More efficient fuel being created for the military, an advisory board created for Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, and San Diego School Districts installing solar.

Aerojet, which is a is a world-recognized aerospace and defense company, has successfully tested an advanced solid ramjet fuel in an engine ground test. The company has a contract to provide the U.S. military with fuels that for long-range, high-speed capability.  The efficiency of how the fuel burns is what excites the military because it results in more delivered energy and reduced visible exhaust. The Ramjet engines typically mix liquid fuel with atmospheric air to provide thrust at high speed. But, over ten years ago, the military wanted to be able to use and store a solid fuel. So, Aerojet developed the world’s first throttleable solid-fueled ramjet for the U.S. Navy GQM-163A Coyote missile target and has been making different types of these advanced fuels every since.

The U.S. Department of Energy a Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) for Department Secretary Steven Chu. The Board, eliminated during the last administration, was re-created because Secretary Chu wanted timely, balanced, external advice on issues concerning the Department  from a group of respected scientists, business executives, academics and former government officials. Some of the members of this 12-person group include Former Chairman & CEO for Lockhead Martin & Former Under Secretary for the Army Norman Augustine, Ralph Cicerone who’s the President of National Academy of Sciences and John Deutch who’s a Chemist at MIT and a past Under Secretary of Energy.

Amsolar has received the approval from The San Diego Unified School District Board of Education to install 5.2 MW of solar panels on the School District’s properties. The deal came together because Amsolar offers special space-for-electricity financing specifically for schools and school districts by acting like a utility where they install all of the panels on the roofs of their customer’s properties and then charges their customers a discounted kwh rate for their usage each month. For this deal, the San Diego Unified School District signed a 22-year power purchase agreement last week with Amsolar in which all of the electricity generated by the solar panels will be sold directly to the school district. It’s estimated that 11% of the school districts power will be generated from the new solar installation and save the district $13-20 million in utility costs.

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