Perhaps of greater note is that energy productions from renewable sources in 2011 was 17.9% higher than that from nuclear power.  Renewable energy now equal 79.83% of that from domestic crude oil production, with that gap closing fast.

So, despite the business missteps and public relations stumbles, renewable energy is not only here to stay, but is a real “contender” for industry dominance going forward.

We have working relationships with hundreds of magazines, newspapers, broadcast shows and blogs hungry for news about innovative energy products, and have placed our clients on Popular Science, Fox Business, TreeHugger and countless other news outlets across the country.

In addition to publicity, we also help our energy clients bring customers to the sales funnel through event/trade-show assistance, social media and expanded CSR efforts.

Don’t just take our word for it. Hear what many of PilmerPR’s energy clients say PilmerPR did for their business:

Click here to view the embedded video.

“PilmerPR did in [the first] three months what it would have taken us a year to accomplish.”

Glenn Jakins
CEO, Humless

“The press relations campaign driven by PilmerPR has brought new top tier investors and customers to our door. It has created a foundation for building major press momentum going forward. PilmerPR has assisted greatly in driving publicity that has moved the needle for our strategic objectives.”

Bill Olson
VP of Business Development, ElectraTherm

If you are in the CleanTech or Green Energy industry, and want a public relations firm with proven results, contact us today for a free 30-minute PR consultation.

Yow! I thought. Didn’t you watch the video of eco-friendly President Obama driving the Volt for a cool 20 feet off the factory line? “Yea, the electric one,” I said, somewhat unimpressed. The young salesman trotted off, bringing back a more seasoned young salesman, as I stood by the 16mpg (city) Camaro, admiring it’s craftsmanship, though not its EPA rating.

“I’m looking for the Chevy Volt,” I re-stated to the next victim of my evergreen inquiry.

“Well,”  he said, smiling broadly. “We don’t have one. You’ll need to talk to my sales manager.” Woah! I thought. Already handing me off  to the sales manager.  2 minutes and 2 clueless salespersons later, I was before the slightly elevated and expansive sales manager’s desk, which was bristling with computer monitors and other technology. The mighty man was flanked by 2 enforcers, I suppose, and I now felt like Dorothy brought before the might Oz.  The salesperson approach the divine desk. “This guy is interested in seeing a Volt.”

The sales manager barely looked up from his monitor where he seemed engrossed in some highly important work–I wasn’t it. “Well, the Volt is really a Halo product.” That’s what he said. Now, marketing geeks know a halo product is a limited run product to show off future technology that is so cool, it reflects positively on all company products. In other words, you’ll feel better about driving that cool Camaro, although it’s a gas hog.

I got the guy to quantify his answer, saying this dealership would likely get one Volt in 2011 and three in 2012. Wow! Now that’s a commitment to the environment that a person can sink their teeth into. He also confessed to a $41,000 prices tag, which he offered as a huge barrier to really selling/buying the thing. Unstated message–I’m not interested in selling the Volt, or talking to you about GM’s environmental message. I guess he didn’t get the company’s green public relations memo.

Let’s contrast that with the Toyota Prius. Selling 1 million units since 2000, the U.S. accounts for half of current Prius sales. Well, that puts Chevy only about a a decade behind. Maybe it’s time to stroll back over to my local Toyota dealer.

(Jerry Seiner Chevrolet in Salt Lake City didn’t even return my voicemail regarding the Volt.)

Humless

Imagine your power goes out because you live in Joplin after the tragic tornado. Your  house is still standing, but the community is a wreck. It may take days to get power back on and the gas lines are getting long and your gas can is empty making your gas generator useless. You need to run the fridge/freezer long enough to save the food. Your cell battery needs recharging and the Internet is used only sparingly because the battery on the laptop is low.

Now enter the hero, the Humless Sentinel–a totally silent, portable power system that acts as a solar generator and beefy power supply (1000w expandable). It charges during the daylight while it’s running your fridge & electronic devices. Fully charged, it runs your grandpa’s CPAP machine at night without waking the neighborhood and it has enough power to run some lights so you can function after dark.

