OC Renewables Meeting Is An Earth Day Volunteer Event!!!

Saturday, April 16

Friends and family invited to join the OC Renewables team for the annual California State Parks Foundation’s Earth Day 2011 Restoration & Cleanup.

*Registration required*
*Update: One Location - Crystal Cove*

For Crystal Cove, contact:
Dr. Lori Greene, lgreene@ocrenewables.org
 ___________________

Crystal Cove
Saturday, April 16, 8:30 am - 12:00 pm
Volunteers of all ages are needed at Crystal Cove State Park on Saturday, April 16th for the 14th annual California State Parks Foundation’s Earth Day 2011 Restoration & Cleanup.  Projects include: removal and replacement of ½ mile of old rusty ranch fencing, planting coastal bluff plants and painting gates and curbs.  Registration is required.
Location: Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna Beach. Check-in at Los Trancos parking lot (Pacific Coast Highway, turn inland at stoplight at Los Trancos).
Bring: Water bottle, sunscreen, hat, garden gloves, snacks
REGISTER: Dr. Lori Greene, lgreene@ocrenewables.org

Wind Powering America - Siting, Sizing, and Other Considerations for Distributed Wind

Wind Powering America - Siting, Sizing, and Other Considerations for Distributed Wind

The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) Small Wind Division hosted a webinar to provide a general overview of small wind technology and 12-step program for a small wind project, covering topics including zoning, interconnection, and the economics of small wind.

The presentation can be found on the Wind Powering America.gov website.

Sierra Nevada Will Make a Donation to ASES on Your Behalf!

This Earth Day, Sierra Nevada is helping people get out for a good cause. For every consumer who makes an online pledge to get outside in April, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. will donate $25 up to $2500 each to one of the following organizations, based on the consumer's preference. The organization with the most votes will receive $5,000.

Take the pledge! http://www.SierraUnplug.com

Enter the $10,000 CACI Fast Pitch Competition

The California Clean Innovation Conference is now taking entries for the $10,000 Fast Pitch Business Competition.   

 
Competition Summary 
Five early stage, clean technology companies will be chosen from submittals received and given a platform to showcase their business ideas to a panel of industry-leading judges as well as all conference attendees, many of whom are also investors in the space.  Additionally, the winner of the competition will receive:

• $10,000 in cash

• Free entry into the Cleantech Open at the "semi-finalist" level with the opportunity to compete for an additional $250,000 in cash and prizes! ($1,850 value!) 

• Recognition on the CACI website for the following year

For more information, visit the California Clean Innovation website.

OC Goes Green: County Programs Commended by Grand Jury

Three County of Orange departments were lauded by the Grand Jury for their commitment to protecting natural resources and employing environmentally conscious practices. In a report titled “Orange County Goes Green,” the Grand Jury described the OC Waste & Recycling department as “one of the most cost-conscious agencies in the county – and one of the most respected in the nation.”

The report praised OC Waste & Recycling’s ability to capture methane gas from the County’s Frank R. Bowerman Landfill, convert it into liquid natural gas, and then sell it to power local bus and truck fleets. In addition, the department, which manages four Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers, has successfully increased the diversion of self-hauled waste from the landfills by 70% through recycling outreach and the self-hauled waste surcharge.

The County Executive Office’s Procurement Department was also noted in the Grand Jury report for the development of the OC Green Fair, inspired by the Board of Supervisors’ adoption of an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy.

Finally, the environmental stewardship efforts of John Wayne Airport (JWA) were also acclaimed in the report including the early implementation of water conservation, pollution prevention, energy efficiency, air quality, noise abatement and recycling practices.

For more details -

Read the Press Release, or the full Grand Jury Report.

Harris Poll: Americans Improve Energy Efficiency at Home. Knowledge of Energy Issues Remains Unchanged

GetSolar.com directs us to a very timely Harris poll.  While solar panel systems and wind farms have become increasingly ubiquitous over the past few years and the amount of clean energy sources in the U.S. has grown significantly, it is not translating into a better understanding of energy issues amongst Americans, according to a recently released study.

What Really Motivates Customers to Install Solar

Interesting article that we wanted to share from GreenTechMedia.  Not surprising to see that solar motivations are similar to most other buying decisions: price, reliability, and price again. 

Click here to read this informative article.