Manuel said:
"This is great news! I hope all cities pass this into law.The practice of using plastic bags just to quickly dispose of them has been going on far t..." [read]
Jay Knecht said:
"What are the performance stats for the Son of Max? ..." [read]
gazelle said:
"@ Dallas:
The book, and the supplementary videos in the "How It All Ends" youtube series, address this in detail, but I'll try to paraphrase:..." [read]
Barry said:
"Kofi Annan has about as much of a clue about electric cars and developing countries as Ann Ann the Panda.
He underestimates the ingenuity o..." [read]
JJ said:
"Very cool. I didn't thought that biodesel might be our future fuel...." [read]
Derek said:
""I guarantee you this will spark huge debates around the world," she said. "We have to delve into this in a way that hasn't been done in a long tim..." [read]
Only the other week I posted about an innovative project to integrate solar power with food production, and while the photo-shopped graphics for that post may have left something to be desired, a new installation may give a better idea of what's possible. In what's billed as the "first, cable-suspended free span solar energy system"REM eyewear and P4P Energy have created a patented system that could help expand the potential for integrating solar with other types of land use.
There's often something left to be desired when it comes to the styles of solar bags. Many are simply ugly, though quite a few also make it into the realm of hip. This bag falls somewhere in between, bordering on ugly if it didn't do such a great job of stating the obvious via a massive solar cell on the front flap - "This Bag Is Solar Powered!!" It's the Energy Sun-Bag from Neuber and Konarka Technologies.
If I didn't already have a solar bag from Voltaic, I'd be so jealous right now. Attendees at this year's PopTech received as their swag bag the FLAP - Flexible Light and Power. It's messenger bag with built in flexible solar cells that can charge up a mobile device, or power an LED in the bag, turning it into a lantern. It certainly sets a new standard for swag bags at events. How great is it to offer attendees not only a cool bag, but off grid charging capabilities too?! Check out how neat this bag is - it's far more than just fancy swag, it's a solution for off-grid lighting for impoverished people.
Imagine a free solar array for your home, combined with a full eco-makeover to eliminate draughts, improve comfort, efficiency and air quality. That's the prize on offer to green minded UK householders right now. It's just one part of the 10:10 Campaign's call to cut UK carbon emissions by 10% by 2010. (See also their search for the Voice of Green Britain.) So what do you have to do to qualify?
The sleek design of the Regen ReNu offers customers a solar panel charger, that looks like well a solar panel, but also looks like it would blend into the background of a modern, chic, loft apartment. Styled similar to many iProduct docking stations, the Regen ReNu can recharge a variety of electronic gadgets and get several charges off of one battery. But will it be available in time for the holiday rush?
Park In the Shade, Recharge Your Plug-In Vehicle
Dell's headquarters in Round Rock, Texas, now have a shaded solar parking structure called the Solar Grove. It was built by Envision Solar, and it has a capacity of 130 kilowatts, which should help avoid about 145,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year. But the clean electricity is only part of the benefit; there's also some energy savings that come from the shade produced by the "solar trees" since cooler cars don't need as much A/C.
In the San Juan Del Sur region of Nicaragua, the famed Earthship crew, along with 13 Nicaraguans from the local community, created the start of what will be entirely off-grid, sustainable community, titled Casa Llanta ("Tire House"). This is the first Earthship in Nicaragua and tipster Jessica Dore sent in her thoughts and impressions from her trip to this futuristic community.
From a 25-megawatt photovoltaic plant in Florida to a 4,500 acre solar thermal installation in California, solar just keeps getting bigger. Within that context, a 100kw array may seem hardly worth mentioning, but folks in my community are excited, and not without reason. (Disclaimer alert: Friends of mine are involved with this project.)You see traditionally, unlike wind, large-scale solar has often meant displacing otherwise productive land, to the point where some areas like Ontario are looking at banning solar from class "a" and class "b" farmland. What sets this project apart is that it aims to not just co-exist with productive farm land, but actually enhance the agricultural process.
Images via Ecouterre
It's about time we see a piece of solar clothing that you'll want to wear. The Zegna Ecotech Solar Jacket looks slick, stylish, has a good cut, inconspicuous solar cells that (almost) don't look like a bad reference to the 80s. And, it's made from recycled plastic! ...
Recycled plastic can be turned into just about anything these days, and while it still gets a bad rep as a green product, now it's being produced with the help of solar power, making it just a little bit greener. In what is the largest construction of a thin film cylindrical solar system, Plastic Package Inc wants to make some of the greenest recycled plastic products on the market. ...
