TWC is getting ready to roll out in full HD. Here is a great article with pictures of the new studio. I love the $400,000 HD screen !
Bobby
TWC HD Rollout
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
REI goes "Green"
This news is from REI. They are going to be outfitting stores with solar panels. Its a great idea for a company that strives on the outdoors and making sure people get outdoors. Here is the press release.
May 15, 2008
CONTACT: REI Public Affairs (253) 395-5958
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
REI Extends Commitment to Renewable Energy with Solar Power Investment
Solar Electric Installations Planned for Retail Locations in California, Oregon and Texas
Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), a national retail cooperative providing quality outdoor gear and clothing, today announced plans to retrofit more than 10 percent of its stores with solar electric technology in 2008. Aligned with the co-op’s environmental priorities, REI’s commitment represents one of the largest solar investments for a specialty retailer in the country.
Photovoltaic solar panels can self-generate up to 35 percent of a store’s energy needs. REI’s solar investment will generate an estimated 1.1 million kilowatt hours of electricity, enough to power 117 homes for one year and save approximately 880 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
The co-op has selected 11 stores to be retrofitted with solar electric systems in 2008. The seven locations in California include Arcadia, Folsom, Sacramento, San Carlos, San Diego, San Francisco and Santa Rosa. Additional stores include three in Oregon – Clackamas, Hillsboro and Tualatin – and the co-op’s second prototype store in Round Rock, Texas, which was piloted in Boulder, Colo. and aims to test retail design and green building concepts. These locations will serve as a foundation for REI to determine how it approaches solar installations in the future.
“We are continuously looking for ways to make the design, construction and operation of our buildings more sustainable,” said Brian Unmacht, REI’s executive vice president of Sales, Service, Store Development and Logistics. “This investment in solar technology will deliver both financial and environmental benefits, helping to contribute to the long-term strength of the co-op and support our goal to reduce our carbon footprint.”
Consulting with Blue Oak Energy, a solar electric engineering firm, the store locations were selected based on a variety of criteria, including available state incentives and utility rebates, current cost of electricity, and size and current condition of the store’s roof. The solar panels for the REI stores in California will be installed by Offset Electric, while the Oregon locations will be retrofitted by Christenson Electric, Inc., a large privately held electrical contractor based in Portland, Ore.
“REI understands that enjoying and protecting the natural environment go hand-in-hand,” said Tobin Booth, president of Blue Oak Energy. “We are honored to be part of this historic project to power REI retail stores with clean, renewable solar energy.”
“It is naturally fitting that REI, whose main focus is promoting the great outdoors, would make use of renewable resources to reduce their impact on the environment and energize their stores.” said Mark Walter, president of Christenson Electric, Inc. “Christenson is proud to be involved with REI’s solar projects, along with our photovoltaic designer, EI Solutions.”
REI is dedicated to green building design to lower its impacts on the environment, reduce operating costs and enhance the retail experience for its customers and employees. To accomplish this, the company has chosen to focus on areas such as increasing water conservation, waste recycling, energy efficiency and indoor air quality in its locations.
The co-op has committed to utilizing renewable power sources wherever possible. REI currently purchases approximately 20 percent of its electricity from green sources, including wind and biomass, and continues to collaborate with utility companies in developing additional options available in the market.
Announced in May 2006, REI’s prototype initiative was developed to test retail design and green building concepts, and help the company make decisions on how it will approach store design and construction in the future. The company will analyze the Boulder and Round Rock locations extensively prior to opening a third prototype store currently targeted for 2010.
REI first announced formal strategies to reduce the company’s carbon footprint in its 2006 stewardship report. For additional information on the co-op’s social and environmental practices, including its inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, visit the 2007 stewardship report available online at www.rei.com/stewardship.
