Clipmarks | Solar energy Clips

SkyFuel heats up solar thermal power race

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:06:46 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

SkyFuel heats up solar thermal power race

Even with the teetering economy, solar companies are bullish that tapping free energy from the sun is a solid financial move.

SkyFuel, a company spun out of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), on Friday is hosting an event to unveil its solar power plant system: a parabolic trough made from reflective plastic. Colorado Gov. Bill Rittner will speak at the event, held at SkyFuel's research center in Arvada, Colo.

SkyFuel heats up solar thermal power race

Even with the teetering economy, solar companies are bullish that tapping free energy from the sun is a solid financial move.

Tags: skyfuel, solar, parabolic, heat, energy, electric

Solar Powered Mountaineers Hut

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:59:40 GMT

clipped by: deb2012
clipper's remarks: can hold 125 guests in its restaurant and guest rooms

Clip Source: www.inhabitat.com

this hut outside of Zermatt in the Swiss Alps is for real.

It’s the Swiss Alpine Club’s new Monte Rosa mountaineer’s hut, and it’s 90% energy self-sufficient.

Tags: alternative energy, environment

Solar Goes From Gardens to Gigabucks

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:19:23 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Clip Source: blog.wired.com

Solar Goes From Gardens to Gigabucks

Now, in a staid Bay Area office park, a converted hard-drive factory with a shiny new façade has begun churning out unconventional solar tubes that could change the economics of solar power.

The highly-automated factory belongs to Solyndra, a three-year-old company that has received $600 million in venture capital and $1.2 billion in orders for its new modules, which look like curtain rods. Those big investors are betting the company's unique product will soon blanket commercial buildings across the world.

Instead of the standard panels mounted on racks that have dominated solar for the last 20 years, Solyndra's cylindrical solar modules collect sunlight more efficiently across a broader range of angles and catch light reflected off the roof itself. The solar cells also contain no silicon, which has been a costly component of most solar systems.

Tags: solar, gigabuck, investments, energy, alternative

China's 1st zero emission building

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:46:31 GMT

clipped by: deb2012

Clip Source: www.inhabitat.com

Located in a country that relies heavily on coal power to support a population nearing 1.5 billion, CSET’s sustainable attributes are are vigorous as its environmental curriculum. The building is powered by a large array of photovoltaic cells and geothermal energy (which cools and heats the five story floor slabs). Any additional energy collected is stored in batteries that can provide up to two week’s worth of electricity for sunless days.

CSET’s double-glass skin reduces solar radiation, and the large rooftop opening creates natural ventilation while allowing daylight to illuminate the interior spaces. The building also makes extensive use of locally sourced materials in its construction and boasts an onsite rain and gray-water recycling center.

Tags: energy, china, environment

Grounds for Change offsetting all emissions

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:37:19 GMT

clipped by: BirdBarista

Clip Source: www.groundsforchange.com

In a continuing effort to make every aspect of our business sustainable, we have partnered with Carbonfund.org to offset 100% of the global warming emissions associated with our coffee. We are the first coffee roaster in the country to complete the rigorous third-party certification process necessary to obtain the CarbonFree® Certified Product label from Carbonfund.org.

In addition to our CarbonFree® product certification, we continue to purchase 100% renewable electricity that is generated by wind, solar and biomass. We firmly believe that using sustainable energy whenever possible and offsetting all non-renewable energy used in business operations is critical to long-term success.

He asked voters to check his record

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:33:44 GMT

clipped by: deb2012
clipper's remarks: Energy voting record

Clip Source: www.americanprogressaction.org

McCain Receives "0" on League of Conservation Voters 2007 Scorecard.

McCain Accepted $291,658 from Big Oil in 2007.

McCain Missed Opportunity To End Big Oil Tax Breaks to Invest in Clean Energy.

Gas Tax Holiday Would Hike Oil Prices.

The problem is that lowering gasoline prices at the pump would encourage more consumption. So in the long run, it would push prices up

McCain Is Officially Inducted into the Petroleum Club.

McCain Voted To Drill Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Crucial Showdown.

McCain Opposes Renewable Electricity.

renewable electricity standard would require utilities to generate a certain portion of their electricity from wind, solar, geothermal, and other renewable energy sources. Twenty six states, including Arizona, have such requirements. In 2002 and 2005, there were votes in the Senate to require utilities nationwide to generate 10 percent or 20 percent of their electricity from renewable energy resources. Sen. McCain voted against renewable electricity every time.

