23 Sep 2014

Attend the World's Largest Grassroots Solar Event on Saturday, October 4th, 2014!

By Rick Martin

MOLINE, ILLINOIS, September 22, 2014: Brighten your day with solar! View renewable energy systems in action. The Illinois Solar Tour is a FREE self-guided, statewide open house that demonstrates how Illinois homes and businesses are using solar, wind, and geothermal to become energy independent.

This event is coordinated nationally by the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society in collaboration with dozens of outstanding partner organizations. Attending the tour will allow communities across the country the opportunity to see new and innovative technologies locally that will benefit the environment on a global level. Americans have a voice in how they get their energy. Visiting homes on the tour will allow visitors to learn, engage and be a part of the solution to current energy challenges.

Illinois home and business owners with renewable energy installations will be providing tours on Saturday, October 4th from 10 am to 2 pm. Tour hosts will answer questions on how you can harness the power of the sun and wind to fuel your home and business.

There is a host site to visit in the Quad Cities!

The Prybil residence (3507 32nd St., Moline) is recognized as a clean energy leader and has been selected to be part of the 2014 Illinois Solar Tour. Stop by to see their self-installed photovoltaic system and learn how you can reduce your monthly utility bills, increase property values, and be part of the energy solution.

With 50 sites throughout Illinois, there is a Solar Tour host site near you. Stop in to see how solar energy can brighten your day!

To register for these free events visit www.illinoissolartour.org.

About the Illinois Solar Energy Association

Established in 1975 The Illinois Solar Energy Association (ISEA) is a non-profit organization that promotes the widespread application of renewable energy through education and advocacy. As the Illinois chapter of the American Solar Energy Society, ISEA is the local resource for educational classes, events, renewable energy related policy developments, local news and access to local renewable energy vendors. www.illinoissolar.org

About the American Solar Energy Society

For more than 50 years the American Solar Energy Society has led the renewable energy revolution. It is the nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the use of solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies across North America. ASES leads national efforts to promote solar energy education, public outreach, and advocacy. www.ases.org

National Solar Tour Link

 http://www.ases.org/solar-tour/

22 Sep 2014

USDA Invests $68 Million in 540 Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects Nationwide

By USDA Office of Communications

Funding includes loan guarantees and grants for solar energy to create jobs, promote energy independence and advance the use of renewable fuels

BUNN, N.C., Sept. 18, 2014 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing in 540 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects nationwide.

"These loan guarantees and grants will have far-reaching impacts nationwide, particularly in the rural communities where these projects are located," Vilsack said. "Investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency will continue the unprecedented increase in home-grown energy sources and American energy independence we've seen in recent years. This is creating jobs, providing new economic opportunities and leading the way to a more secure energy future."

Secretary Vilsack made the announcement while in North Carolina to highlight USDA's investments in rural renewable energy projects, as part of the Obama Administration's 'all-of-the-above' energy strategy. It is the most recent of a series of USDA actions to strengthen the country's energy sector. Two weeks ago, Vilsack announced a $105 million loan guarantee to a company that will produce jet fuel from municipal solid waste.

Today's funding is being provided through USDA Rural Development's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP was created by the 2008 Farm Bill and was reauthorized by the recently passed 2014 Farm Bill.

The announcement comes on a day when President Obama is announcing new executive actions to further advance the development of solar technologies across the country. These new investments in solar will reduce America's energy consumption, cut carbon pollution by nearly 300 million metric tons - equivalent to taking more than 60 million cars off the road for a year - and save businesses nearly $45 billion on their energy bills. The renewed effort to invest in solar energy also includes commitments from a broad coalition of 50 public and private sector partners, including leading industry, community development organizations and housing providers in 28 states. To learn more about this new Obama Administration initiative to increase the use of solar power, visit the White House website.

"USDA is proud to play a key role in Obama Administration's efforts to promote the use of solar technologies," Vilsack said. "Of the REAP projects funded today, 240 projects are for solar investments of $5.2 million in grants and $55.3 million in loans."

During Secretary Vilsack's trip to North Carolina, he visited Progress Solar in Bunn, N.C., which received a $3.4 million REAP loan guarantee in 2012 for installation of a solar array. Progress Solar now produces enough solar energy to power 540 average-sized homes each year. The 4.5 megawatt array was developed by North Carolina-based O2 Energies, Inc. The Progress Solar site is a dual-use solar power plant and a working farm where a 10th generation farming family raises free range sheep and lambs. The project serves as a test site for herd management best practices on a solar farm, and the goal is to model future collaborative efforts that marry solar-energy production with agriculture production. This is the seventh solar farm venture that O2 Energies has developed in North Carolina.

