groSolar Brings Solar Hot Water to Fenway Park
groSolar Brings Solar Hot Water to Fenway ParkMay 19, 2008 – White River Junction, VT — Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park now has more green than just their field and their 37 foot, two inch left field wall, nicknamed the Green Monster. The major league baseball stadium has been undergoing an environmentally friendly makeover that includes the installation of a solar hot water system by groSolar, North America’s premier distributor, installer and integrator of solar power solutions for homes and businesses.The solar hot-water system is part of the Solar Boston program, a 2-year, $600,000 initiative to increase the city’s solar energy output 50-fold by 2015. Solar Boston will help the city respond to climate change, rising fuel price and the need for energy independence by supporting the development of clean, alternative sources of energy citywide.groSolar installed 28 Heliodyne solar hot water collectors and four 400 gallon storage tanks that will be tied to Fenway’s existing water system. The solar-heated water will supply the park and the restaurants on the lower levels of Fenway, and is expected to reduce the park’s annual carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 18 tons.”We are honored to assist Fenway and the City of Boston in their drive and determination to ‘turn Bean Town into Green Town,’ as Mayor Menino so eloquently put it.” says groSolar’s Marketing Director, Kelli Pippin. “Solar is our forte and it’s also the cleanest, greenest weapon we know of in the fight against global warming.”About groSolargroSolar is North American’s premier distributor, installer and integrator of solar energy systems for residential and commercial installations. Founded in 1998 in Vermont, groSolar has grown to encompass ten offices and five warehouses across North America. groSolar is a mission driven company dedicated to providing high value products, systems and services that deliver peace of mind through solar energy solutions and whole energy appreciation. Learn more at groSolar.com# # #
US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Tuesday that Vermont will receive $4,068,000 for several adult and youth workforce development programs across the state. Leahy, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured the funds in the annual appropriations bill passed by the Congress signed into law by President Obama earlier this month.Leahy said, Training and practical experience can turn the liability of unemployment and underemployment into assets, turning lives around and planting the seeds for the economic future we want for our state. With the economy in peril and joblessness on the rise, there is even greater urgency in training Vermont s youth and retraining underemployed workers for the jobs of tomorrow. These investments will support organizations around Vermont that have been forward thinking about our state s workforce development needs, training Vermonters for solid job opportunities right here at home.[Project details and local contacts, below]Burlington Technical Center to expand the aviation training program — $1 million –This project will upgrade and improve the post-secondary aviation program at the Burlington Technical Center. The program, which currently leads to FAA Airframe and Powerplant licenses for the tech center students, is only able to serve 12 students at a time. Since these high-skills, high-wage jobs are in great demand in Vermont and across the nation, additional funding would allow the tech center to expand its current curriculum, faculty, training equipment, and facilities. Over the next 20 years, an estimated $225 million in new federal, state, local, and private investment is expected to be made at the Burlington International Airport, creating 365 new jobs at the airport and 500 indirect jobs elsewhere in the Vermont. Since this tech center program is the only one of its type in Vermont, the center s expansion project will increase its capacity to train Vermonters for high-skill, high-wage jobs, which will help keep Vermont s bright, young technicians contributing to the Vermont economy. Contact: Richard Sylvester, Director of Aviation Technology, 802-864-8447Vermont HITEC to conduct health care and advanced manufacturing job training — $951,000 –Vermont HITEC will train Vermonters with aptitudes and strong interest in information technology positions in the healthcare and advanced manufacturing fields. Vermont HITEC will identify a pool of unemployed and underemployed Vermonters and develop education and training curricula leading directly to filling vacant positions with pre-selected employers. This is an ongoing collaborative project among educators, employers and economic development partners at the federal, state, and local levels of Vermont. Employers providing strong support include Fletcher Allen Heath Care of Burlington; NSA Industries of Lyndonville; Weidmann Electrical Technology of St. Johnsbury; Vermont Mold & Tool of Barnet; Precision Composites of Vermont in Lyndon Center; North East Precision of St. Johnsbury; and North Hartland Tool of North Hartland.Contact: Gerry Ghazi, President, 802-872-0660Vermont Agency of Human Services to develop a comprehensive