Directed by Cambria Matlow and Morgan Robinson and originally screened in collaboration with Rooftop Films and IFP, the film tells the story of 26-year-old Daniel Dembele, who decides to return to his homeland in Mali and start a local business building solar panels.  As it follows his progress from startup to viable business, the film touches on themes of climate change, poverty, and African self-sufficiency.  Check out the trailer:

Congratulations to Cambria and Morgan on getting their film in front of a nationwide audience! Also check out our update from March that features a 7-minute video by Morgan called “Burning In The States” focusing on the efforts of local NYC students building small-scale projects.

Following Governor Cuomo’s creation of 10 Regional Economic Development Councils in July last year, the newly created New York City Economic Development Council developed a plan to stimulate economic development and job growth in the region. On December 8, state agencies announced the funding awards that will put the plan into action, and New York City received over $66 million.

Many of the projects that received funding in New York City and around the state will reduce electricity use and promote sustainability. We are pleased to announce that Solar One received $229,000 for its Solar 2 project. The funding will go toward installing a green roof on Solar 2, a new energy positive and net-zero water use environmental learning center that will replace Solar 1 in Stuyvesant Cove Park.

Our friends at Build It Green NYC have opened a new retail location in Gowanus! Visit bignyc.org for all the info and directions. And, if you are thinking of heading over this weekend to check it out, why not time your visit to coincide with our Community Solar Day photo, to be taken in front of the Build It Green entrance at 2PM on Sunday, November 20. See you there!

Show the world that your community supports solar power! On November 20th, Solar One is partnering with Solar Mosaic, 350.org, Vote Solar, and others for the first Community Solar Day: Occupy Rooftops, a day for people around the world to come together at a building they want to help go solar and start creating local jobs and clean energy through a community solar project. Here is how it works:

1.) Find a building where you want to see solar in your community. (To figure out just how much solar it can support, use the NYC Solar Map.)

2.) Get together an allstar community solar team of your friends and neighbors

3.) Snap a picture in front of or on top of (stay safe and legal people!) your dream community solar project

4.) Post that photo to meetup.com/Community-Solar and/or email to theteam@solarmosaic.com

Online ticket sales for Clean Energy Connections’ “Biomimicry in the Big City” will close at 4pm today. If you haven’t bought yours yet, go here to register. If you missed your chance to register online, there will be a limited number of tickets available at the door. Be sure to arrive early!

If you can’t make it in person tonight, be sure to follow along online. We had previously posted a livestream.com link for the web cast, but this has been changed. To view the live web stream of Biomimicry in the Big City, visit the Greentech Media article about the program here. The video will be embedded about a half hour prior to the event’s start.

If you haven’t heard about Biomimicry in the Big City, check out the description on the Clean Energy Connections website. Here are the logistical details:

Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011 7:00pm-9:00pm (doors open at 6:30p)
The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at WNYC
44 Charlton Street, New York, NY 10014
General Admission: $25, Students: $10

Solar One has been growing so fast we’ve barely had time to introduce all the new people who have joined the team. Playing catch-up on all our new faces, say hello to…

First row, left to right: Sara Jayanthi, Energy $mart Communities Coordinator for Manhattan and Staten Island, joined Solar One in 2010 and quickly became a driving force in our public education program, including playing a instrumental role in launching the new Clean Energy Connections series. James Kinyanjui, Workforce Lab Site Manager , also joining Solar One in 2010, a graduate of our Green Workforce Training program, James knew so much about green jobs that we figured out how to keep him around — first by hiring him as a workforce intern, and then promoting him to managing the Workforce Training Lab and teaching classes. Natasha Myles, Evaluation Consultant, joined Solar One as part of the Green Design Lab team, Natasha brings meticulous attention to the considerable job of looking at how the Green Design Lab benefits schools, figuring out “best practices” and helping Solar one refine the program for even better results as we go forward.

Second row, left to right: Gary Smith, STEP Coordinator, also a graduate of Solar One’s Green Workforce Training program, Gary graduated at the top of his class, then earned a BPI Building Analyst certification and graduated from several other trainings including AEA and Envirolution, and now brings his many years of experience as an educator to the Solar One Tenant Education Program (STEP). Jeff Irvine, Energy Connections Program Assistant, also recently joining the Solar One team from a background of working in PBS and documentary, Jeff’s experience making complex information understandable quickly and easily will help Solar One ramp up our outreach, social media, and public education in this fast-growing program. Abby Morse, Grantwriter, a part of the dynamic Solar One development team, Abby came to Solar One from working with the biking and environmental advocacy organization Time’s Up, and she brings fresh vocabulary and tireless energy to our equally tireless fundraising efforts.

