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Contents

- Next Introductory PV Course Kicks Off July 11
- SAVE THE DATE: Friday, October 27, 2006
- “Grease Car” Conversion Workshop Wraps Up in Brooklyn
- First Solar Hydrogen House Dedicated at Kings Point
- Kudos: “solar hero” departs the scene
- Tips: NYSERDA Funds
- Film Debut: “Who Killed the Electric Car?”
- Recommended Reading
- Recommended Listening
- Events of Interest in the Area

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Next Introductory PV Course Kicks Off July 11

The Center for Sustainable Energy is sponsoring another introductory PV (photovoltaic, or sunlight-to-electricity) installation training course at Bronx Community College. The 20-hour course, instructed by Jonathan Lane of Quad State Solar, begins Tuesday, July 11, at 6 PM. It runs three hours each Tuesday and Thursday over a two-week period and ends with an all-day (8-hour) hands-on workshop Saturday, July 22. See: http://www.bcc.cuny.edu/InstitutionalDevelopment/CSE/SolarEnergy_Training.cfm For persons who are contemplating solar energy as a new career path, or for anyone who just wants to get a thorough grounding in this rapidly expanding field, this is an excellent opportunity to learn from a very experienced professional. Interested persons can also call 718-289-5332, or email mail@csebcc.org

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SAVE THE DATE: Friday, October 27, 2006

Announcing the 2006 Center for Sustainable Energy Conference “Road to Energy Independence: New York City’s Alternative Transportation Future” taking place at Bronx Community College. While our October 2005 conference was a great success, we expect this year’s conference to be bigger and better. Many new developments in alternative fuel vehicle technologies have taken place across the country and within the New York City area. While the Center for Sustainable Energy has continued to play an important role in this vital area developing its capacity to deliver training and educate the public about alternative fuel vehicles, a host of new issues has arisen over fuel supplies and technological challenges. A strong response is anticipated from the stakeholder community. This year’s event will focus on very practical questions concerning the technology itself, how it performs, finding resources for adapting it to the city and addressing fuel supply and costs. Stay tuned for more details and SAVE THE DATE!

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“Grease Car” Conversion Workshop Wraps Up in Brooklyn

Fourteen people enrolled in a 10-hour training workshop on how to perform a conversion of a diesel-powered vehicle to run on waste cooking oil (“WCO”). Held each Thursday evening in June, the workshop was sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Energy at Automotive High School in Brooklyn under the able instruction of Thomas Cassino. “I believe it was more fruitful than any of us had imagined,” said Matthew McGuinness, one of the students and owner of a diesel-powered pick up, “I was so excited to have been a part of it, it was exactly what we hoped for.” Another student, Marshall Norstein, purchased a 1982 diesel-powered Mercedes during the time he took the course and now plans to convert it to run on WCO. “Tom is a brilliant teacher,” remarked Marshall, “the hands-on part of this was very helpful.” Annemarie Conte who also purchased a used Mercedes and a conversion kit during the course said “it was such a great experience.” Carol Caputo, another student, declared that “Tom is a great teacher and it was great to have everything you need right there at the shop.”

When Rudolph Diesel invented the engine he named for himself in 1897, he intended its design as an internal combustion engine that could be fueled with vegetable-based oils. In the face of higher fuel prices, many people are taking another look at the increasingly widespread practice of using restaurant and fast food cooking oil, or so-called “yellow grease” (also referred to as “WVO” – waste vegetable oil, or “WCO” – waste cooking oil) as a fuel for diesel engines in cars, light trucks, buses and heavy duty diesel-powered vehicles and equipment. The Center will organize another course of this kind at summer’s end. In the meantime, anyone wishing to learn more about the workshop can contact the Center at mail@csebcc.org or subscribe to the New York City GreaseCar Users Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NYC_greasecar_users

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NYIT and USMMA Dedicate ‘ America's First Solar-Hydrogen Home’

(following text is from an NYIT press release of June 28, 2006) Old Westbury, N.Y. The New York Institute of Technology’s (NYIT) 2005 Solar Decathlon team dedicated their solar-powered home as “ America's First Solar-Hydrogen Home” at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point, N.Y., on Monday, June 19, 2006. USMMA was NYIT’s sole academic partner during the international competition that is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The ceremony was held in conjunction with USMMA’s commencement, where President George W. Bush delivered the keynote address.

