However, it is not clear how these varying approaches will achieve successful outcomes given the current market environment.  Although governments may pressure auto makers for results, infrastructure and technological challenges remain significant issues.  Ultimately it is the consumer who will determine the viability of a technology.  This conference will discuss how manufacturers are employing strategic and tactical marketing activities such as product, pricing, advertising and promotions to launch new technologies into the marketplace, and provide insight into future methods of developing demand. 

This conference will discuss how manufacturers are employing strategic and tactical marketing activities such as product, pricing, advertising and promotions to launch new technologies into the marketplace, and provide insight into future methods of developing demand. Discussions will also include similarities and differences between marketing strategies of efficient-energy vehicles in developed and emerging markets.

Speakers from global auto manufacturers, dealers, governments, and academicians from throughout the world will provide a thought provoking dialogue about creating markets and consumer interest for the new powertrain technology being introduced into the global vehicle fleet. 

• John Viera, Director of Sustainability and Vehicle Environmental Matters, Ford Motor Company, who will provide insight into Ford’s sustainability strategy and how his company views the introduction of more fuel efficient vehicles into its fleet.
• Lonnie Miller, Vice-President Marketing and Industry Analysis, R. L. Polk & Company, who will discuss consumer response to alternative powertrain technology, and his views on future demand.
• Walter McManus, Research Professor, Oakland University School of Business Administration,  who will talk about his research that focuses on pricing models for alternative powertrain vehicles. 
• Cristi Landy, Product Marketing Manager, Chevrolet Volt, General Motors, will talk about GM’s strategy for marketing its new powertrains to consumers and  share examples of how early adopters influence the next stage of adopters.
• William P. Underriner, Vice Chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association (Chairman Elect) and President and Co-Owner of Underriner Motors in Billings, Montana, will bring the dealer’s perspective to the conversation and talk about how they are helping to build nascent markets for alternative fuel fleets,
• Brendan Jones, Director EV Sales, Marketing and Strategy, Nissan North America, will discuss Nissan’s expanding EV fleet and other marketing strategies they are building to support it.
• Scott Ellsworth, Vice-President, Ricardo Strategic Consulting, will review the results of his company’s government study that details which powertrain technologies are possible and probable during the 2016 to 2025 timeframe.

Manufacturers, dealers, government representatives and consultants have been invited to present their views about the evolution of more fuel efficient vehicles and the introduction of new powertrain technology into the U.S. vehicle fleet.

Oakland University’s School of Business Administration presents this conference with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. 

A wind company, Invenergy, will own approximately ½ and the other ½ will be owned by DTE.  The electricity generated by Invenergy will be purchased by DTE under a long term contract. 

There seems almost universal support in Gratiot County for the wind farm now, but Don Schurr, President of Greater Gratiot Development, indicated at a November 10 Wind Working Group meeting that there were plenty of questions, discussions, and planning that led to the wind farm.  He pointed out that the wind farm will help preserve agriculture in the county and that good farmlands need to be protected. 

Rich VanderVeen, Wind Resource LLC and a partner in the project, said there were countless meetings with local leaders and residents to explain the project and answer questions.  He jokes that the project required 50 cups of coffee per MW.  All that coffee and time has resulted in widespread support for the project. 

Local economic benefits are significant: 

• $50 million in taxes over 20 years
• More taxes than county’s 10 biggest taxpayers combined
• $2 million in annual lease payments to 240 property owners
• 15 technicians to maintain wind farm 

We will all enjoy the environmental benefits that come from clean, renewable power and these projects will help expand the wind manufacturing industry in Michigan.  This success story is directly tied to Michigan’s renewable portfolio standard, the state mandate to have 10% of our electricity come from renewable resources by 2015.  State policies that promote energy efficiency and renewable energy can make a big difference for our environment and economy!

 Source: John Sarver

A wind company, Invenergy, will own approximately ½ and the other ½ will be owned by DTE.  The electricity generated by Invenergy will be purchased by DTE under a long term contract. 

There seems almost universal support in Gratiot County for the wind farm now, but Don Schurr, President of Greater Gratiot Development, indicated at a November 10 Wind Working Group meeting that there were plenty of questions, discussions, and planning that led to the wind farm.  He pointed out that the wind farm will help preserve agriculture in the county and that good farmlands need to be protected. 

Rich VanderVeen, Wind Resource LLC and a partner in the project, said there were countless meetings with local leaders and residents to explain the project and answer questions.  He jokes that the project required 50 cups of coffee per MW.  All that coffee and time has resulted in widespread support for the project. 