In North Carolina alone, Vilsack announced $55.3 million in new REAP program loan guarantees and grants for 22 solar energy projects. For example, USDA is awarding a $3 million loan guarantee to Broadway Solar Center, LLC to help finance a 5 megawatt solar array in Columbus County, a $4.9 million loan guarantee for a similar project in Hertford County and a $2.1 million guarantee for a project in Warren County.

In total, Vilsack announced $68 million in REAP loan guarantees and grants today. Funding is contingent upon the recipients meeting the terms of the loan or grant agreement.

Eligible agricultural producers and rural small businesses may use REAP funds to make energy efficiency improvements or install renewable energy systems including solar, wind, renewable biomass (including anaerobic digesters), small hydroelectric, ocean energy, hydrogen, and geothermal.

Since the start of the Obama Administration, REAP has supported more than 8,800 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects nationwide. During this period, USDA has provided more than $276 million in grants and $268 million in loan guarantees to agricultural producers and rural small business owners.

President Obama's historic investments in rural America have made our rural communities stronger. Under his leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way - strengthening America's economy, small towns and rural communities.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users)

19 Sep 2014

Cracking the Code to Innovation

By Ginny Grimsley
7 Steps That Guarantee Success

Everyone says they want innovation in their organization, but when an ambitious employee offers it to a CEO, for example, the idea is often shot down, says Dr. Neal Thornberry, faculty director for innovation initiatives at the Naval Postgraduate School in California.

"Senior leaders often miss the value-creating potential of a new concept because they either don't take the time to really listen and delve into it, or the innovating employee presents it in the wrong way," says Thornberry, who recently published "Innovation Judo," (www.NealThornberry.com ), based on his years of experience teaching innovation at Babson College and advising an array of corporate clients, from the Ford Co. and IBM to Cisco Systems.

"Innovation should be presented as opportunities, not ideas. Opportunities have gravitas while ideas do not!"

Thornberry outlines a template for innovation that work:

•  Intention: Once the "why" is answered, leaders have the beginnings of a legitimate roadmap to innovation's fruition. This is no small task and requires some soul searching.

"I once worked with an executive committee, and I got six different ideas for what 'innovation' meant," he says. "One wanted new products, another focused on creative cost-cutting, and the president wanted a more innovative culture. The group needed to agree on their intent before anything else."

•  Infrastructure: This is where you designate who is responsible for what. It's tough, because the average employee will not risk new responsibility and potential risk without incentive. Some companies create units specifically focused on innovation, while others try to change the company culture in order to foster innovation throughout.  "Creating a culture takes too long," Thornberry says. "Don't wait for that."

•  Investigation: What do you know about the problem? IDEO may be the world's premier organization for investigating innovative solutions. Suffice to say that the organization doesn't skimp on collecting and analyzing data. At this point, data collection is crucial, whereas brainstorming often proves to be a waste of time if the participants come in with the same ideas, knowledge and opinions that they had last week with no new learning in their pockets.

•  Ideation: The fourth step is also the most fun and, unfortunately, is the part many companies leap to. This is dangerous because you may uncover many exciting and good ideas, but if the right context and focus aren't provided up front, and team members cannot get on the same page, then a company is wasting its time. That is why intentmust be the first step for any company seeking to increase innovation. Innovation should be viewed as a set of tools or processes, and not a destination.

•  Identification: Here's where the rubber meets the road on innovation. Whereas the previous step was creative, now logic and subtraction must be applied to focus on a result. Again, ideas are great, but they must be grounded in reality. An entrepreneurial attitude is required here, one that enables the winnowing of ideas, leaving only those with real value-creating potential.

"Innovation without the entrepreneurial mindset is fun but folly," Thornberry notes.

•  Infection: Does anyone care about what you've come up with? Will excitement spread during this infection phase? Now is the time to find out. Pilot testing, experimentation and speaking directly with potential customers begin to give you an idea of how innovative and valuable an idea is. This phase is part selling, part research and part science. If people can't feel, touch or experience your new idea in part or whole, they probably won't get it. This is where the innovator has a chance to reshape their idea into an opportunity, mitigate risk, assess resistance and build allies for their endeavor.

•  Implementation/Integration: While many talk about this final phase, they often fail to address the integration part. Implementation refers to tactics that are employed in order to put an idea into practice. This is actually a perilous phase because, in order for implementation to be successful, the idea must first be successfully integrated with other activities in the business and aligned with strategy. An innovation, despite its support from the top, can still fail if a department cannot work with it.

