if it would put neighbors at risk.
In the end, the commissioners approved an ordinance that would allow Goode’s turbine and any like it as long as they are commercially manufactured. If they meet certain conditions, they can also be put up on a separate structure. So far, there doesn’t appear to be a line of people ready to follow Goode’s lead.
Goode had to take the windmill down before the town would consider the zoning amendment. As of last week, he hadn’t put it on his roof yet. He said he wanted to make sure he was legally squared away. The amount of power it will generate won’t amount to much, but he hopes it will do a little to supplement the solar panels.
“I’m happy with the town right now,” he said.
Meanwhile, the study of the big Pamlico Sound turbines is just getting started. Environmental impact statements take months, often years, to finish. Even then, there is no guarantee that the turbines will ever be built.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Solar Electricians for Vashon
By AMELIA HEAGERTY
Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber Reporter
Apr 20 2010, 1:30 PM · UPDATED
A small solar array will soon adorn Vashon High School’s B Building — perhaps the first of several solar installations at Vashon’s public schools and the only to grace a public building on the Island.
The one-kilowatt system, funded by an educational grant through the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, will be installed next month at the school.
The solar energy collector will be used as an educational tool for students there, said teacher Amy Bogaard: They will be able to watch part of the solar panels’ installation and see electronic readouts of the array’s output once it’s in place.
The school district has also applied for a $15,000 grant from Puget Sound Energy that would allow the addition of more solar panels to the array, bringing its total output to three kilowatts, Bogaard said — enough to power an average household. Staff will hear in June whether they’ve been awarded the grant from the utility company.
Thinking more long term, a Vashon group interested in the possibility of collectively owned solar panels hopes someday to install a much larger, for-profit, array at McMurray Middle School, said Islander Gib Dam-mann, a member of the newly formed Community Solar Group.
He’s spoken to Vashon Island School District officials about the possibility of privately owned solar panels at the middle school, and they are amenable to the suggestion. More research into the possibility still needs to be done, however.
“We see this as a potentially big contribution toward providing no-coal electricity on this Island,” Dammann said. “I’ve never been so psyched as I am right now for big change, specifically solar.”
First, though, Islanders are looking forward to seeing the school district venture into the world of solar power when arrays are placed atop the B Building at Vashon High in May.
“I’m excited about the prospect of being able to have hands-on teaching experiences for the kids and to be able to really physically see what the potential is for energy production,” said Bogaard, who teaches career and technical education and geometry courses at the high school.
The solar panels will go up on the B Building because that structure — should the high school be remodeled — would be the last to go, Bogaard said. If the building is torn down, the solar panels will be moved to another location at the high school, she said.
Electricians from Artisan Electric, experts in solar, will install the system atop the B Building. The $13,000 project is funded through the state education office’s career and technical grants program. The solar arrays won’t put out enough electricity to be a major source of power for the school; they’ll be mainly educational tools for students.
“We’ll be able to do experiments, like shading portions of the panels and seeing how electric production goes down,” Bogaard said. “That whole part is going to be really fun for the kids, and I think they’re really going to enjoy it. I know I will, too.”
She plans to put a computer in the high school library that is devoted to teaching students about the solar array atop their school — giving them access to up-to-date power output readouts and allowing them to see what can be powered by that much electricity.
Meanwhile, Islanders have banded together to form the Community Solar Group, an affiliate of Sustainable Vashon and the Island’s Coal-Free Zone project. The solar enthusiasts envision a day not far in the future when people can invest as little as $100 in a large-scale solar array that will be placed on Island property — perhaps atop McMurray Middle School — and see a good return for their investment within a few years, Dammann said.
The state Legislature recently enacted laws that allow groups to benefit from financial incentives for going solar, he said, opening the door for community solar initiatives.
“We are now at a point where private individuals can invest any amount of money toward large community-based photovoltaic arrays and get a return on their investment that makes it doable,” Dammann said. “Maybe soon we can get 40 people together, each buying a share of $2,500, and a 14-kilowatt array goes on top of McMurray Middle School.”
The school would benefit from having the for-profit solar panels on its roof, he said, because it would get discounted solar power from the project. The surplus power could be sold to Puget Sound Energy.
Hopefully, within a year, the community solar project will be off the ground, seeking small and medium-sized investments in a project that could reap benefits for investors and the community, he said.
Vashon’s group of solar enthusiasts are in good company — large community solar projects are in the works in Port Townsend and Ellensburg.
“This gives us as individuals and as communities a little bit of power,” Dammann said.
Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber Reporter Amelia Heagerty can be reached at aheagerty@vashonbeachcomber.com or 206-463-9195.
Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber Reporter
Apr 20 2010, 1:30 PM · UPDATED
A small solar array will soon adorn Vashon High School’s B Building — perhaps the first of several solar installations at Vashon’s public schools and the only to grace a public building on the Island.
The one-kilowatt system, funded by an educational grant through the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, will be installed next month at the school.
The solar energy collector will be used as an educational tool for students there, said teacher Amy Bogaard: They will be able to watch part of the solar panels’ installation and see electronic readouts of the array’s output once it’s in place.
The school district has also applied for a $15,000 grant from Puget Sound Energy that would allow the addition of more solar panels to the array, bringing its total output to three kilowatts, Bogaard said — enough to power an average household. Staff will hear in June whether they’ve been awarded the grant from the utility company.
Thinking more long term, a Vashon group interested in the possibility of collectively owned solar panels hopes someday to install a much larger, for-profit, array at McMurray Middle School, said Islander Gib Dam-mann, a member of the newly formed Community Solar Group.
He’s spoken to Vashon Island School District officials about the possibility of privately owned solar panels at the middle school, and they are amenable to the suggestion. More research into the possibility still needs to be done, however.
“We see this as a potentially big contribution toward providing no-coal electricity on this Island,” Dammann said. “I’ve never been so psyched as I am right now for big change, specifically solar.”
First, though, Islanders are looking forward to seeing the school district venture into the world of solar power when arrays are placed atop the B Building at Vashon High in May.
“I’m excited about the prospect of being able to have hands-on teaching experiences for the kids and to be able to really physically see what the potential is for energy production,” said Bogaard, who teaches career and technical education and geometry courses at the high school.
The solar panels will go up on the B Building because that structure — should the high school be remodeled — would be the last to go, Bogaard said. If the building is torn down, the solar panels will be moved to another location at the high school, she said.
Electricians from Artisan Electric, experts in solar, will install the system atop the B Building. The $13,000 project is funded through the state education office’s career and technical grants program. The solar arrays won’t put out enough electricity to be a major source of power for the school; they’ll be mainly educational tools for students.
“We’ll be able to do experiments, like shading portions of the panels and seeing how electric production goes down,” Bogaard said. “That whole part is going to be really fun for the kids, and I think they’re really going to enjoy it. I know I will, too.”
She plans to put a computer in the high school library that is devoted to teaching students about the solar array atop their school — giving them access to up-to-date power output readouts and allowing them to see what can be powered by that much electricity.
Meanwhile, Islanders have banded together to form the Community Solar Group, an affiliate of Sustainable Vashon and the Island’s Coal-Free Zone project. The solar enthusiasts envision a day not far in the future when people can invest as little as $100 in a large-scale solar array that will be placed on Island property — perhaps atop McMurray Middle School — and see a good return for their investment within a few years, Dammann said.
The state Legislature recently enacted laws that allow groups to benefit from financial incentives for going solar, he said, opening the door for community solar initiatives.
“We are now at a point where private individuals can invest any amount of money toward large community-based photovoltaic arrays and get a return on their investment that makes it doable,” Dammann said. “Maybe soon we can get 40 people together, each buying a share of $2,500, and a 14-kilowatt array goes on top of McMurray Middle School.”
The school would benefit from having the for-profit solar panels on its roof, he said, because it would get discounted solar power from the project. The surplus power could be sold to Puget Sound Energy.
Hopefully, within a year, the community solar project will be off the ground, seeking small and medium-sized investments in a project that could reap benefits for investors and the community, he said.
Vashon’s group of solar enthusiasts are in good company — large community solar projects are in the works in Port Townsend and Ellensburg.
“This gives us as individuals and as communities a little bit of power,” Dammann said.
Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber Reporter Amelia Heagerty can be reached at aheagerty@vashonbeachcomber.com or 206-463-9195.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Texas has Solar Power Potential
The state with the most potential for solar energy generation is a major underachiever, according to a new report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Numbers from the 2009 Solar Industry Year in Review include both photovoltaic and concentrated solar power.
Texas does not appear in the top ten states with new installed solar capacity in 2009, nor is it in the top ten for cumulative solar capacity. In both categories, Texas trails smaller, less sunny states such as Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey. California leads both lists, with 220 megawatts installed in 2009, and a cumulative capacity of 1,102 megawatts.
The report is good news for the US on balance, given the economic recession that dominated the country throughout 2009. The American solar industry grew by 37%, according to SEIA's analysis.
“Despite the Great Recession of 2009, the U.S. solar industry had a winning year and posted strong growth numbers,” said Rhone Resch, SEIA president and CEO. “When the President looks back at how stimulus dollars were invested, he’s going to see that solar was one of the best returns on investments in 2009 for the American taxpayers."
When Texas gets its solar act together, experts say the state could be a legitimate solar superpower.
Texas does not appear in the top ten states with new installed solar capacity in 2009, nor is it in the top ten for cumulative solar capacity. In both categories, Texas trails smaller, less sunny states such as Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey. California leads both lists, with 220 megawatts installed in 2009, and a cumulative capacity of 1,102 megawatts.
The report is good news for the US on balance, given the economic recession that dominated the country throughout 2009. The American solar industry grew by 37%, according to SEIA's analysis.
“Despite the Great Recession of 2009, the U.S. solar industry had a winning year and posted strong growth numbers,” said Rhone Resch, SEIA president and CEO. “When the President looks back at how stimulus dollars were invested, he’s going to see that solar was one of the best returns on investments in 2009 for the American taxpayers."
