The Bicycle Cellar, a key ingredient of the multi-modal offerings at the Tempe Transportation Center, received preliminary approval to open in the historic Security Building. Located across the street from METRO Light Rail’s Central Station at Van Buren and Central, the Beaux Arts-style building also houses ASU’s PURL (Phoenix Urban Research Laboratory) and Phoenix Community Alliance.

The Tempe location offers memberships for bicycle commuters to store their bikes, have access to showers and lockers, and also use a basic self-service bike repair area. In addition, the facility provides 24-hour video surveillance and is monitored by security guards. The Bicycle Cellar also offers bike service, bike related retail and bike rentals.

These services will be available to downtown Phoenix residents, students and commuters once the Bicycle Cellar has secured $477,000 in funding. Maricopa County has agreed to pay the approximated $220,000 in core and shell improvement costs for the space.

For more information, visit the Downtown Devil.

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The Arizona SciTech Festival showcases Arizona as a national leader in science, technology and innovation through a series of events taking place statewide. Over 250 organizations have partnered together to showcase Arizona’s leadership in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through a series of hands-on activities, workshops, conversations, debates, stunning exhibitions, concerts, guided walks and tours.

Join the fun and learning at one or more of these events to celebrate Arizona’s future as a leader in perpetual innovation.

Featured Events Include:
• Jan. 25 – 26 Aerospace and Defense Requirements Conference
• Feb. 3 Phoenix First Friday Art Science Fusion
• Feb. 4 Arizona Science Center’s Innovations in Bioscience
• Feb. 10–12 Mesa’s Take Flight Celebration
• Feb. 14, 16 AZ Renaissance Festival’s Discovery Days
• Feb. 16 Chandler’s Tech Crawl
• Feb. 16 Tempe’s The Science of Fun
• Feb. 18 Tucson’s Science in the City
• Feb. 19–20 Challenger Space Center’s John Glenn Anniversary Event
• Feb. 21 A Day of Dean Kamen
• Feb. 25 Arizona State University’s EX-STATIC at New College
• Feb. 25–26 Scottsdale’s Science of Baseball
• Mar. 3 Arizona State University’s Night of the Open Door
• Mar. 6 University of Arizona’s Innovation Day

Click here for more information.

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German innovations to sustainable home building will soon be on display at the Tempe Arts Park as part of the dasHAUS exhibit.

According to the Phoenix Business Journal, the full-house installation will be open to the public Jan. 21-30 just outside the Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway. Admission is free.

The dasHAUS exhibit includes the latest sustainability technologies, including a thin film photovoltaic roof, high recovery climate control, solar-powered LED lighting systems, vacuum insulated panel systems, VRLA battery systems and advanced wall construction.

Tempe is one of 12 North American cities to feature dasHAUS. The traveling exhibit is presented in partnership with the City of Tempe, Arizona State University and the German American Chambers of Commerce.

Click here for a schedule of events and guided tours.

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In early 2012, the Arizona Commerce Authority will award $1.5 million to the most promising technology ventures that participate in the 2nd Arizona Innovation Challenge (awards may range from $100,000 to $250,000).

Arizona technology businesses are the state’s engine for economic transformation through wealth and job creation. The Arizona Innovation Challenge is an investment in the minds of talented entrepreneurs in Arizona and around the world.

Companies in the following technology sectors may apply: advanced materials, advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, bio and life sciences, clean-tech and renewable energy, and information technology.

For more information and to download an application, click here. Nominations must be submitted between January 13 and February 6, 2012.

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What are the latest trends and issues facing the development of thriving communities here in Arizona? Join the Urban Land Institute on January 26 to be a part of the discussion about the future of real estate.

ULI Arizona Trends Day brings together the best national and regional real estate leaders, decision-makers and visionaries to explore the most pressing issues facing the industry. Over thirty speakers and panelists will engage participants in discussing up-to-the-minute ideas, issues and trends: the economy and capital markets, the future of master planned communities, development and what is driving changes.

