Forbes investigates the future of “Green Investments”. (Forbes)

Mark Wanczak of Konstructr explores the meaning of the word “green” in marketing (Konstructr)

A debate on whether nuclear energy can be considered renewable. (Build Baby Build)

Ferrari revs up the green movement. (Cars and SUVs)

California leading state when it comes to green jobs. (LA Times)

The solar industry is on fire… in a good way.  Solar panels and solar farms are popping up all over the nation, but do you ever consider who is behind the production of this hot technology?  Maureen McHale of Advanced Solar Photonics (ASP) took a minute to speak with Kimberly Miller of Green Cities Media at Green Cities Florida to discuss some of their recent advancements and the status of solar in the Sunshine State.  One thing is clear from this interview; Florida is keeping Advanced Solar Photonics busy.  Born from a laser systems producer, Advanced Solar Photonics quickly found a home in the sustainability industry by creating parts for solar panels.  The demand for parts led to the idea of selling entire solar panels and even the production of solar farms.  Green Cities turned out to be the perfect opportunity for this rapidly expanding company.  The media attention and sheer number of participants made it a perfect place for Advanced Solar Photonics to spread their message to a diverse and attentive audience.

In the spirit of true sustainability and the triple bottom line, ASP is a completely American made company, even their productions means are 100% American.  Not only does this mean a more efficient way to produce their panels, but their expansion directly relates to Florida’s economy.  Maureen states that they are expected to fill 1,500 green jobs over the next two years in Florida’s Lake Mary region.  When asked about their future opportunities Ms. McHale responded with one word “Endless”.  She and ASP have plenty to look forward to, especially with the backing of government initiatives from the Obama administration and locally in Florida.

They have no intention on squandering their good fortune, as they are making plans to diversify their brand.  One way in particular are the “Brown Fields” created by past manufacturing sectors in Florida where developers cannot build homes.  Here they found opportunity in crisis as “Brown Fields” are perfect for installing solar farms, which in essence turn the land from brown to green.   These farms range from the size of a city block to a 2,500 acre lot.  This opens the door to become one of the largest energy producers selling power back to utility companies.   Combine this with their assorted list of clients and Florida’s initiative to create solar cities and Advanced Solar Photonics is set to be a major player in the industry for years to come.

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Transcript of Interview
May 20, 2009

I’m Kimberly Miller for Green Cities Media speaking today with Maureen McHale of Advanced Solar Photonics, whose tagline is “innovation today for a brighter tomorrow,” and we’re broadcasting actually from Green Cities here in Orlando, Florida. Welcome, Maureen. Thanks so much for joining me today.
Thanks for having me.

So I want to go ahead and start off by asking kind of the history of the company, where the idea for Advanced Solar Photonics come from and what kind of things were you guys interested in whenever you started this company?
Sure. The owner of the company actually started making laser systems for all different types of industries, everything from flat panel displays, semi-conductor, aeronautical, automotive, industrial applications. A lot of those applications are very similar to the photovotaics where the panels need to be cut; the glass needs to be cut. They need to be scribed. Lots of lasers are used in the making of them so we developed a solar line, and from that point, because there’s so much demand for solar panels, the owner said, “You know what? We should not only sell the equipment that makes the panels, we should make panels.”

Right.
And here we are.

Terrific, so how long ago did that get started?
The company’s been around since nineteen ninety something…in the nineties, and Advanced Solar Photonics spent the last several years making equipment specifically for the solar industry. The first panels are actually coming off our line in July of this year.

Terrific; and whenever these panels come off of your line, what is it specifically that is going to set them apart from other panels that are out there?
Well not only are they made with the latest technology and lasers, they’re also manufactured in a lean way in that all of the processes and technologies used are very efficient making our panels very efficient and also the panels are going to be made of 100% American made components the equipment even is made in America.

Terrific!
So we’re 100% American-made.

Alright, and you know sometimes I think people forget that  part of the triple bottom line and sustainability and this kind of conversation also needs to have jobs here in the United States. That’s really important.
Right; and we are growing so fast. In the next two years we’ll have fifteen hundred new green positions.

That’s terrific. And so will those be located in Florida?
Yes, actually in Lake Mary, which is just north of Orlando.

So you guys are located here in Florida, the sunshine state; seems like it’s a good place for you guys to be. How has the reception been for this kind of technology?
It has been fantastic. As soon as we announced that we were going to be making panels, the phones were ringing, the emails were coming in left and right, and shows like this just attract more attention to what we’re doing and how great renewables can be for everyone.