Image Source: kevinthoule
Dear Pablo: Is it true that the heat absorbed by dark solar panels contributes to climate change?
The Source Of The Myth
This myth recently surfaced in the sequel to Freakanomics, call Superfreakanomics. Some people are very disappointed with the authors, who created quite a stir with their first book. The source of the myth is a quote by Nathan Myhrvold, the former Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft (commenting outside of his expertise):...
Is this a scene from the future? Nope, it's happening now....in Germany. Image via: tristam_sparks on Flickr.com
In a four-part series by Der Spiegel, the paper explains how Germany is taking charge of the future energy revolution and it is all happening today. From mega projects like smart grids and deserts covered in lakes of solar panels, to the smaller house-hold projects like cutting edge appliances and mini-power plants in every basement, Germany is taking this whole efficient energy production idea very seriously, and as The Environment Report reports, they have managed to cut their carbon emissions 23% since 1990 by supporting and taking a chance on many of these ideas. While American energy markets are almost fearful of what that knowledge might mean, preferring to not allow consumers to have any idea even how much electricity they are using from day to day. Germany on the other hand is putting all of the power back in the hands of the consumer and allowing them to produce their own electricity and make an extra buck or two if they are proactive enough....
Image via G24i
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are super thin, cheap solar cells that can operate indoors. Created by G24 Innovations, the first batch of the new solar cells have found a home in fashion, heading to Hong Kong-based consumer electronics bag manufacturer Mascotte Industrial Associates for use in backpacks and bags. And the best part...the bags aren't ugly. ...
Rendering courtesy of Eco Friend
The world's largest solar-powered footbridge has now opened in Brisbane. The panels not only power its LED lighting but they also feed the main grid: this will save 38 tons of CO2 annually!
Connecting South Brisbane and the city center, it's expected about 36,000 people will use the new Kurilpa Bridge every week to walk or bike across the Brisbane River. A must have as 1,500 people move into South East Queensland every week! Brisbane is in fact the fastest growing urban region in Australia.
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Image via: suavehouse113 on Flickr.com
Yikes! What happens when a solar rebate program is announced, and suddenly EVERYONE wants in? Well, the government honors the approved applications and then pulls out of the program, reports The Australian. But who is left to foot the bill? ...
Human Glacier musical performance by Paul D. Miller. Photo by Sergio Carratalá
A solar powered DJ booth (see photo below), tree seedlings from Hiroshima, a Human Glacier performance and Yoko Ono - all of this is happening under the High Line in New York this month. The Drop and exhibition 2012+ is about art, the city and the environment. Its title is inspired by the Mayan calendar, indicating an upcoming shift from one phase of life to something new about to take shape. Here is how the curators, Alexandra Chang and Mie Iwatsuki, explain their concept:...
A worker inspects a large mirror that directs the sun's energy to water-filled troughs at a solar thermal plant in the Israeli desert. Photo by Steve Jurvetson via Flickr.
If you thought there were water wars brewing before, just wait. The sun is often touted as a fantastic source of energy, which it is, but there's a hitch: Many solar projects consume enormous amounts of water. How much water are we talking? According to a recent New York Times article, proposed plans for two solar farms in Nevada would gulp up 1.3 billion gallons of water annually--or 20 percent of the area's available water. And the worst thing is this heavy water use in renewable energy projects is all about the bottom line....
Photo: Sempra Energy
Could be Built as Soon as 2012Sempra Energy, who already owns a 10-megawatt PV solar farm near Boulder City, Nevada, and wants to expand it by 48 additional megawatts, has announced a new project that could dwarf those: The company is looking to build up to half a gigawatt of new solar capacity near Phoenix, Arizona. Sempra doesn't know yet if it's going to be solar PV or solar thermal, or a combination of both. ...
First installation for the Solar New England Project. Image via: Solar New England Project
Solar New England - See the Light, Feel the Warmth - is out to put solar hot water systems on at least 1% of the homes throughout New England. While this might not seem like a lot, they've managed to make the systems cheaper, and provide for many green jobs throughout the community....
The Solar Decathalon teams are really kicking things up a notch this year. First we see the Penn State team using celebs, like Ed Begley Jr. Next we see the Virginia Tech team showcasing their home in the ___ Museum. Now, we see University of Louisiana Lafayette "BeauSoleil" home tugging at our heartstrings by designing and building a home that his possibly the most energy-efficient but also one designed to with the community in mind....
Image via: Guiding Light Mailbox
Upon first thought, this seems like a silly invention. Who needs a solar-powered mailbox anyways? Then again, if you've ever been lost in the dark looking for a house in the middle of nowhere, you might appreciate an illuminated number that you can see "from half a football field away."...
