It offers stacked towers to suit large-scale commercial production needs which can be downsized for residential use and Community Supported Agriculture.

“Southern Californians are more focused on the benefits of locally-grown food and the holistic health and well-being that come from eating un-processed raw food,” said Tim Carpenter, founder of Verti-Gro, Inc. “With ample sun and temperate conditions, these systems present an immediate and affordable opportunity for families and communities to eat healthy.”

Verti-Gro(R) hydroponic systems employ insulated stacked pots with an automated drip system that circulates nutrients through the plants. The company offers a simple economical and pesticide-free system, and supports it with a wealth of information and training for entry level home gardeners and large scale commercial farms.

“Verti-Gro’s system reduces energy and water use by more than 85 percent and saves space,” said Erik Cutter, Managing Director of EnviroIngenuity. “It also virtually eliminates greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the need to transport produce across long distances, and it doesn’t use soil which is becoming a very limited resource.”

EnviroIngenuity recently launched is vertical farming division to bring hydroponic vertical farming processes to Southern California to enable individuals and communities to grow their own food within urban areas. Through this new partnership, the company will develop job training programs for youth.

“Our curriculum and products will allow youth to develop valuable life-skills, grow their own food and ultimately start their own business in urban agriculture,” said Cutter. “This is one very healthy job opportunity that cannot be outsourced.”

About Verti-Gro(R):

For 20 years, Verti-Gro, Inc., has developed tools and methods for vertical growing and vertical gardening to efficiently utilize space and energy. These methods use hydroponics which allows gardeners to grow produce without soil. Verti-Gro is based in Summerfield, FL on a 12-acre farm with a learning center. Verti-Gro(R) products are sold worldwide.

Tim Carpenter, the founder of Verti-Gro, Inc., has been involved in hydroponic research, development and production for more than 40 years. An internationally recognized consultant, he has traveled the world as an educator in the greenhouse industry using vertical plant production technologies. Carpenter specializes in hydroponic production of fruits, vegetables, greens, large-scale commercial and vertical home growing systems. Carpenter has partnered with EPCOT and NASA to develop hydroponic projects including the garden display, Living With the Land. More information: http://www.VertiGro.com .

About EnviroIngenuity:

EnviroIngenuity was founded in 2009 by Erik Cutter. The company is comprised of forward-thinking professionals whose goal is to take advantage of the growing demand for more efficient, cost effective sustainable energy solutions, employing solar PV, hi-efficiency LED lighting, green building and vertical food production technologies. EnviroIngenuity’s mission is “advancingreenergy” and reducing waste, thus better utilizing limited natural resources. As businesses invest in a lower carbon future, the EnviroIngenuity team is focused on helping organizations move forward to deploy sustainable energy solutions using disruptive technologies. More information: http://www.EnviroIngenuity.com .

Copyright © 2012 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

CERT members collectively own and manage more than 30 percent of the coal west of the Mississippi; 40 percent of domestic uranium; and 10 percent of known national oil and gas reserves in the United States. CERT members also manage millions of acres of agricultural lands from which feedstock for biofuels may be grown. Learn more at: http://74.63.154.129 .

BioJet International is a leading supply chain integrator in renewable (bio) jet fuel and related co-products which include green diesel for the aviation and related commercial transportation sectors. BioJet has received last year a funding facility commitment of $1.2 billion to capitalize its supply chain projects program which include feedstock and refining projects as well as investments and related strategic acquisitions. The firm’s operations span the entire biofuel chain including the generation of feedstock; technology; refining; logistics; sustainability certification; distribution and eventual end use by the aviation sector world-wide. BioJet is also the first Alternative Fuels Strategic Partner of the International Air Transport Association. Learn more at: http://www.biojetcorp.com .

David Lester, CERT Executive Director, said “We believe our sovereign tribal members together with BioJet are well suited to lead one of the largest economic transitions in history: the transition from a fossil based to a biofuel based transportation sector, and on a larger scale, the transition to building a foundation for sustainable tribal communities and an infrastructure for United States energy independence. This effort will be led for CERT by Robert J. Martin, former National Ombudsman of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington D.C., as leader of the RES Alliance with which BioJet is a strategic partner. We are poised for a long transition period wherein biofuels gain large market share not only from fossil fuels but also from ethanol.”

