Projects and Programs...

Salvation Army Camp Biomass Project, February 2009 (link to the Colorado Governor's Energy Office, GEO).

For the past 3-years I've been shepherding a wood-as-fuel project at the Salvation Army's High Peak Camp outside of Estes Park, Colorado. I proposed this project - replacing increasingly expensive propane with on-site waste wood - to the Colorado Wood program (CSFS) and the Colorado Governor's Energy Office because it just looked like a great application of clean boiler technology. And that its success would send a positive message to other mountain camps and resorts.

In August, 2008, we lit the match that started the test run. here

Flexible Energy Communities Initiative (FLECI), 2006-2008

If your community is planning a new building and you the economics for on-site renewables like biomass and solar just don't work out, don't give up.

We've created a design assistance program to help you make your new building Wood Ready and Solar Ready (and a few other cool technologies).

Can't say Yes today? Well, say Yes tomorrow.

In other words, Just Don't Say No! Learn how here. <-- VERY COOL!!!

Mountain Studies Institute, Silverton, Colorado, 2005-2007

We created this project on a shoestring budget to create a successful example on how wood pellets from regional forest treatment can be used to economically replace propane in Colorado's mountain communities (and lots of other places).

U.S. Representative John Salazar was the guest of honor at the world's first pellet bag opening ceremony. To change the world, I believe you must tell an authentic and shareable story (I learned this from my favorite marketing guru Seth Godin).

Strategic Project Design...

Wood Pellet Market Analysis for the Mountain Ute Tribe, November 2007

This 9-page report describes the regional pellet market for the Four Corner area that might be one day served by a tribal pellet mill. I created this with Carla Harper on behalf of the US Forest Service.

Woody Biomass Project Assessment for the Little Colorado River Plateau RC&D, April 2008

4-page Marketing Perspective.

The Biomass Adventures, Earth Day, April 22nd, 2009

This is a HUGE file, but it is a pretty big idea, too. This is a fun document that chronicals the past 5-years of the efforts of MottainaiColorado.org (I'm one is its co-founders) to establish a link between Colorado and Japan using wood biomass. It started when I realized that if I wanted to do some cool US-Japan project work related to the New Energy Economy here in Colorado, I'd have to help create those projects myself.

Communication Products...

This is a 16-page booklet describes successful uses of wood-as-fuel for public buildings. I created this with Carla Harper on behalf of the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

There are lots of technical papers out there that don't get read. And there are lots of fluffy color brochures that don't have much to say.

This unique publication is both enjoyable to look through and full of solid technical information. And guess what? People like to have information presented in a way that respects their time and intelligence.

It was a lot of fun to create, and I hope you find it fun to read.

NEWS FLASH (12/2008): The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) as just printed an additional 6,000 copies (now totalling 13,000 copies in print). Making the booklet itself a significant source of woody biomass.

This document is availible on the following websites (as well as DanBihn.com, of course):

• The U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Effeciency and Renewable Energy, "Guide to Tribal Energy Development"
• The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) -- Downloads.
• Colorado Governor's Energy Office, Woody Biomass

Solar Today, March-April 2008 (cover too -- see below)

I'm really excited about this issue of Solar Today. I set off to write an article about how rejoining the Kyoto Protocol process would be a huge benefit to US businesses; I wound up writing about why any carbon reduction mechanism based on the "biggest bang for the buck" is almost certain to result in bad investments.

China and the rest of the world(including the US) are building new coal power plants at an alarming rate, while much of our greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction investments are doing virtually nothing to reduce energy demand that lead to coal plants.

The editors at Solar Today were awesome in guiding me - and in making the cover look so beautiful.

Solar Today, November 2005

In this article, I explore how the use of wood-as-fuel is changing and may become mainstream in some places.

Austria uses wood for more than 20% of their entire energy supply!

Solar Today, January 2005

In this article, I describe some of the cool things going on in the Japanese new-energy market -- and why excitement and buzz matter!

While the US has been whining about debating the merits of climate change, the Japanese have embraced the idea and are having fun and making lots of money with cool, low-carbon products.