About Neal Thornberry, Ph.D.

Neal Thornberry, Ph.D., is the founder and CEO of IMSTRAT, LLC a consulting firm that specializes in helping private and public sector organizations develop innovation strategies that create economic value by increasing an organization's effectiveness and efficiency. A respected thought leader in innovation, Thornberry is a highly sought-after international speaker and consultant. He  also serves as the faculty director for innovation initiatives at the Center for Executive Education at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. Thornberry, author of "InnovationJudo:Disarming Roadblocks & Blockheads on the Path to Creativity" (www.NealThornberry.com), holds a doctorate in organizational psychology and specializes in innovation, corporate entrepreneurship, leadership and organizational transformation.
15 Sep 2014

Iowa Biodiesel Board to present Governor Branstad with award

By Iowa Biodiesel Board

REG's Chad Stone also to be named IBB chair at Annual Meeting

ANKENY, Iowa - Iowa biodiesel business leaders and farmers will present Governor Terry Branstad with the "Biodiesel Champion" award tomorrow, during the Annual Meeting of the Iowa Biodiesel Board.

"Governor Branstad has shown steadfast support for state biodiesel programs and incentives, helping Iowa secure its position as the top biodiesel-producing state," said Grant Kimberley, executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board. "He also shows bold national leadership in making an outspoken, compelling case for expanding biodiesel under the federal Renewable Fuels Standard."

Branstad serves as vice chair of the Governors' Biofuels Coalition. In December, he was the only governor to testify at an Environmental Protection Agency hearing on the RFS.

"I want to thank the Iowa Biodiesel Board for the honor of being named a 'Biodiesel Champion,'" said Branstad. "Iowa's robust renewable fuel sector is a critical component of Iowa's strong economic position. I've long been a strong supporter of renewable fuels like biodiesel, and will continue promoting innovation within this growing industry."

Also at the meeting, Chad Stone, chief financial officer of Renewable Energy Group, Inc., will become the new chair of the Iowa Biodiesel Board. He replaces biodiesel producer and petroleum distributor Mark Cobb.

"I am grateful for this opportunity to lead the Iowa Biodiesel Board and excited to continue the outstanding advocacy efforts of Mark Cobb, our board members and staff," said Stone. "IBB has, and will continue to play an instrumental role in promoting the economic, energy security and environmental benefits that biodiesel provides to Iowa and America."

Biodiesel is made from a diverse mix of resources. These include recycled cooking oil, soybean oil and animal fats. It is the first EPA-designated Advanced Biofuel to reach commercial-scale production nationwide. In 2013, Iowa's 12 biodiesel plants produced about 230 million gallons of biodiesel. This supports more than 7,000 jobs throughout the value chain.

The Iowa Biodiesel Board is a state trade association representing the biodiesel industry.

10 Sep 2014

Regional Council Promotes Energy Efficiency Incentives, Free Programs & Equipment

By Daniel Payette

ROCK FALLS, IL - Blackhawk Hills Regional Council announces HVAC, lighting, and custom energy efficiency incentives available through the State of Illinois and its partner agencies. This includes free energy assessment programs and equipment upgrades for 2014-2015.

This current project year is likely the final year where significant incentives are available to replace T-12 fluorescent lamps/magnetic ballasts with energy efficient T-8 fluorescent lamps/electronic ballasts.  As such, we strongly encourage local governments including school districts, colleges, municipalities, townships, counties, park districts, state, federal, and other public bodies to contact Blackhawk Hills Regional Council if they intend to or are considering replacing existing lamps and ballasts especially as energy wasting T-12 technology is rapidly phased out.

Also available for public entities is the Boiler System Efficiency Program, which covers many of the costs of a typical boiler tune-up, as well as steam trap replacement and insulation projects. This program can provide significant savings at any boiler-heated facility.

Free energy assessments and related services are available through Blackhawk Hills Regional Council and its partners at the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center. Please contact daniel.payette@blackhawkhills.com or (815) 625-3854 to discuss this year's incentives, to schedule an energy assessment visit, or with any questions.

About Blackhawk Hills Regional Council

Blackhawk Hills Regional Council (BHRC) is a non-profit, regional planning commission based in Rock Falls, IL, which serves Carroll, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, and Whiteside Counties. Services include community planning, development assistance, natural resource conservation and protection support, and grant writing and administration. BHRC is sponsored by local county boards and Soil and Water Conservation Districts and is overseen by an 18-member council, consisting of three representatives from each of the six counties.