The solar-hydrogen fuel cell home, which is now permanently located on the USMMA campus, is officially open for tours and will serve as a renewable energy research and educational center for the academy’s Alternative Power Program (APP), which was founded in 2004. NYIT President Edward Guiliano, Ph.D., and Captain Douglas Brown, USMMA APP program director, each applauded the collaborative efforts between the two schools. Other speakers included Richard King, creator and director of the Solar Decathlon for the U.S. Department of Energy and Richard M. Kessel, chairman of the Long Island Power Authority.

The 800-square-foot house was originally constructed on NYIT’s Old Westbury, N.Y., campus, disassembled into seven parts, transported and rebuilt at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the 2005 Solar Decathlon. The global competition, which ran from Sept. 29 - Oct. 16, 2005, featured 18 schools from 13 states, Canada, Spain and Puerto Rico, and challenged teams to originate and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered home. Following the competition, the house was transported back to New York, rebuilt, and donated to the USMMA.

NYIT was the only finalist participating from the New York metropolitan area and the only school to use a hydrogen fuel cell for energy storage. Greg Sachs, USMMA APP program manager and the Solar Decathlon team’s lead engineer, helped to ensure that NYIT’s plans for hydrogen fuel energy came to fruition. NYIT has again been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to compete in the 2007 Solar Decathlon.

For tour information, please contact Greg Sachs, USMMA APP program manager, at 516-773-5549 or e-mail sachsg@usmma.edu . Visit www.nyit.edu/solar for more information about NYIT’s 2005 Solar Decathlon team or visit http://app.usmma.edu for more information about the APP.

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Kudos:

Richard Michaud, “Solar Hero”

At a time when hard-working, experienced and very knowledgeable people who both understand the technology and challenges of solar energy, and have the gift of being able to communicate well with the growing community of solar manufacturers, installers, regulators, educators and customers, it is especially confounding that a federal agency which had just such a person would retire him from its employment. We speak here of Mr. Richard Michaud, formerly of the US Department of Energy. In an ad hoc, online outpouring initiated by Joel Gordes of Environmental Energy Solutions late last month, one person after another from an impressive community of stakeholders lauded the work of Dick Michaud and expressed sincere disappointment with his departure from DOE.

All that good will (and expertise) should not be lost. Dick Michaud said that people can email him at richard.michaud@verizon.net and reach him by phone in Boston at 617-262-2567. He stated that “The Department of Energy Northeast Regional Office will be closing on June 30th, 2006, and I will no longer be employed by DOE. If you have any questions related to wind or solar technologies, please direct those calls to the Golden Field Office at 303-275-4700. If you have questions related to the Massachuetts Wind Working Group, please contact: Sally Wright, PE, Renewable Energy Research Laboratory, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, www.ceere.org/rerl/ 413-545-3914. Good luck Dick! Let’s stay in touch...

Greening A Block Gets Green Light

Congratulations to Greening A Block. According to Charles Komanoff of Komanoff Energy Associates and Jeff Perlman of Bright Power, Inc., Manhattan Community Board No 3 voted to support an initial funding allocation for Greening A Block of $456,000. The Official Resolution supports an initial funding allocation to launch the Greening a Block Project. Additional funding, an estimated $418,000, is expected to be made available from state and federal energy-efficiency programs and from building owners who will benefit from the energy improvements. For further information contact Charles Komanoff 212-260-5237 and charles@greeningablock.org or Jeff Perlman 212-803-5868 and jeff@greeningablock.org

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Tips:

Public Funds Available for Energy Projects

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority continues it commitment to expanding energy conservation, renewable energy development, and support for alternative fuel vehicles with a host of funding opportunities. Among them are:

