Clipmarks | alwayzballyn's clips

Carbon Storage...in sand?

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:26:32 GMT

clipped by: alwayzballyn

Storing carbon in the sand

If you’ve ever walked through a national or state park in the southwestern United States, you’ve probably noticed the ground cover. Tiny castle-shaped lumps and mini mountain ranges stipple the sandy earth, and signs posted everywhere warn visitors not to trample the soil. Holding the sand in place are biological soil crusts—a ‘skin’ of microscopic cyanobacteria, algae, lichens, mosses, fungi, and bacteria—that can take from decades to centuries to form.

Recently, interest in this thin, organically rich layer has grown, along side increasing concern over climate change. Scientists worldwide are studying how carbon enters and leaves ecosystems, ranging from tropical rain forests and grasslands to glaciers. Long neglected, deserts are now getting a closer look, too. These arid landscapes account for some 30 percent of the earth’s land surface, potentially making them an important player in the globe and atmosphere’s carbon cycle.

Tags: sand storage, carbon storage, emmissions, global warming

Nano spray on insulation

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:09:50 GMT

clipped by: alwayzballyn

Clip Source: www.plentymag.com

Maze-like material keeps buildings cool

Nano-sculpted materials could be key to improving the efficiency of buildings, if a company called Industrial Nanotech has its way. A few weeks ago we saw the mysterious “nano goop” used by solar start-up Sunrgi, but this time the goop is described in a tad more detail. Industrial Nanotech’s Nansulate is an insulating material that controls thermal conduction by passing it through a dense network of nanoparticles that stops heat transfer in its tracks. It’s a spray-on material, rather like paint, and can be applied to any surface as a finish.

Tags: sustainability, green housing, green, energy conservation

Exteme Solar Cells?

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:03:45 GMT

clipped by: alwayzballyn

Clip Source: www.plentymag.com

Start-up announces extreme solar cells

Sunrgi, a Hollywood-based start-up, came out of stealth mode this week claiming it can collect twice as much sunlight as other photovoltaic designs and convert it to electricity for 5 cents a kilowatt-hour, on par with fossil fuels.

The company’s core technology is concentrating solar power, which uses lenses to focus sunlight onto small strips of photovoltaic cells. The advantage is that more photons are collected by smaller quantities of solar cells, meaning that the systems require much less of the expensive semiconductor materials that go into making ordinary solar panels. But the cells are also fragile and easily damaged in extreme heat, as I wrote about here.

Tags: solar power, alternative energy

Typical Americans

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:38:30 GMT

clipped by: alwayzballyn
clipper's remarks: Funny cartoon, but then again it shows how short-sided people are sometiems

Clip Source: www.salon.com

Solar Energy From Space

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:36:41 GMT

clipped by: alwayzballyn
clipper's remarks: Even more applications of renewable energy

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

Beaming Solar Power from Massive Satellites Gains Global Momentum

"A single kilometer-wide band of geosynchronous Earth orbit experiences enough solar flux in one year to nearly equal the amount of energy contained within all known recoverable conventional oil reserves on Earth today."

2007 report released by the Pentagon's National Security Space Office

"The conditions are ripe for something to happen on space solar power," said Charles Miller, a director of the Space Frontier Foundation, a group promoting public access to space told CNN. "The environment is perfect for a new start."

Diminishing oil supplies and soaring prices, a heightened global awareness of climate change and worries about natural resource exhaustion have recently prompted a renewed interest in beaming solar energy back to Earth. "The country that takes the lead on space solar power will be the energy-exporting country for the entire planet for the next few hundred years," Miller said.

Peel and Stick Solar Panel

Sat, 31 May 2008 01:36:59 GMT

clipped by: alwayzballyn

Clip Source: www.merchantcircle.com

Mastercraft Exteriors - Solar Roofing in the News

Roofing Company Develops Peel-and-Stick Solar Panels

A construction company has developed solar panels that use peel-and-stick technology to attach to roofs.

That's right: Lumeta's Power-Ply 380 is a solar panel sticker. The product's adhesive back allows it to be installed about twice as fast as conventional rack-mounted solar panels. Check out the video to see a speedy installation.

Coming from Lumeta, a subsidiary of DRI, a $90 million a year construction company headquartered in Irvine, the product is another sign that energy generation is being incorporated into conventional building practices.

"Solar needs to become part of the building envelope and this is a step towards that," said Stephen Torres, COO of Lumeta. "The whole idea was [to] create a new product that integrates better with the roof system."

Renewable energy transmission investments

Sat, 24 May 2008 04:09:40 GMT

clipped by: alwayzballyn

Clip Source: www.altenergystocks.com

Ten Solid Clean Energy Companies to Buy on the Cheap: #2 National Grid (NGG)

Like Quanta Services, (#8 in this series), National Grid PLC (NYSE:NGG) allows investors to participate in the massive build out of electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure necessitated by years of neglect and the growing need to decarbonize our electric infrastructure. See the article linked above for more detail on these two forces driving the sector.

How Green Roofs Work

Thu, 01 May 2008 05:19:42 GMT

clipped by: alwayzballyn

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

How Do Green Roofs Work?

Cities worldwide are promoting environmentally “green” roofs to mitigate several urban problems. Ground cover, shrubs and other flora planted across a building’s roof can reduce storm water runoff, easing the burden on local sewers and water treatment systems. And the vegetation can keep the roof cooler in summer, lowering interior air-conditioning costs and therefore peak demand on area power plants.

Green roofs have been blossoming in Europe for more than a decade, and Tokyo now requires that at least 20 percent of any new roof on medium and large buildings be cultivated. Chicago is the U.S. leader. Most installations are made on newly constructed buildings, but retrofits are rising.

Tags: green roof, green, energy, eco housing

Floating Home

Thu, 01 May 2008 05:09:12 GMT

clipped by: alwayzballyn
clipper's remarks: Living in a partially submerged home.

Clip Source: www.sub-find.com

Trilobis 65 Floating Home ccccccSee Popular Mechanics November 2002 Article below

Trilobis 65 is a semi-submerged
dwelling environment. Reaching 20 metres in length designed by Giancarlo Zema for habitation by six people at sea. It is ideal for living in bays, atolls and maritime parks. The main aim of the project is to allow anyone to live in a unique environment through a self sufficient, non-polluting dwelling cell in unison with their ocean surroundings.

The top level is 3.5 metres above
sea level. The next level is at 1.4 metres above sea level and hosts the daylight zone with all services and allowing outdoor access. The third level is situated at 0.8 metre below sea level, semi-submerged, and is devoted to the night-time zone. At 3.0 metres below sea level, totally submerged, there is the underwater observation bulb, an intimate and mediative place.

Trilobis 65 has been designed on four separate levels connected by a spiraling staircase.

Tags: alternative housing, water dwelling, houseboat