Local economic benefits are significant:

• $50 million in taxes over 20 years
• More taxes than county’s 10 biggest taxpayers combined
• $2 million in annual lease payments to 240 property owners
• 15 technicians to maintain wind farm

We will all enjoy the environmental benefits that come from clean, renewable power and these projects will help expand the wind manufacturing industry in Michigan.  This success story is directly tied to Michigan’s renewable portfolio standard, the state mandate to have 10% of our electricity come from renewable resources by 2015.  State policies that promote energy efficiency and renewable energy can make a big difference for our environment and economy!

Source: John Sarver

 PLACE A COMMENT/REPLY BELOW AND THIS EXPERT WILL RESPOND TO YOU…

Featured speaker for the program will be Michael Liedtke, Founder and Managing Director of SME Consulting, LLC and Director at RSVP Capital who will review the types of business funding / financing options available, requirements to qualify, and how to know when the time is right to pursue outside funding. 

Additionally, we will present a panel of business funding experts including:

• Paul Czarnik, Chief Technology Officer, Compuware / Compuware Ventures, LLC
• Ted Serbinski, Vice-president, Detroit Venture Partners
• Maria LaLonde, Recruiting and Development Leader, Bizdom U
• Matt Tubergen, Mobile Technology Consultant, TechSmith and former mobile investment fund manager

Once again Mobile Monday Detroit will take place at Compuware headquarters at 1 Campus Martius in downtown Detroit, and as always, attendance is FREE, though advance registration is required. Free parking is available (with ticket validation at sign-in) in Compuware’s parking deck directly behind the headquarters building, and refreshments will be served. Registration is available at http://Meetup.com/Mobile-Monday-Detroit. 

Attendees at the event will also have the opportunity to apply for a FREE limited membership into the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan (MTAM), and all who apply at this event will automatically be entered into a drawing to win Exhibit Area Passes for the 2012 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain taking place February 27 – March 1, 2012. Each ticket is valued at over $850.

Click here to be introduced to Mobile Technology Association of Michigan

Source : Mobile Technology Association of Michigan

The two government organisations have been carrying out a generic design assessment (GDA) for two types of reactors in the UK: EDF and AREVA’s UK EPR and Westinghouse’s AP1000.  But they have also identified a number of issues that need to be sorted out.

Both agencies say they are “satisfied” with how the designers of both reactors plan to resolve the remaining issues which, once completed, will generate the award of a full DAC. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) plans to finalise this process by the end of 2012. This would mean the blueprint for the reactors was approved. 

A range of different concerns, including reactor chemistry, structural integrity and human factors are included among the dozens listed by the regulatory authorities. 

Reports produced by government organisations state, for example, that there is “inadequate substantiation of human based safety claims” relating to EDF and AREVA’s EPR while they also take issue with the “completeness of the human factors safety case, specifically in the areas of human error mechanisms, operator misdiagnosis potential and violation potential” in the case of Westinghouse’s AP1000.

More design investigations, more improvements

The completion of the generic design assessment, however, will trigger another set of design investigations relating to the individual sites of the planned new reactors.  These would mean adjusting the reactor designs to suit individual characteristics of the various sites. 

Flooding and seismic behaviour are examples of differing features of the sites under consideration.  Potential flooding could, for instance, determine the height of the key buildings above sea level and the extent of the sea defences and wall, which would vary according to site.

At the same time, the precise seismic behaviour of a site (described as hard or soft sites) depends on the geology. Only once the specific sites are characterised locally can the seismic methodology be applied to the generic design to finalise the site-specific design. To adapt to geological conditions, the design can be altered by, for instance, changing the separation distance between buildings.  On a soft site, structures may need to be larger.

The installation of new reactors decades after the first ones were built presents enormous potential for improvements, given innovations in materials science, engineering and other fields that have been commercialised in the last 40 years.  Forecasts of a changing climate suggest reactors could be operating in somewhat different, perhaps more extreme, conditions in future. 

Information provided by the ONR indicates individual reactor makers have produced innovative ideas to combat potential problems. For instance, Westinghouse has proposed a new type of structure for steel/composite walls and floors in the AP1000. 

This involves a ‘sandwich’ of concrete within steel plates – a different approach from previous buildings and numbers among the issues that need to be resolved before the full DAC can be awarded.  “Westinghouse has to justify to us that this design is satisfactory and better,” states Kevin Allars, director of nuclear new build at the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

Extreme conditions, extreme measures

To combat potential extreme weather conditions, reactor makers are urged to consider every potential improvement under risk assessment principles that ensure the residual risk “as low as is reasonably practical” (ALARP).  “We say to them: is there more you can do to improve safety and push the safety envelope to the edge? One area for that is external hazards. We’ve said all extreme hazards should be considered,” he says.