When Texas gets its solar act together, experts say the state could be a legitimate solar superpower.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Electricians Work the Mine
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Massey Coal Mine Explosion Kills 25; Four Missing (Update3)
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By Samantha Zee
April 6 (Bloomberg) -- An explosion at a coal mine in West Virginia killed 25 workers and left four missing, said Massey Energy Co., the owner of the pit. The disaster was the worst of its kind since 1984.
Two miners were hospitalized and rescue work at the Upper Big Branch mine was halted because of “conditions underground,” Richmond, Virginia-based Massey said in a statement today. Rescue efforts will resume as soon as conditions allow, the company said.
“Tonight we mourn the deaths of our members at Massey Energy,” Chief Executive Officer Don Blankenship said in the statement.
U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration District Manager Robert Hardman was leading rescue efforts at the mine site, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said in a statement. The agency was notified of the blast at about 3 p.m. local time yesterday.
“Our number one priority is to locate the missing miners and bring them to safety,” Solis said.
MSHA Coal Mine Safety and Health Administrator Kevin Stricklin is also at the mine and in touch with Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Joe Main. MSHA sent officials to liaise with miners’ relatives, Amy Louviere, a spokeswoman for the agency, said in an e-mailed statement.
‘Difficult Time’
Massey dropped 9.6 percent to $49.46 at 9:36 a.m. on the New York Stock Exchange. The stock has risen 17 percent this year.
The mine is operated by Performance Coal Co., a unit of Massey, the largest coal producer in the Central Appalachian region. Massey operated 56 mines as of Jan. 31, including 42 underground and 14 surface mines, in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, according to a regulatory filing.
As will as operating underground, Massey also uses the technique of mountaintop mining in the Appalachian hills, in which mountain peaks are blown away by dynamite to expose coal.
“It is a difficult time for us,” said Roger Hendriksen, a spokesman for Massey. He declined to say how many employees were working at the mine in Raleigh County at the time of the blast.
President Barack Obama, who spoke with West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin at about 8 p.m. local time yesterday, said the federal government is ready to offer whatever assistance is needed in the rescue effort.
Rescue Teams
“There are miners that were injured from the initial blast, who weren’t trapped, who are being treated, but there are fatalities and there are still miners trapped,” said Leslie Fitzwater, a spokeswoman for the West Virginia Department of Commerce.
“Coal is one of our major industries so we have people trained to respond to these incidents,” she said.
The MSHA said five rescue teams from Conso Energy and Massey were at the scene, the Associated Press reported. The mine has a total of 200 workers, according to the AP.
“We’ve offered help,” said Phil Smith, a spokesman for the United Mine Workers of America. The MSHA “will be working in conjunction with the state and the company to develop a plan for affecting a rescue effort,” he said.
The accident is the worst U.S. mine disaster in 26 years, according to data on the United States Mine Rescue Association Web site.
Rescue workers “are putting their lives on the line, entering a highly dangerous mine to bring any survivors to safety,” United Mine Workers International President Cecil E. Roberts said in a statement. The Upper Big Branch mine is a “non-union mine,” he said.
2009 Fatalities
Ron Wooten, director of the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training, didn’t immediately return a call and e-mail seeking comment. There were at least three fatalities related to coal mining operations in West Virginia last year, according to the agency.
Upper Big Branch was the site of two fatal accidents in the past decade, the agency Web site shows.
An electrician was electrocuted while splicing a trailing cable on a shuttle car in 2003, and a continuous miner operator was struck by rock after a section of mine roof fell in 2001. He died days later from his injuries. In 1998, a general laborer at the mine died after a section he was working on collapsed and crushed him.
Two miners were killed by a fire on a conveyor belt at Massey’s Aracoma Alma Mine No. 1 at Melville in Logan County, West Virginia, in January 2006, according to the mining safety agency’s Web site. The incident occurred late in the same month an explosion at the Sago mine in West Virginia operated by International Coal Group killed 12 miners.
Rescuers yesterday pulled free 114 coal miners trapped for more than a week in a flooded pit in China, holder of the world’s worst record in mining safety, state television reported. Thirty-nine workers may still be alive and trapped underground, China Central Television reported yesterday.
To contact the reporter on this story: Samantha Zee in San Francisco at szee@bloomberg.net.
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India Risks Victory on Inflation as RBI Cushions Bond Sales
•
NAB May Study Asset Sales to Win Axa Asia Bid Approval, Age Says
•
Canada Dollar Climbs Past Parity After Bank Says Rates to Rise
STORY
PHOTOS
VIDEO
Massey Coal Mine Explosion Kills 25; Four Missing (Update3)
Share Business ExchangeTwitterFacebook| Email | Print | A A A
By Samantha Zee
April 6 (Bloomberg) -- An explosion at a coal mine in West Virginia killed 25 workers and left four missing, said Massey Energy Co., the owner of the pit. The disaster was the worst of its kind since 1984.
Two miners were hospitalized and rescue work at the Upper Big Branch mine was halted because of “conditions underground,” Richmond, Virginia-based Massey said in a statement today. Rescue efforts will resume as soon as conditions allow, the company said.
“Tonight we mourn the deaths of our members at Massey Energy,” Chief Executive Officer Don Blankenship said in the statement.
U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration District Manager Robert Hardman was leading rescue efforts at the mine site, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said in a statement. The agency was notified of the blast at about 3 p.m. local time yesterday.
“Our number one priority is to locate the missing miners and bring them to safety,” Solis said.
MSHA Coal Mine Safety and Health Administrator Kevin Stricklin is also at the mine and in touch with Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Joe Main. MSHA sent officials to liaise with miners’ relatives, Amy Louviere, a spokeswoman for the agency, said in an e-mailed statement.
‘Difficult Time’
Massey dropped 9.6 percent to $49.46 at 9:36 a.m. on the New York Stock Exchange. The stock has risen 17 percent this year.
The mine is operated by Performance Coal Co., a unit of Massey, the largest coal producer in the Central Appalachian region. Massey operated 56 mines as of Jan. 31, including 42 underground and 14 surface mines, in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, according to a regulatory filing.
As will as operating underground, Massey also uses the technique of mountaintop mining in the Appalachian hills, in which mountain peaks are blown away by dynamite to expose coal.
“It is a difficult time for us,” said Roger Hendriksen, a spokesman for Massey. He declined to say how many employees were working at the mine in Raleigh County at the time of the blast.
President Barack Obama, who spoke with West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin at about 8 p.m. local time yesterday, said the federal government is ready to offer whatever assistance is needed in the rescue effort.
Rescue Teams
“There are miners that were injured from the initial blast, who weren’t trapped, who are being treated, but there are fatalities and there are still miners trapped,” said Leslie Fitzwater, a spokeswoman for the West Virginia Department of Commerce.
“Coal is one of our major industries so we have people trained to respond to these incidents,” she said.
The MSHA said five rescue teams from Conso Energy and Massey were at the scene, the Associated Press reported. The mine has a total of 200 workers, according to the AP.
“We’ve offered help,” said Phil Smith, a spokesman for the United Mine Workers of America. The MSHA “will be working in conjunction with the state and the company to develop a plan for affecting a rescue effort,” he said.
The accident is the worst U.S. mine disaster in 26 years, according to data on the United States Mine Rescue Association Web site.
Rescue workers “are putting their lives on the line, entering a highly dangerous mine to bring any survivors to safety,” United Mine Workers International President Cecil E. Roberts said in a statement. The Upper Big Branch mine is a “non-union mine,” he said.
2009 Fatalities
Ron Wooten, director of the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training, didn’t immediately return a call and e-mail seeking comment. There were at least three fatalities related to coal mining operations in West Virginia last year, according to the agency.
Upper Big Branch was the site of two fatal accidents in the past decade, the agency Web site shows.
An electrician was electrocuted while splicing a trailing cable on a shuttle car in 2003, and a continuous miner operator was struck by rock after a section of mine roof fell in 2001. He died days later from his injuries. In 1998, a general laborer at the mine died after a section he was working on collapsed and crushed him.
Two miners were killed by a fire on a conveyor belt at Massey’s Aracoma Alma Mine No. 1 at Melville in Logan County, West Virginia, in January 2006, according to the mining safety agency’s Web site. The incident occurred late in the same month an explosion at the Sago mine in West Virginia operated by International Coal Group killed 12 miners.
Rescuers yesterday pulled free 114 coal miners trapped for more than a week in a flooded pit in China, holder of the world’s worst record in mining safety, state television reported. Thirty-nine workers may still be alive and trapped underground, China Central Television reported yesterday.
To contact the reporter on this story: Samantha Zee in San Francisco at szee@bloomberg.net.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Electricians on Strike in Sweden Power Plants
National News | 2010-04-19
Strike: More than ten power plants in Sweden are now standing still, some of them totally still and some of them are partly closed. This reports Sveriges Television today.This development is the consequence of the conflict between Swedish Association for Electricians and the Energy sector’s employer association.
The association for electricians (Elektrikerförbundet) started their overtime blockade last Thursday and it concerns around 1,800 employees. Already during the weekend, the management of the power plants started to suffer, because minor errors were not repaired.
Today the next step was taken: limited strike. At the nuclear power plant in Oskarshamn, south-east Sweden, the electricians were taken out on strike. It concerns workers on the power plant’s goods reception. Furthermore no reparation works are conducted at the water power plants.
The wage negotiations will continue tomorrow. If there is no deal, another 2,800 employes will go out on strike. Moreover the transport sector trade union has announced sympati-blockade against the related paper industries’ management of goods at the ports. This will start the 28th April.
Strike: More than ten power plants in Sweden are now standing still, some of them totally still and some of them are partly closed. This reports Sveriges Television today.This development is the consequence of the conflict between Swedish Association for Electricians and the Energy sector’s employer association.
The association for electricians (Elektrikerförbundet) started their overtime blockade last Thursday and it concerns around 1,800 employees. Already during the weekend, the management of the power plants started to suffer, because minor errors were not repaired.
