Best Green Blog

280-Megawatt Solar Boiler Uses Magnifying-Glass

2009-07-08T11:35:00.000-07:00

The solar power plant Abengoa Solar will build in Gila Bend, Arizona, won’t rely on fancy photovoltaic panels. No, it uses pretty much the same trick your evil ass used on bugs and leaves way back when: focusing sunlight to create high heat. In this case, mirrors focus the sun’s rays into tanks of heat-transfer oil, heating it to about 400°C, boiling water for a steam turbine.

The appeal of the system is its low cost and high scalability. MIT’s Technology Review says that, according to one expert, “solar thermal power will become cost competitive with other forms of power generation decades before photovoltaics will.” And even though solar thermal costs more than wind power (around 15 cents per kilowatt versus wind’s 8 cents per kilowatt), solar thermal energy, trapped in the form of heat, is much more easy to save up. Energy can be generated even when the sun isn’t shining—in the case of Abengoa’s Arizona plant, part of the heat doesn’t directly boil water but is transferred to molten salt tanks, where it can be stored to power the turbine for up to six sunless hours.

The plant goes operational in 2011, and will generate 280 megawatts, enough to provide energy for 70,000 homes, customers of the Arizona Public Service in Phoenix.

Renewable energy key to economic development

2009-06-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

UN officials are urging governments and industry to invest in renewable and other forms of clean energy.

The call came during a special dialogue on energy, and a day after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched an advisory group on energy and climate change.

Mr. Ban pointed out that more and more industries and government are seeing the opportunities in a "green economy" and are investing in renewable energy technologies. Such investment could help alleviate poverty and empower billions of people whose development is held back by a lack of electricity, for example. But, the Secretary-General stressed, it must be made more widely available:

"One obstacle is limited access to finance. This includes villagers, and it includes larger businesses. Renewable energy often involves considerable capital outlay, but once it is functioning its costs are little. Unlike coal-fired power stations, wind farms and solar installations need no fuel. Geothermal energy comes from the ground. Biomass energy often comes fro agricultural waste."

Mr. Ban said the climate change conference to be held in Copenhagen in December could create momentum for the "green economy".

China wind power to exceed 30,000 mW by 2010

2009-06-16T11:18:00.001-07:00

China Daily reports that China’s wind power installed capacity is expected to exceed 30,000 megawatts by the end of 2010, an official with the National Energy Administration (NEA) said.

To achieve this target, China needs to invest an additional 100 billion yuan in the sector, said Shi Lishan, deputy director of the new energy department under the NEA.

China now has the fourth largest wind power capacity in the world. By 2020, China would have wind power capacity of 100,000 mW, accounting for around 10% of the country’s total power generation capacity.

Wind turbine plan blights house sale

2009-06-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

A devastated resident fighting plans for six massive wind turbines close to Stafford villages says her house sale has fallen through because of it.

Elizabeth Kennerley and her husband Gordon were about to move out of High Onn Manor in High Onn.

But the buyer decided to pull out this week after telling the owners he was concerned about the King’s Street wind farm plan at nearby Brineton.

Bristol renewable energy company Wind Prospect wants to install the turbines on land at the Bradford Estate, part of Weston Park. The turbines would be 426ft high and would generate enough electricity to power 6,000 homes.

But householders living in nearby Marston, High Onn and Church Eaton say it will wreck the area, dwarfing trees and buildings, and send house prices plummeting.

The Newsletter revealed last week that almost 100 campaigners packed into a Church Eaton parish council meeting last week to express their disgust at the plans.

They also accused Wind Prospect of bribery by saying if the scheme goes ahead the company will provide Church Eaton with a trust fund to benefit the school and community projects.

Mr Kennerley said: “The purchaser pulled out and he specifically said it was because of the wind farm plans. It will have an effect on the whole area. The turbines will be clearly seen from here and some of the lanes will be widened.

“Our house has been on the market since August for £650,000. It has been difficult enough to find a purchaser in the current climate but the prospect of selling it now seems even more difficult.”

Residents are planning to step up their campaign and were meeting this week to plan their next move.

Wind Prospect is planning a consultation event on June 24, from 2pm to 8pm. It has yet to submit a formal planning application to South Staffordshire Council.

Paul Grimshaw, development manager, said: “Wind energy is a clean, reliable and proven technology for generating electricity. The proposal at King’s Street represents a real opportunity for South Staffordshire and the West Midlands to make a significant contribution towards satisfying the need for green energy generation, help in the drive to meet regional, national and European renewable energy targets and reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels.”

Wind turbine noise is rattling some residents in Michigan's Thumb

2009-06-11T16:45:00.001-07:00

Wind turbines are creating some bad buzz in Michigan's Thumb.

The big blades have been welcomed by many, including Gov. Jennifer Granholm, as they've gone up in the farm fields of Huron County in recent years.

But a handful of people who live near some of the 46 turbines at a wind park in Bingham and Sheridan townships are now complaining about ongoing noise and rumble from the 300-foot-tall renewable energy generators.

"You can't go outside and have a nice, peaceful quiet night anymore," said Curt Watchowski, 42, who lives about 1,500 feet from two turbines on Purdy Road.

Watchowski, like some other residents, also complains of sleepless nights due to the noise, which he likens to the sound of a jet plane flying over.

Huron County officials have taken a half-dozen complaints in recent months, and have asked John Deere Wind Energy, which owns the park near Ubly called Michigan Wind 1, to hire an independent firm to conduct a noise study, said Russell R. Lundberg, director of the County Building and Zoning Department.

The county has a wind energy zoning ordinance with complex noise requirements. But the county has no way to measure the decibel levels from the turbines, Lundberg said.

"The turbines are assumed to be in compliance with the ordinance simply because we had a pre-construction wind study completed," he said.

The complaints come at a time when the Thumb is in the spotlight for new wind development.

Utilities including DTE Energy have leased land for future wind turbine developments to help meet a state renewable energy standard signed into law last year.

A recent report from the Michigan Wind Energy Resource Zone Board has identified parts of Huron, Sanilac, Tuscola, Bay and Saginaw counties as one of four regions in Michigan with the highest level of wind energy harvest potential.

Watchowski questions the decision to have John Deere contract for the study.

He said he hopes Huron County leaders will make sure there's better planning for future projects.

"They were rushed in here without enough review," Watchowski said. "I'm not against wind energy ... but there is proper places for it, and it's not next to homes."

David Peplinski, Watchowski's brother-in-law, lives nearby and within 1,300 feet of a turbine. He said he's had problems with rumbling, or "infrasound."

Peplinski compares the rumble to the feeling of a train moving by, or distant thunder. He said the rumble varies depending on wind direction, but seems to occur most often in the early morning hours.

"When I lay in bed, that's what wakes me up. That's what's not allowing us to get a good night's sleep," said Peplinski, 44.

John Deere Wind Energy has been meeting with residents to discuss their questions and concerns, said Angela Gallagher, a company spokeswoman.

"John Deere has engaged a consulting engineering firm to complete a study based on the measured sound level of the turbines in Ubly," Gallagher said in a statement.

"We will share an update when the study is available and this date will be determined once the testing and report is complete."

A common complaint among the handful of residents is that a setback requirement for the wind turbines, to be within 1,000 feet of a home, wasn't strict enough.

Several studies have examined connections between wind turbine noise and health issues.

A researcher named Dr. Nina Pierpont of Malone, N.Y., has coined the phrase "wind turbine syndrome" for sleep problems, headaches, dizziness and other maladies experienced by some people who live near wind energy farms.

Her research says wind turbines should never be built closer than two miles from homes, according to a report in The Oregonian.

Lundberg said the 1,000-foot setback requirement was put in the county zoning ordinance after much study.

He questions whether the people who are complaining would be doing so if they signed leases to locate windmills on their property and were collecting profits from the turbines.

"If you were getting a little green for it, maybe the noise wouldn't be so bad," he said.

But Peplinski said that's not the case.

"I wouldn't wish this on anyone," he said. "That's part of what drives me to even take these steps, because I fear for the people who've signed up and their health."

Lundberg said county officials expected to have noise complaints after the turbines were operating, due to a small group of residents who were against the development.

He encourages companies who are considering building more windmills in the Thumb to get everyone involved, including people who won't have turbines on their land.

Lundberg said the county has formed a subcommittee to deal with the complaints, oversee the wind noise study and decide whether the local zoning ordinance needs to be changed.

One possibility is a separate setback standard for homes that aren't part of a wind energy park, he said.

Photovoltaic cell production in the world

2009-06-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

As one of the new solar energy Sony laptop battery, in addition to extensive use of light in the form of heat that is common in the form of the use of solar water heaters, etc., can also generate electricity. One of the more common is the photovoltaic power generation, that is, solar radiation will be converted to electrical energy, is more mature power generation technology, widely used.

National Association of Industry and New Energy Chamber of Commerce executive vice president, group-wei, chairman of the board, said Liu Hanyuan, with renewable energy is hydroelectric power, wind power, Toshiba Laptop Battery and Fujitsu Laptop Battery compared with the four major advantage of solar power generation. The first few links into the use of direct. At present, crystalline silicon solar cell conversion efficiency in the practical level of 15-20 percent, to be used in one-time conversion of energy efficient new energy. The second is less consumption of resources. Solar power generation area of land occupied by wind power is only 1 / 8-1 / 10, and biomass power generation of 1 / 100, to build large-scale hydropower dams to the land occupied by much smaller. Third, the volume contains abundant solar energy resources. Judging from the current development of China can contain the amount of resources, approximately 378,000,000 kilowatt hydropower, wind power, about 253,000,000 kilowatt, while solar energy is 2,103,900,000,000 kilowatt. The fourth is in the process of solar power is no waste residue, waste, waste water, waste gas generated. Judging from the current generation of various forms of carbon emissions, if we count the upstream area, solar photovoltaic power generation close to zero emissions, coal and oil for power generation, natural gas and even wind power, he must meet certain emissions.

For this reason, solar photovoltaic industry has been regarded as the most environmentally clean and sustainable energy forms, in recent years has been the rapid development of the world. Over the past 10 years, the global PV industry average annual growth rate of 41.3 percent in the past 5 years was 49.5% in 2007 than the 56.2 percent growth in 2006. In the face of resource depletion, environmental degradation caused by the energy crisis, solar energy, with its broad distribution of the resources of clean, renewable energy technology development, as well as the full, has been favored by many countries.

Sync with the global, China is rapidly emerging as a solar PV cells produce power. In 2000, Chinese production of photovoltaic cells was only 3 megawatts by the end of 2007 reached 1088 megawatts, ranking first in the world. Since December 2005 Suntech Power Co., Ltd. in New York Stock Exchange, less than two years, there have been more than 10 Chinese enterprises in the PV market at home and abroad.

The local market to be developed

The Chinese government supports the development and utilization of solar photovoltaic power generation. 2002 to 2004, the National Organization of the rural power transmission project, the central and local governments will total 4.7 billion of funds in Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Tibet and Shaanxi provinces and regions in 12 townships in the city of 1065, Sony PCGA-BP2T battery the building of a Photovoltaic power granted to renewable energy-based power plant.

Before and after the Olympic Games in Beijing this year, solar photovoltaic skill demonstrated time and again. May, Suntech's successful Olympic torch climb Everest services, and later for the main Olympic stadium provides a bird's nest of green emergency power system. In the landscape of the Olympic Park Avenue, Sony PCGA-BP2V battery stands the Art produced by the Group of 29 solar power generation components of the column of information, played a shade, power generation, multi-function watch, and so on.

Cop Cars Get Solar Panels

2009-06-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

Ohio state trooper cruisers are getting small solar panels to assist in the powering of their onboard equipment. 1,150 Ford Crown Victoria cruisers will get 5 watt solar panels to improve battery peformance and reduce fuel consumption.

The solar panels will help power the radio and other electronics when the cars’ engines are turned off. Currently electronics drain batteries when the cars are not running. The official press release states the solar panels will decrease the chance of an officer being unable to respond to an incident due to her or his car having a dead battery. The panels will be installed in the rear deck area, and their brackets have been made from recycled license plates. Each panel costs $37 and could last five years.

Floating solar panels for the ocean

2009-05-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

Conventional solar panels can only be installed on the surface of earth however the major part of the earth is covered by highways, buildings, forests etc. where installing panels is not feasible. The rise in the demand of energy and the lack of supply has always tempted researchers to look for ways to generate energy that by no means can be termed conventional. While, the surface of the Earth is not going to expand to allow the use of solar panels, researchers at SunEnergy are envisioning a new world where solar energy is generated not on the surface of the Earth but on the surface of the oceans.

The company has developed a new type of floating solar panels known as Liquid Solar Panels Arrays that remain on the surface when climatic conditions are right to generate electricity. In case of a storm or bad weather, the panels simply submerge themselves under the water and float again when the storm has passed. The panels are made using lightweight, readily available plastic using existing solar concentrator technologies.

Energy and exergy analysis of a solar air heater

2009-05-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

Solar air heaters are simple device to heat air by utilizing solar energy and employed in many applications requiring low to moderate temperature below 60ºC, such as crop drying and space heating. In a solar air heater, the fins or obstacles located in flow area increases the heat transfer coefficient and output temperature of air. Accordingly, collector efficiency increases too.

This paper presents an experimental energy and exergy analysis for a new flat plate solar air heater (SAH) with several obstacles (Type I, Type II and Type III) and without obstacles (Type VI). The measured parameters were the inlet and outlet temperatures, the absorbing plate temperatures, the ambient temperature, and the solar radiation. Further, the measurements were performed at different values of mass flow rate of air (0.0074, 0.0052, 0.0016 kg/s). Solar air heater having free (Tip IV) and fixed obstacles (Tip I, Tip II, Tip III) is compared to flat-plate solar air heater as well as each other in terms of energy and exergy efficiencies and dimensionless exergy loss ratio.

After the analysis of the results, the optimal values of efficiencies (energy and exergy) is Type II of absorbing plate in flow channel duct for all operating conditions and solar air heater (SAH) supplied with obstacles appears significantly better than that without obstacles (Type IV). The results show that the largest irreversibility is occurring at the flat plate (without obstacles, Type IV) collector in which collector efficiency is smallest. At the end of this study, the energy and exergy relations are delivered for different SAH

Multi Directional Wind Turbine Helix Wind S322

2009-05-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

A wind turbine like you’ve never seen before, the multi directional Helix Wind Turbine S322 is ideal for urban environments, low draw and off-grid applications. Not only does it look innovative, other perks of the Helix system include that it’s inexpensive, reliable and simple.

Mounted up to 35 feet high, the S322 works well in low speeds and its Savonius design features a long helical blade that collects wind from every direction, forcing it through the turbine. This Helix turbine uses the wind to spin the electric generator, which is plugged into your home.

What happens when the wind isn’t blowing, you may ask? Your home will draw its power from the energy grid like it usually does, and at times when it’s gusting, the multi directional S322 uses the excess energy to roll your meter backwards.

You’ll also enjoy its silent operation and its 3D blade is built for easy assembly and toughness. Helix Wind.

Windterra Wind Turbine

2009-05-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

When we built our off-the-grid house in 2000, our power system consisted primarily of 8 photovoltaic solar panels. Since then, we have been keen on adding a wind turbine to complement the solar, but just haven’t made that step yet. My father-in-law recently pointed out a small ad in the newspaper about a new Canadian-made wind turbine, so I checked out their website and was very excited by what I saw.

The Windterra ECO1200 is a 1000-watt wind turbine which, as you can see in the photo below, spins on a vertical axis rather than the traditional horizontal axis which you would be used to seeing. The advantage of the vertical axis system is that the turbine is omni-directional, meaning it will work no matter what direction the wind is coming from. The traditional wind turbines need to face into the wind in order to work. Other advantages of the Windterra turbine include: 1) it works better in turbulent air, 2) it is more effective at lower wind speeds (operates as low as 11 km/h), increasing its efficiency and output, 3) it can be mounted on the roof, eliminating the need for a costly tower, and making it easier to install and service.

Windterra’s online price of $6050.00 includes includes the turbine, controller/inverter, and mounting system – pretty well everything you need to get started.

Unfortunately for us, the Windterra ECO1200 is designed for grid-tied systems, and will not work with our inverter. I am truly disappointed about this, because it seems like such a great product. However, for those of you who are on the utility grid and have been considering the possibility of making some of your own power, this product may be your answer. Meanwhile, I’ll keep looking for the right turbine for us. Via Dale Sorensen

A Glimpse at How CIGS Solar Cells Work

2009-05-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

The copper, indium, gallium and selenide are carefully combined to form a semiconductor in the solar cell that absorbs solar heat, exciting the electrons that produce the electrical current. But the semiconductor cannot do it alone, and if you picture the solar cell as a sort of sandwich, beneath the CIGS layer is a substrate that acts both as a base and electrode. There are two substrates used in CIGS solar cells: metal foil and glass. The metal foil acts itself as an electrode while the glass requires a layer of molybdenum to create an effective electrode.

On the top side of the CIGS layer an independent layer of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) makes up the other electrode, with a thin layer of Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) in between as a buffer. The CIGS and ZnO make up the p-type and n-type (respectively) sides of the junction that actually creates the electric current. The top layers of ZnO and CdS have wide band gaps to minimize absorption so that the solar radiation can reach the CIGS semiconductor with little interference.
Production

One of the biggest breakthroughs for has been using foil as a substrate. San Jose-based Nanosolar has led the way in this regard by actually developing a sort of semiconductor “ink” which they can with relative ease print onto the metal foil substrate, greatly reducing the complexity and cost of CIGS solar module production. Not to limit the more traditional (if that’s possible for such a new technology) glass -based CIGS solar cell.

The first ever tandem junction, CIGS power plant just opened in Germany by SunFilm AG. Tandem junction cells greatly increase absorption rates although actual conversion efficiencies still lag behind laboratory testing. SunFilm’s plant will start with 8% efficient cells, hoping to move up into double digits within the next few years.

How To Build Homemade Passive Solar Water Heaters

2009-05-18T16:48:00.000-07:00

Passive solar water heater can be easily built as a do-it-yourself (DIY) project and they are fairly cheap to build. One can easily make one using a good solar water heater plan with other inexpensive raw materials which are usually available at home or in stores.

These hot water heaters are more dependable and are extremely economical in the long run.

Passive or Batch Water Heaters as they are also called do not use pumps or any other controls to transfer water. Instead, it uses gravity and other natural forces which circulates the water.

Generally a batch water heater consists of a a tank which is painted black to easily absorb the solar rays in the form of heat. This absorbed heat is used to heat the water stored in the tank. Also an insulated box is used to cover this tank so that the heat remains intact and does not cool down.

This pre-heated water is then passed via a conventional water heater for further heating if necessary.

In summers, the hot water collected in the solar tank itself is sufficient for domestic use and the conventional heater is not required then.

In winter, pre-heated water may be required to be heated again to the required temperature. Even if a conventional heater is put to use, since the water is pre-heated considerably, the amount of heating required by it is considerably less.

You can now easily see that passive solar heaters can easily fulfill the hot water demands of the household for most of part of the year without any further expenses.

For the remaining small part of the year, even if water needs to be heated using the conventional way, since the water is almost heated up, the expenses are going to be absolutely minimum as compared to the expenses borne by a household in heating cold water.

As is obvious by installing a solar hot water heater, you can easily save up to one-third of your energy costs.

Green light for solar panels in Scotland

2009-02-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

The majority of householders in Scotland will be able to install solar panels and other energy generating equipment without planning permission from now on, although government ministers have yet to decide whether to exempt wind turbines and air-source heat pumps.

Ground-source and water-source heat pumps will get the green light, as will flues for biomass systems which use organic materials. The move was announced by finance secretary John Swinney, who said the concession would cut red tape, help householders cut heating bills and reduce emissions.

“By encouraging greater use of micro-generation technologies we are letting householders play their part in reducing emissions while creating new jobs in an emerging industry,” said Swinney.

Solar panels will be allowed if they are on a pitched roof or on a wall and do not protrude more than 200mm. But permission will still be needed for panels on the walls of buildings containing flats, and extra safeguards would apply in conservation areas or work heritage sites.

Elizabeth Leighton, Senior Policy Officer with WWF Scotland, said: “This move will help fuel the micro-generation revolution we need to fight climate change and fuel poverty. Now homeowners can begin to realise the full energy producing potential of their homes without the hassle and unnecessary restrictions.

“However, while the rules have been relaxed for some householders, those in flats who want to install micro-renewables on outside walls have been left out in the cold. We see no reason why flat dwellers should not have Permitted Development Rights, the same as residents of other buildings.

“We urge the Scottish Government to engage with the industry as soon as possible to resolve permitted development rights on wind turbines and air source heat pumps without delay so the full package is available to all homeowners.”

Save A Solar Power Battery Charger For A Rainy Day

2009-02-10T09:43:00.001-08:00

Actually, a solar power battery charger works in any kind of weather, but I couldn’t resist the pun. What it does is convert the energy from the sun into useable energy like electricity.Like going to the gas station helps to "recharge" your car, the solar power battery charger helps to recharge your toys and gadgets. This is one of the reasons why many people don’t like solar energy, because the technology needed is bulky and comparatively inefficient.

Panels And Mats

However, the technology for solar power battery chargers is constantly being improved, especially because we know that there is a limited supply of oil and coal and we need to help the environment before it’s too late. Solar power is a clean burning energy that doesn’t produce the harmful chemicals that enhance the already problematic greenhouse effect.

You’re probably familiar with the huge solar panels seen on roofs or revolving panels in really sunny places. They need to be really big in order to generate the needed energy. Or do they? In many camping, boating, RV and photography supply shops, you can by flexible mats you can roll up.They still work like solar panels and solar power battery chargers but they are far more transportable.

Exciting Potential

One of the criticisms against renewable energy is that there isn’t a reliable mans of solar power battery backup for when a rainy day really does arrive.But you may be already using solar-powered devices that have enough energy cells to store the energy needed for later.These devices include wrist watches, pocket calculators and even little indoor wind chimes for your desk. (Well, not all solar power battery chargers have to be practical).

It's light that can get these energy cells going, not just sunlight. So, even though sunlight is the cheapest and most clean-burning of fuel sources, you can still get a solar powered calculator to work by just leaving it under your house lights for a few minutes.

There are also ways to connect hydraulic energy and solar power battery chargers. This is the set up for the first home in American that runs entirely on renewable energy. So far, the storage tanks take up his back yard, but Mike Strizkis of East Amwell, New Jersey says it's all worth it. In just over a year since the conversion, his energy bills are a whopping $0. That's definitely money that can be put aside for a rainy day.

$100 Billion Stimulus Energy Plan Boosts Solar Industry

2009-02-10T09:41:00.000-08:00

With 2008 being a bust financially, many industries are putting their faith in the new economic stimulus plan, which will hopefully resuscitate the economy.

Now, things are looking bright for the solar and wind power industries, as news that the U.S. government is set to spend nearly $100 billion to push America’s energy industry and make solar power part of its energy stimulus. The stimulus package apparently contains tax incentives for solar installation as well as incentives for job creation in solar energy companies.

“We are excited to see the push to drive investment in solar energy at the top of American agenda,” Eddie Austin, Chairman and CEO of Sunrise Solar Corp, said. “Experts expect this to stimulate rapid growth in solar power as consumers and businesses see these grants and tax credits as a great opportunity to go green on a budget.”

Solar companies are scrambling to produce and build more technology in order to accommodate a demand that will most likely become massive.

Rep. Mike Thompson, of Montana, stated, “The solar energy tax provisions I authored will make it easier for businesses and homeowners to have solar panels installed. This has the twin benefits of creating green jobs while at the same time reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

Unprecedented growth seen for solar energy

2009-02-09T10:27:00.000-08:00

The head of the federal government's effort to promote solar technology told about 200 industry leaders yesterday that expanding the industry to the level needed by 2030 will require unprecedented levels of growth.

