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May 29
One (Large) Step at A Time

Written by keithf

(This is an extract from the latest Earth Blog article: a helping hand in deciding how much you need to change your life to really make a difference)

Here’s a photo of my vegetable patch. At the front are two rows of lettuce and a patch of spinach – the kinds that you can keep picking and they will keep growing. Halfway down the raised bed (surrounded by thin copper wire to deter the slugs) are some tomato plants – two different types. At the far end is a wigwam consisting of eight bamboo canes cut in half and a piece of plastic-coated metal rod I found in a hedge a couple of weeks ago, thinking that it might come in handy. There are twenty-four French bean plants beginning to curl their way up the canes and I reckon we will be giving beans away in a few months time. The three pots on the left contain herbs: oregano, basil, tarragon and a few garlic cloves I threw in the soil to see what would happen; and there are a couple of chilli pepper plants courtesy of my Dad who also supplied the beans.

It’s not a very big vegetable patch, but it’s the first time I have ever grown my own food – yes, despite all the other things I have striven to do, growing food wasn’t on my list of priorities, but now I’ve started I want to do it properly and learn all about growing seasons, pests, propagation, seed keeping, nutrients and anything else I can find out. It was never really an option, growing food: I left the house at 8 o’clock every morning while I worked in London, and got back at 7, with barely enough time to eat meals and spend some time with the children during daylight hours. I should have tried to grow food, really, but never got round to it. I could have taken the children out with me to plant seeds, water the growing plants and pull out weeds, but it just didn’t seem important: it does now – I am no longer on the corporate treadmill.

…

Leaving my well-paid job to do full time environmental work was a step; learning to cook with just local, seasonal and dried produce was a step; starting to grow my own food was a step; switching off my central heating, after progressively turning it down further and further was a step; switching off the television and deciding to talk, play cards, read and just enjoy each other’s company was a step. But here’s an interesting thing: almost none of these steps will be featured in the countless lists you read in newspapers and magazines for “turning green” – they are all too big for the mainstream media, and even the mainstream environmental groups to propose to an “unwilling” public.

[Read the complete article at The Earth Blog]

May 27
Clean Energy Investment Forum

Written by The Naib
June 5, 2008
5:30 pm

Dear Daniel,

On Thursday, June 5, 2008, beginning at 5:30PM, representatives from major venture capital firms are convening in Waltham to share their experience and insights from investing in clean energy companies. Joining us will be:

* Rob Day of @Ventures
* Eric Emmons of Siemens Venture Capital
* Andrew Friendly of ATV Capital
* Bill Lese of Braemar Energy Ventures

Rob Day- Rob is a principal and joined @Ventures in 2007, and operates out of the firm’s Boston-area office. He currently holds an observer seat on the boards of Powerit Solutions and M2E Power. Rob is the co-author of The Next Bottom Line: Making Sustainable Development Tangible , co-leads the Renewable Energy Business Network, and authors the website Cleantech Investing. He also serves on the advisory boards of the New England Clean Energy Council and GreenTech Media.

Eric Emmons- Eric is an Investment Partner with Siemens Venture Capital based in Boston, MA. He specializes in investments in energy, materials, and industrial solutions. Before joining Siemens Venture Capital in 2008, Eric was a general partner at the Massachusetts Green Energy Fund, where he led many of its investments in photovoltaics, biofuels, industrial process efficiency, and new materials. Eric also worked with Commons Capital, a venture capital firm in the Boston area which invests in energy, medical, and technology companies.

Andrew Friendly- Andrew joined ATV Capital in 2007 as a Senior Associate in the firm’s Waltham office where he focuses on investments in cleantech. Prior to joining ATV, Andrew was a Director at Idealab in Pasadena, CA where he worked for over three years evaluating energy and cleantech technologies for potential investment and company creation. He focused on several areas including solar PV and thermal, fuel cells, hydrogen generation, flywheels, small-scale wind, advanced batteries, new transportation concepts, and building monitoring hardware and software. He played an active role with Idealab companies, serving on three Boards, assisting with strategy, developing partner and customer relationships, and securing venture capital.

