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1. Stanford Receives $30 Million Gift for Environmental Institute
2. "The End of Oil?" public lecture series continues on Tuesday, Feb 21
3. New 64 MW Solar Trough System in Nevada Groundbreaking
4. Clean Energy: From Lab to IPO, March 20 at Stanford
5. Kyoto Year One: Carbon trade thriving
6. How to drive your new Prius!
7. Towards Sustainability: Western Regional Conference and Expo, March 7-9
8. Nanotube Ultracapacitors for the Future?
9. JOB: LEED Certification Coordinator, Architectural Energy Corporation, SF
10. The 2006 SustainUS Citizen Science Paper Competition is Now Open!
11. JOB: Green Building Writer/Editor, Vermont
12. JOB: Technical Services Manager, Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA)
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1. Stanford Receives $30 Million Gift for Environmental Institute
Stanford University trustee Ward W. Woods, and his wife, Priscilla, have committed $30 million to the Stanford Institute for the Environment. The gift is designed to support innovative environmental programs and collaborative research that lead to significant advances in environmental science and policy. The Institute is the cornerstone of the campus-wide Initiative for Environmental Sustainability, which was launched in 2004 to promote an environmentally sustainable world where human needs are met while protecting and restoring the Earth's natural resources. To accomplish this goal, the initiative promotes work at the intersection of traditional disciplines by attracting faculty and students from every school, laboratory and institute on campus.
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2. "The End of Oil?" public lecture series continues on Tuesday, Feb 21
with Carbon, Climate & Consequences. Speakers are Azadeh Tabazadeh, Rob Dunbar, and Michael Mastrandrea. These lectures are free and open to the public, and are held at 7:30 pm at McCaw Hall, Arrillaga Alumni Center, 326 Galvez.
The final lecture in the series (on March 7), Moving Toward Alternatives, will feature Lynn Orr, Gil Masters (yikes) , Margot Gerritsen, and Jim Sweeney.
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3. New 64 MW Solar Trough System in Nevada Groundbreaking
Solargenix Energy is starting construction on Nevada Solar One, a 64-megawatt, solar thermal plant in the Eldorado Valley of Boulder City.
The $106 million solar project is scheduled for completion by March 2007. It will cover about 320 acres of desert land in the Eldorado Valley and will use troughs of mirrors to concentrate heat from the sun and raise the temperature of a special fluid to 750 degrees. The fluid then will transfer the heat to a steam generator that will produce electricity.
"In about 10 years, we'll all be looking back and looking at the trend of these things being built," Lynch said.
He said Nevada Power One will generate electricity for about 12 cents a kilowatt hour.
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4. Clean Energy: From Lab to IPO, March 20 at Stanford
Cleaner and greener power technology has arrived in Silicon Valley and on Wall Street . What are the challenges that technologists, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists face today and in the next few years? Two experienced leaders of the cleantech industry will address these and other questions in this highly interactive and informative event.
Nicholas Parker, Chairman, Cleantech Venture Network
"Cleantech Venture Investment: Patterns, Performance and Prospects"
Dr. Richard Swanson, President and CTO, SunPower Corporation
"SunPower: Stanford to Nasdaq"
Monday, March 20, 2006
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Stanford University, Wallenberg Hall, Wallenberg Learning Theater
$15 with advance registration, $25 at the door
Refreshments and opportunities to network will be provided.
Open to the general public. Seating is limited. We recommend registering as soon as possible.
To register, send an e-mail to events@GreenMountainEngineering.com with the name and affiliation of each attendee.
Cash or checks will be accepted the night of the event.
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5. Kyoto Year One: Carbon trade thriving
February 12, 2006 - On its first birthday, the United Nations' Kyoto Protocol on global warming remains troubled by political uncertainties but one of its offshoots - trading in greenhouse-gas emissions - is thriving.
Trading in carbon dioxide (CO2) tentatively got off the ground in 2004 as the Protocol lurched towards ratification. Now CO2 is one of the world's fastest-growing markets -- and according to Point Carbon's estimates, will be worth as much as 34 billion euros (40.2 billion dollars) annually by the end of this decade.
In 2004, the global volume of trade in CO2 was just 94 million tonnes. In 2005, it rose to 800 million tonnes. In January 2006 alone, the figure was more than 262 million tonnes for spot trading among European players alone.