Photo: SolarCity
Gotta Start Somewhere...
Having many accessible fast-charging stations is a prerequisite to a wider adoption of electric cars. Most EV owners will charge their cars in their garage most of the time, but if you need to drive a longer distance, it's important to know that you'll be able to find a charging station (even better if it's high-amperage). So it's good news that SolarCity, a company backed by Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, along with Rabobank, has announced that it is building a corridor of solar-powered fast-charging stations along Highway 101 between San Francisco and Los Angeles....
Photo via Flickr
Is there a newspaper columnist today who has the influence of Thomas Friedman? Maybe George Will, but Will uses his platform to try to sow doubt about climate change, while Friedman uses his to be an evangelist for clean energy. In his Sunday NY Times column, Friedman returns to his idea that our national security and economic health are dependent on solving the twin problems of energy and climate. This week, Friedman suggest a gas tax, and uses our failure to adopt one as proof that maybe we're not as tough as we think we are. ...
Photo: Oregon State University
Inexpensive Nanostructure Film Keeps Photons from Bouncing Off
That's the beauty of science. You discover something new, and then you keep finding new applications for it. Chemical engineers at Oregon State University (OSU) have invented a new way to deposit "nanostructure films" on a variety of surfaces. The obvious use is for eyeglasses; this could make them better and less expensive. But the holy grail here is making more efficient solar panels to reduce the cost of solar power. Here's how that would work......
Dear Pablo: My city wants to put in a desalination plant for drinking water. Environmentalists are opposed, which makes me wonder: What's so bad about desalination?
Desalination is any process whereby salt and/or minerals are removed from water to make it potable. In most cases desalination is used in arid coastal regions to turn sea water into drinking water but it is also used inland, where local ground or surface water is brackish. The main area in the US for desalination include Southern California, the Gulf Coast and Florida but about 75% of the world's desalination capacity is located in the Middle East....
Photos: Nanosolar
Cheap, Efficient Solar Cells You Can Print
For a while, everybody was talking about Nanosolar. They were the Tesla Motors of solar panels, in a way. But for the past year, they've kept quiet and this led some people to doubt that the company really would be able to deliver on what it had promised. Was it all hype? Well, Nanosolar has now broken radio silence and the news are good. They've simultaneously released information about three things, along with a very cool video (check it out below) that shows what the inside of their factories look like, including the brand new one in Germany....
Image via: Luna Road
Coming to a city and street near you are new, easy-to-install solar powered streetlamps. The new street lights by Luna Eye are lightweight and compact so they ship easily, plus you can put them on an existing pole. Install them during the day, and you're ready to go by the time the sun goes down....
We'll be working on better category archives soon. In the meantime, take a look at the weekly archive if you really want to dig around, or use the search box at the top of the page.
on 11. 4.09
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Image Source: 
Is this a scene from the future? Nope, it's happening now....in Germany. Image via: 
Image via 
Rendering courtesy of 
Image via: 
A worker inspects a large mirror that directs the sun's energy to water-filled troughs at a solar thermal plant in the Israeli desert. Photo by 
Photo: Sempra Energy
Could be Built as Soon as 2012
First installation for the Solar New England Project. Image via: 
Image via: 
Photo: SolarCity
Gotta Start Somewhere...
Having many accessible fast-charging stations is a prerequisite to a wider adoption of electric cars. Most EV owners will charge their cars in their garage most of the time, but if you need to drive a longer distance, it's important to know that you'll be able to find a charging station (even better if it's high-amperage). So it's good news that 
Photo: Oregon State University
Inexpensive Nanostructure Film Keeps Photons from Bouncing Off
That's the beauty of science. You discover something new, and then you keep finding new applications for it. Chemical engineers at Oregon State University (OSU) have invented a new way to deposit "nanostructure films" on a variety of surfaces. The obvious use is for eyeglasses; this could make them better and less expensive. But the holy grail here is making more efficient solar panels to reduce the cost of solar power. Here's how that would work......
Photos: Nanosolar
Cheap, Efficient Solar Cells You Can Print
For a while, everybody was talking about Nanosolar. They were the Tesla Motors of solar panels, in a way. But for the past year, they've kept quiet and this led some people to doubt that the company really would be able to deliver on what it had promised. Was it all hype? Well, Nanosolar has now broken radio silence and the news are good. They've simultaneously released information about three things, along with a very cool video (check it out below) that shows what the inside of their factories look like, including the brand new one in Germany....
Image via: 
