Samsung releases solar phone

clipped from www.stumbleupon.com

Navigant Energy Articles

clipped from www.navigantconsulting.com Solar Outlook Newsletter Solar Outlook - December Sample Issue

Eco Font

clipped from www.ecofont.eu The prints we make for our 'daily use' not only use paper, but also ink. According to SPRANQ creative communications (Utrecht, The Netherlands) your ink cartridges (or ink toner) could last longer.  SPRANQ has therefore developed a new font: the Ecofont. "After Dutch holey cheese, there now is a Dutch font with holes as well." Appealing ideas are often simple: how much of a letter can be removed while maintaining readability? After extensive testing with all kinds of shapes, the best results were achieved using small circles. After lots of late hours (and coffee) this resulted in a font that uses up to 20% less ink. Free to download, free to use.

Energy Literacy presentation

clipped from etech.blip.tv Saul Griffith, "Energy Literacy" If we are to make a big change in the way energy is produced and consumed we need an “Energy Literacy” that gives people a tangible sense of their energy consumption, and of what it takes to meet that. This talk aims to inspire people that the problem is solvable with rational, data-driven development of the appropriate technologies, both in clean energy generation and in energy conservation. It aims to inject a rational perspective on the energy debate by showing the real numbers and potential of various energy sources to contribute to a balanced future energy supply. From O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference, San Diego, CA, March 4, 2008.

Vertical Farming

clipped from www.verticalfarm.com

AB 811 - Funding for Residential Renewables

Government Funded Residential Renewable Energy Projects

Introduced by Assembly Members Levine and Beall, AB 811 is a bill that would promote residential installation of renewable energy systems by connecting property owners to financing arrangements within all California cities and counties.

Financed through low interest loans, these contractual agreements would allow residential property owners to finance the installation of renewable energy generating systems as well as energy efficiency improvements. The loans would be repaid as an item on the property tax bill.

While California residents are likely to be eager regarding installation of solar panels, this bill removes the obstacle of financing.

The bill reads: "This bill authorizes California cities and counties to designate areas within which city officials and willing property owners may enter into contractual assessments to finance the installation of distributed generation renewable energy sources, including solar, and energy efficiency improvements."

Find out more

Real Estate Leader's Sustainable Initiative

Enterprise, a large scale developer of low-income communities that provides "financing and expertise to community and housing developers" issued a press release today announcing a new initiative in sustainable development:

Enterprise Helps Make Urban Land Institute Annual Meeting Carbon Neutral, Offsets Pollution to Create Green Affordable Homes through Enterprise

October 29 2008 - Enterprise, today, announced that the 2008 ULI Fall Meeting and Urban Land Expo will be completely carbon neutral as a result of funding from the Enterprise Green Communities Offset Fund(TM).

Enterprise will “offset” all the emissions of carbon dioxide generated by the meeting by providing funds to reduce an equivalent amount of emissions in environmentally sustainable affordable housing developments participating in Enterprise’s Green Communities(R) initiative.
“ULI’s commitment to offset its annual meeting means first and foremost that low-income families will experience the benefits of living in a green affordable home,” said Dana Bourland, senior director of the Enterprise Green Communities initiative and managing director of the Offset Fund. “It’s also a strong statement by the leaders of the real estate community that green buildings can and must be part of the solution to climate change.”

More than 5,000 real estate industry leaders from around the world are attending the ULI meeting, which will run Monday, October 27 through Thursday, October 30 in Miami, Fla. Enterprise estimates that the attendees will generate more than 5,500 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from their travel as well as the energy use associated with the hotels where attendees are staying and the convention center where the meeting is being held.

Through the Green Communities Offset Fund, Enterprise will provide funding by purchasing an offset from affordable housing developers to increase energy efficiency and utilize renewable energy technologies in their projects.