About REI
REI is a national outdoor retail co-op dedicated to inspiring, educating and outfitting its members and the community for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship. Founded in 1938 by a group of Pacific Northwest mountaineers seeking quality equipment, REI operates retail stores nationwide, two online stores – www.rei.com and www.REI-OUTLET.com – and an adventure travel company, REI Adventures. REI offers products from all of the top brands for camping, climbing, cycling, fitness, hiking, paddling, snow sports and travel, including its own line of award-winning outdoor gear and apparel. While anyone may join or shop at REI, members pay a one-time $20 fee and receive a share in the company’s profits through an annual member refund based on their purchases. As an active supporter of the communities in which it does business, REI is committed to promoting environmental stewardship and increasing access to outdoor recreation through education, volunteerism, gear donations and financial contributions
About Blue Oak Energy
Blue Oak Energy is a design, engineering and planning firm for the solar electric industry. The company is responsible for engineering activities associated with some of the largest and most prominent North American solar electric projects. Blue Oak Energy is a member of the 1% For the Planet and a percentage of the company’s annual earnings are donated to environmental organizations. Their offices are located in Davis, California. For more information, please visit www.blueoakenergy.com.
May 15, 2008
CONTACT: REI Public Affairs (253) 395-5958
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
REI Extends Commitment to Renewable Energy with Solar Power Investment
Solar Electric Installations Planned for Retail Locations in California, Oregon and Texas
Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), a national retail cooperative providing quality outdoor gear and clothing, today announced plans to retrofit more than 10 percent of its stores with solar electric technology in 2008. Aligned with the co-op’s environmental priorities, REI’s commitment represents one of the largest solar investments for a specialty retailer in the country.
Photovoltaic solar panels can self-generate up to 35 percent of a store’s energy needs. REI’s solar investment will generate an estimated 1.1 million kilowatt hours of electricity, enough to power 117 homes for one year and save approximately 880 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
The co-op has selected 11 stores to be retrofitted with solar electric systems in 2008. The seven locations in California include Arcadia, Folsom, Sacramento, San Carlos, San Diego, San Francisco and Santa Rosa. Additional stores include three in Oregon – Clackamas, Hillsboro and Tualatin – and the co-op’s second prototype store in Round Rock, Texas, which was piloted in Boulder, Colo. and aims to test retail design and green building concepts. These locations will serve as a foundation for REI to determine how it approaches solar installations in the future.
“We are continuously looking for ways to make the design, construction and operation of our buildings more sustainable,” said Brian Unmacht, REI’s executive vice president of Sales, Service, Store Development and Logistics. “This investment in solar technology will deliver both financial and environmental benefits, helping to contribute to the long-term strength of the co-op and support our goal to reduce our carbon footprint.”
Consulting with Blue Oak Energy, a solar electric engineering firm, the store locations were selected based on a variety of criteria, including available state incentives and utility rebates, current cost of electricity, and size and current condition of the store’s roof. The solar panels for the REI stores in California will be installed by Offset Electric, while the Oregon locations will be retrofitted by Christenson Electric, Inc., a large privately held electrical contractor based in Portland, Ore.
“REI understands that enjoying and protecting the natural environment go hand-in-hand,” said Tobin Booth, president of Blue Oak Energy. “We are honored to be part of this historic project to power REI retail stores with clean, renewable solar energy.”
“It is naturally fitting that REI, whose main focus is promoting the great outdoors, would make use of renewable resources to reduce their impact on the environment and energize their stores.” said Mark Walter, president of Christenson Electric, Inc. “Christenson is proud to be involved with REI’s solar projects, along with our photovoltaic designer, EI Solutions.”
REI is dedicated to green building design to lower its impacts on the environment, reduce operating costs and enhance the retail experience for its customers and employees. To accomplish this, the company has chosen to focus on areas such as increasing water conservation, waste recycling, energy efficiency and indoor air quality in its locations.
The co-op has committed to utilizing renewable power sources wherever possible. REI currently purchases approximately 20 percent of its electricity from green sources, including wind and biomass, and continues to collaborate with utility companies in developing additional options available in the market.
Announced in May 2006, REI’s prototype initiative was developed to test retail design and green building concepts, and help the company make decisions on how it will approach store design and construction in the future. The company will analyze the Boulder and Round Rock locations extensively prior to opening a third prototype store currently targeted for 2010.
REI first announced formal strategies to reduce the company’s carbon footprint in its 2006 stewardship report. For additional information on the co-op’s social and environmental practices, including its inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, visit the 2007 stewardship report available online at www.rei.com/stewardship.
