Obama Starts Federal Electric Vehicle Fleet

Posted on May 26, 2011 by quest

Today, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, General Services Administrator Martha Johnson, and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley announced a major step in moving the Federal fleet further towards advanced vehicles and decreased petroleum consumption, while also cutting costs associated with fuel consumption. Implementation of these new requirements will move the government to purchasing 100 percent alternative fuel vehicles by 2015 and drive agencies to meet the required 30 percent decrease in petroleum consumption by 2020 under Executive Order 13514 on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance signed by President Obama in October 2009.

In conjunction with the Memorandum, the General Services Administration (GSA) today launched a pilot project to incorporate electric vehicles and technologies into the Federal fleet. GSA announced its initial purchase of more than 100 electric vehicles for a vehicle pilot. These vehicles will be leased to 20 agencies, including the Department of Energy, and will be located in Washington, DC; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA; and San Francisco, CA. As manager of Federal fleets and buildings, GSA will also coordinate with these agencies to establish necessary infrastructure for fueling and recharging at Federal building locations receiving the first round of vehicles.

“As the nation’s largest vehicle fleet operator, the President’s fleet management directives and GSA’s electric vehicle pilot will cut the Federal fleet’s petroleum use and support the development of domestic, clean energy technologies – supporting the President’s goal of cutting imports by a third by 2025 and continuing to build a 21st century clean energy economy, while also saving taxpayer dollars,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

EVA MENDES A GREEN CELEBRITY

Oregon Sustainability Center Solar and Ion Ready

Posted on May 25, 2011 by quest

SANYO North America Corporation and InSpec Group announce a new 679-kilowatt solar system to be designed and installed by InSpec for the Oregon Sustainability Center in Portland, Oregon. The project also includes a 30-kilowatt hour large-scale lithium-ion battery storage system, which will be connected in line with the rooftop PV system, capable of supplying DC electricity for applications such as LED lighting. InSpec will be managing the solar and smart energy system design and installation for the building which is expected to be completed by the beginning of 2013, and will employ SANYO solar modules and batteries.

“The Oregon Sustainability Center is proactive in their use of green building materials, and the choice of SANYO HIT modules makes sense, as they are perfect for these types of powerful rooftop system installations, where space is limited,” said Charles Hanasaki, president of the Solar and Smart Energy Division. “We value our partnership with InSpec because they share our vision of helping customers to achieve a reduction in energy consumption from non-renewable sources and improving efficiency of energy used.” Yasuyoshi Kawanishi, president of SANYO Solar of Oregon, LLC, added, “Living in Oregon, our engineers are inspired by sustainability, and it makes us proud that our work is becoming a part of Oregon, especially in a landmark building like the Oregon Sustainability Center.”

The Oregon Sustainability Center is planned to be a future home to Oregon’s leaders in sustainable business, government, and education. The structure is designed to be the greenest high-rise ever built, with locally-sourced building materials, its own energy generation and ways to collect and treat water on-site, qualifying it for Living Building Challenge certification, which requires meeting net-zero energy and water performance as well as toxin free, locally-sourced materials. The Oregon Sustainability Center will be a showcase for green building, green business and community development. The building will demonstrate sustainable practices and will offer ways to connect the community to state and local sustainability resources, including green job training opportunities.

SOLAR GOLF CART

Sahara Desert Solar Power Vision Gets Reaction

Posted on May 24, 2011 by quest

A plan to turn the desert sunshine of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) into electricity, both for the region and for export to Europe, has been criticised for ignoring the needs of local people and the science community.

Critics say that the Desertec Industrial Initiative’s (Dii) centralised, top-down approach means that electrification may not benefit the desert people and may stifle capacity-building in the region’s science community.

They were speaking on the sidelines of the Solar Energy for Science Symposium in Germany this week (19–20 May), held to push the project forward and explore the potential for scientific collaborations between Europe and MENA.

The symposium was organised by the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), with Egypt’s Academy of Scientific Research and Technology and the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME), in Jordan.

Desertec aims to harness the huge solar and wind resources across the deserts of MENA, delivering up to 15 per cent of Europe’s electricity needs by 2050 via high-voltage transmission lines. Feasibility studies are on the way after which funding of up to US$400 billion will be sought. Hamed El-Mously, chairman of the Egyptian Society for Endogenous Development of Local Communities, said the project was ignoring the wishes of local people. Desert people have not

One Block Off the Grid Launches Solar Lease in Los Angeles

Building the World’s Greenest Skycraper

Posted on May 24, 2011 by quest

The new Pittsburgh headquarters of PNC Financial building expected to set standard for green construction. The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. announced today that it plans to construct the world’s most environmentally friendly skyscraper. The Tower at PNC Plaza will be located on the Southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and Wood Street, the same Pittsburgh intersection where PNC has been headquartered for more than 150 years. Once complete in 2015, the approximately 40 story building will serve as PNC’s executive offices. At approximately 800,000 square feet, the Tower at PNC Plaza would be PNC’s largest building in Pittsburgh. Tentative plans call for approximately 300 underground parking spaces, street level retail and green rooftops. Erecting the planned $400 million Tower should create 2,500 construction jobs, with 500 workers at a time on the site during peak periods.