"To go from the 1 gigawatt of generation capacity that we have now [in the United States] to the 170 to 200 gigawatts called for by 2030 amounts to a 26 percent compounded annual growth rate over the next 20 years," John Lushetsky explained. "That's a higher sustained growth rate than any industry has ever been asked to do before."

Mr. Lushetsky is program manager of the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technology Program for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

He was the keynote speaker at a day-long conference in the Dana Center at the University of Toledo's Health Science Campus called "Empowering Solar Energy in Ohio."

The conference drew industry participants from Ohio and Michigan.

Colleen LaChapelle, assistant director of the Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization at the University of Toledo, said what started as a small conference grew over the last week in part because of the tremendous opportunity for growth in the industry.

"The resources of our area match up very well to what this industry needs," Ms. LaChapelle said.

Mr. Lushetsky predicted that the solar energy industry -- including manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors -- ultimately could employ 4 million people. But he noted tremendous challenges are involved as the public and private sectors work to incorporate solar energy into a national electrical grid that's in need of its own upgrade.

"We really can't wait for things to happen on their own," Mr. Lushetsky said, explaining how public and private efforts will have to cooperate to incorporate solar into the nation's energy portfolio, including provisions of the federal stimulus package making its way through Congress.

He complimented the efforts done locally and across Ohio to promote and encourage solar companies and their development, citing First Solar Inc. and Xunlight Corp., two solar-panel makers with plants in metro Toledo.

"You've got a very good environment here for startups," he said.

Dream approaching reality for solar

2009-02-05T21:28:00.001-08:00

The dream of the most optimistic solar power advocates soon will be reality, analysts said Thursday. Within five or 10 years, residents may be able to generate electricity from roof-top solar panels for about the same price as retail electricity from utilities, analysts told about 60 energy industry professionals at a Law Seminars International conference at the Alexis Park Resort.

The cost of power from solar panels is declining, and the cost of power from electric utilities are going up, said Rick Gilliam, managing director of western states policy for SunPower Corp., a solar panel manufacturing company based in San Jose, Calif.

“At some point, these two prices will cross (on the graph),” Gilliam said.

Gilliam predicted that the price of homemade solar power and electric utility power will be the same within a decade.

He referred to solar photovoltaic panels, which convert the light of the sun into electricity. Customers of NV Energy with solar panels typically are connected to the grid and get credit for excess power they feed back into the grid.

Residents and businesses with solar panels still need to draw power from the electric utility when the sun isn’t shining, such as at night, but analysts wondered how rates should be structured for these part-time utility power customers.

Electric utilities need to be compensated for money spent on operations and maintenance, distribution lines and other facilities, but the utilities would get much less revenue from customers with solar panels, said energy attorney Fred Schmidt, a former Nevada consumer advocate.

When a substantial number of customers are relying only on the utility for backup power, other customers would be paying higher rates that subsidize the solar power customers, Schmidt said.

If electric utilities boosted the fixed monthly charge, customers would protest, Schmidt said. “I know that customers don’t like that fixed charge.”

“It certainly causes utilities to start thinking outside the box or get left behind,” Schmidt said.

Gilliam contended that customers with solar panels offset those expenses because they generate power when the sun is shining and electric use drives power prices to peak levels. Yet, customers with solar power only get paid for the average cost of power, Gilliam said.

SunPower vice president Julie Blunden said the number of customers getting power from the sun would be troublesome only if it exceeded 75 percent, and she doubted solar panel installations would get that high.

Blunden noted a surge in demand for solar power panels in California, noting that 19,000 applications were received under the state’s Solar Initiative in the past two years. That represents a total investment of $5 billion.

One reason: she pays $4.58 monthly to Pacific Gas and Electric because of her solar panels.

Solar panels capable of generating 475 million watts of electricity are connected to the grid in the United States, and 329 million watts of the total comes from California, according to the Database State Incentives for Renewables and Electricity.

The country gets about 2.5 percent of the country’s power comes from renewable energy, including solar power but excluding hydroelectric power, Schmidt said.

Evergreen Solar results disappoint, shares fall

2009-02-05T21:27:00.000-08:00

Evergreen Solar Inc on Thursday reported quarterly results that fell short of expectations as prices on solar panels fell and it recorded high costs for ramping up a new manufacturing facility, sending shares down 10 percent in extended trade.

Evergreen also warned that a global economic downturn and weak credit markets would hurt demand for solar products in the first half of this year and said it was seriously considering subcontracting some manufacturing to save on capital costs.

"We have a fair amount of confidence that we will come up with something that makes a lot of sense, but we don't have a deal yet," Chief Executive Richard Feldt said on a conference call with analysts. "This is not a way of cheapening anything, it's just a way of reducing costs."

Subcontracting manufacturing of solar cells and panels would reduce the company's capital needs for its next factory, planned for Asia, by about 75 percent, Evergreen said.

"They are trying to make some hard calls here, in terms of scaling the business, that are a little bit more reflective of reality," Wedbush Morgan analyst Al Kaschalk said. "But let's face it, though. The credibility is still not there that there is a legitimate business model that is going to ultimately work as a stand-alone company."

Evergreen, based in Marlboro, Massachusetts, makes photovoltaic solar equipment that turns sunlight into electricity. The company expects to sell about 130 megawatts of solar products this year, it said.

PRICES DROPPING

Strong demand for clean solar power was a bright spot in an otherwise dour U.S. economy for much of last year. At the end of 2008, however, frozen credit markets stalled financing for solar projects, causing shares of solar companies to plummet and raising worries that the industry's annual growth rate of 50 percent would falter this year

Solar power gives Gatorade facility energy boost

2009-02-02T19:26:00.000-08:00

Gatorade is known for giving athletes an energy boost, but now it's giving itself an infusion of power.

The Gatorade facility in Tolleson, one of the largest in the country in terms of gallons produced, is generating some of its own electricity from newly installed solar panels on its roof.

The facility has two buildings connected by a bridge over 104th Avenue - one side is a manufacturing plant; the other, a distribution center.

SPG Solar installed a 500-kilowatt system occupying more than an acre and a half on the roof of the distribution center, which allows Gatorade to cut its power usage from SRP by 40 percent on the warehouse building.

This makes Gatorade the largest customer-owned solar-energy project in Arizona, and it's already generating more energy than anticipated. It's expected to produce more than 783,000 kilowatt hours a year, or enough to power about 51 Valley households.

"We know immediately what our output is and what our performance is," said Curt Mills, regional operations manager for PepsiCo, Gatorade's parent company.

They track the data through SRP's Web site and partnered with the utility company on the solar project. SRP gave it a $1.2 million incentive through the EarthWise Solar Incentive Program, and it received $25,000 from a state credit and 30 percent of the total cost - which Mills declined to disclose for competitive reasons - from federal credits.

"To make the project viable, we needed the credits," Mills said.

The project will save the company about $51,000 a year in energy costs and, with incentives, has just under a four-year payback.

It also will offset about 392 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year. Installation began in June and was finished in November.

If he had to give advice to other large companies, Mills would recommend installing the panels in cooler months. Workers had to start by 3 a.m. and only could work until 8 or 9 a.m.

Gatorade wanted to be able to use all the tax credits by the end of 2008 because it wasn't clear if the federal government would extend them, but it did so through 2016. Residential credits, in fact, were greatly expanded.

Arizona residents commonly question why they can't tap more solar power. But because electricity here is so comparatively inexpensive, it hasn't been economically feasible for most customers. About 20 commercial customers participate in the EarthWise Solar program, said Chico Hunter, an engineer in SRP's sustainability initiatives and technologies, and seven of those have systems of 20 kilowatts or larger.

"The reality is, even with the federal tax credits and state tax credits and SRP incentives," he said, "it's still very expensive and it's a big investment for companies to make."

In addition, the Gatorade distribution center's roof was strong enough to hold solar panels. Customers with older or less sturdy facilities might incur extra costs to reinforce or replace roofs before installing solar-eneregy systems.

Solar Tree: A stunning new green concept to replace solar rooftops

2009-02-02T15:24:00.000-08:00

Without a shadow of a doubt, renewable energy is the way to go towards a green future that is both clean and sustainable. If the world had any doubts about it then even those doubts have been dispelled by the recent agreement at the G8. Even if that was not very substantial, it still tells us the direction in which we need to be going. Solar Tree is one such green option for a future filled with solar goodness that is being brought to you for the first time exclusively by Ecofriend. Designed to replace the traditional solar roof, it makes solar energy a lot more profitable and sustainable for use!

Designed by Gurdeep Sandhu who has sent in this fine gadget, the Solar Tree is something that is far more flexible and for more efficient that the traditional solar roof. With its adjustable and movable solar ‘wings’ the entire structure will always give you maximum solar energy. It is almost like solar panels that manoeuvre like a birds wings and adjust to the angle and intensity of the sun to produce maximum solar energy. It is also easily accessible for repairs and also reduces the damages as it can just fold up at night.

The Solar Tree can go in your garden or probably also on your roof and makes for wonderful sustainable technology that has been innovatively altered by a creative designer. They can not only power your garden and other accessories but also your home if utilized properly. While Solar Tree looks a simple enough design, it uses plenty of common sense and beautiful simplicity to do something that all solar roofs of today miss. Gureep Sandhu’s design once again shows you that the simplest solutions are the best and toughest to contemplate. Solar Tree truly can help solar energy soar up with its amazing wings!

Grand Canyon Visitors Center Taps Sun for Power

2009-01-06T14:27:00.000-08:00

Grand Canyon Visitors Center will soon be powered by the sun. The center is expected to install a 18-kilowatt system in late spring, which will provide about 30 percent of the facility’s electricity, the Associated Press reports (via Kold.com).

The solar system is expected to save the National Park Service about $2,500 a year and is being paid for by Arizona Public Service.

In 2007, Xanterra Parks & Resorts said it will install one of the largest privately-owned solar energy systems in the country – and the largest system in the U.S. tourism industry – in Death Valley National Park.

How to Bike to Work (Or Anywhere Else)

2008-09-22T16:55:00.001-07:00

With soaring gasoline prices — and a hint of autumn in the air — there’s never been a better time to start bicycling to work. Here’s how to get rolling!

Today is World Carfree Day. Now in its eighth year, this international event is a terrific showcase for alternative means of moving people from place to place. Even if you can’t leave your car in the driveway this morning, it’s a great time to consider walking, public transportation — and the greenest, most efficient form of transport ever devised: cycling.

Once a novelty of the Industrial Revolution, bicycles now supply millions of people with efficient, healthy, pollution-free daily transportation. Bicycles can reduce traffic congestion and noise. You can park a dozen bikes in the space of a single automobile, and the idea of a morning commute free of fossil fuels seems particularly attractive in the face of rising fuel costs.

Even if you only cycle once a week — on Casual Fridays, perhaps — you’ll be reducing your weekly commute’s environment by 20 percent. That’s about the same as trading your current vehicle for a hybrid, and a lot cheaper.

Yes, you’ll sweat. No, you won’t smell like a horse around the office. Yes, you can really do this. You’ll be healthier and a little richer for the experience.

But commuting by bicycle takes planning. Let’s get started!

There’s an old saying that a journey starts with a single step. With bicycle commuting, though, your journey begins with deciding what happens once you arrive.

The first thing you need is a secure place to park your bike at work. Bikes tend to get in the way indoors, so keep yours out of hallways where people might knock it down or get their clothes greasy. A back room or storage area might work, but your best bet is probably outside — a covered location, if possible — with something solid for a locking support.

Mornings are the coolest time of day to ride, but depending on the length of your commute, you may want a place to change or freshen up. Talk to your employer about your plans and the possibility of setting up a bike-to-work program. If there are no suitable facilities where you work, look for a public washroom (or even a gym shower) within easy walking distance of your destination. You really don’t need much: just some privacy and room to change.
Are you in good enough shape?

Probably so. Whether you’re a casual commuter or a pro bike racer, cycling is all about pace.

The biggest mistake made by beginner cyclists is pushing too hard a gear. Regardless of how many “speeds” your bike might have, choose a midrange gear in which you can comfortably turn the pedals at 70 or 80 revolutions per minute. Over mixed terrain, use your gears to maintain this rhythm. This is the secret to efficient cycling. Spin — don’t grind.

Commuting should be a gently aerobic activity. If you’re feeling winded, ease back. As your fitness improves, you’ll be able to turn bigger gears at that 70 to 80 rpm cadence. Ride for pace, and the speed will come naturally.

As with all exercise regimes, consult your physician or primary care-giver before getting started.
Key consideration: route planning

The shortest way to work may not be the best. Scout roads with marked bicycle lanes. If none are available, look for routes that avoid overly narrow roads, tricky bridges or intersections, and open storm gratings.

Routes through residential areas are pleasant and usually have the benefit of lower traffic. But keep in mind that people are heading to work at the same time you are, and the most dangerous place on the road for a cyclist is the foot of a driveway. Watch for distracted drivers backing into the street. Avoid the temptation to hop up onto a sidewalk: it decreases the time a car has to spot you, and bikes are a hazard to pedestrians.

Once you’ve found a good route — find another. Part of the fun of cycling is slowing down enough to really see things. Vary your commute and keep things fresh.

CO2 Calculator adds up your carbon footprint

2008-09-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

From Frepar Networks, makers of the Sub Spacial Communication Pod, comes a tool that will make tree huggers go crazy adding up the impending doom. The solar-powered CO2 Calculator allows you to take all of your daily activities and add them up to form your “carbon footprint”.

Everything from utilities to trash and recyclables are included in the handy pocket device, making just about any human activity easy to compute. Is this going too far? While perhaps useful as a teaching device (”OK class, spend one week calculating your environmental impact!”) obsessive compulsive carbon mathematicians now have a new toy. If Al Gore has his way, we may just be using these to calculate our yearly Carbon Tax payments as well!

It’s greatest potential, of course, is for learning. Japan is in the midst of a major Ecology boom that, while trendy, can always be good for creating environmental awareness at many different levels. For the next step, we’re eyeballing a function that calculates how much carbon is burned creating CO2 calculators. Gotta burn carbon to save carbon, right?

Al Gore to Buy Environmental Magazine, 'Plenty'

2008-09-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Al Gore's getting into the magazine business. Sources familiar with the former vice president's plans say he is set to announce the acquisition of a stake in Plenty, a four-year-old title about environmentally-conscious living. As it happens, Gore -- who already has a toe in the media business through his TV network, Current -- is on the cover of the current issue.

Asked about the situation, Plenty founder Mark Spellun acknowledged there is a deal of some sort in the works but said it was "not correct" to say that Gore was buying the company. "That wouldn't be quite accurate," he said. Pressed on whether that means Gore is purchasing some sort of interest, however, either directly or through another entity, Spellun declined to comment further, saying an announcement would come next week.

Whatever Gore's role in Plenty turns out to be, the title would seem to be a good fit with his post-political emphasis on curbing global warming. According to its media kit, Plenty uses more than than 85 percent recycled paper and keeps its production process carbon-neutral through the purchase of offsets. The magazine is published bimonthly and has a rate base (the minimum circulation guaranteed to advertisers) of 200,000.

Google Floats A Data Center Patent: Offshore,

2008-09-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

Google seems to be positioning for a Water World-like scenario. That's hyperbole to get your attention to what Google has designed in the way of offshore data centers (see patent application filing here). What's Google designing for a non-apocalyptic future? Imagine a barge (as pictured) holding modular groupings of water-cooled servers, with all of them gobbling power from tethered wave generators. Save for the linked generators, all the component parts are off-the-shelf technology, including the cargo containers which comprise the 'modules'. Not so fantastic really. Combining free server-cooling with green energy gives real efficiency gains.

Think on the other benefits. Steady, green hydro-power capacities are threatened by climate-change in many areas, limiting future prospects for buying commercial quantities of stable green power. Adds an option.

Why does Google want to put them so far offshore? See below for some answers.

The design also offers freedom of choice for data-center siting. Put them where you need them, when you need them. (A very large slice of the worlds' population lives in coastal cities.)

The floating data centers would be located 3 to 7 miles from shore, in 50 to 70 meters of water. If perfected, this approach could be used to build 40 megawatt data centers that don’t require real estate or property taxes.

Via::Data Center Knowledge, Google Planning Offshore Data Barges.

Offshore waves, especially the sub surface "rollers" are quite steady and involve less turbulence than surface waves; and, the "data ship" being relatively far offshore would isolate it's generators from rip tides, tidal extremes, and traffic and anchor lines around busy harbor areas.

The self contained power sourcing would maintain operability in the event that political struggles or resource shortages threaten land-based power supplies. And did we mention that the power would be all green?

The modularity and flexibility of the proposal is a wonder.

From the patent application:-

Also, data centers, when in the form of shipping containers, may be quickly traded out when technology changes. Modularization also makes maintenance simpler; hardware that is corroded or worn out from the harsh salt water environment can be easily replaced with fresh hardware by swapping containers

In the event of a tropical storm, the ship would need to leave it's mooring and make for a safe harbor, where it would then perhaps reattach to the network and fire up diesel generators to run things until the storm has passed.

Would be an extreme bore to work on board, unless there were frequent shore junkets.

N.Y. Tests Turbines to Produce Power

2008-09-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

But the capacity of the turbines is not the only stumbling block. There were years of environmental testing on the site, including an investment of more than $2 million to monitor the impact on fish and migratory birds. Both have avoided the big, clunky turbines thus far, Taylor said, but regulations require ongoing inspections.

The city needs new ways to generate energy because existing transmission lines from upstate are inadequate and the city's needs are growing, said James Gallagher, energy expert at the city's Economic Development Corp.

"We need generation within the city, and anything we can add in terms of clean, efficient, new generation, has a value to it," he said.

He and other analysts say tidal power is a small piece of the city's energy equation. In fact, New York is learning the rules of the game for its own brand of urban sustainable energy production: The winds and waters of this port city can be harnessed, but only in certain places. Tidal power is reliable, but small-scale. Wind power is cheap but rare. Solar power is unreliable, inconstant and expensive but easy to install.

Experts warn that before these alternatives are widely adopted, New York will have to upgrade its antiquated grid system, which is currently incapable of incorporating a great deal of power from multiple small sources.

The city's peak energy consumption is 12,000 megawatts at any given moment, said Stephen Hammer, the director of the Urban Energy Program at Columbia University. "The question is, 'What's our goal? How much of that 12,000 megawatts total do we want to try to achieve? What kind of cost burden do we want to bear to achieve it?'

So far, support has been relatively strong on Roosevelt Island, the quiet community between Manhattan and Queens that is the project's base. Developers began building that support in 2001, long before any installation, beginning with neighborhood meetings.

"I think it's a great thing," said Pia Doane, 63, speaking as she shopped for fruit at the Gristede's supermarket the project powers. She said she'd rather live in view of a turbine than a smokestack, such as those at the massive power plant just across the water, which she calls Asthma Alley. "This current has a big force," she said. "We should use it."

New Solar Power Plants

2008-09-17T14:53:00.004-07:00

Californians will soon be using a more natural, less expensive way to produce their electricity. Pacific Gas and Electric (NYSE: PCG), which is based in San Francisco, will be making this possible by teaming up with builders SunPower (NasdaqGS: SPWR) and Optisolar.

Optisolar will be the leading builder, and PG&E is estimating that Optisolar’s facility, a 550-megawatt farm structure, will omit enough carbon emissions that are equivalent to removing 90,000 cars and their fuel pollution. Spain leads at this time, with their 23-megawatt plant, and Australia is in the process of building a 154-megawatt station.

California is bound by the legislative climate law AB 32, which requires them to turn back their greenhouse emissions to the level it was in 1990, by the year 2020. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is determined to make California, the highest producer of greenhouse emissions due to its immense population, the leader in environment policy making.

P G&E will be making this possible with their proposed plan to produce enough solar power to accommodate 250,000 homes. But they aren’t the only U.S. state determined to be the leader in solar power facilities. Floridian commissioners have given the green light for Florida Power and Light (Amex: FPU) to build three such facilities by 2009, the first of which will be the largest commercial solar-power plant in the state. SunPower has also been chosen by Florida to build their first 75-megawatt solar-power plant, stationed in Martin County.

This trend is becoming fastly embraced by all states, and will put the U.S. on the track to once again lead as pioneers in a fairly new frontier. The U.S. Senate is passing new laws, such as the Clean Energy Stimulus Act (S.2821), that will force each state to have to comply and rely on more natural resources for energy, while House Democrats are providing incentatives such as feed-in tariffs for states wishing to build solar-powered plants.

The projection is that within the next few years each state will have their own solar-energy projects in progress. This will end our dependency on energy fuel that is unhealthy for our planet, and with each effort to become so, the U.S. might well become the leader in solar-energy at a much lower cost to the consumer.

Solar Power Growth

2008-09-17T14:53:00.003-07:00

Politics aside anything to help lower energy costs of all kinds is good. Questar just got the approval to hike rates 33%, which their profit for the last two quarters of the year were over 36%. Doesnt seem like the Fed needed to approve that hike to me.

Two companies are planning to build solar energy plants in the deserts of California close to an AFB now. Read Here This is very exciting especially the amount of power that each one can generate. I am all for this alternative fuel sources and I am left to ask myself why we havent done anything with it sooner.

Solar Powered Homes Sell Faster

2008-09-17T14:53:00.002-07:00

While much of the residential real estate and building markets have faced severe challenges in recent months, there is one area that is shining brightly. SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWR), a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, announced today that new homes powered with SunPower solar electric power systems are selling more than twice as fast, on average, as new homes without solar. Additionally, a survey of owners of new homes with SunPower systems indicates that 92 percent would recommend a new solar home to a friend.

Solar Sells Faster

SunPower has installed, or is currently installing, its high-efficiency solar power technology in more than 75 new home communities throughout California. A recent study conducted by The Ryness Company found that new homes in 13 communities with SunPower solar panel systems were selling at an average of 3.46 homes per month, while sales of comparable homes without solar in adjacent or nearby communities were selling at a rate of 1.71 per month. Comparable communities were selected based upon geographic location, square footage and lot sizes, publicized sales prices and development concept. The data was gathered from sales in 2006 through March 2008 from three regions in the state.

– In the Sacramento region, new solar homes are selling at a rate of 3.20 per month, while comparable non-solar homes are selling at a rate of 1.90 per month.

– New solar homes in the San Francisco Bay Area are selling at a rate of 3.24 per month, while comparable non-solar homes are selling at a rate of 1.33 per month.

– In the Central Valley region, new solar homes are selling at a rate of 4.72 per month, while comparable non-solar homes are selling at a rate of 2.37 per month.

“Homebuyers value solar systems today because they can significantly reduce their electric bills and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jon Nicholson, division president of Standard Pacific Homes in Sacramento. “Families in our energy-efficient solar communities are reducing their utility costs by up to 60 percent, and enjoy the satisfaction of generating their own clean, renewable energy.”

Satisfied Solar Home Owners

In a SunPower survey of 133 people who own new homes with SunPower solar panel systems, 92 percent of respondents said they would recommend a home with solar to a friend. Ninety percent indicated that inclusion of a solar power system was very important or somewhat important in their decision to buy their home. Eighty-five percent responded that they would definitely or likely buy another solar home in the future.

Comments gathered as part of the anonymous survey included the following:

– “We would not have purchased the larger home had it not been for the solar savings.”

– “We have already recommended [solar] to many of our friends.”

– “We have looked at other homes, even really liked the floor plans, but without solar it was out of the question.”

“Most of the builders we work with include the installation of high-performing SunPower solar power systems with high-quality energy efficiency features,” said Bill Kelly, general manager, New Homes Division, for SunPower. “This combination of solar technology and energy efficiency results in very low utility costs for the homeowner while improving home comfort. This is a great value for homeowners, and an investment by our homebuilder partners towards cleaner air and a better environment.”

Most homebuilders working with SunPower install the SunPower SunTile(R) system on their homes. SunTile is a roof-integrated system that blends seamlessly into the roof and features the most efficient solar technology available on the market.