Today the next step was taken: limited strike. At the nuclear power plant in Oskarshamn, south-east Sweden, the electricians were taken out on strike. It concerns workers on the power plant’s goods reception. Furthermore no reparation works are conducted at the water power plants.
The wage negotiations will continue tomorrow. If there is no deal, another 2,800 employes will go out on strike. Moreover the transport sector trade union has announced sympati-blockade against the related paper industries’ management of goods at the ports. This will start the 28th April.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Electricians Future Tied to Solar Energy
By TIM LANDIS (tim.landis@sj-r.com)
THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
The evolution in technology from streetcar motors to solar energy covers 106 years for Haenig Electric Co.
It’s a small evolution at this point, when it comes to solar.
A recently added solar division has three small-scale projects that are among the earliest commercial ventures in what remains a relatively young industry in Illinois, especially compared to wind.
Federal economic stimulus grants also helped make the projects possible.
But owner/project manager Rich Marsaglia, who put months of research into creation of a solar division, said he hopes the projects are the start of something bigger for sun-powered electricity.
“It’ll catch on. It just takes a few of these to get going,” said Marsaglia, whose parents, Mike and Debbie, bought the company in 1980.
Zero energy bill?
A first group of 16 panels installed by Haenig has been generating electricity since early this month at the Southwind Park development on Second Street. The pole-mounted panels have a capacity of 3,000 watts per hour, though in ideal conditions the figure is higher.
“It’s a small percentage of their needs, but it’s 3,000 watts of free energy” said Marsaglia.
A Web-based system allows the company to monitor output, which varies minute-to-minute, depending on atmospheric conditions. But modern panels still produce electricity in relatively low light, said Marsaglia.
While central Illinois is not Arizona or California, Marsaglia said the region does have potential for solar power.
“We have quite a bit of sunlight. In Arizona, it sometimes gets too hot, and we can continue to produce electricity all winter,” said Marsaglia.
Installation of two more panels is expected in the next 60 days, said Diane Mathis, director of marketing and development for the Springfield Park District. The new panels will supply power to picnic shelters at Southwind Park.
Combined with a hydrothermal system used to maintain a steady temperature in the main building, Erin’s Pavilion, and a wind turbine that is also planned, purchased power usage should be minimal, said Mathis.
“With solar, geothermal and wind, we have potentially a zero energy bill,” said Mathis.
Springfield resident Butch Elzea, who was instrumental in developing the park, said alternative energy was always part of the vision.
Elzea, whose family operated a chain of auto-parts stores for more than 60 years, said he believes alternative energy is becoming more affordable.
“We like to think we’re in the middle of the discovery of alternative energy methods. Now, we’re getting wind farms and solar panels,” said Elzea.
Not that different
Veteran electricians Albert Walden and Tony Miele said installation of solar electrical networks is not all that different from traditional commercial and residential wiring, though they do find themselves atop roofs a bit more often.
“The (mounting) racks are a little bit different, but it’s the same theory,” said Walden, who has been an electrician for 20 years.
Miele, an electrician for more than 30 years, said adapting to new technology is part of the job.
“It’s not that different. The job has always consisted of putting your skills to use on new applications,” said Miele.
Still incentive-driven
Haenig started installation of solar panels last week at FitClub South and also has an agreement to install a solar system at the Brandt Consolidated corporate headquarters on Koke Mill Road.
Haenig received $35,000 grants from the federal stimulus program to pay about a third of the cost for each of the projects, said Marsaglia. The solar industry probably will rely on state and federal incentives for the foreseeable future, he said.
“It’s going to be incentive-driven for a while because price is still out there, but as more of these are going to come out, you’re going to see the costs coming down,” said Marsaglia.
He also expects to see other traditional contractors venture into alternative energy.
“It’s another revenue source. We have the electricians, we have the trucks. It’s another avenue for us,” said Marsaglia
Executive director Molly Hall of the Energy Education Council in Springfield said solar remains a small industry in Illinois compared to wind and biomass energy, but it has begun to get more attention as a result of the federal incentives.
“We’re probably going to see more on a commercial scale. We’re just not there yet,” said Hall.
Tim Landis can be reached at 788-1536.
THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
The evolution in technology from streetcar motors to solar energy covers 106 years for Haenig Electric Co.
It’s a small evolution at this point, when it comes to solar.
A recently added solar division has three small-scale projects that are among the earliest commercial ventures in what remains a relatively young industry in Illinois, especially compared to wind.
Federal economic stimulus grants also helped make the projects possible.
But owner/project manager Rich Marsaglia, who put months of research into creation of a solar division, said he hopes the projects are the start of something bigger for sun-powered electricity.
“It’ll catch on. It just takes a few of these to get going,” said Marsaglia, whose parents, Mike and Debbie, bought the company in 1980.
Zero energy bill?
A first group of 16 panels installed by Haenig has been generating electricity since early this month at the Southwind Park development on Second Street. The pole-mounted panels have a capacity of 3,000 watts per hour, though in ideal conditions the figure is higher.
“It’s a small percentage of their needs, but it’s 3,000 watts of free energy” said Marsaglia.
A Web-based system allows the company to monitor output, which varies minute-to-minute, depending on atmospheric conditions. But modern panels still produce electricity in relatively low light, said Marsaglia.
While central Illinois is not Arizona or California, Marsaglia said the region does have potential for solar power.
“We have quite a bit of sunlight. In Arizona, it sometimes gets too hot, and we can continue to produce electricity all winter,” said Marsaglia.
Installation of two more panels is expected in the next 60 days, said Diane Mathis, director of marketing and development for the Springfield Park District. The new panels will supply power to picnic shelters at Southwind Park.
Combined with a hydrothermal system used to maintain a steady temperature in the main building, Erin’s Pavilion, and a wind turbine that is also planned, purchased power usage should be minimal, said Mathis.
“With solar, geothermal and wind, we have potentially a zero energy bill,” said Mathis.
Springfield resident Butch Elzea, who was instrumental in developing the park, said alternative energy was always part of the vision.
Elzea, whose family operated a chain of auto-parts stores for more than 60 years, said he believes alternative energy is becoming more affordable.
“We like to think we’re in the middle of the discovery of alternative energy methods. Now, we’re getting wind farms and solar panels,” said Elzea.
Not that different
Veteran electricians Albert Walden and Tony Miele said installation of solar electrical networks is not all that different from traditional commercial and residential wiring, though they do find themselves atop roofs a bit more often.
“The (mounting) racks are a little bit different, but it’s the same theory,” said Walden, who has been an electrician for 20 years.
Miele, an electrician for more than 30 years, said adapting to new technology is part of the job.
“It’s not that different. The job has always consisted of putting your skills to use on new applications,” said Miele.
Still incentive-driven
Haenig started installation of solar panels last week at FitClub South and also has an agreement to install a solar system at the Brandt Consolidated corporate headquarters on Koke Mill Road.
Haenig received $35,000 grants from the federal stimulus program to pay about a third of the cost for each of the projects, said Marsaglia. The solar industry probably will rely on state and federal incentives for the foreseeable future, he said.
“It’s going to be incentive-driven for a while because price is still out there, but as more of these are going to come out, you’re going to see the costs coming down,” said Marsaglia.
He also expects to see other traditional contractors venture into alternative energy.
“It’s another revenue source. We have the electricians, we have the trucks. It’s another avenue for us,” said Marsaglia
Executive director Molly Hall of the Energy Education Council in Springfield said solar remains a small industry in Illinois compared to wind and biomass energy, but it has begun to get more attention as a result of the federal incentives.
“We’re probably going to see more on a commercial scale. We’re just not there yet,” said Hall.
Tim Landis can be reached at 788-1536.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Fire Department New York Electricians Working Overtime
BY JONATHAN LEMIRE
DAILY NEWS WRITER
These family ties are green - and may prove criminal.
The two FDNY electricians who made more than $100,000 in overtime alone last year are related - and their earnings are under investigation, the Daily News has learned.
Robert Zerillo is fellow top earning electrician Leonardo Labella's father-in-law.
A Fire Department probe has been launched to determine whether there have been any improprieties with their time sheets, FDNY sources said.
The investigators are trying to determine if one of the electricians supervised the other, and may have signed off on inappropriate overtime, the sources said.
The probe was launched the same day Labella and Zerillo were revealed to be the second and third highest OT earners among city workers.
Zerillo made $111,451 in overtime on top of his $98,971 salary last year, according to city records. Labella made $112,350 in overtime above his $94,795 salary.
Neither could be reached for comment.
Both men do emergency repairs on fire alarm boxes, which Mayor Bloomberg wants to shut down to save money.
Despite Zerillo and Labella's extravagant earnings, an FDNY spokesman said the department cut down on overall overtime costs in the electricians' unit in 2009, trimming more than $1 million from the year before.
The city's total overtime bill fell 3.4% last year to just under $1.14 billion. The top 100 overtime workers made an extra $7.5 million on top of their $8.2 million salaries.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/04/16/2010-04-16_kin_you_believe_fdny_ot_kings_are_related.html#ixzz0lP9Oln75
DAILY NEWS WRITER
These family ties are green - and may prove criminal.
The two FDNY electricians who made more than $100,000 in overtime alone last year are related - and their earnings are under investigation, the Daily News has learned.
Robert Zerillo is fellow top earning electrician Leonardo Labella's father-in-law.
A Fire Department probe has been launched to determine whether there have been any improprieties with their time sheets, FDNY sources said.
The investigators are trying to determine if one of the electricians supervised the other, and may have signed off on inappropriate overtime, the sources said.
The probe was launched the same day Labella and Zerillo were revealed to be the second and third highest OT earners among city workers.
Zerillo made $111,451 in overtime on top of his $98,971 salary last year, according to city records. Labella made $112,350 in overtime above his $94,795 salary.
Neither could be reached for comment.
