Fun and festivity comes to Pescadero

Fine art, attractive crafts, live music, a happily dancing spotted cow ― yep, it’s the Pescadero Arts and Fun Festival rolling out this weekend.

As always, it will kick off with a preview of varied fine artwork created by the South Coast Artists Alliance, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the I.D.E.S. Hall in Pescadero.

In what art show coordinator and local artist Meredith Reynolds described as the largest turnout of artists for a PAFF, 44 participants will show a variety of painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, woodwork and metal art. Several of them are new, like mosaic artist Deborah Webster of Pescadero, and many of them original, like Lou Heine, also of Pescadero, who will display lamps she makes from parts of old lamps she “hangs together in a new way,” said Reynolds.

According to the art show’s geographical boundaries, all come from west of Skyline Boulevard and south of Tunitas Creek as far as Davenport.

As always, the art exhibit will last throughout the festival, with the art for sale to benefit children’s art programs at the La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District. To date, said Reynolds, PAFF art sales have raised more than $90,000 for those programs.

It will offer the usual colorful smorgasbord of crafts ― jewelry, beach glass items, woodwork, pottery, potpourris, knitted or fiber-art clothing like alpaca wool jackets, infused olive oils and something new like the LED solar lights that reflect images on a handpainted background.

Food will include the festival’s customary tamales and Portobello mushroom and tri-tip sandwiches, caramel fries made with caramel-covered slices of apple, and waffle cones.

Sarasota Memorial has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star certification, which signifies that the organization performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets performance levels set by the EPA.

Sarasota Memorial is the only hospital in Southwest Florida to earn the certification.
Buildings that earn the certification use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Sarasota Memorial reduced total energy costs by nearly $300,000 a year through a variety of initiatives, including replacing more than 10,000 bulbs with efficient fluorescent lighting (old bulbs are recycled) and upgrading corridor lights to LED lights, which use less electricity and last longer. Earlier this year, SMH also installed 40 solar panels atop the Waldemere Tower, a pilot project designed to produce 1,000,000 BTUs of heated water per day to supplement the hospital’s air conditioning and heating systems’ boilers.

“The savings from our energy efficiency initiatives not only reduce the hospital’s carbon footprint, but also help provide additional funds for critical medical services,” said Facilities Director Jim Bugyis.

Suntech and IBC Ink Solar Deal

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. has entered into an agreement with IBC SOLAR to deliver 50 megawatts (MW) of solar panels through the end of 2012. IBC SOLAR is a leading global specialist in photovoltaic systems.

Suntech and IBC SOLAR have been working together since 2004 to deliver quality solar systems worldwide. The high-profile rooftop installations on which they have worked include the New Fair Stuttgart (Germany) with a total generation capacity of 3.45 MW as well as 5.75 MW power plants in Osyan and Warora, India.

Suntech continuously focuses on research and development to enhance product performance. Its solar panels are popular and are preferred by customers due to their superior technology, recognized certifications, and consistent quality. Suntech's solar panels feature 5% power tolerance and have been built to survive in all weather conditions, including 3.800 Pascal wind load and 5.400 Pascal snow loads that are well above the IEC standard requirements. They have a 25-year power output warranty.

Last month, the company presented a high efficiency, 60-cell, 255-watt polycrystalline module at Intersolar Europe 2012. This new module can be incorporated into almost any kind of solar application and makes use of optimized metallization technology to boost efficiency. This new module is suitable to operate in coastal applications as well. It has an anti-reflective hydrophobic layer that reduces surface dust and allows the module to absorb more light, achieving superior weak-light performance and enhanced module performance over time.

Orders have also been flowing in for the world's largest producer of solar panels. In May this year, Suntech entered into an agreement with Krannich Solar to supply 120 megawatts of solar panels in 2012. In fact, global demand for solar panels increased by about 40% in 2011.

Suntech Power serves a geographically diversified customer base. The company is prudently expanding its revenue base to divergent markets around the globe, along with increasing megawatts shipped. Positive factors include ongoing expansion programs, higher conversion efficiency through its Pluto technology-enabled modules, China's subsidy program and improving operating efficiencies.

