Tesla Model S review

An electric sports car earns top test score

Slipping behind the wheel of the Tesla Model S is like crossing into a promising zero-emissions future. This electric luxury sports car, built by a small automaker based in Palo Alto, Calif., is brimming with innovation, delivers world-class performance, and is interwoven throughout with impressive attention to detail. It’s what Marty McFly might have brought back in place of his DeLorean in  “Back to the Future.” The sum total of that effort has earned the Model S the highest score in our Ratings: 99 out of  100. That is far ahead of such direct competitors as the gas-powered Porsche Panamera (84) and the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid (57). Read it at CR

Duke University engineers have developed a novel method for producing clean hydrogen, which could prove essential to weaning society off of fossil fuels and their environmental implications.

While hydrogen is ubiquitous in the environment, producing and collecting molecular hydrogen for transportation and industrial uses is expensive and complicated. Just as importantly, a byproduct of most current methods of producing hydrogen is carbon monoxide, which is toxic to humans and animals. Read it at R&D

Support Renewable Energy Independence Day Now by Signing our new petition and passing it along!

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AWARD Competition entry deadline extended to December 20, 1010.

Contribute to the expansion of the US Renewable Energy Association, LLC and you or your class may be awarded a scholarship with a total value from $1 to millions! Value will be based on total net dollars generated at the US Renewable Energy Association during the 2011 calendar year.

Objective

What would your business class, web design class, renewable energy class or individual student(s) do to create the next Facebook type phenomenon in the form of the US Renewable Energy Association? Simply create the next overnight success and reap real rewards. There are virtually no limits on what can be done as long as the good image and reputation of the USREA are maintained.

The ground rules:

Budget – virtually non-existent. Staff – your class is the unpaid intern staff. USREA President to oversee operation and provide guidance. Time frame – 2011 calendar year. The Prize – All profit after taxes and expenses will be awarded in the form of 6 scholarships for various categories. The deadline – Submit a comprehensive action plan by Dec. 20, 2010 and the details necessary to put it into effect, and you could be presented this prestigious award!

Upon completion of the contest, multiple standout participants may receive an opportunity to work or partner with the US Renewable Energy Association.

There is no guarantee of award unless the results bring success to the USREA. This could be your Win-Win.

If no submissions are made or accepted no scholarships will be awarded (entry fee would be returned to all if this should occur). Maximum individual scholarship will be $100,000. If additional funds are generated above individual awards, they will be awarded to the participating school for future distribution under the USREA scholarship competition for worthy participants, up to the maximum.

Our inaugural, juried competition celebrates the best ideas in the development of the United States Renewable Energy Association, LLC and the promotion of the renewable energy industry.

Chosen by a jury of leading business professionals, the selected entries will be acknowledged nationwide at the USREA.org website, assuring important exposure to the creators of this outstanding work.

Register to Compete Deadline: October 10, 2010 December 20, 2010
Submission Deadline for Detailed Proposal: December 20, 2010
No entries will be accepted after December 20, 2010.

Submit a one-page summary along with a comprehensive proposal by the December 20, 2010 deadline.

What to Enter: Information on eligibility, categories and fees.
How to Enter: Information on preparation of entries and forms.
Scholarship Competition FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions about applications and file formats.

What to Enter

Creative a comprehensive business expansion plan for the US Renewable Energy Association, LLC to quickly grow the USREA. Participants must detail how each objective will be achieved with limited resources and support staff. Entries may originate from any accredited school, college or university located in the United States. Submission of entries acknowledges the right of the United States Renewable Energy Association, LLC (USREA) to use submissions for publication and exhibition and promotion purposes.

Scholarship Competition Categories
These categories are judged by the scholarship jury and will appear on the usrea.org web site:

Categories:

• Brand Building – It’s not about you, its not about me, its about US… US R.E.A. ™ Build the brand via viral marketing techniques.
• Web Site and Social Media Campaign – Get the word out and seek regular participation via online activities.
• Business Organization and Expansion Across the USA – get advertisers, industry insiders and educational institutions to contribute their knowledge and discoveries to the public.
• Membership Drive, Individual and Business – we need members, both R.E related businesses and R.E. enthusiasts like you and me!
• Educational Materials and Organization – Develop resources and techniques to keep timely educational and reference information on the web site, social media, etc.
• News Service – Develop resources to keep fresh news and information relating to the US renewable energy market. Additional resources to draw on include other domains owned by the USREA, including RenewablePR.com, Windmillcreek.com and others.

Fee: A non-refundable entry fee of $70. per school. Multiple divisions within an institution may participate separately but each separate submission will require an entry fee. Individuals may enter for a fee of $35. Ea.

