And a solar photovoltaic (PV) system can generate a quicker payback in – again, believe it or not – the mid-Atlantic than California, the Golden State, says a 2009 study by SYN-DEX Consulting, Alexandria, Va. (“Comparing Simple Payback of Solar Systems in California and the Mid-Atlantic States”) “When it comes to the PV marketplace in the United States, everyone recognizes that California is the largest market. However, as California’s incentives ratchet down and other states develop their markets, emerging states” such as Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania “are starting to look more favorable,” the study says.

Wind. In 2009, 10 gigawatts (GW) of new wind power capacity was installed in the U.S.: enough to power 2.4 million homes, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA Year-End 2009 Market Report). The last quarter of 2009 alone saw the installation of 4 GW. And all this was at no cost to the taxpayer, with private investment only. 

In addition, a new assessment by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows that U.S. onshore wind resources are larger than previously estimated. Among the conclusions from this report:

• Onshore U.S. wind resources could generate nearly 37,000,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually, more than nine times current total U.S. electricity consumption.
• Put another way, the potential capacity of America’s onshore wind resource is over 10,000 gigawatts (GW). The U.S. is barely tapping this vast resource: current wind installed capacity is 35 GW in the U.S. and 158 GW world-wide.

And right here in Maryland, offshore wind power could provide for two-thirds of the state’s electricity needs using current technology and nearly twice as much as the state needs after the technology improves, says a recent study sponsored by the Abell Foundation. (See our Feb. 19 blog at http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.blogspot.com/). Even onshore, new technologies are being developed that enable turbines to generate power at lower speeds, making wind more viable in areas such as the mid-Atlantic where wind doesn’t blow as strongly as off-shore or, say, on the Great Plains.

Geothermal. There are geothermal reservoirs – areas of concentrated geothermal energy – in much of the western U.S. as well as a few other locations, including western Pennsylvania and New York, according to the Geothermal Education Office, an organization based in Tiburon, Calif. However, geothermal heat pumps – which the EPA calls among the most efficient heating and cooling technologies available today – can be used almost anywhere in the world, without a geothermal reservoir, by drawing on the earth’s natural insulating properties.

Looking a little further into the future, renewable energy could expand exponentially in coming years in this country as technologies improve, prices of renewable devices decrease and the cost of fossil fuels rises. The sun, wind and earth have limitless potential!

• The U.S. Department of Energy will participate directly in The Solar and Wind Expo with its own exhibit, the Expo’s executive director, George Lopez, announced today. The renewable energy show will take place at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium May 7-9.
• Seminars - A number of companies are hosting seminars and details will be uploaded to the Seminars page shortly, with descripitions of the seminars.
• WiFi - Internet connection will be available to all exhibitors for the entire weekend at no extra charge.
• Lodging - The Crowne Plaza Baltimore has been chosen to be the official hotel of TSWE2010. The hotel will be hosting events for the staff and exhibitors during the weekend. click here
• Online Ticket purchasing - Everyone can now buy tickets online- click here
• Interactive kids play area - We'll have a competition between different age groups to build wind turbines that can withstand our wind machine - prizes for first, second, third and for trying.
• Electric Car shuttle - 10 Global Electric Motorcars will be providing rides from the parking area to the show and back for all attendees at no charge.

  
  Typical electric shuttle
  

Show how to's

A trade show promotional item given away at your booth can help draw traffic, create recall after the show, and provide contact information in a unique, memorable way to prospects. Event attendees are more likely to stop by your exhibit if you have an appealing promotional item to give them.

As a result, awareness and interest in your exhibit and product line increase -- and you enhance potential for greater sales performance. So, what kind of promotional item is most effective?

The secret to getting the most visibility from the dollars you spend on promotional items is to choose gifts that people will want to use once they return to their homes and offices.

Here are important considerations to help you choose your giveaway.

• Does the item complement your company and product image?
  
• Do the giveaways you want to purchase match your budget?
  
• Are you able to easily imprint your key contact information and message on the trade show promotional item?
  
• Will you be able to get your shipment in time for the event?
• Is your giveaway unique and different from others you’ve seen?
  
• Is the item something YOU would like to have?

Word of the Month

POTENTIAL

po•ten•tial (pƒ ten‚shƒl) adj.

1. possible, as opposed to actual: the potential uses of renewable energy.
2. capable of being or becoming: a potential danger.
3. (esp. of a verb phrase, verb form, or mood) expressing possibility, as by using the auxiliaries can or may .
4. Archaic. POTENT1. — n.
5. possibility; potentiality: an investment that has little growth potential.
6. a latent excellence or ability that may or may not be developed.

Physics

• a. a scalar quantity equal to the work done in moving a body from a standard reference point to a given point in a field of force.
• b. a scalar quantity equal, at a given point in an electric field, to the work done in moving a unit charge to an infinite distance from the field's origin. [1350–1400; ME potencial (< OF) < LL potenti€lis.
  

To achieve one's true potential, one must invest effort in the task at hand. Brand awareness and brand trust are two great ways to get the ball rolling in your favor. By exhibiting at The Solar and Wind Expo and meeting propective buyers in a positive and neutral location, you increase your chances of achieving a relationship with your market audience.

Buyers too must reach out to the propective installers and the brands available in the market place. By attending The Solar and Wind Expo, buyers can browse through many products and contractors that may not already be on their radar -- thus providing the opportunity to see and talk with professionals who have invested time and money to reach out to them.

Additional Links:

Show map
Contract
Directions and Lodging
The Solar and Wind Expo Blog
Sponsors Schedule

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