Tags: energy, alternative energy, politics

Army going Solar

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:47:24 GMT

clipped by: deb2012

Clip Source: www.treehugger.com

Huge Solar Thermal Power Plant
The Army will be joining with an unnamed private sector partner to build a 500 MW solar thermal power plant at Fort Irwin, California. The plant will supply both power to the public electric grid as well as the base itself. The Army is touting the project as providing greater energy security in the event of a disruption to the power supply at large.

Other Green Efforts
The solar thermal power plant is the obvious big news, but three other green projects were announced concurrently:

The Army is pursuing the purchase of 4,000 small Neighborhood Electric Vehicles to replace gasoline-powered vehicles traditionally used by maintenance and operations staff for use on its posts

Six Army posts have been selected as sites for biomass to fuel demonstrations

The Army will enter into a pilot energy savings performance contract with the private sector

Tags: alternative energy

California Soon To Be Reading By Candlelight

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:16:20 GMT

clipped by: ColoradoRight
clipper's remarks: If the Great and Powerful Algore demands 100% compliance - Kaleefornia shall comply. Well, half-way anyway.

And when the ecofreaks sue to prevent all those windmills and solar farms and new transmission lines that are required? Well, candles await.

Keep it up California. You will show the way down into the New Dark Ages.

Clip Source: www.sfgate.com

Mother Nature demands Californians pass Prop. 7

There is no longer a debate in California over whether we need to shift to renewable energy sources. Nor can anyone successfully say that Proposition 7's target of 50 percent renewable by 2025 is too ambitious. Al Gore says we need to do 100 percent by 2018.

I studied the text of Prop. 7 without any preconceived opinions. My considered judgment is that it clearly meshes with existing California law to achieve two basic and necessary goals.

S. David Freeman is a lawyer and engineer with 30 years experience as a chief executive of large electric utilities, including those serving Sacramento and Los Angeles, where he advanced the use of renewable energy used efficiently. He has been honored by the Los Angeles Coalition for Clean Air, CEERT, Global Green, and the National Wildlife Association for his commitment to renewable energy, clean air and clean water.

Tags: energy, ecology, environment, solar, wind

Air Car

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:20:43 GMT

clipped by: jimmy123
clipper's remarks: Compressed air cars are powered, in short, by air. Air is compressed and then it is released which is the source of propulsion. These air cars have been in the developmental stages for many years and are very, very close to reaching wide commercial markets.

Clip Source: www.futurecars.com

Air cars use an electric pump to compress air into a tank at high pressures, effectively storing energy like a battery. That air is allowed to escape and, in a way similar to a combustion engine, it presses on the vehicle’s pistons , producing work.

The air cars electric pumps can typically be recharged using a standard electrical outlet. Keep in mind, the use of this pump and outlet do not make them hybrid vehicles, just like conventional gasoline vehicle is not hybrid simply because it requires a battery.

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Tags: air car, environmental, alternative fuel

Scientists create solar cells with a twist.

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:53:18 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: I suppose it won't be hard to have the power to at least power a Laptop. Perhaps a Solar powered tent for camping. We are finding new ways to transform energy into media we can use, and it, with the open information on the web is only bound to improve dramatically

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Julie Steenhuysen

US researchers have found a way to make efficient silicon-based solar cells that are flexible enough to be rolled around a pencil and transparent enough to be used to tint windows on buildings or cars.

The finding, published in the journal Nature Materials, offers a new way to process conventional silicon by slicing the brittle wafers into ultrathin bits and carefully transferring them onto a flexible surface.

"We can make it thin enough that we can put it on plastic to make a rollable system. You can make it grey in the form of a film that could be added to architectural glass," says Professor John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who led the research.

"It opens up spaces on the fronts of buildings as opportunities for solar energy."

Solar cells, which convert solar energy into electricity, are in high demand because of higher oil prices and concerns over climate change.

Rogers says his technology uses conventional single crystal silicon.

