Renewable Energy

Franklin Wind Energy Group adds 12 jobs, plans to hire more

By Newsroom

●

May 7, 2009

Ten years ago David Koyle started Franklin Wind Energy Group and for years fought the good fight for growth as a start up. By the beginning of this year he was able to grow the company to three people before it really started to lift off.The Franklin-based firm now employs 15 people, 10 independent contractors and is looking at bringing in some summer interns. All of this growth came in the last few months as the company installed its first Franklin wind turbine at Wayne State University's campus."This is the first of many," Koyle says. "We have orders to install several more starting in July."Franklin Wind Energy Group recently acquired the U.S. rights to manufacture and market a 30-foot tall vertical axis wind turbine. It plans to install these across the state on buildings, in farm fields and even on cell phone towers. The company is also looking at teaming up with a local manufacturer to build the turbines. That could mean the creation of another 50 manufacturing jobs on top of the additional handful of researchers from Wayne State.The 5kW Franklin Vertical Axis Wind Turbine can take wind from any direction, operates at low RPM with no vibration, and emits little noiseSource: David Koyle, president of Franklin Wind EnergyWriter: Jon Zemke

Latest in Renewable Energy

Clean Emission Fluids clears $100,000 in venture capital

By Newsroom

●

Community Development

●

May 7, 2009

Clean Emission Fluids doesn't have to worry about washing its latest investment of $100,000. The venture capital comes straight from Automation Alley.The Grosse Pointe start-up received the funds to help develop its FAST (Fluids Affordably STored) biofuel and clean diesel system. The new technology helps blend a variety of biofuels to make the right combination of bio-diesel for the right truck when it pulls up. Most other fuel pumps don't have this blending ability.Clean Emission Fluids installed its first such pump on the NextEnergy campus at Detroit's TechTown business incubator early last year. The pumps are turn-key usable with prices starting at just under $20,000 each. The company formed in 2007 and employs a handful of people. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation recently gave Automation Alley $1.5 million to invest in start-up technology-based companies across Southeast Michigan. This is one of the first two companies it has invested in. The other is Franklin-based Circle Builder. Source: Automation AlleyWriter: Jon Zemke

Michigan poised to push bio-energy industry forward

By Newsroom

●

Economic Development

●

May 7, 2009

Agri-energy is something Michigan might be hearing a lot about in the coming future. You've probably heard of ethanol - basically corn fuel - and maybe the word bio-energy... well both of those fall into and are now called agri-energy, and the agri-energy industry is poised for tremendous growth here in the state of Michigan. Excerpt: Pennington: We have some of the most innovative and forward-thinking farmers as well as a climate and natural resources that position Michigan to benefit significantly. In 2008, it has been estimated that Americans spent $700 billion on petroleum. Federal policy puts us on track to produce 25 percent of our transportation fuel from renewable sources. Imagine the potential of diverting 25 percent of $700 billion to our farmers and entrepreneurs in rural America. Pueppke: Michigan's agricultural and forestry sectors will benefit economically from having new markets for materials we can produce. But beyond this, there are significant jobs opportunities for transportation, logistics, and in the biorefineries themselves. We should not underestimate the opportunities for research and development, which provides jobs for Michigan's young talent and keeps it in the state. And because we have a long history of manufacturing, there is potential that the state can become a producer of biorefinery equipment and materials that can be sold in other parts of the country. Read the entire article here.

ITC Holdings takes big bite out of emissions

By Newsroom

●

Arts and Culture

●

April 30, 2009

Lots of companies like to announce sustainability-based programs, emphasizing their grand ambitions. The follow-up announcements aren't as common. This story is about the latter kind of announcement. Novi-based ITC Holdings has dramatically reduced its emissions of Sulfur Hexafluoride (a greenhouse gas) three years after starting a program to contain the problem. The gas was escaping from old transmission equipment at an average of 13,275 pounds per year in 2005. That number stands at 1,836 pounds as of 2008.ITC Holdings, which runs electrical grids, has been chasing similar efficiencies in its infrastructure for years. It is investing about $10 billion in upgrading the electric grid in the Midwest, a move that will make the grid more efficient and sustainable.The firm is also expanding the grid to wind farms in places like the Upper Peninsula so that they can provide renewable energy to places like Minneapolis or Detroit. The Green Power Express project will eventually transport 12,000 megawatts of renewable energy to city centers. Source: ITC HoldingsWriter: Jon Zemke

John Fetterman’s Rust Belt Revival

By Megan Pennefather

●

Arts and Culture

●

April 30, 2009

John Fetterman is a large, tattooed, Harvard-educated mayor of a tiny town, and his tough brand of civic responsibility may have important lessons for Metro Detroit.