Both men do emergency repairs on fire alarm boxes, which Mayor Bloomberg wants to shut down to save money.
Despite Zerillo and Labella's extravagant earnings, an FDNY spokesman said the department cut down on overall overtime costs in the electricians' unit in 2009, trimming more than $1 million from the year before.
The city's total overtime bill fell 3.4% last year to just under $1.14 billion. The top 100 overtime workers made an extra $7.5 million on top of their $8.2 million salaries.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/04/16/2010-04-16_kin_you_believe_fdny_ot_kings_are_related.html#ixzz0lP9Oln75
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Electricians Mate with Respect
Ronald Steven Reier, 52, of Poulsbo, WA passed away on April 13th.
Ron was born on Dec. 1, 1957 to Harold L. and Irene M. (Vedvig) Reier in Brainerd, MN. He graduated from Brainerd High School. Ron proudly served in the U.S. Navy on the USS Enterprise from 1976-1982 and earned the rank Electrician's Mate. After leaving the service, Ron worked as a Marine Electrician in Shop 51 at PSNS. He was in charge of the Aircraft Landing and Recovery Equipment Group "ALRE." Ron received numerous awards and commendations during his career (and a few days on the beach, too).
On July 29, 1995, Ron married Janet E. Schneider in Suquamish, WA. Ron enjoyed Harley-Davidson motorcycles, woodworking, traveling to Las Vegas, and building his custom dream home. He also enjoyed the antics and company of his dogs and horses.
Ron was preceded in death by brothers, Jimmy and Gary Reier. He is survived by his beloved wife of 14 years; stepsons, Shawn Pierson (Karen) of Port Orchard and Terry Pierson (Analisa) of Poulsbo; brothers, Harold of Fargo, ND and Wally (Jo) of Duluth, MN; sisters, Janet Saari (Gary) of Hibbing, MN and Barb Tilley (Martin) of Kearney, NE; grandchildren, Jeff and Dalton Pierson; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Ron's life will be held at the family home in Poulsbo on Saturday, May 1st from 1-6 p.m. Military honors will be rendered at 3 p.m. An online memorial can be seen at www.lewischapel.com.
Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/apr/16/ronald-steven-reier-52/#ixzz0lKX0nWK4
Ron was born on Dec. 1, 1957 to Harold L. and Irene M. (Vedvig) Reier in Brainerd, MN. He graduated from Brainerd High School. Ron proudly served in the U.S. Navy on the USS Enterprise from 1976-1982 and earned the rank Electrician's Mate. After leaving the service, Ron worked as a Marine Electrician in Shop 51 at PSNS. He was in charge of the Aircraft Landing and Recovery Equipment Group "ALRE." Ron received numerous awards and commendations during his career (and a few days on the beach, too).
On July 29, 1995, Ron married Janet E. Schneider in Suquamish, WA. Ron enjoyed Harley-Davidson motorcycles, woodworking, traveling to Las Vegas, and building his custom dream home. He also enjoyed the antics and company of his dogs and horses.
Ron was preceded in death by brothers, Jimmy and Gary Reier. He is survived by his beloved wife of 14 years; stepsons, Shawn Pierson (Karen) of Port Orchard and Terry Pierson (Analisa) of Poulsbo; brothers, Harold of Fargo, ND and Wally (Jo) of Duluth, MN; sisters, Janet Saari (Gary) of Hibbing, MN and Barb Tilley (Martin) of Kearney, NE; grandchildren, Jeff and Dalton Pierson; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Ron's life will be held at the family home in Poulsbo on Saturday, May 1st from 1-6 p.m. Military honors will be rendered at 3 p.m. An online memorial can be seen at www.lewischapel.com.
Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/apr/16/ronald-steven-reier-52/#ixzz0lKX0nWK4
Friday, April 16, 2010
Electrician Job Overseas
Electrical Tester / Electrician / Electrical Technician – Growing Maintenance company – up to £30,000
Electrician, Merton
Connaught is the UK’s leading integrated services provider. We are currently recruiting for an Electrical Tester/Electrician to cover Merton and the surrounding area. The successful Electrician/Electrical Tester will be provided with a company van, phone, fuel card and PDA.
These are exciting times for Connaught as we are experiencing a sustained phase of growth and development underpinned by strong financial performance. The successful applicant will play form part of an already successful team and will help to increase the service levels provided to our client.
The key responsibilities for the Electrical Tester / Electrician role will include:
Working in tenanted and void properties, undertaking full electrical inspections and tests
Identification of electrical remedial work
Ensuring all works carried out comply with all industry regulations
To provide a high standard of service to all Connaught customers at all times
The successful Electricial Tester / Electrician will have:
Considerable experience in the testing of fixed and portable appliances. Must be qualified to 2391 standard
Previous experience of completing electrical testing work ideally gained in the social housing sector
The ability to plan and prioritise workloads to ensure works are completed on time
Excellent communication and inter-personal skills
Connaught can provide an environment for your development that is limited by only one thing – your ambition.
This represents a great opportunity to join a fast growing business with all of the benefits that you would expect from a leading UK business.
If you would like to join our rapidly expanding team and be part of our future success then apply today. You will be redirected to our website where your application will take only 5-10 minutes - we’d love to hear from you!
Connaught is an equal opportunities employer, welcoming applications from all sectors of the community.
Electrician, Merton
Connaught is the UK’s leading integrated services provider. We are currently recruiting for an Electrical Tester/Electrician to cover Merton and the surrounding area. The successful Electrician/Electrical Tester will be provided with a company van, phone, fuel card and PDA.
These are exciting times for Connaught as we are experiencing a sustained phase of growth and development underpinned by strong financial performance. The successful applicant will play form part of an already successful team and will help to increase the service levels provided to our client.
The key responsibilities for the Electrical Tester / Electrician role will include:
Working in tenanted and void properties, undertaking full electrical inspections and tests
Identification of electrical remedial work
Ensuring all works carried out comply with all industry regulations
To provide a high standard of service to all Connaught customers at all times
The successful Electricial Tester / Electrician will have:
Considerable experience in the testing of fixed and portable appliances. Must be qualified to 2391 standard
Previous experience of completing electrical testing work ideally gained in the social housing sector
The ability to plan and prioritise workloads to ensure works are completed on time
Excellent communication and inter-personal skills
Connaught can provide an environment for your development that is limited by only one thing – your ambition.
This represents a great opportunity to join a fast growing business with all of the benefits that you would expect from a leading UK business.
If you would like to join our rapidly expanding team and be part of our future success then apply today. You will be redirected to our website where your application will take only 5-10 minutes - we’d love to hear from you!
Connaught is an equal opportunities employer, welcoming applications from all sectors of the community.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
New York Electricians Warn of Home Fires
(Media-Newswire.com) - When owning a home, fire is one of the most dangerous aspects and something everyone should have an evacuation plan for. Many Nassau County electricians know first hand the importance of safe wiring as well as hard wired smoke detectors in the house.
A scary fact is that Nassau County electricians often come across panels or wiring that is overloaded or not the proper equipment/wiring for the job. This inadequate electrical capacity is mainly due to increasing the number of devices that Nassau County electricians day consume electricity in your home like new heating and cooling equipment, frost free refrigerators, clothes dryers, water heaters, electric ranges and ovens, dishwashers, and other powerful electric motor driven tools and appliances.
While many people are busy in their lives, few take the proper steps to ensure their home and more importantly their family is protected from electrical fires.
Following some basic rules and tips can make the difference. Read more about electrical fires and safe home tips at http://LongIsland-Electricians.com
A scary fact is that Nassau County electricians often come across panels or wiring that is overloaded or not the proper equipment/wiring for the job. This inadequate electrical capacity is mainly due to increasing the number of devices that Nassau County electricians day consume electricity in your home like new heating and cooling equipment, frost free refrigerators, clothes dryers, water heaters, electric ranges and ovens, dishwashers, and other powerful electric motor driven tools and appliances.
While many people are busy in their lives, few take the proper steps to ensure their home and more importantly their family is protected from electrical fires.
Following some basic rules and tips can make the difference. Read more about electrical fires and safe home tips at http://LongIsland-Electricians.com
Electricians in Voters Eyes
I am a 15-year resident of Vermont, homeowner, taxpayer and voter. I am writing to encourage the Vermont Senate to vote yes on bill H.132, requiring that single and two-family residences be wired by a licensed electrician.
Over the past few years I have added 1,750 square feet of living space to my home and hired, what I believed to be, a licensed electrician. When interviewing the electrician, he assured me that he met all of the requirements of the state of Vermont. This I wrongly assumed to mean that Vermont had a licensing requirement and that he met that requirement. In actuality, it was his way of skirting the issue, wording it in such a way that I wrongly concluded that he was licensed. I could not imagine that, as a serious safety issue, Vermont would not require an electrician to be licensed to work in our homes.
I eventually heard through the rumor mill in town that he did not have a license, which led to a falling out. This was two years and over $10,000 into the relationship. I was angry, not just with the electrician, but I was angry at the state of Vermont for not taking a responsible position on licensing requirements, in protection of the consumer and the voting public.
In the best interest of the safety of all Vermonters and the vast number of second homeowners who invest in this state, I urge our senators to follow the House of Representatives' lead and protect us all by voting yes on H.132.
WENDY MANNERS
Wilmington
Over the past few years I have added 1,750 square feet of living space to my home and hired, what I believed to be, a licensed electrician. When interviewing the electrician, he assured me that he met all of the requirements of the state of Vermont. This I wrongly assumed to mean that Vermont had a licensing requirement and that he met that requirement. In actuality, it was his way of skirting the issue, wording it in such a way that I wrongly concluded that he was licensed. I could not imagine that, as a serious safety issue, Vermont would not require an electrician to be licensed to work in our homes.
I eventually heard through the rumor mill in town that he did not have a license, which led to a falling out. This was two years and over $10,000 into the relationship. I was angry, not just with the electrician, but I was angry at the state of Vermont for not taking a responsible position on licensing requirements, in protection of the consumer and the voting public.
