Green Career Central Blog

Google.Org Takes On Uninformed Lawmakers Over Lack of Climate Science Knowledge

"We are seeing very clearly with climate change that our policy choices are currently not grounded in knowledge and understanding," according to Paul Higgins, an associate policy director for the American Meterological Society. 

During the past week in the Energy and Commerce Committee of the US House, Democratic members  put forth three amendments that would accept that climate change is occurring; that it is due in large part to human activity; and that man made global warming poses a threat to public health and welfare. Not a single Republican voted in favor of the amendments. 

In order to counter the anti-science perspective taken by elected members of Congress and the public, Google.org has gathered a team of 21 climate researchers in order to improve the effectivness of climate change messaging.  Paul Higgins, quoted above, will become one of the 21 Google Science Communication Fellows.  

The Fellows will be sharpening their media skills and making climate science information more accessible to lawmakers and the public. 

Follow the Green Money: DOE Finalizes Loan Guarantee to Geothermal Project, Smart Synch Raises $25 Million, Phononic Devices Receives $10 Million

The Department of Energy has finalized its $96.8 million loan guarantee to a project sponsored by US Geothermal, Inc. to build a geothermal plant in southeastern Oregon.  When completed the plant will produce 23 Megawatts of power. Idaho Power Company has contracted to purchase that power for25 years.

Based in Jackson, MS, Smart Synch has raised $25 million to continue to develop their Smart Grid infrastructure solutions that use public wireless networks.  Trilliant Inc. a provider of Smart Grid solutions has partnered with KORE Telematics to improve Trillant's utility meter communications.

Phononic Devices has received $10 million from venture capitalists.  Phononic is developing systems to remove heat using electricity, called thermoelectric cooling and also thermoelectric generation, turning waste heat into electricity. Based in Raleigh, NC., here is a link to their career page.

Follow the Green Money: OSISoft Receives $135 Million, Lighting Science Group Going Public, C3Nano Completes First Round of Funding

Developer of data management software for industrial applications, OSIsoft, has received a $135 million investment from venture capitalists. Based in San Leandro, CA, here is the career page for OSIsoft.

Lighting Science Group, a Florida based LED lighting company, has filed for public registration of common stock on the NASDAQ exchange.  The goal of this move is to raise $150 million.  The initial share price was not disclosed.  Lighting Science manufactures and distributes LED lighting for commercial and residential use.  The company has factories in the US and Mexico and has hired a contractor to make their products in Asia.

Hayward, CA based C3Nano, a first year start-up company that is developing transparent electrodes as a component of  transparent screens for use in cell phone and solar cells, has completed a first round of funding. The amount was not disclosed.  Last year C3Nano won the MIT Clean Energy Prize of $200,000.

Green Career Trends: DOE Announces "Sun Shot", EPA Regulations Would Create Jobs, Companies Commitment to CSR Goals

The Department of Energy has announced its "Sun Shot" plan of initiatives to reduce the price of solar power by 75%.  The goal is make solar energy cost competitive with fossil fuel produced energy without the use of subsides. The time frame set for this goal is by the end of the decade.

A new report from Ceres, a coalition of environmentalists and institutional investors, indicates that Environmental Protection Agency regulations that reduce air pollution would also create jobs.  The report found that the retirement of older coal burning power plants and the construction of newer plants would add as many as 1.5 million new jobs.

In an effort to reduce greenhouse gases and improve their corporate social responsibility, large corporations are making major commitments to sustainability.  For example, Proctor and Gamble has committed to powering all of their factories with renewable energy by 2020, FedEx has committed to improving vehicle fuel efficiency by 20% by 2020 and even Walmart has committed to selling $1 billion in produce sourced from 1000 small- and medium-sized farmers.  These commitments will require various functions and employees at all levels to work together to achieve the goal.

Follow the Green Money: GridPoint Has Received $23.6 Million, SoloPower Gets $20 Million Loan, Mascoma Receives Up to $50 Million Investment

Smart grid start up, GridPoint, has received $23.6 million from venture capitalists.  Gridpoint creates software for building energy management and other solutions.  In May of 2010, GridPoint announced a contract with the US Post Office to install and operate energy management services at 750 locations.  GridPoint has several North American offices.

Using a $20 million loan from the State of Oregon, SoloPower, a maker of thin-film solar, will open a 75 megawatt manufacturing plant in Wilsonville, OR. The San Jose, CA based company has openings for engineers and technicians. 

Based in Lebanon NH, Mascoma has entered into an agreement with petrochemical company Valero that allows them to invest up to $50 million to build a biofuels plant in Kinross, Michigan.  Mascoma develops microbes that can turn wood waste and grasses into cellulosic ethanol. Here is a link to their career page.

