Party for a Solar Powered New York turns out a great crowd, over 70 letters!
Friday, February 27th, 2009On Tuesday (February 24) Solar One celebrated its second Party for a Solar Powered New York at Southpaw in Park Slope. The new monthly meetup aims to create a time and place where New Yorkers can come to have all their solar power questions answered by professionals, get plugged in to local solar activism, enjoy great music and conversation and make new friends.
Drawing close to 150 guests, the party was a huge success. Nearly half of those attending sat down and wrote letters to their state legislators in support of I Heart PV’s current legislative goal: the creation of an Empire State Solar Initiative to dramatically boost solar adoption in New York over the next ten years.
Popular Science reported on the event for their online magazine. Check it out here!
Some pics of what happened:
The Solar Powered Racer Contest: (t) contestants hurry to complete their solar powered racers before the 9:45 deadline. (l) It’s a tie! The winners: Team Protype 3 (front) and (r) Etan Marciano and Miguel Baliente. (Photo: Pauline Augustine, Trent Wolbe)
(l) Marciano and Baliente’s winning “Brownstone” design. (c) Test driving the finalists. (r) Huge honorable mention goes to Josh Goldworm’s multi-gear racer. It was the fastest PV racer ever built at a Solar One program . . . and over the years there have been thousands! If the contest had been judged on speed, Josh’s design would have won hands down. (Photo: Trent Wolbe)
The I Heart PV Letter Writing Lounge: (l) Over 70 letters written in support of the Empire State Solar Initiative to 27 different state legislators. (Photo: Pauline Augustine)
“Ask a Solar Installer:”(l) Staff from Solar Energy Systems and Rob Ashmore of Aeon Solar answer questions and assess guests’ rooftops with google earth. (r) Designer Elliott Montgomery facilitates a creative brainstorming session to gather ideas for I Heart PV’s upcoming spring project: a mobile, solar powered education unit and radio broadcasting station. . . . yes, we’re serious. (Photo: Pauline Augustine).
Posted in Solar One | Permalink
Join Us on Tuesday in Brooklyn for I Heart PV: Party for a Solar Powered New York
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009
WHEN: Tuesday, February 24th, 7:30pm – 11:00pm
WHERE: Southpaw, 125 Fifth Ave (at Sterling Place), Park Slope, Brooklyn
CONTACT/RSVP: neidl@solar1.org; 212 505 6050.
This Tuesday, February 24th Solar One’s I Heart PV campaign will host its second Party for a Solar Powered New York at Brooklyn’s premier music venue, Southpaw. Fun, informative and packing purpose, the new monthly event is where New Yorkers can come and have all their practical solar questions answered, get plugged into the campaign’s new solar advocacy efforts, enjoy great music, and make friends.
Here’s what’s happening -
ASK A SOLAR INSTALLER:
Thinking about buying a solar system but don’t know if you can or what to do? Our local solar installers can answer any question you have, one-on-one, about purchasing, installing and owning a solar system in New York.
The I HEART PV LETTER WRITING LOUNGE:
Take your first refreshing step into local solar advocacy by writing a letter to your legislator in support of pro-solar legislation, be lavished with great drink specials for your heroic efforts!
SOLAR POWERED TOY CAR BUILDING CONTEST:
Design, build and take home your own little bundle of solar powered fun. A blue ribbon and bragging rights go to the most original design.
MUSIC:
‘Energetic freeform’ by DJ Trent Wolbe, host of WFMU 91.1′s ‘Sound and Safe’.
FREE. Must be 21 to drink.
Posted in Solar One | Permalink
Green Renter: Mind in the Gutter: How Street Trees Can Manage Stormwater From the Street and Improve Local Water Quality – with Kate Zidar
Thursday, February 19th, 2009Mind in the Gutter: How Street Trees Can Manage Stormwater From the Street and Improve Local Water Quality.
with Kate Zidar, Storm Water Infrastructure Matters (S.W.I.M.)
On rainy days, New York City’s sewer system combines everything that is flushed from your apartment with the rainwater that drains from the street. Often the total volume of this combination exceeds the capacity of the city’s waste treatment facilities to process it in its entirety. As a result, the system shoots significant quantities of untreated sewage into the local waterways through hundreds of points called combined sewer overflows, or CSOs. The phenomenon, which occurs regularly throughout the year, negatively impacts the water quality of our harbor, compromises ecosystems, and limits healthy human use of the estuary.
Decreasing the quantity of stormwater that reaches street drains would reduce the incidence of sewage outflows on rainy days. One way to do that is by Increasing the number of street trees in the five boroughs. Unlike impervious surfaces like asphalt and concrete that shuttle water into the sewer system, trees create an absorptive buffer that retains water.
In this talk urban planner, CSO expert and founding member of the S.W.I.M. coalition will explain how street trees can help mitigate our most chronic water quality problems, and discuss planning strategies that the city is or should be pursuing to maximize this potential.
Posted in CSO, East River, stormwater, street trees | Permalink
Chris Neidl in the GOOD 100!
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009Each year, GOOD Magazine assembles a list of 100 “people, businesses, and institutions driving change in the world.” This year we are proud to see that they have chosen Solar One’s Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator Chris Neidl as one of their 100. Chris has been tireless in his work buidling programs at Solar One and working to make the case for the promotion and implementation of solar power, so it’s nice to see his efforts getting significant recognition.
Check out the video to see Chris (and his five o’clock shadow) talking to an animated news anchor and explaining why New York City is ripe to be the solar capital of the East Coast. He also talks briefly about the portable solar chargers that he and his students built as part of the I Heart PV program.
There’s lots more coming from Solar One and I Heart PV in coming weeks and months, starting with next week’s Solar Party at Southpaw in Brooklyn. We hope you can join us!
Posted in I Heart PV, Photovoltaics, Renewables, S1 in the News, Solar One, Solar Power | Permalink
SOLAR HOT WATER AND HEATING SYSTEMS WORKSHOP with Quixotic Systems at the New York City College of Technology
Sunday, February 15th, 2009| March 4, 2009 | ||
| 8:30 am | to | 4:30 pm |
Solar Hot Water and Heating Systems Workshop for Residential and Commercial Buildings in New York City.
presented by Quixotic Systems
When: Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Time: 8:30 am—4:30 pm
Location: New York City College of Technology, 300 Jay Street Brooklyn
Cost: $290 plus a $20 Registration Fee
This all day workshop is a joint project of Quixotic Systems and the New York City College of Technology (NYCCT).
NOTE: THIS IS WORKSHOP IS NOT A SOLAR ONE PROGRAM. For further details and information about registration please contact either NYCCT’s Division of Continuing Education at (718) 552-1170 or Quixotic Systems at (212) 367- 9161.
Posted in Solar One Events | Permalink