Questions about BHRC may be directed to (815) 625-3854 or info@blackhawkhills.com.

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05 Sep 2014

QCESC STEM Trivia Night Press Release

By Jared Johnson

Quad City Engineering and Science Council to host Trivia Night benefiting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Scholarships and Student Outreach
www.qcesc.org

Please join us Saturday, October 4, 2014 for a Trivia Night hosted by the Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC). All proceeds will go to the QCESC to support scholarships and student outreach in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

The event will be held at the Putnam Museum located at 1717 W. 12th Street, Davenport, Iowa. Doors open at 6:30 P.M. and Trivia starts at 7:00 P.M.

Please pre-register by contacting Chris at chris@ccx.net or 563-505-6703.

Teams consist of 8 with $10 per person (ages 12 and up, Table Minimum $50). Everyone will be entered into a drawing for door prizes. Mulligans will be sold 10 for $10?you may use more than 1 per round. Doublers will be sold 1 for $10?to double the score of any round you choose.

Each team may bring in their own snacks but there will also be a cash bar and snacks will be available for purchase. No outside drinks allowed.

Trivia will consist of 10 rounds of 10 general knowledge questions. You DON'T have to be a genius to play and have fun! 1st Place team will receive double their money back and 2nd Place team will receive their money back.

Pre-register and Questions? Contact Chris at 563-505-6703 or chris@ccx.net

Don't have enough for a table? Come anyway and we will assign you to a table!
28 Aug 2014

Taylor Ridge, IL student conducts fuel gauging research with NASA

By Mike Moore

KENOSHA, WI (08/27/2014)(readMedia)-- Carthage College student Daisy Bower of Taylor Ridge, IL, recently conducted research aboard a NASA parabolic aircraft.

This is the seventh consecutive year that the Carthage Microgravity Team has conducted research with NASA. The NASA Science Mission Directorate approved Carthage's proposal to continue studying fuel gauging technology in zero gravity, through the Undergraduate Student Instrument Project.

The team's work could help NASA devise a solution to one of the biggest barriers of deep space exploration. The type of fuel gauge used in vehicles on Earth doesn't work in zero-g, so the team is working on one that could be used in future spacecraft and satellites.

The Carthage team traveled to the Johnson Space Center in Houston last month to fly its experiment aboard NASA's Weightless Wonder, a plane that provides periods of weightlessness by flying a series of parabolas over the Gulf of Mexico. The students constituted the only undergraduate team on a research flight that included researchers and engineers from Northwestern University, NASA-Glenn Research Center, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Carthage students have flown aboard the Weightless Wonder every year since 2008 while performing research with NASA engineers.
22 Aug 2014

Iowa's support for renewable fuels confirmed with new poll

By Jeremy Funk and Donnelle Eller

Iowa's support for renewable fuels has been officially confirmed: 77 percent of registered voters surveyed said they support expanding the federal Renewable Fuel Standard to increase biodiesel in the fuel supply.

Sixty-nine percent said a congressional candidate's support for the mandate was an important factor in their voting decisions, the Iowa Biodiesel Board said today.

The renewable fuel standard requires ethanol and biodiesel to be blended into the U.S. fuel supply. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed scaling back renewable fuel targets.

The group commissioned the questions as part of its annual public opinion research. A professional public opinion research firm, Moore Information, conducted the online survey of 517 registered voters. It took place the week of Aug. 11.

The study shows Iowans have a positive opinion about biodiesel in general, the board said. Additionally, after a series of questions on biodiesel, they were highly supportive of expanding the renewable fuel standard, the trade association said.

There are four U.S. House seats and one U.S. Senate seat up for election in Iowa.

"Many of our biodiesel businesses have the pressure of an uncertain market weighing heavily on them right now," said Grant Kimberley, executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board. "It is uplifting to know that Iowans are with us. They are behind strong federal policy to buoy this young industry in the torrents of the oil industry's opposition."
13 Aug 2014

John Deere chooses QC Robotics Team as ONLY US Team to represent US

By Vanessa Douglas

QUAD CITY ROBOTICS TEAM CHOSEN BY JOHN DEERE AS ONLY USA TEAM TO COMPETE AT THE FLL INTERNATIONAL ROBOTICS COMPETITION IN BRAZIL

Rivermont Collegiate's Middle School Robotics team ROFL (Robots on the Floor Laughing) has been chosen to represent the United States at the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) International Robotics Competition and Festival in Bello Horizante, Brazil this September. With over 14,000 FLL Teams in the U.S, ROFL will be the sole representative from the United States. John Deere is the team's official sponsor through its John Deere Inspire program. The team, based in Bettendorf, Iowa, will depart for Brazil on August 31; the competition will take place Sept. 1-4.