Cool huh!? Sling it over your shoulder and take it in the car to make your office equipment mobile. Take it camping. Jump your car battery. Hook up your hydro-electric power source to recharge it or use the hand crank. 110 A/C or 12v D/C or USB connections on your stuff need a power source? No problem.

The Humless Sentinel has been spotted next to the NASA space shuttle powering a photo crews lighting system. One just left with a group re-enacting a pioneer handcart trek.  It will be used to charge cell phones, power lighting, and audio equipment in an area where no noisy generators are allowed after dark. Where will it be sighted next?

Green, Clean, Versatile, and pound for pound the Advanced Lithium+ technology delivers more power, longer than older Lead Acid  or Lithium battery.

Here’s some of the press they are garnering:

Provo Daily Herald

Daily Universe

Dr Prepper

How would you use such a ground-breaking, versatile system?

We love cleantech and green energy, and the ElectraTherm Green Machine is as green as it gets. Translating industrial waste heat above 170 degrees into fuel free, emissions free electricity, ElectraTherm’s patented technology is rapidly catching on with expansion both domestically and internationally. When I was first introduced to the company, few knew who ElectraTherm was. We changed that from the ground up. A new communications plan, website, launch event, partner development, and press releases yielded astounding results:

• More than 25 to 1 payback on ElectraTherm’s investment in PilmerPR
• Approaching $2M in advertizing equivalency
• Total media audience exceeding 400M
• Green Machine awards from the Wall Street Journal and Popular Science Magazine
• More than 100 press articles & coverage by Dow Jones, Fox Business News, Red Herring, etc.
• And on and on…

Well, now they have garnered some Presidential love, based on their early success with investors and a market crying for energy efficiency solutions. Using Obama’s Jan 2010 Time Magazine commitment to “energy efficiency,” we discussed alignment with the President’s strategy even at that early point. Now, it feels like the company, now graduated from PilmerPR, is “all grown up.” Way to go ElectraTherm! Great technology and visionary leadership.

Our work for ElectraTherm and other energy clients was noticed internationally. I (John Pilmer) was asked to meet some months back with a Ukrainian Energy Delegation to discuss communications issues around that countries enormous energy issues and their transition to more sustainable solutions. That was an honor. I also presented on Green PR at the recent MiaGreen cleantech conference in Miami to an international group of green business and government leaders. We’ve also provided feedback to Ted Wilson and the Governor’s Energy Task Force working on the state’s 10 year energy report.

Much communications work remains to be done to implement the vision of this Utah effort, and state leadership must get on top of pressing environmental and energy issues if it is to maintain its leadership in tourism and quality of life.

I have been tagged this week to present in Salt Lake City on effective promotion of clean technology to investors, partners, prospective customers, and the public. More to come on how to get into that event.

Gotta love Green, Clean Technology, and the Corporate Social Responsibility they represent. Now that we celebrate Earth Day, perhaps we can get holidays for the other two legs of the 3-legged stool or Triple Bottom line of Green & CR (People, Planet, Profits). How do you think a People Day or a Profits Day would go over?

Get help with Corporate Responsibility or Green PR

Nuclear Fallout On The Move

(Let me preface this blog entry with clarification on my thoughts on nuclear power. As a clean energy proponent, I think nuclear power has a place in our more sustainable future. This is based on years of weighing the upside/downside of known alternatives and the fact that there is no one single power solution without a downside.)

Now I feel better. On with the show. The media frenzy around Japan’s still unfolding tsunami/earthquake tragedy has the public riveted on “breaking news” and the human horror and attendant heroes surrounding the sad scene. As soon as the nuclear power plant failures began to cross the wire, I told my friends this is going to be used by extreme opponents to kill nuclear initiatives for a decade to come. That tsunami of negative news is just beginning to grow.

In this rush to headlines, Japan’s government must consider it’s words carefully. Transparency is the watch word for effectively handling the crisis communications without use of inflammatory comments. If they try to hide information or fail to tell the complete story, the whiplash will be severe on Japan’s credibility, as well as the nuclear industry.

