Daily Business Report-June 30, 2016
Solar panels on a San Diego home. (Courtesy San Diego County News Center)
San Diego is First Region in California
To Reach 5 Percent Private Solar Milestone
Times of San Diego
The San Diego region reached a milestone Wednesday of private, rooftop solar power equal to 5 percent of peak electricity demand.
San Diego Gas & Electric and major solar installers cheered the milestone in what has become a $1 billion local industry.
“We’ve known that San Diegans have been leading the solar revolution for over a decade, but reaching this landmark highlights the dedication our region has to clean and renewable energy,” said Daniel Sullivan, founder of Sullivan Solar Power, which has been installing solar systems since 2004.
Reaching the 5 percent level, which was a goal set by state law in 2013, means the rules for using private solar power are changing.
“Transitioning new private solar customers to the next phase of the Net Energy Metering program is another sign that our region is a leader in the clean energy movement,” said Caroline Winn, chief energy delivery officer for SDG&E. “Advancing clean energy solutions like solar and electric vehicle adoption is one way we’re working hard to provide our customers with more sustainable energy choices.”
Future customers will pay a fee for connecting solar panels to the power grid, face various state charges, and beginning in 2017 be billed according to time-of-day rates.
“Under the new rules, there is no limit to the amount of people who can go solar, but many of the traditional benefits of going solar have changed,” said Sullivan.
There are now more than 90,000 private solar rooftop installations in SDG&E’s service area.
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Construction of Luxury Theaters
Completed in La Jolla and Point Loma
Dempsey Construction has completed construction of The Lot, upscale movie theaters in La Jolla at 7611 Fay Ave. and at 2620 Truxtun Road in Liberty Station in Point Loma.
The Lot at La Jolla consisted of the conversion of a former grocery store building into a seven-screen luxury theater with complimenting full-service restaurant, bar and cafe. The scope of the project work included the demolition of all of the existing interior improvements, removal of the entire roof system and north-facing storefront structure.
Dempsey’s improvements to the building included raising the roof height, construction of a new roof system, significant structural upgrades to the subterranean parking garage to accommodate the new improvements, construction of a new north-facing building structure with indoor-outdoor patio seating, construction of a full-service restaurant and bar, all theatre infrastructure and improvements, as well as all complimenting high-end interior improvements.
The Lot at Liberty Station project consisted of the conversion of the historic Luce Auditorium, located within the Liberty Station (formerly Naval Training Center), into a six-screen luxury theater complex with full-service restaurant, bar and cafe. The scope of the project included extensive demolition of all of the existing interior improvements. New improvements included the entire infrastructure for the six auditoriums, new structural support system for the roof, all new mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems, and full-service commercial kitchen and bar. In addition, a new steel and glass structure was constructed on the southern portion of the building to provide for an indoor/ outside seating area for the restaurant and bar.
Dempsey Construction completed the projects on behalf of the owner, Boffo Cinemas, who owns and operates the theaters under the dba of The Lot.
Qualcomm Files 17 Patent Claims
Against Chinese Smartphone Maker
Times of San Diego
Qualcomm announced Thursday it has filed 17 patent-infringement complaints against China’s Meizu covering a broad range of features and technologies used in smartphones.
The San Diego-based company said it had negotiated in good faith with Meizu for more than a year to sign a patent license agreement that more than 100 other Chinese companies have already accepted.
“Meizu has refused to engage in good-faith negotiations despite admitting that it sells products that infringe Qualcomm’s valuable Chinese patents,” said Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel. “Meizu is attempting to obtain an unfair and improper cost advantage over its competitors.”
The patents cover Qualcomm’s 3G and 4G wireless communications technologies. The complaints were filed in the Intellectual Property Courts in Beijing and Shanghai.
China is Qualcomm’s largest market, and Meizu is one of China’s top 10 suppliers of smartphone handsets.
Assessed Value of San Diego County
Property Climbs to $483.1 Billion
The assessed value of all taxable property in San Diego County has increased by 5.6 percent — or $25.4 billion — from last year, County Assessor Ernest Dronenburg reported Wednesday. The gross assessed value for the county as of Jan. 1, 2016 climbed to $483.1 billion.
The county’s net assessed value after the deduction of property tax exemptions (charitable, homeowner’s, disabled veterans, etc.) is $463.6 billion. Based on Proposition 13’s statutory 1 percent tax rate, this will produce approximately $4.63 billion for schools, parks, libraries, law enforcement, and other public services.
The 2016 assessment roll consists of 989,089 real property parcels, 58,821 businesses, 12,933 boats, and 1,683 aircraft.
For the third straight year, each of the county’s 18 cities experienced positive assessed value growth. The City of Imperial Beach realized the highest growth rate at +8.5 percent. The city of San Diego had the largest value increase, adding $12.5 billion.
The majority of property owners will only see an increase of 1.525 percent, said Dronenburg. This increase reflects the annual Proposition 13 inflation adjustment and was applied to over 763,000 parcels, or 77 percent of all parcels in the county. Property owners may obtain their 2016 assessed values on the Assessor’s website at www.sdarcc.com or by calling the Assessor’s office at (619) 236-3771.