Certainly; and so who do you see as your biggest client? Is it business people? Is it people who are wanting to put solar panels on their homes? Who’s your target audience?
We’re working with everyone along the chain. We’re going to work with installers, distributors, all the way up to utility companies that want to buy our power. We intend to put solar farms together so that we can sell back to the electric companies.

That’s terrific. So what do you think is the future of solar photonics?
It’s endless. Literally every week we get bigger and bigger, and more things change. It’s nothing but bright and green.

So with the new Obama administration a lot of green initiatives being put into place…do you think that’s going to affect your business specifically? And do you think this is an easier climate with this administration to try and advance this business?
I think more people are talking about renewables because of the government initiatives today. It’s nothing but good. It’s a start at least people are starting to understand and recognizing solar panels. I went down to the beach this past weekend, and I saw solar panels lighting up the channel markers for the beaches and the boats so it’s becoming recognizable. Everybody’s talking about it, and the more government incentives, the more state incentives that can bring down the costs for normal people like you and me to put them on their houses, and the better it is.

So what is it about Green Cities specifically that was attractive for your company to come here?
It’s definitely the number of people we were able to get in front of, the media attention, the government officials that were here, the fact that Orlando is becoming a green city. I mean it’s huge for us. So anything that we can tag along with and be involved in is where we want to be.

So what kind of advancements would you like to see in Florida happen in the next 5-10 years?
I’m definitely excited about the new solar studies about more green everything; from the booth next to us has the pavers that the water penetrates through to, like I said, the solar panels lighting up traffic lights and overhead displays and all those kind of things. Just more and more renewable sources

Right; it seems like a real change towards sustainability is actually happening, and to see it happen here in Florida is exceptionally exciting I think. So are there any upcoming projects that you guys are going to be working on that maybe you’re excited or that you could share with us?
Yes, actually we’re looking to do a project for Seminal County School systems, and trying to put panels on their roofs, and power their buildings. There’s, like I said, solar farms that we’re putting together. There’s something called Brown Fields, where there’s been waste from companies and other manufacturing processes that have gotten into the ground, and they can no longer use the ground for new buildings. They can’t put houses there unless they do a huge cleanup. Our panels and our solar towers are perfect for that because we can make a solar farm, put panels on there, and generate electricity from a piece of land that may not even be usable.

That’s terrific. So with these Brown Fields and solar farms, about how long does it take to complete a project like that?
Well thankfully we have this great technology we’ve just partnered with, a manufacturing fabricator that has a technology that can put a post for the tower into the ground in about three hours time. Normally, it would take a month for the concrete to set and things like that. It’s the same technology that was used to put the fence between Mexico and Texas so it’s like 120 miles plus, and they did it in like sixty-one days. So this is a fast way to do things. So literally we can put a farm up in a matter of weeks and not months or years

Great; so more efficient.
Exactly.

So how big are these Brown Fields and solar farms? Do you have a rough estimate?
There’s all different sizes. Depending on the size of the contamination, it could be anywhere from a city block to acres and acres. We’re looking to cover probably about twenty-five hundred acres. There’s some in Pensacola; some here; other local companies have them. So we’re partnering with these people to make those Brown Fields green. It’s what we’re trying to do.

Right. That’s amazing. Well I wish you the best of luck. It sounds like you guys have an incredible year or five ahead of you.
It’s very exciting

And it’s really nice to meet you and have you here at Green Cities.
Well thanks a lot!

In this interview from May 20th, 2009,  Gillian Coats interviewed Tom Kimbis, Director of the Solar America Cities Program for the DOE. Tom Kimbis explains how the Solar America Cities program is assisting 25 US cities in innovative solar implementation, and he speaks specifically about the solar installation on Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center where the Green Cities Conference is taking place on May 20th and 21st. Subscribe to our podcast and make sure not to miss the rest of the interview series.

Read Eric Corey Freed’s monthly column.

Question 1: Devil’s advocate question — why bother going green? I’m only one person … does it really make a difference whether I recycle my soda cans or bike to work instead of driving?

Of course 1 person can make a difference. Those landfills didn’t fill themselves, they are the accumulation of individuals. So yes, each one of us has a responsibility and can make an impact. Start small, you don’t have to be perfect, but you do need to get involved. Ride your bike, make your next car gas efficient or try an alternative fuel vehicle, try using mass transit such as a bus, install a solar water heater, make your home more energy efficient, change your incandescent bulbs to CFLs, hang your clothes on a clothes line instead of using the dryer, buy local food and goods, give up single use bags and bottled water and try reusable bags and refillable bottles instead, and recycle that soda can! The choices are endless and you just need to start with one.

