Green Technology : Innovation + Job News

Follow the sun could be the motto of Advanced Technology & Research, a firm that a few years ago developed a product to do just that.

Instead of stationary solar panels, an increasingly familiar sight on rooftops, the Columbia-based company makes a solar tracking device that rotates as the sun moves. The rotation of the device allows for maximum performance, capturing 30 to 45 percent more energy than stationary solar panels aligned at an optimal angle to the sun, says Robert Lundahl, Advanced Technology's vice president for energy systems and automation.
 
Lundahl says the device has residential and commercial use as an energy-saving measure. But it is being bought and installed for other uses as well. Mid-Atlantic Terminal at the Port of Baltimore recently installed three devices to power electric vehicles operated by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics. Wallenius Wilhelmsen is powering two electric vehicles to move personnel and material around the port, and has indicated it may order more devices in the future.
 
Another recent installation was a row house residence in Federal Hill, where the company's distributor NEXUS Energy Homes installed one on the rooftop. It was the first sun-tracking device installed on a Federal Hill residence.
 
Advanced Technology's device can be ordered with one standard-size, 235-Watt solar panel (known as a single tracker) or with two 235-Watt solar panels (dual tracker). The tracker is connected to a mounting. The mounting can be placed on a rooftop or on the ground. A GPS-controlled drive unit rotates the panels to follow the sun.
 
Like solar panels, the device is then connected to an electric grid; accumulated energy reduces the electric bill.
 
The basic cost of the ATR device is $2,895 before installation. The number of devices is determined by roof size and budget. The devices are eligible for state and federal renewable energy tax credits. 
 
Advanced Technology & Research is a 38-year old engineering company that traditionally works with military and coastal agencies. It began making the solar device four years as a response to the increased demand for energy-efficient products, Lundahl says.
 
Landahl says the company is focusing on the mid-Atlantic region now but may go nationwide as the market increases. 
 
Source: Robert Lundahl, vice president for energy systems and automation at Advanced Technology & Research
Writer: Barbara Pash

Hagerstown Community College, in Washington County, is turning itself in the high tech center of Western Maryland. Next month, the college will open a $25 million complex that includes the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Building, laboratories and a classroom building.
 
The new STEM building will house the college’s biotechnology, alternative energy technology, cybersecurity, math and engineering degree programs. In the fall the college will begin offering its science classes online, and is in the process of getting approval for online degree programs.
 
The college campus is also the site of the Technical Innovation Center, a self-sustaining entity that promotes technology development and the creation of technology jobs in the area.
 
Toxpath Specialists, a toxicological pathology firm, is the latest graduate of the Technical Innovation Center. It left the business incubator this year for commercial space, creating 10 new jobs in the county’s biotechnology community.
 
P. Chris Marschner, manager of the Technical Innovation Center, says the center currently houses 15 companies, among them medical software, wireless technology, biotechnology and cybersecurity. Since the center began in 1994, 50 to 60 startups have graduated, creating a total of over 400 jobs in the Western Maryland region.
 
Sources: Elizabeth Stull, Hagerstown Community College; P. Chris Marschner, Technical Innovation Center
Writer: Barbara Pash

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics’ mid-Atlantic terminal facility at the Port of Baltimore uses two Global Electric Motorcars to transport employees and materials around the marine terminal facility. The company is installing three new solar trackers manufactured by Advanced Technology & Research Corp. of Columbia.

“We hope the energy produced by the solar trackers can offset completely the power needed to operate the electric vehicles,” says Michael Derby, WWL’s general manager for North Atlantic Operations.

The electric vehicles stay charged for three to five days. The dual-panel solar units that are providing the new source of power for the electric vehicle chargers employ a GPS-enabled mechanism to follow the sun and produce 25 to 45 percent more electricity per day than conventional fixed-solar panels.

Since they are being used specifically for the maintenance of electric vehicles instead of powering other systems, these trackers can incorporate car-charging units in each post on which the solar panels are mounted. Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics will consider deploying more trackers at its other facilities if the initial batch proves successful.


Writer: Amy McNeal
Source: Alan Cohen, Advanced Technology & Research Corporation; Michael Derby, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics

Constellation Energy is now accepting applications for its EcoStar Grant Program, which promotes renewable energy.

In its third year, the program provides grants of up to $5,000 to organizations working on community projects that fit into one or more categories designated by the Baltimore firm: pollution prevention, education and outreach, energy efficiency, conservation and community activism

Past winners of EcoStar grants in Baltimore include Coppin State University, Knowledge Is Power Program charter schools and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Coppin State University used EcoStar grant funds to study nanotechnology and solar power. Constellation has awarded EcoStar grants in 20 states since the program's inception. Last year, it awarded 85 EcoStar grants.