How to Enter

All competition entries are processed via email or via US post office/express mail.

Before you begin the process of entering this competition, please have the following information and materials ready.

-Title of each project with categories covered.

-Your contact information and school information for registration and notification.
-Any digital files you might want to submit saved as RGB JPG format (maximum 1024 pixels wide X 768 pixels high @72dpi). Text documents should be submitted in Word .doc format, Adobe .pdf format or compatible.

Entries can be submitted in the following formats:
Print Entries: Submit annual reports, brochures, folders, books, catalogs, etc., in bound form or Word .doc format. For posters over 18″ x 24,” packaging, displays or signage, submit JPG files with a resolution of 1024(H) x 768(V). A one-page summary of the plan in bullet form is also mandatory.

Audio/Visual Entries: Submit motion graphics on Beta SP NTSC, DVD NTSC (viewable on a standard DVD player) or CD-ROM. Computer-based formats such as QuickTime or Flash should have a maximum screen size of 1024 x 768. Tape an entry form to the outside of each disk/video case.

Please do not send any pieces of art or documents you want returned. NO ENTRIES WILL BE RETURNED. No exceptions. USREA is not responsible for damage or loss of any entry. All entrants grant United States Renewable Energy Association, LLC the right to reproduce work submitted on the USREA.org site and in materials used to promote the competition and/or future related promotions.

Preparation of Packages
Address packages to USREA Scholarship Competition. Non-United States contestants will not be accepted. All entries must be received by the submission deadline date.

Forms and Entry Fees
After choosing a form of payment, you will receive an email summarizing what you entered. If you chose to pay by check, you will have an invoice available for printing. If you chose to deliver entries via mail/courier, you will also have entry forms in PDF format that you will need to print, trim and attach to your entries. Tape an entry form to the back of each entry. If the entry is a print-based campaign, you will tape an entry form to each part of the campaign. Tape an entry form to the outside of each disk/video case. Multiple digital files may be placed on a single disk. Please tape all applicable entry forms one on top of the other so we can flip through them to verify the contents of the disk.

Make checks payable to US Renewable Energy Association, LLC. Please include the check with your entries if you are delivering them via mail/courier. If your payment is being sent under a separate cover, please send your entries now, with a note saying that the check is coming under separate cover. If you submit all of your entries online please write the USREA invoice number on the check. The invoice number can be found in the Entry Forms PDF file. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. Charges for your entry fees will appear on your statement as “US Renewable Energy Association, LLC”). Credit card charges can only be done online. Please contact our office at (810) 359-2250 (8-5 EDT) for instructions.

Mail entries to:
US Renewable Energy Association Scholarship Competition
6697 Lakeshore Road
Lexington, Michigan 48450 U.S.A.
Via United States Mail, FedEx, UPS, etc.

Notification of Acceptance
Accepted entrants will be notified within two weeks after the submission deadline date. Notification of Award of Scholarships for school/category will be mailed one month after the publication date.

Questions
If you have any other questions you can reach us by:
Email: mailto:scholarship@usrea.org

Scholarship Competition FAQs

What is the amount of the scholarship award?
Total award amount will be equal to total net revenue of the US Renewable Energy Association, LLC for the 12-month calendar year of 2011, after taxes and expenses. The scholarship will be awarded in equal division among the category winners. As there are 6 scholarship categories, each scholarship will be valued at 1/6^th the total award, up to a maximum of $100,000 each. If the total of all awards exceeds $600,000. The balance will be awarded as the USREA Scholarship award to the accredited school or educational institution associated with the winning submission. This will be made available to other worthy students as appropriate.

Can multiple schools win the scholarship?
No. Only one comprehensive proposal covering all the indicated categories will be chosen.

The winning school will have discretion over awarding each of the 1/6^th awards to students deemed appropriate by the winning school. Award amounts may be further subdivided in situations where many students substantially participate toward the winning submission.

What will happen to my Entry Fee if no submission is accepted?
It is the goal of USREA to put the top submission entry into practice to grow the USREA. If, however, no submission is deemed acceptable to achieve rapid growth, and thereby provide significant scholarship potential, the USREA may not accept any entry. If no entry is accepted, all entry fees will be returned within two weeks following the decision.

Can I get an extension on the submission deadline?
The deadline will be not extended.

Do you offer a cash prize?
We do not offer a cash prize. The winners are awarded a scholarship to the accredited college of their choice.

Are there additional hanging fees or publication fees if my work is selected?
No. There are no additional fees if your work is selected.

Can I submit my work via e-mail and just include a credit card number with it?
You can submit and pay for your entries online.

