1. These Solar Canopies Supply Shade & Electricity, As Well As Catch And Filter Rainwater. A pair of Indian entrepreneurs has developed what they claim is “the most advanced integrated plug and play system” for shade, water, and energy.
Solar canopies and carports, which can provide shade underneath them while harvesting clean energy from the sunlight that hits them, can be a great asset in both public and private spaces, but the startup ThinkPhi goes one step further with its flagship product. The company’s model 1080 not only produces renewable electricity from the sun (and stores it in integrated batteries), but it can also collect and filter rainwater.
The product, which looks a bit like an inverted umbrella, features solar panels on the top surface, as well as a canopy to collect and funnel the rainwater into the filtration chamber, and integrates LED lighting underneath it. The largest of the models, the 1080XL, has a canopy measuring 20 meters by 20 meters and is said to be capable of producing a peak of 45kW while also collecting and filtering hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per year, depending on local rainfall amounts.
The company’s product, while uniquely suited to regions like India that have high solar exposure and seasonal monsoon rains, could be put to work for a number of different applications, ranging from carports to bus and train stops to outdoor seating for businesses. The smaller units appear to only have enough solar capacity to run the LED lighting, with shade and rainwater catchment being the primary benefits of the devices, but the tops of the higher capacity units look to be virtually covered in solar panels, which would generate electricity that could be stored for later use.
According to the Economic Times of India, ThinkPhi founder Samit Choksi says that the large model can “filter over 1 million litre of rainwater” and “can supply energy for large infrastructure projects.” One of the company’s suggested uses is for electric car charging, although no specific data was given about the efficacy of solar charging or the recommended model size for that end use.
2. FEBRUARY 14 LUNCH AND LEARN: WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT WATER?
- When: 02/14/2018 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
- Location: 1720 E Camelback Rd Phoenix, AZ 85016
Registration
- Arizona Sustainability Alliance and their Guest – $25.00
- Comp Presenter
- Green Living and their Guest – $25.00
- Member and their Guest – $25.00
- Non-Member and their Guest – $35.00
WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT WATER?
Arizona’s economy and our lifestyle here in
Arizona depend on a stable water supply.
Water policy in the face of Arizona’s 18 year drought is the most pressing issue facing the Arizona legislature this session and the biggest challenge we, as Arizonan’s face. Arizona gets 40 percent of its water from the Colorado River and a declining Lake Mead puts Arizona’s most precious natural resource at peril. Chris Kuzdas, agricultural water project manager for the Environmental Defense Fund, Jim Buster, Arizona Green Chamber’s Public Policy Chair, and Nicole Gonzalez Patterson, policy director of Business for Water Stewardship will discuss what we can do to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
Join us at the Blue Water Grill, 1720 E Camelback Rd Phoenix, AZ 85016, to hear from these leaders in water policy discussions:
3. SRP Hosts Water Conservation Expo. Salt River Project is hosting a water conservation expo on March 3, 2018 from 8:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the SRP PERA Club, located at 1 E. Continental Drive, Tempe.
You will need to register to attend at srpnet.com/expo or call 602-236-3333
* learn how to save water and money.
- get advice from landscape professionals
- find out about water conservation products and rebate programs
- meet Dave the Garden Guy and learn about low-water use landscaping
4. Gem Show Season Underway In Tucson – The Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase started over the weekend, but if you didn’t get out to any of the shows, you still have plenty of time. The various shows run until Sunday, Feb. 11, at dozens of locations throughout the Tucson region. Most shows are open to the public with free admission. The showcase concludes with the 64th annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show at the Tucson Convention Center, Feb. 8-11. The Official Tucson Gem Show Guide app provides show locations and hours, transportation options, and a guide to local dining.