A year ago, a tonne of CO2 sold for seven or eight euros (eight or nine dollars) on the spot market. Last Friday, a tonne was changing hands at more than 26 euros (31.2 dollars) -- a huge profit for anyone who had the foresight to buy futures before the Protocol took effect.
The mainstay of the carbon market is the European Union's Emissions Trading System (ETS). It covers around 11,500 EU firms, which account for about half of the CO2 emissions of the 25 member states. These huge burners of fossil fuels - mainly steelmakers, cement producers and the paper industry - have to meet an individual target for reducing CO2 output.
The penalty is 40 euros (48 dollars) for every tonne emitted beyond this threshold, which will rise to 100 euros (120 dollars) in 2008.
Source: World Business Council - WBCSD
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6. How to drive your new Prius!
From: "Amory B. Lovins" <ablovins@rmi.org>
To get this state-of-the-art 4/5-seat hybrid sedan to perform at ~53-55 mpg (it's rated at 55) rather than in the low 40s, it needs "pulse driving," which differs in two ways from our old driving habits:
1. When you see that you'll need to slow or stop up ahead, start braking gently and as early as possible so you recover the most braking energy back into the battery. Prius recovers 62-66% of braking energy in its regenerative mode, but if you brake too late, hence too hard, the mechanical brakes will override, and they do nothing but turn motion into heat.
2. Contrary to what we were all taught in driver's ed, when you're accelerating up to cruising speed, do so briskly. The engine is most efficient at high speed and torque, so you'll use less fuel accelerating briskly for a short time than accelerating gently for a long time.
Consistent with attentive driving, you'll also find it very instructive to keep an eye on the real-time mpg display and (like a videogame) adjust your driving habits to maximize mpg. Don't worry about the complex display showing power flows between the various components -- that's just eye candy, and you can't change the programming anyway.
Note that hybrids tend to turn off the engine when it's not needed, then instantly restart it when it's needed again. I think there's a dashboard light showing when this has occurred, so you'll remember not to try restarting. You'll need a little instruction on key use and starting -- it's more advanced than practically any other car on the road, so there are some little procedural differences.
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7. Towards Sustainability: Western Regional Conference and Expo, March 7-9
California State University, Chico: March 7-9, 2006
Towards Sustainability: Western Regional Conference and Expo is a collaborative effort between academic, community, government and industry leaders to provide a forum for information sharing, thoughtful inquiry, and enhanced commitment to the benefits of sustainability.
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8. Nanotube Ultracapacitors for the Future?
Monday, February 13, 2006, Technology Review
Ultracapacitors, a souped-up version of the capacitors widely used in electronics are well-known for being powerful, that is, able to quickly absorb and release electricity. But they can't store much energy so their stored electricity is depleted in a matter of seconds. As a result, they've been limited to niche applications, such as providing quick bursts of power in some hybrid transit buses.
Now researchers at MIT have found what they believe is a way to improve the endurance of ultracapacitors several-fold -- allowing the devices to retain the power and longevity advantages, while storing about as much energy as the batteries used in hybrids.
The amount of energy ultracapacitors can hold is related to the surface area and conductivity of their electrodes. The researchers have increased surface area by "more than an order of magnitude" by using carbon nanotubes, says Joel Schindall, professor of electrical engineering at MIT and one of the researchers on the project. One square centimeter of conductive plate when coated with the nanotubes has a surface area of about 50,000 square centimeters, compared with 2,000 square centimeters using the carbon in a commercial ultracapacitor today. The highly pure carbon nanotubes are also extremely conductive, which should increase power output over existing ultracapacitors, the researchers say.
The technology may find applications beyond hybrids, too. Ultracapacitors could allow laptops and cell phones to be charged in a minute. And unlike laptop batteries, which start losing their ability to hold a charge after a year or two, they could still be going strong long after the device is obsolete. "Theoretically, there's no process that would cause the [ultracapacitor] to need to be replaced," says professor John Kassakian, another of the researchers.
The main hurdle the new technology is likely to face is not technical but economic. "The nanomaterials are probably a hundred or a thousand times more expensive, today, than the materials that we use," says Michael Sund, spokesperson at Maxwell Technologies, San Diego CA, a maker of commercial ultracapacitors.
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9. JOB: LEED Certification Coordinator, Architectural Energy Corporation, SF
Architectural Energy Corporation
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-957-1977
Employee will be a member of LEED Services Group within the Sustainable Design Assistance (SDA) Team and will perform duties as assigned by the Manager of LEED Services as well as the Sustainable Design Assistance Team Leader, including (but not be limited to) the following:
… providing general sustainable design and sustainable construction consulting.