Will you confirm receipt of my package(s)?
The best way for you to track your package(s) is to contact your carrier. We are unable to acknowledge receipt of your package(s) until your submission(s) has/have been processed. At that time you will receive an e-mail confirming that your package(s) has/have been received, along with your assigned entry number(s). This process can take up to two weeks.

Will my entries be returned?
Because of the number of entries we receive, it is not possible for us to return any of them.

I have already sent in my submission, can I still make a change?
No, due to the large number of entries we receive we are unable to locate individual pieces. If you want to submit additional entries, please submit a new package.

Can I enter one project into two separate categories?
No. Only comprehensive proposals will be accepted.

If my entry is accepted, what will you use for re-promotion?
If your work is accepted we may request necessary materials at that time.

The entry instructions state, “Do not send original pieces of art or documents you want returned.” What does that mean?
It simply means that you should not send original drawings, artwork or documents because they will not be returned.

Where do we put creative credits?
All we need is the contact information of the person submitting the work along with the name of the School entering the project. Creative credits will be requested if your work is chosen for inclusion in our marketing efforts.

We’re waiting on the check from our accounting department. Can we have an extension?
Please send your entries now, with a note saying that the check is coming under separate cover. If you submit all of your entries online, please write the USREA invoice number on the check. The invoice number can be found in the Entry Forms PDF file.

I don’t know which category to put my piece in?
Choose the category that you feel best fits your submission. If we feel another category is more appropriate, we will move it; your work will not be penalized or disqualified. Keep in mind the total comprehensive submission will be judged and the categories will only be to separate the awards.

Do you accept work on disk?
Entries can be submitted as digital files on disk, although it’s easier to submit them online. Digital files will be projected for the judges.

Can I submit multiple entries on one CD?
Yes. Please name the files as instructed on the entry forms generated for you and attach all the entry forms (one for each entry) on the CD case. Please enclose each series in its own folder on the CD.

Is there a category for student work?
The USREA requires that the body of work presented in the submission be that of students’ original work. However the work must be completely original and not utilize content owned by another copyright holder unless the entrant has been granted specific usage rights. If a student project is selected and documentation of specific usage rights cannot be supplied, the project will be disqualified. USREA is not liable for any copyright infringement on the part of the entrant and will not become involved in copyright disputes.

What rights do I retain if my work is chosen?
You retain all rights to your images. If selected, you will need to grant USREA the right to reproduce the image or images for our online, multi-media and print-based promotion.

How does the judging take place?
Judges are not permitted to vote on work in which they were directly involved. Each juror views the entries independently. Digital entries are selected by checking an “in” or “out” column on prepared scoring sheets. For the final round the judges are brought back together as one group. Each judge votes “in” or “out” on each entry. After the judges make their selections, their votes are tallied. A simple majority is required for a finalist to be selected a winner. The President of USREA will tally the votes and the decision of the USREA is final and no appeals will be accepted.

When will we know if our entry was chosen?
If your entry is chosen we will notify you within one month after the deadline date. Because of the number of entries we receive, we can only notify people whose work is accepted.

What will happen to our submission if it is not chosen?
If your entry is not chosen, we will keep it on file in the event that a winner cannot accept the award, or if they become disqualified due to plagiarism, or other unforeseen reasons.

Can the rules of the competition be changed after submissions begin?
USREA will make every attempt to keep the rules as listed. However, we reserve the right to modify this competition as necessary for clarification, as unforeseen questions are posted, or as may be required for legal, tax or other purposes.

What if I apply to compete as an individual student, and not as a class project?
If your entry is chosen we will award at a maximum of $100,000. per individual. In no case will any single award exceed $100,000.

When will the scholarship award be made available? At the conclusion of the 2011 calendar year, our Certified Public Accounting firm will calculate total profits, taxes and liabilities. As soon as practicable thereafter we will make the scholarship award available.

* USREA management reserves the right to modify submitted proposals as necessary to accomplish the goals and objectives of the USREA. Every attempt will be made to use the submissions as presented.

The campaign has launched with a social media petition intending to sign up over 1 million people by Earth Day (4-22-2013) next year. Additional events on Renewable Energy Independence Day  (July 3^rd, 2013) will include a rally at the US Capital, a “Ride for Energy” bike rally and various member companies will hold events around the country in support of the effort.  Promotional materials include a provocative poster, Tee shirt and bumper sticker campaign that feature the Statue of Liberty holding a Wind Turbine in place of a torch and Solar Panels in place of a book.

Sign our petition and help promote Renewable Energy Independence Day (TM),  July 3rd.