Follow the Green Money: Multiple Solar Companies Receive Funding, Encelium Raises $11 Million, Elevance Renewables Receives $100 Million, Zip Car Gets $21 Million

December was a busy month for some green companies and the venture capitalists who funded them.  In the coming weeks, SolFocus, a Mountain View, CA based concentrated photovoltaic solar company, will receive $50 million from venture capitalists.  The total amount of venture capital raised by SolFocus is estimated to be more than $190 million. Some other solar companies recently receiving funding were, Abound Solar and 1366 Technologies.

Teaneck, New Jersey based Encelium, a provider of lighting energy management for commercial buildings, has raised $11 million from venture capitalists.  Elevance Renewable Sciences, raised $100 million in funding.  Elevance uses natural oils to create specialty chemicals for personal care products, lubricants, fuels and additives markets.

Zip Car, a car sharing service company based in Cambridge, MA, has raised $21 million from venture capitalists.  Zip Car provides cars to members who reserve them in advance on a pay as you go basis.

Follow the Green Money: DOE Makes Loan Guarantee for $1.3 Billion for Wind Farm, Trilliant Expanding Market to Asia, DOE Awarding $184 Million for Energy Efficiency Improvements to Vehicles

It is the largest amount Follow the Green Money has ever written about, a $1.3 billion loan guarantee from the Department of Energy to Caithness Energy for their planned wind farm at Shepard's Flat in eastern Oregon.  When completed the farm will have the capacity to deliver 845 megawatts of electricity, and it will become the largest on-land wind farm in the world.

Based in Redwood City, CA, Trilliant, a maker of hardware and software for networking utilities, is expanding their business to Asia with the investment help of Microelectronics.  Asia is experiencing an increasing demand for electricity and the Smart Grid products produced by Trilliant will make that transition easier and cheaper.  The Trilliant career page lists job descriptions within the company.

The Department of Energy is also awarding grants totaling $184 million to companies and researchers that are working on improving the energy efficiency of vehicles.  Among the categories that are eligible for funding are:  light weight materials, advanced battery technology, and efficient driver feedback technologies.

Green Career Trends: GM to Hire 1,000 Employees, Smart Grid Expected to Reach $4.2 Billion by 2015, Navy Using Whale Flippers as Models for Tidal Turbines

 
With the success of the Chevrolet Volt (named Motor Trend car of the year), General Motors has said it will now hire 1,000 engineers and researchers over the next two years to develop other electric vehicles.  The hiring will be done primarily in Michigan.  The Nissan all-electric Leaf was named European Car of the Year.

2010 revenues from Smart Grid software and services industries is estimated to be $356 million.  A new report from Pike Research estimates that revenue from Smart Grid analytics will reach $4.2 billion by 2015.  Utilities will have more information and insights into how their customers consume energy and be better able to meet consumer demand.

The US Naval Academy is using humpback whale flippers as a design model for ocean tidal energy turbine blades.  The blades that mimicked the flippers have proven to be more effective at extracting energy at low tidal speeds.

Green Career Trends: Corn Stalks and Husks Being Made Into Corn Board, Stoneyfield Farm Switches to Plant Based Material for Yogurt Cups

Using corn as an abundant and renewable resource, researchers at the University of Illinois have created CornBoard, a corn based composite board that can be a suitable replacement for particle board, plywood, or fiberboard. Corn Board Manufacturing Inc.(CBMI) has signed an agreement with the University to bring the patented technology to market.  The primary ingredient used in Corn Board are the corn stalks and husks commonly known as corn stover, a by product of growing corn. The binding agent is resin-based and non-toxic.  CBMI estimates that the corn stover from just two acres would provide enough Corn Board to build a two story house supplying the roof decking, flooring, and outer wall sheathing.

Speaking of corn, Stoneyfield Farm has announced it's no longer using petroleum based styrofoam to make its multi-pack organic cups. Instead they are being made from corn and stamped on the bottom with the words, this cup is made from plants.  By March of next year, fresh fruit juice maker Odwalla will be using plant-based material, sugar cane, to make its single use bottles.

Green Career Trends: The National Renewable Energy Labaoratory (NREL)

NREL is located in Golden, CO., about 15 minutes west of downtown Denver.  It is a Federally funded reserch, development, commercialization and deployment lab whose projects span the spectrum of renewable energy including wind, solar, biofuel, ocean, geothermal and hydro.  The photo to the right is the visitors center built using a Trombe wall to light and heat the building.  The photo below is of the Trombe wall interior.

 

 

 

 

Outside of the visitors center are several small demonstration solar panels and a portion of a wind turbine blade. The photo below is of a cross section of a wind turbine blade.  The visitors center is an educational tool to teach students and the public about renewable energy and where it comes from.

There are employment opportunities at NREL for qualified scientists, engineers, research technicians, project leaders, analysts and other professional people.  Also available are student internships and research participants.  The website has more details.