• New York ENERGY STAR® Products Program  
• Advanced Transportation Technologies  
• Environmentally Preferred Power Systems Technologies, Energy Storage Demonstration, and Environmental Impact Assessments / Mitigation  
• Distributed Generation as Combined Heat and Power (DG-CHP)  
• Photovoltaic (PV) Incentives for Eligible Installers  
• Wind Incentives for Eligible Installers  
• Small Commercial Lighting Program Incentives  
• Peak Load Reduction Program  
• Smart Equipment Choices Program  
• PV for Municipal Buildings  
• Commercial and Industrial Performance Program
• New York State Clean Cities Challenge - Round VII  
• Clean Energy Technologies Program Technical and Marketing Support  
• Energy-Efficient Products for Industrial Applications  
• Low Income Forum on Energy Administrative Support  

For a complete list with details on eligibility and application procedures, see: http://www.nyserda.org/Funding/funding.asp?i=2 or call toll-free 1-866-NYSERDA

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Film Debut: “ Who Killed the Electric Car? ”

A movie opened nationwide last week to excellent reviews that should be seen by all Americans who own or drive cars, or expect to do so one day. Called “a quietly shocking indictment of our gas-guzzling auto companies and the petro-politicians who love them” by Elle Magazine, “Who Killed the Electric Car?” traces the history of battery-powered motor vehicles and how one of the largest auto companies in the world managed to create what one General Motors employee called “the world's most efficient production vehicle.” By the year 2000 several thousand all-electric cars (such as Honda's EV Plus, G.M.'s EV1, Ford's Ranger pickup EV, Nissan's Altra EV, Chevy's S-10 EV, and Toyota's RAV4 EV) were produced by big car manufacturers, although most of them were available for lease only. Mysteriously, the major automakers' advanced all-electric production programs were discontinued by the early 2000s. Scores of people who leased the cars were denied their repeated requests to purchase them from the manufacturers. What gives? Who taketh it all away?

See: http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar/ and also http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/223/electric-car-timeline.html

For links to electric vehicle associations, see: Electric Auto Association http://www.eaaev.org/ and Electric Drive Transportation Association http://www.electricdrive.org/

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Recommended Reading:

According to the Worldwatch Institute, “last year world biofuel production surpassed 670,000 barrels per day, the equivalent of about 1 percent of the global transport fuel market. Although oil still accounts for more than 96 percent of transport fuel use, biofuel production has doubled since 2001 and is poised for even stronger growth as the industry responds to higher fuel prices and supportive government policies. ‘Coordinated action to expand biofuel markets and advance new technologies could relieve pressure on oil prices while strengthening agricultural economies and reducing climate-altering emissions,’ says Worldwatch Institute President Christopher Flavin.” See http://www.worldwatch.org/node/4079 for the new report Biofuels for Transportation: Global Potential and Implications for Sustainable Agriculture and Energy in the 21st Century

Energy Smarts Newsletter is now available online! Here are contents of the latest issue:

• New feature! The Empire State Energy Tour: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Energy Destinations in NYS
• Energy, Efficiency & the Environment two-day summer commuter workshops scheduled in August
• Energy Smart Students in Action: Hot Tips for Playing It Cool This Summer!
• In the winners circle: Introducing this year’s Youth Awards recipients and NYSERDA Mini-Grant projects
• Careers in Energy Interview: LEED Architect (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

See http://ny.need.org/Newsletter.php

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Recommended Listening:

Tune in the “AutoLab,” a weekly talk show featuring some of the finest automotive minds in the industry, dedicated to answer caller’s repair and maintenance questions. WMCA 570 AM, Saturdays 7 to 9 AM and WNYE 91.5 FM, Saturdays 9 to 10 AM. Listen live on-line at www.theautochannel.com A public-private partnership broadcast service of the Consortium for Automotive Education (CAE). CAE makes up the advisory committee to Bronx Community College’s Automotive Technology Program.