Mitch Hawkins, Chairman and CEO of BioJet, said “We envision the scope of our business relationship broadly with CERT to include at least $1 Billion worth of joint projects over a ten year period locating feedstock generation and refining operations to provide biofuels for commercial airlines and ground transportation at key locations throughout the western United States.”

CERT and BioJet expect to conclude a Memorandum of Agreement in the next 60 days to define the terms of their participation.

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ZNShine Solar is a vertically integrated producer of solar photovoltaic modules. Controlling the value chain from raw silicon to solar photovoltaic systems, the company has a strong position in the global renewable energy market. This integrated business model gives ZNShine a unique opportunity to generate solar electrical power at a highly competitive price.

In 2011, ZNShine’s production reached annual capacity of 500 MW. They accomplished this using highly automated production lines equipped with machines supplied by leading European companies. This process ensures very narrow processing parameters, resulting in stable and solid product quality, which has consistently received a top rating from PHOTON Field Measurement. ZNShine pays constant attention to product quality and their modules have been certified by UL, TUV, Rheinland, TUV SUD and BABT.

ZNShine products are further supported by both Zurich Insurance and now by PowerGuard.

A specialty renewable energy program manager based in the U.S., PowerGuard provides an innovative 25-year, non-cancellable quality and performance guarantee solution to back-up a manufacturer’s own warranty terms.

The PowerGuard insurance solution, available globally, provides certainty and security to the solar manufacturer’s end customers. Its warranty terms are non-cancellable and will survive even insolvency and bankruptcy. Third-party rights to the policy in case the original solar manufacturer goes out of business are also offered, backed by the capital strength of the insurance market.

Mike McMullen, Managing Principal of PowerGuard, said: “PowerGuard is proud that our unique and innovative PowerClip risk-transfer product is increasingly being adopted by leading solar module manufacturers around the world. PowerGuard will continue to support the development and success of the global renewable energy industry with unique, industry-leading products and services.”

Poly and mono crystalline photovoltaic modules manufactured by ZNShine Solar have been successfully used in various medium and large-scale projects located in Germany, Spain and Italy. With these references, the company is now recognized and supported by both U.S. and European banks for both medium and large-scale investments in solar photovoltaic parks.

Guaranteeing warranty terms through the use of insurance provides the certainty manufacturers and their customers seek, as well as long-term stability for the industry.

Contact:
Mike McMullen
949.224.1325
mmcmullen@powerguardins.com .

About PowerGuard Specialty Insurance Services:

PowerGuard is a specialty renewable energy program manager specializing in the design and underwriting of unique insurance and risk management solutions for wind, solar and other alternative energy companies.

PowerGuard’s PowerClip warranty product is the most comprehensive contractual liability coverage available to renewable energy manufactures, project developers, power generation operators and the financial institutions who invest in them.

PowerGuard’s PowerWrap Solar Project Guarantee Policy is a simple and straightforward insurance policy that guarantees the performance of the entire solar energy system – written on investment grade paper with an insurance company holding an AA- rating from Standard & Poor’s. For more information please visit www.powerguardins.com .

Copyright © 2012 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

DualCool uses a direct evaporative process to pre-cool outdoor air entering the condenser coil, and an indirect process (no moisture added) to pre-cool ventilation air entering the building. On retail facilities in hot dry climates, DualCool typically reduces annual cooling energy use and peak electrical demand by 25 to 40 percent.

This 2011 installation program resulted from a partnering effort of three affiliate members of the UC Davis Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC): Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Wal-Mart and ICI. UC Davis launched the WCEC in 2007 to accelerate the implementation of proven cooling technologies that take advantage of the unique characteristics of dry climates typical of the western U.S.

Walmart began testing DualCool on stores in California and Arizona in 2008. ICI introduced its “Generation 2″ DualCool version in 2010. Prototypes of this higher-performance, lower-priced DualCool line were monitored by the WCEC in 2010, leading to this year’s Walmart demonstration program supported by PG&E.

“We are focused on leading the industry with implementation of cost-effective technologies that improve efficiency and move us toward a more sustainable future,” says Jim McClendon, Wal-Mart Director of Engineering. “We have been evaluating various evaporative pre-cooling products, and our major criteria are performance, durability, and favorable economics.”