PNC opened its first green building in 2000. At that time, the 650,000 square foot PNC Firstside Center, on Pittsburgh’s First Avenue, was the largest LEED-certified building in the world. In 2010, PNC opened Three PNC Plaza, on Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh, one of the largest LEED-certified mixed use buildings in the United States. PNC, which has more newly constructed buildings LEED-certified by the USGBC than any company on Earth, recently completed its latest green office building in Washington, D.C. LEED Platinum certified PNC Place at 800 17th Street sits just blocks from the White House and serves as PNC’s regional headquarters in the capital.The Tower at PNC Plaza will feature a double glass facade to enhance energy efficiency by reducing cooling costs and allowing natural airflow to the building. Using advanced sensors and metering, a state-of-the-art, high efficiency heating and cooling system will deliver conditioned air to specific zones of the building, as needed. The building will be oriented to take advantage of sunlight in workspaces, reducing the need for artificial light during the day.

The design team is also currently exploring fuel cells, solar panels, geothermal systems and other alternative power generation sources that will significantly reduce carbon emissions. The building’s green rooftops will collect rainwater and channel it for use in other parts of the structure, as well as reduce the heat gain associated with traditional rooftops.

PNC will own the building and occupy all of the office space, with tenants in the retail spaces at street level. The project is being designed by the Pittsburgh office of Gensler, the world’s largest architectural and design firm and the design architects for both Three PNC Plaza and PNC Place. Pittsburgh-based PJ Dick will serve as construction manager and U.K.-based Buro Happold will be the engineering firm. Paladino & Company of Seattle serves as the green building consultant.

DISCOVER SOLAR STOCKS

Eco Friendly Sustainable Clothes You Grow

Posted on May 22, 2011 by quest

The concept for BioCouture originated during the research for Suzanne Leeʼs book ʻFashioning The Future: tomorrowʼs wardrobe.’ A serendipitous conversation in 2003 with Dr. David Hepworth, a biologist and materials scientist, presented a new vision of future fashion – one that emerges fully-formed from a vat of liquid.

Rather than exploit plants or petrochemicals to provide the raw material for fabric BioCouture is  investigating the use of microbes to grow a textile biomaterial. Certain bacteria will spin  microfibrils of pure cellulose during fermentation which form a dense layer that can be harvested and dried. It can then either be used wet or molded onto a 3D form, like a dress shape, or dry it flat and then cut and sewed into a garment. From there it can readily be dyed and printed on the material and since it requires far less dye than other fibres it has a huge environmental advantage.

With so many environmental concerns related to the production, consumption and disposal of fashion textiles BioCouture is pioneering a new eco-friendly and sustainable alternative. The future scale up of this material would also seek to use waste streams, for example from the food or drinks industry, to fuel the microbial-cellulose production.

What Suzanne started as a fashion project has now evolved into a bio materials project. They are only just  beginning to imagine what other uses there might be for this material. Right now these clothes  are experimental prototypes and not commercially available, and, as the material is still in development. See: Susanne Lee on growing clothes

NEW YORK ECO FASHION WEEK

Solar Energy Rooftop Project The Biggest in Canada

Posted on May 21, 2011 by quest

In a move hailed as the biggest rooftop solar energy project in Canada, the Toronto District School Board has approved a $445 million deal to add solar panels to almost every school roof over the next 20 years at no cost to taxpayers. Moreover, the company that will install the suncatchers will spend up to $121 million to repair millions of square feet of rooftop and give the board a share of the profits expected from selling the solar energy.

“This is groundbreaking; this reduces greenhouse gases and provides a learning opportunity for our students and leaves a legacy for more than 20 years — this is extraordinary,” said Trustee Howard Goodman. AMP Solar Ltd. Partnerships has offered to install panels on up to 450 of the board’s 524 roofs, replacing the worst roofs in the first three years. While Trustee Stephnie Payne warned the deal seemed too good to be true, Board Chair Chris Bolton called it “amazing” and said educators from around the world are calling for details. The solar panels are expected to generate 66 megawatts of green energy a year when all are installed, enough to meet the needs of some 6,000 average Toronto homes. Under the terms of the deal, AMP Solar Ltd. will be responsible for construction, technology, power generation, financing, roofing, operations and maintenance. It will pay the board rent for the rooftop space it uses for the panels.

Moreover, students will be able to learn about energy conservation by tracking the energy generated on the roof, noted Goodman. “Our students will not only be able to track the relationship between sunlight and electricity production, they will be going to school every day in a working power plant,” he said. “This will make abstract concepts tangible and inspire many of them to build their own small-scale model power plants, look into the work of Einstein, ponder the mysteries of quantum physics, investigate the economics of power production and consider the relative environmental and health impacts of different energy sources.” The board will unveil further details of the plan Thursday morning at Hillcrest Junior Public School near St. Clair Ave. W. and Bathurst St. Hillcrest already has solar panels on its roof that have inspired an after-school club called the Solar Inventors, which meets once a week to discuss solar energy and find ways to harness its power. The amount of power generated by the new project will vary from school to school, depending on the amount of sunlight each gets on its roof, said staff. AMP will invest a total of $450 million in the project, for which it hopes to raise about $106 million from the private sector and borrow the rest.