About REI
REI is a national outdoor retail co-op dedicated to inspiring, educating and outfitting its members and the community for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship. Founded in 1938 by a group of Pacific Northwest mountaineers seeking quality equipment, REI operates retail stores nationwide, two online stores – www.rei.com and www.REI-OUTLET.com – and an adventure travel company, REI Adventures. REI offers products from all of the top brands for camping, climbing, cycling, fitness, hiking, paddling, snow sports and travel, including its own line of award-winning outdoor gear and apparel. While anyone may join or shop at REI, members pay a one-time $20 fee and receive a share in the company’s profits through an annual member refund based on their purchases. As an active supporter of the communities in which it does business, REI is committed to promoting environmental stewardship and increasing access to outdoor recreation through education, volunteerism, gear donations and financial contributions
About Blue Oak Energy
Blue Oak Energy is a design, engineering and planning firm for the solar electric industry. The company is responsible for engineering activities associated with some of the largest and most prominent North American solar electric projects. Blue Oak Energy is a member of the 1% For the Planet and a percentage of the company’s annual earnings are donated to environmental organizations. Their offices are located in Davis, California. For more information, please visit www.blueoakenergy.com.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Brown Goes Green ?
UPS announced earlier this week that they are adding more hybrid vehicles to the fleet of delivery trucks they drive. So "Brown" is going "Green"...one question still exists. Can we race the hybrid trucks ?
Here is the press release from UPS.
UPS "Green Fleet" to Expand with 200 Hybrid Electrics in Addition to 300 Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles
ATLANTA, May 13, 2008 - UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced it has ordered 200 hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) - the largest commercial order of such trucks by any company - in addition to another 300 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles for its U.S. delivery fleet.
The purchase of the 500 additional vehicles means the UPS alternative fuel fleet - already the largest such private fleet in the United States - will grow 30 percent from 1,718 to 2,218 low-carbon vehicles.
"Alternative fuel research and development is just one of the ways that UPS is mitigating climate change risks," said Bob Stoffel, UPS's corporate sustainability officer. "We also are focused on aggressive conservation programs and improving network efficiency to cut fuel use."
UPS's "green fleet" operates in the United States, Germany, France, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom and has traveled nearly 144 million miles since 2000. The fleet includes electric, hybrid electric, CNG, liquefied natural gas and propane-powered vehicles. The company also is continuing work with the Environmental Protection Agency on a hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicle.
"UPS has been utilizing alternative fuel vehicles for more than 70 years and is clearly the industry leader in hybrid electric and CNG vehicle purchases," said Robert Hall, director of UPS's ground fleet. "At UPS, it's very important to us to demonstrate our commitment with action, which is why we have the largest private 'green' fleet in the industry. And both CNG and HEV vehicles provide substantial reductions in carbon emissions, which supports our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment."
The 200 hybrid electric vehicles will be deployed in 2009 and join 50 HEV delivery trucks already in operation. The 200 trucks are expected to save 176,000 gallons of fuel annually and reduce CO2 emissions by 1,786 metric tons each year. That is the equivalent of removing almost 100 conventional UPS trucks from the road for a year.
The HEV's hybrid power system allows UPS to save on fuel and pollution-causing emissions. A battery pack, motor/generator and power control system are added, which allow electric power to be fed into the powertrain when conditions demand it, providing further savings.
The HEVs also use what is known as regenerative braking, meaning the energy produced in stopping the moving vehicle is captured and returned to the battery system as electrical energy. The efficient, computer-controlled combination of clean diesel power, electric power and regenerative braking produces dramatic improvements in fuel savings and emissions reductions.
The 300 CNG vehicles will be deployed later this year and join more than 800 such vehicles already in use in the United States. CNG vehicles run on natural gas, a cost-effective, clean-burning and readily available fuel. These vehicles are expected to yield a 20 percent reduction in emissions over the cleanest diesel engines available today.
