Small wind a big part of Solar and Wind Expo
August 3, 2010 by KRemington
Filed under Small Wind Power, Wind Power News
Scott Merrick (with glasses) talks to an attendee at the Bergey Windpower booth at Wind and Solar Expo. The company’s XL.1, a 1kW battery-charger turbine sits to the right. He says the turbine will be available as a direct grid-tied version within a year.
Small wind was a highlight of the Solar and Wind Expo (www.thesolarandwindexpo.com) a consumer-oriented renewable energy event recently held in Baltimore. Several small-wind companies exhibiting were enthusiastic about the event and its attendees. “They came to see and learn about the latest in renewable energy equipment,” said Gary K. Sorrelle, a wind specialist with Atech Energy in Oxford, Pa. Atech displayed an Endurance S-250 residential sized wind turbine blade, a unit with an 18-ft dia. rotor.
“This was the most successful show we have participated in this year,” said Susan Fausnaught, operations specialist at Groundloop/A+ Solar, Darlington, Md. The company sells and services solar, wind, and geothermal equipment. “A significant numbers of attendees had researched different products and knew exactly what they were seeking.” A+ Solar showed a Swift turbine, manufactured by Cascade Engineering, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Also important, added Atech’s Sorrelle, is that the event is a great opportunity to introduce the Mid-Atlantic region to the benefits of ‘small wind’ turbines. It has been assumed the Mid-Atlantic region is unsuitable for wind turbines. But with ever-rising energy costs and advances in technology, wind is a viable option for the region. The next Solar and Wind Expo is slated for May 13 to 15 2011, at the Timonium Fairgrounds. WPE
Alternative Energy Expo set for Maryland in May
January 15, 2010 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Environmental Issues, Wind Power News
The first annual Solar and Wind Expo (thesolarandwindexpo.com) will convene at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium this May 7 to 9. The indoor and outdoor event will be the first consumer show in the state devoted to renewable energy.
“Never has there been a better time for this kind of show,” says its founder and executive director George Lopez. “With all the technological advances, the government-sponsored incentives, and desire of so many to save money on energy and reduce their carbon footprint, all that was missing is a place for all parties to connect. Now we have that!”
Keynote speaker will be Bob Dixson, mayor of Greensburg, Kansas. The city made national news when it was destroyed by a tornado in 2007. Dixson has been recognized for his leadership role in rebuilding every structure in Greensburg to meet the highest U.S. Green Building Council certification, LEED Platinum, most notably by President Obama with an invitation to address a joint session of Congress. Greensburg, the first city in the country to go entirely green, is an example of how becoming sustainable is both viable and economically beneficial.
The goal of The Solar and Wind Expo is to “make green a reality” by bringing the most instrumental groups together for the first time in Maryland in one location: leading manufacturers and suppliers of green technologies, representatives from government agencies promoting the use of green technologies, and financial institutions providing special financing for green building projects.
Expo attendees will have the opportunity to interact with the actual energy- producing products, and have their questions answered by experts in the alternative energy field. In addition, electric-powered vehicles will cruise around an Electric Car Loop, and renewable energy experts will conduct seminars and meet one-on-one with attendees. “It is exciting to give those like me who are passionate about reducing their carbon footprint and living in a more environmentally friendly way an opportunity to interact with the product and become educated on issues surrounding building green, like tax and other incentive programs,” adds Lopez.
