Nederland Renewable Energy Project

The solar garden act was signed into Colorado law recently, which compels utility companies to facilitate community solar projects. This is another great way to go solar, since neighbors can get together and buy into a neighborhood solar project.  Since many people rent or don't have the right rooftop for solar PV, it rocks!  Plus, the economies of scale make it cheaper per kilowatt. Read about the very first solar garden project, which just opened in the Roaring Fork Valley:

Clean Energy Action is pleased to present
 
Solar Energy Shines Across Europe:
A Model of Renewable Energy Innovation
 
Featuring Jim Hartman,
Urban Redevelopment Specialist
with Co-Presenters, Nick Galesic and Walter Rumpf
 
 
Thursday, August 19, 2010; 7-9 pm
Light refreshments at 6:30
 
St. John's Episcopal Church
1419 Pine Street, Boulder, CO 80302

The Program:

http://blog.cleantechies.com/2010/08/12/new-stickers-increase-solar-pane...

Durability unproven but interesting even for installed panels.

On Wed, July 28th at 7pm, Randy Knight, City Manager of Winter Park, FL, will be discussing the process, opportunities and challenges that a community faces when they decide to municipalize their energy. 

With Boulder's 20-year Franchise Agreement with Xcel Energy expiring this year and the August 3rd vote by Boulder City Council on how to move forward  (the process of municipalization being one of the options considered), Randy Knight's presentation will be particularly timely and informational.

Clean Energy Action is pleased to present
 
Forming a Municipal Utility: The City of Winter Park, Florida Experience
 
With Randy Knight, City Manager
Winter Park, Florida
 

An article in GreenCarReports.com, states that electric vehicles won't bring down the US Power Grid.  It tries to make a comparison between EV power consumption during charging and Plasma TVs, which consume perhaps a quarter of that of a EV on charge.  This is based on a charging rate of 2KW.  It states that plasma TVs did not bring down the grid.  However, there are no details here regarding the number of plasma TVs that are in use vs how many EVs will be in use.  Additionally, a previous article posted here ind

I'm wrapping up my time in Nederland and will be leaving for France in
late June.  I'd like to hand over the Nedrep web site duties (and
ownership) to someone else.  Please contact me at
dallas.masters@gmail.com if you are interested. I have enjoyed volunteering with many of you on projects around
Nederland, and I wish you luck in your various endeavors.  The future
is bright for Nederland!

Dallas

I recently wrote this for a new Denver on-line monthly publication

http://www.milehigreen.com/2010-05-01/article/profile

If only 0.2 percent of Denver's food is grown within Colorado, you wonder how Nederland compares. In the summer, I walk to a biodynamic farm stand off Magnolia Road http://www.peacefulmeadowfarm.org/ but it would be great to grow more locally for year-round consumption. Saving on food shipping costs would result in a much smaller carbon footprint.

Watch the video of the aquaculture prototype that grows watercress, salad greens, and tilapia symbiotically within an artificial river system.