SunPower’s survey is supported by a recently completed market research study of new construction home buyers commissioned by the California Energy Commission (http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/builders/marketing_resources/index.html), which found that solar is generally seen “as a proven, reliable technology that can pay for itself and will help reduce global warming.” In addition, nearly all respondents consider residential solar power systems to be “user-friendly” and “low maintenance.”

SunPower works with homebuilders such as Centex, Standard Pacific, The Olson Company, and Woodside Homes.

About SunPower

SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWR) designs, manufactures and delivers high-performance solarelectric systems worldwide for residential, commercial and utility-scale power plant customers. SunPower high-efficiency solar cells and solar panels generate up to 50 percent more power than conventional solar technologies and have a uniquely attractive, all-black appearance. With headquarters in San Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit http://www.sunpowercorp.com. SunPower is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: CY).

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are statements that do not represent historical facts. The company uses words and phrases such as “would,” “can,” and “will,” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Forward- looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, the company’s plans and expectations regarding: (a) installing solar power systems in more than 75 new home communities throughout California; (b) reducing electric bills by up to 60 percent; (c) lowering greenhouse gas emissions; (d) recommending a home with solar to a friend or buy another home with solar; (e) systems paying for themselves; and (f) reducing global warming. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to the company as of the date of this release and management’s current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include a variety of factors, some of which are beyond the company’s control. In particular, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ include: (i) construction difficulties or potential delays in the project implementation process; (ii) unanticipated delays or difficulties securing necessary permits, licenses or other governmental approvals; (iii) the risk of continuation of supply of products and components from suppliers; (iv) unanticipated problems with deploying the systems on the sites; (v) the actual energy generation; (vi) the actual energy consumption rate; (vii) unexpected changes in utility service rates; (viii) variations in carbon dioxide emissions reductions; (ix) continued customer satisfaction; and (ix) other risks described in the company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 30, 2008, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the company’s views as of any subsequent date, and the company is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any responsibility to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SunPower is a registered trademark of SunPower Corp. Cypress is a registered trademark of Cypress Semiconductor Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Information on Solar Electric Power and GE

2008-09-17T14:53:00.001-07:00

Solar energy is the mother of most renewable energies on earth. There are various ways to use this power, including in lighting around your home and even to power a vehicle. One of the biggest advantages to solar power is that it is free and it is also inexhaustible.

There are problems with solar power however, although just a few. One is that solar energy only works when the sun is shining, and so on cloudy and rainy days your solar powered appliances will not work. These are very minor downfalls however, and the benefits that you are offered by solar power are much more significant than the problems.

Solar electric power offers many more advantages than most people realize. There are many companies and businesses around the world that offer solar electric power applications, and GE is definitely one of the leaders here.

About the Company

GE is the company that most people around the world turn to for advanced power systems and around the clock energy services. They feature an installed base of steam and heavy duty gas turbines now has over 10,000 units and they are one of the most experienced and popular electric companies in the world.

GE and Solar Power

When it comes to solar electric power, the GE Company definitely knows what they are doing. GE’s solar electric power systems and products all offer high quality, reliable power generation technology for residential, commercial and industrial applications.

Their solar modules are especially popular, and their module line ranges from 66 watts to 200 watts, and feature heavy duty anodized frames and weather resistant junction boxes for easy and safe field interconnection.

Most other electric companies have also integrated solar electric power into their processes and products, but GE is definitely one that is leading the way.

If you are interested in starting to integrate solar power more into your own life, there are a few things that you can do. Maybe you want to start off small by simply changing the lights in and around your home to solar powered lights.

The use of solar power in the home is quickly becoming an attractive proposition for people around the world, and once implemented in the home, solar power can even be used to heat the entire house, which will obviously result in you saving thousands of dollars on the cost of your electricity.

Also keep in mind that cutting costs is only one of many benefits offered by solar energy, so it is definitely worth you at least checking out.

California To Get The Largest Ever Solar Power Plants

2008-09-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

On Friday, solar panel maker SunPower Corp. announced it would join the huge project put together by Pacific Gas & Electric Corp., according to which two solar power plants will be built in California.

It was said the two plants would have an electricity output twelve times larger than the biggest similar power plant functional today. They will occupy more than 12 square miles of land in the middle of the state with solar panels; in any given cloudless day, they would generate around 800 megawatts, which is quite close to the power output a small nuclear plant would have.

The power is to be sold to Pacific Gas & Electric, which, by 2010, must obtain one fifth of its electricity from renewable sources.
According to Jennifer Zerwer, a spokeswoman for the utility, similar projects could be extrapolated all over the world; she considers it to be a milestone.

OptiSolar, maker of solar panels, is to deploy 550 megawatts in San Luis Obispo County. The SunPower Corporation, also a solar panel maker, but using a different type of technology, will install 250 megawatts somewhere else in the county. The panels provided by SunPower will be placed at a 20-degree angle towards south and will be able to switch exposure from east to west in order to continuously face the sun. OptiSolar’s panels will be built at a fixed angle; although they will be larger and less effective, they will also be cheaper to built and therefore the final results would pretty much be the same.

Solar Power International 2008: North America’s Largest Solar Event

2008-08-05T11:55:00.001-07:00

Solar Power International 2008, October 13-16, San Diego Convention Center.

Top vendors presenting the state-of-the-art in solar energy technologies and services; 60+ conference sessions and workshops; world-renowned CEO Panel plenary session; extensive exhibits and industry networking opportunities including manufacturers, project developers and contractors, electric utilities, and large buyers such as big box stores.

Solar Power 2008 will encompass the full range of solar energy technologies, including photovoltaics, concentrating photovoltaics, concentrating solar power, and solar hot water and space heating and cooling. Last year’s event sold out in advance, so organizers encourage early registration.

For more information visit: www.SolarPowerConference.com.

Offshore drilling is not the answer to high gas prices

2008-08-05T11:54:00.001-07:00

There have been a lot of discussions about the high gas prices in USA the past months and what exactly should be done to curb this trend. Some politicians, like McCain, Bush, and Gingrich, are taking advantage of the situation and tries to push for the ending of a 27-year moratorium on offshore drilling along the coastlines of USA.

But offshore drilling is not a “quick fix” and it won’t help to lower the gas prices. The only ones that will profit from this are Bush and McCain’s friends in the oil industry. While people are suffering from the high gas prices the oil companies are reporting record profits after record profits.

Greenpeace has listed a bunch of reasons why offshore drilling is not the answer to high gas prices at the pump:

“The United States burns 24 percent of the world’s oil, yet we only have 3 percent of the world’s oil reserves. Even if we drilled every drop of oil the U.S. has on shore or off its coasts, we will never be able to drill our way to lower oil prices or energy security. We simply burn more than we could ever drill.”

“Offshore oil drilling is not a short-term fix. It would take at least a decade to bring new leases into production. And, it will be years before exploration could begin and years after that before production would start. If any effect were to be felt on gas prices (most likely only a few pennies per gallon), that effect is decades away.”

“Offering up more of our coastline for drilling won’t lower gas prices. Since President Bush took office in 2000, the number of wells in federally leased areas has increased exponentially, yet gas prices have doubled during that same time. Yet, this type of evidence is never mentioned in the media or by proponents for offshore drilling.”

“Another reason that drilling for more oil in the U.S. won’t result in lower gas prices is because oil prices are set on the global oil market. What this means is that all oil produced around the world is sold all at the same price. There is no guarantee that we would even be using the oil that was drilled here in the U.S. And, we certainly wouldn’t get a discount just because we drilled for it on U.S. soil. We would pay the same rate as the rest of the world.”

The only things that will lower the fuel prices, create more jobs, solve the climate crisis and fix this fragile economy is to invest in clean renewable energy sources, setting strict mpg standards for all automobiles and transform our current society to a sustainable one.

Top 10 Alternative Energy Lobbying Groups in 2008

2008-08-05T11:53:00.001-07:00

As alternative energy becomes a hot button issue on the campaign trail, trade groups and individual companies in the sector are fighting to have their voices heard on the Hill — and money talks. Up until June 30, 2008, companies that make up the alternative energy production and services sector spent $11.39 million on lobbying, according to the Center for Responsive Politics — a little more than a fifth of what the traditional oil and gas industries spent for the same period at $52.21 million. Still, at that pace, the sector will overtake its lobbying efforts from last year, which totaled $16 million for the year.

The Top 10 alternative energy lobbying groups are largely biofuel, solar and wind trade groups, though the biggest contributor by far is the “American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity,” which is made up by companies that depend on coal to produce power. We guess it’s not surprising that the group with some of the most established and well-funded companies is investing the highest amount in lobbying, but that doesn’t make it less disturbing, as the group is likely trying to maintain its dominant power-producing position. So far this year, the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity gave more than double the amount of the next highest lobbying group.

To us, one of the most surprising on the list is that smart grid “startup” GridPoint has spent $172,061 on lobbying efforts. We know the company has been backed by millions from Goldman Sachs and other investors, but that is a lot of money for a young firm. Wondering what they’re up to? Send over your educated guesses.

Here’s the list:

American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity: $1.87M
National Biodiesel Board: $679,913
Solar Energy Industries Association: $535,000
Clean Energy Group: $492,500
American Wind Energy Assocation: $460,379
Poet: $360,000
Rentech: $250,000
Green Hunter: $220,000
Noble Environmental Power: $200,000
GridPoint: $172,061

Kites Could Become Major Source Of Wind Power

2008-08-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

The idea to use kites for wind power is nothing new, but a development at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands reminds us that we haven’t even begun to tap the potential of these flying contraptions.

A recent experiment performed by a team at the university used kites to create 10 kW of energy—enough to power 10 homes. This is a not a major breakthrough in and of itself, but the researchers plan to build a larger version of the project called “Laddermill” that would create 50 kW of energy. They eventually want to build a 100 MW version of their project. If successful, the expanded project would create enough power for 100,000 homes.

The kites are attached to a generator by a string. Power is created when the string is pulled and the generator turns as winds lift it into the sky.

According to Laddermill project leader Wubbo Ockels, kites are a cheap way to use energy higher up in the air, where winds carry more power due to high speeds (7 meters/sec). In contrast, turbines harvest energy closer to the ground, where wind speed is slower (5 meters/sec).

Unfortunately, Ockels predicts that the technology might not be brought to the market for a long time unless a large amount of money is made available. But if the kite generators do make it out of the lab, they may silence critics who complain about wind power’s detrimental effects on birds and scenery.

The new solar powered cases cure the power problem for iphone 3G

2008-08-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately the iphone 3G is considered inefficient when it comes to long battery life. The battery on this particular phone drains more quickly in a typical day of use than the battery on the original iPhone. To combat this power problem and to protect the phone from everyday scratches and knocks, the new solar powered case is launched. It is Compatible with all iPhones, including the new iPhone 3G. In direct sunlight, these chargers can provide functional power levels in less than 3 hours, or a full charge in 10.

Built with 1500 mAh battery this can provide one full charge for your iPhone and will recharge itself through the solar panel mounted to the front of the case, or via Mini USB if you’re in a badly lit area. These solar chargers come in both black and white in genuine leather casing.

You Can Recycle Concrete?

2008-08-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

Experienced flipper and eco-enthusiast, Domonique Levesque, shows Greenovate viewers how to really green up the neighborhood. He works his renovation magic using energy efficient appliances and sustainable materials. One one episode, Domonique even installs a recycled concrete countertop! Didn't know you could recycle concrete? Yes, you can!

If you thought only aluminum cans and newspapers could be recycled, you may be missing out on some key greening initiatives. While some are figuring out where we can keep all the country’s garbage, others are investigating how we can reuse it.

Concrete is among the many items that create huge problems for landfills. Typically it arrives in extremely large quantities and has a tremendous lifespan. Now, environmentally savvy builders are taking perfectly good concrete out of the refuse system. The process is quite simple and in many cases the recycling starts at the demolition site.

First, the concrete is removed from the area. Demolition workers must be careful to keep it separated from other items because concrete with wood or metal imbedded in it cannot be recycled. Next, the concrete is put into a machine which crunches it into much smaller pieces. Sometimes large chunks must enter the system twice. The finished product can be used as gravel bases for roadways or to produce brand new blocks of concrete.

If you're in the process of demolishing a structure and want to save some cash, contact area contractors who specialize in recycling concrete. The process will significantly decrease the amount you'll have to pay to transport and dispose of concrete slabs. Plus, you'll be keeping perfectly useful material out of the waste system.

WORLD FIRST ECO PEDAL HELPS REDUCE FUEL CONSUMPTION BY NISSAN

2008-08-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., today unveiled the ECO Pedal – a world first technology – designed to assist drivers to become more fuel-efficient. When the eco-pedal system is on, each time the driver steps on the accelarator, a counter push-back control mechanism is activated if the system detects excess pressure, helping to inform the driver that they could be using more fuel than required. An eco-driving indicator integrated into the instrument panel feeds the driver with real-time fuel consumption levels to help improve his/her driving behavior. The ECO Pedal system can be turned on or off according to the driver’s preference.

Nissan plans to commercialize the ECO Pedal during 2009. Research conducted by Nissan has shown that by using the ECO Pedal drive system, drivers can improve fuel efficiency by 5-10%*, depending on driving conditions.

The ECO Pedal system is fed data on the rate of fuel consumption and transmission efficiency during acceleration and cruising, and then calculates the optimum acceleration rate. When the driver exerts excess pressure on the accelerator, the system counteracts with the pedal push-back control mechanism.

At the same time, the eco-driving indicator incorporated on the instrument panel indicates the optimal level for fuel-efficient driving. Driving within the optimal fuel consumption range, the indicator is green. It begins to flash when it detects increased acceleration before reaching the fuel consumption threshold and finally turns amber to advise the driver of their driving behavior.

In order to achieve reduction in CO2 emissions, Nissan takes a “triple-layer” solution that encompasses vehicle technologies, driving behavior and traffic conditions. The ECO Pedal supports the second-layer addressing driving behavior and is among a range of eco-friendly technologies being pursued under the Nissan Green Program 2010. The company’s environmental roadmap aims at developing new technologies, products and services that can lead to real-world reductions in vehicle CO2 emissions, cleaner emissions, and recycling of resources.

Nanotube Solar Cells Improve Efficiency 10 Times

2008-07-31T15:52:00.000-07:00

Nanotechnology seems to help a lot in solar cells improvement. Recent research in solar cell technology shows that a film of carbon nanotubes could replace two of the layers normally used in a solar cell, with improved performance and reduced costs. There is a surprising way the researchers found out to give the nanotubes the properties they need: add them some imprefections.

The current solar cells (aka dye-sensitized solar cells) have an oxide transparent film, is applied to glass. That dye-sensitized transparent film conducts electricity. In addition, another separate film made of platinum acts as a catalyst to speed up the chemical reactions that occur in the making of electricity. The oxide films have the disadvantage that they can’t easily be applied to flexible materials: they perform much better on a rigid and heat resistant substrate like glass. This increases the production costs and limits the kinds of products the solar cells can be applied to. The second drawback is that expensive equipment is necessary to create the platinum films.

Jessika Trancik of the Santa Fe Institute, Scott Calabrese Barton of Michigan State University and James Hone of Columbia University decided to use nanotechnology in the making of some new type of solar cells. The carbon nanotubes they use create a single layer that performs the functions of both the oxide and platinum layers. The carbon nanotubes needs to have three properties: to be transparent, to conduct electricity, and to be a catalyst of the electricity-producing reaction.

Regular carbon nanotubes films have these properties, but not enough of each one. The way of improving one, though, sacrifices one of the others. For example, making the film thicker makes it a better catalyst, but then it’s less transparent.

Previous theory had suggested that materials may function better as catalysts when they have tiny defects, impurities, providing spots for chemicals to attach. The researchers then tried exposing the carbon nanotubes to ozone, which roughs them up a bit. Very thin films, they found, became dramatically better catalysts, with more than ten-fold improvement. In fact, the performance of the impurified nanotubes gets close to that of platinum. “That’s remarkable,” Trancik says, “because platinum is considered pretty much the best catalyst there is.”

In order to address the trade-off between transparency and conductivity, the researchers tried another trick on a bottom layer of tubes: they created longer carbon nanotubes. This improved both conductivity and transparency.

The carbon nanotube films can be used in fuel cells and batteries as well.

“This study is an example of using nanostructuring of materials – changing things like defect density and tube length at very small scales – to shift trade-offs between materials properties and get more performance out of a given material,” Trancik says. “Making inexpensive materials behave in advanced ways is critical for achieving low-carbon emissions and low cost energy technologies.”

The impurification of materials is not a new idea: in semiconductors, for example, impurification has been for decades used to create them. Without it, we wouldn’t have laptops, radios, phones, not even electronic hand watches.

Solar powered Macbook Air

2008-07-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

Here’s good news to the Macbook Air users!

If you’re still whining about the battery life that your Macbook AIR has, there’s still great news for you. A company called QuickerTek has just announced a green solution. Try their foldable solar power sold right here.

This comes in 3 variants …

1. 18 Watt foldable Solar power - able to fully charge your MBA in 14 hours (cost $500).

2. 27 Watt foldable solar power - able to fully charge your MBA in 8 hours (cost $600).

3. 44 Watt foldable solar power - able to fully charge your MBA in 5 hours (cost $1,000).

Three solar cell options easily unfold from 10.5 inches to various sizes from 30 inches to as large as 60 inches. A very cool Element backpack is included which stores both your macbook and the Solar Cell. This might be the ultimate gift for a college student. Think of being on the campus lawn using the mac without ever running out of battery power.

The Solar Cell is far more than a simple trickle charger (as many solar units are).

Since the MBA is suited for the typical business person who runs from one location to another, there just isn’t enough time to power-up, right? This solution may just well be The answer. Hey, while your having your donuts and coffee out in a Paris restaurant, flaunt the solar panels to charge up your baby.

Is Solar Power Enough?

2008-07-31T15:41:00.000-07:00

Solar Supply

Total radiation arriving outside the atmosphere (ie, at all wavelengths) is 1368Watts/m² (ref: NASA).

Assume (?) that only radiation reaching the ground can be harvested by wind and solar panels; as I understand it winds etc are caused by ground heat conducting into air rather than direct solar heating.

Radiation arriving at ground (refs: squ1.org, Wikipedia, Encyclopedia of Earth) appears to be less than half of this as some is reflected by cloud or absorbed by the atmosphere but it’s not entirely clear. So:

Approx 500W/m² (after weather) on the flat plane facing the sun
x Total area facing sun = pi * (radius = ~6000km)² = ~100 million sq km = 10¹⁴ m²
-> 5×10¹⁶ Watts total solar energy arriving on earth at ground.

Incindence & Night

As the above radiation is spread over the curved surface of the ground, half (ish) of which is in the dark, the ‘average’ radiation received over a day on a square meter of surface is the total surface radiation divided by the total surface. So:

Above total solar energy = 5×10¹⁶ Watts
Earth’s surface area (radius = ~6000km) = 500,000,000 km² = 5×10⁸ km² = ~5×10¹⁴ m²
-> about 100W/surface m², averaged over a day. (ie about 1/5 of the flat plane incidence above)

Efficiency

Inefficiency in gathering and transporting the energy: solar photoelectric cells are currently between 12-40% (wikipedia), losses over the national grid are a few percent. Assume a total of 50% overall (including transport) for future direct-collection technologies (ie not wind or wave).

-> 50W/m² collected averaged over a day.
and
-> 2.5×10¹⁶ Watts total global harvestable solar energy

Sanity Math Check

If we wanted all the energy harvestable, demand would be 2.5×10¹⁶ watts, @ 50W/m²surface use = 5×10¹⁴ m² = 5×10⁸ km² = 500,000,000km²= total surface area. Good.

Current Demand

Current use in rich countries is ~4-5 Tonnes of oil equivelent per person per year (BERR and Economist’s “Pocket World in Figures”). 1 TOE = 42 GJ.

= 200 GJ per person per year
= 200 x10⁹ J / 3 x10⁷ seconds/year (Joules = watts x time)
= ~7000 Watts per rich person
@50W/m²-> 140 m² per rich person.

Transition Demand

From a BBC article demand by 2030 (ie not ‘final demand’) will be 15,000 million tons of oil equivelant per year global total

-> 1.5 x10¹⁰ toe @ (40GJ/toe = 4 x10¹⁰ J/toe)
-> 6 x10²⁰ J/year / 3 x10⁷ seconds/year
-> 2 x 10¹³ watts total global demand in 2030
@50W/m² -> 4 x10¹¹ m² = 4 x10⁵ km² = 400,000 km²

Naive Predicted Demand

Naively assuming 10 billion people world population using only the current ‘rich country’ scaling (ie ignoring air conditioning, etc in emerging warmer countries):

10¹⁰ people
x 7000 Watts = 7 x 10¹³ watts total global demand
x 140 m²= 1.4×10¹² m²= 1.4 x10⁶ km² = 1,400,000 km²

Predicted Demand

This article, from UNDP data, predicts 102 TW demand by 2050:

= 10¹⁴ watts total global demand.
@ 50W/m² -> 2 x10¹² m² = 2 x10⁶ km² = 2,000,000 km²

Worldwide USA demand

USA energy use is currently around 12kW/person and covers a range of climates. For simplicity, assuming this rises to 14kW within a few decades and that we would like the world to have the same benefit, this doubles the Naive Predicted Demand to 2,800,000 km²

Global Impact

Total earth’s surface = ~5×10¹⁴ m² = 5×10⁸ km² -> using 0.3% to 0.4% of the earth’s surface

About 30% is land -> 1.5×10⁸ km² -> 0.5% to 1.3% of the earth’s land.

Sahara desert is about 9 million km², and has better than average harvest rate per square meter.

Sanity Check

5×10¹⁶ Watts total arrives, predicted demand is 10¹⁴ watts, so we would want to use 0.2% of all incoming radiation. As the harvesting is only 50% efficient we would need to intercept 0.4% of it. Allowing for angles of incidence/night time we would need to cover 5 times that of the surface, ie about 2% of the surface.

But 2% of the surface is 10¹³ m² , and at 50W/m² = 5x 10 ^14 Watts. So something here is wrong!

UK Coverage Required

Ground radiation is about 100W/m² during the day time, so over 24 hours is about 50W/m², with about 50% efficiency this is a harvestable 25W/m². Population 60 million (6×10⁷), using 7000W/person -> 4×10¹¹W -> ~ 2×10¹⁰m² = 20,000 km²

Surface area is about 250,000 km² so we’d need to use about 8% of the land (assuming we didn’t use the surrounding sea surface)

Instant Insight: Solar energy turns organic

2008-07-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

Cheap and efficient conversion of solar energy into electricity could help combat global warming and the shortage of fossil fuels. However, the high production cost of electricity from silicon-based solar cells has limited the use of the technology. Low cost solar cells with high cell performance are highly desirable and organic solar cells could be the answer. They are easy to make from inexpensive organic materials and, unlike inorganic solar cells, are lightweight, flexible and colourful.

Light absorption by organic solar cells leads to an excitation state known as an exciton or electron-hole pair. The electrons and holes are separated from each other and carried through donor and acceptor molecules to the electrodes, generating a photocurrent. This process of converting light directly into electricity is known as photovoltaics and it must be optimised for organic solar cells to be efficient. Much effort has been devoted to finding suitable donor and acceptor molecules and organising them on an electrode surface at the nanometre scale.

Fullerenes and their derivatives have been widely used as excellent acceptor molecules. More recently, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which have a similar carbon-based structure, have attracted much attention. In contrast to the spherical shape of fullerenes, CNTs have a one dimensional, wire-like structure, which make them better at forming electron- or hole-transporting highways in the cell. Their large surface area enhances the separation of the electron-hole pair and they show conductivity several times greater than that of conducting polymers. Also, CNTs can act as both electron donors and acceptors depending on the redox properties of the other component in the cell. All of these features make CNTs promising candidates for charge separation and transport in organic solar cells.

