From
biofuels to batteries, the Ann Arbor area is ground zero
for alternative energy research and implementation. Not only are Ypsi's residents pushing for solar energy on their municipal buildings but Ann Arbor was
named by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of their 13 "Solar Cities."
But the quest for renewable power
doesn't stop there. A2's Danotek is an innovator in wind turbine technology. Adaptive Materials has developed battery technology that lasts 10 times as long as conventional energy cells. And Milan is now home to a biodiesel cooperative. All these efforts may be the key to weaning the US off fossil fuels ...and Michigan's
economic success.
Jon Zemke
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Paul Davis, Bobby Levine, Hunt Briggs, and Nolan Orfield are your everyday overachieving U-M grad students. And then some. They've founded ReGenerate, a company that is developing technology to convert food waste into energy. Sound pie-in-the-sky? Not to the half dozen business competitions they've won.
Kim North Shine
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
As the region's top employer, biggest institution, and largest land owner, the University of Michigan's local influence can't be understated. So too with its green practices. From creating greater energy efficiency to shrinking its carbon footprint, Team Planet Blue is pushing forward the U's plans to make sustainability and conservation a matter of course.
Constance Crump
Monday, January 10, 2011
Dave Konkle is a green pioneer. Don't believe it? Konkle was hawking wind power and solar energy back when disco was king and Towering Inferno ruled the box office. The former Ann Arbor Energy Office head is now the energy program director for the city's DDA and a much sought-after consultant, spreading the gospel on energy efficiency.
Jon Zemke
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
While the U.S. is just starting to accept that wind power can help us move toward a more sustainable future, Ann Arbor-based Accio Energy is already reinventing the technology that harnesses it. Concentrate chats with Jen Baird, the company's CEO, about Wind Power 2.0, entrepreneurship, and what's next for Michigan's new economy.
Richard Retyi
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
To the untrained eye, Adam Lowenstein and Justin Herrick look like accidental entrepreneurs. Tossing aside their academic studies, the former Californians opened a burrito joint and just kept growing. From Big Ten Burrito to Goodtime Charley's to Alley Bar to the alt-fueled BTB party buses, the two friends have built a small kingdom of successful businesses.
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