However, the positives are tempered by fears of tepid module demand in Europe, rising competition, the volatile euro and the financial stability of its customers.The company presently retains a short-term Zacks Rank (Hold) that corresponds with our long-term Neutral recommendation on the stock.

If grid storage is key to developing more widespread adoption of solar power generation, it might take longer than anticipated, according to recent analysis.

Lux Research, analyses emerging technologies and forecasts their progress in the market. Analyst Brian Warshay developed models of three predominant batteries with potential for grid storage – Lithium-ion, molten salt and venadium pentoxide flow batteries. He then looked at forecasts for the prices of their raw materials and how economies of scale could impact their costs.

The results were mixed. The good news was that prices for Lithium-ion and molten salt batteries will drop dramatically. The bad news is that they’ll still cost double previous market predictions. “They aren’t going to hit the $250 mark,” Warshay said.

There has been chatter in the grid storage markets that wider penetration and economies of scale could bring energy storage down to $250 per kilowatt hour, which would make renewable energy like solar more reliable, less intermittent and more cost-competitive with traditional fossil fuel power.

While costs aren’t going to drop as low as they need to for grid parity, the two technologies that are dropping in price hold a lot of potential in the renewable energy realm. “Even though they aren’t going to hit $250,” Warshay said, “that’s not to say there aren’t still opportunities.”

He said the technology will still be key to renewable energy integration in island nations, in emerging economies that don’t have expansive grids and in areas where power is especially expensive. As much as the prices are going to drop, the energy storage technologies will be cost-competitive in those markets. Other than that, there is still opportunity for adoption in other areas as well. “It will just still be pretty dependent on subsidies."

Scaffold-Mount Work Light

Magnalight has added the Epljh-70led-1224I-100 low-voltage scaffold-mount LED work light to its inventory of explosion-proof lighting equipment. The company says that the light features:

Low-voltage operation and versatile mounting capabilities for workers in hazardous locations who commonly use ladders and scaffolds during operations.
An adjustable scaffold mounting bracket and low-voltage transformer, making it ideal for operators engaged in plant turnarounds, coal processing, petroleum refinement and other operations involving hazardous flammable materials.

The power and durability of LEDs combined with the versatility of an adjustable J-hook ladder mount bracket.

The 70 watt lamp produces over 6,000 lumens of clean white light in a wide flood pattern and is well-suited for illuminating larger work areas.

An explosion-proof aluminum housing with a -inch thick thermal shock and impact-resistant tempered glass lens.

The LEDs in this unit are high-quality CREE XLamp MC-E units and provide a 50,000 hour rated lamp life as well as extreme durability and reliable operation.

An inline, waterproof transformer converts standard 120 VAC current to 12 volts.

The mounting system consists of a versatile aluminum J-bracket that is designed to be adjusted from 26 to 34 inches to allow operators to attach the unit to scaffolds and ladders of various sizes.

This unit also has an adjustable center post which allows operators to raise the lamp three feet, giving them the ability to raise the light higher when attached to waist high railings.

This unit is approved for hazardous locations and carries Class 1 Division 1, Groups C and D, Class 1 Division 2, Group C, D certification and a T4 temperature rating.

Light-emitting diode (LED) maker Luminus Devices Inc. is reducing thermal resistance in its Big Chip LED devices by 30% with new packaging technology.

Luminus Devices combined proprietary processes, new specialty materials and assembly equipment to achieve the thermal reduction. The thermal manangement improvement results in up to 20% higher brightness levels, while maintaining current reliability during operation. It also simplifies system-level design.

These higher-brightness LED chips will be used in applications such as projection displays, said Arvind Baliga, VP of engineering at Luminus Devices, where the chips can help shrink projector size and cost. Other possible applications include high-brightness wash lights and spot lights for entertainment.

Luminus is currently sampling products based on this new technology; production quantities will be available next quarter.

