Energy Efficiency Creates Jobs in the UK

UK to US: Green energy makes jobs

Apr 1, 2011 Charlotte Observer

As the United Kingdom slashes public spending to tackle its largest post-war deficit, new Prime Minister David Cameron set a heady goal: To lead the island nation's greenest government ever.

The Brits believe lowering their greenhouse gas emissions, investing in energy efficiency and partnering government with private industry is a way to grow the economy. The UK energy and climate change minister, Gregory Barker, talked about the possibilities Thursday in Charlotte with representatives of British and local firms headed toward the same goal.

There's a lot of work to do across the pond, Barker said.

The British record of energy efficiency is "rubbish," he said, making it cheaper to heat homes in icy Norway than in Britain. The UK has embarked on a campaign to retrofit 14 million homes, an effort estimated to create 250,000 jobs. It plans to invest the equivalent of $5 billion in a new green-energy investment bank and will offer innovative financing for renewable heating sources.

"Green will touch every sector," said Bill Rumble of the Mark Group, a British firm that specializes in making buildings more energy efficient. Millions of jobs for energy-efficiency technicians could be created, he predicted.

The long-term UK plan, Barker said, has bipartisan political support. "This is such a vital agenda," he said. "It really is important that we work together."

There's no such unanimity in the United States. President Barack Obama's administration has failed to win congressional support for limits on greenhouse gases, seen by energy advocates as a vital first step. Republican leaders are demanding more domestic drilling for oil and gas, while the Japanese crisis may shake support for new nuclear plants.

But that hasn't stopped businesses here, U.S. executives said.

NASCAR, with its 70 million fan base, has a green campaign underway that ranges from recycling to solar power. US Airways, which has its largest hub in Charlotte, has reduced its per-passenger use of fuel by 45 percent in the past 20 years. The owners of Indian Trail-based Radiator Specialty Co., which makes petroleum-based cleaners, degreasers and lubricants, last year formed a company to make biodegradable products.

"Over the last five years, I have seen a tremendous shift" toward green products by businesses, said Heather Killgallon of RSC Bio Solutions, the new company. "They want something tangible, not just because it feels good."

Chesterfield MO Green News- Solar Water Saves Money

EGPI Firecreek, Sets Closing Date of Acquisition for Arctic Solar Engineering

Posted on: Mon, 24 Jan 2011 01:08:42 EST

Symbols: EFIRD

Jan 24, 2011 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- 

EGPI Firecreek, Inc. announced that an anticipated closing date of January 31, 2011 has been set for the completion of the acquisition between EGPI Firecreek, Inc. and Arctic Solar Engineering.

In other related news, Arctic Solar Engineering announced that within a few weeks it will complete the installation of the largest Solar Thermal alternative energy system in the Midwest.

The Company said the Solar Thermal System installed at the City Hall of Chesterfield, MO consists of 110 solar thermal arrays and an 8000 gallon thermal mass energy storage tank. Additionally, it has a name plate capacity of 82 kilowatts with an estimated annual production of 110 megawatt hours. Savings to the City are estimated to payback 100 percent of the City's investment within 5 years, after which, energy produced by the system will have zero cost to the City.

Fred Sussman, CEO of Arctic Solar Engineering, stated, "This is a very exciting time for the city of Chesterfield and for Arctic Solar. We are a Chesterfield based company providing an alternative energy solution for our own hometown city, which has a measurable return on investment. This will ultimately be done with zero federal, state or local subsidy dollars."

Arctic Solar Engineering, LLC integrates Solar Thermal Energy technology patented over 30 years ago by Daimler Aerospace in Germany.

EGPI Firecreek, Inc.'s business and acquisition strategy is focused on both the vertical integration of enterprises serving the D.O.T. Construction and Intelligent Traffic System markets through South Atlantic Traffic, Inc. (SATCO) alongside its subsidiary M3 Lighting, Inc. (M3), and on oil and gas production with an emphasis on acquiring existing fields with reserves, the rehabilitation of potentially high throughput oilfields, resource properties and inventories, through its subsidiary Energy Producers, Inc. (Energy Producers) and for oil and gas servicing business through its subsidiary Chanwest Resources, LLC.

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