“The developments we will assist to offset the ULI meeting would have included energy-efficiency and environmental features anyway as a result of participating in the Enterprise Green Communities initiative,” Bourland said. “The additional funding we will provide through the Green Communities Offset Fund will enable the projects to achieve deeper carbon emissions reductions than they otherwise would have been able to realize.”

Among the contributors to the Green Communities Offset Fund that funded the ULI meeting offset were Bart Harvey, who donated a portion of his prize from the Urban Land Institute J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development to the Fund, and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design Advanced Management Development Program in Real Estate Class VII.

The ULI J.C. Nichols Prize, which includes a $100,000 prize, recognizes a person or a person representing an institution whose career demonstrates a commitment to the highest standards of responsible development. Harvey shares the honor with Enterprise, for which he worked for 23 years, serving as board chairman and chief executive officer.

Since the inception of Green Communities in 2004, Enterprise has invested more than $570 million in grants, loans and equity to create more than 13,500 highly sustainable homes that are either complete or in development in more than 300 communities; trained more than 3,000 affordable housing professionals in sustainable design and development practices and influenced more than 20 city and state affordable housing policies to support green affordable development.

Enterprise is a leading provider of the development capital and expertise it takes to create decent, affordable homes and rebuild communities. For 25 years, Enterprise has pioneered neighborhood solutions through public-private partnerships with financial institutions, governments, community organizations and others that share our vision. Enterprise has raised and invested $9 billion in equity, grants and loans to help build or preserve 225,000 affordable rental and for-sale homes to create vital communities. Enterprise is currently investing in communities at a rate of $1 billion a year.

Visit http://www.enterprisecommunity.org and http://www.enterprisecommunity.com to learn more about Enterprise’s efforts to build communities and opportunity, and to meet some of the half a million people we have helped.

God Save the Queen!

We are please to report that our friends across the pond (the other pond...) have followed our great state in pledging to cut carbon carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. The Guardian reported that the government is taking a serious stand to combat climate change despite tough economic conditions.

Ed Miliband, the new energy and climate change secretary, affirmed the UK's commitment to meeting the recommendations of the government-appointed Climate Change Committee, which called for the UK to reduce its emissions by 80% from 1990 levels for all greenhouse gases and covering all sectors in order to avoid catastrophic climate change.

We applaud their resolve. Now if only the US would follow suit...

FedEx goes Solar - Is that Enough?

Federal Express announced that it broke ground on it's largest solar facility in Cologne, Germany. The 1.4 mW solar power facility is expected to be completed in 2010, and capable of generating 1.3 gW hours electricity/year and will cover a surface area of 16,000 sq meters.

FedEx has an excellent history of dedication to renewable energy investments. This site joins three existing solar facilities in California and a geothermal system in Geneva. The three California systems generate 1.5 mW of energy, preventing 2.9 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

The company seems dedicated to principles of environmental conservation, such as clean technology vehicles, energy conservation in office lighting systems and renewable energy purchases, however there is no mention of purchasing carbon offsets or exploring alternative energy sources for the company's aircraft emissions, which must rival any major airline carrier's. This highlights a fundamental crisis of the company's business model - if the service provided inevitably emit greenhouses gases, is it FedEx's responsibility to factor that into the cost of shipping a package with them? As a major global conglomerate, the company has the potential to be a very effective lobbyist for new technologies and change, yet its primary interest is maintaining profitability. Should we applaud FedEx for it's energy saving initiatives, or demand that it raise the bar to offset the carbon emitted in shipping?

Election Week

With a week to go before the election, the campaign trail is heating up. Both candidates have pledged to support renewable energy, although with various loopholes.

A handy chart for comparison

Plenty Magazine has created another handy little chart for easy comparison between vice presidential candidates


And for a laugh

Happy Halloween from Google

The folks at Google have created a Halloween-themed calculator that provides energy saving tips and lets you figure out how much candy money each tip saves.

"If you're haunted by... Take this action... And save...

Ghosts
Hear that eerie moan? That's the sound of warm air escaping up your chimney.