The 2011 installations were supported by PG&E as a potential element of its Emerging Technologies program. Beutler Heating and Air of Sacramento, another WCEC Affiliate Member, installed the 115 DualCool units under a subcontract with ICI. The 14 stores stretched from Oroville in the north to Fresno in the south.

“We are always interested in technology that allows our customers to save energy during peak hours of operation,” says Dave Alexander of PG&E. “Thanks in part to the work of the Western Cooling Efficiency Center and their affiliate partners such as Wal-Mart and Integrated Comfort, there is a renewed interest in evaporative pre-cooling for hot dry climates. Over the next year we will continue to monitor performance and track energy savings on these installations.”

Mark Modera, Director of the WCEC, comments that “Retrofit cooling efficiency technologies are particularly needed because there are millions of RTU’s in use that will not be replaced for years. The WCEC is encouraging both new and retrofit cooling technologies, but the overall savings potential is greater in the retrofit category.”

“DualCool is designed for durability and easy service,” notes Dick Bourne, ICI Vice-President. “Our stainless steel enclosures, top-of-the line evaporative media, and high-performance cooling coils ensure long life, large peak demand reduction, and significant energy cost savings. We look forward to more partnering with key participants to cost-effectively improve the efficiencies of commercial cooling equipment.”

Company Information: Integrated Comfort Inc. is a privately-held California corporation that develops and markets energy-efficient cooling products and systems.

For more information, visit: http://icidualcool.com .

Copyright © 2011 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

Bob Hausmann, Operations Manager:

Hausmann, with more than thirty years’ experience in design, development and construction, will manage the company’s energy conservation projects and lighting retrofits, primarily in K-12 schools and local government agencies throughout Ohio. He formerly owned Hausmann Homes, designing and building custom homes and renovating existing homes with a focus on sustainable green living, and was Partner/President of the Special Projects Group at Miller Valentine from 1983-2006.

“I feel that Energy Optimizers, USA provides me with a great opportunity to introduce energy cost savings measures at an important time for Ohio commercial, industrial and institutional facilities,” shared Hausmann. “With over $7 million dollars in energy savings projects underway, our clients are able to use these cost savings to more effectively manage their money.”

Bob is a registered architect and LEED AP, BD+C, with a B.S. from the University of Detroit. He is affiliated with the U.S. Green Building Council and the American Institute of Architects, and serves in leadership volunteer roles with Habitat for Humanity and Dayton Red Cross.

Belinda Kenley, Vice President of Business Development:

Belinda Kenley formerly served in the capacity of Vice President of Operations and has now been promoted to Vice President of Business Development. Kenley previously worked for the Ohio Attorney General and Auditor of State Betty D. Montgomery and is a member of Centerville City Council. She is in the current class of Leadership Dayton and is active in numerous professional organizations, including Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, Association of Energy Engineers, the I-70/75 Development Association, and National League of Cities.

Greg Smith, President of Energy Optimizers, USA says this of Kenley, “Belinda’s role as VP of Business Development is critical for us. Schools and local government agencies across Ohio need to be better informed of their options in cost cutting measures that are available to them today.” Mr. Smith refers to the budgetary relief provided by Ohio House Bill 264, 300 and 420 that provide K-12 schools and government agencies with options on how energy savings measures are paid for over time.

New Location:

The company has recently purchased a building along with an adjacent lot at 7950 South County Road 25A in Tipp City to house its expanding team, bringing the total property to about four acres, including two warehouses.

About Energy Optimizers, USA:

Energy Optimizers, USA works with Ohio school districts and government agencies to implement energy savings opportunities to reduce operational costs, including lighting retrofits, renewable energy projects (wind and solar), HVAC retrofit projects, building automation retrofits and energy education programs. To learn more about Energy Optimizers, USA visit their website at http://energyoptimizersusa.com or call them at (937) 877-1919.

Copyright © 2011 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

The awards program recognizes Dayton-area companies and business leaders who have outshined their competitors.

“The companies recognized at our annual Business of the Year Awards are impressive businesses from across the Dayton region, including Energy Optimizers, who is building on their success in the green industry, an emerging business category and a frontrunner for the future,” shared Carol Clark, publisher of the Dayton Business Journal.

The Business of the Year judging demanded a rigorous set of objective criteria, with Energy Optimizers, USA being chosen as a finalist amongst many deserving candidates from the Miami Valley.