Trends Day keynote speaker and banking industry leader Frederick Waddell will speak to events from the 2008 banking crisis, and how they are still reverberating in today’s market, Mr. Waddell will also tie national trends to Northern Trust’s operations in the Phoenix metro area and address conditions that impact the future vitality of the region.

ULI Arizona Trends Day
Thursday, January 26
Sheraton Downtown Phoenix
340 North Third Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Click here for a full agenda and registration information.

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Science and mathematics K-12 educators, college and university STEM professionals are invited to attend an upcoming STEMNet networking dinner and professional development workshops.

The dinner’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Rogier Windhorst, JWST Interdisciplinary Scientist and ASU Regents’ Professor.

Thursday, January 19, 2012
4:30 – 7:30 p.m.
ASU Memorial Union, Tempe Campus

Certificates for CEU credits will be available, upon request.

Click here for event information, program specifics and registration.

If you have an interest in presenting a STEM professional development workshop for teachers, there is still space at this January event and on May 17.

For comments or questions, email STEMNet@asu.edu or phone (480) 965-7840.

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Volunteers help harvest at Valley of the Sunflowers (Arizona Republic)

Volunteers converged on the Valley of the Sunflowers in downtown Phoenix recently to help with the first harvest of the flowers for fuel project.

A partnership of Roosevelt Row CDC, Phoenix BioScience High School and the Intel Corporation, the Valley of the Sunflowers is a temporary use of two empty lots for downtown beautification, community involvement and education.

The harvested sunflowers will be processed by the BioScience students and turned into fuel to power a car they are building.

Volunteers are needed to help with the second harvest day, this Saturday, January 7. Volunteers should arrive at Fifth and Pierce Streets at 10 a.m. to assist.

You can read more about the project and see the Arizona Republic’s slideshow of the Valley of the Sunflowers’ first volunteer day.

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The recently released 2011 Newsweek magazine Green Rankings, ranked the Discovery Triangle’s Apollo Group at 83rd among the 500 largest U.S. publicly traded companies for environmental performance.

The Newsweek Green Rankings began in 2009, and assess the environmental performance of the 500 largest publicly traded US companies. That year, Apollo ranked 183^rd on the list.

“Dedication and hard work across Apollo and the University of Phoenix in advancing green business practices are lowering our environmental footprint,” says Seth Mones (pictured above), Apollo’s vice president, sustainability policy and programs, who joined the company two years ago after having served as a cabinet member to former Governor Napolitano, and before that as a counsel to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

Apollo’s green approaches include energy efficiency practices, procurement initiatives, environmental policy development, and making publicly available comprehensive information on Apollo’s green business practices.

From 2009 to 2010, Apollo’s environmental footprint in the U.S. has decreased, with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions down nine percent and electricity usage down 10 percent. In 2011, Apollo completed various energy efficiency projects in Phoenix, which are expected to reduce Apollo’s footprint by 750 metric tons of GHG emissions and 1.3 million kilowatt hours of energy usage (which is enough energy to power 100 homes for a year).

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A new public-private partnership between the city of Phoenix and National Bank of Arizona (NB|AZ) will assist businesses with financing the costs of commercial energy efficiency improvements of properties located within the Energize Phoenix Corridor, much of which falls within the Discovery Triangle.

“The city is once again creating public-private partnerships to help local businesses grow,” said Mayor Phil Gordon. “This partnership will help businesses save money by saving energy, and help us achieve our goal of becoming the ‘greenest’ city in the nation.”

Energize Phoenix has partnered with APS and NB|AZ to provide rebates and financing for commercial property owners who choose to do energy efficiency upgrades and improvements to their buildings. Participating property owners will receive APS rebates (as allowed under the APS Solutions for Business program) and Energize Phoenix will match many of these rebates up to 100 percent of the incremental cost, thereby potentially resulting in double rebates to the property owner.

