Archive for February, 2011

Largest Commercial Solar Dish in North America

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

Phoenix, Arizona, February 15, 2011. Southwest Solar Technologies Inc. announced today that it has commissioned the largest commercial solar dish in North America, one of the largest in the world. The solar dish concentrator is used as part of the Company’s dish-turbine solar power system for generating electricity.  The dish structure is currently in routine daily operational testing at the Southwest Solar Research Park, in Phoenix Arizona.

Approximately 75 ft in diameter, the dish has a solar collection area of over 320 square meters, making it over three times larger than other solar dishes currently used for commercial power production.  The Company projects that this will give it the capability to generate three times the power of other dish designs, which will result in higher capacity and fewer dish units per acre for the comparable power production.

The size of the dish is designed to optimize the turbine generator that the Company is developing in conjunction with Brayton Energy LLC of Hampton, New Hampshire.  Prior efforts by others to use turbines on solar dishes have not yet been commercially successful in part because the efficiency and the costs of turbines are less favorable at smaller turbine and dish size.

The Company’s current activities include detailed operational testing of the dish and the key components for the turbine generator.  In the second half of the year, plans are to begin initial power-output testing of the combined new system, which will be powered by the sun.

Southwest Solar Technologies, established in 2008, operates at the Southwest Solar Research Park in Phoenix. Its solar dish-turbine concept was initially launched under support by the U.S. Department of Energy. The product is designed to deliver a renewable energy solution where requirements are non-intermittent power, low water use, and scalability. www.swsolartech.com



Arcadia Biosciences and Vilmorin to Develop Water Efficient Wheat

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

– Water Efficiency Technology To Increase Productivity And Decrease Fresh Water Requirements for Wheat Farming –

DAVIS, Calif. USA and PARIS, France (February 9, 2011) – Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that benefit the environment and human health, today announced that it has signed an exclusive global licensing deal with Vilmorin, the world’s leading wheat seed company, and Limagrain Cereal Seeds, LLC, a joint venture between Vilmorin and Arcadia, to use Arcadia’s Water Efficiency (WE) technology in wheat.

Under terms of the agreement, Vilmorin receives exclusive rights outside of North America to the use of Arcadia’s WE technology in wheat, and Limagrain Cereal Seeds receives exclusive rights within North America. Arcadia receives an upfront payment, milestone payments and a share of commercial sales revenue.

Arcadia’s WE technology enables farmers to produce high yields under reduced water conditions.  This technology can make farming more efficient and reserve more fresh water resources for human consumption. By combining WE with the company’s NUE technology, which enables farmers to produce high yields using less nitrogen fertilizer, wheat growers can have increased productivity, more stable yields, lower operating costs and a significantly lower impact on the environment.

“With a rapidly expanding population and variable climatic conditions, the pressure on fresh water resources is becoming an increasing problem. Crop yields and food security depend on adequate soil moisture, and the development of water efficient wheat can significantly reduce yield sensitivity to water availability,” said Eric Rey, president and CEO of Arcadia. “Vilmorin’s leadership in global wheat and the rapid development of Limagrain Cereal Seeds in North America make them ideal partners to develop and commercialize Arcadia’s WE technology in wheat.”

“This exclusive and global access to Arcadia’s innovative water efficiency technology is another major step in Vilmorin’s development plans in wheat.  Together with our access to Arcadia’s nitrogen efficiency technology, this water efficiency gene technology opens new long term perspectives towards improving the agricultural and environmental performance of the most cultivated cereal crop in the world,” said Emmanuel Rougier, COO of Vilmorin.

About Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.

Based in Davis, Calif., with additional facilities in Seattle, Wash. and Phoenix, Ariz., Arcadia Biosciences is an agricultural technology company focused on the development of agricultural products that improve the environment and enhance human health.  For more information visit www.arcadiabio.com.

About Vilmorin

Vilmorin is the fourth largest seed company in the world, and creates vegetable and field crops with high added value, thus helping to meet food needs more efficiently.  Based on a responsible vision of its development, Vilmorin’s strategy is a successful combination of its research capacity and constant international growth that strengthens its position as a world player. This ambition is founded on sharing knowledge, quality of life and respect for the needs of mankind, all expressed through its philosophy “Cultivating the taste of life.”

Listed on NYSE Euronext Paris (compartment A), Vilmorin’s quotation is included in the Next 150, CAC Mid 100 and SBF 250 indices, and is eligible for SRD (Deferred Settlement Order). For more information visit www.vilmorin.info.

 



Arcadia Biosciences Adds Former USAID Executive to Management Team

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

DAVIS, Calif. (November 2, 2010) – Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that benefit the environment and human health, today announced that it has named Dr. Josette Lewis to the position of director, agriculture development.  In this role, Lewis will be responsible for expanding the company’s licensing and partnering activities, with an emphasis on developing world opportunities.

Lewis joins Arcadia from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where she served as the director of the Office of Agriculture.  In this role, she held a leadership role in development of the Administration’s global initiative on food security; developed a new strategy for agricultural research; and developed numerous new partnerships with universities, agricultural companies and nongovernmental organizations. In this position she oversaw a budget of more than $40 million and a staff spanning agricultural research, policy, agribusiness development and natural resources.

“We’ve had significant success in identifying the right partners for our key technologies and completing deals that will deliver value to both parties, to growers, to the environment and to humankind.  With Josette’s experience, expertise and broad global network of stakeholders, our ability to accelerate the development and introduction of our agricultural traits increases substantially,” said Eric Rey, president and CEO of Arcadia.  “She has a proven ability to build effective partnerships, and her addition to our management team will speed the rate at which we can bring our technologies to the people who need them.”

Prior to her last post at USAID, Lewis held numerous other positions of increasing responsibility with the agency, starting in 1994.  She received her Ph.D in Molecular Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her B.S. in Genetics from the University of California, Davis.

About Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.
Based in Davis, Calif., with additional facilities in Seattle, Wash. and Phoenix, Ariz., Arcadia Biosciences is an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that improve the environment and enhance human health.  For more information visit www.arcadiabio.com.