The judges independently use a 100 point scale for each of the six judging criteria: financials, supporting documentation, innovations, strategy and vision; product or service’s place in the market; outshining others. Those individual scores are totaled and only the top three scorers in each award category are named finalists.

“To be selected from such an impressive collection of Dayton-area businesses is a great honor for us,” shared Greg Smith, Energy Optimizers, USA’s president. “This award recognizes the hard work and dedication of our growing team to achieve significant value and savings for Ohio’s K-12 schools and government clients.”

The Business of the Year awards, presented by Soin International, is the prestigious black-tie gala held at the Schuster Center downtown that honors companies and business leaders from throughout the area who have outshined their competitors.

About Energy Optimizers, USA:

Energy Optimizers, USA audits, recommends and executes energy saving changes that make Ohio’s schools more efficient, greatly reducing their cost of operations. All across Ohio, Energy Optimizers, USA is implementing energy savings and conservation opportunities with school districts, including lighting and HVAC retrofits, building controls retrofits, wind and solar installations. Their programs include Energy Savings Projects, Wind & Solar Projects, Maintenance Plan Advisor Services and Energy Efficiency Education and Awareness Programs.

To learn more about Energy Optimizers, USA, visit their website at http://energyoptimizersusa.com or call them at (937) 877-1919.

Copyright © 2011 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

During the Forum, ten innovators selected by LAUNCH will present their groundbreaking ideas for the provision of more sustainable energy sources and improved access to energy for both developed and developing world populations.

The following innovators have been chosen to participate in the forum:
1. Gram Power: A micro/mini-grid solution for underserved communities that utilizes modular battery storage technology, energy management intelligence, and a pre-payment model.
2. Hydrovolts: An affordable “Switchblade” turbine and “Flipwing” turbine rotor that enables reliable hydroelectricity generation from canals and other managed-flow water courses.
3. Turbococina: A revolutionary clean and efficient wood combustion cookstove.
4. Point Source Power: An economical fuel cell for emerging markets that allows battery charging in cooking pits or fires.
5. The Solanterns Initiative: An initiative dedicated to replacing 1 million of Kenya’s kerosene lanterns with solar powered lights and to creating micro-entrepreneur jobs.
6. Powerzoa: A smart system that allows enterprise-level energy managers to automate control of energy down to the appliance level, stopping power waste.
7. Promethean Power Systems: A rural refrigeration system for commercial cold-storage applications in off-grid and partially electrified areas of developing countries.
8. Thermofluidics: A pumping device that uses low-temperature heat to generate fluid motion with very few moving parts.
9. ITN Energy Systems: A revolutionary flexible electrochromic film for windows that allows active control of the sun’s transmitted light and heat.
10. NanoTune Technologies: A new generation ultracapacitor with five to seven times greater energy storage capacity than conventional capacitors.

The LAUNCH program identifies innovations poised to create transformational change in critical sustainability issues, connects innovators to thought leaders, investors and advisors, and then provides strategic guidance post Forum in order to accelerate the implementation of the technologies and projects into the global market. Previous LAUNCH modules in 2010 focused on Water and Health. For more information about LAUNCH, visit: www.launch.org.

Synergen’s project history includes locations such as North America, Mexico, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia and Australia. Synergen’s 750-project history has involved a wide variety of engineering, financial, and construction related professional engagements, including marine and offshore, manufacturing, gas processing, petrochemical, public works, pipeline, utilities, water treatment plants, educational facilities, entertainment and sports facilities, healthcare facilities, office and commercial developments, government and institutional projects, correctional facilities, industrial, warehouse, hospitality and condominium projects.

Synergen has proudly maintained a repeat and referral rate over its 750-project history that is in excess of eighty-five percent (85 percent), which is well above industry expectation. This repeat and referral rate is consistent among a variety of clients, which primarily include corporate owners, contractors, government agencies, engineering and design firms, insurance companies, and law firms.

Synergen services its international clients primarily from its Houston, Texas headquarters. Synergen also provides services domestically and internationally with offices in Austin, Dallas, New Orleans, San Diego, and Pittsburgh.

About Synergen Consulting International, LP:

Synergen is a Houston-based registered Professional Engineering company with offices strategically located throughout the United States. The company provides engineering, construction, and financial services to a wide range of public and private clients.

For More Information on Synergen Consulting and to view its Project and Company Profiles, visit http://www.SynergenConsulting.com .