Welcome everybody! Our office is sure crowded these days!

Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011 7:00pm-9:00pm (doors open at 6:30p)
The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at WNYC
44 Charlton Street, New York, NY 10014
General Admission: $25, Students: $10

Register for your advanced tickets here
Advanced ticket sales will close at 4:00pm today. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door.

Since the first steam engines of the Industrial Revolution, water has been intricately linked with how we generate and consume energy. Today, that relationship is more important than ever. Hydrofracking, concentrated solar power, and nuclear energy are each increasing pressure and demand on our finite water resources. Join our expert panel of industry leaders, policy thinkers, and innovators in the discussion on how advanced management practices and technology innovations are ensuring that water resources are utilized responsibly in this rapidly changing energy age.

A networking reception will follow the panel discussion and audience Q&A.

Opening Speaker:
- Rupert Posner, Global Director of Energy, The Climate Group

Panelists:
- Jeff Fulgham, CSO, Banyan Water
- Sheeraz Haji, CEO, Cleantech Group
- Diana Glassman, Board Memeber, World Policy Institute, Co-author, “Water-Energy Nexus: Adding Water to the Energy Agenda”
- Frank Zammataro, President and Founder, Rentricity

Moderator:
- Adam Aston, Senior Writer, GreenBiz.com

Can’t make it? Greentech Media is the media sponsor for this series and will host a free live web stream of this event at www.livestream.com/greentechmedia. Questions for the panelists and comments can be submitted via Twitter @CleanECNYC, #CleanNRGx, #ClimateWeekNYC.

The Energy-Water Nexus is a featured event of Climate Week NYC, and part of the cleantech discussion series Clean Energy Connections. Clean Energy Connections is a program of Solar One and NYC ACRE at NYU-Poly that brings together professionals, policymakers, investors and academia to explore major topics shaping NYC’s blossoming cleantech industry, and provides an expert forum to share best practices and new inspirations.

Please share widely!

Parenting: Where To Go 9/2/2011

Watch and share!

Solar 2, City’s First “Net-Zero” Building, To Be Built On East River

http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/real_estate/146210/solar-2–city-s-first–net-zero–building–to-be-built-on-east-river

Hello, world! Beautiful day today, isn’t it? You’re probably out enjoying it, after being cooped up all weekend. This evening,  join the Stuyvesant Cove Park Association for the next event in the Margaret D, Lawrence and Helen W.Collins Memorial Music and Dance Series at Solar One. On  Monday, local singer-songwriter Paul Sachs returns with his band, and on Tuesday, we’ll have informal dance lessons and open dancing with local legend Evelyn Diamond. Both events are free and open to the public!

Paul Sachs & Band
Monday August 29 at 6pm

Folk Dancing with Evelyn Diamond
Tuesday August 30 at 7pm

Unfortunately and once again, severe thunderstorms are headed straight for us, so we’ll be canceling the screening of Urban Roots tonight. Since we’ll be screening DIRT! on Sunday August 21, we’ll have to see about a rain date for Urban Roots.

URBAN ROOTS!

We’ve all got some urban roots, don’t we? Well, a small group of Detroit natives have discovered that their urban roots, and brought them to the center of a farming revolution! The movie, URBAN ROOTS, directed by Detroit-native Mark McInnis details the powerful story of a small group of unique individuals involved in Detroit’s inner-city agricultural movement.

The documentary from Tree Media (produced by Leila Conners and Mathew Schmid and directed by Mark Mac-Innis) the film follows the urban farming phenomenon in Detroit. Urban Roots is a timely, moving and inspiring film that speaks to a nation grappling with collapsed industrial towns and the need to forge a sustainable and prosperous future.

While it follows the inspiring stories of several agricultural programs, each story in Urban Roots is designed to address a specific issue. Not only are the organizations amazingly productive and emotionally driven, but the people tilling the soil and picking the harvest have fantastic stories to tell!

Speaker: TBA

Anyone Up For A FOOD FIGHT?

When we walk into a supermarket, we assume that we have the widest possible choice of healthy foods. But in fact, over the course of the 20th century, our food system has been co-opted by corporate forces whose interests do not life in providing the public with fresh healthy and sustainably-produced food.

