Fredericksburg, Texas - September 24 - 26, 2010 - Keynote Speakers

 This year’s tent speaker line up will have an impressive assortment of topics ranging from community wind to emission issues, to organic gardening, biodiesel, green building, sustainable living to rain water harvesting

Speakers at the 2010 Roundup.  We'll be adding this year's speakers soon!  Make sure you are on our mailing list to receive notice.

Friday - September 24, 5 pm

Kenneth Starcher, Assistant Director, Training, Education and Outreach
Alternative Energy Institute

 
Taking the Guesswork Out of Choosing a Small Wind System; Testing for Standards Will Help Consumers Compare Products For Their Needs

The winds have blown hot and cold for years in the industry and consumers unfortunately have been dusted with snake oil, smoke and mirrors . Recognizing the need for standards, the  Small Wind Certification Council (SWCC) was formed to provide requirements that will give consumers verified information and promote confidence in the output and longevity of  consumer scale wind products. 

Selecting a wind system based on application and performance will soon be similar to choosing an Energy Star Rated appliance or a new automobile based on EPA estimated gas mileage. SWCC will rate and stamp production units, easing the process of buying the right wind system for the job at hand. Power will be rated at a given wind speed of 11 meters/second  and the expected energy output rated at a nominal 5.5 meters/second. A sound level rating will be included and  presented in a simple to understand format.  

Formally started in February 2010, the SWCC data collection began this year on several units  across the US. Many locations are available for testing and these are listed at  www.smallwindcertification.org. To date, 13 manufacturers are planning to use these tests, many of them represented here at Roundup 2010.

Ken has earned two degrees from West Texas A&M University, a B.S. in Physics (1980) and a M.S. in Engineering Technology (1995). He has worked at the Alternative Energy Institute since 1977, when AEI began operation as an outgrowth of work begun under the Physics Department, then at West Texas State University. As Associate Director of AEI he continues the focus of information dissemination, consulting and teaching/training that AEI has performed in the past 32 years. Ken is in charge of all the courses and seminars at AEI, an instructor for visiting foreign interns (Germany, France, Jordan and Inner Mongolia), a part time teacher at WTAMU (Engineering Technology), and has served as an instructor at wind energy seminars in throughout the US, China, Brazil and South Africa. Beyond the classroom, Ken has installed and operated more than 85 renewable energy systems, from less than 1 kilowatt to 500 kilowatts.

Saturday - September 25, 1 pm

Roger Duncan, Former General Manager - Austin Energy

Utility of the Future

Roger will discuss both the near term and far future of the electric utility industry, with a focus on the transition to renewable energy, distributed generation, smart grid and the need for a new business model. The main drivers of the energy systems of the future include both the twin storms of peak oil and climate change and the technology trends reshaping energy generation, transmission and storage.

Roger Duncan is the former General Manager of Austin Energy, the municipal utility for Austin, Texas. It is the 9th largest public power utility and has been recognized as a leader in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and smart grid activities. Prior to that position, Roger served in various manager roles for Austin Energy and the City of Austin, with management over government relations, water and air quality, sustainability and various environmental initiatives. Roger was elected twice to the Austin City Council from 1981 to 1985. Roger serves on the Board of Directors of the Alliance to Save Energy, the Board of Trustees of the American Solar Energy Society, and is President of the Pecan Street Project, an Austin smart grid initiative. In 2005, Business Week magazine recognized Roger as one of the top 20 carbon reducers in the world. Roger has a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin with a major in philosophy.

Sunday - September 26, 1 pm

Thomas G. Mason , General Manager, Lower Colorado River Authority

Saving Water for Texas’ Future

Lower Colorado River Authority General Manager Tom Mason knows about the importance of water and how difficult it can be when water supplies are strained. Nothing illustrated this better than the recent severe drought. With the state’s population projected to nearly double in the next 50 years, water is arguably the most precious resource in Texas. Finding the water for Texas’ future is a monumentally expensive and challenging task. The least expensive approach is to use what we have more efficiently. Mason will discuss how this can be done, particularly in the home. For example, replacing two old toilets with new water-efficient models can save 12,000 gallons a year. Switching to low-flow showerheads can save two gallons a minute. Even just checking for leaks around the house and quickly fixing any you find can save 200 gallons a day.  Journey outside to the lawn and the potential for savings grows. An automatic sprinkler system can account for 60 percent of the water used at a home. By just following recommended watering guidelines during hot summer months, residents can save 3,500 gallons a month. As growth puts more strain on Texas’ rivers, lakes and aquifers, it will become increasingly important for residents to adopt such conservation measures. Education and awareness is the key. Mason will discuss the challenges and policy issues we must overcome to foster a conservation ethic in Texas.

Thomas G. Mason is general manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority, a public agency that provides energy, water and community services for much of Central Texas. Prior to being named general manager in November 2007, Mason served as LCRA’s general counsel. As the agency’s chief legal and policy adviser, he provided strategic guidance as well as ethics training and counseling to senior management and the agency’s 15-member Board of Directors. Mason previously served as assistant general counsel for the Texas Department of Water Resources and director of the Water Quality Division of the Texas Water Commission. He was also a partner in a law firm with a statewide practice in environmental and administrative law. He holds a bachelor of arts in Plan II and a doctorate in jurisprudence from The University of Texas at Austin.

  See the speaker bio’s and presentation outlines from the 2009 roundup here.