Out of 26 million Texans, you may have an idea to change the world. You may have had several ideas to change the world. But only a tiny minority of you pushed through the U.S. Patent office from application to successful patent. We've seen Texans change the world many times over. Jack Kilby did it with Texas Instruments in 1958 with the integrated circuit, causing the start of the digital revolution, which, in part, is why you can read these words over your electronic device.
Over the last few years, Texas Business has brought its feature: Texas Business Patent of the Day. This list is of the ones that were either extremely clever, odd or strange. One thing becomes apparent from these patents and the patent that runs daily in Texas Business—Texans have a unique mind set.
Though the history of the Corn Dog is disputed, the State Fair of Texas claims to have introduced the Corny Dog sometime between 1938 and 1942. As a paean to that invention that now sits in the freezer section of every grocery store in the southwest, here are the fried foods the State Fair of Texas has introduced, or tried to introduce, in the last seven years.
Dead Texas musicians live on every time you hear their songs. Their songs play everywhere, so the dead Texas musicians appear to be immortal. Here's the short list.
Don't get caught up with John Wayne religion. For one thing, he's not Texan. He's in some fine movies involving Texas, most notably The Searchers, but none of his movies can make the best cut of Texas movies. Here's the short list.
Unsung Texas Business Journalists Mention that one is a reporter, and there's a spark of interest. Mention that one is a business news reporter, and watch the eyes glaze over. Except to the players, business and economic journalists are unappreciated. While many wish to become sports reporters when they grow up, most do not realize that business journalists cover the Real Game. Mention that reporter covers business, and watch the eyes glaze over. A toast to these below on the short list and the numerous unnamed ones slogging away. Full Story » TexasBusiness.com
Best Texas Mexican Food: The Short List No, we're not going to debate the difference between Tex-Mex, Mex-Tex, Mexican and Texican food. Just know these establishments are the pinnacle of Texas Mexican fare. No brag, just fact. Full Story » TexasBusiness.com
Best Texas Burgers Texas Burgers. . While a hamburger is merely sustenance and gratification for a meal, the memory a good Texas burger can give rise to Homeric odes. The short list. Full Story » TexasBusiness.com
Texas Business reports: EL PASO—SolFocus and its solar developer partner Solar Smart Living, completed a 53 kW concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) installation which will be owned by El Paso Electric.
The solar power installation was developed by El Paso-based Solar Smart Living using six SolFocus SF-1100S tracking CPV systems. The installation is located at El Paso Electric's substation facility.
“This project signifies El Paso Electric's continued commitment to add renewable energy generation to the region in a sustainable manner,” said Rocky Miracle, an executive with El Paso Electric. “The installation is El Paso Electric's first owned facility with CPV technology and dual-axis tracking.”
El Paso Electric is using the installment, in part, to evaluate CPV's potential in the region. In solar-rich places like El Paso, SolFocus CPV technology yields significantly more energy than any other solar technology.
“SolFocus systems are ideal for deployment in the very sunny locations that El Paso Electric serves,” said Mark Crowley, chief executive of SolFocus. “SolFocus is eager to work with its partners Solar Smart Living and El Paso Electric to show how CPV can deliver the strongest solar energy harvest available for the region. We are finding that municipalities throughout the sunny Southwest U.S. are seeing the benefit of high efficiency technology in providing them low cost solar energy.”
“The SolFocus systems are quite flexible to install, allowing us to deliver significant electricity output from a small, irregular-shaped piece of land with minimal construction time,” said Larry Perea, president of Solar Smart Living.
Solar Smart Living, a full-service solar integration and green building consulting company, oversaw the engineering, procurement and installment of the system.
SolFocus CPV technology employs a system of patented reflective optics to concentrate sunlight 650 times onto small, highly efficient solar cells. The SolFocus SF-1100S system deployed in El Paso features dual-axis tracking for consistent energy delivery. It also offers environmental benefits including no water usage for energy production, a small land footprint with dual use potential, and no permanent shadowing or wildlife corridor disruption. Additionally, SolFocus CPV provides the shortest energy payback and lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of any solar technology.
El Paso Electric is a regional electric utility providing generation, transmission and distribution service to approximately 379,000 retail and wholesale customers in a 10,000 square mile area of the Rio Grande valley in west Texas and southern New Mexico. El Paso Electric has a net dependable generating capability of 1,791 MW.
The Texas News Scrawl is a handy reference to stories Texas Business recommends from other news sources. Some of the stories that Texas Business currently suggests include: America’s greatest threat: Unsafe work conditions; The West News proves the value of a great weekly newspaper in a community torn up with grief and chaos; Chinese investors checking out Texas, Austin; Texas makes bounce house operators carry liability coverage, but not plants like West Fertilizer; bSpaceX’s Grasshopper leaping to NM spaceport;American Airlines, US Airways to name post-merger leadership within weeks; Texas power cushion seen at lowest level in a decade; Media outlets reflect Houston's diversity; and more.
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