Paradigm Shift Institute

Information

Paradigm Shift Institute is a nonprofit innovation laboratory dedicated to education, innovation, and entrepeneurship.

Location: Houston, Texas
Members: 176
Latest Activity: Nov 11

Executive Summary for Paradigm Shift Institute (PSI)

Paradigm Shift Institute is a proposed non-profit laboratory promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and education. The institute will be managed and lead by a staff of highly experienced and accomplished science, engineering and business professionals representing all of the major science / engineering / business areas (chemistry / biochemistry, physics, civil engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, management, finance, and marketing). The institute will be dedicated toward:

- Educating and inspiring young people to pursue science and engineering careers through invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship,

- Developing the next great technologies and innovations to bolster the U.S. economy, and

- Solving critical problems occurring in our world (i.e. pollution, poverty, and renewable energy) through the formulation and application of cutting-edge technologies and products.

The institute will be:

1. An integrated, cooperative engineering laboratory dedicated to the conception, research and development (short and long term) of cutting-edge products and technologies targeting critical economic and environmental issues. The institute will bring products and technologies from initial conception through design, engineering analysis, prototyping, testing and marketing (licensing). The major areas of focus will be:

* Materials and Structures – Development of technologies to

- Produce better strength to weight ratio materials and structures,

- Improve reliability and durability of complex structures,

- Improve the performance of materials / structures in adverse environments (thermal, vibration, corrosive, etc.), and

- Improve the reliability, cost and speed of producing complex structures from a variety of materials.

* Propulsion / Energy Systems and Subsystems – Development of system and subsystem technologies to improve the performance, cost, environmental compatibility, efficiency, reliability, maintainability and durability of propulsion and energy systems for home, automotive, aviation and aerospace applications.

* Renewable and Alternative Fuels and Energy Systems – Development and promotion of technologies to improve the production and application of alternative fuels such as hydrogen, cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel. Improved technologies for geothermal, wind, tidal, and solar-based energy production and
Improved technology for energy storage devices such as batteries and flywheels.

* Environmental Remediation – Development of products and technologies for the remediation of environmental damage, including the remediation of global warming and land pollution.

* Control Systems – Development of cutting-edge control systems for the operation of complex machinery and devices that improve efficiency, maintainability and reliability and lower cost. Special emphasis will be given to control systems that can learn and adapt.

The developed technologies and products will be licensed to U. S. companies to cover the operation and growth costs of the institute.

2. An incubator for the promotion of product development and entrepreneurship skills by young high school students who are brought to the institute as paid interns / apprentices. The staff will then work with the interns to conceive product ideas, refine the product conception, produce the design, build a prototype, test the prototype, and market it for licensing. Special consideration will be given to potential interns who come from low-income communities. Income from licensing will be used for institute operations and scholarships.

3. An incubator for young entrepreneurs to propose product ideas to be developed, prototyped, tested, and marketed at the laboratory facility with licensing shared between the concept originator and the institute to cover the development costs.

Discussion Forum

ARE HYBRID/ELECTRICAL CARS THE SOLUTION? 10 Replies

Started by Tamas. Last reply by Paul Burger Mar 29.

Let's consider a real paradigm shift 8 Replies

Started by Luane Todd. Last reply by David Scott Jan 23.

Let us behave as grown up and responsible citizens instead of complainers

Started by Alankar Gupta Sep. 1, 2008.

Comment Wall

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Comment by JD Polk on April 23, 2009 at 6:52am: ENERGY MATTERS
Renewable energy. Energy-efficient homes. Green vehicles. It’s all about energy.
Making Solar Electricity Affordable
2/24/2009 12:36:38 PM
By Dan Chiras
Tags: energy efficiency, solar panels, Dan Chiras
Many people who are contemplating installing solar electric systems on their homes struggle with the high initial costs.
To pay for a system, they either have to dip into their savings or take out a loan.
A 3- to 5-kW grid-connected solar system, suitable for most homes, can run $30,000 to $50,000.
Even with recent legislation that provides a 30 percent tax credit for solar and wind systems for homes and businesses,
the cost of such as system will still cost $21,000 to $30,000, which is a substantial piece of change.
Isn’t there some way to reduce this cost?
There is. It's called efficiency.
Richard Perez, founder of Home Power magazine, ran the numbers.
He found that every dollar invested in energy efficiency could reduce the cost of a photovoltaic (PV) system by $3 to $5.
How?
By reducing the size of a system one must install to meet his or her needs.
The economic savings from efficiency are quite substantial. For instance,
a $2,000 investment in home energy efficiency — for example, weatherization, insulation and energy-efficient compact fluorescent or
LED light bulbs — will reduce the demand for electricity. This, in turn, will reduce the size of the PV system required to meet one’s needs.
It could easily save $6,000 to $10,000 on the cost of the system of a 3- to 5-kW PV system before tax incentives.
Taking into account the 30% federal tax credit, the savings would be $4,200 to $7,000.
Spend a little more on efficiency and the cost of the system drops even more. If you invested $4,000 in efficiency,
the total system cost would decline by $12,000 to $20,000.
Taking into account the federal tax credits once again and the decrease in initial cost would be $8,400 to $14,000.
That’s not a bad return on an investment in efficiency.
Instead of spending $21,000 to $30,000 for a system, you’d pay $12,600 to $16,000.
So, if you're thinking about installing a PV system, think efficiency first. It’s a gift you give yourself and the planet.
It will reduce energy demand, reduce pollution, and reduce the cost of a system substantially.
Moreover, the savings will provide dividends for the life of the house.

