Hydropower runs through it

Posted on November 27, 2010 by quest

RainPower a Norwegian technology company has set up a new subsidiary company in Sweden and has also entered into a cooperation agreement with engineering firm KTAB to become a fully integrated provider of hydropower technology and services in the Swedish market. Since it was set up in 2007, RainPower has developed proprietary turbine technology at its hydropower laboratory in Trondheim.

CEO Svein Ole Strømmen of RainPower said “Establishing Rainpower in Norway has been very successful, and we feel that the time is right to take a look at the exciting hydropower market in Sweden.” “KTAB is an engineering company that has developed hydropower expertise in Kristinehamn. This expertise combined with a highly qualified technical team in Kristinehamn and innovative research environment in Norway will create a competitive total supplier of hydropower services in Sweden for planning, production, maintenance and service.

RainPower has employees at Kjeller, Sørumsand in Trondheim, Oslo and Hangzhou in China. The company, which is based on Kvaerner’s and General Electric’s hydropower expertise, supplies, hydroelectric turbines and all associated equipment for the production of clean electricity.

QUESTPOINT IS MOBILE

A Peak at California environmental leadership

Posted on November 25, 2010 by quest

The Energy Coalition has been named by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as one of the 2010 winners of the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for its PEAK Student Energy Actions Program. “In a world where energy is a precious commodity, smart energy management is critical for the economic success of California,” says PEAK Program Manager Nikole Reaksecker. “PEAK creates a generation of individuals capable of controlling their energy future. The program recognizes that to effectively manage energy use, students must understand the entire energy equation from the science of how energy is created to the environmental ramifications of electrical generation and the financial impact of energy use on household budgets.”

PEAK is a statewide, standards-based educational program designed to empower elementary and middle school students with the knowledge and skills to manage energy use in their homes, schools and communities. The Energy Coalition has been developing energy initiatives with partners in the United States and Sweden for almost thirty years.
The organization’s purpose is to mobilize, educate, inform and empower individuals to change the way they think about and use energy. The Energy Coalition, which won the award for the best children’s environmental education program, is one of only 13 award recipients recognized at the Governor’s Global Climate Summit in Davis. Award recipients were chosen in ten categories based on their programs’ results, transferability, environmental impact, resource conservation, economic progress, innovation and uniqueness, pollution prevention and environmental justice.

ECO FRIENDS SHOP

A sustainable rainforest reserve in South America

Posted on November 24, 2010 by quest

World Land Trust-US and BTS USA, a strategic consulting firm have agreed to purchase and protect 100 acres of threatened tropical rainforest in South America’s Chocó biogeographic region. BTS made a donation to the organization, which prevents deforestation through strategic land purchase, as part of a commitment to sustainability. BTS USA’s donation will assist in establishing the Las Tangaras Nature Reserve in Colombia. In addition to safeguarding an expanse of rainforest and species, the Las Tangaras Reserve will also protect the watershed of the Rio Atrato – the Chocó’s most important river – which serves as a vital economic resource for tens of thousands of inhabitants living in poor rural communities. Future strategic land purchases would also benefit communities of the Embera indigenous group – by creating a buffer between indigenous lands and non-native colonizers.

Jonas Åkerman, president of BTS USA said, “continued success and growth brings with it a responsibility to build more sustainability into our business by supporting a more sustainable world. From the simulations we develop for our clients to our own employees, we are seeing sustainability reach a critical priority and we’re pleased to be able to fulfill our responsibility through this excellent organization, where we know the investment will be extremely productive.”

World Land Trust-US is a conservation organization that specializes in land purchase for biodiversity protection, working with local partners to acquire and save threatened tropical rainforests and other habitats for endangered species. Over the past 21 years, WLT-US has protected over 1.6 million acres for biodiversity conservation.

ECOTOURISM

Bob Marley Eco Friendly Products ready for holidays

Posted on November 23, 2010 by quest

The Billabong X Bob Marley Collection; a collaboration with Marley & Co. will be available November 25th, in time for the holidays in better surf and specialty stores. Billabong develops earth-friendly, innovative products that adhere to the Marley family’s core values: Equality, authenticity, and sustainability. Or as Bob might put it: “Make way for the positive day.”Working with the Marley family to interpret their vision of their father on to our garments has been inspiring,” notes Billabong Design Director Rob McCarty. “Cedella and Ziggy have provided great insight to make this collaboration a success.”