In the best interest of the safety of all Vermonters and the vast number of second homeowners who invest in this state, I urge our senators to follow the House of Representatives' lead and protect us all by voting yes on H.132.
WENDY MANNERS
Wilmington
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Electricians Die in Chinese Accident
HOHHOT - Six people were killed in two separate accidents Saturday in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, local work safety authorities said Sunday.
Three electricians were working on a pylon at around 2:30 pm Saturday when it collapsed, killing two on the spot in Chifeng city. The injured one died later in a local hospital, according to a statement from the regional work safety supervision bureau.
Initial investigations showed that a missing screw on the base of the pylon might have caused the accident. And the police were further probing the case, the statement said.
Another three people were killed and five injured after two sedans collided on a highway coded S307 in Xilingol prefecture, it said.
The injured were being treated in a local hospital.
The cause of the accident is being investigated, the statement said.
Three electricians were working on a pylon at around 2:30 pm Saturday when it collapsed, killing two on the spot in Chifeng city. The injured one died later in a local hospital, according to a statement from the regional work safety supervision bureau.
Initial investigations showed that a missing screw on the base of the pylon might have caused the accident. And the police were further probing the case, the statement said.
Another three people were killed and five injured after two sedans collided on a highway coded S307 in Xilingol prefecture, it said.
The injured were being treated in a local hospital.
The cause of the accident is being investigated, the statement said.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Australian Offshore Platform Electricians Earn Good Money
ELECTRICIANS working on Bass Strait oil and gas platforms are earning up to $260,000 a year, with unions declaring them the nation's best paid tradies.
Although West Australian resource sector workers are perceived as the best remunerated tradesmen, they are well behind the elite class of offshore sparkies, The Australian reports.
Employed on fly-in-fly-out rosters, they work seven consecutive 12-hour shifts, living on the platforms before they return to the mainland for a week off.
As well as an attractive hourly rate, they employees receive a raft of allowances for shift work, rotating between day and night rosters, and weekend penalties.
And with overtime, their total annual remuneration package can range between $250,000 and $260,000.National secretary of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union's construction division Dave Noonan said they were working in tough conditions, clocking up to 80 hours a week on fly-in-fly-out rosters.
"Temperatures are frequently in excess of 45 degrees and the work is very highly skilled," he said.
Critical to their high pay is that they hold dual trades in electrical and instrumentation, to perform crucial maintenance work on the rigs.
Victorian secretary of the Electrical Trades Union Dean Mighell said the workers earned their money.
"You have got highly skilled workers with two full-trade qualifications working in remote offshore locations for long periods of time," he said.
As well as dual trades, the tradesmen had obtained significant post-trade qualifications.
"It's probably the equivalent of about 10 years' full-time training," Mr Mighell said.
According to industry and union estimates, tradespeople working on onshore projects are capable of earning more than $150,000 a year, provided they work long hours and get paid overtime.
Construction workers on the Gorgon LNG project stand to earn about $150,000 a year, while qualified tradesmen could get at least $160,000 annually.
Read more about working on oil and gas platforms in The Australian.
Although West Australian resource sector workers are perceived as the best remunerated tradesmen, they are well behind the elite class of offshore sparkies, The Australian reports.
Employed on fly-in-fly-out rosters, they work seven consecutive 12-hour shifts, living on the platforms before they return to the mainland for a week off.
As well as an attractive hourly rate, they employees receive a raft of allowances for shift work, rotating between day and night rosters, and weekend penalties.
And with overtime, their total annual remuneration package can range between $250,000 and $260,000.National secretary of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union's construction division Dave Noonan said they were working in tough conditions, clocking up to 80 hours a week on fly-in-fly-out rosters.
"Temperatures are frequently in excess of 45 degrees and the work is very highly skilled," he said.
Critical to their high pay is that they hold dual trades in electrical and instrumentation, to perform crucial maintenance work on the rigs.
Victorian secretary of the Electrical Trades Union Dean Mighell said the workers earned their money.
"You have got highly skilled workers with two full-trade qualifications working in remote offshore locations for long periods of time," he said.
As well as dual trades, the tradesmen had obtained significant post-trade qualifications.
"It's probably the equivalent of about 10 years' full-time training," Mr Mighell said.
According to industry and union estimates, tradespeople working on onshore projects are capable of earning more than $150,000 a year, provided they work long hours and get paid overtime.
Construction workers on the Gorgon LNG project stand to earn about $150,000 a year, while qualified tradesmen could get at least $160,000 annually.
Read more about working on oil and gas platforms in The Australian.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Electrical Man Sees the Way
I was halfway through an interview with electrical contractor Jim Fabiszewski (he goes by Jim Fab) when he started talking about why he decided to run his own business. It reminded me of why I wanted to leave Syracuse, N.Y., 20 years ago, thinking there was something more to see and experience beyond Upstate New York.
"I grew up in a family of four in Silver Spring, and I wanted to do better than my father," he said. "I thought the harder I worked, the more I will make. And I can't do that working for somebody. You just don't know what you don't have until you get out in the world."
Amen.
Fab, 49, has good values. Works hard. Lives beneath his means. Self-effacing. Saves.
He wasn't a very good student at Springbrook High School, but he was smart enough to know it. After graduating in 1978, he went into construction as a laborer because, he said, "I thought I could do this."
Fab was 18 and working for an Ashton, Md., bricklaying company, mixing mortar and stacking blocks for bricklayers, when he met an electrician on a job and decided to become an electrician's apprentice.
He spent nine years in electricians school and working as an electrician. In 1987, he decided he wanted to go into business for himself. He was making about $12 an hour and figured the only way he could make some real money was to go out on his own.
"I wanted the freedom," he said. "I just thought that the one thing I needed was money, and I thought I could do it by being self-employed."
He bought a used van for $500 and had some business cards printed. He started passing out cards to people he met. He pitched himself to anyone who would listen, promising he would work harder and longer. He stuffed fliers in mailboxes. He put up postings in convenience stores. He ran ads in the Gazette newspapers.
"I started getting calls," he said.
In 1987, the first year Fab Electric was in business, Fab worked 16 hours a day, seven days a week. He charged $25 an hour and grossed $80,000 or so. Most of the money went for trucks, equipment and tools. He kept about $20,000 to live on. He ran the business out of a home he had built in 1983 at age 23.
His first employee was an unemployed colleague who was a certified electrician. As the jobs flowed in, he grew the company gradually, hiring electricians and putting them through a program run by the Independent Electrical Contractors. His niche became light commercial work (fitting out office buildings) and home remodeling. He stayed away from new residential construction because it was difficult to get paid by general contractors.
"I grew up in a family of four in Silver Spring, and I wanted to do better than my father," he said. "I thought the harder I worked, the more I will make. And I can't do that working for somebody. You just don't know what you don't have until you get out in the world."
Amen.
Fab, 49, has good values. Works hard. Lives beneath his means. Self-effacing. Saves.
He wasn't a very good student at Springbrook High School, but he was smart enough to know it. After graduating in 1978, he went into construction as a laborer because, he said, "I thought I could do this."
Fab was 18 and working for an Ashton, Md., bricklaying company, mixing mortar and stacking blocks for bricklayers, when he met an electrician on a job and decided to become an electrician's apprentice.
He spent nine years in electricians school and working as an electrician. In 1987, he decided he wanted to go into business for himself. He was making about $12 an hour and figured the only way he could make some real money was to go out on his own.
"I wanted the freedom," he said. "I just thought that the one thing I needed was money, and I thought I could do it by being self-employed."
He bought a used van for $500 and had some business cards printed. He started passing out cards to people he met. He pitched himself to anyone who would listen, promising he would work harder and longer. He stuffed fliers in mailboxes. He put up postings in convenience stores. He ran ads in the Gazette newspapers.
"I started getting calls," he said.
In 1987, the first year Fab Electric was in business, Fab worked 16 hours a day, seven days a week. He charged $25 an hour and grossed $80,000 or so. Most of the money went for trucks, equipment and tools. He kept about $20,000 to live on. He ran the business out of a home he had built in 1983 at age 23.
His first employee was an unemployed colleague who was a certified electrician. As the jobs flowed in, he grew the company gradually, hiring electricians and putting them through a program run by the Independent Electrical Contractors. His niche became light commercial work (fitting out office buildings) and home remodeling. He stayed away from new residential construction because it was difficult to get paid by general contractors.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Training Money for Electricians
Washington, DC – The U.S. Department of Energy has announced grant awards of about $100 million for 54 smart grid workforce training programs in the utility and electrical manufacturing industries.
An estimated 30,000 individuals, including existing employees and currently displaced workers, will receive training under the programs at community colleges, universities, utilities and manufacturers.
The training programs target electricians, line workers, technicians, system operators, power system engineers, cyber security specialists and transmission planners. Workers will receive training on the transmission and distribution systems as well as new intelligent grid systems, such as smart meters, phasor measurement sensors and advanced communication networks.
The federal funds are being matched with about $95 million from the grant recipients, according to the DOE.
For a complete listing of the funded training programs, click on the link below.
An estimated 30,000 individuals, including existing employees and currently displaced workers, will receive training under the programs at community colleges, universities, utilities and manufacturers.
The training programs target electricians, line workers, technicians, system operators, power system engineers, cyber security specialists and transmission planners. Workers will receive training on the transmission and distribution systems as well as new intelligent grid systems, such as smart meters, phasor measurement sensors and advanced communication networks.
The federal funds are being matched with about $95 million from the grant recipients, according to the DOE.
For a complete listing of the funded training programs, click on the link below.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Money for Michigan Electrician Training
LANSING, MICH.
Michigan is getting about $5 million from the federal government to train electricians and other workers related to "smart grid" development.
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the grant Thursday and said it could help train about 600 Michigan workers. The money comes from the federal stimulus program.
The retraining program could cover unemployed workers or those who have jobs but are looking to upgrade. The program is aimed at preparing the next generation of workers in the utility and electrical manufacturing industries.
The Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth will receive about $4.4 million for the program. Northern Michigan University will get more than $650,000.
Michigan is getting about $5 million from the federal government to train electricians and other workers related to "smart grid" development.
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the grant Thursday and said it could help train about 600 Michigan workers. The money comes from the federal stimulus program.
The retraining program could cover unemployed workers or those who have jobs but are looking to upgrade. The program is aimed at preparing the next generation of workers in the utility and electrical manufacturing industries.
The Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth will receive about $4.4 million for the program. Northern Michigan University will get more than $650,000.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Solar and Electricians Continue the Connection
Two years ago, the Free State, like many states, was struggling over how to start generating electricity from renewable sources such as solar, wind and geothermal. Since then, the solar industry has come alive. Maryland companies are generating new jobs while helping homeowners and businesses control their energy costs by generating their own clean electricity that is improving our environment.
Today, Maryland is one of about 10 states with a burgeoning solar industry that is becoming a bona fide engine for economic growth. But that growth could stop, and the economic engine that solar is becoming will sputter, if the House of Delegates elects not to approve the O'Malley administration's solar legislation, which has already passed the state Senate. (The House vote could come as soon as Thursday.)
In tough economic and budget times such as these, it is incumbent on all Marylanders to reassess the programs we're putting in place. Any balanced, long-term assessment of the costs and benefits of the administration's solar legislation should lead Republicans and Democrats to conclude that solar is integral to 1) generating new jobs we need and thereby reducing unemployment; 2) helping all consumers control their energy costs; 3) cleaning up the air we breathe and the water we drink; 4) continuing to reduce our dependence on dirty or foreign fuels needed to make electricity.
Take the experience of our company, Standard Solar in Gaithersburg. Two years ago, we were a small residential installer with about a dozen employees. Since then, we have hired more than 60 employees to help create solar electric systems for businesses, government agencies and a variety of academic institutions. Similar gains in good-paying jobs for electricians, engineers, construction workers, permitting specialists, financial managers and customer care experts are happening in many parts of the state. Each of these jobs pays taxes to the state and local governments and lots of household bills.
The legislative analysis lawmakers are using has concluded the changes sought by this legislation (Senate Bill 277, House Bill 471) confirms they will have basically no impact on the price consumers pay for electricity. Technically, the analysis foresees a tiny .02 percent increase in a typical monthly bill. If utilities use their skills to comply prudently, the decline that is forecast in electricity prices over the next two years could yield even more savings as clean energy begins to influence the cost of generating electricity from dirty and dangerous sources of fuel such as coal.
With the economy struggling to pull out of the recession, we're foolish if we don't recognize the huge upside potential of more solar power in Maryland. Solar developers and installers in Maryland are responding to the growing demand and poised to scale up their businesses if, and only if, the state's lawmakers see the light about solar.
Anthony E. Clifford is president of the Maryland-D.C.-Virginia chapter of the Solar Energy Industries Association and chief executive officer of Standard Solar Inc. in Gaithersburg. His e-mail is tony.clifford@standardsolar.com.
Today, Maryland is one of about 10 states with a burgeoning solar industry that is becoming a bona fide engine for economic growth. But that growth could stop, and the economic engine that solar is becoming will sputter, if the House of Delegates elects not to approve the O'Malley administration's solar legislation, which has already passed the state Senate. (The House vote could come as soon as Thursday.)
In tough economic and budget times such as these, it is incumbent on all Marylanders to reassess the programs we're putting in place. Any balanced, long-term assessment of the costs and benefits of the administration's solar legislation should lead Republicans and Democrats to conclude that solar is integral to 1) generating new jobs we need and thereby reducing unemployment; 2) helping all consumers control their energy costs; 3) cleaning up the air we breathe and the water we drink; 4) continuing to reduce our dependence on dirty or foreign fuels needed to make electricity.
Take the experience of our company, Standard Solar in Gaithersburg. Two years ago, we were a small residential installer with about a dozen employees. Since then, we have hired more than 60 employees to help create solar electric systems for businesses, government agencies and a variety of academic institutions. Similar gains in good-paying jobs for electricians, engineers, construction workers, permitting specialists, financial managers and customer care experts are happening in many parts of the state. Each of these jobs pays taxes to the state and local governments and lots of household bills.
The legislative analysis lawmakers are using has concluded the changes sought by this legislation (Senate Bill 277, House Bill 471) confirms they will have basically no impact on the price consumers pay for electricity. Technically, the analysis foresees a tiny .02 percent increase in a typical monthly bill. If utilities use their skills to comply prudently, the decline that is forecast in electricity prices over the next two years could yield even more savings as clean energy begins to influence the cost of generating electricity from dirty and dangerous sources of fuel such as coal.
With the economy struggling to pull out of the recession, we're foolish if we don't recognize the huge upside potential of more solar power in Maryland. Solar developers and installers in Maryland are responding to the growing demand and poised to scale up their businesses if, and only if, the state's lawmakers see the light about solar.
Anthony E. Clifford is president of the Maryland-D.C.-Virginia chapter of the Solar Energy Industries Association and chief executive officer of Standard Solar Inc. in Gaithersburg. His e-mail is tony.clifford@standardsolar.com.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
New York Electricians Wanted
ROCHESTER, NY (04/06/2010)(readMedia)-- The Rochester Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee Local Union #86, will conduct a recruitment from April 7, 2010 through March 16, 2011 for twenty electrician apprentices, State Labor Commissioner Colleen C. Gardner announced today.
Applications can be obtained at the Local Union # 86, 470 W. Metro Park, Suite B, Rochester, NY, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month, except legal holidays, during the recruitment period. Applications must be completed in person.
The Committee requires that applicants:
• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Must have a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma (G.E.D) and must have one year of algebra with a passing grade.
• Must be physically able to perform the work required by applicant/employment application
• Must pass a drug screen.
• Must live within the jurisdiction of Local Union #86.
• Must take and obtain a score of four or higher using the electrical trade's aptitude test developed and validated by the American Institute for Research.
• Must be able and willing to get to and from work at various job sites within that geographical jurisdiction of Local Union #86.
• Must be able and willing to attend all related classroom training as required to complete apprenticeship.
• Must be able to climb and work from ladders and scaffolds of various lengths and heights.
• Must be able to crawl and work in confined spaces such as attics, manholes and crawl spaces.
• Must be able to read and understand English, and hear and understand verbal instructions and warnings given in English.
• Must pay a $10.00 testing fee at the time of application. A determination to waive this fee will be made if prior notification is received and determined to be of good reason. Such as, if you are indigent, on welfare, or social services, the testing fee will be waived. It will only be waived if you provide verifiable proof of indigence.
For further information, applicants should contact the New York State Department of Labor office located nearest their home or may contact Local Union # 86 at 585-235-5050.
Apprentice programs registered with the Department of Labor must meet standards established by the Commissioner. Under state law, sponsors of programs cannot discriminate against applicants because of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, disability or marital status. Women and minorities are encouraged to submit applications for apprenticeship programs. Sponsors of programs are required to adopt affirmative action plans for the recruitment of women and minorities.
Applications can be obtained at the Local Union # 86, 470 W. Metro Park, Suite B, Rochester, NY, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month, except legal holidays, during the recruitment period. Applications must be completed in person.
The Committee requires that applicants:
• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Must have a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma (G.E.D) and must have one year of algebra with a passing grade.
• Must be physically able to perform the work required by applicant/employment application
• Must pass a drug screen.
• Must live within the jurisdiction of Local Union #86.
• Must take and obtain a score of four or higher using the electrical trade's aptitude test developed and validated by the American Institute for Research.
• Must be able and willing to get to and from work at various job sites within that geographical jurisdiction of Local Union #86.
• Must be able and willing to attend all related classroom training as required to complete apprenticeship.
• Must be able to climb and work from ladders and scaffolds of various lengths and heights.
• Must be able to crawl and work in confined spaces such as attics, manholes and crawl spaces.
• Must be able to read and understand English, and hear and understand verbal instructions and warnings given in English.
• Must pay a $10.00 testing fee at the time of application. A determination to waive this fee will be made if prior notification is received and determined to be of good reason. Such as, if you are indigent, on welfare, or social services, the testing fee will be waived. It will only be waived if you provide verifiable proof of indigence.
For further information, applicants should contact the New York State Department of Labor office located nearest their home or may contact Local Union # 86 at 585-235-5050.
Apprentice programs registered with the Department of Labor must meet standards established by the Commissioner. Under state law, sponsors of programs cannot discriminate against applicants because of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, disability or marital status. Women and minorities are encouraged to submit applications for apprenticeship programs. Sponsors of programs are required to adopt affirmative action plans for the recruitment of women and minorities.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Electricians and Solar Walk the Mall
By Josh O'Gorman STAFF WRITER - Published: March 18, 2010
WEATHERSFIELD — St. Patrick's Day was an appropriate day to roll out a green project such as this.
Wednesday afternoon, electricians and photovoltaic installers took advantage of the sunny, cloudless sky to install six solar panels on the roof of the Weathersfield Business Center, located at the intersection of Routes 131 and 106. The project was the culmination of a project by one of the tenants, Dave Bonta, founder and president of the USA Solar Store.
"What we've had, since we moved here, was a series of frequent power failures and just from my vantage point, being in the renewable energy industry, knowing there are reliable energy back-up systems, it just makes sense we should put one in here," said Bonta, whose Weathersfield location is central to the dozens of USA Solar Stores across the country. "When we lose power, we are the server for the warehouses. We are the brain trust for the entire operation."
Bonta wasn't alone when power outages set his business back. Scott Bradley, who owns the 6,700-square-foot building and operates the water-testing company Aquacheck, also faced setbacks when he lost power.
"Because we have a rural location — and we love the location — we have a lot of intermittent power. In a laboratory setting, we have to keep our incubators, which have tight temperature controls going all the time," Bradley said. "During times of intermittent power, now I don't have to scramble to find a generator."