A number of scientists have made photoelectrochemical devices or photovoltaic cells with CNT-modified electrodes. They have used a variety of methods, including layer-by-layer deposition and spray-coating, to organise the CNTs with suitable donor or acceptor molecules on electrode surfaces. At present, however, the energy conversion efficiency of CNT-modified electrodes has yet to reach the levels of high performance dye-sensitised solar cells - which use porous, nanocrystalline titanium dioxide electrodes sensitised with ruthenium dyes - or bulk heterojunction solar cells, which use conjugated polymers and functionalised fullerenes.

At present, it is difficult to synthesise pure CNTs with a consistent structure. To improve CNT-based solar cells, scientists may have to purify or sort out the CNTs with the best structure for charge transport. Alternatively, a fascinating approach is to use CNTs as nanoscaffolds for donor or acceptor molecules to construct charge-transporting highways.

The history of CNT-based organic solar cells is less than 10 years old. A great deal of work still has to be done to bring out their full potential for solar energy conversion.

Donated Solar Electric Systems to Aid Habitat for Humanity Recipients

2008-07-31T15:38:00.000-07:00

Two families in Glendale, Arizona will begin saving money on their utility bills with solar technology in the coming weeks. Arizona-based American Solar Electric has donated equipment and installation services for two grid-tied solar electric (photovoltaic) systems to Habitat for Humanity Valley of the Sun.

Installed in early June, the systems are comprised of Kaneka thin-film silicon 60-watt panels which offer high performance under high temperatures. Electricity generated by the solar electric systems will be used to offset utility power, thereby reducing the cost of electricity for the new homeowners. Each system will produce over 2,500 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

“Our contribution today seems small compared to those that donated significant time and money to build the homes,” said Sean Seitz, President of American Solar Electric. “We’re proud to help the new homeowners. Undoubtedly they will recognize a significant contribution to their personal finances for years to come from the energy savings they obtain with their new solar electric systems.”

“Habitat for Humanity Valley of the Sun is pleased to partner with American Solar,” said Roger Schwierjohn, President and CEO of Habitat. “This partnership allows Habitat to continue the efforts to be an environmentally friendly builder and make our homes more affordable for families. Because of the generosity of American Solar, Habitat is once again able to progress in our efforts to be a responsible home builder.”

A dedication will be held on Saturday, June 21st to celebrate the completion of the homes. Both families are thrilled to be first-time homeowners.

American Solar Electric, Inc. is an Arizona-based design-build firm specializing in photovoltaic (solar electric) power systems for commercial, industrial, and residential applications. Headquartered in Scottsdale, the company is responsible for the installation of more than 5 megawatts of photovoltaic power in Arizona, statewide. American Solar Electric’s approach includes system design, permitting, procurement, installation, interconnection, and commissioning. Additional information on the company’s products and services is available online at http://www.americanpv.com

Serving metropolitan Phoenix since 1987, Habitat for Humanity Valley of the Sun is a grassroots Christian housing organization whose mission is to eliminate substandard housing by building affordable housing and community partnerships that promote spiritual values and individual responsibility. The Valley of the Sun affiliate is one of the most active of the Habitat affiliates and is responsible for the building of more than 433 new homes. Currently the affiliate is active in South Phoenix, Chandler, Mesa, Glendale, Guadalupe, Tempe and Apache Junction.

Habitat for Humanity International, based in Americus, Georgia, is an ecumenical Christian ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing. Habitat International dedicated its 200,000th house last summer and has more than one million people living in Habitat homes they helped build and are buying through no-profit, zero-interest mortgages

Solar Panels Survive Tornado in Colorado

2008-07-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

Designed to draw on nature's goodness, certain solar installations are also sturdy enough to withstand some of its most malevolent wrath.

The latest success story comes from around Windsor, Colorado, where last week a Class F3 tornado swept through the northern part of state at speeds of nearly 150 mph. Leaving a three-quarter-mile-wide, 35-mile-long path, the storm ravaged roughly 750 homes and businesses. Only one set of structures remained standing - an array of three 10-killowatt solar systems from Bella Energy. According to Solar Daily, the ground mounted system is not only the state's largest residential solar electric scheme, but also the strongest, surviving "150 mph winds while telephone poles nearby snapped like toothpicks. And no flying panels either! Solar Panels tipped at an angle can catch the wind like a sail, but these remained intact, producing power."

"After the storm I had to say to Bella Energy that they were right. Those panels didn't blow away even in a tornado!" said one homeowner. "Our power from the utility grid is down because the tornado took out the electricity poles, but the solar systems were still in operation."

Evaluating the Cleanliness of Solar Photovoltaics Can Be Complicated

2008-07-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells are a popular and often discussed (see, for example Atlantic City Convention Center Plans Largest Solar Roof in U.S., 10% of U.S. Electricity From Solar by 2025, SF Passes Largest City Solar Program in U.S. (Finally), all of which were published within the past week) form of “renewable” or “green” energy, but a casual scratching of the surface knowledge that many people have about the technology reveals some troubling details.

Not only are the panels expensive sources of electricity, but they do not last as long as advertised, they do not provide as much energy as the nameplate capacity implies, they consume significant quantities of energy in their production, installation and transportation, and they often use some very nasty materials in their manufacturing process.

The longevity of a solar panel will vary greatly depending on where it is installed, but any customer should remember that they are buying a product that will inherently need to spend as much time as possible fully exposed to the sun and weather. Though there are no visibly moving parts in a solar PV panel, there are many parts of the system where continuous chemical and physical reactions take place that can eventually lead to system degradation and failure.

Take a good look at panels that have been installed for several years and you will notice discontinuities and shiny areas where the components have been damaged and where the power production is reduced. If you have any panels, might want keep a record of the current production so that you can see this effect - or perhaps you will not want to find out just how fast that long term investment is decaying.

The literature accompanying most solar panels provide customers with numbers related to their peak capacity - what I call “noon on a clear day at the Equator”. That quantity of power is only available when the sun is directly overhead, when the panel is perfectly clean and when there are no clouds shading the cells. The cleaning part is important, any panel owner that wants maximum performance needs to set up a routine for cleaning and clearing the panels of any debris.

Leaves and snow are particular nuisances for rooftop solar panels, but sand and bird droppings can be important in some areas as well. Not that the article was specifically discussing PV panels, but I recently read about the 4,000 gallon water tanker trucks that are part of the maintenance equipment at some desert solar power plants.

Some of the most energy efficient solar panels, in terms of both the energy required to produce the panel and the panel operating efficiency are made of a semiconductor material called CdTe (Cadmium Telluride). Companies that make CdTe cells like to brag about the quality of their products, but they have also recently had to warn their investors that they may not be able to sell their panels in the EU for much longer because of rules about using toxic heavy metals in electronics. What they have not made clear yet is what their long term liability is for the panels that they have already sold. What will happen in 5, 10 or 20 years when the panel output is no longer useful and the materials need disposal? Can they be recycled without releasing the heavy metals? Will their customers be able to return the panels to the original producer? Will they make the effort or simply take the systems to the dump like many consumers do with batteries made of similar materials? (Those are the kinds of questions that my former division officer was talking about.)

There are definitely answers to some of the questions that I have about solar PV, but that does not mean that the issues are fully solved. If you are in the market for solar PV systems, please ask the hard questions and realize that anyone who wants you to buy the systems without good answers is just a salesman who is not much different from any other salesman.

Transparent Electronics Key to Solar Energy Breakthrough

2008-07-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

Oregon State University (OSU) and HP have found their first key industrial application in a new type of solar energy system; the developers say it will be four times more cost-efficient than any existing technology.

Transparent transistors and optoelectronics, that were created by researchers, will be used by HP at that its Xtreme Energetics, Inc., of Livermore, Calif., convert sunlight to electricity at twice the efficiency and half the cost of traditional solar panels.

OSU and Xtreme Energetics are working together on this solar technology. HP has funded some of OSU’s research in advanced materials, collaborated with the university to invent transparent transistor technology, and is now making this technology available worldwide through its intellectual property licensing group.

This is one of the first applied uses of transparent electronics and it had not even been envisioned when OSU researchers in recent years developed the world’s first completely transparent integrated circuit from inorganic compounds.

“After the first discoveries with transparent electronics, we were thinking of applications like transparent displays or consumer electronics,” said John Wager, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at OSU.

“But as with any breakthrough, sometimes at first you can’t even see all the possible uses. The potential to create solar energy technology that’s far more efficient and affordable is very exciting.”

The concepts being developed by Xtreme Energetics should be an excellent fit with the capabilities of transparent electronics and integrated circuits.

“The approach being used by Xtreme Energetics is innovative, it involves a very new way to optimize solar energy collection,” Wager said.
“Clearly there will be some challenges we will have to work through, but there do not appear to be any major problems. We’re all optimistic that this system is going to work. And there are still many other potential applications of transparent electronics as well.”

Most advanced solar energy systems use mechanical means to track the sun and optimize the concentration of energy. The use of transparent electronics will facilitate the system developed by Xtreme Energetics which has an optical approach to tracking and focusing the light.

The elimination of mechanical tracking and the use of to a flat design that could be implemented either on rooftop panels or central utilities make it possible to achieve an “ultra-high” level of solar energy efficiency that will be far more cost-competitive with other energy forms.

Two years ago, OSU announced that it had created the world’s first transparent integrated circuit, based on fundamental materials science research in the College of Engineering and the College of Science at the university. The work is also affiliated with the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute, an Oregon-based collaboration of universities, private industries and the state.

The work proceeded from fundamental development of new compounds, amorphous oxide semiconductors, to applied uses, partially because researchers were quick to cast aside approaches that might have been scientifically interesting but impractical for real use.

“We didn’t even try to work with some metals such as gold and silver which are too expensive or others such as mercury or lead that might have environmental concerns,” Wager said. “We knew all along it would be important to create transparent electronic materials that were stable, environmentally friendly, and able to be manufactured at reasonable costs. We wanted systems that would work, not just be laboratory curiosities.”

Some of the research that could bring transparent integrated circuits into applied use may be accomplished in a period of a few years, compared to decades in the evolution of conventional electronics.

The licensing to HP the exclusive rights to develop and market products based on this technology has also helped the inventions move ahead quickly. HP officials envision applications in the display, printing, medical and automotive industries – not to mention solar energy.

New industries, employment opportunities, and more effective or less costly consumer products are all possible as the era of transparent electronics evolves, OSU researchers say.

OSU scientists also just published the first-ever book in this field, titled “Transparent Electronics,” through Springer Science and Business Media.

Photovoltaic Solar Panels

2008-07-30T12:07:00.001-07:00

Solar energy is gets more popular with every leap in electrical rates and few people realize that it is the best investment in energy that you can make. The upfront costs can be large but a solar panel has no moving parts and its components are silicon, glass, aluminum and some copper for wiring.

The average panel is made up of 36 photovoltaic cells and the thickness of the cells depends on their power rating. Each cell is made up of two thin silicone sheets, one with a positive charge and the other with a negative one. Electricity is generated when the sun promotes electron activity between the two wafers resulting in a direct current.

The amount of electricity generated depends on the:

Number of panels: Calculate your electrical needs for how many panels you will require.
Type of silicone crystal: Like anything else there is quality and okay types.
Sun and geographic location: Solar cells do not like shade and only trickle during cloudy days.
Positioning: This has to do with where the panels are place and their positioning in relation to be maximum sun exposure.
Care and Cleaning: Just like a window the glass on then panels needs to be cleaned foe better sun exposure.
Regulation and Storage: Good news. Because of the interest in hybrid cars this technology is getting better and cheaper. Look for a spike in long-lasting batteries for solar energy storage at lower prices.

Fifty years ago many people living in rural areas lived off generators and some used wind power to operated their wells. They were excited as the power poles began getting closer to their location. Sometimes this took years to go 50 miles. Now people can’t wait to be able to “live off the grid.”

Buying photovoltaic solar panels is expensive so if you plan to run your home off this system you should perform a “triage” of sorts on your home. Remember, a toaster takes 1700 watts and that’s 17 solar panels or almost $20,000 for a slice of toast every morning. However, LCD-screen TV’s and computers take up a pittance of power.

New Luminescent Solar Concentrator Technology

2008-07-30T12:06:00.001-07:00

Many of you already know that the sheer price of the silicon used for solar cells is one of the reasons solar energy hasn't become more widely used. As such, researchers all over come up with new solar technologies as time goes by. One of those technologies is the luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) which traps the sun's rays and delivers the light onto a cell using a waveguide. Unlike solar trackers which follow the sun's movements across the sky using mirror installations, LSC has no moving parts.

A conventional LSC is usually a plastic sheet painted with a dye and stretched over a long thin solar cell. The process of harnessing solar energy starts when the dye absorbs the sun's light. It then re-emits the light back, but since it's already trapped within the plastic, it just bounces around to be transferred onto the cell. Unfortunately, some of the light that bounce are lost as heat. To address this problem, Michael Currie and Jonathan Mapel of MIT have come up with a new LSC technology which gets rid of the plastic altogether and uses glass instead.

A mixture of dyes and tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum is sprayed onto the glass. The glass and the dyes prevent light from escaping, while the combination of dyes and tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum eliminates the heat loss associated with reabsorption of light. To further improve the efficiency of this new LSC, the scientists placed two glass-dye sandwiches, one atop the other. In effect, the lower system absorbs whatever light passes through the first. This method reportedly increased the efficiency of the LSC by ten times more than the conventional solar cells.

Oregon wind farm could be world's largest

2008-07-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council gave its approval of the site of a wind farm billed to be the largest in the world.

The Shepherd's Flat Wind Farm, which would span Gilliam and Morrow counties in north-central Oregon, is proposed to have 303 wind turbines with a peak capacity of 909 megawatts -- instantly doubling the state's current wind-generated capacity of 889 megawatts, making it one of the largest wind farms in the country.

"This is a tremendous day for renewable energy in Oregon," Michael Grainey, director of the Oregon Department of Energy, said in a news release.

The project is being developed by Caithness Shepherds Flat, LLC of Sacramento, Calif., which says Shepherds Flat will be the largest single wind farm in the world.

Currently, the largest operating wind farm in the United States is Horse Hollow in Texas at 736 MW. Texas oil and gas magnate T. Boone Pickens has plans to build a wind farm in Texas by 2014 that would reach 4,000 MW.

The Shepherd's Flat project area is between highways 19 and 74 on privately owned land, about five miles southeast of Arlington. The power output of the facility would enter the Federal Columbia River Transmission System through Bonneville Power Administration's Slatt Substation.

Other renewable energy projects currently under review by the Oregon Department of Energy include the 400 MW Golden Hills Wind Farm in Sherman County and the 143 MW Newberry Geothermal Project in Deschutes County.

Solar Energy Can Help You Save on Your Power Bill

2008-07-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

Sen. Harry Reid wants the rest of the country to adopt Nevada's requirement that 20- percent of its power come from renewable energy by the year 2015.

The Nevada Democrat says that even if such a national requirement was pushed back to 2020, it would create at least 185,000 new jobs and save consumers more than $10 billion in lower electricity and natural gas bills.

One of those renewable energy resources is the sun, and we have plenty of it. There are homes in Las Vegas that use it to power their homes using solar energy panels.

Nevada Power says it saves them a ton of money, but why isn't everyone doing it?

Solar panels -- these are on a building here at UNLV but they're also on homes. What you may not know is that Nevada Power will help you pay for solar power.

Steve Rypka's home is no ordinary home. This is an energy efficient home. For example, his skylights have been replaced by solar tubes. They cut down on the amount of sunlight that heats up his house.

"It's the wave of the future," said Rypka.

Outside, Steve's quest for energy efficiency continues with solar panels on his roof. He heard about Nevada Power's solar energy incentives and decided -- why not?

"I like to say this is a nuclear powered house because we have nice wireless technology delivering energy right to the roof from a nuclear resource that's exactly where I like to see it -- 93 million miles away," he said.

Nevada Power offers rebates of up $5 a watt. Steve's solar panels cost roughly $40,000 to put in. But the rebates saved him about $10,000.

There is also a $2,000 federal tax credit for having it done. Not to mention the equity in Steve's home has increased by $30,000 because of it's energy efficiency.

"We're just so excited because we don't have an electric bill. It's $8 a month. And, that's for the life of this house, it will more than pay for itself may times over before it's all said and done," he said.

So why isn't everyone doing it? Nevada Power thinks everyone is little too gun shy about the $40-,000 installation cost. But Steve says his neighbors pool cost that much, and they don't even really use it.

"They have the ongoing costs of maintenance, chemicals, repairs, etc. While the system here runs itself and eliminates my electric bill."

So Steve may be on to something. While price of fossil fuels continues to go up, Steve's monthly electric bill -- is about the cost of a hamburger, fries and large coke.

Solar panels shine on energy saving

2008-07-29T12:00:00.001-07:00

Today, KUB's fourth Generation Partners customer - Knoxville physician Preston Smith - showed off 28 solar panels fixed to the roof of his new horse barn. The panels will allow him to not only use less electricity at home but also sell extra power back to the grid.

The program is funded by TVA, which pays 15 cents per kilowatt hour Smith delivers to the grid. His system, the largest in KUB's territory, can produce 7,000 kilowatt hours per year. An average KUB home uses about 12,000 kilowatt hours per year of electricity.

The installation reflects a growing local interest in solar power, said Ed Zubko, who owns Green Earth Services in Knoxville and installed the panels on Smith's barn.

Zubko will begin work on a similar, though smaller, installation in Maryville today, and he said the solar market, non-existent a few years ago, is growing if not yet booming.

"I think unfortunately the interest is there but the tax credits on the residential side are not there," Zubko said. "Really, the opportunities for this type of work are just now coming around in our area."

Solar is expensive. Zubko estimated that Smith's array cost about $50,000 for panels and installation. And Zubko said there are misconceptions that the area does not have enough sun to be a viable energy source.

"We have a very high solar resource," he said, with the area producing an average of five solar hours per day. That's plenty for Smith's 5.8-kilowatt system to produce to capacity, he said.

Federal tax incentives and state grants do exist for businesses, Kubko said, and he hopes to soon begin signing up local commercial customers. In addition to solar panels, he also sells solar thermal units for hot water heating.

All KUB Generation Partners customers have installed solar panels as opposed to wind generation units, which also would qualify for the TVA pay-back program. Others include Mellow Mushroom on Cumberland Avenue and two residential customers.

GE Shows Us The Future Of OLED Lighting

2008-07-29T11:56:00.001-07:00

We’ve been following General Electric’s advances in OLED (or Organic Light-Emitting Diode) over the past year — and with good reason. The company is a leader in the quest to push efficiency in lighting applications to the next level and the glimpses we’ve been seeing are an exciting taste of what’s to come.

To kind of bring everyone up to speed on where OLED might make its mark, GE has put together a video laying out the basics of what the technology is and how it will change the way we think about lighting. They also make a point to hammer home that it’s a mercury-free technology — something we’re more than happy to see more of.

As you can see in some of these still from the video, the tech can illuminate an office cube or your bike. In fact, having entire walls in a home light up at the touch of a button is possible. Imagine then if they could take this to the next level and have that wall turn into a massive television screen?

Beijing Olympics: Emergency anti-smog plan announced for 'Greyjing'

2008-07-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

Beijing's Olympic organisers are planning a new set of emergency measures to reduce pollution after the draconian steps introduced a week ago failed to halt a grimy haze from smothering the host city.

The air quality has failed to reach national standards for four of the seven days since the city took more than a million cars off the roads and shut down hundreds of factories.

With less than two weeks until the opening ceremony, the organisers are preparing more drastic step to ensure that the "Greyjing" tag does not undermine its promise of a "Green Olympics" and force the postponement of endurance events like the marathon, triathlon and 10km open-water swim.

According to the China Daily, all construction sites and more factories in and around Beijing may be temporarily closed if the air quality deteriorates during the games.

Further traffic restrictions could also be imposed in addition to existing controls that allow vehicles to drive only on alternate days according to whether they have odd or even number plates. The measures have already been expanded to neighbouring Tianjin.

"We will implement an emergency plan 48 hours in advance if the air quality deteriorates during the August 8-24 games," Li Xin, of the Beijing environmental protection bureau, was quoted as saying.

After a few days of clear, blue skies following the traffic controls, air pollution has built up amid heavy humidity and a lack of wind.

According to the Beijing government, the amount of particulate matter in the air has failed to reach the national benchmark of 100mg a cubic metre for the past four days. Today, it rose to 113, more than double the far tougher ideal standard of 50 set by the World Health Organisation.

This does not include ground-level ozone, which is not measured in China even though it can be hazardous to the respiratory system at high levels during humid summer weather.

The data highlights a typically Chinese phenomenon: compared to the past, the situation is much better than before. But set against international standards, the country is still lagging by a distance.

Beijing is proud of the environmental gains made in recent years. Millions of coal-burning homes have been converted to gas, production at the biggest iron company has been cut by 73% and more than 2,000 old buses and 5,000 taxis are being upgraded or replaced with cleaner models. Five new urban railways have been added to the public transportation system.

Environmental groups applauded the measures, but said it was unlikely to be enough to satisfy global expectations.

"Despite the efforts of the government, Beijing air quality probably is still not what the world is expecting from an Olympic city," said Greenpeace campaign director Lo Szeping.

"The athletes will be breathing 150 litres of air per minute ... So for athletes this is a particular concern."

The organisers sought solace from the heavens. A storm front is heading towards Beijing with a 90% chance of rain tomorrow.

"This is a blessing. It could not happen at a better time. Help from mother nature is very welcome," said Jeff Ruffolo, a spokesman for the Beijing Olympic organisers. "We haven't had a good rainstorm for a couple of weeks. We could do with some of that right now."

But the organisers must be careful what they wish for. Scattered thunder showers are forecast to last until at least Wednesday next week. If the rain persists, it could put a damper on the opening ceremony two days later, which will include a spectacular fireworks display.

In a cost-cutting and environmentally-friendly measure, the government scrapped plans to build a roof on the stadium. According to the organisers, there is a 50-50 chance of rain on August 8.

Why Cleantech Investors Love & Back Obama

2008-07-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s green energy platform has gained him fans among that industry’s most powerful players — its investors (see chart below). According to the presidential campaign donation database of the Center for Responsive Politics, the investors backing cleantech companies are backing Obama as well, over six times that of John McCain.

We ran through the donation database the names of over a hundred investors that have led the funding of at least one cleantech company and came up with 25 names that have also contributed money to either the Obama or McCain campaigns. The individual contributions themselves were small (the max is $2,300 for the primary and general election), but the discrepancy was huge — $55,500 to Obama and $8,900 to McCain. (See our chart below the jump). That’s more than 6 to 1 for Obama, and a lot higher than the national split; as of June 30 of this year, Obama had raised $339.22 million and McCain had raised just $145.47 million.

It’s hardly surprising that those pushing next-generation alternative energy projects are placing their bets on Obama. The Illinois senator has proposed doling out $150 billion over 10 years to fund projects in a broad swath of cleantech sectors, including biofuels, plug-in hybrids, clean coal, smart grid and renewable energy. He’s also calling for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 and plans to introduce a cap-and-trade system to manage carbon emissions. McCain has a less aggressive emissions reduction plan, and has been a big advocate of building out nuclear to provide clean power.

The cleantech investors that donated to Obama said they did so because Obama’s clean energy plans are just that much more aggressive and forward-thinking than those of McCain. Jon Staenberg, a partner with Rustic Canyon Partners who donated $2,300, told us that Obama’s stance on cleantech was “at the center” of his belief in him:

“I believe leadership in cleantech is the tidal wave (bigger than IT was/is) that can propel this country back to a position of world leadership and enable a more peaceful planet. With Gore advising him and his personal commitment to this area, he continues to get my support.”