Park Tucson offers GemRide, a free shuttle service that connects convenient parking locations with most of the shows. Gem Show shoppers can skip the hassles of traffic and parking with a 3-Day Transit Pass. The pass provides unlimited rides on Sun Tran buses and the Sun Link streetcar, and it’s valid for 72 consecutive hours once activated on a transit vehicle. Visit Tucson event listing: http://bit.ly/2jVS8it
February 21 to 23: NE Arizona Economic
Development Conference
2018 NE Arizona Economic Development Summit
In conjunction with the XI Winter Watershed Conference
A Dialogue for Growth
Snowflake Social Hall (48.5 Main, rear) & Cocina de Eva (210 N Main), Snowflake, AZ
Wednesday, 21
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Registration – La Cocina de Eva
*6:00 p.m. Opening dinner
*7:30 p.m. J Albert Brown, Water Attorney
“Update on Navajo-Hopi Litigation and
Statewide Water Issue”
Thursday, 22
7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
• Registration – Snowflake social hall
• Continental Breakfast
8:00 a,m, Welcome and Opening Remarks
8:30 a.m. Presentation
• Steve North, Community
— Development Director, Show Low
• ‘business Attraction and its
• Q’s and A’s Session
10:30 a.m. BREAK
10:45 a.m. Presentation
• Jessica Asbill-Case, U.S. Bureau of Reclaimation
• “Reclaimation Funding Opportunities”
• Q’s and A’s
11:45 a.m. BREAK
12:00 Noon – Luncheon
• Keynote Speakers:
Doyel Shamley, Apache Co. Supervisor
Bruce Greco, ED Consultant
“What’s Up In Apache County
• BREAK
2:00 p.m. Presentation
• RJ Butler
• “U of A Coding Boot Camp, Computer
Job Opportunities, Work from Home
• Q and A’s Session
2:00 p.m. Rountables
• Broadband in NE Arizona
• “Status and Update”
3:00 p.m. Panel Discussion
• Area Chamber Directors
“Our Critical Contribution”
4:00 p.m.
• Panel Discussion
• “The Real AZ Corridor”
BREAK
6:30 p.m. La Cocina de Eva
• Mixer Meet & Greet
• Keynote Presentation: Mark
Killian, Dir. AZ Dept AG
• Dinner
Friday 23, 2018
• 7:00 am-8:00 a.m
Registration
• Continental Breakfast
• 8:00- 8:15 a.m. Review
• 8:15 a.m. Presentation
Chuck Thompson, Hopi Tribe
Q&A
• 9:15 a.m. presentation
Patrick Rappold, Reg
Forester, U of A
• Economic impacts of AZ
Forest Products
• Q and A
• 10:15 a.m. BREAK
• 10:30 am Presentation
• Tracy Mancuso, NPC SBDA
Who we are What we do
• Q and A
• 11:30 Wrap Up/Follow Up
• 12:00 Noon Luncheon
• Congressional Update
• Tom O’Halloran,
Conressman Dist 1
• 1:30 Confer. Adjourn
For more information and to register, go to
http://www.winterwatershedconference.org/
COSTS
$150 for the entire Conference! Registration form and payment methods available here – credit
6. Upper Agua Fria Watershed Partnership Meeting Announced. The Upper Agua Fria Watershed Partnership will be meeting on February 6, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at Arcosanti.
For more information on the meeting, contact Mary at [email protected]
7. Oak Creek Canyon Cleanup Event: Indian Gardens, Sedona, AZ
Sunday, February 18th 9:00am-12:00pm Sign Up Here
Come out and help us give some love to Oak Creek Canyon! Oak Creek and Sedona Wyndham, are joining forces for a deep clean of our beloved canyon. We will meet at 9:00 am, on Sunday, February 18th, at Indian Gardens Market, along HWY 89A, in Oak Creek Canyon. There will be a short talk about Oak Creek, before teaming up to clean day use areas in the canyon. Around 11:30 am, we will all meet back at Indian Gardens to gather supplies, separate trash from recycling, take a group photo and thank volunteers. Come help us cleanup this very popular area and spend some time in beautiful Sedona!
What: Volunteer Cleanup Event with Sedona Wyndham and the Oak Creek Watershed Council
When: February 18th, 9:00am-12:00pm.
Where: Indian Gardens Cafe, Sedona, AZ. (Along the 89A in Oak Creek Canyon, a few minutes north of Uptown Sedona)
We ask that volunteers bring comfortable shoes and some water as we will be hiking along the creek in some areas. The OCWC will provide buckets, trash pickers, gloves, reflective vests, and trash bags. Afterwards, we encourage you to enjoy a “creeky clean” spot or grab a delicious sandwich and catch up with new and old Friends of Oak
Creek!