Let’s look at a simple example, changing an incandescent light bulb to a compact fluorescent (CFL). This one action can use 75 to 80% less electricity yet emit the same light. The cost of CFLs are now very reasonable, making the switch easy and remember CFLs last 5 to 7 years. EPA states that a CFL will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. Ok, so if each individual, say in 110 million homes in America, replaced one 60 watt bulb, the energy saved could power a city of 1.5 million people or almost all the homes in Delaware and Rhode Island! So, a small action by an individual can make a difference because when several individuals do this, the effect is compounded. This one bulb changed, could save enough electricity to close two power plants, or better yet, not build two more. So, now if you have not already made the change to CFLs, go count how many bulbs you could replace in your home and imagine the impact you can have as one person and oh yeah, you’ll save money too.

Each individual taking action is the way we can make a difference.

[ Read entire article ]

Critic’s Pick: Not many sustainability conferences begin with a schmooze session fueled by organic juice and smoothies and continue with organic food buffets and fair trade coffee breaks. But organizers of the Green Cities conference in Orlando know their target – local government entities, business entrepreneurs, students ready to begin careers and students of life – and they promise programming way beyond a “preaching to the choir approach.” Doers, not dreamers, lead the seminars and workshops.

[ Read entire article ]

This winter, as Congress was scrambling to pass the stimulus package, the bottom fell out of the renewable energy sector — the very industry that lawmakers have held out as our best hope of salvaging the economy. Trade groups like the American Wind Energy Association, which as recently as December was forecasting “another record-shattering year of growth,” began predicting that new installations would plunge by 30 to 50 percent. Solar panel manufacturers that had been blazing a trail of growth announced a wave of layoffs. Some have since cut their workforces in half, as stock prices tumble and plans for new green energy projects stall.

But there is one place where capital is still flowing: Gainesville, Florida. Even as solar panels are stacking up in warehouses around the country, this city of 120,000 is gearing up for a solar power boom, fueled by homegrown businesses and scrappy investors who have descended on the community and are hiring local contractors to install photovoltaic panels on rooftops around town.

One of those investors is Tim Morgan, a tall fifty-something man with slicked-back hair and ostrich-skin boots who owns a chain of electrical contracting companies. His industry has been hit hard by the downturn, but he has a plan to salvage his business, which he explained over a drink at the Ballyhoo Grill, a gritty Gainesville bar with rusty license plates nailed to the wall and Jimmy Buffett blaring on the jukebox. Morgan intends to rent roof space from eighty Gainesville businesses and install twenty-five-kilowatt solar generating systems on each of them, for a total of two megawatts — a project that would nearly double Florida’s solar-generating capacity. He estimates the venture will cost between $16 million and $20 million and bring in $1.4 million a year. Already, he has lined up financing, found local contractors to do the installation, and staked claims to the rooftops of at least fifty businesses. “And we’re just one tiny player,” he told me. “Look around. You can see how fast this thing is going to move.”

[ Read entire article on AlterNet.org ]