William D. Lese- Bill is a Managing Director with Braemar Energy Ventures and has more than 24 years of research, operating and venture capital experience in the energy and environmental businesses. Prior to co-founding Braemar, Mr. Lese was a partner with Mantis Holdings, Inc., a venture capital firm focused on investing in energy efficiency and environmental companies. Prior to joining Mantis, he was the Director of Business Development for NPS Industries, Inc. While there, Mr. Lese managed a joint venture with Consolidated Edison Co. Prior to joining NPS Industries, he was one of the original employees of Sithe Energies, Inc. (an affiliate of Vivendi, SA), which became one of the world’s largest independent power producers. Currently, he serves on the board of directors of numerous companies including, EnerNOC, Celunol, Coaltek, and Utility Associates.

Each presenter has been asked to cover the following in their discussions:

1. With regards to a completed clean energy transaction, what was it that attracted you tothe specific industry sector?

2. What characteristics made the specific enterprise stand out against their peers?

3. What areas are emerging, in decline and overvalued in the clean energy sector?

4. What advice do you have for companies seeking investment capital in the clean energy industry? and

5. If you were forming or joining a clean energy business today, which one would you select?

The event is taking place at the Foley Hoag Emerging Enterprise Center, 1000 Winter Street, North Entrance, in Waltham, Massachusetts. The doors open at 5:30 PM for registration and refreshments, with presentations beginning at 6:15. The event costs $15 for members and $25 for non-members, refreshments included. To register, please send an email to Lucy Rohner lrohner@MassH2.org or call (978) 232-0081.
As always, If you have any questions, please call me at
(978) 500-5644 or email me at bbradshaw@hy9.com.

May 27
Solar Power Lights Up Hospital In Senegal

Written by The Naib

senegal hospital solar
We have been keeping tabs on SCHOTT solar for a while now. Besides being a big mover in solar, solar thermal electricicy, and an array of other renewable energy projects they also have an active program of social giving. Thanks to solar modules made by SCHOTT Solar in Germany, the doctors, nurses and patients in a rural hospital in Senegal will no longer have to worry about lighting and refrigeration. A new solar energy system donated and made by SCHOTT Solar in Alzenau will ensure a steady supply of power.

Up until now, hospital employees were forced to deal with power outages several times a day. Refrigeration for medicines was interrupted repeatedly, lights went off and what little medical equipment was available was out of commission. Now, with the photovoltaic system from SCHOTT Solar as a backup system, a secure supply of electricity is guaranteed.

The hospital in Baila, located in the southern province of Casamance in Senegal, includes an emergency room, ten beds, a delivery room and accommodation for relatives. This center has provided medical attention to people in the immediate region for years. In order to protect the hospital against power outages on the regular network, a five-kilowatt solar power system is now being installed. The power from the solar modules is loaded into batteries and if the regular power system fails, the network reverts virtually instantaneously to a so-called mini-grid, which provides the hospital with an independent source of power.

Senegal hospital solar

Four parties have made the installation possible: in addition to the solar modules, SCHOTT Solar supplies the system technology and supports the installation of the system. Most of the costs have been carried by the company itself, with a portion contributed by employees as a project for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). KAÏTO Energie AG takes responsibility for project management on location and deals with the local authorities. SCHOTT Solar is responsible for the electrical installation and the technical certification of the backup system.

The village community built the extension on which the system was installed in May. Involving the people in the village in the technical and electrical building works contributes significantly to the acceptance of the solar energy installation. KAÏTO includes apprentices from a neighboring vocational school in the mechanical installation of the solar system, providing them practical experience and allowing them to test their own skills with modern technology.

In mid-March, the modules were shipped out via Dakar to the regional harbor at Ziguinchor in Casamance and then were transported overland to Baila. In Casamance, located on the edge of the tropical rainforest, climatic conditions are extreme, with heavy rainfall.