GE CEO tours local plant, praises improvements

The future is looking bright for the GE Lighting Solutions plant, and the CEO of the global company toured the facility to see its energy-saving lighting improvements firsthand on Thursday.

It has been 10 years since Maryrose Sylvester last visited the 1 million-square-foot plant on Spartanburg Highway in East Flat Rock, where she once served as general manager.

“I was so eager to get here and to see the magnitude of the facility’s change and how committed they (employees) are to its success,” Sylvester said.

GE invested $35 million beginning in 2011 to transform the East Flat Rock facility’s operations, investing in supply improvements and creating new products. The process is expected to be completed by the end of 2013, according to a news release provided by GE Lighting.

“This is a revolution,” Sylvester said about energy-saving lighting systems. “The lighting industry is shifting to LEDs and Hendersonville is becoming a center of excellence. Our job is not done and we will continue to invest in technology."

GE Lighting Solutions makes high-intensity discharge, specialty fluorescent and light-emitting diode systems for outdoor lighting at commercial, institutional and government locations and roadway and street lighting around the world.

The plant’s conversion focuses on faster shipping and improved technology, including newer LED systems that offer a high level of energy and are more efficient, said Michael Armstrong, product general manager.

“This plant is being invested in and the company’s outlook is very positive,” he added.

Plant Manager Paul Morse said Sylvester’s visit was gratifying for him and the employees.

“It’s unbelievable for Maryrose to come back to us and see the progress,” Morse said. “She has been gone for a decade and it’s exciting to have her back.”

Sylvester went on a tour of the plant that employs about 450 workers and pushes out about 3,000 units a day. GE could hire 25 to 40 more employees this year if the company’s sales continue to grow, said David Schullerman, public relations manager for GE Lighting.

Sylvester met with hundreds of GE employees after the tour, and Henderson County Public Schools Superintendent David Jones presented her with a plaque recognizing the CEO for starting the Junior Achievement program in 2001.

Kidapawan’s city engineer asked to shed light on street lighting project

The City Council here has asked the City Engineer to shed light on alterations in the program of works and program design of the P4.5 million street lighting project or face charges.

Councilor Lauro Taynan said he has long sought the explanation of Engineer Julito Hernandez, head of the City Engineering Office (CEO), about the modifications in the project.

Taynan said he invited Hernandez to attend the ‘question hour’ of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council, held every Thursday, but Hernandez was a no-show.

“Despite the memorandum order from the Mayor, the City Engineer still refused to be there. He was always a no-show at the session. For three times since last month, the engineer did not appear during the question hour. Hernandez’s non-appearance at the session is a big insult to us,” said Councilor Greg Yarra.

Taynan, as chair of the Sanggunian’s committee on Energy, wanted to know, in particular, why the CEO changed the type of street lamps from sodium lamps to led lights.

“In the original program of works, the CEO would purchase 250-watt sodium lamps. But why did they change that into led lights without us knowing it?” Taynan asked.

Also, in the original plan, the steel posts that would be erected along the national highway numbered over a hundred but Tayman saw only 80 posts.

Funds for the street lighting project had come from the Department of Energy as the city government’s share from the revenues generated from hosting two geothermal power plants in Mt. Apo.

“We want transparency, not only in this project but in so many road concreting projects, Hernandez’ office had been implementing. If the CEO still wouldrefuse to shed light on our queries, we would resort to legal means,” he said.

Hernandez claimed he received only one invitation from the Sanggunian on May 17 and that his non-appearance was “with a valid reason.”

“I was tasked to follow-up some important business transactions in Davao City but I furnished the Sanggunian copies of our reports or the documents that they needed,” he said.

When he learned there were second and third letters of invitation, the city engineer apologized to the members of the City Council. “I am sorry. But in truth and in fact, I did not receive any of your invitations,” he said.

Hernandez maintained there are no anomalies in the street lighting project.

“Everything is in order. I saw no irregularities in the project. In fact, we’re doing everything to complete the project as scheduled,” he said.