• Orlando – http://www.cityoforlando.net/elected/greenworks/index.htm
  Through grant money provided by the Department of Energy, Orange County is currently installing a 1 megawatt (MG) solar array atop the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, making it the largest solar array of its kind in the Southeast.  In addition the City of Orlando has established, Green Works Business, an educational program designed to provide the Orlando business community with comprehensive best practices for sustainability in business.
• Deland – http://www.beacononlinenews.com
  The City of Deland has systematically changed its water program to encourage conservation by adopting a tier structured rate program and rebates for customers who switch to energy star appliances.
• Jacksonville – http://www.coj.net
  Jacksonville has Florida’s 2nd largest community owned utility, JEA,  which generates green energy by burning methane gas from one of the city’s sewage treatment plants and from several local landfills, capturing the energy that would be lost if they merely burned off the gas.
• South Daytona – http://www.southdaytona.org/egov/docs/1238690842802.htm
  The City of South Daytona has issued a Green Mission Statement, which proclaims the policy of the City of South Daytona to finance, plan, design, construct, manage, and maintain its facilities and buildings to be sustainable.  It is the City’s intent that all buildings constructed meet criteria standards of USGBC, LEED, Florida Green Building Coalition Green Building certification, or any comparable performance criterion.
• Fort Myers – http://www.cityftmyers.com
  Fort Myers encourages strict green practices in all city departments including Parks and Recreation and has a close relationship with the University of Florida extension services which helps educate city staff on energy saving techniques, water conservation and air quality.
• Gainesville – http://www.cityofgainesville.org
  The City of Gainesville has implemented a four day work week for all city employees, closing down all city offices one work day per week which reduces utility use and creates pollution reduction resulting in big dollar savings for the city.
• Pinellas Park – http://www.pinellas-park.com
  Pinellas Park enforces landscaping codes which “green” the city, encouraging use of native drought resistant plants, reclaimed water usage and shading of parking lots. In addition, they city has purchased hybrid vehicles for use by city workers in select departments.
• Clearwater – http://www.clearwater-fl.com/green
  The City of Clearwater has started monitoring and tracking energy use within government buildings. After current usage rates are determined, the city will develop a plan to reduce energy use. The same methodology will be followed for solid waste, recycling, and water use.
• Tallahassee – http://www.talgov.com
  Tallahassee’s city bus service, StarMetro has park and ride routes called 80X routes. These routes service the community’s highly populated suburbs, offering free Wi-Fi and over 88 i-stops which are stand-alone solar powered bus shelters, providing increased safety for evening riders while utilizing renewable energies for power.
• Venice –  http://www.venicegov.com
  The City of Venice recently began green planning efforts by adopting the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.  Additionally, funding has been secured for formal application towards Florida Green Building Coalition’s (FGBC) Local Government Green Standards through the Planning Department, and certification by both the City Engineer and Building Official through Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Thanks to the cities that participated in the Green Cities Florida Survey, we pinpointed the following top priorities that Florida leaders would like addressed at the conference.

• Alternative water supplies and water conservation as a whole
• How emerging technologies will be used in conservation efforts
• How to market sustainability to the public
• Green house gas reduction strategies
• How the American Recovery and Investment Act will affect job growth and retention
• How to apply for funding to assist with the implementation of sustainable initiatives
• Implementing renewable energies in new building technologies
• LEED certification requirements
• Cost benefit of implementing green practices
• How municipalities can influence policy makers to allocate funds to help achieve greening goals
• How other cities handle their recycling programs in the current economic climate
• How to get the community involved in greening projects and save money doing it
• Alternatives to landfills
• Alternative energy sources

You can learn more about these various topics and many more by registering for Green Cities Florida today.

On May 20th at 9am at the Orange County Convention Center, history will be made; join Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty and Senator Lee Constantine as they “flip the switch” on the largest PV system of its kind in Southeastern United States. The one-megawatt rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system sits atop the Orange County Convention Center and will be turned on for the first time at the opening ceremony for Green Cities Florida.

Click here to see the press release – http://greencitiesmedia.com/2009/03/orange-county-convention-center-launches-solar-project/

To get more information about Green Cities Florida please visit www.greencitiesflorida.com

Download this press release as a .doc

 UPDATE: We will be hosting a GreenTweetup on May 6th at 7 PM! Mark your calendars and watch our tweets for updates. In the mean time, be sure to follow @GreenCitiesNews, on Twitter, Thursday at 1:00 pm for our next tweetaway. We will have 2 1-day passes (you choose the day) and this prize package from the Orlando Brewing Company 

            -A private tour for 10 of the Orlando Brewing Company

            -Certificate of Participation

            -1 flight of 4 samples per person

            -Valued at $200

Orlando Brewing is Florida’s only certified organic brewery. What does it mean to be organic? It means that ingredients used in crafting our ales are grown without insecticides, bioengineering, or irradiation. Our Blonde Ale has been officially certified Organic by the USDA. Our beers are the only ones declared “Fresh From Florida” by the State’s Department of Agriculture. You can taste the difference.

They brew in accordance with the German Purity Law of 1516. This means they use only natural, organic ingredients and never any cheap fillers or adjuncts. The beer is fresh and never pasteurized.

Come visit us! We are located near Downtown Orlando at 1301 Atlanta Avenue (adjacent to the Orlando Amtrak Station).

For more information, visit www.orlandobrewing.com

Want to meet some of the folks headed to Green Cities Florida while enjoying some of the finest organic beer ever made?  Yes…yes you do.  Make sure you attend the Green Cities News Tweetup at Orlando Brewing Company May 6th at 7pm.

@greencitiesnews, the tweet behind the page you are now viewing, invites you to follow us on twitter for a chance to win 2 passes to Green Cities Florida or a 2-nite hotel stay at the 1-Palm certified Omni hotel in Orlando!

@greencitiesnews