The six solar panels mounted on the south face of the roof generate power, which is stored in batteries in the basement, which in times of power loss will feed the USA Solar Store, Aquacheck and the Weathersfield Post Office, which is now only the third post office in the country to have battery back up.
The installation was also a unique partnership between photovoltaic installers and professional electricians.
"With commercial work like this, there needs to be an interface between the PV (photovoltaic) guys and the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) guys," Bonta said.
On the job Wednesday were electricians with Sherwin Electric Company of Essex Junction, who welcomed the foray into renewable energy work.
"It's a new thing for us, because solar is coming around and people are starting to be interested in it so on our end it's kind of a new thing for us," said Richard Rheaume of Sherwin Electric. "So this is kind of a training day for us to learn how things work with a photovoltaic system."
When completed, the building will be grid tied, meaning that on the weekends any excess power generated through the solar panels will be sold back into the system.
josh.ogorman@rutlandherald.com
WEATHERSFIELD — St. Patrick's Day was an appropriate day to roll out a green project such as this.
Wednesday afternoon, electricians and photovoltaic installers took advantage of the sunny, cloudless sky to install six solar panels on the roof of the Weathersfield Business Center, located at the intersection of Routes 131 and 106. The project was the culmination of a project by one of the tenants, Dave Bonta, founder and president of the USA Solar Store.
"What we've had, since we moved here, was a series of frequent power failures and just from my vantage point, being in the renewable energy industry, knowing there are reliable energy back-up systems, it just makes sense we should put one in here," said Bonta, whose Weathersfield location is central to the dozens of USA Solar Stores across the country. "When we lose power, we are the server for the warehouses. We are the brain trust for the entire operation."
Bonta wasn't alone when power outages set his business back. Scott Bradley, who owns the 6,700-square-foot building and operates the water-testing company Aquacheck, also faced setbacks when he lost power.
"Because we have a rural location — and we love the location — we have a lot of intermittent power. In a laboratory setting, we have to keep our incubators, which have tight temperature controls going all the time," Bradley said. "During times of intermittent power, now I don't have to scramble to find a generator."
The six solar panels mounted on the south face of the roof generate power, which is stored in batteries in the basement, which in times of power loss will feed the USA Solar Store, Aquacheck and the Weathersfield Post Office, which is now only the third post office in the country to have battery back up.
The installation was also a unique partnership between photovoltaic installers and professional electricians.
"With commercial work like this, there needs to be an interface between the PV (photovoltaic) guys and the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) guys," Bonta said.
On the job Wednesday were electricians with Sherwin Electric Company of Essex Junction, who welcomed the foray into renewable energy work.
"It's a new thing for us, because solar is coming around and people are starting to be interested in it so on our end it's kind of a new thing for us," said Richard Rheaume of Sherwin Electric. "So this is kind of a training day for us to learn how things work with a photovoltaic system."
When completed, the building will be grid tied, meaning that on the weekends any excess power generated through the solar panels will be sold back into the system.
josh.ogorman@rutlandherald.com
Monday, April 5, 2010
Electricians Checking the Fire
BBC News
Emergency services were called to the Tulloch Court flats at Hilltown at 0340 BST, after reports of a fire in a sixth-floor flat.
No-one was injured but after the blaze was extinguished several homes were affected by water and some residents had to be evacuated.
Alternative accommodation is being provided by the city council at Kirkton Community Centre.
Tayside Police appealed for anyone with information about the fire to contact them.
A spokeswoman said electricians were checking the safety of electricity supplies at the flats before residents would be allowed to return home.
Emergency services were called to the Tulloch Court flats at Hilltown at 0340 BST, after reports of a fire in a sixth-floor flat.
No-one was injured but after the blaze was extinguished several homes were affected by water and some residents had to be evacuated.
Alternative accommodation is being provided by the city council at Kirkton Community Centre.
Tayside Police appealed for anyone with information about the fire to contact them.
A spokeswoman said electricians were checking the safety of electricity supplies at the flats before residents would be allowed to return home.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Electricians Check the Fire
Published: 03/04/2010
By Mike Farrell
A fire broke out on the sixth floor of a Dundee high-rise block of flats just weeks after another incident at the building.
Residents were evacuated from Tulloch Court, Hilltown, yesterday two weeks after a 23-year-old man was seriously injured after falling from the same floor.
Police and fire services investigating the blaze are treating the incident as suspicious.
Residents said they believed the sixth floor flat where the fire broke out was the same property the man fell from on Tuesday, March 23. Tayside Police, however, said last night there was nothing to suggest it was the same flat.
Officers began knocking on doors in the block at 7am yesterday telling residents to evacuate after the fire had been extinguished at 3.40am.
The measure was precautionary due to the large amount of water in the building, after vandalism to the building’s dry riser – a pipe used to distribute water to the different levels – caused extensive leaks throughout the building.
Around 10 residents took part in the initial evacuation, which saw them being moved to a rest facility set up at Kirkton Community Centre.
A further 10 joined them during the course of the morning, with many others either refusing to leave their flats, or instead going to family and friends’ homes.
One of the evacuees at the centre, Sandra McLaren, 62, who stays on the fifth floor, was woken at around 3.30am with the smoke alarm in the flat above her going off.
She said: “The shock of what was happening really didn’t hit me at first. There was water coming into my flat everywhere.
“Very quickly I was up to my ankles in brown, dirty water and I tried to grab as much as I could as quickly as possible.
“The firefighters were very good and helped me out quickly, but I really don’t know what is going to happen with my flat as it was badly flooded.”
David Fairlie, 53, stays in a fourth floor flat with his wife Heather, 44, and also stayed at the evacuation centre yesterday.
He said: “I have been living in the multis for 43 years and I can’t remember something like this happening.
“Our flat wasn’t affected by the water, but they wanted everyone out as a precaution because council staff were going to check the electricity and wiring in the building.
“I’d heard that the flat where the fire started was the same one the man fell out of a few weeks back. A lot of the people in the multis just didn’t open their doors when the police were coming around.”
A Dundee City Council spokesman confirmed yesterday that people living on floor nine and above could return, but other residents should contact the housing department on 01382 307301 to clarify their situation.
Four fire appliances from the Blackness Road, Kingsway and Macalpine Road stations attended the scene, with firefighters finding the doorway of the flat alight.
Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1674361/?UserKey=#ixzz0k5ELS0rI
By Mike Farrell
A fire broke out on the sixth floor of a Dundee high-rise block of flats just weeks after another incident at the building.
Residents were evacuated from Tulloch Court, Hilltown, yesterday two weeks after a 23-year-old man was seriously injured after falling from the same floor.
Police and fire services investigating the blaze are treating the incident as suspicious.
Residents said they believed the sixth floor flat where the fire broke out was the same property the man fell from on Tuesday, March 23. Tayside Police, however, said last night there was nothing to suggest it was the same flat.
Officers began knocking on doors in the block at 7am yesterday telling residents to evacuate after the fire had been extinguished at 3.40am.
The measure was precautionary due to the large amount of water in the building, after vandalism to the building’s dry riser – a pipe used to distribute water to the different levels – caused extensive leaks throughout the building.
Around 10 residents took part in the initial evacuation, which saw them being moved to a rest facility set up at Kirkton Community Centre.
A further 10 joined them during the course of the morning, with many others either refusing to leave their flats, or instead going to family and friends’ homes.
One of the evacuees at the centre, Sandra McLaren, 62, who stays on the fifth floor, was woken at around 3.30am with the smoke alarm in the flat above her going off.
She said: “The shock of what was happening really didn’t hit me at first. There was water coming into my flat everywhere.
“Very quickly I was up to my ankles in brown, dirty water and I tried to grab as much as I could as quickly as possible.
“The firefighters were very good and helped me out quickly, but I really don’t know what is going to happen with my flat as it was badly flooded.”
David Fairlie, 53, stays in a fourth floor flat with his wife Heather, 44, and also stayed at the evacuation centre yesterday.
He said: “I have been living in the multis for 43 years and I can’t remember something like this happening.
“Our flat wasn’t affected by the water, but they wanted everyone out as a precaution because council staff were going to check the electricity and wiring in the building.
“I’d heard that the flat where the fire started was the same one the man fell out of a few weeks back. A lot of the people in the multis just didn’t open their doors when the police were coming around.”
A Dundee City Council spokesman confirmed yesterday that people living on floor nine and above could return, but other residents should contact the housing department on 01382 307301 to clarify their situation.
Four fire appliances from the Blackness Road, Kingsway and Macalpine Road stations attended the scene, with firefighters finding the doorway of the flat alight.
Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1674361/?UserKey=#ixzz0k5ELS0rI
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Chinese Drywall No Good for Electrical Components
Bill Morgan wasn't surprised by news that Chinese drywall-built homes must be gutted of Chinese drywall and electrical components.
That's been the consensus of owners of homes made with sulfur-emitting drywall imported from China, along with builders in Florida who are remediating some of them.
"Gutting homes is pretty much the only viable solution," said Morgan, whose James City County home contains Chinese drywall. "It's long overdue."
The Consumer Product Safety Commission and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Friday issued "interim remediation guidance" to homeowners faced with ridding their properties of sulfur-emitting drywall imported from China.
The recommendations include removing all tainted drywall and replacing electrical components and wiring, gas service piping, fire suppression sprinkler systems, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.
"This guidance, based on the CPSC's ongoing scientific research, is critical to ensuring that homeowners and contractors have confidence that they are making the appropriate repairs to rid their homes of problem drywall," Jon Gant, Director of HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control, said in a news release.
Locally, about 350 homes in Virginia and North Carolina contain the stuff, said Richard Serpe, a Norfolk-based attorney representing dozens of them in a lawsuit. Most of it is found in Newport News and the Williamsburg area. About 150 homeowners know they have it. That means about 200 don't know, Serpe said during a January meeting with clients.
