Investor Peter Nieh on future of U.S. solar panel industry

To draw attention to its upcoming Thin Film Solar Summit USA, PV Insider has released an interview with Peter Nieh, the founder of Lightspeed Venture Partners, a global venture capital firm that manages over $2 billion of capital commitments.

In a Q and A, Nieh addresses the U.S. Department of Energy's Solyndra funding debacle and the damage it has caused the solar panel industry; why the investment was misguided from the start; what panel companies and technologies merit backing; why the Chinese solar industry is booming (and why it may be cresting); why he's confident in U.S. solar development and what his firm looks for before it invests in a new company. 

Interested in solar? We recommend that you read the interview here.

And please return here to share your views in the comment box below.  If you don't see one, activate it by clicking on the tiny 'comments' line.

Related:
Solyndra gave bright forecasts as it ran out of cash |

U.S. Knew Solyndra Violating Loan Before New Deal, Official Says
Solar-Panel Imports From China Said to Face U.S. Trade Complaint

Our most recent posts:
EPA awards pollution prevention grants in NJ and NY
First NJ public school to earn a top green-building score

Enviro-Events Calendar for Sept. 27 - Oct 4, 2011

More gas drilling ahead for Pa's federal and state forests

NJ Technology Council's final call for presentations

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like this post? You'll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics

Try it free for 30 days!  No obligation. Cancel anytime with one click

EPA awards pollution prevention grants in NJ and NY

Students and faculty at Rowan University and Rutgers University in New Jersey and Rochester Institute of Technology in New York will benefit from pollution-prevention grants awarded today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Rowan will use a $106,194 EPA grant to assist the pharmaceutical industry in implementing source reduction, pollution prevention, and green engineering design through an engineering clinic program. In these clinics, Rowan professors and students will demonstrate to industry representatives how they can reduce energy consumption, water consumption, hazardous material releases and save money in their manufacturing processes.

With the help of a $50,000 EPA grant, the Rutgers University Center for Advanced Energy Systems will implement a smart electrical metering system on their Busch and Livingston campuses in Piscataway. Smart meters record energy consumption and communicate that information to utilities and their customers. This system will allow Rutgers to identify ways to achieve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption, while reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and energy costs.

Rutgers will received a separate $150,000 grant to recruit high school students as "Water Champions" to lead water conservation changes throughout their communities. These students will educate their communities about water conservation, recruit local retailers to participate in selling water efficient devices, gather data and calculate water saved from installations of water efficient devices, share project results and encourage participation from other organizations.

Rochester Institute of Technology is receiving a $69,000 grant to promote wet cleaning in dry cleaners throughout the state. Traditional dry cleaning uses an environmentally hazardous solvent, while wet cleaning uses water-based biodegradable detergents. The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute will select two dry cleaners as case studies, and will provide technical assistance and funding to defray equipment costs for converting to wet cleaning. Information will be shared with other dry cleaning businesses.

In addition, the EPA is providing the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) with $180,000 to train college students to work as interns in pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities conducting pollution prevention assessments of their operations. The goals will be to achieve measurable reductions in energy and water use, minimize contaminants present in wastewater discharges, and reduce operational costs.

EPA is also providing NYSDEC with $90,000 to reduce hazardous chemicals being used, stored and generated by New York State high school laboratories by providing assistance with chemical inventories, the development of chemical hygiene plans and the distribution of green chemistry guides.

Our most recent posts:
First NJ public school to earn a top green-building score

Enviro-Events Calendar for Sept. 27 - Oct 4, 2011

More gas drilling ahead for Pa's federal and state forests

NJ Technology Council's final call for presentations

USGBC offers free green jobs training for NJ employers
The right and left debate RGGI in New Jersey

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like this post? You'll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics

Try it free for 30 days!  No obligation. Cancel anytime with one click

 

First NJ public school to earn a top green-building score

A public school in Sayreville, NJ that serves 175 students with autism and multiple disabilities, has received the top certification by a national green-building organization.

The Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL) has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum level certification--the highest of four LEED Certification levels developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The facility, designed by USA Architects of Somerville, NJ and constructed at a cost of $23 million, opened in 2009.

It offers 24 classrooms, as well as physical therapy, gymnasium, and aquatics space, which will also be used by Sayreville’s Brain Injured Children’s Swim program.

In addition to its LEED-standard design features, with an emphasis on energy performance, the school includes an interior garden and nature trail that weaves through the 28-acre site.