Comment by Mike Anthony Fernald Sr. on March 10, 2009 at 3:56am: Hey Friends
Can any of you write up a letter of support for Wed Speakers, Send it to me or Kim Anderson,

Thanks Much :o}
Mike

The RI Pickens Plan Forum on Alternative and Renewable Energy
Wednesday March 11,2009
Providence City Hall Room 302
7:00pm-9:pm

Speakers:
Kim Anderson -PP Congressional
District Leader for RI-01 and RI-02.
Andrew Dzykewicz- Commisioner of RI
Energry Resources
Dave Eldredge- Owner of RI Drilling and
Blasting
John Rupp- Chairman of the Board
RIPTA/ Assit Gen Counsel Textron
Julian Dash - Director of RIEDC
Renewable Energies Fund
John Tabor Jacobson- Developer of
energy effcient buildings/ President
of RI chapter of Northeast
Susatinble Energy Association

Topics:
1.Overview of Pickens Plan
2. Wind energy in RI
3.Geo Thermal energy
4.RIPTA and Natural Gas Buses
5.RI Renewable Energies Fund /
funding electricity producing projects
6. Policies/ incentives to make Public
and Private Buildings more energy
efficient

Comment by Kat on March 9, 2009 at 6:41pm: New T. Boone Pickens TV ad:
http://www.pickensplan.com/media/?bcpid=1640183817&bclid=1641831862&bctid=14900618001

New Huffington Post column by Boone. I encourage you all to read and comment:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/t-boone-pickens/its-not-about-political-p_b_172500.html

Interview with Senator Reid about the Energy Summit:
http://www.pickensplan.com/news/2009/03/05/senator-reid-recaps-another-successful-energy-summit/

Comment by Kat on February 23, 2009 at 5:35am: TODAY...The nation's most important leaders in energy reform are gathering with T. Boone Pickens at the National Clean Energy Project Summit to tackle the critical issues of ushering in a new era of renewable energy and ending our dependence on foreign oil. This event will feature a lot of people who know what they are talking about when it comes to energy policy - including John Podesta from the Center for American Progress Action Fund, U.S. Senator Harry Reid, President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Climate Czar Carol Browner, Owens-Corning CEO Michael Thaman, American Electric Power President & CEO Mike Morris, Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope, American Wind Energy Association CEO Denise Bode, Riverkeeper Alliance Chief Prosecuting Attorney Robert Kennedy, Jr. and many others.

Watch the live roundtable discussion on Monday, Feb. 23, at 10:15 a.m. EST.

Comment by Arno Lundin on February 17, 2009 at 11:34am: Well said. I can only add that it is a global problem. Seems ripe for a world currency solution to end the market and banking woes. Sadly it may be the end of free currency markets and back to highly regulated stock markets. I'm not a conspiracy buff but I have heard murmurs in the news about the problems of deregulation. Still same as usual politics over a citizens earnings and or ability to earn. Some are truly unable and need looking after and I believe the hand up programs are of value but in the same aspect as an entrepreneur I am well aware that by the time you pay for license, permits, taxes, insurances, in today's world you run a huge risk of not having an income let alone have something left to give back to the community. Unfortunately like the seventies once they figure that business people don't do business unless they can see a healthy return and the unemployed social dole out becomes so burdensome it will take a decade. I for one don't need to waste 10 years to repeat the seventies hopefully governments can see the path we are on as it appears many regular folks see it clearly.

Comment by Mike Anthony Fernald Sr. on February 17, 2009 at 1:30am: Wise words from a Friend.
This says it all.

You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy
out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another
person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to
anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody
else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to
work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the
other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody
else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friends, is about
the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.

Mike

Comment by Bill Mollring on February 16, 2009 at 9:20am: ubject: VBine contact info & WSM Marketing info
> To: "Bill Mollring"
> Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 11:36 AM
> David Koyle
> >> Franklin Wind Energy Group LLC
> >> PO Box 250 092
> >> Franklin
> >> MI, 48025
> >> (248) 626 9012 O
> >> (248) 866 1425 M
> >> _www.franklinwindenergygroup.com_
>
> >> (http://www.franklinwindenergygroup.com/)
>
> >> dkoyle@franklinwindenergygroup.com
> WSM Marketing Group
Bill Mollring
>
> WSM Marketing Group
> 177 Webster Street #437
or502 North McKenna Ave # 6
Gretna, NE 68028
177 Webster Street #437
> Monterey, CA 93940
> mrbillmaui@yahoo.com
P O Box 1366
Kihei, HI 96753
> 831 402-2037 (C)
> 402 896-8628 (fax)
>
> 402 884-2217 (O)

To Watch VBine Video go to:
ww.franklinwindenergygroup.com

Click on "contacts"
Go to "VBine Energy" and see the video.

Comment by Renew_H2_Man on February 12, 2009 at 9:25pm: The ground has shifted under our feet. We must regain our footing and move forward and faster.

Comment by South Dakota Wind Energy on February 9, 2009 at 10:55am: A MUST SEE

http://www.bornagainamerican.org/

Comment by Jessee McBroom on January 22, 2009 at 12:49pm: Hello Fred. Hello Arno. It's about time. There has actuallybeen quite a bit of work done on anti gravity by some who have been empassioned with resolving the mystery. I for one hope it does become an openly pursued subject of development beyond the miscellaneoud countries independant military industrial complexes. It's only the shrouded half of the Unified Field Theory.