Following the dry season from November to June, hot monsoon winds bring rain and high humidity from the south. That’s why the SCHOTT Solar double-glazed modules are perfect for Baila; they have been proven under difficult weather conditions. The company regularly tests its modules under extreme temperature fluctuations, permanent humidity, high pressure and suction - and according to the information SCHOTT Solar has, the company is the only manufacturer who has criteria that are double as strict as those stipulated by the IEC 61215 standard.

map of senegal

The project in Baila shows that solar energy is a key to providing electricity in Africa. And a reliable source of power is vital to sustainable development. In rural areas in particular, the power supply is neither full-coverage nor stable - but there is a lot of sun. These are ideal conditions for photovoltaic systems, which guarantee a reliable source of electricity, either as an isolated system or even to provide first access to power in remote regions.

“The SCHOTT Group sees the sustainable improvement of people’s living conditions as one of its tasks. Electricity is the prerequisite for education and development - and our projects contribute toward electrifying Africa,” observed Dr. Martin Heming, managing director of SCHOTT Solar and member of the SCHOTT Group management board. Senegal is now investing more in renewable energies, and in decentralized solar power in particular. Up until now, the programs in Senegal were primarily KfW (Reconstruction Loan Corporation) and individual World Bank projects.

May 26
The Tools Of Greenwashing: 2. Astroturfs

Written by keithf

Here’s part two of The Unsuitablog series on The Tools Of Greenwashing. This one focusses on the evil Astroturf — corporate groups that have nothing whatsoever to do with real grass roots…

Questioning and exposing the greenwashing activities of corporations, in particular, is something that the seasoned cynic makes light of; but sometimes our job is made more difficult, not so much by the quality of the greenwashing being used, but by the sheer weight of apparent “public” opinion supporting the views of the corporations.

For many years, corporations employed IT-savvy PR companies specifically to post items on newsgroups, chatrooms and bulletin boards, putting a positive spin on whatever company line was being trotted out. Much of this was simple global warming sceptic fare, the kind you still see repeated (usually using stock phrases, uncannily similar IP address ranges and men full of straw) in the comment lists of blogs and newspaper web sites.

But corporations don’t stop at that — they have plenty of money, markets to crack and worlds (well, one world) to change. This is why the Astroturf was born. Astroturf is the green plastic stuff that is made of nylon but looks a bit like grass; but it’s still synthetic, still articificial, and no sane person would think of laying it in their front garden if they wanted a lush, natural lawn. From a distance, though, astroturf can look pretty convincing, and an Astroturf can look just like a genuine grassroots organization if you don’t look that carefully.

[For the entire article, including a 10 point guide to spotting Astroturfs, read the rest at The Unsuitablog...]

May 25
Free Online Energy Tradeshow: Virtual Energy Forum

Written by The Naib
June 10, 2008toJune 11, 2008

Online Energy Event to Feature
Expert Presenters Streamed Live to your Computer

The Virtual Energy Forum, a first of its kind, online only event connecting thousands of corporate executives with sustainability
experts in energy efficiency and conservation, as well as providers of alternative energy products and services — through a live,
interactive environment.
Access the event from your computer June 10th and 11th - online - from 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM, Eastern US.
Registration is FREE.
Click here to register now.

The event will provide your company with strategies, contacts, and exposure to state of the art products and services in the ever changing corporate
landscape of energy efficiency.

Click here to view the entire conference agenda
and register

You will be able to text chat from the comfort of your own computer with over 30 industry experts such as:

Click here to view the scheduled speakers and their bios

Exclusive Offer to RenewableEnergyWorld.com Subscribers:
The first 200 people that register to attend The Virtual Energy Forum from this email will be entered in a random drawing to win an autographed
copy of Newt Gingrich’s book “A Contract With Earth“. 10 random users will be selected on May 27, 2008. Only
registrations from this email to RenewableEnergyWorld.com subscribers will be included in the drawing.

The Virtual Energy Forum is free to attend, will require no travel costs, and can be experienced from the comfort of your home or office.
Register today, then log
in on Tuesday, June 10th and Wednesday, June 11th, 2008, and get the tools and information you need to make your company more energy efficient and
cost effective


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