LEED conservation features at CLL range from recycling of rainwater, control flow meters on appliances, white roofs to reduce heating and cooling costs, and drought tolerant landscaping such as wildflowers.

Additionally, waste management during the building process itself, including separating asphalt, beverage containers, concrete, drywall and plastic into separate recycling containers, was another important environmentally friendly factor.

Our most recent posts:

Enviro-Events Calendar for Sept. 27 - Oct 4, 2011

More gas drilling ahead for Pa's federal and state forests

NJ Technology Council's final call for presentations

USGBC offers free green jobs training for NJ employers
The right and left debate RGGI in New Jersey

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like this post? You'll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics

Try it free for 30 days!  No obligation. Cancel anytime with one click

Enviro-Events Calendar for Sept. 27 - Oct 4, 2011

Environmental seminars, forums, education, social, and networking opportunities
in New Jersey,  Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware.

Send information on your upcoming event to editor@enviropolitics.com.
We'll list it for free.

Tell your friends and colleagues about this great service.

View full calendar here

Check this out, too:
EnviroPolitics - 30 Day Free Trial - http://forms.aweber.com/form/59/1934507159.htm

More gas drilling ahead for Pa's federal and state forests

Gas drilling in Pennsylvania's Tioga State Forest -- PennFuture photo

Environmentalists, conservationists and others opposed to natural gas drilling in state and federal forests have  been dealt a stinging defeat as a U.S. appeals court ruled that the owners of mineral rights in a national forest in Pennsylvania don't have to wait for an environmental study before drilling.

The 3rd U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a Pennsylvania district court's ruling that mineral rights owners don't have to wait for an environmental impact study from the U.S. Forest Service to start drilling in the Allegheny National Forest, according to a report by the Platts news service.

The U.S. Forest Service in 2009 opted to call for a long-term environmental impact assessment of the national forest as part of a settlement with the Sierra Club and other advocacy groups.

The Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association and other groups sued to return to 1980 measures that require a 60-day notice before drilling operations begin.

The federal appeals court upheld the lower court's decision, saying the owners of mineral rights would suffer an undue burden while waiting years for the EIS.

Natural gas production from the Marcellus shale gas play in Pennsylvania was reported at 1.87 billion cubic feet per day during the first half of 2011, a 22 percent increase over production reported in the second half of 2010.

Corbett planning to drill Pennsylvania out of debt?

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported today that the Republican administration of Gov. Tom Corbett is considering the expansion of gas drilling in forests and other state-owned land.

"Gov. Tom Corbett's administration in Harrisburg is considering leasing more state land, though there are no firm plans at the moment, said Corbett spokesman Eric Shirk.

"The January 2010 lease sale under former (Department of Natural Resources and Conservation) Sec. (John) Quigley included 18,000 acres of ecologically sensitive wild and natural areas which can only be accessed underground and which brought in $128 million for taxpayers," wrote Patrick Henderson, Gov. Corbett's energy executive, in e-mailed comments. "Done correctly, it is possible to develop our commonwealth's natural resources while ensuring the protection of our public lands."

About 800,000 acres of the 1.5 million acres of state land in the Marcellus fairway are unleased. Most of the unleased land either is in ecologically sensitive areas or cannot be accessed without cutting through those areas, according to a study by the DCNR.

The state forests have a long history of hosting other drilling and mining, but the Marcellus rush has only just begun. The Marcellus wells there have nearly doubled over the past year to 175. Another 125 to 150 will go in next year on land already under lease, department spokespeople said. Initial department estimates posted on its website had figured for nearly 6,500 wells on nearly 1,100 well pads. 

The push is for money. Once a seven-figure trickle, the state's Oil and Gas Lease Fund has exploded from new oil and gas money. It earned a combined $444.1 million in 2009 and 2010, more than double what it made in its previous 61-year history, according to department figures.

"I knew this was opening Pandora's box. It was too successful, and the numbers were just staggering," said Quigley, who helped oversee the last round of leasing under then-Gov. Ed Rendell. "I can't criticize Gov. Corbett for doing the same thing my boss did. ... The danger is that some could look to the state forest as a way out of financial problems, as easy money."

DCNR expects to bring in a record of $58 million in rent and royalties alone in the 2011-12 fiscal year, spokeswoman Christina Novak said.

