September 24-26 By Debrah Dubay Dedicated to bringing
Texans the information they need to make informed decisions, increase
sustainability and maintain comfort, the Renewable Energy Roundup is ready to
celebrate its 11th year in Fredericksburg's Market Square. Read more about the 60+ speakers, 100+ exhibitors and the in depth workshops available.
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Chapter News
TXSES has chapters in San Antonio, Houston, Austin, North Texas and El Paso. Read what's happening in your neighborhood and get connected to your solar community. Don't forget the ASES Solar Tours in Houston, San Antonio and Dallas/Ft. Worth Oct. 2.
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An umbrella community raising awareness and funds for 70 environmental and conservation minded organizations through workplace donations.
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Chairman's Corner John Gardner/TXSES Chairman September 2010
The
Renewable Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair is coming to Fredericksburg,
September 24th, 25th, and 26th. This fantastic
event is cosponsored by TXSES and TREIA. It is amazing to realize this is the
11th year for the fair. It is a tribute to all the volunteers, event
staff and the Roundup committee who have worked long and hard to make each year
a success. There are no more qualified (and expert) folks in the country than
those who organize and run this event. Please thank those you see for their
ti me. Our
family of chapters is getting bigger and a new chapter in the valley will be
starting up this fall. They are very enthusiastic about spreading the word
about renewables. I
cannot express how very important it is to the State of Texas to pass legislation
favorable to solar energy in the 82nd Legislative Session starting
in January 2011. Please do what you can to help make this happen. It is vital
that everyone write and/or call their state representative and senator to
let them know you support the expanded growth of renewables in Texas. Natalie
Marquis has returned to the flock as our Executive Director. We are very happy
to have her return to sanity and come back home. She will be at the Roundup
again this year. Thanks
for being a friend of the Texas Solar Energy Society-do come visit our booth at
Roundup and have a solar friendly fall. |
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Three TXSES Chapters Will Participate in the ASES National Solar Tour October 2, 2010
By Sally Stafford
On
October 2nd, the American Solar Energy Society opens homes and
businesses across the nation for one day to educate the public about renewable
energy, energy efficiency, and ultimately, lower utility bills.
The Texas Solar Energy Society will be represented by
their chapters in Houston, San Antonio, and
Dallas/Fort Worth for this self-guided tour. As of Sept. 16, 672 tours have organized for the largest grassroots solar tour
in the country (the number of tours climbs daily!). Free to the
public, some tours such as Houston's, will
offer tour goers printed maps for a small charge. Read more about the tours in Houston, San Antonio and Dallas/Ft.Worth.
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Legislative History in the Making- Prodding Texas into the 21st Century Clean Energy Economy
By Michael Albrecht
Armed with an exhaustive clean
energy report issued this summer by former Texas Deputy Comptroller Billy
Hamilton, key state lawmakers are not missing a beat from the 2009 legislative
session. Speaking at a Capitol press
conference on August 16, 2010, Sen. Kirk Watson and Rep. Mark Strama unveiled
the report, a "new tool" they say will convince fellow lawmakers to finally pass
renewable energy legislation this coming session. Indeed, one of the key
renewable bills last session, Sen. Troy Fraser's SB 545, won Senate approval by
26-4, only to die on the House floor in the final days of the session.
Meanwhile, other states and countries are moving ahead with their own renewable
energy plans, leaving Texas, for the time being, in the dust. Read more about the the push for solar and renewable incentives in the upcoming legislative session and how a PUC ruling could affect the process.
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El Paso High School Students Create Delta Solar and Receive TXSES Grant
By Duncan Schulte
Delta Solar was
founded by a group of friends and students as a part of the International
Baccalaureate (IB) Program at Coronado High School in El Paso, Texas. The
rigorous diploma program requires a Community Action Service (CAS) project. Our
CAS project was started with the goal of being a collaborative community
initiative seeking to educate the public about the processes, applications, and
viability of solar energy. Living in the "Sun City," we felt we could reach out
to people and hopefully educate and/or change (hence the Delta) their minds
about what this solar energy hype is all about. Read more about these outstanding solar citizens and their efforts to guide El Paso toward a clean energy future.
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UT Engineering Student is Recipient of TXSES Scholarship
Edited by Lucy Stolzenburg
Stephanie Matyas, a senior
engineering student at UT Austin, is the recipient of a $1500 scholarship from
TXSES, in honor of founding member Dr. Gary Vliet. An honors student with
numerous awards and internships to her credit, she became interested in
renewable energy earlier this year while studying at KTH Royal Institute of
Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. While in Stockholm, she took courses in
Applied Heat and Power Technology, Advanced Renewable Technology, and Energy
Management. Read moreabout the renewable energy projects Stephanie participated in while studying in Sweden this year and her plans for the future. |
The Solar Reflector is a publication of TXSES
Executive Director - Natalie Marquis Chairman - John Gardener Editor - Lucy Stolzenburg Copy Editor - Susan Tedter
The Texas Solar Energy Society, a 501 (c) (3), was founded in 1976 as a non-profit organization created to increase awareness for the potential of solar and other renewable energy applications and to promote the wise use of sustainable and non-polluting resources. TXSES is a chapter of the American Solar Energy Society, shining light on the solution since 1954.
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