Photo Courtesy of Toyota

These Factors Are Impacting Sales of Alternative Fuel Vehicles

February 2015, Automotive Fleet – Feature – (Link)

by Ricky Beggs

From the article:

“There are many reasons for an individual, company, or fleet buyer to consider and choose hybrids, electrics, or other alternative-fuel vehicles. Whether the selection is determined by an ecological point of view or one to lower certain operating costs, one factor is the same for both: the level of sales penetration over the past four to five years.”

“Through September 2014, according to data from www.hybridcars.com, hybrid vehicle sales increased, but the percentage of total sales at 2.88 percent was less than the previous year’s 3.32 percent. Plug-in hybrid and total electric vehicle sales increased slightly for 2014, but still made up just over one-third of 1 percent of total sales. Another alternative fuel, diesel, within the car and utility models, increased in 2014 to 0.89 percent. There are other alternative fuels that have garnered interest, such as compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied propane gas (LPG), with the majority of these used in more commercial applications.”

“For fleet users, some of the factors that are part of the decision to “go green” continue to be acquisition costs, which can change due to product price adjustments from various manufacturers, as well as the availability of state and federal tax incentives that are in effect or are running out.”

Find Out Who’s Coming to L-NGV2015 San Diego and Join ATRE! We’ll Be There!

See listing below. If you’re in the advanced transportation and renewable energy field – this is a must-attend event. From the event literature:

“L-NGV2015 San Diego will cover a wide themes scope in its conference sessions as well as an extensive variety of products and services in its table tops and motor zone show. Therefore, we are expecting visitors from a broad range of segments, who will be looking forward to networking and learning about the latest developments, opportunities and challenges in the alternative fuels market.”

Source: http://www.l-ngv2015sandiego.com/

More information here.

WhiteKnightTwo carrying LauncherOne. Source: CompositesWorld

“Virgin Galactic opens LauncherOne design and manufacturing plant”

From www.compositesworld.com (Link)

LauncherOne, a new two-stage orbital launch vehicle designed to deliver satellites of 225 kg or less into orbit, will be manufactured at a facility near the Long Beach, CA, US airport. A job fair is scheduled for March 7.

Virgin Galactic, the privately-funded space company owned by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Abu Dhabi’s Aabar Investments PJS, reported on Feb. 12 that it has leased a new 13,935m² facility that will house design and manufacturing of the company’s small satellite launch vehicle, LauncherOne.

LauncherOne is a new two-stage orbital launch vehicle being designed by Virgin Galactic specifically to launch commercial or governmental satellites that weigh 225 kg or less. Much like SpaceShipTwo, the company’s reusable vehicle for space tourism, LauncherOne is designed to be launched from the WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft, giving customers the ability to avoid crowded and expensive launch ranges while also picking the launch location best suited for their mission. Located at the Long Beach (CA, US) Airport, this new facility will allow easy transportation of rockets and of customers’ satellites using WhiteKnightTwo.

Virgin Galactic will be hosting a job fair and open house at the new facility on Saturday, March 7. Prospective applicants looking for more information should visit virgingalactic.com in the coming days for complete job listings and for more information on the open house.

US Congressman Alan Lowenthal expressed his support regarding Virgin Galactic’s move to the area, saying, “I want to welcome Virgin Galactic to Long Beach and I applaud their commitment both to the state and to Southern California. This proves again that Southern California has the tools, the skills, and the talent to push not only the bounds of technology, but in this case, the bonds of Earth itself.”

“California and Los Angeles County have always been home to the true pioneers of the aerospace business,” says Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia. “We’re thrilled that Long Beach attracted a tenant like Virgin Galactic, a world-renowned leader of the commercial space industry. This is one of the most exciting and dynamic businesses in the country, and they are bringing excellent jobs we need for the talented and hard-working aerospace professionals who already call Long Beach home.”

“I’m extremely proud that Virgin Galactic has chosen Long Beach for its new facility and excited to welcome them to the community,” says Long Beach 5th District Councilwoman Stacy Mungo. “I have great respect for our aviation history, and this innovative satellite project will bring a spotlight to Long Beach and to our partnerships for economic development.”

Read original article here.