The deadline for applications for the 2012 EcoStar grant program is March 10. Grant awards will be announced on or before Earth Day, April 12.

Writer: Amy McNeal
Source: Christina Pratt, Constellation Energy

The Traffic Group, a White Marsh transportation services and traffic engineering company, has been chosen by Montgomery County to develop a plan for a new rapid transit system.

Funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, the proposed new system would consist of 24 routes. The system would include dedicated lanes for rapid transit vehicles and vehicle stations that are wide, weather-protected and equipped with real-time data and maps.

The rapid transit system being considered for Montgomery County is an ambitious attempt to address the problems of traffic and congestion endemic in the area. If adopted as proposed, the rapid transit system would be the one of the largest of its kind in the US.

“We are thrilled to develop a plan for Montgomery County focused on a new rapid transit system,” Traffic Group President Wes Guckert says. “Unfortunately our region boasts the worst traffic in our country, which delays the average commuter 74 hours per year. When constructed, this new system would give back both time and money to commuters.”

The Traffic Group has offices in Arkansas, New York and Texas.

Writer: Amy McNeal
Source: Wes Guckert, The Traffic Group

Maryland's efforts to become more energy efficient are gaining recognition.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has ranked Maryland as a top 10 state in energy efficiency. The organization recently published its 2011 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard rankings and cited Massachusetts and California as the top two states.

The council bases its rankings on states’ efforts to use energy efficiently in their residential, commercial, industrial and transportation sectors.

Maryland received high marks in transportation and transit-oriented development. The council recognized Maryland’s high standards for tailpipe emissions and land use transportation planning.

Energy efficiency goals and programs under the EmPOWER Maryland Energy Efficiency Act of 2008 also contributed to Maryland's high score. That legislation directs the Maryland Public Service Commission  to require Maryland's electric utilities to provide energy efficiency services to its customers to achieve 10 percent of a 15 percent per-capita electricity use reduction goal statewide by 2015.

The governor’s office estimates that since 2009, Marylanders have saved more than $117 million through efficiency upgrades, reduced consumption and investments in renewable energy options.


Source: Maryland governor’s office
Writer: Amy McNeal

Baltimore now has 9 new chargers available for drivers of electric vehicles. Mayor Stephanie
Rawlings- Blake, Department of General Services Director Theodore “Ted” Atwood, Parking
Authority of Baltimore City Executive Director Peter Little, and John Murach of Baltimore Gas
and Electric were on hand at the dedication celebration for the new chargers. The Mayor
also took a spin in a new Chevy Volt, which is being considered as a fleet vehicle by the
Department of General Services.

The 9 new car chargers are located at city owned garages around downtown Baltimore.
Electric vehicle chargers have been installed at the Arena Garage, the Baltimore Street
Garage, the Caroline Street Garage, the Lexington Street Garage, the Little Italy Garage, the
Penn Station Garage, the Redwood Street Garage, the Water Street Garage, and the West
Street Garage.

The celebration ceremony for the 9 new chargers is a part of the city's efforts to reduce
energy consumption. During the month of October, which has been designated “Energy
Awareness Month,” Baltimore City officials have also held energy awareness and green
initiatives seminars. Baltimore's city government is also holding a City Employee Energy
Challenge, pitting different city departments against one another in a competition to
reduce energy use. According to the Department of General Services, the Baltimore City
government is on target to meet its goal of a 20% reduction in energy use by 2015.

Writer: Amy McNeal
Source: Department of General Services, Baltimore City

Standard Solar, a Baltimore based solar panel installation firm, installed a large array of solar panels at the Twin Ridge apartment complex in Pikesville this month. The array consists of 36 panels mounted on the roof of the clubhouse. It is a 6.66 kW system with an estimated annual output is 8,218 kilowatt hours. 

"We were inspired by the environmental as well as the economic benefits to add solar power to the Twin Ridge Community. Residents will immediately benefit from this step in making our community more green and there is a sense of pride in seeing the panels on top of our clubhouse; however our residents will also benefit the system every time they use the exercise facilities or the restrooms by our pool. The solar panels should help keep the landlord's costs down and hopefully reduce future rent increases," says Brian A. Goldman, Esq., General Partner at Twin Ridge Apartments.

The newly installed panels will power the clubhouse area of the complex, including the gym, management offices, showers, common rooms, restrooms, and maintenance facilities. The solar array is the first of its kind in the Baltimore area.

"Twin Ridge is the first apartment complex in Baltimore County to go solar, setting an example for others in the Baltimore community to go green by using solar as an affordable alternative to conventional power," says Rick Berube, Vice President of Operations, Standard Solar.

The management company of Twin Ridge Apartments is interested in continuing to add more alternative energy option like solar power in the future. As alternative energy costs become more affordable, the apartment complex ownership will be looking at ways to use alternative fuel sources including solar power to power individual apartments.


