Solar Power International ‘09: Here Comes The Sun
October 29, 2009 by iCeL Team · 3 Comments
The Solar Power International ‘09 conference in Anaheim, California hosted 900 exhibitors and 20,000 attendees. Esteemed keynote speakers included Robert Kennedy, Jr. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. Eco entertainer Ed Begley also gave an inspiring account of how much the environment has improved in the last three decades due to changes in consumer behavior, renewable technology, and government legislation.
Robert Kennedy, Jr., lifelong environmental advocate and currently a senior attorney at the National Resources Defense Council, spoke of the coming democratization of energy distribution in America. Mr. Kennedy described a recent breakfast he had with a number of political dignitaries including US Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, the EPA’s Lisa Jackson, Dept. of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and Senators Jeff Bingaman, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid among others. The discussion centered around the creation of a national grid system that would allow all Americans to participate in the energy marketplace through the exchange of renewable power that their home or business produces. This incredible scenario is just one example of the many ways in which solar energy integration is evolving.
iCeL Systems CTO Dr. Wartena was heartened by his experience at Solar Power International ‘09. After walking the floor of SPI ‘09, he stated enthusiastically, “I was really impressed by the aesthetic integration that solar panels have made. Many of them don’t even look like solar panels anymore. They look like sleek plates of black glass.” The barrier for solar adoption based on appearance seems to finally be dissolving, at the same time as government resistance. At Solar Power International 2009, it was clear to all- times they are a’changing.
IBEW President Endorses iCeL Systems
July 9, 2009 by admin · 7 Comments
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is an international labor union representing electricians, linemen, and public utility workers, led by President Edwin Hill. The IBEW has over 750,000 members and conducts a myriad of training programs for electricians and journeymen in conjunction with the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). The LMCC is the third party which educates, advocates, moderates, and markets on behalf of the electrical and construction industries.
iCeL Systems CEO Chaz Haba met Tom Martinez, Statewide Director of Business Development for the IBEW-NECA LMCC, and Kim Craft of IBEW Local 11, back in 2006. Mr. Haba explained in detail the unsurpassed benefits of pairing iCEL Systems with renewable energy; the safety, reliability, and uniquely long life impressed these industry professionals. Haba’s relationship with the IBEW and NECA evolved further with Jim Wilson and Marvin Kropke, and eventually he met with President Edwin Hill in 2008. Huge proponents of a clean energy future, the IBEW and NECA decided to become the major installation arm of iCEL Systems throughout the United States.
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