employment-focused neuro-resource facilitation system — $951,000 –The Vermont Agency of Human Services will establish a statewide Neuro-Resource Facilitation (NRF) System to support the employment and independence of Vermont’s veterans with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Neuro-Resource Facilitation is an approach that will help veterans with TBI/PTSD and their families access information, community resources and benefits. With oversight provided by the Brain Injury Association of Vermont (BIA-VT), Vermont s NRF system will include partnerships with the Department of Mental Health (DMH), the State TBI program, the Aging Disability and Resource Centers (ADRC), and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). Services will also be established in collaboration with a wide variety of veterans services including the National Guard and the Veterans Administration. Vermont s NRF system is unique in its focus on employment and will provide education and support to Vermont businesses on the issues facing veterans with disabilities and about the valuable human resource they represent. Education, as well as placement support, will be provided by the Vermont Association for Business, Industry, and Rehabilitation (VABIR). Contact: Glen McClintock, Vermont Agency of Human Services, 802-241-3719Linking Learning to Life to provide job training and internship opportunities to Vermont youth — $500,000 –This project will help Linking Learning to Life expand and replicate two vital programs that encourage at-risk, high school age Vermont youths to stay in school and prepare for successful employment and post-secondary education. Linking Learning to Life will be working with schools, communities and Workforce Investment Boards throughout Vermont on these programs.The Training Interns and Partnering for Success (TIPS) Program is designed to transition students with limited employability skills through three stages of preparation leading to successful unsubsidized employment: (1) 20 hours of pre-employment skills training; (2) 40 hours of on-site internship training; and (3) competitive employment with the internship host employer during the summer following the internship. The College Connections Program offers at-risk sophomores, juniors, and seniors from high schools and young people from alternative programs options for exploring post-secondary education prior to graduation. Students can take classes at any of six area colleges and earn both high school and college credit for successful completion. The program targets students meeting one or more of the following criteria: first generation college goers, English as a Second Language learners, minority students, those from low-income families, and students with identified disabilities. Contact: Rich Tulikangas, Executive Director, 802-951-8850ReCycle North to expand its green construction training and expand its weatherization program — $476,000 –ReCycle North s YouthBuild program trains 16- to 24-year-old youths who are economically disadvantaged, have dropped out of high school, and need comprehensive development and job training opportunities. To meet the growing demand for workers trained in green construction and weatherization and provide weatherization services to low- and moderate-income Vermonters, ReCycle North will expand its apprentice-style, green construction and weatherization training. ReCycle North s weatherization service contracts currently with Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity to complete weatherization services in Chittenden County and expects to begin contracting with Central Vermont Community Action to complete weatherization work in Central Vermont. Through training in Energy Star construction and weatherization techniques, several students each year will be able to fill the growing demand for professionals in the weatherization field. Through ReCycle North s new Green Construction Training and Weatherization Service Program, at least 15 buildings in year one, 18 buildings in year two, and 30 buildings in year three will become significantly more comfortable, affordable, and efficient in terms of energy consumed and carbon emitted. In addition, ReCycle North will expand its YouthBuild and apprentice-style training programs to include HVAC services and apprentice-style training in deconstruction and Waste-Not-Products. The Deconstruction Service is a viable alternative to traditional demolition methods and creates jobs and training opportunities, harvests reusable building materials, and diverts from the waste stream unusable but recyclable materials such as metal and concrete into environmentally friendly channels. Waste-Not-Products is a growing enterprise that creates social and financial value from material resources that are otherwise wasted. Training people to design, manufacture, and market attractive new products from construction waste leverages existing assets, relationships, and capabilities and prepares students for skilled jobs. Contact: Thomas Longstreth, Executive Director, 802-658-4143 x14Vermont Association of Business, Industry & Rehabilitation to support youth and offender reentry employment programs — $190,000 –The Vermont Association of Business, Industry & Rehabilitation (VABIR) is a statewide non-profit agency that provides employment services to people with barriers to employment including persons with disabilities, youths and other at-risk workforce populations. VABIR also provides free consultation services to businesses. Since studies have shown that finding a job is often the key to a person’s ability to maintain a place in the community, the VABIR project will support youth and offender reentry workers in locating, obtaining, and maintaining employment, by providing direct and support services that will network with local businesses to secure employment opportunities. VABIR will partner with local and state agencies to work together in this project, including VocRehab Vermont, the Vermont Department of Corrections, and local community justice centers. Participants in the program will gain work experience through VABIR direct job placement and support in a variety of areas, including mentoring opportunities, job shadows, job tours, short-term work experiences, volunteer work, and ultimately in successfully obtaining employment.Contact: Christine McCarthy, Executive Director, 802-878-1107(TUESDAY, March 31) —
Source: Commerce Agency www.dca.state.vt.us(link is external)###30### A former executive with the U.S. Department of Defense’s contracting office will be taking over the state program that assists Vermont businesses with obtaining government contracts. The Agency of Commerce and Community Development announced that William Masterson of South Burlington is the new Director of the Vermont Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC).“We are very pleased to welcome Bill to our team,” said Commerce and Community Development Secretary Kevin Dorn, whose agency includes the Department of Economic Housing and Community Development, where the PTAC is located.“His experience as the contract manager for the DOD’s Defense Logistics Agency in Burlington makes him an ideal candidate to lead the PTAC, and continue its award-winning work helping Vermont firms get access to government contracts,” Dorn said.The Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), with a staff of three, assists Vermont companies seeking to contract with the federal or state government, or subcontract with companies who do.They were instrumental in assisting such companies as Revision Eyewear in Essex Junction, which makes ballistic eye protection for the military, and Darn Tough Socks of Northfield, which manufactures socks, win significant defense-related contracts.Funding for the PTAC is largely federal, and has been strongly supported by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.The Vermont PTAC was voted “PTAC of the Year” for 2009 by their peers in the national organization.Masterson has a BS in business from SUNY Plattsburgh; a Master’s in Business from St. Michael’s College; and a Master’s in Public Administration/Government from Harvard, and worked for the Department of Defense from 1987 until 2005.“I’m glad to have an opportunity to grow new businesses; help existing businesses; and create job opportunities for Vermonters through the acquisition of government contracts,” said Masterson.He will begin work with the Agency of Commerce and Community Development immediately.
Homeowners, businesses, and renewable energy manufacturers, installers and developers will discuss the role of Vermont’s net-metering law in creating jobs and deploying home-grown renewable energy to Vermonters at a State House press conference Friday.Renewable Energy Vermont (REV), the state’s leading trade association for the renewable energy industry, will be holding a press conference on Friday with House Natural Resources and Energy Committee leadership to address expanding Vermont’s successful net-metering program.Afterward, the group will testify before the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee at 1:00 p.m.The testimony will address how expanding Vermont’s successful net metering program will create jobs and support renewable energy generation statewide at no cost to state government.WHAT: Press conference with legislators, homeowners, businesses and Vermont renewable energy leaders on expanding net metering lawsWHEN: Friday, January 28th, 2011, 12:00 p.m.WHERE: Cedar Creek Room, 2nd Floor, Vermont State House, Montpelier, VTNet metering allows Vermont rate-payers to generate their own power using enewable energy systems. Excess power they generate can be fed back to their utilities, running their electric meters backwards.Partial List of ParticipantsChairman Tony Klein, House Natural Resources and Energy CommitteeVice Chair Margaret Cheney, House Natural Resources and Energy CommitteeOther members of the House Natural Resources and Energy CommitteeAndy Kehler, Jasper Hill Farm, HardwickMartha Staskus, VERA & REV Board ChairChad Farrell, Encore RedevelopmentDavid Blittersdorf, AllEarth RenewablesLeigh Seddon, Alteris RenewablesAbout Renewable Energy Vermont (REV), www.revermont.org(link is external)REV is a nonprofit, nonpartisan trade association representing nearly 300 businesses, individuals, colleges and others committed to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and expanding the availability of renewable sources of energy in Vermont.