Close flue damper when fireplace isn't in use.


Try it out


Happy Halloween!

Topic of the Day: Microturbines

Topic of the Day: Microturbines, combined heat-and-power units, able to produce both electricity and heat through on-site units that operate at nearly full efficiency. (Compared with traditional electricity, of which up to 80% can be lost in transmission from plant to homes, "line loss")

What are microturbines? - Check out Marathon Energy

Can we get them into people's homes? - Distributed Energy: "Microturbines, Power to the People"

What is the global demand? - Distributed Energy: Microturbine Market Growing Globally but Locally at Home

Government Extends 10% federal tax credit for microturbines on October 15, 2008

Clean Tech Creates Jobs

Carbon Offets - Too Legit to Quit

An article in today's Wall Street Journal raises the question of legitimacy in the carbon offset market by the practice of double payment for offsets. The larger issue here is that of ensuring the legitimacy of offsets through a trusted and well-regulating oversight agency. Since the intent is to encourage pollution cuts that wouldn't pass without economic incentive, it is essential that those purchases are guaranteed. The article mentions the potential of double paying - payment made for cleanups that have already happened, an instance that hinders the effectiveness of exchanging carbon credits. Even when this is the case, "the intent of carbon offsets are still valid and can make real progress counteracting climate change," said Joe O'Connor, VP at Sustainable Energy Partners. "Although, there are times when the original intent of carbon offsets can get lost or blurry. The industries in place, such as Chicago Climate Exchange, are the responsible parties who qualify carbon offsets. In the cases where the carbon offsets may not be legitimate, they need to remove the incentive for the offset project." As relatively little is known about the offset industry, these questionable scenarios run the risk of bringing a bad name to an important and progressive movement if the CCX doesn't work quickly to instill trust.

The topic faces two problematic scenarios- the first being that the legitimacy of offsets cannot be questionable in order for the practice to take more mainstream acceptability. The second is that it been criticized as being a free pass for companies to go on polluting as usual. While these are both potentially troubling scenarios, the reality is that this might be the unpleasant side effects of a necessary and realistic solution. Routing capital and attention through the murky waters of carbon offsets has its drawbacks, but the critical point is that we're flowing in the right direction.

On a consumer level, the practice of purchasing personal offsets is critical into considering the impact of our actions. The standardization of factoring offsets into travel and event decisions means that we are increasingly aware that each decision we make has a direct correlation to our carbon footprint. Perhaps rising gas prices has softened the blow, but it seems that we are becoming more comfortable with the idea of paying to account for our impact on the environment. As we become more educated, for example by seeking out offset services such as Carbon Harmony, that are regulated by the Chicago Climate Exchange or supporting companies such as Tom's of Maine that offset their own energy usage through energy reducing technology and offsets, we make decisions with our loudest voice, that of a consumer. The WSJ argues the point that everyone needs to be on board for carbon credits in order to encourage climate-change legislation to pass, a valid point and an effective way to ensure the legitimate oversight of this process. Carbon offsets are not the perfect solution, but they are certainly a step in the right direction. Decisions follow dollars, so as long as companies and consumers are spending towards reducing the impact of climate change, regulation is certain to follow.

String Ribbon Solar Panels

SOLAR DAILY

Evergreen Solar Introduces String Ribbon Solar Panels

All Evergreen Solar panels are constructed using proprietary, low-cost wafer manufacturing technology which is the most environmentally-friendly process in the industry with virtually no wasted silicon. The carbon footprint of these panels is up to 50% smaller than that of its competitors'.

by Staff Writers
Marlboro MA (SPX) Oct 15, 2008

Evergreen Solar has introduced its new American-made ES-A Series Solar Panels during Solar Power International in San Diego.

This new line of 200, 205 and 210 W solar panels features the most powerful products Evergreen Solar has ever produced. With a -0, +5W power specification, the ES-A Series also provides the best power tolerance currently available in the industry.