Other governments (and companies) including my own state, Utah, as well as Japan could take a lesson from past failures in transparency like Watergate. Utah lawmakers are now taking flack for fast-tracking House Bill 477 which protects legislators from public scrutiny of text and e-mails.

Our thoughts and prayers and charitable contributions go out to the people of Japan. And, my hope goes out to that country’s government to be transparent on the unfolding nuclear crisis. Though painful, it is expected in today’s hugely connected age.

His presentation, “Standing Out in a Sea of Green: Reaching Stakeholders through Effective Public Relations,” will help business leaders distinguish themselves in a market saturated with hype and greenwashing.

PilmerPR believes being “Green” is just one element in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The other elements — including community involvement, philanthropy, transparency, and accountability — are all essential to gaining credibility in the eyes of the public. Without it, a press release touting an environmentally friendly product will only be as strong as the cloud of similar press releases. As John Pilmer puts it, “Be good, THEN talk about being good.”

From the session description:

Many businesses claim to be “green,” often proving to be little more than hype. A good company’s message can get lost in the crowd before reaching stakeholders like investors, the media, or customers. The solution, as Pilmer explains, is to “Do good. THEN talk about doing good.” You must prove you have a successful business model, and prove your ability to make social change, then investors, media, and customers will take notice. The news media is often the gateway to stakeholders, so it is key to build a relationship with the right people, and strategically tell the company’s story.

Attend John Pilmer’s presentation, Thursday, March 3 at 3:30 p.m. in Exhibition Hall R2 to learn how your business can rise above your competition.

If you cannot attend the MiaGreen conference, you can still receive a free personalized consultation by contacting PilmerPR.

But what do you think?

StartupNation, a popular website for entrepreneurs, is looking for the “Greenest Home-based Business,” and has placed PilmerPR among a host of other nominees. You are allowed to vote for one/multiple companies once per day, every day, through October 31st. Judges will use those votes to help choose what they believe is the Greenest.

Read about our environmental efforts on the nomination page, then vote for PilmerPR and spread the word! Help other business leaders understand the benefits of socially responsible communications.
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PilmerPR

“We seek field leaders to meet with International Visitors, focusing on areas of mutual concern and opportunity,” stated Erica Schoenefeld, UCCD Program Associate. “Mr. Pilmer of PilmerPR was a clear choice to offer sharp insight into areas of communication affecting sustainability, energy efficiency, and conservation. We appreciate our experts’ willingness to build bridges of understanding with our distinguished guests.”

Ukraine deals with ongoing challenges as an energy importer with significant supply and cost challenges during tough economic times. Today’s discussion included communication strategy and working effectively with stakeholders on Energy Efficiency at the Federal, State, and Local Levels.

“This international exchange is a very positive opportunity for both of our countries,” states Pilmer. “The energy challenges facing many nations are most effectively addressed as we share information and expertise in a spirit of mutual collaboration and cooperation. I’m glad to be a part of it and hope to make our world a little better as a result of the effort.”

PilmerPR provides communications consulting services in Social Responsibility (CSR/CR), Clean Technology, and Green PR. He speaks out extensively on the triple bottom line of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability: Planet, People, Profits at events for Hewlett Packard, Public Relations Society of America, Utah Valley University, and Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum, among others.

PR News has praised PilmerPR’s work in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility.

PilmerPR tips for emerging companies seeking to dominate their sector may be found on this blog , PilmerPR’s YouTube channel, and at twitter @jpilmer. Available on Amazon is John Pilmer’s new novel, Green Spin, a near future fictional account of the dangers of the 24-second news cycle and environmental extremism.

About PilmerPR, LLC
The PilmerPR team has decades of collective experience in marketing and public relations with specific backgrounds in social media, high-tech, cleantech, print journalism, search engine optimization (SEO), and the rapidly rising area of social responsibility. The team includes active PR professionals Accredited in Public Relations (APR) by the Universal Accreditation Board.

About the Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy

More information is available at www.utahdiplomacy.org.

About the International Visitor Leadership Program

The Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is designed to build mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through carefully designed visits that reflect the participants’ professional interests and support U.S. foreign policy goals.  More information is available at www.exchanges.state.gov.