Solar Technology Unveiled at Long Beach Airport

Project Visionary EcoMedia Brings Green Technology to One of the Nation’s Most Historical Airports

Solar panels have been installed at Long Beach Airport to reduce the site’s energy consumption and remind passengers about alternative power options. The Solar Panel Installation Project is located by the south baggage claim area and has been in operation since March 6.

Supported by EcoMedia and the City of Long Beach, the panels are part of an ongoing environmentally friendly project at the airport and were officially revealed earlier this week. A brief ceremony at the airport saw delegates from JetBlue, the local mayor and several community organizations welcome the panels.

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Solar Energy Advocates Ask Congress for Breaks

Venture capitalist Nancy Floyd never saw lobbying as part of her job. But the founder of a California-based clean-tech investment firm has joined a
gaggle of other solar energy investors on a lobbying pilgrimage to Capitol Hill.

Their message to lawmakers: Commit long-term funding to the nation’s renewable energy market - and quickly. Their investments are depending on it.

“I never thought as an investor I’d be as engaged in policy as I am - this is not in our job description,”
said Floyd, managing director of Nth Power. “But I’m doing this because it’s so important. I can’t
think of a bigger economic development opportunity facing this country, and we’re throwing ice water at it.”

Solar power is the fastest-growing energy source in the world. But in the United States, solar companies are seeing stocks slide, and major industry investors are threatening to withdraw if Congress doesn’t quickly extend the tax credits for renewables that are set to expire at the end of the year.

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Turning Glare Into Watts

BOULDER CITY, Nev. - At first, as he adjusted pumps and checked temperatures, Aaron Boucher looked like any technician in the control room of an electrical plant. Then he rushed to the window and scanned the sky, to check his fuel supply.

Mr. Boucher was battling clouds, timing the operations of his power plant to get the most out of patchy sunshine. It is a skill that may soon be in greater demand, for the world appears to be on the verge of a boom in a little-known but promising type of solar power.

It is not the kind that features shiny panels bolted to the roofs of houses. This type involves covering acres of desert with mirrors that focus intense sunlight on a fluid, heating it enough to make steam. The steam turns a turbine and generates electricity.

The technology is not new, but it is suddenly in high demand. As prices rise for fossil fuels and worries grow about their contribution to global warming, solar thermal plants are being viewed as a renewable power source with huge potential.

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