The CNG/HEV vehicle order follows the April 2008 deployment of 167 new CNG vehicles in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Ontario, San Ramon, Fresno and Sacramento. In addition, UPS added 50 next-generation hybrid electric delivery trucks in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix in May 2007.
The chassis for the CNG and HEV trucks are being purchased from Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, with Eaton Corporation supplying the hybrid power system for the HEVs. The truck bodies are identical externally to the signature-brown trucks that now comprise the UPS fleet with additional script markings that will identify them as CNG and HEV vehicles.
UPS (NYSE:UPS) pursues a wide range of socially responsible and sustainable business practices designed to reduce our impact on the environment and improve communities around the world. UPS is included in the Dow Jones and FTSE4Good Sustainability Indexes, which evaluate corporations based on economic, environmental and social criteria. Learn more about UPS's responsible business practices at sustainability.ups.com.
Here is the press release from UPS.
UPS "Green Fleet" to Expand with 200 Hybrid Electrics in Addition to 300 Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles
ATLANTA, May 13, 2008 - UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced it has ordered 200 hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) - the largest commercial order of such trucks by any company - in addition to another 300 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles for its U.S. delivery fleet.
The purchase of the 500 additional vehicles means the UPS alternative fuel fleet - already the largest such private fleet in the United States - will grow 30 percent from 1,718 to 2,218 low-carbon vehicles.
"Alternative fuel research and development is just one of the ways that UPS is mitigating climate change risks," said Bob Stoffel, UPS's corporate sustainability officer. "We also are focused on aggressive conservation programs and improving network efficiency to cut fuel use."
UPS's "green fleet" operates in the United States, Germany, France, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom and has traveled nearly 144 million miles since 2000. The fleet includes electric, hybrid electric, CNG, liquefied natural gas and propane-powered vehicles. The company also is continuing work with the Environmental Protection Agency on a hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicle.
"UPS has been utilizing alternative fuel vehicles for more than 70 years and is clearly the industry leader in hybrid electric and CNG vehicle purchases," said Robert Hall, director of UPS's ground fleet. "At UPS, it's very important to us to demonstrate our commitment with action, which is why we have the largest private 'green' fleet in the industry. And both CNG and HEV vehicles provide substantial reductions in carbon emissions, which supports our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment."
The 200 hybrid electric vehicles will be deployed in 2009 and join 50 HEV delivery trucks already in operation. The 200 trucks are expected to save 176,000 gallons of fuel annually and reduce CO2 emissions by 1,786 metric tons each year. That is the equivalent of removing almost 100 conventional UPS trucks from the road for a year.
The HEV's hybrid power system allows UPS to save on fuel and pollution-causing emissions. A battery pack, motor/generator and power control system are added, which allow electric power to be fed into the powertrain when conditions demand it, providing further savings.
The HEVs also use what is known as regenerative braking, meaning the energy produced in stopping the moving vehicle is captured and returned to the battery system as electrical energy. The efficient, computer-controlled combination of clean diesel power, electric power and regenerative braking produces dramatic improvements in fuel savings and emissions reductions.
The 300 CNG vehicles will be deployed later this year and join more than 800 such vehicles already in use in the United States. CNG vehicles run on natural gas, a cost-effective, clean-burning and readily available fuel. These vehicles are expected to yield a 20 percent reduction in emissions over the cleanest diesel engines available today.
The CNG/HEV vehicle order follows the April 2008 deployment of 167 new CNG vehicles in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Ontario, San Ramon, Fresno and Sacramento. In addition, UPS added 50 next-generation hybrid electric delivery trucks in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix in May 2007.
The chassis for the CNG and HEV trucks are being purchased from Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, with Eaton Corporation supplying the hybrid power system for the HEVs. The truck bodies are identical externally to the signature-brown trucks that now comprise the UPS fleet with additional script markings that will identify them as CNG and HEV vehicles.
UPS (NYSE:UPS) pursues a wide range of socially responsible and sustainable business practices designed to reduce our impact on the environment and improve communities around the world. UPS is included in the Dow Jones and FTSE4Good Sustainability Indexes, which evaluate corporations based on economic, environmental and social criteria. Learn more about UPS's responsible business practices at sustainability.ups.com.
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