Schneider Electric names
president for U.S.
Energy management firm Schneider
Electric, Palatine, Ill., has appointed Jeff
Drees as U.S. president. He is accountable for driving growth and profitability
within the company’s power, buildings,
and energy businesses within the U.S.,
as well as coordinating the company’s
energy efficiency and solutions initiatives across all businesses.
Drees previously served as president of the building business of Schneider Electric in the Americas, where
he was responsible for overseeing the
business’s performance in the U.S.,
Canada, and Central and South America.
He joined the company in 2001 and
has served in various roles, leading the
partner division and energy solutions
sales and working with the corporate
global office in partner recruitment and
acquisition analysis.
Abanaki material being used
to collect oil in Deepwater
Horizon leak
Patent-pending Fuzzy2™ material from
Abanaki Corp., Chagrin Falls, Ohio, is
being put to work off the coast of Louisiana on a disk skimmer, cleaning up
oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil leak
disaster. The material has three times
the oil-removal capacity of standard
disk skimming material, according to
the manufacturer.
A disk skimmer uses a rotating disk
to remove oil from water. Oleophilic (
oil-attracting) material collects oil as the
disk passes through the water, and
wiper blades scrape off the oil for collection. In this application, the material
is attached to the surface of 56, 30-in.-
dia. skimming disks on a floating skimmer made by Crucial Inc. Outfitted with
the material, the skimmer can remove
up to 385 GPM of oil from the water’s
sur face.
National Geothermal Institute
established at University of
Nevada, Reno
The U.S. Department of Energy has
awarded the University of Nevada, Reno,
a $1.2 million grant to develop and operate the National Geothermal Institute, a
consortium of top geothermal schools,
including the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cornell University, Stanford
University, the Oregon Institute of Technology, the University of Utah, and possibly others as the program expands.
The institute will attract students,
professors, and industry professionals
from around the country to learn everything from the basics to the latest in
geothermal energy production with a
series of short courses and other curriculum. The institute is envisioned to augment the University of Nevada’s Great
Basin Center for Geothermal Energy by
providing relevant research and trained
graduates for the geothermal industry.
H&A Architects & Engineers
receives Circle of Excellence
Award
H&A Architects & Engineers, a design
firm based in Richmond, Va., has been
named a 2010 Circle of Excellence firm
by PSMJ Resources Inc., a management
consulting firm for the architecture, engineering, and construction industries.
The 13 benchmarks that determine
the Circle of Excellence reflect that the
firms are well-managed, have a strong
client base, and are led in a responsible and sustainable manner.
Delta Industrial reduces vehicle
fleet energy consumption
Delta Industrial has instituted a green
initiative to reduce energy use and
costs.
The company has switched from
pickup trucks to a Ford Fusion® fleet for
its sales staff. In addition, a GPS has
been installed on all company sales,
supervisory, and construction vehicles.
The system enables the manufacturer
to ensure that the vehicles are traveling the shortest route to the job sites
and being driven in the most efficient
manner.
Delta Industrial, a provider of machine foundations, press pits, and industrial concrete construction, has offices in Chesterfield, Mich.; Trussville,
Ala.; and Fort Thomas, Ky.
World Clean Air Congress slated
for September
The International Union of Air Pollution
Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations’ (IUAPPA) World Clean
Air Congress will be held Sept. 12-16,
2010, in Vancouver, B.C. According to
the Air & Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh, Pa., the event will offer
the latest information on advances in
science, policy, and management and
will provide an open forum for high-level
discussion on a number of pressing environmental issues.
The World Clean Air Congress will
bring together specialists from academia, industr y, consulting, environmental advocacy groups, and government
to present ways to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
and minimize environmental impacts.
The technical program will address
the theme “Achieving Environmental
Sustainability in a Resource Hungry
World,” covering fundamental issues
related to four focus areas: science,
policy, industry, and sustainability.
