Month: August 2012

Tamarack Solar Electric Boat Launches in Rome

Solar-powered pontoon boat named Loon docked at a pier with rooftop solar panels and a driver at the helm.

The Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Co. today officially celebrated the start of assembly of its ten-passenger, solar-assisted electric pontoon boat known as the Loon. The company, which moved from Ontario, Canada, to Rome, N.Y., more than a year ago, has received approximately $300,000 in business incentives from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Tamarack, which spent the last year working on several prototypes and setting up networks with suppliers, has started assembling the boats at its headquarters on the Erie Canal. The company currently occupies 3,000 square feet in a former warehouse and hopes to expand to as much as 10,000 square feet.

Washy Wonder Bag Saver System for Eco-Friendly Living

Person placing a clear, resealable plastic bag onto a white drying rack in a bright, modern kitchen with sunlight and potted herbs.

Tualatin, OR (Aug. 21, 2012) - According to EPA estimates, each year over 3,960,000 tons of plastic bags, sacks and wraps are manufactured. It is also estimated that 90 percent of these plastics end up in our landfills. Now, there is a simple way to prevent some of this waste and save money by using the Washy Wonder to clean and re-use plastic bags of all sizes. This simple system turns any household dishwasher into a bag cleaning and sanitizing solution that will save money and help protect our environment. “It seemed like such a waste to use a freezer bag or sandwich bag one time and then toss it in the trash,” said Valerie Hoy, President of Washy Wonder. “So I started thinking about ways that I could clean and safely re-use these perfectly good bags and before long I was experimenting with ways to clean them in the dishwasher. And thus was born the Washy Wonder.”

KYOCERA Fiji Solar Energy Transforms Remote Villages

Infographic map of Fiji highlighting 37 remote villages powered by 405 kilowatts of solar energy supplied by Kyocera, with icons representing solar panels and project statistics.

Scottsdale, AZ – August 14, 2012 - Kyocera Solar, Inc., a leading supplier of reliable solar modules and renewable energy, announced that its solar energy systems will power over 2000 homes in the Fiji Islands. The solar projects are in partnership with Fiji’s Department of Energy and the Fifth Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting project (Palm 5) with the goal to bring renewable energy to remote villages of the island nation. To date, 135 kilowatts have been installed and the remaining 270 kilowatts will be completed by the end of the year. With these solar systems, rural villages are able to thrive without access to a traditional electric grid. Each system will utilize Kyocera’s modules and the sun’s energy to provide basic lighting and other low-power needs on the islands.

GE Helps Grocery Chain Cuts $300,000 Annual Energy Costs Green Lighting LED

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — August 14, 2012 — (NYSE:GE) — Food City (Abingdon, Va.) operates 104 supermarket outlets in the tri-state regions of Southeast Kentucky, Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. Fed up with the high energy costs and maintenance hassles of fluorescent fixtures in vertical refrigerated and frozen cases, the grocer recently upgraded to GE Lighting’s Immersion™ RV40 LED lighting system in 7,400 display case doors across 89 stores. Bright, sparkling coolers now command shoppers’ attention while Food City will see a more than $300,000 drop in annual case lighting costs based on an electricity rate of $.11 per kilowatt hour and having the case lights on eighteen hours each day. With a goal of boosting the bottom line, Food City had evaluated a wide array of strategic options, looking for the one that would have maximum impact. The team found that by installing energy-efficient LED lighting in vertical coolers in place of 48-watt fluorescent tubes, it could significantly reduce lighting and refrigeration costs – its leading overhead expenses. All-new illumination would also project a more consistent brand image from case-to-case, where light level and color uniformity varied noticeably after year

Solar One Extension: Benefits for NYC Property Owners

A rooftop in New York City with solar panels and a large sign that reads, “New York City Celebrates Extension of Critical Solar Incentive,” with the Empire State Building visible in the background.

Current incentives have spurred exponential growth of solar capacity, jobs in NYC Today, New York demonstrated its ongoing commitment to encouraging the growth of the solar industry by extending the New York City property tax abatement an additional two years for consumers investing in solar installations. PlaNYC, the Mayor’s long term sustainability plan, set a 30% greenhouse gas emission reduction target for 2030 with a goal of providing cleaner, more reliable power for every New Yorker. As solar has substantial potential to generate clean renewable electricity within City limits, PlaNYC committed to work with the State to provide targeted incentives for solar energy and eliminate barriers that inhibit growth. A four year property tax abatement was established in 2008 that to-date has helped lead to an 800% increase in solar power capacity and a quadrupling of solar installation companies in the City. The current abatement of 20% was set to expire at the end of 2012. The Governor’s action today in signing the legislation extends the abatement at a level of 10% of total capital costs for 2013 and 2014.

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