Writer: Amy McNeal
Sources: Brian Goldman, Twin Ridge Apartments; Rick Berube, Standard Solar

Constellation Energy, the parent company of Baltimore Gas and Electric,  will be offering Maryland consumers the option to lease solar panels through BGE home. The company will be offering solar panels, manufactured by Maryland-based Astrum Solar, to homeowners throughout the area as an addition to its menu of retail services. The panels are available through leasing programs in either a low money down or 20 year prepaid format.

"Leasing can sharply reduce the upfront costs for solar, and in this economy that's an important consideration," says Mark Huston, head of Constellation Energy's retail business.

Green power has been a major growth and investment point for Constellation Energy. The company recently dedicated wind turbines in Garrett County, and is an active participant in Maryland's Generating Clean Horizons Program. Constellation currently owns and operates 95 megawatts of solar energy production installations, and is planning greater expansion in the field.

Another entrant in the local energy market, Champion Energy Services, announced this week that it has been approved as an electricity supplier in Maryland. Champion Energy Services filed for approval with the Maryland Public Service Commission in March. The company is now licensed to begin supplying customers in the service territories of Allegheny Power, Baltimore Gas and Electric, Delmarva Power, and Potomac Electric Power Company. Service will begin in the fourth quarter of 2011.


Writer: Amy McNeal
Sources: Scott Fordham, Champion Energy Services; Christina Pratt, Constellation Energy

Advanced Technology & Research Incorporated has launched a new line of solar car chargers. The newest addition to ATR's solar product array was installed at 10401 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, MD on August 8th, in a ceremony attended by Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. The ceremony marked the debut of Maryland's first high-efficiency, small-footprint solar system for EV charging. The product launch included an on-site demonstration with electric vehicles of The Solar Power Pole, a sun-tracking EV-charging system.

"Using renewable solar energy to power up electric vehicles is one of those closed loop systems that is hard to resist. ATR looked to fill a niche with a very efficient, sun tracking solar array, perched on top of a single monopole. This configuration provides the most power with the smallest footprint and it is much easier to site in the typical parking lot," says ATR Vice President of Energy Systems Rob Lundahl

The Solar Power Pole features an 18-foot tall elevated six-panel solar array that utilizes ATR's GPS-based sun-tracking technology for efficiency gains of 30-45% over conventional rooftop solar arrays. The pole-top mount keeps the panels well overhead and the curbside footprint very small. The systems are grid-tied to assure continuous availability of charging power.

"We want to install more units in high traffic and high visibility locations. These chargers are attractive and high tech. We believe that the early adopters of electric vehicles are forward looking and they will seek out the solar chargers as the next step in zero  carbon commuting," Lundahl continues.

The car charger launch adds a new product to ATR's expanding lines. ATR also offers a single panel tracker, a pole mounted tracker designed for use by homeowners that holds 2 solar panels, and a large solar tracker that can be retrofitted to wind turbine poles.


Writer: Amy Mcneal
Sources: Rob Lundahl, Alan Cohen, Advanced Technology and Research, Incorporated

Constellation Energy, the parent company of Baltimore Gas and Electric, has dedicated a new installation of wind turbines in Western Maryland. Constellation launched the project in 2010 upon acquiring wind power start-up Criterion Wind.

The 70-megawatt Criterion Wind Project consists of 28 wind turbines positioned through an eight-mile stretch along Backbone Mountain in Garrett County. This is Maryland's first major wind power generation facility. The new facility is expected to produce enough electricity to fulfill the needs of 23,000 households.

The energy produced by the Criterion Wind Project facility will be sold to Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, which entered into a 20-year agreement to purchase the power. Old Dominion is a non-profit wholesale power provider that serves public electric cooperatives in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.

Constellation Energy is continuing to expand its green energy profile. A participant in Maryland's Generating Clean Horizons initiative, Constellation  is working toward developing a 17.4 megawatt solar-based power generation installation. The project is slated to be developed on land that will be leased from Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg. The finished  installation will be  the largest solar photovoltaic power system in Maryland.

Upon completion, the system is expected to produce more than 22 million kilowatt hours of emissions-free electricity per year.


Writer: Amy McNeal
Source: Kevin Thornton, Constellation Energy

The Maryland-Asia Environmental Partnership has signed an agreement with Singapore's national water agency, PUB. The Memorandum of Understanding is intended to help establish collaborative relationships between Maryland-based government, science, and business groups and similar groups in Singapore. The MD-AEP's goal with this agreement is to create opportunities for the two groups of urban water management experts to work together to establish fruitful partnerships. MD-AEP wil also be working with Singapore to expand that country's urban water export model to other Asian nations.