Problem is, homeowners can't afford to remediate their homes, Morgan said. Fixing his place would cost about $220,000, he was told. Meanwhile, he's paying rent to live elsewhere because he's afraid of the home's long-term health and safety effects on his family.
"I'm in bankruptcy. Our home is being foreclosed upon as we speak," he said. "A lot of families are heading in that direction. None of us want to do that. Where does the money come from to help us do this? It's very frustrating. Now that they came out with this, how do people afford to do it?"
That's been the consensus of owners of homes made with sulfur-emitting drywall imported from China, along with builders in Florida who are remediating some of them.
"Gutting homes is pretty much the only viable solution," said Morgan, whose James City County home contains Chinese drywall. "It's long overdue."
The Consumer Product Safety Commission and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Friday issued "interim remediation guidance" to homeowners faced with ridding their properties of sulfur-emitting drywall imported from China.
The recommendations include removing all tainted drywall and replacing electrical components and wiring, gas service piping, fire suppression sprinkler systems, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.
"This guidance, based on the CPSC's ongoing scientific research, is critical to ensuring that homeowners and contractors have confidence that they are making the appropriate repairs to rid their homes of problem drywall," Jon Gant, Director of HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control, said in a news release.
Locally, about 350 homes in Virginia and North Carolina contain the stuff, said Richard Serpe, a Norfolk-based attorney representing dozens of them in a lawsuit. Most of it is found in Newport News and the Williamsburg area. About 150 homeowners know they have it. That means about 200 don't know, Serpe said during a January meeting with clients.
Problem is, homeowners can't afford to remediate their homes, Morgan said. Fixing his place would cost about $220,000, he was told. Meanwhile, he's paying rent to live elsewhere because he's afraid of the home's long-term health and safety effects on his family.
"I'm in bankruptcy. Our home is being foreclosed upon as we speak," he said. "A lot of families are heading in that direction. None of us want to do that. Where does the money come from to help us do this? It's very frustrating. Now that they came out with this, how do people afford to do it?"
Friday, April 2, 2010
Los Angeles Electricians Education
Public schools throughout the nation are hurting financially. Most depend on real estate taxes – which have declined precipitously along with home values – for their operating funds.
School districts in most states have had to cut services and lay off teachers. But, some districts are realizing that they can save money in one area – energy costs – without affecting student services.
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is one district where a concerted effort is being made by administrators, teachers, students, and facilities managers to conserve energy. The District recently launched the Sustainability Initiatives Program [pdf] which is designed to reduce energy consumption, water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by ten percent by 2012.
A cornerstone of the plan is the Utility Savings Share Program, which enlists the help of teachers and students to reduce energy and water usage in each school.
The previous year’s water and electrical usage numbers are used as a baseline with which to compare the 2009-10 school year’s usage numbers. If a school reduces its usage by at least one percent, it will earn a portion of the savings. If a school reduces utility costs by three to five percent, it will earn 30 percent of the savings.
The remainder of the savings will be split on a 50/50 basis between the general fund and new utility conservation projects. The baseline data will be adjusted each year so that schools can continue to earn savings if they continue to cut their utility usage.
"The Utility Savings Sharing Program is a great tool that rewards schools for conserving and provides an opportunity for teaching students about responsibility for our environment. At the same time, we can support education with these cost savings," LAUSD Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines said. "I am confident this program will be a success."
The school district also plans to install 50 megawatts of solar photovoltaic panels by 2012, potentially saving more than $20 million annually on an annual $85 million power bill. LAUSD is partnering with SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA), a manufacturer of high efficiency solar cells and solar panels.
SunPower installed solar panels at El Dorado Avenue Elementary School which will generate more than 90 percent of the school's annual usage, enough to power approximately 22 homes for a year. El Dorado will become one of the first schools in LAUSD to become grid neutral - meaning that it will produce as much electricity as it uses in a year.
"El Dorado Elementary is demonstrating that grid neutral is obtainable in both new and existing schools. Decades after first opening its doors, it is exciting to see El Dorado Elementary will soon be a model for what 21st century schools should be," California State Architect David Thorman said.
"El Dorado serves as an example of how, by going grid neutral, California schools can help meet the challenge the Governor has given us to reduce greenhouse gases statewide.”
The district is also sending facility managers for training in the US Green Building Council’s LEED program to certify green buildings. It plans to build new schools to energy-efficiency and water conservation standards. And decades-old buses are being converted to cleaner propane fuel. The district has found that, in addition to saving money, these measures also provide a great opportunity to teach students about energy conservation and how renewable energy works.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons via Ucla90024
Learn more about energy efficiency on eBoom's Emerging Energy Learning Page.
School districts in most states have had to cut services and lay off teachers. But, some districts are realizing that they can save money in one area – energy costs – without affecting student services.
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is one district where a concerted effort is being made by administrators, teachers, students, and facilities managers to conserve energy. The District recently launched the Sustainability Initiatives Program [pdf] which is designed to reduce energy consumption, water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by ten percent by 2012.
A cornerstone of the plan is the Utility Savings Share Program, which enlists the help of teachers and students to reduce energy and water usage in each school.
The previous year’s water and electrical usage numbers are used as a baseline with which to compare the 2009-10 school year’s usage numbers. If a school reduces its usage by at least one percent, it will earn a portion of the savings. If a school reduces utility costs by three to five percent, it will earn 30 percent of the savings.
The remainder of the savings will be split on a 50/50 basis between the general fund and new utility conservation projects. The baseline data will be adjusted each year so that schools can continue to earn savings if they continue to cut their utility usage.
"The Utility Savings Sharing Program is a great tool that rewards schools for conserving and provides an opportunity for teaching students about responsibility for our environment. At the same time, we can support education with these cost savings," LAUSD Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines said. "I am confident this program will be a success."
The school district also plans to install 50 megawatts of solar photovoltaic panels by 2012, potentially saving more than $20 million annually on an annual $85 million power bill. LAUSD is partnering with SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA), a manufacturer of high efficiency solar cells and solar panels.
SunPower installed solar panels at El Dorado Avenue Elementary School which will generate more than 90 percent of the school's annual usage, enough to power approximately 22 homes for a year. El Dorado will become one of the first schools in LAUSD to become grid neutral - meaning that it will produce as much electricity as it uses in a year.
"El Dorado Elementary is demonstrating that grid neutral is obtainable in both new and existing schools. Decades after first opening its doors, it is exciting to see El Dorado Elementary will soon be a model for what 21st century schools should be," California State Architect David Thorman said.
"El Dorado serves as an example of how, by going grid neutral, California schools can help meet the challenge the Governor has given us to reduce greenhouse gases statewide.”
The district is also sending facility managers for training in the US Green Building Council’s LEED program to certify green buildings. It plans to build new schools to energy-efficiency and water conservation standards. And decades-old buses are being converted to cleaner propane fuel. The district has found that, in addition to saving money, these measures also provide a great opportunity to teach students about energy conservation and how renewable energy works.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons via Ucla90024
Learn more about energy efficiency on eBoom's Emerging Energy Learning Page.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
All Electric in Los Angeles
Mar 31, 2010 (Datamonitor via COMTEX) --
FedEx plans to expand its alternative-energy vehicle fleet with the first all-electric FedEx parcel delivery trucks in the US.
Four purpose-built electric trucks are slated to hit the road in the Los Angeles area starting in June 2010.
FedEx is purchasing its first North American all-electric vehicles from two different suppliers. Two of the new all-electric trucks come from Navistar, and are being assembled in Indiana. These are based on the Modec design.
Another pair of electric vehicles is being purchased from a different manufacturer for delivery to the Los Angeles area later in 2010. Both sets of electric vehicles are designed with a range that allows many FedEx Express couriers to make a full eight-hour shift of deliveries before their vehicles need recharging.
John Formisano, vice president of global vehicles at FedEx Express, said: "FedEx has a history of changing what's possible, both in the innovative services we offer customers and in the way we offer those services. In 2004, we were the first global company to invest in hybrid-electric commercial trucks, and now we're introducing the even cleaner all-electric parcel delivery truck. We're making these investments, and invite others to join us, so that together we can speed the transition to a cleaner transportation system."
http://www.datamonitor.com
Republication or redistribution, including by framing or similar means,
is expressly prohibited without prior written consent. Datamonitor shall
not be liable for errors or delays in the content, or for any actions
taken in reliance thereon
For full details on Fedex Corp (FDX) FDX. Fedex Corp (FDX) has Short Term PowerRatings at TradingMarkets. Details on Fedex Corp (FDX) Short Term PowerRatings is available at This Link.
FedEx plans to expand its alternative-energy vehicle fleet with the first all-electric FedEx parcel delivery trucks in the US.
Four purpose-built electric trucks are slated to hit the road in the Los Angeles area starting in June 2010.
FedEx is purchasing its first North American all-electric vehicles from two different suppliers. Two of the new all-electric trucks come from Navistar, and are being assembled in Indiana. These are based on the Modec design.
Another pair of electric vehicles is being purchased from a different manufacturer for delivery to the Los Angeles area later in 2010. Both sets of electric vehicles are designed with a range that allows many FedEx Express couriers to make a full eight-hour shift of deliveries before their vehicles need recharging.
John Formisano, vice president of global vehicles at FedEx Express, said: "FedEx has a history of changing what's possible, both in the innovative services we offer customers and in the way we offer those services. In 2004, we were the first global company to invest in hybrid-electric commercial trucks, and now we're introducing the even cleaner all-electric parcel delivery truck. We're making these investments, and invite others to join us, so that together we can speed the transition to a cleaner transportation system."
http://www.datamonitor.com
Republication or redistribution, including by framing or similar means,
is expressly prohibited without prior written consent. Datamonitor shall
not be liable for errors or delays in the content, or for any actions
taken in reliance thereon
For full details on Fedex Corp (FDX) FDX. Fedex Corp (FDX) has Short Term PowerRatings at TradingMarkets. Details on Fedex Corp (FDX) Short Term PowerRatings is available at This Link.
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