Monthly Archives: January 2011

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by Bob Hagen

Global Solar Energy

January 22, 2011 in Imported by Bob Hagen

Global Solar charges forward with light, frame-free panels


David Wichner Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Sunday, January 23, 2011 12:00 am


Global Solar Energy Inc. set out 15 years ago to invent a flexible solar power panel for soldiers.


Since accomplishing that mission, Global Solar – which operates Arizona’s only manufacturing plant for thin-film photovoltaic cells – has had to reinvent itself to adapt to a rapidly changing market.


Global – which was initially funded by an investment subsidiary of Tucson-base UniSource Energy Corp. – hit the market with its portable solar power packs in 2004 and still sells those products to militaries worldwide.


In recent years, the company has ramped up production of strings of thin-film solar cells for large-scale solar installations, opening a 100,000-square-foot plant on South Rita Road and another in Berlin in 2008.



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by Bob Hagen

RMS Paveway Contract

January 21, 2011 in Imported by Bob Hagen

Saudis to buy $475M in Raytheon bomb kits


Posted: Friday, January 21, 2011 12:00 am


Arizona Daily Star


Raytheon has signed a contract worth $475 million to supply Saudi Arabia with Paveway bomb-guidance kits made by Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems.


The direct commercial sale “cements Raytheon’s long-standing commitment to Saudi Arabian industry and keeps production lines operational in the U.S.,” Raytheon said in a news release.


The company will partner with Saudi Arabian industry to fulfill the support-equipment portion of the contract, said Mike Jarrett, vice president of supply-chain management at Raytheon Missile Systems.


About 150 of Raytheon’s Tucson-area employees work to design and produce the Paveway series of bomb kits, a company spokesman said.


First developed as a laser-guided system in 1968, the Paveway system transforms “dumb” bombs into precision-guided munitions. Newer versions add GPS satellite and inertial navigation guidance.



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by Bob Hagen

UA Solar Zone

January 20, 2011 in Imported by Bob Hagen

Solar Zone is switched on at UA park


David Wichner Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Thursday, January 20, 2011 12:00 am


The sun was climbing in the sky on a chamber-of-commerce Tucson day and Paul Bonavia was getting a little worried.


The CEO of UniSource Energy Corp. and Tucson Electric Power Co. was preparing to flip a giant light switch to inaugurate a new solar technology center at the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park, ceremonially setting in motion a field of photovoltaic panels to tilt toward the sun.


“The longer we wait and the higher the sun climbs, the less they move and the less exciting it is,” Bonavia quipped at Wednesday’s dedication of the Solar Zone at the UA tech park.


But he needn’t have worried about the sun – when the time came, the panels tilted impressively in unison – or about the excitement level among the 150 or so local dignitaries, company officials and solar supporters in attendance.



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by Bob Hagen

RMS Griffin Missile

January 18, 2011 in Imported by Bob Hagen


New Navy ships may use small Raytheon missile


David Wichner Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 12:00 am


Arizona Daily Star


A small, guided missile that Raytheon developed for use on aircraft may take to the seas aboard the Navy’s emerging fleet of fast coastal-defense vessels – replacing another Raytheon system canceled last year.


The Navy is considering the Griffin missile, developed by Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems, as a guided missile system for its Littoral Combat Ship, a senior Navy official says.


Rear Adm. Frank Pandolfe, director of the Navy’s Surface Warfare Division, said he is recommending the Griffin as a replacement for the Non Line of Sight (NLOS) missile system, which was under development by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin before the Army canceled it last year.



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by Bob Hagen

Solar Power Arrays

January 9, 2011 in Imported by Bob Hagen

Solar-power buildup going large-scale across Arizona


David Wichner Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Sunday, January 9, 2011 12:00 am


Solar-power arrays have sprouted up on rooftops and parking garages across Tucson and Arizona.


The next big wave of solar development will be across expanses of desert, as Tucson Electric Power Co. and other Arizona utilities bring online hundreds of megawatts worth of large, utility-scale solar-power plants.


Last year, state regulators approved some 150 megawatts of renewable-energy projects to be owned by TEP or developed under power-purchase contracts with the utility, including more than 130 megawatts of new solar plants by 2013. Six of those projects are expected to go online by the end of this year.


One megawatt, or 1 million watts, worth of solar capacity is roughly enough to power about 160 typical TEP homes, the utility estimates.



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by Bob Hagen

AZ Innovation Grants

January 7, 2011 in Imported by Bob Hagen

Arizona support grows for startups


Commerce authority offers $3 mil in innovation grants


By: Betty Beard – Jan. 7, 2012 04:29 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com


If you have a good idea that could be turned into viable business, Arizona may have $250,000 for you.


As part of its efforts to create more jobs, the Arizona Commerce Authority this year will double the total amount of innovation grants it will award to small businesses to $3 million.


The idea is to create more home-grown businesses, speed up the commercialization of inventions and help small businesses in hopes they someday will become larger employers. It is an economic-development concept that has grown popular throughout the country.


Up to now, the state’s job-creation efforts largely have focused on developing tax breaks and other incentives to entice companies to move to Arizona from other states.