Other regulators have been consulted across the world, particularly in France, the USA, Finland and China, to broaden the knowledge base and maximise design improvement. “We work very closely with other regulatory authorities,” says Allars. 

Issues that have come up include changes to instrumentation and control in the EPR.  “All three regulators said we had the same issue that needed to be addressed and it sent a strong signal round the world that we were looking at this harmonised design,” states Allars.

An unexpected hazard, such as Fukushima in 2011, emerging after the final DAC had been awarded, would prompt a review of reactor design. 

Jonathan Levy, media relations manager for EDF Nuclear New Build, explains: “EDF Energy reviews all significant operating experience, and assessments are carried out in order to determine as to whether the plant should continue to be constructed without a design change, or continue operating without any changes to mitigate the event.

This occurs whether there is a DAC or not and any changes that may affect the DAC or the station’s safety case, are communicated to the Office of Nuclear Regulation.

“The results of these evaluations are open to, and often are, reviewed by our regulator, the Office of Nuclear Regulation, who ultimately has the power to stop construction or shut down the plant.” 

 Source: NuclearEnergy Insider

Challenge Detroit is a national initiative focused on revitalizing Detroit by attracting innovative leaders to bring their intellectual capital and talents to the City. Participants will have the opportunity to work with and learn from top companies and non-profits in and around Detroit while helping to make a difference in the region. 

“Challenge Detroit is founded on the belief that 30 of the best and brightest, passionate, hard- working and inventive leaders of tomorrow can make all the difference in the world, let alone a city,” said Deirdre Greene Groves, executive director of The Collaborative Group and Challenge Detroit. “We are working with top companies, non-profits and leaders from the greater Detroit area to develop this exciting social initiative that will positively impact the future of Detroit and the region.”

Challenge Detroit will select 30 innovative leaders throughout the United States to:

• Participate in monthly team challenges, in partnership with area non-profits, designed to positively impact the city and region;
• Live in Detroit, supported by a $500/month housing stipend;
• Receive a $30,000 salary to work at one of the top companies in the region; and
• Experience the city through organized social and cultural events. 

Participants will work with non-profits, including Tech Town, The Detroit Regional News Hub, and the United Way for Southeastern Michigan on initiatives such as developing opportunities for social entrepreneurship; addressing urban issues pertaining to regional planning; transportation and education; and distributing food to those in need. Each participant will also work at one of 30 Challenge Detroit host companies, which include ePrize, Quicken Loans, Marketing Associates and Strategic Staffing Solutions. 

During their year in Detroit, participants will gain new insights about the city and the greater Detroit region while sharing their story with the world through regular blogging, video logging and social media updates.   

“We believe, through their experiences with Challenge Detroit, these individuals will be intrigued to stay in Detroit, work in Detroit, bring new ideas to Detroit, even start their own business in Detroit, and by doing so, they will have a positive influence on our region today and in the future,” said Groves.

Challenge Detroit is accepting applications through March 16, 2012 and the year in Detroit will begin in August 2012. Those interested in participating, should visit www.ChallengeDetroit.org for more information and to begin the application process.

 About Challenge Detroit

The Collaborative Group, a Michigan-based non-profit dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship, has launched Challenge Detroit, an urban revitalization project for one of the most significant cities in the world. Challenge Detroit will select 30 innovative leaders from throughout the United States to live, work, play and give in Detroit. Participants will live in Detroit, supported by a $500/month housing stipend; receive a $30,000 salary to work at one of the top companies in the region; participate in monthly team challenges, in partnership with area non-profits, designed to positively impact the city and region; and experience the City through organized social and cultural events. For more information, visit www.ChallengeDetroit.org.

 Source: Challenge Detroit/The Collaborative Group

As part of research study, focus groups are being held in several locations throughout the state to assist in the production of brochures and booklets for Michigan fish consumers. Currently materials can be found on-line but the need to improve the advisory notice is prudent. The study, to test the effectiveness of Fish Advisories, is all a part of the MDCH efforts to keep us safe while allowing us to enjoy fish consumption. The focus group is made up of participants who fish Michigan water ways, as well as eat their catch. The department hopes to provide clear and readable material about types of fish, portions, and preparation methods for Michigan fish. Good feed back from the focus groups will guide the States Communications Department to produce effective advisories for everyone. 

Kudos to MDCH and their partners, as well as the participants that volunteered their time.

  Author: Tina Riley-Humphrey, representing GreeningDetroit.com

Click here to be introduced to the Clean Energy Coalition

Source: Clean Energy Coalition