No Money No Problems? Financing Cleantech in the Post-ARRA Era
Friday, January 27th, 2012| January 31, 2012 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
Join us Tuesday, January 31, for the first 2012 event in Solar One’s and NYC ACRE’s cleantech discussion series Clean Energy Connections: No Money No Problems? Financing Cleantech in the Post-ARRA Era.
Tuesday, Jan. 31, 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
A limited number of tickets will be available at the door.
The beginning of 2012 ushers in a new era in renewable energy funding. Section 1603 Treasury Program is dead in the water thanks to a gridlocked Congress, and low tax appetites have hamstrung potential investors. As we move into an uncertain financial landscape, where will today’s renewable energy upstarts find funding for their projects and companies? Will private financing step in to sustain the industry’s momentum? How can the considerable financial power of New York City take a leadership role? Financial experts will examine these issues and offer a realistic assessment of where cleantech is headed now that the federal buck has stopped.
A networking reception will follow the panel discussion and audience Q&A.
Opening Speaker:
- Nathanael Greene, Director of Renewable Energy Policy, Natural Resources Defense Council
Panelists:
- Izzet Bensusan, President and CEO, Karbone
- Ann Davlin, Director of Development, Carbon War Room
- Jason Scott, Partner, EKO Asset Management Partners
Moderator:
- Michael Molnar, Partner, Greentech Capital Advisors
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.greentechmedia.com. Questions for the panelists and comments can be submitted via Twitter@CleanECNYC, #CleanNRGx.
No Money No Problems? is the first event of the second season 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.
Posted in Clean Energy Connections Blog, Cleantech, Economy, New York City, Photovoltaics, Solar One Events, Sustainability, Technology | Permalink
Catch “Burning In The Sun” this Sunday on PBS!
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012Back in 2009, Solar One was fortunate to host the World Premiere of “Burning In The Sun” as part of our Solar-Powered Film Series. Now the film is coming to your local airwaves as PBS will be airing it this Sunday, January 29th as part of their AfroPop series, hosted by Wyatt Cenac. In NYC, you can catch it at 8am, 2pm, 9pm and 2am on WLIW World or set your DVR to record one of those times (check your local listings for time/channel confirmation).
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.
Posted in Energy, Film, Global Warming, Photovoltaics, Renewables, Solar One, Solar Power, Technology | Permalink
EVs in NYC: What Roll-out Strategies Work Best for the Big Apple?
Tuesday, November 29th, 2011| November 30, 2011 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
Join us this Wednesday for the 6th event of Solar One’s and NYC ACRE’s cleantech discussion series Clean Energy Connections: EVs in NYC: What Roll-out Strategies Work Best for the Big Apple?
Wednesday, Nov. 30, 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
A limited number of tickets will be available at the door.
New York City has the nation’s largest hybrid vehicle fleet and the best access to public transportation in the United States. City officials and Con Edison are planning for widespread adoption of electric vehicles and its impact on the electric grid. This event will focus on fleet-based approaches for electric vehicles, charging infrastructure challenges, and what this roll-out means for grid-scale storage and reliability issues.
A networking reception will follow the panel discussion and audience Q&A.
Opening Speakers:
- Christina Ficicchia, Executive Director, New York City and Lower Hudson Valley Clean Communities
- Keith Kerman, Deputy Commissioner, New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS); New York City’s first Chief Fleet Officer
Panelists:
- Brian Asparro, Chief Financial Officer, Green Charge Networks
- John Shipman, Department Manager, Electric Vehicle Programs, Con Edison
- Brett Gipe, Regional Sales Director, Eastern U.S. & Canada, Smith Electric Vehicles
- Anatol Feygin, Vice President, Energy Strategist, Loews Corporation
Moderator:
- David Leeds, Senior Manager, Smart Grid Research, Greentech Media
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.greentechmedia.com/
EVs in NYC is a 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.
Posted in Clean Energy Connections Blog, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Solar One Events, Sustainability, Technology, Transportation | Permalink
New York’s Grid is Getting Smarter
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
For many New Yorkers, thoughts about the electricity grid don’t extend much further than their light switches. This may change soon, however, as major upgrades to the grid are planned that will lower electricity bills and improve reliability.
Taken together, these upgraded technologies are known as the smart grid. In August, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), the non-profit organization that manages New York’s electricity grid and administers the state’s wholesale electricity markets, unveiled a $74 million initiative to upgrade New York’s electricity grid with new smart grid technologies.
Backed by more than $37 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, these technologies will improve the efficiency of the state’s bulk transmission system and improve grid operators’ visualization capabilities and situational awareness. NYISO also held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new $35.5 million primary power control center in Rensselaer County.
What does it all mean?
New Yorkers will save money. New capacitor banks will reduce electricity costs in New York State approximately $9 million per year by reducing the amount of electricity that is lost when carried over long distances on the bulk transmission system. All told, the upgrades will provide New York with approximately $190 million in annual savings.
Power reliability will improve. New phaser measurement units will improve NYISO’s ability to receive, process and monitor changing conditions, which it does on a moment-to-moment basis, 24 hours per day. Ultimately, NYISO hopes to integrate its smart grid with others across the Northeast and Canada, which could help avoid potential outages, such as the 2003 blackout.
Renewable energy will get a boost. The smart grid upgrades and new power control center will aid the integration of renewable energy supplies, such as solar and wind, into the power supply.
To learn more, visit the NYISO website, read its press release or check out the NYS Smart Grid Consortium overview.
Posted in Cleantech, Energy $mart Communities, Energy Efficiency, Legislation, Sustainability, Technology | Permalink
Community Environmental Center Hosts Symposium on Solar Hot Water Technology
Tuesday, August 9th, 2011More solar thermal water heaters for NYC! That was the conclusion of a symposium on the technology hosted on July 28 by Solar One’s parent company., the Community Environmental Center (CEC). CEC is the largest installer of solar hot water systems in New York.
120 years and one symposium later, solar powered hot water heating systems may finally be getting the attention they deserve in New York City. Since their invention in 1891 by American businessman Clarence Kemp, Americans on the whole have been very slow and reluctant in adopting renewable energy water heating systems. However, that has not stopped solar hot water systems from becoming extremely popular in China and Europe; Germany, according to EarthKind Solar’s Ron Kamen, installs as many as 200,000 systems a year.
Fortunately, New York City may be just the city to put solar hot water systems back on the map for Americans. Executives from Quixotic Systems Inc., EarthKind Solar, and Sunnovations reported that the existing technology functions excellently in New York City’s temperate climate –especially atop buildings that have flat roofs and are 13 stories or lower (the majority of buildings in the city). In addition, building owners and managers such as Peter Bourbeau, of PWB Management Corporation, described how installing solar hot water systems in two of his rental buildings have lowered fuel oil expenses as much as 30 percent.
So should New Yorkers expect to see their neighbors tossing out their rusty old hot water heaters in exchange for shiny, green, solar powered systems? Perhaps not immediately, but progress is definitely underway: CEC is assembling a task force to follow through on the issues that the symposium raised.
Posted in Energy Efficiency, Global Warming, Green Building, Other Events, Renewables, Solar Power, Sustainability, Technology | Permalink
