THORNPRODUCTS, LLC IN MELBOURNE BEACH, FL AWARDED $80,000 FOR LOW COST WIRELESS TRANSMISSION METHOD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2012

THORNPRODUCTS, LLC IN MELBOURNE BEACH, FL AWARDED $80,000 FOR LOW COST WIRELESS TRANSMISSION METHOD

Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

ATLANTA -- ThornProducts, LLC in Melbourne Beach, Fla. has been awarded $80,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to develop a low cost wireless transmission method for monitoring electricity usage in receptacles and switches, which will allow users to identify efficiency improvements in their electricity usage.  The SBIR program is part of EPA’s Technology Innovation for Environmental and Economic Progress: An EPA Roadmap, which focuses on linking research and development, policy and finance.

EPA’s SBIR program supports small businesses’ development of new technologies addressing key environmental areas. The technological concepts submitted to this year’s competition include drinking water monitoring and treatment, sustainable infrastructures, green building, innovation in manufacturing, greenhouse gas reduction, air pollution monitoring and control and waste monitoring and management.

Nationally, SBIR awarded $2 million in contracts to 25 companies to compose Phase I of this year’s annual competition. The winners will compete for Phase II funding to commercialize their technologies, helping to protect Americans’ health and the environment. To be eligible to participate in the SBIR program, a company must be an organized, for-profit U.S. business and have fewer than 500 employees. Phase I awards may be up to $80,000, and Phase II awards may be up to $300,000.

More information on the winners:  http://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir/12awards

More information on the Technology Innovation Roadmap:  http://www.epa.gov/envirofinance/innovation.html

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Black & Veatch on Water, Energy & Wireless

BLACK & VEATCH PRESENTS SUPER SESSION ON WATER, ENERGY AND WIRELESS

Las Vegas, Nev. (5 March 2012) – Black & Veatch senior executives today presented a vision of how cities can meet the opportunities and challenges of the future at a Super Session moderated by Miles O’Brien, Lead Science Reporter for PBS NewsHour. Specifically, they addressed the critical human infrastructure needs for Water, Wireless and Energy at the Annual Conference of the American Society of Public Administrators (ASPA) held in Las Vegas.

A recorded version of the webinar will beavailable 7 March via the following link: http://www.media-server.com/m/p/qubzyvcj

By 2035, the world’s demand for energy and water will increase by more than 50 percent and the number of wireless devices will increase by about 15 billion units by the year 2020. In addition, the development of social media is changing the relationships between governments and citizens. All of this creates big opportunities for innovative solutions.

Super Session presenters were Dean Oskvig, President and CEO, Black & Veatch global energy business; Martin Travers, President, Black & Veatch telecommunications division; and Cindy Wallis-Lage, President, Black & Veatch global water business. They offered advice and solutions on how to meet demands for energy, water and wireless services that are so critical to cities, county governments and academic institutions.

“Energy and water are totally dependent on each other,” said Oskvig, “Planning and managing these vital resources must be combined. In the U.S., the water needed to create electricity nearly equals the water needed for food production.

Wallis-Lage said, “We currently spend significant effort on categorizing water: drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, fresh water and impaired water. Nature’s water cycle makes no such distinction; water is water, and the sooner the water industry and the public recognize that, the better off we will be in delivering solutions to meet our growing water demand.”

Travers observed, “In just a few years, anything that can be connected will be connected. Not being a ‘connected community’ is like being left without a railway stop in the 1860s. The time to build these networks is here.”

The 2012 ASPA conference themed “Redefining Public Service Through Civic Engagement” brought together government and nonprofit professionals, scholars, students, and citizen groups to learn innovative solutions and obtain skills that they can implement in their communities, states and countries.

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News Release from AT&T

New AT&T Eco-Rating System to Help Consumers Learn About Environmental Features of Mobile Devices

Wireless Shoppers Soon to Have Information on Device Materials, Energy Efficiency and Other Sustainability Attributes

Dallas, Texas, February 23, 2012

People eager to check out the newest, fastest and coolest mobile handset devices will soon be able to learn about its environmental features too.

That’s because a new eco-rating system is slated for launch later this year by AT&T*, which developed the system in collaboration with BSR, a global business network and consultancy focused on sustainability. Consumers will find AT&T eco-ratings on simple, easy-to-read-and-understand labels appearing on AT&T-branded mobile devices, once they are implemented in a few months.

The new system, which sets an example for industry-wide sustainability efforts, is a direct response to customer wants and needs. According to a Deloitte study* on consumer trends in the purchase of sustainable products, 54 percent of surveyed shoppers consider sustainability to be one of their decision making factors.

AT&T’s eco-rating system will cover attributes such as: environmentally preferable materials, energy efficiency, responsible end-of-life treatment and environmentally-responsible manufacturing. In assigning ratings, device manufacturers will submit an assessment of each device to determine how many of 15 key criteria are met. These criteria cover everything from the percentage of recycled metals used in the device, to restriction of compounds such as lead, cadmium, mercury, nickel and antimony trioxide/antimony compounds. The overall rating represents the composite score of these environmental attributes.

AT&T will add the ratings icon to in-store collateral later this year. Consumers will also be able to visit a website to obtain detailed information about how AT&T and BSR devised the ratings, learn more about what makes up the overall sustainability scale for mobile devices and see available products.

AT&T plans to evolve the rating system as technological innovations, industry norms and sustainability needs change.

“Increasingly, consumers are mindful of a product’s impact on the environment. We are excited to work with leading third-party organizations like BSR and our suppliers to help make it easier for our customers to learn about the environmental impact of products they plan to purchase,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility. “Our new eco-rating system will make it easier for our customers to make more informed purchasing decisions.” 

“At BSR, we work hand in hand with companies looking to develop innovative business strategies to help create a more just and sustainable world,” said Vijay Kanal, BSR’s Director, Information and Communications Technology Practice. “This eco-rating system, which we worked with AT&T to develop, should not only have broad consumer impact, it should help accelerate the integration of sustainable business practices across the entire mobile device industry.” 

AT&T is committed to integrating sustainable business practices across its business and was recently added to Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s 12^th Annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens List. AT&T was also included in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI). Visit www.att.com/csrto learn more about sustainability at AT&T. Also visit www.att.com/csr to download the 2010 AT&T Sustainability Report. To watch a video about the rating system, please click here.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

**2009 Deloitte study, “Finding the green in today’s shoppers: Sustainability trends and new shopper insights”