Choice Solar Solutions has committed to buying photovoltaic panels from a Luxembourg-Chinese manufacturer solar panels for the next three years. The agreement between the companies involves modules that will have a generation capacity of 30 megawatt peak. Choice intends to roll them out at installations in Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina.

Tennessee's green jobs sector is small but growing — with about 6,000 employers labeling nearly 44,000 jobs in the state as "green."

WPLN reports on the Green Jobs Report by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Middle Tennessee State University at this link.

After almost two years in 12South, Rachel and Edward Martin are relocating (n)habit, their green-focused home supply and design business, to a larger space at 427 Chestnut St. near Greer Stadium. The current store will close its doors this Friday and the Martins will raise the curtain on their new spot — which is 1,800 square feet versus the 1,100 in 12South — on Monday the 18th. Around the corner from the Sounds and Gabby's Burgers, (n)habit will have greater loading dock access and space for the Martins' design and contracting work.

Lipscomb University's Institute for Sustainable Practice last week recognized winners of its second annual Green Business Leadership Awards. The winners, listed below, were selected by a committee of five business and non-profit representatives from a statewide sustainable business roundtable.

• Community Servant of the Year: Mayor Karl Dean

• CEO of the Year: Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO, Nissan Motor Co.

• Green Product of the Year: Nissan Leaf electric car

• Public Official of the Year: State Sen. Andy Berke

• Southeast Regional Green Business Innovator: Tabitha Crawford, division president, Balfour Beatty Energy Solutions

• Tennessee Green Innovator: William Pomakoy, Rhodes Car International

• Sustainable Excellence by Design: Collier Construction of Chattanooga

• Sustainable Food Leader of the Year: Jeremy Barlow, owner of Tayst

• Green Service of the Year: Bobby Bandy, Earthsavers

• Sustainable Achiever of the Year: Tiffany Wilmot, president, Wilmot Inc.

Building on initiatives launched even before last year's historic flooding, Gaylord Entertainment has set aggressive energy efficiency targets for itself under the GET Green moniker. The Nashville-based hotel and resort operator will make sure future additions and new builds are LEED-certified but the more immediate commitment is to cut energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent in the next four years.

“After studying our operations and completing our first greenhouse gas emissions inventory, we decided that energy and emissions were our first priorities,” said Mims.  “But water, waste, and air quality are very important areas for us as well, and we will be announcing similar goals and targets in the very near future.”

SEE ALSO: The Greening of Gaylord, our magazine story from last fall about Mims' hiring and priorities (Subscription needed)

The fundraising effort is scheduled to close March 31, but may be extended through June 30. A minimum $5 million must be raised to close and the standard is $250,000 investments, with individual units priced at $50,000. No investment has yet been solicited, but the offering will soon be on the streets. Said Davis, "We do believe that there are strategic investors in the entity category [who are prepared to] make substantial investments in the fund. We also think that there are individuals familiar with the Biofuels Initiative that are interested in investing."