“National Bank of Arizona is proud to continue its commitment to our community by partnering with the city of Phoenix to provide a reasonable and affordable financing solution for commercial energy efficiency projects,” said Craig Robb, Executive Vice President of NB|AZ. “National Bank of Arizona recognizes the need for dependable business banking for projects ranging from energy improvements to new business loans, and endeavors to be a recognized as a true partner in the Phoenix business sector.”

Financing is only available for approved energy efficiency improvements that meet eligibility requirements for the Energize Phoenix commercial rebate program.

Visit energizephx.com for more program and financing details. For additional information about the Commercial Finance Program, please call Mitchell Hayden at 602.534.2002 or by email at mitchell.hayden@phoenix.gov.

Energize Phoenix has expanded program boundaries effective immediately. New program boundaries run along a 10-mile stretch of the light rail from Central and Missouri avenues to Washington Street and State Route 143.

ABOUT ENERGIZE PHOENIX
The city of Phoenix was awarded a $25 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Better Buildings Neighborhood Program through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to launch the Energize Phoenix program in partnership with Arizona State University and with support from Arizona Public Service. The Energize Phoenix program saves energy, creates jobs and will transform a diverse array of neighborhoods along the Metro light rail.

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In October, 23 business leaders from across the Discovery Triangle and Phoenix area had an insider’s look into our region’s educational institutions. These leaders took part in a Principal for a Day program, designed to increase the understanding and awareness of the private sector regarding public education.

“The workforce of tomorrow is sitting in the classrooms of today,” said Pearl Esau, Expect More Arizona president and CEO, and chair of the DT’s Education Expert Group, which spearheaded the effort with HandsOn Greater Phoenix. “This day was a starting point to build lasting relationships between schools and businesses. All the participants have made a long-term commitment with their schools to help ensure quality education for every student.”

Educators and their business leaders share their experiences and thoughts on this Principal for Day video, and Kim Covington of 12 News takes viewers on a tour of her day at ASU Preparatory Academy.

Participating educators, schools and business leaders were:

Ginger Koenig, Balsz Elementary and Cathy Graham, Desert Schools Federal Credit Union

Mario Tijerina, Brunson-Lee and Alicia Mandel, Apollo Group

Janet Sharp, Crockett and Mike Gausden, Hunt Construction

Alexis Wilson, Griffith and Mike Smith, Jokake Construction

Michael Halpert, Orangedale Preperatory Academy and Mindy Korth, C.B. Richard Ellis

James Munoz, Creighton Elementary and Stephanie Grisham, Larson Communications

Damon Twist, Exelencia and Stephen Houghton, McKinsey & Co.

Nancy Uxa, Gateway and Karen Heck, DLR Group

Sean Hannafin, Larry C. Kennedy and Tom Awai, AECOM

Stephanie DeMar, Loma Linda and Steve Gollehon, HDR Engineering

Eric Dueppen, WM T. Machan and Kyle Green, Phoenix Children’s Hospital

Mike Madison, Monte Vista and Lisa Ormsby, Discount Tire Co.

Jeff Geyer, Papago and Becky VanFleet, SmartHealth

Faith Burtannekh, Biltmore Preparatory Academy and Steve Binder, Retirement Wealth Strategies

Gary Zehrbach, Herrera and Gabriella Cardenas, Azteca America TV

Rosanna Hidalgo, Lowell and Rob Antoniak, APS

Melody Herne, Whittier and Alan Hromas, University of Advancing Technology

Leah Frequlia Roberts, Arizona School for the Arts and Maureen Baker, Musical Instrument Museum

David Lujan, ASU Preparatory Academy and Kim Covington, 12 News

Laura Metcalfe, Vicki Romero High School and Meghan Cox, Lincoln Strategies Group

Karen Callahan, Genesis Academy and Jeff Moloznik, RED Development

Lisa Smith, Gateway Early College and Lew Laws, DPR Construction

Billie Enz, Educare and Jim Pitofsky, Arizona Community Foundation

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