Rivermont Collegiate's ROFL Robotics team was chosen by John Deere to represent the U.S. based on the team's exceptional display of Core Values in Gracious Professionalism and their robot performance during the 2014 state competition.

The theme of the FLL International Robotics Competition and Festival is "Nature's Fury" -which is the same theme of the FLL local, state, and national competitions of the 2013-14 season. The competition will kick off with a fun-filled festival with each team bringing souvenirs from their countries to exchange with other international teams. Wide arrays of activities are planned during the festival to allow each team to engage with one another and form friendships before the competition. The goal of this event is to celebrate each team's accomplishments, as well as create a unique pen-pal opportunity amongst teams and, most importantly, foster an environment of comradery and friendly competition.

The following students comprise the Middle School Robotics team (ROFL) that will represent Rivermont Collegiate and the United States in Brazil: Lauren Schroeder, Ellie Decker, Gabe Heaney, Jessica Elliott, and Nikhil Wagher.

11 Aug 2014

How to Curb Distraction during Family Time: No Cell Phone Day

By Ginny Grimsley
5 Tips for Enriching Bonds from Musical Maestro Delfeayo Marsalis

If you're like jazz trombonist and music producer Delfeayo Marsalis, a member of the acclaimed Marsalis family from New Orleans, you appreciate the "old-school" ways of doing things.

For Marsalis, that means doing without automated music created and played at the push of a button, cooking without a microwave and not being too quick to replace a lost cell phone.

"Some people ask, 'How could you go weeks without replacing your phone?' But for me, I look at it as a much needed vacation," he says.

"At the same time, I'm like most other people: when I have a smart phone on me, I find myself checking it frequently."

While Marsalis isn't anti-technology, he fondly recalls a time when more people interacted with others who are right in front of them, rather than staring at a gadget in their hand - especially when it comes to family. The father of a young teenager, he offers the following tips for improving quality time by doing without the ubiquity of cell phones.

•  Consider a "No Cell Phone Day." In fact, that's the name of his new children's book, (www.KidsTownPress.com), about a tech-entrenched father who spends a happy birthday exploring New Orleans with his daughter - without his cell phone. A monthly "no cell phone day" allows you to fully engage with the people around you, whether they're your kids, your parents, or your friends. Without the distractions of work and spam email, you'll can have meaningful conversations and simply spend time laughing with the people you love. You'll have those memories to cherish for a long time to come. If you really want to connect with yourself and loved ones, plan on a regular No Cell Phone Day.

•  Play dates that don't require cell phones. When Marsalis takes his 13-year-old daughter and her cousins out for a fun day out at the mall, followed by a movie and dinner, he makes a deal with them to leave their phones at home.

"We're all together on these occasions, so there's no concern for safety, and it would be sad to go through all the trouble of spending the day together while, half of the time, they're preoccupied with their phones," he says. "In addition to the occasional outing, we set aside time at home when we can't use cell phones."

•  Make dinner time a cell phone-free zone. While food is especially important to any self-respecting son or daughter of New Orleans, sitting down to eat together is a sacred time for every family. Children and adults alike face significant stress and pressures every day in the world outside the home. Closing the doors on that world and coming together for an hour each evening to relax and refresh in the comparative safety of those who most love us is essential to our well-being.

•  Play "What Do I Know without My Cell Phone?" Research suggests cell phones are compromising the short-term memory of children. More and more of us - children and adults alike - rely on our smart phones, rather than our memories, to retrieve information. Exercising our brains with trivia, math and other cognitive games can help all of us stay mentally sharp.

•  Most importantly - don't be afraid to be bored! Life doesn't have to be a sci-fi movie all of the time. Ask your child to reflect on their greatest memories to date; chances are 0 percent that the content of those memories will involve cell phones.

About Delfeayo Marsalis

While Delfeayo Marsalis (dmarsalis.com) is known primarily for his work as a jazz trombonist and music producer, and has been involved with youth education for many years. In 2000, he founded the Uptown Music Theatre to provide arts education for the youth of New Orleans. UMT has staged 16 of his original musicals. Inspired by his autistic younger brother, Mboya, Delfeayo has volunteered and presented shows at Children's Hospital of New Orleans, including the therapeutic, "Swinging with the Cool School." "No Cell Phone Day" is his first children's book.

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