Copyright © 2011 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

“Ecologic Leasing Services has dedicated two seasoned veterans to help develop and administer the global vendor financing program recently launched with mineral exploration drilling equipment maker Boart Longyear. David Bromage and Rod Suhan have respectively led and managed several vendor captive leasing programs over their careers,” stated Michael Keeler, CEO, Ecologic Leasing Services. “They will bring to Boart Longyear Financial Services the expertise needed to arrange and execute drilling equipment financing deals for Boart Longyear’s customers worldwide.”

Mr. Bromage, MBA, was appointed Vice President, Sales & Business Development. Prior to joining Ecologic, Mr. Bromage held a variety of senior leadership roles in the international equipment financing industry in the USA and Europe, including with Life Technologies, Nortel, Mitel Networks, CIT Group, ING Lease, and First Asset Finance. Mr. Bromage started his financial services career as an Auditor with Ernst & Young in London and has an MBA from Georgetown University.

Mr. Suhan, CPA, was appointed Vice President, Operations. Prior to joining Ecologic, Mr. Suhan held various senior management roles in the equipment leasing & financing industry in the USA, including with Philips Medical Systems, GE Capital, Heller Financial, Sanwa Business Credit, and Continental Illinois Leasing. Mr. Suhan started his financial services career as an Auditor with KPMG Peat Marwick in Detroit and has an MBA from the University of Wisconsin.

About Ecologic Leasing Services:

Ecologic Leasing Services offers outsourcing and software services to vendor captives and corporate lessees that need to finance equipment competitively around the world. Ecologic currently supports lease transactions in 44 countries. Vendor captives employ Ecologic’s services to help them finance the sale of their equipment to their customers at the point-of-sale using the best available funding sources wherever they operate around the world. Using The Global Lessor Network, Ecologic enables vendor captives and lessees to find the best match lessor for each transaction in each country. For each client, Ecologic deploys, customizes, and integrates its unique web-based leasing and asset management software services, LeaseAccelerator. Founded in 2000, Ecologic is headquartered in Northern Virginia, with offices in Montreal, San Francisco, and Mumbai.

Ecologic can be found on the Web at http://www.ecologicleasing.com . Lessors can join The Global Lessor Network and see transaction opportunities that match their interests and geography at http://www.globallessornetwork.com .

Copyright © 2011 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

Cogent’s DARS service is a hosted software service which facilitates the electronic receipt of business data from a company’s trading partners. DARS parses incoming data into databases while providing client-access to the data directly via VPN or by the distribution of select reports. The service handles data in many formats including XML, EDI, Excel, CSV and TSV. “After spending five years proving our Data Flow Manager (DFM) platform, we are confident that we now offer the best value-for-money B2B data access and reporting service available. We have recently expanded this service beyond the energy industry and across the entire country,” said Steve Redekopp, Director of Operations at Cogent.

The Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority is a state government agency that wanted a third-party service to periodically retrieve and report on their data from the growing ERCOT real-time electricity market and the other markets in which it participates. With the DARS service, OMPA expects to significantly reduce the amount of time that they spend on the complexities of the ERCOT Market Information System, and to increase their confidence in the settlement process by assuring the integrity of the market data.

Within the energy space, DARS currently serves clients using data provisioned by the ERCOT, CAISO, MISO and NYISO independent system operators (ISOs); and the ISO-NE, PJM and SPP regional transmission organizations (RTOs).

About Cogent Technology Group, Inc.:

Cogent Technology Group specializes in custom software and software consulting for small to medium sized businesses. In addition to the Data Access and Reporting Service and their Data Flow Manager product, Cogent offers an Energy Marketer Data Reconciliation System product for validating SCR727 data against billing data; a Sales Commission Manager product for managing the generation of residual sales commissions; and their SalesScape Software Suite for automating the sale of commercial electricity contracts. For more information, visit www.ctginc.biz .

About the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority:

The formation of the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority was authorized by the state legislature in June of 1981. The agency was created for the purpose of providing optimal sources of electric power and energy to Oklahoma municipalities and public trusts operating municipal electric systems.

In July 1985, OMPA became a full-fledged power supplier with 26 member cities. It has since grown to include 38 cities in Oklahoma with power coming from a number of sources including wind, hydro and natural gas. For more information, visit www.ompa.com .

Copyright © 2011 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.