The ES-A Series is a range of high quality String Ribbon solar panels offering exceptional performance, cost effective installation and industry-leading environmental credentials.

With a design driven by customers, these panels feature new extended length cables that can eliminate home-run wiring, new clickable connectors that make connections between panels quick and reliable, and a new low-voltage configuration that enables the most cost-effective commercial-scale installations.

These new panels, made in the USA at the company's new flagship production facility in Devens, Massachusetts, recently received both CEC recognition and ETL Listing to the American and Canadian UL Standard 1703. The new ES-A Series panels also have a CEC approved 90.4 percent PTC/STC rating, compared with most other major brands of multi-crystalline silicon panels which have ratings under 90%.

"Our American-made ES-A Series panels further position Evergreen Solar as a leader in producing powerful, efficient, and environmentally-friendly solar panels," said Dr. Terry Bailey, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales.

"These panels are our most powerful solar panels to date with the tightest power tolerance in the industry meaning our customers get optimal system performance right out of the box. At the same time, we are proud to lead the industry in environmental credentials with the smallest carbon footprint and the quickest energy payback available today."

All Evergreen Solar panels are constructed using proprietary, low-cost wafer manufacturing technology which is the most environmentally-friendly process in the industry with virtually no wasted silicon. The carbon footprint of these panels is up to 50% smaller than that of its competitors'.

These solar panels also have the quickest energy payback, now as fast as 12 months for installed panels. And to round out the Company's leading environmental credentials, the new ES-A series also uses 100% cardboard-free packaging to minimize job site waste and disposal costs.

The new ES-A series panels are the first production using the Company's revolutionary Quad furnace which creates four silicon wafer strips that are then cut using Evergreen Solar's proprietary "Cut on the Fly" laser systems.

The Company's new Quad furnace was also on display at Solar Power International. The Quad furnaces are being used for all of the company's production in its new manufacturing plant in Devens, Massachusetts which started panel production in July of this year.

http://www.solardaily.com/reports/Evergreen_Solar_Introduces_String_Ribbon_Solar_Panels_999.html

Flying Manta Ray

clipped from www.ecogeek.org So you'd be hard-pressed to find a more EcoGeeky convergence of concepts than this lightweight (1.6 kg; about 3.5 pounds) airship from Festo Robotics that moves around like a manta ray in the air. Lightweight actuators and a semi-rigid frame allow the flapping motion that propels it around. It literally swims through the air. You NEED to see this thing in action to really appreciate it. The video plays automatically after the jump.

Google Maps Mashup of Highest CO2 Emitting Power Plants in the World

clipped from carma.org Highest CO2 Emitting Power Plants in the World Terms of Use Map Satellite Hybrid Icons Explained Red Alerts A large red circle indicates that a plant produces a lot of electricity and a lot of CO2. Clean & Green A large green circle indicates that a plant produces a lot of electricity and almost no CO2. Learn More: About CARMA | Our Partners | FAQs Icon Properties Power Plant Power Company Geographic Region Dirty Clean Lots of Energy Little Energy What is CARMA? CARMA reveals the carbon emissions of more than 50,000 power plants and 4,000 power companies in every country on Earth.

First LEED Platinum Carbon Neutral Building!

clipped from www.inhabitat.com First LEED Platinum Carbon Neutral Building! Carbon-neutral buildings are not new news, but the first-ever LEED-platinum carbon neutral building certainly is. The Aldo Leopold Foundation Headquarters, located in Wisconsin, has been certified as the the first ever, fully LEED-platinum certified, carbon neutral building in the world, making it the greenest building ever built, with zero footprint and great design. The building is located in Fairfield, Wisconsin. Built for $4 million dollars, the 12,000 square foot center is as green as they come, with the project obtaining 61 out of the 69 available LEED points. The building was designed by Kubala-Washatko Architects and Boldt Construction.