And Mohr Davidow partner Josh Green, who donated $2,300, said one of his motivations for backing Obama was the candidate’s aggressive energy plan:

It is a plan which transitions us away from fossil fuels far more aggressively than Senator McCain’s plan in terms of time and dollars. It also focuses as much on the long term as the short term. This is critical to give investors assurances that his programs will remain stable over an extended period, and allow large investments to be made in reliance upon such programs.

Paul Holland, a partner with Foundation Capital, attributed his $2,300 donation to dissatisfaction with the policies of the current administration:

Generally speaking, cleantech investors are by definition very interested in the environment, carbon management and energy policy. Many of us are dissatisfied with the current administration’s positions on these topics and for better or worse, Senator McCain is closely identified as being generally supportive of those policies. Senator Obama offers a clean break from the current administration and so I believe that many of us are giving him the benefit of doubt for that reason among many others.

But for some cleantech investors, the progressive energy plan is just a small part of Obama’s overall appeal. Steve Jurvetson, a partner with Draper Fisher Jurvetson, who donated $4,600 said he is simply supportive of what Obama represents. “He ignites the imagination,” Jurvetson told us. “I think I am mainly drawn to him because of his skill at symbolic leadership – to rebuild brand America and the American Dream, and to garner respect on the world stage. And I respect his process of thinking and synthesis of divergent views.”

First	Last	Investment Firm	Obama	McCain
Jeff	Barnes	Clean Pacific Ventures	$500
Forest	Baskett	New Enterprise Associates	$2,300
David	Blood	Generation Investment	$2,300
Jack	Crawford	Velocity Venture Partners		$1,300
Fahri	Diner	Sigma Partners	$2,300
John	Fisher	DFJ	$2,300
Nancy	Floyd	Nth Power	$2,300
Josh	Green	Mohr Davidow	$2,300
Paul	Holland	Foundation Capital	$2,300
Steve	Jurvetson	DFJ	$4,600
Oleg	Kaganovich	DFJ Frontier	$500
Vinod	Khosla	Khosla Ventures	$2,300	$4,600
Justin	Label	Bessemer Venture Partners	$2,300
Jim	Matheson	Flagship Ventures		$2,000
Chuck	McDermott	Rockport Capital Partners	$2,300
Michael	Moritz	Sequoia Capital	$2,300
Elon	Musk	Private Investor	$2,300
Sunil	Paul	Spring Ventures	$4,600
Nate	Redmond	Rustic Canyon Partners	$1,800
Zeb	Rice	Angeleno Group	$2,100
Scott	Sandell	New Enterprise Associates	$2,300	$1,000
Ted	Schlein	Kleiner Perkins	$4,600
Jon	Staenberg	Rustic Canyon Partners	$2,300
Daniel	Weiss	Angeleno Group	$2,300
Tom	Unterman	Rustic Canyon Partners	$2,300
Total			$55,500	$8,900

Innovative Solar Cell wins R&D 100 Award

2008-07-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

EMCORE is the proud producer of inverted metamorphic (IMM) solar cells, which are already used on land and in space. The IMM technology recently made an in-orbit efficiency record of 33%. EMCORE is a reputable and successful semiconductor company. Their solar technology has been on my radar for a while now.

Developed in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Vehicle Systems Directorate of the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the IMM design is comprised of a novel combination of compound semiconductors that enables a superior response to the solar spectrum as compared to conventional multi-junction architecture. Due to its unique design, the IMM cell is approximately one fifteenth the thickness of the conventional multi-junction solar cell and will enable a new class of extremely lightweight, high-efficiency, and flexible solar arrays for space applications.

These cells, and their soon-to-be second generation, are good for more than satellites in space. When used with EMCORE’s concentrated photovoltaic systems, they might just push for efficiencies as high as 45%.

So what’s the big deal? For years silicon panels have held the record in solar cell efficiency. These multi-junction solar panels are right behind them but cost less. They’re also much lighter and thinner, which reduces transportation and installation costs.

The terrestrial market for cheap, high efficiency solar systems, especially systems that can scale up for utilities, is already booming around the globe. EMCORE has been developing affordable, scalable CVP systems since 2004, with their first commercial installation in May of 2008. With years of trial and error already behind them, they’re positioned to become one of the major players in CVP within the next few years. Pairing that technology with their award-winning solar cells could give them an edge in a young but growing solar industry.

Though CVP promises to produce a lot of energy while avoiding notoriously expensive materials, there’s always a catch. CVP works best when pointed directly at the sun, so expensive tracking mechanisms are used to shift the entire solar array throughout the day. There’s also the small matter of heat, which can melt some solar cells if you’re not careful. Nevertheless, EMCORE seems confident that they have overcome these obstacles to bring an economically lucrative product to market.

Their second generation IMM solar cells, promising even higher efficiency, are slated to hit the market by 2010. In the meantime, the first generation is already giving silicon cells a run for their money.

Solar trees get to root of energy crisis

2008-07-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

Taking inspiration from nature, designer Ross Lovegrove has brought beauty to an everyday object that few give a passing thought to: the streetlamp.

The energy intensive lamps are quite literally, and figuratively, getting a green makeover and may be sprouting on a street near you soon.

Lovegrove's innovative lighting project, the "Solar Tree," is a solar-powered streetlamp that also serves as a piece of modern art, infusing a bit of nature into the usually gray urban landscape.

He believes that putting complex natural forms in a city can benefit all of society.

The "Solar Tree" has a striking green trunk and ten branches with solar panels that radiate light on the street below.

"The light looks pretty good when it's off. Most of the other lights out there have no life in them when they are off. I've seen more life in an old guy sleeping on a park bench then I have in some of those other streetlamps," Lovegrove told CNN.

The lamps were first planted, to much acclaim, on the Ringstrasse in Vienna in October 2007 in collaboration with MAK, the Museum of Applied Arts.

During their stay in Vienna the lamps were still able to give off light after four days without direct sunlight, making them an effective form of lighting.

"When we were setting up the tree outside it was quite wonderful," Lovegrove said.

Even when we had one stem, it was incredible, it seemed so insignificant but actually it really stood out and it proves this point that modern technology and design can really lift people's spirits, it becomes an eye catcher because it's sort of out of context.

The Solar Tree is just a streetlamp but actually some of the small things which can have a big impact on our life are all open for reinterpretation."

Since their debut in Austria, the trees have been seen budding on some of Europe's most famous streets: Milan's Piazza della Scala, Paris's Champs Elysees and during Frankfurt's Light+Building 2008.

But this success is not enough for Lovegrove; he is already working on the second generation Solar Tree; one that takes even more inspiration from Mother Nature's perfect designs.

Called the "Adaptive Solar Tree," it will be fully automated and have robotic features. This new design is not only modeled after real trees but also sunflowers. Like a bunch of sunflowers, whose heads are trained on the sun all day, the adaptive solar tree follows the sun to optimize energy.

Lovegrove Studios told CNN exclusively about their new project: "The branches will follow the sun, responding and adapting to the architectural environment, escaping the shadows and following the sun to optimize energy income."

When the sun goes down the solar trees will return to their original position to give off a full spectrum of light to the street and pedestrians below.

The new tree will also be able to respond to different weather, for example the branches will come together if the wind is too intense. Lovegrove also hopes to integrate an air purification bubble into the new trees, enabling them to clean the air around them, much like a real tree.

Christina Werner, director of the program in Vienna, said: "Someday soon solar trees could well be the main form of street lighting in Europe."

The award-winning Welsh designer has always had a strong relationship with nature which can be seen, not only in the "Solar Tree," but in many of his other designs.

Lovegrove considers himself a designer and an "evolutionary biologist."

"One of the clues towards our future survival is the concept of bio-mimicry, where we study nature, learn from its intelligence and copy it one way or another."

USA is Now the World’s Largest Generator of Wind Energy

2008-07-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

The statistics are in for the first half of 2008 and they show that USA, for the first time, generated more wind energy than Germany. This “milestone” wasn’t expected to be reached until late 2009.

Germany still has more wind turbines than USA and is able to generate 22,000 - 23,000 megawatts of power compared to USA’s capacity of about 18,000 megawatts.

But Randall Swisher, the executive director of the American Wind Energy Association, said that “the difference is that because the winds are so much stronger here in the U.S. we are actually providing more wind-generated electricity than Germany.” He also said that the US “wind energy capacity is growing faster than anyplace else.”

This is great news but USA is still far behind everyone else in terms of green renewable energy, especially wind energy.

For example in Germany wind power accounts for 7% of their total energy. And the even smaller country Denmark gets 20% of its energy from wind power. USA is awfully behind with only 1.2%.

“We need to back away from fossil fuel and embrace renewable energy. The survival of the world depends on it,” said Randall Swisher.

USA has now become the leading country in wind energy production, another example that Al Gore’s major renewable energy challenge for USA is possible.

Both presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain have been positive about Al Gore’s challenge.

Barack Obama said that he “strongly agree with Vice President Gore that we cannot drill our way to energy independence, but must fast-track investments in renewable sources of energy like solar power, wind power and advanced biofuels.”

John McCain said that “if the Vice President says it’s doable, I believe it’s doable.”

Solar Subsidies: Is Less More?

2008-07-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

Is there a silver lining to America’s here today, gone tomorrow support for clean energy?

Conventional wisdom says one big reason America has lagged places like Europe in solar and wind power is because it’s been stingy with subsidies. The U.S. hasn’t been as generous, and subsidies only last for a year or two at a time.

The U.S. renewable-energy industry says letting the current clean-energy tax credits lapse will cripple the industry and kill hundreds of thousands of jobs. Even foreign clean-tech types like Vestas, the big Danish wind turbine maker, bemoan America’s short-term approach. Al Gore’s call for an “energy revolution” would require big and lasting support for clean energy that isn’t there yet.

But guess what? While Europe’s flirtation with smaller solar-power subsidies is spooking the sector, the impending demise of subsidies for solar power in the U.S. is driving a last-minute stampede. The subsidies’ renewal is still on Congress’ wish list after several failed shots at renewal.

That means a banner year for the solar industry, and bodes well for the future—since the same scenario will probably be repeated next year, after Congress pushes through an eleventh-hour but short-term extension of the tax credits. From Dow Jones’ Clean Tech Investor:

Commercial customers are rushing in with orders to ensure that solar panels get installed before Dec. 31, when the federal investment tax credit for solar is due to expire. This rush is both filling up order books and driving up prices for solar panels.

Granted, that’s just a silver lining to an otherwise dark cloud. SunPower Corp. executives call it “one flavor of good,” noting higher demand and more pricing power for the next few months. Then what? “[T]he expiration of the credit makes it difficult to allocate resources to the U.S. market for the long-term,” says SunPower’s vice president of public policy Julie Blunden. That’s what happened to Japan—when solar subsidies disappeared, so did the industry.

But for the time being, Washington’s arms-length approach to helping clean energy doesn’t seem to be killing the industry. Solar is set for one—or two—banner years. And even without guaranteed subsidies, America just passed Germany as the country that gets the most electricity from wind.

Cow Power Could Provide 3% of U.S. Electricity?

2008-07-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a lot more media attention covering “cow power,” than actual viable cow power plants out there. But a team of researchers at the University of Texas at Austin say that biogas made from manure could provide as much as 3 percent of America’s electricity needs — that’s about the same amount of U.S. electricity that comes from renewables, excluding hydro and nuclear.

The researchers published the data in a paper called “Cow Power: The Energy and Emissions Benefits of Converting Manure to Biogas” in the Institute of Physics’ Environmental Research Letters yesterday (hat tip Biopact).

This isn’t simply done by throwing cow patties in the furnace. The paper suggests that if the billion plus tons of manure produced annually in the U.S. by livestock were anaerobically converted into biogas we could burn it in any standard gas power plant. If that biogas were to supplant coal, it could reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation by 4 percent.

Some of that savings comes from the fact that much of the manure currently decomposes aerobically, releasing over 50 million metric tons of noxious green house gases like methane and nitrous oxide.

None of these are small numbers and could provide real income and power in rural areas. The U.S. government has started funding such efforts. The EPA has a whole primer on how to access state and federal resources to fund your biogas digester and offers tips on how to run a manure-to-biogas operation cost competitively.

Merrill Lynch To Finance Raser's 10 MW Geothermal Plant

2008-07-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

Raser Technologies, Inc. announced that it has signed a commitment letter with Merrill Lynch for the project financing and tax equity funding for its planned 10 megawatt (MW) Lightning Dock geothermal power plant in New Mexico.

The commitment letter provides for non-recourse debt financing and tax equity capital for Raser’s first commercial geothermal project in New Mexico. The tax equity capital will be provided by Merrill Lynch and by possible additional partners.

The commitment letter provides for up to approximately US $43 million of construction and debt financing and up to approximately US $27 million of tax equity capital. The actual amount of funding to be provided, however, will be determined by the parties and the negotiation of definitive financing documentation.

The plant is designed to generate net 10 MW of electrical power with zero emissions and will use PureCycle geothermal system technology from UTC Power and is expected to be online in the first quarter of 2009.

This is the third financing commitment announced under an agreement signed earlier this year that sets forth general terms relating to the structuring and financing of up to 155 MW of Raser’s geothermal power projects. Merrill Lynch also helped to finance Raser's 10-MW Beaver County project in Utah. RenewableEnergyWorld.com recently reported that that project could begin feeding power into the grid within the next few months.

Fresno Airport Dedicates Solar Installation

2008-07-22T11:10:00.001-07:00

Fresno Yosemite International Airport and WorldWater & Solar Technologies Corp.held a dedication ceremony last week in celebration of the opening of the largest solar airport installation to date in the U.S.

According to Frank Smith, CEO of WorldWater & Solar Technologies the 2-megawatt, 9.5-acre, ground-mounted solar system is estimated to save the airport US $13 million dollars over the next 20 years.

Partners in this project include Sharp Solar, Xantrex Technology Inc. and Solar Power Partners (SPP). SPP will operate and manage the system and will oversee the sale of the solar generated power to the airport through a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The PPA financing structure has enabled the airport to embrace solar energy without any capital expense. In addition, PG&E, the local electric utility will manage the net-metering connection with the grid.

"The solar system will provide an impressive 40% of the power supply required to run the day to day needs of the airport such as lighting, air conditioning, controls and tower communications," said Russ Widmar, Fresno's aviation director. "In addition, the solar installation has been constructed on land located near our runways that up until now was unusable."

Eco Chic Panels from smith + noble

2008-07-22T10:53:00.001-07:00

I like to think of the windows in my home as a gateway out into the world — a way for me to see what’s going on before I step outside. That said, I spend a lot of time looking at them. Through them, really, but I look at them often, too. Like everything else in my home, I want them to look good, particularly since I’m so fond of gazing at the front yard and the little bird who likes to sit in the tree straight ahead.

But finding curtain panels that are both green and stylish isn’t easy. And since I’m not the handiest with a sewing machine, I was happy to find these Eco Chic Panels from smith + noble. They are available in a three lengths: 84″, 96″ or for those of you with super-high ceilings (or who want to give the illusion thereof), 108″. They are also available in five colors: Navy, Wheat, Chocolate, Steel and Green. Not the widest variety, but enough to give you an option that complements your decor.

Why It’s Green:

Fabric made of a blend of hemp and recycled materials

Price: $161-186 per panel

Green Cleaning Products: Seventh Generation Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner

2008-07-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

Most toilet bowl cleaners are made with caustic acids that can burn your skin, and I certainly don’t want my little one’s bums to experience that! Seventh Generation’s Emerald Cypress & Fir Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner is biodegradable, safe for septic systems, chlorine-free, phosphate-free, dye-free, etc. It comes in a cool shaped bottle allowing you to squirt under the toilet bowl rim. Unlike many other natural cleaners who guard their ingredients in a shroud of secrecy, Seventh Generation fully discloses its ingredients. This toilet bowl cleaner is made from:

Aqua (water), lactic acid (plant-derived demineralizer), polyglucose, coceth-7, coceth-4 and deceth-5 (plant-derived cleaning agents), xanthan gum (natural thickener), essential oils and botanical extracts* (citrus aurantifolia (lime), abies balsamea (balsam fir), calilistris columellaris (emerald cypress). *d-limonene is a naturally occurring component of these ingredients.

When the forest fires hit, the thick smoke forced nature boy to try the inside toilet for his elimination needs. He won’t use the little potty, so the big potty it is. He leans all over it, holds on to the seat with his hands, peers over to look to see if anything is happening causing his head to sometimes touch the toilet, etc. The need for a clean toilet has greatly increased with his toilet learning!

Since I’m talking about toilets, I thought I would share a story about my daughter. I have had the same toilet brush for 18 years. We recently finished a new bathroom in our addition, and I thought I would celebrate by buying a new toilet brush for our new toilet. As I was perusing the toilet brushes at the store, when my daughter said to me, “Mom, you really shouldn’t buy a new toilet brush. You don’t really need it. There is nothing wrong with your old one.” Needless to say, my eco-shopping conscious daughter stopped my toilet brush buying fantasy in its tracks. I’m still using that old brush, just with my new Seventh Generation’s Emerald Cypress & Fir Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner.

Seventh Generation takes its name from the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy, “In our deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” I trust this company and have been using their products since I left my parent’s home. Seventh Generation products work, and I feel good about supporting a company that takes corporate responsibility seriously.

Martin Eberhard Illustrates Tesla Roadster's Solar Synergy

2008-07-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

Martin Eberhard calls it "Solar Synergy" -- an apt phrase for the benefits derived from having an electrical car and a home that's powered by an extensive solar PV array. Eberhard was a founder of Tesla and he just received his shiny new Founders' Series Roadster. It's an incredible car, don't you think? As you ogle its curves -- it's the embodiment of pure innovation, try to recall what I said recently in the article about the Green Building Aspects of the Plug-in Toyota Prius. In that article, I made the statement that "buildings might just replace gas stations." Actually, I should be more assertive: buildings will replace gas stations. And if you'd like to see a more defined example as to how that will happen, make sure to read about Eberhard's 5.2 kW photovoltaic system and all-electric Tesla Roadster.

On his blog, Eberhard uses back-of-the envelope figures to illustrate the synergistic benefits of home solar power and an electrical car. He estimates the payback of his solar PV system is about 25 years, not counting inflation, present value of money, or potential for home appreciation. In addition, by using energy provided by the solar PV system to power the car, which minimizes the need to pay for expensive gasoline, he puts the payback on his solar PV system at about 9.5 years.

This is all just payback and investment talk, though.

Here's the real benefit to having a solar powered home and an electrical vehicle: he's powering his home and car using energy generated from the sun. For the most part, as far as I can tell, he's not using coal, natural gas, or any of the other fossil fuels to power the home or fuel up his sporty Roadster. Notice the fueling station at home. That's what our future will look like -- it's not that far away.

McCain Calls Electric Vehicles ‘Vital,’ Says He’d Support Federal Tax Credits

2008-07-21T12:22:00.001-07:00

After getting a tour of the design room for the GM prototype battery-powered, Chevy Volt, Sen. John McCain laid out his plan to help the auto industry, including a $5,000 tax credit for people buying low-emission vehicles, a $300-million prize for the company that creates the first commercially available battery-powered car and job retraining programs for displaced workers.

“The eyes of the world are now on the Volt and this will be not only be about the jobs or economy of this great and beautiful state,” McCain said. But the Senator also voiced support for individual states to set tailpipe emission regulations - something that was not exactly well-received at the Warren, Michigan GM facility.

McCain called the Volt a “key, integral and vital part of our ability to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil” and said he “would support tax credits for Americans who choose to buy the Volt and other automobiles that put us on the track to energy independence.”

However, McCain will not be receiving any “Man of the Year” plaques in Michigan any time soon. The presumptive Republican Presidential nominee also told the audience of more than 500 GM workers that he would let each state determine its own fuel efficiency standards. A position that is very unpopular with American car manufacturers because they say it could spell their demise.

Faced with high gas prices and a weak economy, GM’s sales fell 16% for the first half of the year, with trucks off 21% and cars down nearly 9%. GM has lost billions of dollars during the last three years.

Natalie Portman Shoes

2008-07-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

While we’re on the topic of ethical footwear this week, Natalie Portman has recently designed a line of vegan shoes for Té Casan, and she is having a sale.

In between being a superstar, a main feature in Elle and speaking out for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), she has also found the time to design darling animal-free footwear. Her designs are cute, classic and sophisticated. I dig the Potok and the Pixie (shown here), both on sale.

Natalie has been a vegetarian since age 8, and always noticed the lack of animal-friendly footwear in the luxury designer marketplace. “Té Casan, well-versed in recognizing and developing new talent, collaborated with Portman for her 100% vegan collection.”

While I like her style, and the fact she represents PETA, I wonder if these shoes are truly sustainable. Are they bio-degradable? Or are they recycle-able? Will they soon be made with the Cradle to Cradle Philosophy in mind? These shoes have synthetic soles and materials. Yes, they are animal-friendly, but in the long-view are they really better for the earth upon which all animals depend? Maybe a new environmentally-friendly shoe material will be invented soon for her to source from. For now, Natalie has done her share to protect the planet as one of the best aspects of this footwear line is that 100% of the proceeds go to the Nature Conservancy.

As one of young Hollywood’s most respected actresses, Natalie Portman, Academy Award nominated and Golden Globe winning actress, has many accomplishments to her credit - Harvard graduate, humanitarian and style icon. With her premiere collection for Té Casan, footwear designer can now be added to that list…

Beyond just lending her name to the collection, Portman worked closely with Té Casan throughout the entire development process to maintain consistent quality with an exceptional design aesthetic. Dazzling, playful and elegant, each shoe exudes the star’s own personal style - all with social consciousness. To that end Portman will donate 100% of her proceeds to various non-profit organizations dedicated to environmental preservation and animal rights.

China Begins Car-Rationing in Beijing Leading up to the Olympics

2008-07-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

There have been serious concerns about air quality in the Chinese capital of Beijing ever since it was awarded the Olympic Games in 2001. Since then, the Chinese government has spent an estimated $15 billion dollars to address the air pollution problem in Beijing. The cash has been spent on shutting down factories, unleashing cloud seeders to encourage rain, and now, on paying people to not drive their cars.

Beginning today in Beijing, cars with license plates that end in an odd number are banned from the roads every other day, alternating with cars that have even-numbered plates. It is estimated that there are about 3.5 million vehicles on the roads in Beijing and the ban will reduce the numbers of cars on the road by about one million per day. Drivers will be compensated by not having to pay road and vehicle taxes for three months.

Beijing officials claim to have significantly improved air quality, with just over two-thirds of the days last year meeting national health guidelines, up from only 20% a decade earlier. But some question the validity of the data. An article in the Wall St. Journal suggests that pollution standards may have been loosened, air-quality-monitoring stations moved and data possibly manipulated with to show better results.

The Journal reports that:

“According to the state standards, days with a pollution-index reading below 100 on a 500-point scale measuring several types of pollution are considered “blue sky days,” with good air quality. But some analysts say the data show an unusual cluster of days with levels at or just below that crucial number, and very few with levels immediately above it, suggesting days with pollution levels just above the threshold are being marked down. Under normal conditions, air quality would be evenly distributed.”

“At a press conference Thursday, Du Shaozong, spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, rejected suggestions that the data had been manipulated. He said the pattern was the result of how testing locations are placed, and the ability of government measures to head off short-term spikes in pollution. Each testing site covers about nine square kilometers, and in some cases, the main source of pollution may be a large factory that is easily targeted.”

Will the plan work? No one really knows for sure, but with the August 8 ceremonies only weeks away, it would have to work quickly. Some are considering wearing masks to filter pollution, an image that might embarrass China’s leaders who are trying to portray Beijing (and China, more broadly) as a clean, modern, and affluent place - a place that is open for business.

The IOC has already indicated that certain events may be rescheduled if they deam the air quality is unsafe. And Australia has recently said its athletes will remain in Hong Kong during the opening ceremony to limit their exposure to polluted air.