College’s Technology Division Partners with Advanced Transportation & Renewable Energy (ATRE) and True South Renewables to Fill Critical Shortage of Electrical Field Service Technicians

Submitted on 12/01/14, 04:18 PM (Link)
Visit http://www.cerritos.edu for further information

NORWALK, Calif., Dec. 3, 2014 – A first-of-its kind training program to certify military veterans and other qualified applicants to meet the growing need for electrical field service technicians (EFSTs) that maintain the country’s fast-growing solar power and electric vehicle infrastructure has been launched by Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif.

The program is the result of a partnership among Cerritos College’s Technology Division, the Advanced Transportation & Renewable Energy (ATRE) sector, a California Community Colleges workforce program, and True South Renewables, Inc., the largest independent solar operations and maintenance provider in the U.S. The five-month college certification program will teach students how to maintain and repair solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and equipment needing general maintenance. Many top solar companies, including True South Renewables, have jobs waiting for graduates of the program.

Cerritos College and ATRE worked closely with True South Renewables to develop the extensive curriculum for this unique program.

“This is an important initiative to provide military personnel who were electricians in the service to receive certification in a high-paying, growing civilian field,” said Rue Phillips, CEO of True South Renewables based in Huntington Beach, Calif. “In addition, these graduates are needed. Few outside the solar power industry are aware of the volume of operations and maintenance work required to ensure the optimum performance of large solar fields and photovoltaic systems on commercial and residential rooftops.”

Classes start Jan. 12, 2015 at the Cerritos College campus and applications are now being accepted. Applicants must be experienced electricians with accumulated service knowledge and skills in the electronics/electrician and IT sectors. Qualified U.S. veterans are being prioritized for entry and will be able to secure financial support upon acceptance.

“We are proud to offer this program to the community, enabling qualified veterans, the unemployed and under-employed to receive training that fills a critical shortage of technicians in the trillion-dollar solar and EV markets,” said Jannet Malig, ATRE regional director based at Cerritos College. “Graduates of the program will be introduced to industry leaders with the expectation that we will achieve 99% job placement for graduating students.”

The EFST program at Cerritos College will serve as a pilot for implementing the courses in community colleges throughout California and across the nation, according to Peter Davis, statewide director of the ATRE.

“The EFST program upgrades the skill sets of the workforce necessary to meet the growing employment demands of renewable energy technology firms,” Davis said.

Program graduates will also receive a certificate of achievement in New Product Development from the Chancellor’s office of California Community Colleges. The program is part of a statewide commitment to “Doing What Matters.”

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be certified within three modules: Solar Inverter Maintenance and Repair, Electrical Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE) Maintenance and Repair, and Solar and EVSE Related Instrumentation and IT Products.

Typical job titles for graduates include:

• Solar O&M Technician Electronics Repair Technician
• Solar PV Technician
• Electric Vehicle Service Equipment Technician
• Solar monitoring equipment Technician
• Test Equipment Technician

Starting annual salaries can range up to $75,000, according to ATRE.

Qualified candidates interested in applying for the EFST program should contact Jannet Malig of the ATRE at jmalig@cerritos.edu.

About Cerritos College’s Technology Division

Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college’s district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 180 areas of study in nine divisions. Annually, more than 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies, and enrollment currently averages 23,000 students. The technology division teaches students a variety of technical subjects including New Product Development. Visit Cerritos College online at http://www.cerritos.edu and http://cms.cerritos.edu/technology.

About Advanced Transportation and Renewable Energy (ATRE)

ATRE represents an array of clean energy technologies that form a critical part of California’s strategy for reducing its climate change impact and its dependency on foreign energy, as well as growing a robust green economy by helping California’s businesses remain competitive in a global market. For more information, please visit http://www.atreeducation.org

About True South Renewables, Inc.

True South Renewables, Inc. (TSR) is the leading independent solar O&M services provider in North America and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Solarrus Corporation. TSR has a distinguished reputation for safety and performance when it comes to the delivery of O&M services. In addition to providing service and maintenance for utility-scale, commercial, and residential solar installations, TSR also has considerable experience with the development, design, installation, and maintenance of electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE) and battery energy storage systems (BESS). By incorporating a nationwide footprint and proven O&M protocols, TSR not only brings experience and confidence to customers’ projects, but also delivers services that remain an asset for the entire lifetime of the projects. For more information about True South Renewables, visit www.TrueSouthRenewables.com.