Solar Today, March, 2009 cover

You can read about the little adventure I had making this picture on the Solar Today website.It was great fun (as usual), and the staff at Solar Today made this look great (as usual). This home is on the market for something like $3.9M. If I hadn't put all of my assets into Madoff Securities, I'd buy a few of these for my friends. What was I thinking?

Rural Connections Brief, March, 2009 cover

This is one of the images I made for Colorado State University's Clean Energy Super Cluster last year. This image is of some of the reseachers (and beer-buddies) at Solix Biofuels, Inc.

"The Western Rural Development Center collaborates with its partners, including LGUs, local citizens, practitioners, NGOs, and others, to promote excellence in research, education, and extension of western land-grant institutions."

Solar Today, Get Started, October 2008 cover

Sometimes the sun goddesses smile on my photography. I had one day and two homes.The weather, which had been uncooperative the day before, cooperated. The flowers were in perfect bloom (and out of in nearly perfect focus).

This is one of Bella Energy's solar installations. I think the most beautiful one in Colorado. It looks like the whole roof is made of solar panels -- and one day they all will be.

Solar Today, September-October 2008 cover

Colorado State University does it again! I was asked to communicate "young people getting ready for an exciting career in renewable energy." These two grad students are developing next generation lithium battery technology -- ultimately for use in electric vehicles. The "storage problem" of intermittent renewable energy sources is anything but a problem for these student. It is an opportunity to make a difference and have cool career!

Solar Today, July-August 2008 cover

Solar Today was running an article on the merits of some types of biofuels - including algae. They had seen some of my CSU/Solix images, but said they weren't very good didn't quite work for a cover. They asked me to try "something with a lot of green and with that guy in the sunglasses." The rest is history.

Solar Today, March-April 2008 cover

I took this shot on a tour of our local wind farm in Medicine Bow, WY a couple of years ago. When I was laying on the dirt taking this, everyone thought I must be crazy a real photographer.

Solar Today won the 2008 APEX Awards for Publication Excellence for this cover.

Solar Today, January-February 2008 cover

I made this picture of the LED holiday lighting in downtown Fort Collins. It shows how efficiency can be beautiful and popular -- as save money.

Solar Today September-October 2006 cover

I made this picture of New Belgium's co-founders, Jeff and Kim's new-zero-energy home. It shows how PV can be a beautiful addition to a beautiful home.

Popular Science, June 2007

No, that isn't me in the new-age spacesuit my suit is blue, nor did I take this cover. But this is an interesting article about how Solix Biofuels (one of my clients) is developing biofuels from algae.

This article includes 4 of my photographs - and it's pretty cool story.

In the press...

New York Times 11/19 2007

You don't get quoted in the New York Times everyday -- which according some of my former friends is a good thing.

This is an excellent article by Kirk Johnson pointing out that as we move into a low-carbon economy, we will face some difficult trade-offs.

I strongly believe that nuclear power is not needed -- better choices are already here. But also believe we must have an open public dialog about this. I have a great deal of confidence that our fellow citizens are capable of understanding the issues and making the right choices.

Forestry Notes, October 2007

The Flexible Energy Community idea is gaining traction. I was interviewed by Forestry Notes -- I almost sound intelligent. Next time I plan to use verbs and things like that.

Patents...

US Patent 5,751,737 5/12/1998. Boundary Scan Testing Device

Ok, this doesn't have anything to do with new energy -- and it wasn't really a very good idea. But the corporate lawyers lawyers at Hewlett-Packard, where I was working at time, try to patent everything they can so that when another company sues them, they can counter-sue and then settle out-of-court. No, really!

US Patent 4,476,869 10/16/1984, Pacer Analyzer

This was a good idea. It is for a testing heart pacemakers and patients at the same time to verify the particular pacemaker is a good match and will work. I did this work in 1979 or so when I was 6-years old (ok, it's been a long while and I can't don't remember).

The cool thing is that I'm the sole inventor. As is usual, the company that paid for my time and all the legal fees (Intermedics Inc., now defunct) got all the rights -- probably worth a couple of beers, if you account for inflation.

US Patent 4,290,430 9/22/1981, Pacer Analyzer

This is just another part of the above idea. In fact, I'm not really sure what the difference is -- but I suspect it is insignificant very important.

I wish I could read the language of patents (not really).