UC San Diego Tops List for Highest
Number of Women Graduates in STEM
UC San Diego tops a BestColleges.com list for the highest number of women graduates with majors in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
The survey showed that one in three women graduating from the university with a STEM degree. It also showed that UC San Diego’s proportion of STEM graduates is three times the national average.
The site lists the top 20 schools — out of the 100 largest colleges — that had the highest proportion of female STEM majors in 2013. Of the top five schools on the list, three are part of the University of California system.
“UC San Diego is an education and research powerhouse that recruits the most academically talented scholars who challenge conventional thinking and action,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “We foster an environment that is open and inclusive, where creativity and innovation prosper, where the frontiers of knowledge are pushed and where innovative solutions for global problems are developed.”
The study from BestColleges.com, a website aimed at providing prospective students with information needed to make informed higher education decisions, also looked at whether STEM majors make more money upon graduation and if women in STEM earn more than non-STEM majors.
For more information on the study, click here.
Former Sony Electronics Executive Takes
Charge of Challenged Athletes Foundation
A former top executive with Sony Electronics has been selected as the new CEO of the Challenged Athletes Foundation in San Diego. Ken Wheatley retired as a senior vice president with Sony Electronics after a 24-year career, and prior to that he was an FBI special agent.
Wheatley joins the CAF team after holding numerous leadership roles. He’s a 1995 LEAD San Diego graduate and has served on a number of boards and international advisory groups, such as the Red Cross, the Boys and Girls Club, chairman and president of the Mid-County Transportation Management Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, International Organization of Standards in Geneva, the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C,. and president of the International Security Management Association.
Most recently, he served for four years, as the co-director for the California chapter of the Washington, D.C.-based Lung Cancer Alliance nonprofit.
Wheatley graduated Summa Cum Laude with his Master’s degree from Webster University and received his undergraduate degree from Florida International University. He’s also attended senior executive education programs with the Harvard JFK School of Government, University of Michigan Business School, and Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
“I’m excited and deeply appreciative for the opportunity to join an organization that is positively changing the lives of thousands of people around the world,” said Wheatley. “CAF has a great history, and I look forward to continue to support and execute its mission to help get individuals with physical challenges back into the game of life through sports and physical fitness.”
California, the Clean Energy Leader
A just-released report hails California as the dominant state in the country when it comes to developing a clean-energy economy and promoting green technology. And if California’s figures were counted as a nation, the Golden State ranks among the top five in the world in measures such as energy productivity, electricity from renewable sources and reductions in carbon intensity. “One of the important increases in improvement we’ve seen over the years is the amount of renewable energy California is creating,” said F. Noel Perry, founder of the nonprofit group Next 10, which commissioned the California Green Innovation Index. Read the Union-Tribune story here.
Illumina, Elsevier Ink
Product Integration Pact
By GenomeWeb
Illumina and Elsevier R&D Solutions have signed an agreement to integrate Elsevier’s Pathway Studio with Illumina’s BaseSpace Correlation Engine platform.
Pathway Studio is Elsevier’s database of experimental data and disease models. It provides tools for exploring molecular interactions as well as cause and effect relationships associated with various biological processes. The most recent version of the software also includes tools for browsing and filtering DNA variant data from next-generation sequencing projects, and assessing the effects of these mutations on protein function and disease progression, according to the company.
Barona and Viejas Indian
Bands Get New Gaming Deals
Times of San Diego
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed gaming compacts between the state of California and several Indian bands, including two in San Diego County, his office announced Wednesday.
The local deals are with the Barona Band of Mission Indians and the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians.
Terms of the new compacts — such as provisions regarding licensing, compliance enforcement and mitigation of off-reservation impacts — are consistent with recent compacts, the governor’s office said. “(They) reflect, among other things, the evolving nature of financial markets, as well as the professionalism of the tribes’ regulators and their constructive relationship with state gaming regulators.”
The compacts provide incentives for revenue sharing with and mutual support of local jurisdictions for fire, emergency medical services, law enforcement, public transit, infrastructure improvements, education and other services that in part serve the needs of the community.
PERSONNEL Announcements
Luxuria Public Relations Adds Intern
Luxuria Public Relations in San Diego has named Hannah Mulhern a public relations and social media account intern.
Mulhern will aid in writing press releases, developing creative pitches to local businesses, and crafting relevant and appealing material and stories for the firm’s clients.
Mulhern previously interned with the marketing department for the Penn State Lady Lion basketball team where she focused on recruitment. She was on the board of “Fit for Fritz,’ an event that raises money for the Hope Lodge in Hershey, Pa. Mulhern also worked on the production team at the Altoona Curve, a minor league baseball double-A affiliate with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Mulhern is a student-athlete at Penn State pursuing a bachelor’s degree in public relations.
Wealth Management Adviser Hired
David Deng has been named wealth management adviser for The Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank in San Diego.
In his new role, Deng will provide comprehensive wealth management services tailored to the needs of high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families, executives and private business owners. This includes bringing together a team of specialists to provide customized strategies, often working closely with his clients’ advisors, attorneys and accountants.
Prior to this new role, Deng served as assistant branch manager, premier banker and senior private banker with Wells Fargo Bank. He started his career in the financial services industry in 2002.