… providing LEED consulting and coordination expertise to various clients.
… managing a LEED Certification documentation coordination project in its entirety, including project scheduling, running team meetings, project documentation, and responding to design team requests for information.
… meeting with clients and discussing LEED coordination efforts and providing assistance on all aspects of sustainable design including sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy efficiency, material resources, and indoor environmental quality.
… providing assistance, research and report writing skills to a variety of sustainable design projects.
… meeting / contacting clients to discuss sustainable design strategies and all facets of LEED project management and LEED coordination efforts .
… maintaining a high level of organization, and continually trying to improve and innovate in-house project management, sustainable design consulting services, LEED business development, and cutting edge sustainable building strategies.
… reviewing architectural, mechanical and electrical plans and specifications, LEED calculations, and project submittals.
… reviewing and consulting on LEED templates and calculators to be included in LEED documentation.
… reviewing general submittal documentation for USGBC official LEED Certification.
… traveling to in-state and out-of-state projects as required .
Education:
An undergraduate four-year degree in engineering, environmental design, construction management, or other related fields is required. Additional graduate degree(s) in a building related field is preferred.
Candidate must be or become a LEED Accredited Professional
Typical Years of Full-Time Professional Experience:
Four years preferred.
Commercial construction experience highly preferred.
Professional licensure or registration, a plus
Contact: Laurel Van Driest, Office Administrator
Architectural Energy Corporation
2540 Frontier Avenue, Suite 201
Boulder, CO 80301-2400
Main Phone: 303-444-4149 x418
Direct Phone: 303-459-7418
Fax: 303-444-4304
E-mail: lvandriest@archenergy.com
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10. The 2006 SustainUS Citizen Science Paper Competition is Now Open!
This is an opportunity for young scientists (between 14 and 26) to have their work recognized by SustainUS and by the US Department of State. The paper can draw on the natural or social sciences, and must be less than 4,000 words, oriented towards a non-technical audience, and address issues of sustainable development, including poverty alleviation, eradication of AIDS, malaria and TB, global climate change, water issues and other environmental challenges.
Please forward this opportunity, submit a paper, or volunteer to be a reviewer!
Papers must be submitted by March 3, 2006, and winners will be announced March 27. An awards ceremony will be held at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in New York between May 1 and 12.
The application can be downloaded from the website, www.sustainus.org. More information is available on the website, and questions can be emailed to CitizenScience@sustainus.org.
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11. JOB: Green Building Writer/Editor, Vermont
BuildingGreen Seeks Writer/Editor. Are you an experienced writer/editor with green building knowledge and excellent research skills? Do you have a knack for distinguishing meaningful information from hype? If so, you might consider joining the editorial team at BuildingGreen, Inc. We need to add a writer to our staff to keep up with our publishing schedule and commitments. The right person will be highly organized, familiar with commercial and residential construction, a good communicator (both verbally and in writing), and able to work both independently and in teams. The position is based in our Brattleboro, Vermont, office, so unless you're already nearby you must be willing to relocate. Salary will be determined based on your level of experience. Please send a resume, a cover letter, and writing samples to jobs@BuildingGreen.com no later than February 28, 2006
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12. JOB: Technical Services Manager, Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA)
Salary Range: $50,000 ? $70,000 depending on experience
Location: Washington, DC or Northern California
:
The Solar Electric Power Association, formed in 1992, is a nonprofit
organization based in Washington, DC with a current staff of two
(looking to expand to three). SEPA's mission is to facilitate the use and
integration of solar electric power by utilities, electric service providers,
and their customers. The membership consists of approximately 100
companies, including 50 electric utilities. SEPA is seeking to hire a staff member who
can fulfill the technical needs of the association's membership.
TYPICAL EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:
Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline plus a Master's degree in
Engineering/Finance/Business Administration or 5 plus years of
relevant experience. The successful candidate should have
demonstrated experience in the electric utility business, which could
include planning, marketing, or customer service; technical
marketing/sales; technology commercialization; and/or solar?related
manufacturing, integration, technology development, installation, or
contracting.
Candidates should submit a résumé, cover letter and writing sample
Submissions
by email to info@solarelectricpower.org no later than March 1, 2006.
Please put ?Technical Services Manager? in your subject heading. Due
to the large volume of applications, we are not accepting phone
inquiries.
For more information on SEPA, go to www.solarelectricpower.org.
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