The Solar Family

2008-07-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

First, the basics: Anything that uses solar energy as a source of power is solar-powered. Simple, right? Well let’s not forget that the sun gives us more than a whole spectrum of light, it also gives us heat. Both are used for a wide variety of applications, not just electricity.

1. Solar Thermal

Solar thermal technologies use heat. Cleantechnica has already introduced solar thermal. The cheapest, easiest, and most financially sound solar investment you can make for a house is to install a solar thermal collector. It collects solar energy to provide warm water or warm air for your house, even in the far north. On a larger scale, mirrors can be used to focus heat from the sun to boil water and turn a turbine. Generating electricity with this method is called Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). Large scale CSP projects are already underway in deserts around the globe, and in some places they are invigorating the economy.

The cool thing about CSP is that it overcomes one of the major problems with renewable energy. It used to be true that solar farms stopped producing energy as soon as the sun went down. No longer. Heat is much easier and cheaper to store than electricity, so you can save it for the hours or days when the sun doesn’t shine. Power towers and molten salt are just two methods of producing solar power whenever we need it.

2. Photovoltaics

Photovoltaics are solar technologies that transform light into electricity. Certain elements and chemicals, called solar cells, can lose electrons when exposed to photons (light). Under the right conditions, these electrons are harnessed as electricity. For a more technical explanation, check out Wikipedia.

3. Silicon

This is the most widely used and recognizable material used to make solar panels. Paired with solar cells, silicon can produce high efficiency solar panels. However, silicon panels tend to be more expensive to make, transport, and install because they’re heavy, rigid, and require plenty of high-quality materials. Thin-film silicon panels attempt to overcome these obstacles. The downside: silicon panels work best on cloudless days when the sun is directly overhead. That’s why silicon panels are often positioned on racks to face the sun. The cost of these racks, and loading the panels on them, often consume 50% of the cost of silicon panel installation.

Another strategy to reduce the cost of silicon panels is to use less of them, but still generate plenty of energy. This is possible by concentrating sunlight onto the panel. More intense light means more energy… if you don’t melt your panel in the process. This technology is called Extreme Concentrated Photovoltaics (XCPV).

4. Thin Film

Thin film solar panels are very thin and flexible; the solar cells can be placed on sheets of plastic or aluminum. They should not be confused with silicon thin-films, which use a different manufacturing method. Thin film solar panels tend to be easier to make, use fewer and cheaper materials, and are easier to transport and install. Some thin films absorb different wavelengths of light, which can make them more practical in cloudy regions. The downside: they’re still less efficient than silicon panels, so they don’t produce as much energy. Their efficiency can sometimes degrade over time, depending on the materials and environment.

5. Solar Dyes

Here is another promising technology that is still being developed. Invented by the Swiss in the 1990s, the idea is to produce solar cells in cheap, easy, attractive dyes that can be painted or sprayed onto almost any surface. The benefit is both cost and application: the dyes are only one tenth of the cost of silicon panels and you can boldly take them where solar has never gone before. Imagine painting your house with solar cells and reaping just enough energy to power your microwave. That is the downside: solar dyes are not yet as efficient as thin film solar, and many dyes only last several years instead of decades.

6. Radical Solar Technologies

Some tech exists that push the definition of “solar power”. For example, algae can be used to produce biodiesel and ethanol. If you fill your car with this fuel, is your car solar powered? What about passive solar technology, which controls how and when sunlight affects buildings? Since the sun is a major engine driving our planet, the possibilities for harnessing its energy are infinite.

Nissan to Keep Batteries Fresh with Solar

2008-07-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Nissan has figured out a way to keep the batteries of its newly manufactured cars fresh until they reach the customer - solar. The automaker announced today it has signed a sales contract with solar product maker ICP Solar Technologies for an automotive solar charger.

Newly minted cars can sit in a parking lot for over a month before being shipped or purchased by a customer. In that time, the battery can get drained. ICP’s charger will sit on the car’s dashboard and provide a trickle charge to keep the new battery topped off and ready for a new customer.

ICP Solar says this will save Nissan millions because the automaker won’t have to swap out the old, but barely used, batteries. The Montreal-based solar maker signed a similar agreement with Volkswagen in 2006 when it debuted its automotive OEM solar charger.

Solar is starting to be an attractive option for some automakers to help keep car’s electrical systems powered. Toyota is considering offering a Prius model with a solar roof. Fisker Automotive’s Karma will also rock a solar roof, which the company says will power the A/C. An entirely solar-powered commercial car is a ways off, but one built by Swiss engineers actually drove through the Bay Area last week, complete with a 6-square-meter solar panel trailer.

Solar panels could harness power of midnight sun

2008-07-18T11:22:00.001-07:00

Of the solutions to the “energy cost crisis,” solar power for Alaska homes and businesses may be the best long-term option. Solar power can cut Alaskans’ heat and light bills in half.

Standard renewable energy defines how simply solar power works:
• Solar photovoltaic panels are mounted on your roof, where they collect energy from the sun in the form of direct current electricity.

• The direct current electricity is then converted by an inverter into alternating current electricity for use by your home.

• The alternating current electricity is fed directly into your home, just like it is from your electricity provider. And since the solar energy system works in tandem with your electricity provider, you’ll continue to get electricity from them when you need more than the solar energy system can provide, such as during overcast weather and at night.

Solar power should harness the midnight sun. In other states, homes are tied into the power grid, produce solar power and sell it to the utilities. Would you love to sell power to your electric company? Maybe debit them $3.50 each time for the privilege of paying you?

With solar power, each Alaskan can bring their energy costs down. It’s got to be part of any Alaska energy solution.

Power grids work when homeowners and businesses feed their excess power into the utility. The utility passes that power along to its other clients instead of producing its own. That reduces consumption of expensive oil and gas.

Utilities that bill on a level pay plan give credits to their solar producers during the summer months that balance out the consumers’ increased cost and lower generation in winter. It can drastically reduce annual energy costs.

Hot air furnaces, boilers, water heaters, even refrigeration and irrigation systems run on solar power. By generating electricity and heat, these systems can provide regional self-sufficiency to Alaskans regardless of the community in which we live. Kind of like the state’s power cost equalization program on steroids.

One of the biggest players in solar power is, surprisingly, BP.

“It’s inescapable that solar power will become a mainstream energy source,” BP’s solar expert Tim Burton said.

That’s from one of Alaska’s top producers of oil and soon, natural gas.

Home solar panel systems are guaranteed by manufacturers to operate for 25 years. If solar cuts electricity costs in half for each of those 25 years, it’s quite a bargain. As the price of oil and gas go up, savings only increase.

Other states, such as Colorado, are changing consumers’ energy consumption by providing incentives. Grants provided to homeowners and businesses sufficient to bring down the capital cost of installing solar energy systems can drop our electrical generation costs in half in every region of Alaska. Such grants could solve each Alaskans’ personal energy crisis.

If you have a newer watch or calculator, you’re using solar power today. Solar works cost effectively when states make the investment to offset the capital cost of acquisition and installation.

Installation credits, grants and low-interest loans are not available in Alaska for solar power. The federal government, however, provides a 30 percent investment credit for solar power and allows accelerated depreciation for businesses that install it. It’s time for Alaska to get some skin in the solar game.

The Legislature has a unique opportunity, awash as we are with petrodollars, to help Alaskans change our heating and electricity sources and reduce costs during this special “energy” session. Redirecting oil riches to allow renewable energy from the sun makes incredible sense.

Cash infusions to Alaskans are important to help with short-term high-energy costs.

But let’s also fund utilities to pass through grants for solar power systems that hook up to their grid.

Solar power, wind generation, geothermal must have a place at the table along side oil, gas, coal and hydro-generated energy. They are all part of developing a solid energy solution for Alaska.

The alternatives to hydrocarbons could prove to be the best long-term solutions to Alaskans’ energy cost crisis.

Power plant output from solar, biofuel

2008-07-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

You can't have solar energy without the sun, which makes nighttime and very rainy days something of a problem if you want electricity 24/7.

A company that says it has a solution to that conundrum will announce a deal today to sell power to Pacific Gas & Electric.

San Joaquin Solar will sell PG&E 106.8 megawatts of power from a plant near Coalinga in central California that combines solar-thermal technology with biofuels to be able to operate day and night.

On the solar thermal side, it will use solar troughs that reflect sunlight to heat fluid to run a turbine that creates electricity. On the biofuel side, it will burn 250,000 tons a year of agricultural waste, grass clippings and livestock manure to run the turbine.

"It's thinking creatively about a problem," said Andrew Byrnes, a member of the project development team at San Diego-based Spinnaker Energy, a partner in the deal. "We're taking two technologies that are viable and putting them together in an economically feasible manner."

Combined, the electricity produced will be "cost-competitive with conventional generation technologies," Ricardo Abecassis, president of Martifer Renewables Solar, said in a statement. Martifer is a Portuguese conglomerate and parent company of San Joaquin Solar.

The plant is expected to begin operating in 2011, PG&E said. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The utility has signed contracts for 2,500 megawatts of power from renewable sources since 2002. It is required by the state to get 20 percent of its power from renewables by 2010.

In related PG&E news, BrightSource Energy, an Oakland company that has said it would provide 900 megawatts of solar-powered electricity to PG&E, will dedicate a pilot project in Israel today. Its solar field, consisting of 1,600 mirrors and a boiler atop a 60-foot-tall tower, is a precursor to plants scheduled to be built in Southern California's Mojave Desert toward the end of the decade.

In California, one megawatt of power provides electricity for 750 homes.

Fresno Home To Country's Largest Solar Airport

2008-07-18T11:19:00.001-07:00

Fresno is now home to the largest "solar airport" in the country.

The project to build the "solar airport" began last August, with the installation of about 11,000 solar panels.

The panels are expected to provide about 40% of the airport's electrical needs each year, and the green project is expected to save the airport and taxpayers millions of dollars.

It's a savings that Mayor Alan Autry says is much needed for the City of Fresno, "It'll save us $11 million over the next decade in taxpayers dollars. It eats away at the myth that alternative forms of energy are not viable in sustainability to do what they're marketed to do. "

City leaders say they hope other airports will follow their lead and transition from "fossil fuels" to alternative energy.

Nissan, GM and Ford agree to build hybrid taxis for New York City

2008-07-18T11:18:00.001-07:00

It's time to say adios to the classic yellow Ford Crown Vic. In May 2007, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans to transform the city's ubiquitous yellow cab fleet from the old school Ford Crown Victorias to all hybrids.

For the past couple of years, a variety of hybrid vehicles have been gradually infiltrating the fleet and generally performing well. Ford Escape hybrids have become a common site on the streets of Manhattan. Under the new rules, starting this October all new cabs coming into the fleet will be required to get 25 mpg in the city with that number jumping to 30 mpg in 2009. That essentially means the end of the Crown Vic.

The city has now reached agreement with Nissan, Ford and GM to supply a steady stream hybrid vehicles for taxi use. Nissan will offer up 200 Altima hybrids every month while Ford and Chevrolet will provide 50 each of its Escape and Malibu hybrids every month. These 300 vehicles per month will ensure that there are sufficient supplies to meet the turnover needs of the fleet over the next several years and replace the entire fleet by 2012.

World's first commercial-scale tidal power system feeds electricity to the National Grid

2008-07-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

SeaGen, the world’s first commercial-scale tidal turbine, located in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough and developed by British tidal energy company, Marine Current Turbines (MCT), has delivered electricity into the grid for the first time.

The tidal current turbine has briefly generated 150kW of power onto the grid as part of its commissioning work, ahead of it achieving full capacity in a few weeks time. SeaGen’s power is being intentionally constrained to 300kW during the commissioning phase, but once fully operational, it will generate 1.2MW of power, supplying clean and green electricity to the equivalent of 1000 homes.

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “This is an important milestone for the company and indeed the development of the marine renewable energy sector as a whole. SeaGen, Marine Current Turbines, tidal power and the UK Government’s push for marine renewables all now have real momentum. The marine environment poses a number of unique technical challenges, not least installing SeaGen in an extremely aggressive tide race, so we are delighted that Marine Current Turbines has delivered yet another world-first in this sector. It’s a major technical break-through. Our engineering team have done a fantastic job.”

Secretary of State for Energy, John Hutton said: "This kind of world first technology and innovation is key to helping the UK reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and secure its future energy supplies. Marine power has the potential to play an important role in helping us meet our challenging targets for a massive increase in the amount of energy generated from renewables.

"My department has supported SeaGen from the start, granting £5.2 million in funds to take it from the drawing board and into the waters of Strangford Lough. This, and our plans to double the financial support for marine technologies, is further evidence of our commitment to making the UK one of the most attractive places to invest in green energy."

SeaGen was installed in Strangford Lough in May of this year and commissioning work has been taking place since then, including the vital grid connection undertaken in partnership with Northern Ireland Electricity.

Martin Wright added: “SeaGen is the world’s first commercial-scale tidal stream generating system by a large margin. It is more than four times as powerful as the world's second most powerful tidal current system, which is our own 300kW SeaFlow, installed off Lynmouth on the north Devon coast more than five years ago.”

Marine Current Turbines expects that the present testing and commissioning phase will be completed by the end of the summer and an official “switch on” will take place. Irish energy company, ESB Independent Energy, is purchasing the power generated by SeaGen for its customers in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.

Liam Molloy of ESB Independent Energy said: “We are on course to be the first company in Ireland and Britain to provide customers with electricity powered by tidal energy. This is a very significant breakthrough which underlines ESB Independent Energy’s ongoing commitment to providing our customers with a range of renewable energy options.”

Marine Current Turbines’ next project, announced in February 2008, is a joint initiative with npower renewables to take forward a 10.5MW project using several SeaGen devices off the coast of Anglesey, north Wales. It is hoped the tidal farm will be commissioned around 2011/2012.

The company is also investigating the potential for tidal energy schemes in other parts of the UK, and in North America.

Notes to Editors
1. Marine Current Turbines Ltd (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, ESB International, EDF Energy, Guernsey Electricity and Triodos Bank. With SeaFlow, the word’s first offshore tidal stream device and SeaGen, the world’s only commercial-scale grid-connected tidal stream system, MCT is the “first mover” in the development of tidal turbines and has a significant global technical lead in this field.

2. SeaGen works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. Strangford Lough has a highly energetic tide race and so is recognised as one of the main tidal “hotspots” in UK and Irish waters. Other areas are the waters off Anglesey, the Pentland Firth and the Channel Islands.

3. As a renewable energy company, Marine Current Turbines takes its responsibilities to protect the environment seriously. It has established a £2million programme to closely monitor the environmental impact of SeaGen, involving scientists from the Queen’s University Belfast and from the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at St Andrew’s University. The programme includes the presence of a Marine Mammal Observer on SeaGen at all times during the commissioning phase, when SeaGen will only operate during daylight hours, to observe how the Lough’s marine life interacts with the turbine. There is also a sonar system monitoring seal movements, operated by SMRU, which has been partly paid for by the Npower juice fund.

4. The results of the environmental programme and other scientific, maritime and engineering studies will be utilised in MCT’s future tidal projects in the UK and other parts of the world.

5. Northern Ireland Electricity has provided funding of £500,000 for the project as part of NIE Smart. NIE Smart (Sustainable Management of Assets and Renewable Technologies) encourages the development of renewable energy and energy efficient alternatives throughout Northern Ireland.

Green Building Mandates

2008-07-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

Governments are beginning to mandate green building for some new construction, and that ought to be a cause for celebration. But because of the way these requirements are made, the possibility of problems arising when a building does not meet a required level of green building could lead to legal difficulties and lawsuits.

A year ago, Greensburg, Kansas was struck by a tornado which destroyed most of the town. In the wake of this disaster, city officials adopted a plan to make the city one of the greenest in the country. All city-owned buildings larger than 4,000 square feet are required to be LEED platinum certified. And while private buildings are not subject to the same regulation, there is strong pressure to encourage them to follow in the same direction and to be built as green as possible.

The plan for Greensburg to go green raises some questions, however. The difficulty arises around the word ‘required.’ While the LEED guidelines outline general principles for green buildings, they cannot anticipate every situation. Sometimes, a few of the credits attempted on a particular building project are denied, and then, the question becomes what penalty is applied for failing to meet the requirement laid out in the law.

Because the LEED process is an audit, performed after the building is constructed, it is possible that a building will not obtain all the credits that are attempted for a particular project. In most cases, this is not damaging to the building’s certification status. Many LEED registered projects attempt more than the bare minimum credits required to meet a particular certification level. But, if a project runs into problems and additional credits are denied, the project may no longer meet the threshold established in a legal requirement.

The U.S. Green Building Council is not a governmental agency. Moreover, LEED is a third-party post-construction evaluation. LEED does not specify methods of constructing a building, nor does it endorse or approve any products. Under LEED, some credits can be assessed and conditionally awarded based on the design of the building. Other credits, however, must be verified during construction, and can be assessed only after the building is completed.

LEED does have a process for appeals, but is not well structured to work with a mandate system. Communities with laws that have more flexibility, such as requiring the attempt, rather than achievement, of a particular level of LEED, will not have as many problems arising over these requirements.

LEED is also not the sole arbiter of what is a green building. There are other building rating systems, though they are seldom referenced in laws that require green buildings. But green buildings can be built without following the particular requirements and checklists of one rating system or another. If the ultimate goal is to build a green building, then a building that misses LEED Platinum by one point is still likely a very green building.

Florida Gives Green Light to Largest Solar Power Plant in U.S.

2008-07-17T14:48:00.001-07:00

The Florida Public Service Commission has “unanimously and enthusiastically” approved a plan to build America’s largest commercial solar-power plant in the state. The committee also gave the green light to a further two facilities, due to go on-line in 2009.

Florida Power & Light have selected SunPower to construct the three solar-power plants in the center of the state. The largest, a 75-megawatt plant in Martin County on the East Coast, will be connected to a natural gas plant. Another 25-megawatt plant in DeSoto County will be the largest photovoltaic facility in the country, while a third, 10-megawatt photovoltaic facility is to be housed at the Kennedy Space Center.

Speaking about the project, Howard Wenger, SunPower’s Senior Vice President, Global Business Units said, “These agreements confirm the growing trend in the U.S. to build solar power plants at a scale rivalling those in market-leading countries such as Germany and Spain.”

The Florida decision follows a raft of recent political moves to boost the development of solar and other renewable energy sources in the U.S. Last week, Pennsylvania launched a Bill establishing a $650 million energy fund to support the sector. Earlier in the month, the U.S. Senate introduced the 10 Million Solar Roofs Act of 2008, while the end of June saw House Democrats introduce a national feed-in tariff for renewable energy projects.

Grace Cathedral Gaining Power from Above

2008-07-17T14:46:00.002-07:00

A church more often than not needs to draw its inspiration from the heavens, but San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral has taken that stereotype to the next level, as they announced Thursday that they would be partnering with Pacific Gas and Electric to install a new photovoltaic power system.

The project will see PG&E commit $65,000 for the installation, and designed and implemented by SolarCity of Foster City; it is expected to be completed later this year. And it is all thanks to the hard work of Reverend Canon Sally Bingham, the president of California Interfaith Power and Light, an organization founded upon the idea that the religious aspects of the community must respond to global warming as a moral issue.

San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom said at the announcement this morning that this project would continue to make “San Francisco the greenest city in the country” adding that he commended “PG&E for their vision of implementing renewable energy on a true San Francisco landmark. This project supports the City’s goals of increasing the use of clean, renewable power”.

“We’re grateful to PG&E for its generous contribution to Grace Cathedral’s ongoing environmental efforts,” said the cathedral’s own dean Alan Jones. “This new solar power system will help us conserve valuable resources, and empower us to be a part of the solution to attack greenhouse gases and global warming.”

College Dorms Getting Greener and Greener

2008-07-17T14:46:00.001-07:00

Though I’ve never experienced the college dorm setting in my lifetime, I have spent far too much of my time watching TV shows focusing on the college dorm (Gilmore Girls anyone?). So this story has a little bit of a soft spot with me, on top of the fact that it is just really cool environmental awareness and friendliness.

Students at Sarah Lawrence’s Warren Green Hall will this fall be composting together, monitoring their electricity usage and drying their dirty laundry on a clothesline. They’ll be sharing appliances, cooking and shopping together too, to reduce waste and energy, and using the electric light as little as possible.

And on the face of it, the students couldn’t be happier with the idea. “It means a lot to me that the college is thinking about this really seriously,” says Justin Butler, the co-founder of Sustainable SLC (Sarah Lawrence College), which partnered with the school on the green residence house, and only 20 years old. “It’s very different if it’s just students working for this as opposed to it being a joint effort.”

Many colleges have been environmentally friendly for some time now, well ahead of the curve in having communal campus cleanups and recycling efforts, often led by the students. But now the students and their parents are looking to where they will be staying. Mark Cunningham, director of housing and dining at the University of California, San Diego, notes that prospective parents and students are actively asking about sustainability.

Colleges are also beginning to brag about their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certificates, awarded by the US Green Building Council. So far there are a total of 236 LEED-certified buildings on college campuses across the country, and another 1,547 in the process of being registered.

So though I may never get the chance to live in a college dorm, I do applaud what the American colleges are doing in what is yet another group looking to a sustainable future.

Al Gore Speech about Carbon Neutral in 10 years

2008-07-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen:

There are times in the history of our nation when our very way of life depends upon dispelling illusions and awakening to the challenge of a present danger. In such moments, we are called upon to move quickly and boldly to shake off complacency, throw aside old habits and rise, clear-eyed and alert, to the necessity of big changes. Those who, for whatever reason, refuse to do their part must either be persuaded to join the effort or asked to step aside. This is such a moment. The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk. And even more – if more should be required – the future of human civilization is at stake.

I don’t remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously. Our economy is in terrible shape and getting worse, gasoline prices are increasing dramatically, and so are electricity rates. Jobs are being outsourced. Home mortgages are in trouble. Banks, automobile companies and other institutions we depend upon are under growing pressure. Distinguished senior business leaders are telling us that this is just the beginning unless we find the courage to make some major changes quickly.

The climate crisis, in particular, is getting a lot worse – much more quickly than predicted. Scientists with access to data from Navy submarines traversing underneath the North polar ice cap have warned that there is now a 75 percent chance that within five years the entire ice cap will completely disappear during the summer months. This will further increase the melting pressure on Greenland. According to experts, the Jakobshavn glacier, one of Greenland’s largest, is moving at a faster rate than ever before, losing 20 million tons of ice every day, equivalent to the amount of water used every year by the residents of New York City.

Two major studies from military intelligence experts have warned our leaders about the dangerous national security implications of the climate crisis, including the possibility of hundreds of millions of climate refugees destabilizing nations around the world.

Just two days ago, 27 senior statesmen and retired military leaders warned of the national security threat from an “energy tsunami” that would be triggered by a loss of our access to foreign oil. Meanwhile, the war in Iraq continues, and now the war in Afghanistan appears to be getting worse.

And by the way, our weather sure is getting strange, isn’t it? There seem to be more tornadoes than in living memory, longer droughts, bigger downpours and record floods. Unprecedented fires are burning in California and elsewhere in the American West. Higher temperatures lead to drier vegetation that makes kindling for mega-fires of the kind that have been raging in Canada, Greece, Russia, China, South America, Australia and Africa. Scientists in the Department of Geophysics and Planetary Science at Tel Aviv University tell us that for every one degree increase in temperature, lightning strikes will go up another 10 percent. And it is lightning, after all, that is principally responsible for igniting the conflagration in California today.

Like a lot of people, it seems to me that all these problems are bigger than any of the solutions that have thus far been proposed for them, and that’s been worrying me.

I’m convinced that one reason we’ve seemed paralyzed in the face of these crises is our tendency to offer old solutions to each crisis separately – without taking the others into account. And these outdated proposals have not only been ineffective – they almost always make the other crises even worse.