Solar company starts green university

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:08:16 GMT

clipped by: pglaza

Clip Source: www.marketwatch.com

SAN ANTONIO, Oct 06, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Sunrise Solar Corp. (SSLR:

sunrise solar corp com

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Plug-In Hybrids Aren't Coming — They're Here

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:10:55 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Clip Source: blog.wired.com

Plug-In Hybrids Aren't Coming — They're Here

Everything about Alison Gannett is green, from her straw-bale house to her solar-powered appliances. But when you're as serious about curbing carbon as she is, a mere hybrid won't do. That's why she spent $35,000 to install an extension cord on her Ford Escape Hybrid.

She is among a small but vocal — and growing — number of people who aren't waiting for automakers to deliver plug-in hybrids. These early adopters are shelling out big money to have already thrifty cars like the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape Hybrid converted into full-on plug-in hybrids capable of triple-digit fuel economy. "I love watching the mileage go up," says Gannett, a world champion extreme skier and dedicated eco-evangelist. "The highest I have gotten is 232 mpg. I average around 80-100 mpg."

Tags: fuel, energy, hybrids, green, ecology, environment

Congress sets stage for solar boom

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 21:06:05 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Clip Source: greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com

Green Wombat

Environment + Technology

By Todd Woody

Congress sets stage for solar boom

After months of failed attempts in Congress to extend crucial renewable energy tax credits, the end-game came with lightning speed Friday afternoon: The House of Representatives passed the green incentives attached to the financial bailout package approved by the Senate Wednesday night and President Bush promptly signed the legislation into law.

There were goodies for wind, geothermal and alternative fuels, but the big winner by far was the solar industry.

“It feels like we should be popping the champagne,” said a Silicon Valley solar exec Green Wombat met for lunch minutes after Bush put pen to paper.

Tags: congress, solar, bigsolar, solar panels, wind, windmills

Google plans 4.4-trillion-dollar green energy plan

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 10:10:03 GMT

clipped by: ninadalton

Clip Source: www.efluxmedia.com

Google plans 4.4-trillion-dollar green energy plan

San Francisco - Web giant Google unveiled a new national energy plan for the US Wednesday that it said would largely wean the country of fossil fuels by 2030.

The 4.4-trillion-dollar plan was developed by Google's philanthropic arm Google.org, which predicted that the county would reap net savings of 1 trillion dollars over the idea's 22-year term.

The plan called "Clean Energy 2030" was unveiled in an online posting by Jeffery Greenblatt, Google.org's climate and energy- technology manager. It is based on halting the generation of electricity from coal and oil by 2030 and instead relying on power from wind, nuclear and geothermal sources.

It also entails cutting oil use for cars by 40 per cent. It calls for heavy investments in transmission capacity for wind and solar power in the Great Plains and desert Southwest to help cut 88 per cent of fossil fuel use and 95 per cent of carbon-dioxide emissions by 2030.

Environmental Activists Are Trying To Exploit Wall Street Bailout Bill

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:53:38 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: .......energy or natural resource development projects that the Greens oppose.

Once the U.S. Government owns the securities (and, thereby, the property) an omnipotent Paulson could essentially take the land out of circulation by "preserving" it as public land.

He could even claim — through the economic device of "contingent valuation" — that the acquired land has more value as pristine public land than as, say, an energy or logging project.

Contingent valuation uses opinion surveys to value intangible assets for which there is no market, such as scenic views and crystal-clear air.

Respondents are asked hypothetical questions like, "How much would you pay to preserve a seashore view from oil drilling?" or "How much is it worth to keep a forest pristine and un-logged?"

Though the whole process is pretend — the respondents know they won't actually spend any of their own money for this preservation — the government uses the method to establish monetary values of preserved la

Clip Source: junkscience.com

Friedman quoted a green-collar jobs proponent who said, "You can't base a national economy on credit cards. But you can base it on solar panels, wind turbines, smart biofuels and a massive program to weatherize every building and home in America."

Greens will likely be able to count on Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson to implement their agenda for them.

The former head of Goldman Sachs — who simultaneously headed up the Nature Conservancy and recently told Fortune magazine that action on global warming is crucial to the U.S. — is no stranger to using "other people's money" to implement the Green agenda on land secured by distressed debt.

Monday's rejection of the Wall Street bailout bill by the House has opened the door for the alternative-energy industry to again try to renew the tax credits about to expire for wind power projects such as the Pickens Plan.

Paulson could use bailout money to purchase debt securities that are secured by property either coveted by Greens or targeted for

Tags: bailout bill, environmentalists, "global warming" agenda, paulson