Metro Detroit receives $6 million for entrepreneurs

By Newsroom

●

Arts and Culture

●

April 30, 2009

Metro Detroit is receiving a big shot in its entrepreneurial arm, now that Uncle Sam is giving $6 million to the Economic Development Coalition of Southeast Michigan, a coalition of local economic development groups.The coalition will disburse this money to economic development groups such as Automation Alley and Macomb County. NextEnergy, an anchor tenant in Detroit's TechTown, will use its share for alternative energy development. Wayne County is planning to use part of its share to open another business incubator on the west side of the county."Basically they're all going to provide programs and services to growing businesses," says Sabrina Kelley, vice president of Detroit Renaissance.The coalition worked with Michigan’s Congressional delegation to secure this funding. It's a working relationship that has brought more than $10 million in federal funds to the region for business accelerators in recent years.That money generally allows the business accelerators to continue providing services to high growth sectors, such as customized business planning, product development, business marketing and organizational development consulting. It also facilitates networking programs and facilities to incubate new business start-ups or joint ventures.Source: Sabrina Kelley, vice president of Detroit Renaissance Writer: Jon Zemke

Patrick Energy Services to hire 20-30 people in Novi

By Newsroom

●

Arts and Culture

●

April 16, 2009

The green jobs are starting to trickle into Michigan now that Patrick Energy Services is expanding its presence in Metro Detroit.The subsidiary of Patrick Engineering specializes in energy systems for everything from smart-grid technology to alternative energy. The company currently employs 60 people in its Livonia office. It is in the process of moving to a larger office in Novi, where it plans to add 20-30 new jobs within the next few years."We took a good look at Michigan and decided to expand here instead of elsewhere," says John Abramson, director of business for Patrick Energy Services.One of the company's focuses will be on wind energy; specifically, helping to connect wind turbines to the grid. It hopes to expand into other parts of the wind farm sector as it continues to grow.Sources: John Abramson, director of business for Patrick Energy Services and Chuck Albrecht, vice president of Patrick Energy ServicesWriter: Jon Zemke

Metromode Radio: Sustainable Energy In Michigan

By Chris McCarus

●

Sustainability

●

April 9, 2009

The Michigan Sustainable Energy Coalition brought international experts to the state's capital this week to discuss the changing energy landscape. Only a couple of lawmakers attended and Michigan Now's Chris McCarus was the only reporter there. The event showed how hard it is to shift the focus from the old economy to the new one.

Team Algal Scientific turns wastewater into energy, seed funding

By Newsroom

●

Innovation News

●

April 2, 2009

Wastewater could rain money for Ann Arbor-based start-up Team Algal Scientific.Excerpt:Most people want dirty wastewater to just go away. Not the people at Team Algal Scientific. The University of Michigan/Michigan State University spin-off is hoping the day comes when they simply can't get enough of the stuff.A group of mostly U-M graduate students and an MSU graduate student created a wastewater treatment system that uses algae to remove nutrients from contaminated water, leaving the raw materials for biofuels. The idea was good enough to take first place at the inaugural Clean Energy Prize.Read the rest of the story here.

GREEN SPACE: A-ShirtBag aims for sustainable products, operations…and education

By Newsroom

●

Economic Development

●

April 2, 2009

What the heck is A-ShirtBag? It's a discarded tank top -- a.k.a., an A-Shirt -- turned into a bag...and it's also a non-profit operation that sells other sustainable goods and does educational outreach. It's HQ-ed right here in southeast Michigan, with administrative offices in Royal Oak and production offices in the New Center area of Detroit.Founder Jeff Newsom aims to offer simple solutions for sustainable living, with the A-ShirtBag being example number one. Next up is CFL light bulbs, aluminum water bottles, recycling bins and more, that will be sold online and at Root and Sprout Eco-Boutique in Birmingham and at Heritage Co. in Royal Oak. With A-ShirtBag products, Newsom is aiming for clean, modern design that demonstrates that "eco-friendly stuff can be cool...it doesn't have to be crunchy or granola."His bags are manufactured at a wind-powered factory in North Carolina. All waste fabric is shipped back to AShirtBag, where it is turned into teddy bears. This no-waste way of doing business translates to operations back at the office, where Newsom is working on achieving LEED certification.All this green living is key to Newsom's mission of educating youth as to its ease and benefits. He is launching his program, "7 Things You Can Do in 7 Days to Save Our Environment" on April 7 at Logan Elementary School in Detroit. The program uses science-based project learning and targets schools that are low-performing in their MEAP science scores. Each child walks away with a Tree in a Box and each classroom ends up with recycling bins.Newsom relocated here from New York and says he finds Detroit "fascinating." Next up for the eco-preneur is multiple Earth Day events, scattered around Metro Detroit. Metromode will be doing an Earth Day round-up, so stay tuned.Source: Jeff Newsom, AShirtBagWriter: Kelli B. Kavanaugh