Yet when we look at all three of these seemingly intractable challenges at the same time, we can see the common thread running through them, deeply ironic in its simplicity: our dangerous over-reliance on carbon-based fuels is at the core of all three of these challenges – the economic, environmental and national security crises.

We’re borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet. Every bit of that’s got to change.

But if we grab hold of that common thread and pull it hard, all of these complex problems begin to unravel and we will find that we’re holding the answer to all of them right in our hand.

The answer is to end our reliance on carbon-based fuels.

In my search for genuinely effective answers to the climate crisis, I have held a series of “solutions summits” with engineers, scientists, and CEOs. In those discussions, one thing has become abundantly clear: when you connect the dots, it turns out that the real solutions to the climate crisis are the very same measures needed to renew our economy and escape the trap of ever-rising energy prices. Moreover, they are also the very same solutions we need to guarantee our national security without having to go to war in the Persian Gulf.

What if we could use fuels that are not expensive, don't cause pollution and are abundantly available right here at home?

We have such fuels. Scientists have confirmed that enough solar energy falls on the surface of the earth every 40 minutes to meet 100 percent of the entire world’s energy needs for a full year. Tapping just a small portion of this solar energy could provide all of the electricity America uses.

And enough wind power blows through the Midwest corridor every day to also meet 100 percent of US electricity demand. Geothermal energy, similarly, is capable of providing enormous supplies of electricity for America.

The quickest, cheapest and best way to start using all this renewable energy is in the production of electricity. In fact, we can start right now using solar power, wind power and geothermal power to make electricity for our homes and businesses.

But to make this exciting potential a reality, and truly solve our nation’s problems, we need a new start.

That’s why I’m proposing today a strategic initiative designed to free us from the crises that are holding us down and to regain control of our own destiny. It’s not the only thing we need to do. But this strategic challenge is the lynchpin of a bold new strategy needed to re-power America.

Today I challenge our nation to commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years.

This goal is achievable, affordable and transformative. It represents a challenge to all Americans – in every walk of life: to our political leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, engineers, and to every citizen.

A few years ago, it would not have been possible to issue such a challenge. But here’s what’s changed: the sharp cost reductions now beginning to take place in solar, wind, and geothermal power – coupled with the recent dramatic price increases for oil and coal – have radically changed the economics of energy.

When I first went to Congress 32 years ago, I listened to experts testify that if oil ever got to $35 a barrel, then renewable sources of energy would become competitive. Well, today, the price of oil is over $135 per barrel. And sure enough, billions of dollars of new investment are flowing into the development of concentrated solar thermal, photovoltaics, windmills, geothermal plants, and a variety of ingenious new ways to improve our efficiency and conserve presently wasted energy.

And as the demand for renewable energy grows, the costs will continue to fall. Let me give you one revealing example: the price of the specialized silicon used to make solar cells was recently as high as $300 per kilogram. But the newest contracts have prices as low as $50 a kilogram.

You know, the same thing happened with computer chips – also made out of silicon. The price paid for the same performance came down by 50 percent every 18 months – year after year, and that’s what’s happened for 40 years in a row.

To those who argue that we do not yet have the technology to accomplish these results with renewable energy: I ask them to come with me to meet the entrepreneurs who will drive this revolution. I’ve seen what they are doing and I have no doubt that we can meet this challenge.

To those who say the costs are still too high: I ask them to consider whether the costs of oil and coal will ever stop increasing if we keep relying on quickly depleting energy sources to feed a rapidly growing demand all around the world. When demand for oil and coal increases, their price goes up. When demand for solar cells increases, the price often comes down.

When we send money to foreign countries to buy nearly 70 percent of the oil we use every day, they build new skyscrapers and we lose jobs. When we spend that money building solar arrays and windmills, we build competitive industries and gain jobs here at home.

Of course there are those who will tell us this can't be done. Some of the voices we hear are the defenders of the status quo – the ones with a vested interest in perpetuating the current system, no matter how high a price the rest of us will have to pay. But even those who reap the profits of the carbon age have to recognize the inevitability of its demise. As one OPEC oil minister observed, “The Stone Age didn’t end because of a shortage of stones.”

To those who say 10 years is not enough time, I respectfully ask them to consider what the world's scientists are telling us about the risks we face if we don’t act in 10 years. The leading experts predict that we have less than 10 years to make dramatic changes in our global warming pollution lest we lose our ability to ever recover from this environmental crisis. When the use of oil and coal goes up, pollution goes up. When the use of solar, wind and geothermal increases, pollution comes down.

To those who say the challenge is not politically viable: I suggest they go before the American people and try to defend the status quo. Then bear witness to the people's appetite for change.

I for one do not believe our country can withstand 10 more years of the status quo. Our families cannot stand 10 more years of gas price increases. Our workers cannot stand 10 more years of job losses and outsourcing of factories. Our economy cannot stand 10 more years of sending $2 billion every 24 hours to foreign countries for oil. And our soldiers and their families cannot take another 10 years of repeated troop deployments to dangerous regions that just happen to have large oil supplies.

What could we do instead for the next 10 years? What should we do during the next 10 years? Some of our greatest accomplishments as a nation have resulted from commitments to reach a goal that fell well beyond the next election: the Marshall Plan, Social Security, the interstate highway system. But a political promise to do something 40 years from now is universally ignored because everyone knows that it’s meaningless. Ten years is about the maximum time that we as a nation can hold a steady aim and hit our target.

When President John F. Kennedy challenged our nation to land a man on the moon and bring him back safely in 10 years, many people doubted we could accomplish that goal. But 8 years and 2 months later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the surface of the moon.

To be sure, reaching the goal of 100 percent renewable and truly clean electricity within 10 years will require us to overcome many obstacles. At present, for example, we do not have a unified national grid that is sufficiently advanced to link the areas where the sun shines and the wind blows to the cities in the East and the West that need the electricity. Our national electric grid is critical infrastructure, as vital to the health and security of our economy as our highways and telecommunication networks. Today, our grids are antiquated, fragile, and vulnerable to cascading failure. Power outages and defects in the current grid system cost US businesses more than $120 billion dollars a year. It has to be upgraded anyway.

We could further increase the value and efficiency of a Unified National Grid by helping our struggling auto giants switch to the manufacture of plug-in electric cars. An electric vehicle fleet would sharply reduce the cost of driving a car, reduce pollution, and increase the flexibility of our electricity grid.

At the same time, of course, we need to greatly improve our commitment to efficiency and conservation. That’s the best investment we can make.

America's transition to renewable energy sources must also include adequate provisions to assist those Americans who would unfairly face hardship. For example, we must recognize those who have toiled in dangerous conditions to bring us our present energy supply. We should guarantee good jobs in the fresh air and sunshine for any coal miner displaced by impacts on the coal industry. Every single one of them.

Of course, we could and should speed up this transition by insisting that the price of carbon-based energy include the costs of the environmental damage it causes. I have long supported a sharp reduction in payroll taxes with the difference made up in CO2 taxes. We should tax what we burn, not what we earn. This is the single most important policy change we can make.

In order to foster international cooperation, it is also essential that the United States rejoin the global community and lead efforts to secure an international treaty at Copenhagen in December of next year that includes a cap on CO2 emissions and a global partnership that recognizes the necessity of addressing the threats of extreme poverty and disease as part of the world’s agenda for solving the climate crisis.

Of course the greatest obstacle to meeting the challenge of 100 percent renewable electricity in 10 years may be the deep dysfunction of our politics and our self-governing system as it exists today. In recent years, our politics has tended toward incremental proposals made up of small policies designed to avoid offending special interests, alternating with occasional baby steps in the right direction. Our democracy has become sclerotic at a time when these crises require boldness.

It is only a truly dysfunctional system that would buy into the perverse logic that the short-term answer to high gasoline prices is drilling for more oil ten years from now.

Am I the only one who finds it strange that our government so often adopts a so-called solution that has absolutely nothing to do with the problem it is supposed to address? When people rightly complain about higher gasoline prices, we propose to give more money to the oil companies and pretend that they’re going to bring gasoline prices down. It will do nothing of the sort, and everyone knows it. If we keep going back to the same policies that have never ever worked in the past and have served only to produce the highest gasoline prices in history alongside the greatest oil company profits in history, nobody should be surprised if we get the same result over and over again. But the Congress may be poised to move in that direction anyway because some of them are being stampeded by lobbyists for special interests that know how to make the system work for them instead of the American people.

If you want to know the truth about gasoline prices, here it is: the exploding demand for oil, especially in places like China, is overwhelming the rate of new discoveries by so much that oil prices are almost certain to continue upward over time no matter what the oil companies promise. And politicians cannot bring gasoline prices down in the short term.

However, there actually is one extremely effective way to bring the costs of driving a car way down within a few short years. The way to bring gas prices down is to end our dependence on oil and use the renewable sources that can give us the equivalent of $1 per gallon gasoline.

Many Americans have begun to wonder whether or not we’ve simply lost our appetite for bold policy solutions. And folks who claim to know how our system works these days have told us we might as well forget about our political system doing anything bold, especially if it is contrary to the wishes of special interests. And I’ve got to admit, that sure seems to be the way things have been going. But I’ve begun to hear different voices in this country from people who are not only tired of baby steps and special interest politics, but are hungry for a new, different and bold approach.

We are on the eve of a presidential election. We are in the midst of an international climate treaty process that will conclude its work before the end of the first year of the new president's term. It is a great error to say that the United States must wait for others to join us in this matter. In fact, we must move first, because that is the key to getting others to follow; and because moving first is in our own national interest.

So I ask you to join with me to call on every candidate, at every level, to accept this challenge – for America to be running on 100 percent zero-carbon electricity in 10 years. It's time for us to move beyond empty rhetoric. We need to act now.

This is a generational moment. A moment when we decide our own path and our collective fate. I'm asking you – each of you – to join me and build this future. Please join the WE campaign at wecansolveit.org. We need you. And we need you now. We're committed to changing not just light bulbs, but laws. And laws will only change with leadership.

On July 16, 1969, the United States of America was finally ready to meet President Kennedy’s challenge of landing Americans on the moon. I will never forget standing beside my father a few miles from the launch site, waiting for the giant Saturn 5 rocket to lift Apollo 11 into the sky. I was a young man, 21 years old, who had graduated from college a month before and was enlisting in the United States Army three weeks later.

I will never forget the inspiration of those minutes. The power and the vibration of the giant rocket’s engines shook my entire body. As I watched the rocket rise, slowly at first and then with great speed, the sound was deafening. We craned our necks to follow its path until we were looking straight up into the air. And then four days later, I watched along with hundreds of millions of others around the world as Neil Armstrong took one small step to the surface of the moon and changed the history of the human race.

We must now lift our nation to reach another goal that will change history. Our entire civilization depends upon us now embarking on a new journey of exploration and discovery. Our success depends on our willingness as a people to undertake this journey and to complete it within 10 years. Once again, we have an opportunity to take a giant leap for humankind.

Global Solar introduces a thin film alternative

2008-07-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

Today at Intersolar 2008 in Munich, Global Solar Energy said it introduced an innovative thin film product for Building Integrated Photovoltaic, or BIPV, manufacturers.

The Tucson, Arizona-based company claims its PowerFlex Solar Strings will simplify and speed the process of incorporating thin film technology for the BIPV manufacturing process.

With its new product, Global Solar said it is making it easier and less expensive for solar panel and module manufacturers to enter the thin film market.

Due to the nature of the flexible, stringed thin film product, silicon-based product and module manufacturers can inexpensively and efficiently "drop-in" the new product on their current manufacturing process and quickly enter the thin film market without extensive overhead, said Global Solar.

Global Solar said it will manufacture its PowerFlex Solar Strings with its "roll-to-roll" process, which it says is more cost-effective than traditional in-line manufacturing approaches.

In addition, the company said the pre-connected nature of the product to the CIGS cells also add to the low cost, high efficiency attributes of the product.

Since thin film PV does not rely heavily on silicon, an expensive and increasingly rare material, the thin film race is heating up.

Companies such as First Solar, Nanosolar, Ascent, Sharp Solar and Miasole are all in the race to produce the most efficient, cost effective thin film solar cells.

In January, Global Solar, a company that entered the thin film market four years ago, announced its CIGS cells — which are not dependent on silicon — reached a solar cell efficiency rate of 10 percent.

Founded in 1996, the company began introducing its thin film PV cells to consumer applications and brands such as Coleman Outdoor Products, solar-powered jackets and personal electronic equipment chargers.

The company first introduced its PowerFlex material — the material that is being used in the solar string product — in March at WIREC 2008.

The company said this material can be built directly into commercial, residential and government products.

Biofuels Equipment Company Establishes Independent Operations, Seeks New Office Space

2008-07-16T11:09:00.002-07:00

Arisdyne Systems, an alternative fuel, cavitation technology and equipment company headquartered in Cleveland, recently raised $5.3 million in new equity financing to facilitate research on biofuel production methods. The completed financing confirms Arisdyne’s initial success, and augments previous funding from the core group of investors. Capital was raised as part of the restructuring that established Arisdyne as an entity independent from parent company Five Star Technologies.

"This equity financing transaction represents a strong endorsement from the board and investors and will permit the management team to focus more aggressively on clean energy resources and biofuel technology," said Fred Clarke, President of Arisdyne Systems. "We are honored to receive such a vote of confidence and look forward to establishing Arisdyne as a leading alternative fuel technology equipment company."

The Five Star board of directors decided to establish Arisdyne Systems as an independent entity after seeing the results of cavitation research in a wide range of biofuels applications and concluding the technology was a viable and underfunded investment. Arisdyne Systems will now report to its own, newly formed board of directors, and will license cavitation technology from the recently formed Cavitech Holding Company (CHC), which will own the Intellectual Property.

The company is now well positioned to expand research in biofuels by exploring related technologies as well as processing non-food feedstocks. Additionally, more resources can now be directed to the development of methods for applying Arisdyne’s technology for enhancing yields and accelerating ethanol production. The current equity financing complements the one million dollar grant Arisdyne received in March from the Ohio Third Frontier Alternative Energy program, which will create 10 to 15 new jobs over the next two to three years.

Arisdyne is currently working with state agencies and a real estate advisor in a search for a new, more suitable location and will use part of the new funding to move Arisdyne to a more appropriate headquarters facility.

Arisdyne Systems is the pioneering authority in the use of hydrodynamic cavitation to produce biofuels. They are at the forefront of America’s alternative energy industry with more than 21 U.S. patents and 50 international patents. For more information, call 440-239-7005 or visit the company website at www.arisdyne.com.

Bush approves offshore drilling to spur on Congress

2008-07-16T11:09:00.001-07:00

There has been a US ban on offshore oil drilling for the past 27 years, and George Bush Sr. signed off on an executive order echoing the ban in 1990. Originally, the ban was agreed upon to protect the beaches and tourism economies of coastal towns, and now global warming has been added into the mix.

With one stroke of the mighty pen, George Jr. has undone his father's order by lifting the ban on offshore drilling, but the move means nothing unless Congress also lifts its separate ban. The Bush Administration is trying to put pressure on Congress to throw out its ban, but so far the Democrat-controlled Congress isn't budging. Sen. Barbara Boxer called the move "something you'd expect from an oil company CEO, not the president of the United States."

President Bush has made no bones about his desire to drill for the billions of barrels of oil believed to be hidden beneath our coastlines, and with gas prices at $4.25 per gallon, much of America is on his side. The price of gas is now right up there with the war in Iraq and the economy as the top concern of Americans, so the Congress could be in a similar spot as the Republican controlled Congress was when it backed the Iraq war back in 2006. Many non-coastal Americans are more concerned about being able to afford fuel than they are about terrific views off the coast of Maine or beaches in south Florida. Instead our environment will have to be the rationale for Congress to uphold the ban. Will the Congress bow to public and political pressure and allow drilling, or will they risk re-election and do the right thing for the environment? Only time will tell.

Spire Introduces Integrated 25 MW Solar Cell-Module Line

2008-07-16T11:08:00.001-07:00

Spire Corp., a global company providing solar factories and capital equipment, has introduced a fully integrated, 25 MW cell-module turnkey photovoltaic production line. The company says the system has been designed to integrate both cell and module manufacturing, converting silicon wafers directly into high-efficiency, low-cost modules.

"With the coming availability of low-cost wafers and the move toward higher-scale and vertical integration, this is the quickest route to becoming a serious player in the photovoltaic manufacturing business," says Roger Little, Spire's chairman and CEO.

"We can make both lines more efficient by combining them. By adding commonality throughout the line, our customers will have the best possible handling of the wafers and cells, which represents the majority of their operating costs," he adds.

In addition to improved handling and yield, combining cell and module manufacturing offers manufacturers other advantages. Spire's Fab Vision software extends its reach from wafer to module and provides the key information and lot tracking required to maximize yield and throughput.

The turnkey package also provides the key embedded process training, access to critical materials, finished designs of both cells and modules, and direct assistance with the certification to sell the end product in the most lucrative markets.

Spire Corp.: (781) 275-6000.

Lego’s Windmill Set Allows You To Stick It To The Zoning Board

2008-07-16T11:07:00.001-07:00

Town zoning board getting you down? Anti-wind organizations befuddling you with their concerns? Feeling the ache of not being able to install your own personal turbine? Well, now you can shut out the rest of the world and focus on this great new kit from Lego called “The Vestas Windmill Kit”.

Standing over two-feet tall, this model of alternative energy features a Vestas wind turbine, control center, and a van. But don’t expect to buy a bunch of these and string them up on your roof. While the turbine is motorized, it’s not generating its own power. That probably comes from batteries. Damn them!

Can the next Lego set please include a solar array to power this thing?

Anaconda Could Provide up to 20 MW of Wave Energy

2008-07-15T11:17:00.001-07:00

A device consisting of a giant rubber tube may hold the key to producing affordable electricity from the energy in sea waves. Invented in the UK, the "Anaconda" is a new wave-energy concept. Researchers working on the device say its simple design means it would be cheap to manufacture and maintain, possibly enabling it to produce clean electricity at lower cost than other types of wave energy converter. Cost has been a key barrier to deployment of such converters to date.

Named after the snake of the same name because of its long thin shape, the Anaconda is closed at both ends and filled completely with water. It is designed to be anchored just below the sea's surface, with one end facing the oncoming waves.

A wave hitting the end squeezes it and causes a "bulge wave" to form inside the tube. (A bulge wave is a wave of pressure produced when a fluid oscillates forwards and backwards inside a tube.) As the bulge wave runs through the tube, the initial sea wave that caused it runs along the outside of the tube at the same speed, squeezing the tube more and more and causing the bulge wave to get bigger and bigger. The bulge wave then turns a turbine fitted at the far end of the device and the power produced is fed to shore via a cable.

Because it is made of rubber, the Anaconda is much lighter than other wave energy devices (which are primarily made of metal) and dispenses with the need for hydraulic rams, hinges and articulated joints. This reduces capital and maintenance costs and scope for breakdowns.

The Anaconda is, however, still at an early stage of development. The concept has only been proven at very small laboratory-scale, so important questions about its potential performance still need to be answered. Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and in collaboration with the Anaconda's inventors and with its developer, Checkmate SeaEnergy, engineers at the University of Southampton are now embarking on a program of larger-scale laboratory experiments and novel mathematical studies designed to do just that.

Using tubes with diameters of 0.25 and 0.5 meters [approx. 10 to 20 inches], the experiments will assess the Anaconda's behavior in regular, irregular and extreme waves. Parameters measured will include internal pressures, changes in tube shape and the forces that mooring cables would be subjected to. As well as providing insights into the device's hydrodynamic behavior, the data will form the basis of a mathematical model that can estimate exactly how much power a full-scale Anaconda would produce.

When built, each full-scale Anaconda device would be 200 meters [656 feet] long and 7 meters [23 feet] in diameter, and deployed in water depths of between 40 and 100 meters [131 to 328 feet]. Initial assessments indicate that the Anaconda would be rated at a power output of 1 megawatt (MW) and might be able to generate power at a cost of UK 6p [US $0.12] per kilowatt-hour (kWh) or less. Although around twice as much as the cost of electricity generated from traditional coal-fired power stations, this compares very favorably with generation costs for other leading wave energy concepts.

Together with tidal energy, it is estimated that wave power could supply up to 20% of the UK's current electricity demand.

"The Anaconda could make a valuable contribution to environmental protection by encouraging the use of wave power," says Professor John Chaplin, who is leading the EPSRC-funded project. "A one-third scale model of the Anaconda could be built next year for sea testing and we could see the first full-size device deployed off the UK coast in around five years' time."

Noble Environmental Power Builds Michigan's Newest Windpark

2008-07-15T11:16:00.001-07:00

Noble Environmental Power, a leading wind energy developer, announced that construction on Michigan's newest windpark is underway. The Noble Thumb I Windpark is expected to generate 69 megawatts (MW) of clean energy using 46 GE 1.5-MW turbines.

Construction work on the Noble Thumb I Windpark is being performed by RMT WindConnect. Noble estimates that the project will create approximately 85 new construction jobs, and will result in more than US $3.5 million in property tax payments over the next 20 years. Once the Noble Thumb I Windpark is operational, hundreds of thousands of dollars in easement payments will be made to landowners each year.

Noble has approximately 3,850 MW of windparks under development in eight states. In May, Noble held ribbon-cutting ceremonies for three newly-operational windparks in New York State and in June the company held groundbreaking ceremonies for four more New York State windparks. Noble also recently began construction of the 114-MW Noble Great Plains Windpark in Texas.

eSolar lands solar power plant deal

2008-07-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

The company, created by Idealabs and funded by Google.org, makes utility-scale concentrated solar power systems with a modular design.

Software-controlled heliostats, or mirrors, reflect light onto a tower where the heat turns water to steam that turns a turbine.

The company raised $130 million in April.

California is a hotbed for utility-scale solar power because the state has relatively aggressive renewable energy targets.

The state's renewable portfolio standard mandates that utilities generate 20 percent of their electricity by 2010 and 33 percent by 2012.

In desert areas like parts of Southern California, concentrating solar thermal technology has become the preferred renewable energy source.

eSolar's technology, however, is a break with the traditional reflective trough now used in a number of power plants around the world.

eSolar says that its heliostat and thermal receiver design cuts down on costs in different areas such as using prefabricated heliostats.

Eco Tips for a Green Nursery from the Experts in LA

2008-07-15T11:13:00.001-07:00

For eco-savvy parents in Los Angeles, Bel Bambini is hosting an event in store on Tuesday July 15th to equip moms with tips on how to create a healthy, eco-friendly nursery using green building products from leading experts.

Experts and hosts include:

Hostess, Anna Getty, founder of Pregnancy Awareness
Jay Watts from Healthy Child, Healthy World
Josie Maran, founder of Josie Maran Cosmetics
Kristina Lin, owner of Bel Bambini

Not only can green parents come get information on greening their children’s rooms, but they can also shop for a cause. A portion of sales from the day will go to the Pregnancy Awareness Foundation, which educates women on incorporating easy changes to boost exercise, nutrition and wellness to benefit themselves and their children.

The event will also feature eco-friendly prizes from Sage Creek Organics (an ADORABLE eco-line), AFM Safecoat, Green to Grow and more…call 213.627.1230 for more information. If you aren’t able to attend.

Chrysler plans electric vehicles, could be ready in 3-5 years

2008-07-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Chrysler LLC's answer to the much-anticipated Chevrolet Volt could be three to five years away, the Free Press has learned.

The Auburn Hills automaker launched a special division within the company last fall called ENVI -- pronounced like "envy" -- to bring electric-drive vehicles and related advanced-propulsion technologies to market.

"ENVI is currently developing electric vehicles for the three Chrysler brands and is planning on product within three to five years," Nick Cappa, a Chrysler spokesman, told the Free Press in an e-mail.

General Motors Corp. has promised a breakthrough electric-drive vehicle -- commonly referred to as a plug-in hybrid -- called the Chevy Volt by 2010.