MicroStrain of Williston continues to be at the forefront of energy harvesting wireless sensor networks.This past Wednesday, March 2nd, MicroStrain President and CEO, Steve Arms was presented with the Best Paper Award at the prestigious 7th DSTO International Conference on Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS), taking place in conjunction with the Australian International Air Show at the Fourteenth Australian International Aerospace Congress (AIAC14).The AIAC conference objective was to present key innovations and achievements in aeronautic technologies and systems, and their current and future aerospace applications. Increasingly, land vehicles, marine vehicles (including submarines), and aircraft (including helicopters), are being managed using Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) approaches. All these approaches rely on HUMS to ensure the availability, reliability, and safety of critical, high-value assets.Arms’ paper, Flight Testing of Wireless Sensing Networks for Rotorcraft Structural HUMS, describes MicroStrain’s work with the US Navy to flight test an advanced, next generation sensing system for structural loads monitoring of the critical rotating components on a Sikorsky MH-60S helicopter. This represents the first successful system demonstration in flight of a wireless data acquisition system, capable of autonomous self-configuration and data aggregation. The system features energy harvesting capabilities to eliminate battery maintenance, using the helicopter’s ambient strains and vibrations to power the wireless nodes.”We’re honored to be recognized with “Best Paper” at the AIAC14 HUMS Conference,” says Steve Arms, “and we are grateful to the US Navy/NAVAIR for their support under the Navy BAA program to conduct our work.”The work conducted by MicroStrain represents break-through wireless sensing technology, not only for helicopters but also in condition based monitoring across a range of industries. Such systems can be used to monitor a wide variety of machines and structures including fixed wing aircraft, wind turbines, heavy equipment, and rotating machinery. Embedded energy harvesting wireless sensors can detect potential failures before they occur, extend the life of machines and structures, significantly reduce operating costs, and enhance safety.MicroStrain is a leading manufacturer of inertial measurement systems, micro-displacement transducers, wireless sensor networks, and energy harvesting technologies. MicroStrain’s sensors are used in a variety of industrial, defense, and medical applications including testing of new designs, controlling critical manufacturing processes, navigating unmanned vehicles, platform stabilization, wearable tracking systems and extending the operating life of machines and structures. Recognized as a leader in the sensor industry, MicroStrain has received multiple awards for product innovation. Williston, Vermont ‘ MicroStrain
The new federal Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act (NRRA), often referred to as the Dodd Frank Act, has no applicability to captive insurance. That is the conclusion of an independent white paper prepared for the Vermont Captive Insurance Association (VCIA) by the law firm of McIntyre and Lemon, PLLC of Washington, DC.‘Both the language of the legislation itself and the legislative intent are clear that the law was meant to apply only to the surplus lines market ‘ not captive insurance,’ said Dave Provost, Deputy Commissioner of Captive Insurance.A consortium of the VCIA, the Captive Insurance Companies Association and the National Risk Retention Association agreed with the conclusion of the white paper. ‘There was no intent to have NRRA encompass captive insurance,’ said Rich Smith, President of the Vermont Captive Insurance Association. ‘There is a good deal of misinformation that is being disseminated to captive insurance companies,’ said Dan Towle, Vermont’s Director of Financial Services. ‘This does a disservice to the captive insurer and to the industry.’The white paper went to great lengths to analyze Congressional legislative intent, quoting from the chief bill sponsors as to the focus of the bill being surplus lines of insurance. Based on this analysis and the language of the NRRA itself, the white paper concludes both that (1) captive insurers should not be subject to the NRRA’s nonadmitted insurance provisions because they are not placing nonadmitted insurance within the meaning of the NRRA and (2) the NRRA did not change the application of state independently procured insurance laws, nor should it restrict the collection of premium taxes paid for independently procured insurance to the ‘home state’ of the insured, as it does for nonadmitted insurance. The white paper can be read in its entirety at www.VermontCaptive.com/DoddFrank(link is external).‘It is prudent for captive insurance companies to seek counsel from their attorneys, tax advisors and captive managers if they have questions on the applicability of self procurement taxes,’ said Towle. ‘Generally speaking, if you have been advised that self procurement taxes were not applicable before the NRRA, they would not be applicable now. The NRRA itself did not create any new taxes.’Captive insurance is a regulated form of self insurance that has been around since the 1960’s, and has been a part of the Vermont insurance industry since 1981, when Vermont passed the Special Insurer Act. Captive insurance companies are formed by companies or groups of companies as a form of alternative insurance to better manage their own risk. Captives are typically used for corporate lines of insurance such as property, general liability, products liability, or professional liability. Growth sectors of the captive insurance industry include securitization, professional medical malpractice coverage for doctors and hospitals, and the continued trend of small and mid-sized companies forming captive insurance companies. MONTPELIER, VT ‘ October 14, 2011 ‘