MD-AEP led a 14 member delegation of Maryland environmental impact and water experts to Asia to participate in Singapore International Water Week 2011 in early July. The delegation was led by MD-AEP Founder and President Peter Gourlay. Also included in the team were representatives from KCI Technologies, I.M. Systems Group, Formos, and wastewater solutions company Everpure Hi-Tec Water Solutions.

Members of the delegation met with their counterparts in Singapore and high ranking government officials, and showcased Maryland's water sciences industries to conference attendees. MD-AEP also represented 10 other Maryland firms involved in water impact science and technology, including the Institute for Marine and Environmental Technology and the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The Maryland-Asia Environmental Partnership will continue working to establish relationships with other Asian countries with the goal of bringing together private sector and public sector companies to address the growing water and conservation problems faced by many countries in the rapidly developing region.


Writer: Amy McNeal
Source: Maryland-Asia Environmental Partnership

NASA is studying air pollution in the Baltimore/DC area. In flyovers of the region, the agency is measuring air quality in several spots throughout the corridor. The flights are intended to measure the accuracy of air quality measurements taken from satellites.

Measuring air quality from satellites can be a challenge. Satellites that measure air quality can have problems distinguishing between pollution that is measured high in the atmosphere and pollution closer to the ground that affects quality of life. NASA is using P-3B research aircraft to conduct the flyovers.

The measurements will be coordinated with satellite measurements to test the accuracy of the satellite equipment and help air quality scientists determine ways to refine the technology to provide better measurements. NASA's DISCOVER-AQ, which stands for Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality, is led from the Langley Research center in Hampton, VA. The mission is an Earth Science Team research program in concert with the Maryland Department of the Environment and the EPA.


Writer: Amy McNeal
Source: Maryland Department of the Environment

Energy efficient lighting solutions has been a growth driver for Mobern Lighting in Laurel. The company has increased staff by 40% over the last six months, adding 30 positions, and is planning to expand with a national distribution chain.

"We have been constantly adding staff. We are still looking for a good operational person and inside sales help. We have been growing at a rate that is not sustainable with current staff," says Mobern Lighting President William Stone.

Mobern Lighting specializes in manufacturing high quality commercial grade lighting for new construction and providing energy efficient retrofit lighting for existing structures. Some of their biggest clients include Rexel and Dominion Electric. Mobern's products have been used in several recent local projects, including energy efficient lighting work done at Baltimore Washington International Airport, The National Institute of Science and Technology, and Camden Yards.

"Our biggest challenge is handling our expansion from a Mid-Atlantic Regional concern to a manufacturer with a national presence. We are adding warehouses in other areas of the US and will need to be able to manage them effectively," Stone says.

In addition to manufacturing and developing energy efficient lighting products, Mobern Lighting also works to educate distributors, contractors, and business leaders about the benefits of choosing green lighting. The company holds classes and seminars to encourage greater use of green lighting technology in both new construction and retrofit projects.

"I feel strongly that a company should be an extension of the community it serves. With that in mind I hire locally, belong to various local organizations, and try to take an active role in community endeavors. We have donated energy efficient product to local non-profits to help minimize their electrical costs and consumption," Stone says.


Writer: Amy McNeal
Source: William Stone, Mobern Lighting

Advanced Technology & Research has been a specialist in robotics, motion control, and automation for over 30 years. In 2009, while looking for ways to keep the company relevant in the changing world of technology development, Rob Lundahl, Vice President for Automation and Systems at ATR, was inspired to get to work on a new product that could utilize existing infrastructure to create solar power.
 
"Driving to and from work every day," Lundahl says, "I saw light and utility poles all along the highway and in malls and shopping centers and thought, 'These are unused assets. Why not develop tracking mounts for solar panels that can be easily installed on light poles and produce grid-tied power to the local utility network accessible at the base of the pole?'"

The products that ATR developed on this theme include a one-panel, pole-mounted solar tracker that uses GPS to track the sun for optimal power output; a two-panel, ground-mounted tracker; a solar car charger; and a hybrid wind/solar power system. The ground-mounted, two-panel array was recently displayed at the Maryland Solar and Wind Expo.

"So far, we've seen lots of interest from consumers, businesses, and government agencies," Lundahl says. "We installed our first pole-mounted tracker for a very low cost at the ENVIRO CENTER, in Jessup, where it is generating energy as well as serving as an educational tool, including by displaying its power output online in real-time."

ATR produces the tracking mechanism and assembles the tracker at its Columbia facility. Triton Metals in Solomon's Island fabricates the tracking mount. ATR will be installing solar panels on a wind turbine on Tilghman Island in late June and will install its first solar-assisted car charger in Bethesda in late July.


Writer: Amy McNeal
Sources: Rob Lundahl, Alan Cohen, Advanced Research & Technology