New LED replacement for recessed can lights

clipped from www.buildinggreen.com LED Downlight from LLF—Most Efficient on the Market

Money spent on energy research vs Iraq ($millions/yr)

clipped from mail.google.com 1.  Money spent on energy research vs Iraq  ($millions/yr) http://www.solarpowerrocks.com/solar-trends/a-sick-graph-2/ really... give it a look!

Congress, critical of tax breaks, lays into oil execs

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Lawmakers grilled executives from the world's five largest publicly traded oil companies Tuesday, criticizing them for taking tax subsidies and...

Vatican says pollution is also a sin

VATICAN CITY -- A Vatican keen to show its green side has added pollution to the realm of "new sins" that today's Catholics must confront and avoid. In this age of...

CIVIC-MINDED MILLENNIALS PREPARED TO REWARD OR PUNISH COMPANIES BASED ON...

Socially and Environmentally Responsible Businesses Reap Rewards from | 83% will trust a company more if it is socially/environmentally responsible. | 74% are more likely...

FUSE: Faiths United for Sustainable Energy * ACTION * EDUCATION * COMMUNITY *...

FUSE's mission is to educate and mobilize faith communities to act on the increasingly harmful effects of our country's dependence on fossil fuels. For more on FUSE's...

Tap Vs. Bottle

The production and consumption of bottled water continues to increase globally, with the United States of America being the leading consumer. This increase is due in...

butterfly display

Qualcomm has developed a new energy-efficient display technology based on lightwave interference. Their technology, an interferometric modulator (IMOD) display, works by...

IBM to recycle silicon for solar

IBM has created a process for repurposing scrap semiconductor wafers.

i C e L ™ :: E n e r g y – Lithium Power Systems

i C e L ™ :: E n e r g y – Lithium Power Systems

OLPC experiments with cow-powered generator for laptops

While the OLPC Foundation is no stranger to unconventional power sources, a team working in a village near Mumbai now looks to be taking things to a whole new level, with...

Media Release

Imagine being able to use electronic devices by simply plugging them in to your clothing.

Solar powered denim jacket at CeBIT

We're not exactly sure whether a technology trade show is the best place to debut a new line of denim wear, but who are we to argue with Bogner Jeans' solar jean jacket?...

Continent-size toxic stew of plastic trash fouling swath of Pacific Ocean

At the start of the Academy Award-winning movie "American Beauty," a character videotapes a plastic grocery bag as it drifts into the air, an event he casts as a symbol...

Solar Tracking Skylights, Inc.

Solar Tracking Skylights, Inc. offers patented skylight products and technologies that track the sun throughout the day to capture more of the sun's usable light. By...

Stay Informed

OpenEco is a new global on-line community that provides free, easy-to-use tools to help participants assess, track, and compare energy performance, share proven best...

REC Trading 101

In the US, a growing recognition of the importance of renewable energy has resulted in a number of federal and state initiatives to encourage the growth of the renewables...

Euclidean dynamics

SAN FRANCISCO -- Electrobike calls it the world's fastest hair dryer, but its Pi electric bicycle isn't even in the same league. It has half the wattage of a Conair --...

Matra shows off its human / electric-powered MS1 bike

Sure, we've seen all flavors of electric motorcycles over the years, but Matra's iteration takes a slightly different approach. The MS1 looks more like a bicycle and less...

The Coal Nine Yards

Big subsidies for coal-to-liquids technology look much less inevitable. CTL has plenty of boosters who argue for it on "energy independence" grounds, but many...

Sunny Outlook: Can Sunshine Provide All U.S. Electricity?

STEAM AND MIRRORS: A compact linear Fresnel reflector, like Ausra's plant in Australia pictured here, uses lines of mirrors to focus the sun's rays on an overhead trough,...

Helix Wind

Wind. The planet breathes, and life is carried on its breath. Simple. Natural. Renewable. Free. Helix Wind is an elegant solution for home and small business owners....