Solar Companies Assist Hurricane Relief Efforts

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Solar One, SolarCity and Consolidated Solar are partnering to help power relief efforts in New York communities hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. They have deployed five 10 kilowatt mobile solar generators to help residents and relief workers get much-needed temporary electricity, with the first two installed over the weekend in Rockaway Beach.

The groups have launched the ‘The Solar Sandy Project’ to coordinate relief efforts within the New York solar industry, including volunteer efforts to support the deployment, installation and maintenance of mobile solar systems. For more information, to volunteer, donate or request deployment of a generator, please visit: http://www.solar1.org/solar-sandy-project/.

Over the weekend the New York City Fire Department reported several fires caused by improper use of gas-powered generators, and with gas for transportation scarce across the tri-state area, solar generators provide efficient energy safely, and without the need for refueling. People can charge phones, power tools, and laptops; heat food; and run other critical equipment. SolarCity is covering the costs for the generators, provided by Consolidated Solar.

“These communities have been hit hard, and with gas scarce, solar generators can bring efficient power where it’s most needed,” said Shaun Chapman, Deputy Director of Government Affairs for SolarCity, a national leader in clean energy services with New York offices in Westchester, Long Island and Albany. “We’re lending a hand and doing what we do best—bringing solar power to communities.”

“Clean distributed power generation needs to be part of the discussion of how we rebuild our infrastructure,” said Chris Collins, Executive Director of Solar One. “These generators are a lifeline to those without power and moving forward, we must provide for these contingencies when the grid goes down.”

"We started this business to provide clean dispatchable power to locations without electricity. Our primary purpose was to fuel construction projects," said Chris Mejia owner of Consolidated Solar. “The hardest hit areas of Sandy are still without power, and will be one of the biggest re-construction projects in the country. We are pleased to be able to help."

About Solar One

Solar One is NYC’s first green energy, arts and education center, located at 23rd Street and the East River. Our mission is to empower people with the knowledge and resources to unleash sustainability in their communities.

About Consolidated

Consolidated Solar rents and leases mobile solar power generators to various industries such as construction, agriculture, entertainment, emergency response, and telecom. Consolidated Solar enables customers to recognize significant savings by providing an alternative to traditional fossil fuel based generators. Mobile solar power generators operate silently, with no fumes or emissions, and require no gas or diesel. Additional information is available on the web at www.ConsolidatedSolar.net.

About SolarCity

SolarCity®—a national leader in clean energy services—provides homeowners, business and government organizations cleaner, more affordable alternatives to their utility bills. The company makes it simple for customers to lock in lower, long-term rates for clean energy by providing everything from permitting and installation to ongoing monitoring and maintenance. Additional information about the company is available on the Web at www.solarcity.com.

Solar One And MOUSE Awarded $1.08 Million From National Science Foundation For Their Pilot GreenTECH Program In New York City Public Schools

NEW YORK, Aug. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Science Foundation has awarded $1.08 million to Solar One, a New York City-based nonprofit environmental education organization, and its partner, MOUSE, a national nonprofit that empowers youth to learn and create with technology, to support a three-year pilot program called GreenTECH.

GreenTECH will build high school students' interest in renewable energy, sustainable design, and the green economy by challenging them to identify environmental opportunities in their school buildings and to research and recommend changes to make the buildings more energy efficient and sustainable -- a priority set by Mayor Bloomberg's office. GreenTECH students will also create green projects in their communities and online.

"The National Science Foundation's vote of confidence means a great deal to us, especially since it has such a highly competitive and scientifically rigorous funding process, and we are delighted to partner with MOUSE," said Chris Collins, Executive Director of Solar One. "The goal of GreenTECH is to blend our new Green Design Lab™ curriculum, which teaches students about things like the science of energy or building performance, with the incredible empowerment and computer literacy MOUSE give to students. Students will learn they can solve the environmental issues in their schools and neighborhoods, and come to believe that science and technology is really cool, and say – hey, I'd like to do that, I'd like to become a scientist or engineer who improves the environment," he said.

The new initiative integrates two highly effective existing programs: an advanced version of Solar One's Green Design Lab™, a curriculum that inspires students to green their school building while improving their environmental literacy and STEM skills; and MOUSE, a digital technology youth development program for "Squads" of students who manage and lead the Help Desk in their school.

"MOUSE is deeply committed to building our students' STEM literacies and developing pathways to apply their interests," stated Carole Wacey, Executive Director of MOUSE.  "We are thrilled to be receiving this generous grant in partnership with Solar One and giving our students the opportunity to extend their digital media and technology expertise to impact the greening of their schools and communities."

GreenTECH will offer a range of projects that students can pursue together, such as performing a building energy audit, designing a solar roof or water conservation system, and planning rooftop gardens or hydroponic systems. This initiative will also create a MOUSE Squad Specialist Badge as a starter certification for young people interested in green technology. These certified squads will support the GreenTECH curriculum and student-led greening projects. These projects will create many opportunities for young people to gain expertise in technology, data collection and analysis, and sustainable solutions as they improve their STEM skills and prepare for higher education and the growing green economy.

"This is a critical time to prepare young people to lead innovation in their world and play a vital role in building a sustainable future," said Linda Roberts, Member, MOUSE Board of Directors, and Visiting Scholar, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

The pilot program will be implemented over three years, starting in October 2012, in four New York City public high schools, which include A. Philip Randolph High School, Manhattan, Bronx Design and Construction Academy, and Urban Assembly Institute for Math & Science for Young Women, Brooklyn. The schools were chosen for their diversity of population, size, and building type. GreenTECH will work directly with approximately 675 students, 30 teachers and 6 custodians and impact many more people who are a part of the schools and local communities. The aim of the program is to create an effective model that can then be used in urban high schools across the country.

Other partners in the GreenTECH program include the Wallenstein Collaborative for Urban Environmental Education at New York University, the New York City Department of Education, and Gaylen Moore Associates

About Solar One
Solar One, incorporated in 2004, is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization created to be New York City's first Green Energy, Arts, and Education Center. Solar One's mission is to empower people with the knowledge and resources to unleash and build sustainability in their communities. From thin film solar to rooftop gardens to efficient buildings, the organization is dedicated to developing innovative, complete and effective ways to encourage people to re-examine, through critical thinking and scientifically proven information, the ways we live and work in order to reduce our impact on the environment. Solar One seeks to set new standards on how to make our urban environment more sustainable, particularly in our hometown of New York City; to catalyze movements to reduce carbon emissions; to educate the public about innovative solutions to our environmental challenges; and to connect people from all walks of life to an array of new ways to address current energy, environmental and sustainability issues. This is all done in an engaging, intellectually honest and entertaining way that leaves people inspired and facilitates community-wide change.

About MOUSE
MOUSE empowers underserved youth to learn, lead and create with technology, preparing them with skills essential for their academic and career success. Founded in New York City in 1997, MOUSE is a dynamic nonprofit organization having a positive and lasting impact on students in more than 375 locations in the United States, including in New York, California, Chicago and Texas, as well as a global presence in more than 50 countries. To learn more about MOUSE, visit http://www.mouse.org.