Learn Why Electric Vehicles are Critical to a Clean & Economically Viable Energy Future
June 17, 2021 – 12:00 Noon, 1 hour webinar
Webinar video.
According to the California Air Resources Board: “The transportation sector, including all passenger cars and light trucks, heavy-duty trucks, off-road vehicles, and the fuels needed to power them, is responsible for more than half of California’s greenhouse gas emissions. It is also responsible for the majority of smog-causing pollutants and is a significant source of toxic air contaminants that directly impact community health. These emissions pose a direct threat to the environment, the economy and public health.”
During this webinar, we discussed how important EVs are and will be to a cleaner, safer, more economic and efficient energy future in California and elsewhere.
Our speakers included:
JOSE TORRE-BUENO
CCE President, Board Member and Executive Director
Dr. Jose Torre-Bueno, who moderated this webinar, is a founder and the Executive Director of the Center for Community Energy. He is a green technology scientist and environmental advocate. He is also a designated intervenor with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
An expert in battery technology, photovoltaic systems, utility rates, and modeling energy demand, Dr. Torre-Bueno has become a contributor to the development of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs, and has been meeting with local governments to educate and encourage them to buy in to CCAs.
With over a decade of working in green technology, he has extensive expertise in designing, optimizing, and building photovoltaic/battery combined systems. Dr. Torre-Bueno has decades of experience in presenting complex technical information to audiences with all levels of expertise, and has been a driver in groundbreaking product development for green technology and the biotech industries. Dr. Torre-Bueno has been awarded 34 patents for his inventions, and has a pending patent on using advanced mathematics to optimize the energy improvements to a building. He received his PhD from The Rockefeller University.
Mike Heumann
VP of Marketing for Rhombus Energy Solutions
Mike Heumann has been leading the marketing efforts at Rhombus Energy Solutions since 2019. Prior to Rhombus, Mr. Heumann was a sales and marketing executive at a variety of companies, including QLogic, Emulex, NextIO, Astute Networks, Dot Hill, and JNI. He has a BSEE from the University of Wisconsin, a MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Purdue University, and completed the Stanford Executive Institute Leadership Program.
Bruce Nelson
Aptera Product Ambassador at Aptera
The subject of air pollution was on my radar after I participated in the first Earth Day in 1970. My exploration of Man’s effect on the environment has caused me to learn German, Persian, and Japanese. While living in Japan in the mid ’70s I did some design work with a Japanese electric vehicle company to explore what was possible for personal transportation.
I became very concerned about the effects of air pollution after going to Kuwait during the fires to measure air pollution and experiencing an extreme example first hand.In 2000, I joined the company that developed the first ozone friendly refrigeration system. While there, I learned that the r134a replacement for Freon, while it was solving the ozone depletion problem, had 1700 times the Global Warming Potential of carbon dioxide. As a result, I submitted the first proposal to the US EPA under the SNAP program for a non global warming refrigeration system.
I have become convinced that one of the best (and most fun!) ways to get a handle on our transportation and energy systems is to improve the efficiency of our vehicles.
John Sarter
John Sarter is an innovator and entrepreneur in the converging fields of real estate, renewable energy, and EV transportation. The goal of his team of partners and colleagues is carbon neutrality and greenhouse gas (GHG) elimination within those three sectors. Since 1986, Sarter has owned and operated his California-based design and development firms, Sarter Construction & Design, Off The Grid Design, and US DOE award-winning Sol Lux Alpha in California since 1986. With Off the Grid Design, Sarter is leading the industry in the integration and development of carbon neutral living and transportation systems.
Sarter founded the Microgrid Development Group SF Bay Area in 2014 and currently consults with industry and policy leaders in the area of Zero Carbon community development. Sarter and colleagues are currently planning and developing renewable energy and storage projects in California and nationally, creating resilience and GHG reductions through the development of nanogrids, microgrids, and community microgrids.
Sarter brings project development expertise to the Climate Center’s Advanced Community Energy (ACE) Core team, and is on the Board of Directors for SmartBlock Communities. Sarter completed sustainable design and entrepreneurship studies at Santa Rosa J.C., Sonoma State University, and Stanford University.
Contact at Off The Grid Design: John.Sarter@offthegriddesign.org