Read the article here:

In addition to its Mobile Solar Power System, a purely solar array, it has developed a Solar Hybrid, an 18 kilowatt generator that includes an onboard biodiesel generator (it can also be outfitted with a regular diesel or propane generator) that automatically activates when solar power isn’t adequately charging the array’s battery. It’s a realistic option for crews working in a disaster area….”

Read the article on the GE’s ecomagination website: http://is.gd/kiyK2y

PHOTO ALERT: the original article showed a stylized version of our Hybrid Mobile Solar Power System – in the image, the solar panels are RED. Solar panels are NOT RED, but typically blue and sometimes black. The panels on our Hybrids are BLUE!

“Sometimes innovation isn’t dreaming up something brand new, it’s putting things together in a new way to solve a problem.

That’s why Sustainable Industries‘ judges picked the Mobile Solar Power System, which, as its name suggests, is essentially a solar array on wheels that can provide clean, quiet power to construction sites.

“The innovation is that they thought to put everything together and put it on a trailer,” one judge said. “I was impressed by the idea that somebody thought to package this together.”

This year’s winners were selected by a panel of expert judges from more than 100 entries based on environmental performance, scalability/market impact, innovativeness, design aesthetic, value and compatibility with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system.

Visit the site and see how Pure Power’s Mobile Solar Power System is featured

The impact of using mobile solar systems by the military could be enormous: “A single soldier in Afghanistan uses 22 gallons of fuel a day, and delivering each gallon to the war zone costs between $300 and $400, according to estimates released last year.”

And: “…Amory B. Lovins, chairman and chief scientist at the Rocky Mountain Institute, in Colorado, calculated that a typical Marine Corps combat brigade needs more than a half-million gallons of fuel per day, and much of it is for generators. A single typical 60-kilowatt generator burns 4 to 5 gallons per hour, or $700,000 per year based on an estimated fuel cost of $17.44 per gallon in Afghanistan. Fueling one base’s generators might cost more than $34 million per year.”

Wired reports here on a Marine unit stationed in Afghanistan that’s reporting 90% savings in diesel fuel.

The Army has acquired Pure Power Mobile Solar Microgrid and finds it rugged and powerful, providing up to 12 times the power output of the 300 watt systems identified in these articles..

Not surprisingly, Santa Monica and Los Angeles have a lot of big brains working on sustainable business solutions, as do San Francisco and – with reportedly over 800 green companies – San Diego.

The big idea is a company that does well by doing good. Reaching a triple bottom line, well, it makes the head swim.

But when one says “social entrepreneur“, there’s a spark, a connection.

These days, if you’re a socially conscious business person, you’re working to create opportunities, jobs, and benefits for your community. And face it, if you’re of a mind to care about people and community, you’re automatically cognizant of environmental concerns and acting to reduce your impact – our environmental challenges are so huge that it’s virtually impossible to separate people from their environmental surroundings and health.

And of course, “entrepreneur” implies courage, hard work, structure, innovation – - the best parts of capitalism…

So at this moment, we say, Long Live the Social Entrepreneur, even if it’s at the expense of the triple bottom line.

The 48 did great work this season, providing all base camp power for up to 10 hours on this big show. The 48 has also provide base camp power on Inception and the upcoming Steve Carell comedy release Crazy, Stupid, Love

We could tell you, or you could read the quote from the show’s transportation coordinator:

“The production of The Mentalist works hard to be energy efficient and sustainable in creating our show. During the 2010-2011 season, to save fuel and reduce our carbon footprint, we powered our base camp with the world’s largest Mobile Solar Power System whenever we were out on location. It has been exciting for the entire cast and crew to be leaders in this effort and to do our part for the environment.”
- Mike Padovich, Transportation Coordinator, The Mentalist

Stay tuned for more feedback from the Mentalist and some cool events we’ve done this Spring.

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