Japan...

Japanese Language Proficiency Level One Certificate 2/19/1992

This is rather amazing -- something like a black belt in Japanese, which I really do speak. But the highest level of the Japanese Ministry of Education's test? Hmm... I don't know about that. There are two important things you should know:

• I got nearly the lowest possible passing score you could get: 287 out of 400 -- passing score was 280. Precision test-taking at its finest.
• While my Japanese has improved since 1992, the test has gotten a lot harder (so don't expect me to try this again!).

Nikkei Electronics 5/11/1992

I wrote the original article in English with some notes in Japanese. The editorial staff did an amazing job of writing this actual Japanese.

It is a short editorial written in a humorous (well, it made me laugh anyway) dialog style -- Galileo meets Spy vs. Spy sort of thing -- exploring and exploding the myth that Japanese Salary Men are not individualists and Americans are. Subtle, but true!

Dan presents to the Japan Pellet Club, Nagano 11/12-20/2008

In 2005, I put together a 3 weeks fact-finding visit to Japan to see what was going on in the wood biomass industry looking for another fun gig. When I was getting ready for this trip, I discovered the Japan Pellet Club -- the wood pellet industry association of Japan. When I Skyped to introduce myself to the president, Ken Kojima, we were both amazed to find out that he had visited Fort Collins 15 years ago when his dad was a visiting researcher at Colorado State University. We were even more amazed to find out that he had stay at my Japanese teacher's home! Small world, eh?

Anyway, I was invited to speak at the 2008 Annual Pellet Club Meeting about progress in the US/Colorado wood pellet market since I last presented to this association in 2005. Some in the audience were impressed that I could speak Japanese; I was impressed that they could understand it!

Japan Trip & Yamagata 11/12-20/2008

This was a multi-purpose trip:

• I was invited to give a presentation in Nagano on the US/Colorado pellet industry (see above)
• I've been dabbling working with Yamagata Prefectural (Colorado's sister state) representatives on developing biomass trade and exchange for the past 5-years and our Governor was planning a visit at the same time with some of the CSU researchers I hang out with
• It had been 3-years since I had had a decent meal
• I have a couple ideas for Solar Today articles I wanted to research & photograph
• I had a ton of frequent flier miles that might get devalued in an airline bankruptcy

Community...

Robert Kennedy, Jr. Rocks the Fort 04/13/2009

Katie Hoffner used her magic wand to put together "Environmental Heroes to Provide Vision on How to Make Renewable Energy Communities a Reality" here in Fort Collins. And she did it in just a few weeks. Amazing.

Please feel free to use these photos for non-commerical use and for any use by non-profit organizions. And credit is much appreciated (please). All other uses restricted.

Governor Ritter and Senate Appointee Bennet visit Fort Collins 01/09/2009

In Fort Collins, I'm known as the Progressive Paparazzo (Paparazzi is plural). Good chance if a local candidate is trying to move the world to a sustainable place, my photographs are on their web site. Its a fun way to help out and beats the heck out of stuffing envelopes.

When Governor Ritter came to town, I had to be there. He's one of the most forward thinking Governors in the country -- promoting the New Energy Economy (President Obama took this line from him!) and climate friendly economic development. I call him De-Carbonator.

Midsummer Night's Dream 12/07/2008

A good friend of mine, Mako Beecken, wrote and directed this amazing Japanese language version of Shakespeare's classic. She heads the Colorado State University's Japanese Language Program - when she's not rewriting history.

I volunteered to be her Paparazzo for the event. Check it out. My lighting skills have improved - in large part due to Dave Hobby (a.k.a., "The Strobist"), whose blog and DVD are brilliant, and Joe McNally, whose books and online training classes are awesome. Both of this guys are close personal friends of mine have no idea who the heck I am, but they're the best.

I do these kinds of projects for both generous and selfish reasons (hey, I get to use these skills in my high-end technical communication projects!), but at the end of the day, its really fun and energizing.

Be Local Coupon Book 2007

Same as below, but even better!

Be Local Coupon Book 2006

The Be Local movement encourages buying and reinvesting your money (and soul) locally.

I was the official volunteer "paparazzo" for the awesome work of Gailmarie Kimmel and her team.