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EVENTS OF INTEREST IN THE AREA: 

Monday, July 10, 2006, 7 PM, West Babylon, NY and
Tuesday, July 11, 2006, 7 PM, Massapequa, NY

“Long Island Offshore Wind Park Public Scoping Meetings.” The Minerals Management Service (MMS), a bureau of the United States Department of the Interior, is designated in the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005 to oversee the development of renewable energy on the Federal outer continental shelf. MMS will hold two public scoping meetings on the Long Island Offshore Wind Park Monday, July 10, 2006, 7 PM at the West Babylon High School and Tuesday, July 11, 2006, 7 PM at the Massapequa High School. For more information go to the MineralsManagement Service website at www.mms.gov/offshore/RenewableEnergy/RenewableEnergyMain.htm

Thursday, July 13, 2006, 7 PM, New York, NY

Miss Rockaway Armada Benefit Art Auction to “Send Our Hopes Down the River” at the Holasek-Weir Projects. The group is calling on artists and art enthusiasts for their support to send this scrap-raft flotilla powered by vegetable oil down the Mississippi River in July and August. Group will converge in Minneapolis to construct a flotilla of rafts that will journey down the Mississippi River creating a mobile cultural center that embodies their search for creative and sustainable ways of living. For information contact A’yen Tran at (646) 232-4123, ayen@missrockaway.org . The Holasek-Weir Projects is located at 547 W. 21st near 11th Ave. in Chelsea. See www.missrockaway.org

Sunday(s), July 23, & August 13, 2006, 1 PM - 8 PM, New York, NY

“CitySol,” a summer music and market series on Manhattan's East River waterfront is powered by the belief that bringing environmentalism to New York means first putting more New York into the environmental movement. The urban lifestyle, contrary to popular belief, is the most sustainable form of living in terms of energy and resource consumption. It's true that the ecological footprint of our city is broad and deep, but New York is also a global hub of cultural, commercial and technological imagination, and ideas and applications of sustainability are in no short supply. Citysol celebrates the idea that greening New York is about unleashing, not taming, the city and its energy. Each free all-day event includes: renewable energy-powered live music featuring emerging NYC acts, interactive exhibits showcasing key innovations, practices and policies for New York's sustainable future, and a green lifestyle marketplace offering apparel, electronics, household goods, media and much more. http://www.solar1.org/education/citysol/

SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 8 to Friday, Nov. 10, 2006, Troy, NY

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Workforce Education Conference is a national event that presents an opportunity for educational providers and faculty (high schools, community colleges, and other training programs) to learn about best practices and effective approaches to teaching workforce skills in the energy efficiency and renewable energy trades and industries. At Hudson Valley Community College https://www.hvcc.edu/energyconference/

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KNOW ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE THIS NEWSLETTER? HAVE THEM SIGN ON AT : http://www.bcc.cuny.edu/InstitutionalDevelopment/CSE/Join_Mailing_List.cfm

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The Center for Sustainable Energy, established in 2003 at Bronx Community College, City University of New York, was funded with a Congressional appropriation sponsored by The Honorable Jośe E. Serrano, and administered through the U.S. Department of Energy.

The mission of the Center is to promote the use of renewable and efficient energy technologies in urban communities through education, training, workforce development, research, and project facilitation. The Center supports clean energy development and energy conservation as the means to protect the environment, enhance public health, and position New York City to capture emerging economic development opportunities in the energy sector.

Tax deductible contributions to the Center may be sent to the address below. Checks should be made payable to “ Bronx Community College Foundation/Center for Sustainable Energy.”

Center for Sustainable Energy
Bronx Community College , CUNY
Hall of Fame Terrace, GML 102
Bronx , NY10453

Call the Center at: 718-289-5332
Email the Center at: mail@csebcc.org
Visit the Center website at: http://www.csebcc.org
For links to the latest news, check out the Center’s news page at: http://www.bcc.cuny.edu/InstitutionalDevelopment/CSE/News_Publications.cfm

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West 181st. Street & University Ave., GML-104 Bronx, New York 10453