Last month, Gov­er­nor Corbett’s Sec­re­tary of Eco­nomic and Com­mu­nity Devel­op­ment, Alan Walker, said that increased drilling in Pennsylvania’s state forests could bring in “close to $60 bil­lion” over the next three decades. ““That allows us to solve just about every eco­nomic prob­lem we have that is hang­ing out there, he said, "includ­ing un-funded pen­sion lia­bil­ity and infra­struc­ture prob­lems." .

What's your opinion on expanded natural gas drilling in national and state parksa Uses the comment box below.  If one isn't visible, activate it by clicking on the tiny 'comment' line.

Related:
OK to drill in Pa. forest, court rules 

State may free wilderness for gas leases
Corbett Official Wants To See More Drilling In State Forests
Can Pennsylvania’s State Forests Survive Additional Marcellus Shale Drilling?

Our most recent posts:
NJ Technology Council's final call for presentations

USGBC offers free green jobs training for NJ employers
The right and left debate RGGI in New Jersey

Where do you get your environmental news? 
Do environmental regulations kill jobs?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like this post? You'll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics

Try it free for 30 days!  No obligation. Cancel anytime with one click

NJ Technology Council's final call for presentations

Our friends at the New Jersey Technology Council asked us to pass the information below to our readers. We are happy to oblige.

__________________________________________________________________________

FINAL Call for Presentations - Delaware Valley Technology Research Symposium

October 6, 2011 at Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ

Deadline for Entries - September 19th at 11:45 pm  

 

The New Jersey Technology Council is delighted to announce a new effort in conjunction with Rowan University - the Delaware Valley Research Symposium which will take place at Rowan University on the afternoon of October 6th.  Submission is for Research Projects in the fields of Information Technology/Software, Electronics/Advanced Materials, Environment/Energy, Life Sciences and Telecom/Media which is in the early – mid development stages.

Either corporate or university graduate, post doctoral fellows or researchers can participate.  Entries from South Jersey (Princeton South), Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia are sought. The focus of this competition is partnering, collaboration and visibility, not funding. 

Two participants (one representing corporate and one educational for each category) will be selected to present their concept at the event on the afternoon of October 6 in a six minute presentation.  With permission, a video recording will be made of their presentation and will be made available for viewing on www.njtc.tv.

Selected presenters will also have an exhibit table at the event and individual opportunities to meet with potential collaborators.

For more information on submitting a very short and simple presentation, click HERE. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our most recent posts:
USGBC offers free green jobs training for NJ employers
The right and left debate RGGI in New Jersey

Where do you get your environmental news? 
Do environmental regulations kill jobs?
Obama Visits Flood-Ravaged New Jersey  

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like this post? You'll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics

Try it free for 30 days!  No obligation. Cancel anytime with one click

USGBC offers free green jobs training for NJ employers

To help workers and businesses better compete in a difficult economic climate; The US Green Building Council-New Jersey (USGBC-NJ) has entered into a new partnership with the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD) to provide free, on-site  "Green Jobs" training to its chapter members.

The training will center around the field of Green Building to help USGBC-NJ members align themselves with the ever-changing demands on workforce skill. The new trainings will focus in large part on LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) test preparation enabling members to obtain accreditation that will enable them to compete for the proliferation of green oriented work that is on the horizon.

The organization says the training will help "companies compete effectively and acquire a greater percentage of the jobs created under the State's Energy Master Plan."

The customized educational programs will be made available at no cost to USGBC-NJ individual chapter members. The training will be conducted onsite at an employer's office or in one of the designated USGBC-NJ training facilities.

The two part program will include LEED® Training which includes LEED® Green Associate recommended modules. The first part of the training will include the LEED® & Fundamentals of Sustainability . The second part of the training will include a variety of customized training programs for multiple disciplines also inclusive of LEED® Technical Review and Exam Review.  Customized Programs include but are not limited to: Operations & Maintenance, Facilities Management, Construction Management & Trades, Legal Considerations in Green Building & LEED, Real Estate & Development, LEED Neighborhood Development, Green Building & Labs, and Corporate Sustainability, LEED & Schools.

More information on the USGBC-NJ training program can be found by clicking on this link

Our most recent posts:
The right and left debate RGGI in New Jersey

Where do you get your environmental news? 
Do environmental regulations kill jobs?
Obama Visits Flood-Ravaged New Jersey
Obama decision blindsides enviros-and his own EPA
 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like this post? You'll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics

Try it free for 30 days!  No obligation. Cancel anytime with one click