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by spoke6

BIKE-TO-WORK Kickoff Breakfast

January 6, 2011 in Spoke6, Updates by spoke6

You can also see the video and KVOA’s writeup on kvoa.com/news/2-wheelin-2-work-in-january/

Our BACK-TO-WORK BIKE-TO-WORK Kickoff Breakfast yesterday was a success with over 15 cyclists showing up to enjoy bagels, coffee and tea along with a free day of co-working at Spoke6.  Larissa Wohl from KVOA news came by to film the event and she did a few quick interviews which will be aired on the “2 Wheelin’ in Tucson” segment next Thursday (January 13th).

The BACK-TO-WORK BIKE-TO-WORK event will be going on the entire month of January with free access to Spoke6 on Wednesday for all cyclists along with chances to win prizes for any cycling commuters who log their ride at www.spoke6.com/biketowork.  You don’t have to commute to Spoke6 to be entered to win, so log your commute(s) today!

There was a great energy in the air with Spoke6 full of co-workers for the day and we hope to recreate that feeling on a regular basis as we move forward into 2011.  Among those in attendance were:

  • Tim Bowen – Owner of Spoke6 and co-organizer of the event
  • Valerie Aurora – Co-organizer of the event and the one who came up with the BACK-TO-WORK BIKE-TO-WORK idea
  • Steve Vihel – Owner of There & Back Bicycles and co-organizer of the event
  • Josh Williams – Helped organize the event
  • Matt Zoll – ADOT Bike/Ped Coordinator for Pima County
  • Larissa Wohl – Reporter from KVOA news covering the event
  • Emily Yetman – Organizer of Cyclovia Tucson
  • Ian Johnson
  • Chris Hill
  • Paola Molina
  • Jared McFarland
  • William Duncan
  • Art Gillespie
  • Charles Miles
  • Leo Przybylski
  • Warner Onstine
  • Monty Edmonds
  • Chris Kaufman

Check out the photos below:

Commuting to Spoke6 Josh arrived early to setup the breakfast spread Walking bikes into parking room Bike parking Matt setting up for an interview Matt being interviewed Breakfast Side room co-working table Back room co-working table Valerie setting up for an interview Jared being interviewed (with his Cervelo) Charles being interviewed Front room co-working table Monty stopping by

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by spoke6

Back-to-work Bike-to-work Challenge

January 3, 2011 in Spoke6, Updates by spoke6

Check-in here to log your commute >>

Sponsored by Spoke6 co-working space in downtown Tucson and There & Back Bicycles, a commuter-centered bike shop

Spoke6 and There and Back Bikes are sponsoring a bike-to-work challenge for the month of January. Employees at participating organizations can enter a drawing for prizes for each day that they ride their bicycle to work during the month of January. After the month is over, the drawing for prizes will be held at There & Back Bicycles.

Dates:

Every Wednesday in January, 9am-5pm: Free day at Spoke6 if you ride your bicyle to Spoke6 (includes indoor bike parking, showers, and lockers)

Wed. Jan. 5th, 8am until gone: Bike-to-work challenge kick-off: Ride your bicycle in and get free bagels, coffee, and tea at Spoke6 co-working space at 6th St & 6th Ave, plus free day of co-working

Wed. Jan. 12th, 7am-9am: Bike-to-work pancake breakfast at There & Back Bicycles with drawing for $25 gift certificate to There & Back (must be present to enter)

Wed. Feb. 9th, 7am-9am: Bike-to-work breakfast at There & Back Bikes with drawing for final prizes, including bonus prizes for those present

Prizes include a $25 gift certificate to There & Back Bicycles, doubled to $50 if the winner is present at the drawing, and a free month of co-working at Spoke6.

Creative Slice will provide a web-based sign-in form to keep track of entries. Please contact us if your organization wants to join the bike-to-work challenge or donate prizes.

Participating organizations include:

Spoke6
There & Back Bicycles
Watershed Management

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Avatar of Bob Hagen

by Bob Hagen

RMS Defense Contracts

January 3, 2011 in Imported by Bob Hagen


Raytheon bucked trend for contracts during fiscal 2010


Defense spending dips in AZ


David Wichner Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Monday, January 3, 2011 12:00 am


The value of prime defense contracts in Arizona fell about 12 percent in fiscal 2010 to $10.9 billion, though Raytheon saw an increase, according to figures reported through the end of 2010 by the White House Office of Management and Budget.


The drop in statewide defense contracts comes after defense spending in the state was nearly flat in 2009, at about $12.4 billion, and as the Pentagon looks to slash spending in the next few years.


Raytheon was the state’s biggest defense contractor with $5.2 billion in prime contracts in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, up from $4.8 billion in fiscal 2009, according to data posted on the White House budget agency’s USAspending.gov website.



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by Bob Hagen

NSO Headquarters

January 1, 2011 in Imported by Bob Hagen


UA seeks to become solar observatory HQ, avoid losing 60 jobs


Tom Beal Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Saturday, January 1, 2011 12:00 am


The new year could bring a new center for the study of solar physics to the University of Arizona – or the loss of 60 high-paying scientific jobs in solar astronomy in Tucson.


The UA is competing with up to seven other universities to become headquarters for the National Solar Observatory and home to 60 of its scientists and staffers.


“We’ve got a lot to lose because those 60 people are already here,” said Michael Drake, who heads the UA’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. He is a co-investigator on the proposal, along with Peter Strittmatter, who heads Steward Observatory, and Joaquin Ruiz, dean of the College of Science.



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