Earlier this week, North Carolina was in the national spotlight as President Barack Obama visited the Triangle to talk about strategies to accelerate job growth (with a heavy dose of clean energy!). I was honored to be part of the President’s Jobs Council roundtable on the energy sector Monday morning, which was comprised of a group of about 40 business leaders who gathered at NC State to share their experience and make recommendations that were passed along to Obama. It was a lively atmosphere with some heavy hitters in the room, including GE’s Jeffrey Immelt, US Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, Senator Kay Hagan, Duke Energy’s Jim Rogers and Red Hat’s Micheal Tiemann, among others (more…)
Author Archive
Jobs: What We Need Now.
Thursday, June 16th, 2011SOLAR 2011: Making North Carolina The Center of the Solar Universe!
Monday, May 16th, 2011(For a Few Days, At Least)
This week is going to be a BIG deal for the solar industry in North Carolina. The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is bringing the 40th annual National Solar Conference to Raleigh. Not only is this the longest-running solar event in the country — but it’s also one of the most popular. Industry leaders from all over the country will be gathering at the Raleigh Convention Center to talk about trends and best practices, learn about advancing technologies and, of course, network with other people dedicated to helping the clean energy sector grow. (more…)
NCSEA; The Importance of Supporting the Sustainable Energy Industry
Thursday, January 13th, 2011Happy 2011 everyone! Just a couple of weeks in and this is already looking to be another fun year (fun being the word we use for hard work here at SEM). This year, I am excited to be taking on the role of board chair for the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA).
I’m grateful for the opportunity, especially at a time when the organization, and our industry, are poised for such tremendous growth and development. More than anything, I’m looking forward to (more…)
Habitat for Humanity: Building Homes and Relationships
Friday, November 5th, 2010Energy efficiency and solar power can yield dramatic savings for homeowners — especially when used in conjunction with one another. That’s partly why our partnership with Habitat for Humanity is something we take great pride in — the families living in Habitat houses are usually on tight budgets, so the energy savings end up having a huge impact.
Over the last few years, Southern Energy Management has worked with Habitat organizers in several regions to construct energy efficient and green homes with solar, and it’s a relationship that (more…)
Reflecting on Governor Perdue’s Visit to SEM
Friday, October 8th, 2010I was sitting at my desk a couple weeks ago when I got an urgent message. It was Governor Bev Perdue’s press secretary asking if we could host the Governor for a brief speech and press conference — the next day — about small businesses and the federal Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010, a bill she’s been working on which has since been signed into law by President Obama. Of course we were thrilled to say yes!
This was a big deal for our (more…)
Practical Solar for our Troops
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010
The race is officially on to bring more reliable, affordable and safe sources of energy to our troops in Afghanistan. The military is taking bold steps to reduce the cost and avoid lost lives by turning to renewable energy. Recently, they’ve adapted commercially available solar technologies like portable solar panels that fold up into boxes; energy-conserving lights; solar tent shields that provide shade and electricity; solar chargers for computers and communications equipment.
According to an article in the New York Times yesterday, fossil fuel accounts for 30 to 80 percent of the load in convoys into Afghanistan, bringing costs as well as risk. Six Marines in Afghanistan have been wounded guarding fuel convoys in the last three months alone — and for every 24 fuel convoys that set out in Iraq and Afghanistan, one soldier or civilian is killed. Regardless of your stance on the war, (more…)
Reasons to be B Corps: Sustainability in Action
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010From the very beginning, when Bob and I were planting the seeds of SEM from our living room in 2001, we have aspired not just to turn a profit (which in a new and emerging industry is quite enough to tackle!), but to create real and lasting value. As we like to say, it’s not just what we do, but how we do it that determines how successful we are.
But what does that really mean? (more…)