Fortunately, for America, FOOD FIGHT, produced and directed by Christopher Taylor, is here to expose the nation’s tainted, conventional food system. FOOD FIGHT documents the journey of a group of political, anti-corporate, protesters – led by Alice Waters – as they voice their dissent over the conventional food system. The unintended result was the birth of a vital, local, sustainable, organic, food movement that has brought back taste and variety to our tables.

FOOD FIGHT is a fascinating look at how American agricultural policy and food culture developed in the 20th century, and how the California food movement has created a counter- revolution against big agribusiness.

In addition, FOOD FIGHT empowers views to share in this revolution. We have the power through our food choices to put the culture back in American agriculture. We get three votes a day, and they don’t all have to be perfect. But if just one meal is made with a mind to the small farmer, the land, and the environment, then we can all make a huge difference, one meal at a time.

Speaker: Paula Lukats, CSA NYC Program Manager for Just Food
Paula has 15 years of experience working in community and program development in New York City and has helped groups start CSA sites for the last 6 years.

Just Food has been the leader in connecting local farms to NYC neighborhoods and communities since 1995. Our mission is to unite local farms and city residents of all economic backgrounds with fresh, seasonal, sustainably grown food.

The US Dept of Energy and the Ad Council have launched a new series of PSAs to help people understand the connection between saving energy and saving money. Apparently in this context, “people” means hipsters! According to Energy Secretary Steven Chu (via EERE News):
“Americans spend about $2,000 per household on energy every year—but many of them could save a few hundred of that without changing their lifestyle. Many American families can take simple steps to reduce their energy bill, while making their homes more comfortable, and use that money for something they really need or want.”

The PSAs direct homeowners to Energy Savers, where they can find tools and information to help them make their homes more efficient. Energy-saving tips on the website include:

• Saving more than $100 a year on heating and cooling bills by using a programmable thermostat to make sure you are only conditioning your home when you need to be;
• Upgrading 15 of the traditional light bulbs in your home, which could save you about $50 per year; and
• Using Energy Star qualified appliances to save even more.

Click HERE to find out more about Energy Efficiency incentives and programs available through NYSERDA!

The partnership, initiated in 2010, is designed to bring the thrift store donation front right to your own home! Instead of dragging your suitcases and duffel bags of old clothes to the far away land of Goodwill, Re-fashioNYC will conveniently place a donation drop off box in your apartment building or complex. Tenants can donate their goods whenever they want, without the “out of the way” trip to the Salvation Army. The service is at no cost to the building owner, and serves as a catalyst to help “car-less” or inconvenienced New Yorkers recycle those 200,000 tons of apparel rather than leave them victim to the garbage trucks.

Not to mention, the service is tax deductible, as 100% of all your donations go to charitable causes. The outside of the clothing bin has a supply of forms that donors can use to list their donations in order to receive tax receipts. Once the bins are full, an on-call Re-fashioNYC staff member will come to pick up all your donated goods.

This free, convenient service is helping New Yorkers take waste reduction to a whole new level. “[We are] making it easier for New Yorkers to donate or reuse their clothes, and saving taxpayers the high expense of long-distance transportation and waste disposal,” David Bragdon, director of the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, said in a statement. As a result, tens of thousands of perfectly good clothing, linens, and shoes will be saved from their doomed fate in our overcrowded landfills, and put the Big Apple one step closer to a greener, cleaner city.

If you’re interested in participating in this new and convenient clothing reuse program, please complete the online inquiry form with basic information about your building or site. For more information, visit the Re-fashioNYC page at nyc.gov.

UPDATE- We just found out that our friends NYC Beekeeping will be coming with their Observation Hive and some special activities to help kids understand even more about pollinators and their amazing and essential role in our food system. Don’t miss it- RSVP to daisy[at]solar1[dot]org or dina[at]solar1[dot]org today!

No Lights No Lycra started in Melbourne, Australia and has since spread throughout the world, with weekly events held in San Francisco, Berlin, and Glasgow, not to mention our very own in Brooklyn. No Lights No Lycra in Greenpoint has been providing revelers with their weekly pure dance hit every Tuesday for over a year, and has been featured in the New York Times.

No Lights No Lycra gives people a place to rediscover the joy of dancing, away from the booze, poses and pressures of a club.

Greenpoint’s No Lights No Lycra is crossing the East River and coming to Solar One for a solar powered dance session to celebrate the summer solstice! Join us on Tuesday 21st June from 8:30pm for an outdoor boogie. NLNL‘s music programmers promise to put together an irresistible set of dancefloor bangers to get your body moving.

Cost: $5 in the box