The move by Chrysler comes as some dealers quietly question why Chrysler is not stepping up efforts to bring more hybrid technology to market quicker in light of $4-a-gallon gasoline and tanking SUV and truck sales.

Some dealers tell the Free Press they've been told not to expect the bulk of the automaker's lineup to have a hybrid option in the near future.

Alan Helfman, vice president of Helfman River Oaks Chrysler Jeep in Houston, said he has been told not to expect many hybrid offerings before 2012. "It's lamenting. ... You don't have to have every car -- not everyone wants a hybrid -- but it's obviously a profound proportion of the industry right now," he said.

Another dealer, who didn't want to be named because product plans are secret, echoed those thoughts: They "need to put that hybrid in."

Around September, Chrysler will begin to offer two hybrids: the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango -- both SUVs and both priced below GM's similar models.

GM and Chrysler teamed up with Mercedes-Benz and BMW to develop a two-mode hybrid system.

Chrysler, beyond announcing plans to have a Dodge Ram hybrid in its 2010 model year, remains mum on hybrid plans, other than to hint that more is to come.

A market forecast by J.D. Power and Associates predicts that Chrysler will offer a hybrid option with the Dodge Grand Caravan next year and with the Dodge Avenger car and Journey crossover in 2013.

One independent dealer told the Free Press that Chrysler officials have said it could be as long as 2012 for a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Paul Lacy, an industry analyst with Global Insight, however, predicts Chrysler will be marketing a hybrid version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee in the 2010 model year as part of the automaker's response to recent federal legislation that requires it to make more fuel-efficient vehicles.

"As soon as the energy bill starts to take effect, they'll pound in on these things. They won't have a choice," Lacy said. He also said he expects a Dodge Charger hybrid by 2011.

Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management acquired majority control of Chrysler from now-Daimler AG last August. Since then, Chrysler has undergone dramatic changes as it races to remake itself as a smaller company and deal with a worsening U.S. auto industry.

Chrysler's U.S. sales are down 22%, hurt particularly by its truck-heavy lineup. The privately held automaker has also had to battle speculation about its financing, issuing statements to deny bankruptcy fears and to say it is beating financial goals.

"The big thing for Chrysler is money. It's a cost thing. ... They don't have any," Lacy said of why Chrysler can't rush hybrids to market quicker.

"They have been involved in a cooperation with GM ... but they haven't really made any commitments. They've also put a lot of money into their up-and-coming diesel lineup."

The automaker said pulling forward hybrid models is no simple matter. "There's a full plan in place for hybrids at Chrysler," Cappa said.

Chrysler has given few details about what its ENVI efforts will produce. "ENVI is going to play a lot deeper role than a lot of people think going forward," Cappa said.

"If you want to go ahead and make everything a full hybrid system, fine, but what if you can turn everything into a range-extended vehicle and take it beyond the 2020 campaign for 35 miles per gallon?" Cappa asked. "The new technology ENVI is developing could do that."

Last year, Chrysler announced plans to spend $3 billion to develop more fuel-efficient powertrains. A big part of that announcement has been the development of a new V6 engine, axle and dual-clutch transmission, all of which Chrysler executives promise will deliver fuel savings.

And there are Chrysler's diesel efforts. The new Dodge Ram is expected to have a diesel option to introduce after 2009.

Carl Galeana, vice president of Van Dyke Dodge in Warren, said he's frustrated about the hybrids but hopes Chrysler's diesel plans will help.

"I don't know if hybrid is going to be the magic wand," Galeana said. "I think we're certainly going to see diesels and other things that will be just as meaningful as a hybrid car and maybe more, as far as functionality and real-life usage."

He said the company will be better off by 2010. "If we're able to get some decent European diesels in the mix, I think that will help us a great deal."

What the Talking Heads Don’t Talk About

2008-07-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

Sometime back on National Public Radio, a panel discussed the high cost of gasoline and what the next president should do about it. When asked if we should be concerned about running out of oil, a panelist quipped that “President Obama” will create appropriate tax incentives for photovoltaics and oil will become so much “useless sludge”. Am I alone in thinking that there is a general lack of understanding about what the future holds for all of us when petroleum runs out?

Yes, We Eat Oil

When nitrogen is allowed to infiltrate a suitable body of water, the normal population of algae grows explosively. It consumes available nutrients and oxygen, turns the water green, and kills most other species. The algae, unable to thrive under the conditions they themselves have created, begin to die. This is called an algae bloom.

Petroleum is humanity’s source of nitrogen. Increasingly, we’re aware that it doesn’t just heat our houses and propel our cars; we actually eat it. Through the twin miracles of modern agriculture and wet-milling, petroleum becomes nitrogen fertilizer, which becomes corn or soybeans, which become virtually every and any processed food product we know (including virtually all meat and farmed fish). In Michael Pollan’s acclaimed book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, he documents that over sixty percent of the average American’s diet comes from (petroleum-derived) corn!

Why Do We Eat Oil?

It’s petroleum that allows one farmer to feed ten thousand people. After all this time, it still costs less than a dollar to pump a barrel of oil out of the ground. Cheap petroleum gave rise to an a sustained era of over-producing food, which led to an explosion in world population. With any luck, petroleum will run out before we complete our algae-like “bloom” cycle.

Too Many People on Earth

Global climate change, dwindling aquifers, the accelerated loss of species and habitat are symptoms of a bigger disease: human overpopulation. How do we know this? For one, simple arithmetic. If you take the entire area of the earth’s surface, subtract out oceans, deserts, and extreme latitudes, and divide the result by six billion people (our current population), you get about four acres of habitable land per human, of which approximately two are suitable for growing food. The debate, then, is about whether a few acres is enough to sustain each of us — that is, without petroleum.

Most people frame the issue in terms of carrying capacity. Some estimates for the carrying capacity of our planet range between eight-hundred million and eight billion people. (Actually, estimates vary more widely because determining what humans need, want, and then actually use, is non-trivial.) The lower number reflects the notion that there is not just a physical carrying capacity, but a social carrying capacity for the planet, which takes into account issues of competition, free will, and so forth human nature.

If you ask a person on the street, likely they’ll tell you that Earth’s carrying capacity is around, or somewhat above, our current population. In other words, most folks assume that there is always room for a few more of us. I’d argue that we’ve already way overshot the mark.

Smallest Footprint Too Big

Is the lower number more realistic? I’ve met a number of people who’ve attempted self-sufficiency on ten, twenty, and even forty acre properties. Not for lack of ability or effort, but no one was successful: all were dependent on some amount of petroleum and petroleum-manufactured goods. Observation and personal experience has led me to believe that estimates for sustainable footprints are low, chiefly because they ignore a dependence on fossil fuel energy, which will have to be made up by wood and other sources of fuel. These require additional acreage to produce. Consider that without access to oil or coal, the Romans denuded much of Italy’s forests making cement and smelting steel.

What About Solar?

Solar technologies (photovoltaic, wind, hydro, and solar-thermal) are vital.[3] However, they’re not a replacement for petroleum. If you think about it, petroleum is just another form of solar energy. Ignoring the time period and the process by which it was actually formed, petroleum represents stored solar energy equivalent to a significant fraction of all the sun’s energy that struck the Earth for hundreds of years. The trouble is that we’ve gone through virtually all this energy in the last few decades. (Ever had a cell phone that used more power than the battery charger could feed to it? Once dead, even plugged in, it will make no more calls for a while.)

Even with solar cells on every roof, we still can’t sustain our current population without petroleum. We can’t imagine what it will be like to run out of oil.

What Does ‘Decimation’ Mean?

Does recorded history offer any examples of large human populations faced with this level of stress? “Lesser” examples abound right now: competition for limited resources in areas like Somalia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Palestine, and Iraq, to name a few. (It’s said that all wars, directly or indirectly, are about competition for resources.) I don’t mean to trivialize the suffering and upheaval in this places, but consider: at a carrying capacity number of eight-hundred million for our planet, and if we grow to eight billion by the time we effectively run out of oil, today’s most pressing issue is that we need to reduce our population by ninety percent! The definition of ‘decimation’, by contrast, is only to reduce by one-tenth.

If we face anything like this “reduction”, it’s hard to imagine that civil government — and modern economies — wouldn’t collapse, along with all the good stuff that comes with them: the ability to preserve the natural world and its species; art, culture, technology, and wealth.

The Money’s Gone!

If a common concern for most humans is (monetary) wealth, then consider: virtually all wealth as we know it is directly or indirectly petroleum-derived. Even were that not the case, its still hard to imagine that currencies and other vital trappings of an economy can survive when a majority of the population doesn’t. Even economic theory seems to depend on stable, growing populations.

Birth Control?

Theoretically, we might be able to achieve drastic population reduction through less chaotic means, through some form of birth control. Call me a skeptic if you will, but I can’t see getting the consensus needed to make this happen.

Bottom Line

The fact that we are poisoning our planet and ourselves finally has everyone’s attention. What we address now may determine what, if anything, we leave our grandchildren. Nevertheless, the scarier problem facing all of us is this: if we are significantly above the planet’s carrying capacity, our population must, and will, shrink dramatically.

It seems that very few people believe population pressure poses such an urgent problem. If overpopulation doesn’t trump all the other problems facing us, I’d like to know why.

Boralex Acquires 100 MW of Wind PowerBoralex Inc. announced that it has acquired the rights for a wind project with a potential installed capacity of

2008-07-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

Boralex Inc. announced that it has acquired the rights for a wind project with a potential installed capacity of 100 megawatts (MW) in Ontario, Canada. This wind power project, located in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, will be submitted into the Ontario Power Authority's Request for Proposal III for 500 MW of Renewable Energy Supply likely due this fall.

This request for proposal represents one of the measures taken by the Ontario Government in view of obtaining 2,000 MW of renewable energy. This wind power site was developed by Gengrowth who will continue to work with Boralex on the project.

This strategic acquisition allows Boralex to reinforce its presence in Canada, principally in a region favourable to the production of renewable energy, and in a sector where its expertise is recognized,” said Patrick Lemaire, president and CEO or Boralex. "Boralex and Gengrowth have united each others forces one more time."

Stunning Eco Home To Be First Andalusian Zero Carbon Footprint House!

2008-07-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

The team at Diseño Earle was kind enough to pass along some info and images of their stunning design of The Eco Home -- a knockout that's aiming to be the first 'zero carbon' footprint home in Andalucia, or even Southern Spain for that matter! D Earle designed the home with two objectives in mind: (1) zero carbon footprint, and (2) reduce operating costs to almost a self-sufficiency level. The 6995 sf home, which is absolutely enormous, will be built with 75% less waste than a traditional design and operate 80% more efficiently than a similar sized home. And although the home design was constrained by the narrow, non-flat site, you can tell there was no restraint in creating the ultimate, luxury, green pad.

The Wing-Like Rooftop:
A key environmental aspect of the home is the wing-like roof. Not only does the roof bury and embed the solar panels out of sight, but it's at the right angle to capture and convert the sun's rays into energy. In addition, the design calls for space between the roof and home so that less direct heat is absorbed by the home and air can pass over it, cooling the structure in the process.

The Eco Home has all the green features you would expect in a luxurious green abode, including: rainwater reclamation system, grey water recycling, radiant heating system powered by the solar panels, geothermal energy for back-up cooling and heating, low VOC paints, LED lights, environmentally-sensitive smart glass and abundant natural lighting, and energy and water efficient appliances.

5 iPhone Apps to Help Save Gas

2008-07-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

If you upgraded early and don’t have an iBrick 3G, you’re presumably cruising Apple’s new app store. And if you’re also a green geek who’s looking to save fuel, and some money on high gas prices, we found 5 applications that can help you out; they’re basically replacements for the little notebook and pencil your dad kept in the glove compartment to track his gas usage, just with a touchscreen interface.

MPG: Tracks mileage and spits out slick graphs and quick comparisons of performance. Hypermilers, enjoy. Made by Appigo. 99 cents.

FuelGage: Same functionality as MPG but no graphs. Tracks multiple vehicles and trip totals, good for splitting gas costs. Made by Joseph Kueser. 99 cents

GasHog: A less slick-looking MPG. No graphs. 99 cents

CarStat: Even less powerful and less slick MPG. This one does, however, track fuel costs and multiple cars but charges you a dollar more. Made by Stephen Blessing. $1.99

WHERE: GPS and GasBuddy work together to get you gas prices from the nearest stations. Made by uLocate Communications. Free.

Cow burps help Argentines study climate change

2008-07-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

Argentine scientists are taking a novel approach to studying global warming -- strapping plastic tanks to the backs of cows to collect their burps.

Researchers say the slow digestive system of cows makes them a producer of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that gets far less public attention than carbon dioxide in efforts to fight global warming.

Scientists around the world are studying the amount of methane in cow burps and Argentine researchers say they have come up with a unique way.

Attaching a red plastic tank to a cow's back and connecting it through a tube to the animal's stomach, scientists say they can trap bovine burps and analyze them.

"When we got the first results, we were surprised. Thirty percent of Argentina's (total greenhouse) emissions could be generated by cows," said Guillermo Berra, a researcher at the National Institute of Agricultural Technology.

One of the world's biggest beef producers, Argentina has some 55 million heads of cattle grazing on the famed Pampas grasslands.

Berra said the researchers "never thought" a cow weighing 550 kg (1,210 lb) could produce 800 to 1,000 liters (28 to 35 cubic feet) of emissions each day. At least 10 cows are being studied, Berra said, including some in a corral whose burps are collected in yellow balloons hanging from the roof.

Greenhouse gases are widely blamed for causing global warming. Methane, researchers say, is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere and can be found in animal waste, landfills, coal mines and leaking natural gas pipes.

Scientists are working to develop new diets for cows that could make it easier for them to digest food, moving them away from grains to plants like alfalfa and clover.

"We have done a preliminary study and have found that by using tannins, you can reduce methane emissions by 25 percent," said Silvia Valtorta of the National Council of Scientific and Technical Investigations.

Taking On Population and Climate Change

2008-07-12T10:07:00.003-07:00

Examining linkages between population and climate change through many different frames leads to important research and policy questions — and it also allows the reproductive health community to discuss these linkages in a productive and positive way. If we leave the debate unframed, and the research questions unanswered, we leave space for harmful discourse and inaccurate facts to take center stage. The following series of blog posts, written by staff at Population Action International, will look at population and climate change from different angles, and provide an initial review of some of the broad frames.

Dr. Karen Hardee raises many of the difficult ethical issues that arise when population and climate change are linked. She examines these linkages from a women’s rights and empowerment frame. She encourages people, both those comfortable and uncomfortable with the linkage between population and climate change, to discuss the issue in order to come up with the best solutions and avoid mistakes of the past.

Dr. Leiwen Jiang approaches the issue from a demographic perspective, highlighting our need to understand the extent to which increasing population size, age structure and urbanization affects climate change. Research on demographic variables and their relationship to climate change show that population does indeed matter. Moreover, increases in population size, whether through migration or fertility, in regions vulnerable to the effects of climate change (such as coastal areas) mean more total people at risk.

There are many questions to explore. Does population growth in high carbon emitting countries such as the United States matter to climate change? How do the age structure, migration patterns and urbanization of a country affect energy consumption? Does demographic change, such as movement towards a mature age structure, increase a society’s resilience to climate change?

Malea Hoepf Young discusses the impact of climate change on women. From a gender perspective, women will suffer disproportionately from the effects of climate change. In their effort to adapt to severe weather, water scarcity, food insecurity and other consequences of changes in the climate, women and girls suffer increased workloads and as a result poor families often pull girls out of school. At home caring for young children and the elderly, women and girls are much more likely to die in severe weather events, unable or unaware of where to seek shelter.

While the demographic frame to the issue is still being explored through research and analysis, the gender frame is an area in which Population Action International has been able to apply what we know about women and development to the population and climate debate. For example, we know that women are powerful agents of change. While they are more vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change, they are also better positioned to help communities adapt to these changes.

There is very little research on what development activities will most contribute to increasing people’s resilience to the adverse impacts of climate change. However, we know that family planning is critical to the health and well-being of a family — including their economic stability. Therefore, family planning could also be an important contributor to resilience.

At the family level, the benefits of family planning on health and economic well-being are well documented. Is a woman who can time and space her childbearing better able, through better health and opportunity, to adapt to negative effects wrought by climate change? Smaller families tend to be healthier families, and women who use family planning have greater economic opportunities, increased control over all aspects of their lives and are thus likely to be more resilient to environmental, economic and human health challenges.

Will meeting women’s expressed need for good reproductive health care better enable them to participate in the stewardship of the environment and improved agricultural production?

Slowing population growth through voluntary family planning and reproductive health programs is an essential part of long-term efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as an important component of programs that aim to help vulnerable communities to adapt to climate change. It is also a cost-effective way to improve the health and well-being of individuals around the world. Couples deserve universal access to family planning and reproductive health, provided in a way that respects their rights to determine how many children they have and when. That will help people and countries and, hopefully, the planet.

San Francisco Victory Garden

2008-07-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

The area in front of San Francisco’s city hall doesn’t exactly represent lush farmland but that doesn’t prevent it from being a viable SF food source. For the first time since 1943, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Slow Food Nation founder Alice Waters and more than 100 volunteers planted the first edible garden in the City’s Civic Center. This victory garden, which takes its name from from 20th Century wartime efforts, helps to address food shortages by encouraging citizens to plant gardens on public and private land.

Victory gardens continue to spring up in and around the City as food prices continue to rise and food sustainability becomes more of an issue. This Civic Center venture found its funding through various organizations including Slow Food Nation, CMG Landscape Architecture, City Slicker Farms, The Presidio Native Plant Nursery, Alemany Farms, Friends of the Urban Forest, Ploughshares Nursery, Urban Permaculture Guild, Coevolution Institute and many others.

Our salad bowl spins with the thought of the many crops being grown Amaranth, Snap Bean, Pole Bean, Dry Bean, Broccoli Raab, Ground Cherry, Chicory, Chinese Cabbage, Collards, Cowpea, Cress, Leeks, Okra, Bunching Onion, as well as Calendula, May Flowers, Sunflowers and many others. Being realists, we thought that in this City that how will these crops survive with all the pesky homeless and veggie thieves but the city provides on-site security to guard against theft.

Best of all, we applaud that instead of having a “veggie sale” or the like, the food grown in the garden will be donated to those with limited access to healthy, organic produce through the local food bank’s meal program.

Eco nightclub set for launch in London

2008-07-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Surya -- self-styled "world's first ecological nightclub" where cyclists and walkers get free admission to a club with dancefloor so high-tech it generates its own electricity when people move on it.

The brainchild of 35-year-old property developer Andrew Charalambous, aka Dr. Earth, Surya has its own wind turbine and solar energy system, with the plan to donate any surplus electricity to local residents.

When clubbers need a rest from strutting their stuff on the dancefloor they can relieve themselves at the latest air flush, waterless urinals and low flush toilets as well as taking the opportunity to freshen up with the club's automatic taps.

If Princes Harry and William and their aristocratic friends, who are frequently spotted at Boujis or Mahiki, want to attend Surya they will have to sign a pledge to work towards curbing climate change like all patrons attending the club in north London.

"Unless we stop preaching to people and use an inclusive philosophy we're never going to create the revolution to combat climate change," Charalambous told Reuters, explaining why he has invested one million pounds in the club.

"It's also about creating avenues of thought. Imagine what you could achieve if big corporations adopted this kind of initiative."

At the age of 23, Charalambous stood as a Conservative parliamentary candidate against the late Labour MP Bernie Grant and backed Boris Johnson's successful campaign to become London mayor.

A qualified barrister, now worth in excess of 100 million pounds, his latest business venture will recycle glass, metal, plastic and paper products used in its bar, with Charalambous promising to donate part of the club's profits to charity.

The dancefloor uses the concept of piezoelectricity, where crystals and ceramics create a charge to generate electricity.

"We estimate that if you had loads of clubbers dancing vigorously it would provide 60 percent of the club's energy needs," said Charalambous.

"With the wind turbines and solar power we aim to provide the energy needs of 14 to 20 local residents. We are the first free energy-donating business in the world."

However, Charalambous' claim that his club is the "world's first ecological nightclub" has raised the hackles of the Sustainable Dance Club (SDC) in the Netherlands.

"They are not sustainable in our rules," SDC spokesman Vera Verkooijenat said, ahead of the September launch of Wvatt, which has been dubbed the "world's first sustainable dance club".

"It's not only the nightclub, it's the whole organisation that should be sustainable."

But Charalambous dismissed the criticisms, arguing the SDC's complaints were typical of the attitude of some holier-than-thou environmental activists, as he defended the idea behind Surya, the Sanskrit term for the Sun God.

"They've been talking about it for a while, but they haven't done it," said Charalambous. "They want to preach to people and that's the wrong way go about it."

Clean Solar-Powered iPod Charger Arrives in Time for Summer

2008-07-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

Milliamp LTD, which owns the website www.ipodjuice.com, has a brand new solar power iPod charger (http://www.ipodjuice.com/solar-powered-ipod-battery-charger.htm) that can charge any iPod or iPhone just from the rays of the sun.

A solar powered iPod charger is a must if you are heading to the beach, going on a camping trip, or contemplating the possibility of surviving World War III,and still want to listen to your music all day long. Seriously, though, having the ability to charge you iPod from the sun let's you use an iPod in more places than you ever thought of before.

"Our solar iPod charger (http://www.ipodjuice.com/solar-powered-ipod-battery-charger.htm) not only absorbs power from the sun, but also charges via wall outlet.", said Anthony Magnabosco, the owner of www.ipodjuice.com. This charger also comes with a slew of adaptors for not only the standard port at the bottom of iPods and iPhones, but for a wide variety of cell phones as well.

The device itself is black, small, and compact. It has a smooth exterior and the two inside panels have enough surface area to soak up the rays and quickly charge up the 1200 mAh lithium battery tucked inside. This is a large amount of power, and far exceeds the playtime that comes inside most iPods when they leave the factory, resulting in hours and hours of more playtime.

If you think about it, once the battery inside the solar-powered iPod charger is fully juiced up, you have a stash of power at the ready for the times you need it most. "You can charge it up and then keep it stored until you need it most.", continued Magnabosco.

This is not the first iPod charger that has been available at the ipodjuice.com website. They have wall outlet chargers, automobile chargers, and data cables that charge up the earlier iPod modesl as well as the new models like the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPod classic. They even have USB and FireWire cables that charge your device let you transfer songs to your computer.

This particular solar-power iPod charger (http://www.ipodjuice.com/solar-powered-ipod-battery-charger.htm) has been available for a few months now, and the customer response has been extremely favorable. "We hear from customers all the time who rely on this solar charger during their outdoor activities.", added Magnabosco. One customer even reported that he uses his solar iPod charger when he is on his boat, another use that many people may never even considered before.

Just in time for summer, the price of their iPhone and iPod solar power charger and charger has been reduced, so now is the time to order yours and get one while it's hot (and sunny).

NASA Maps Reveal Wind Energy Sources

2008-07-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

Efforts to harness the energy potential of Earth's ocean winds could soon gain an important new tool, global satellite maps from NASA. Scientists have been creating maps using nearly a decade of data from NASA's QuikSCAT satellite that reveal ocean areas where the wind resources exist to produce wind energy.

The new maps could help developers better plan the locations of offshore wind farms. The research was funded by NASA's Earth Science Division, which works to advance the frontiers of scientific discovery about Earth and its climate.

"Wind energy is environmentally friendly. After the initial energy investment to build and install wind turbines, you don't burn fossil fuels that emit carbon," said study lead author Tim Liu, a senior research scientist and QuikSCAT science team leader at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "Like solar power, wind energy is green energy."

QuikSCAT, launched in 1999, tracks the speed, direction and power of winds near the ocean surface. Data from QuikSCAT, collected continuously by a specialized microwave radar instrument named SeaWinds, also are used to predict storms and enhance the accuracy of weather forecasts.