Category Archives: Alternative Energy
Posted in Alternative Energy | Communities | Current Events | Economic Development | Energy Conservation | Innovative Solutions | Politics by Marty Muggleton (VP Client Development & Marketing) on August 17, 2012
Barcelona, Spain–”It isn’t a crisis, it’s a scam.”
When he said “just like America”, I began to think.
In the last three years, I have been fortunate to spend time in both Greece and Spain. These are beautiful and stimulating cultures, and are valuable sources for understanding other views of the world. I can’t speak more than a few phrases of each language, but I can learn by talking (in English) with locals. In these countries there are plenty of opportunities, since people tend to be friendly and enthusiastic conversationalists.
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Posted in Alternative Energy | Current Events | Innovative Solutions | Marcellus Shale | Natural Gas by Aron Lantz, PE (Innovation Engineer) on June 22, 2012
Pennsylvania sits atop an abundant supply of natural gas that, according to a study from Penn State University, could be producing more than 17 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day by 2020. The safe and responsible development of this abundant resource can power our transportation sector for generations to come with a cleaner, more affordable source of fuel.
Last week, I participated in an event at Penn State Lehigh Valley titled, “Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs): The Road Ahead in Pennsylvania” that discussed policies to encourage infrastructure development for greater use of natural gas for transportation. This Penn State Extension-sponsored forum showcased how natural gas vehicles can benefit Pennsylvanians. Various experts on NGVs and natural gas vehicle fueling stations discussed the technical and economic aspects of NGVs and supporting infrastructure.
For fleets who consume large quantities of fuel, NGVs are a smart economic alternative. With gas prices remaining unpredictable, the greater use of vehicles powered by natural gas would provide substantial savings for fleets. One recent report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration found natural gas currently costs 42 percent less on average than traditional gasoline, and is expected to cost 50 percent less than traditional fuels by 2035.
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Posted in Alternative Energy | Communities | Energy Conservation | Innovative Solutions | Site Design & Land Development | Sustainable Design by Jillian Ibbs (Marketing) on June 12, 2012
The Laurel Hill Wind Energy Project is a Duke Energy Corporation initiative, located along Laurel Hill Ridge in Jackson and McIntyre Townships in northern Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. Upon completion, the facility will consist of thirty individual wind turbines within a seven-mile long lease corridor. Altogether, the turbines will produce 69 megawatts of electricity.
Larson Design Group handled the land development design for the project, including boundary and topographic survey, Geographic Information System (GIS) base mapping, zoning application preparation, construction observation, erosion control plans, post-construction stormwater management plans, water/wastewater design, permitting, site re-vegetation plans, and alignment studies. LDG is also assisting Duke Energy with full-time construction management tasks.
The turbines are impressive structures. Manufactured by Siemens, they measure 424 feet tall at their highest point and run at any wind speed between approximately 8 and 55 miles per hour. A new two-mile long, 34.5-kilovolt overhead electric transmission line will convey electricity from the turbine corridor to a new switchyard and substation, which was designed and is being constructed in accordance with PenElec’s specifications. The switchyard will be turned over to PenElec for operation and maintenance after project completion. The turbine blades, which are 163 feet long, are fitted with serrated edging to aid in noise reduction. Each rotor blade automatically pivots in its socket to ensure it will catch maximum wind power from any direction.
The wind farm is expected to be completed in October of 2012. The electricity they will produce has been sold to Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation, which serves over 100,000 residents and businesses.
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Posted in Alternative Energy | Blogging | Communities | Current Events | Economic Development | Energy Conservation | Initiatives | Innovative Solutions | Marcellus Shale | Natural Gas by Jillian Ibbs (Marketing) on April 17, 2012
Larson Design Group (LDG) is currently designing a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station in conjunction with the City of Williamsport. The station will be located at the River Valley Transit (RVT) garage on West Third Street in Williamsport and will be open to the public.
Why Natural Gas?
The price of CNG fluctuates between a half and a third of the price of gasoline. Maintenance costs for natural gas-powered vehicles (NGVs) are equal to or less than those of gas or diesel. Combined with government grants, significant savings can be an expected result of CNG-powered fleets. In fact, RVT has already received a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and a $400,000 grant from the Department of Environmental Protection to help fund both the fueling station and the purchase of four CNG buses. RVT expects an annual savings of over $400,000 once the natural gas station is completed.
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Posted in Alternative Energy | Architecture | Communication | Marketing | Social Media by Marty Muggleton (VP Client Development & Marketing) on January 26, 2012
This chart is the author’s personal opinion on who people choose to trust for news and truth, and who has the most ethical, moral, and/or legal responsibility to be accurate.
I’ve been working long enough that young people think I’m wise. Secretly, I think they mean old and just want to be nice about it. But these are gifted people, with a bright future and we have some interesting discussions. Broad but predictable range of topics – religion, environment, healthcare, politics, and the list goes on.
Over the holidays, I had a couple of interesting discussions on news, truth, and trust. These chats matched up with some free time that let me look at the relationship of news, truth, and trust a bit differently.
The primary role of media is news not truth. They mark the date of an event, and that establishes chronology. You hear on television and radio. “At 11:00 this morning…”. A book or published research attempts to offer truth, by reaching for cause and effect after the event happened. You read it. “We found measurable amounts of…”. Trust, I feel, is established by where you are and what you’re surrounded by.
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