The Billabong X Bob Marley collection is made using premium recycled and organic materials, supporting environmentally safe products. This means less pollution, with superior quality, function and performance. The collection will be marketed in store, online and print. Consisting of boardshorts, tee shirts, tank tops, and selected accessories, the line reflects the energy, passion and fun that infused Marley’s life.

Billabong produces active lifestyle clothing, accessories and related products designed and distributed to a worldwide customer base of board riders. Marley & Co. is a lifestyle branding company offering unique partnerships with leading manufacturers and retailers worldwide to create branded products in categories such as footwear, apparel, consumer electronics, personal care, home and outdoor, food and beverage and action sports.

BOB MARLEY -

VISIT GREEN NEWS WALL

Solar cell production takes off

Posted on November 23, 2010 by quest

Spectrolab, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing, has started mass production of its newest terrestrial solar cell, the C3MJ+. With an average conversion efficiency of almost 40%. At 39.2 percent, C3MJ+ will be the industry’s highest-efficiency cell. Spectrolab is the world’s leading supplier of multi-junction photovoltaic solar cells, solar panels, searchlights and solar simulators have powered satellites since 1958 and have contributed to the on-orbit success of numerous commercial, national security, and civil space missions. Today, Spectrolab cells power 60 percent of all satellites orbiting the Earth, as well as the International Space Station. Spectrolab has made significant investments to meet the increasing demand of the terrestrial concentrator photovoltaic industry and expects to achieve a 40 percent average production efficiency for terrestrial solar cells in 2011.

Cape Wind creates Energy and jobs for Massachusetts

Jim Gordon, President of Cape Wind said, “Massachusetts is now in a position to become a global leader in offshore wind power creating thousands of new jobs and a more secure, hopeful energy future.” Cape Wind passed another major milestone today with the approval by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) of the 15-year Power Purchase Agreement with National Grid to buy Cape Wind’s energy, capacity and renewable energy credits.”Today’s approval validates that Cape Wind is a good value delivering clean energy without all of the associated costs of fossil fuels. This long-term contract not only secures an abundant, inexhaustible clean energy resource but protects consumers from rising fossil fuel and environmental compliance costs.”

The DPU decision culminates a comprehensive six-month review of unprecedented scope, including 13 days of evidentiary hearings with testimony from 15 witnesses, 1,362 exhibits and nearly 3,000 transcript pages. This project announcements powers the creation of over 1,000 new manufacturing, staging, assembly, construction, and operations jobs in Massachusetts. In addition, Siemens has opened their North American Offshore Wind office in Boston because of Cape Wind.

ECO FRIENDS SHOP

Green innovators connect to create electric vehicles

Posted on November 21, 2010 by quest

Green Vehicles a plug electric car innovator and battery industry leader Leyden Energy have created a new technology partnership at Green Vehicles’ new factory location in Salinas, CA. The company has also recently received a $2.05 million grant from the California Energy Commission. President and co-founder Mike Ryan said “Green Vehicles is innovating in a new category of automobile, clean commuter mobility. The Triac directly addresses the growing demand among daily drivers who want affordable transportation that is the most environmentally responsible available.” The company aims for zero waste in manufacturing and vehicle recycling — making the Triac truly green, not just on the road, but throughout its product life cycle.

Leyden Energy will co-locate its battery test equipment alongside the manufacturing operations at the 80,000 square-foot Green Vehicles factory. This integration into the production process improves whole-system quality assurance and reduces production time. “Leyden Energy lithium-ion battery technology innovator formerly known as Mobius Power, sees great potential in partnering with Green Vehicles to address the needs of environmental and cost-conscious commuters,” said Leyden Energy CEO Aakar Patel. “Our high energy-density, highly reliable battery technology is a perfect fit for efficient, lightweight automotive applications like the Triac.”

Green Vehicles was born out of necessity in 2007. The company’s founders wanted all-electric transportation options for their day-to-day needs, but no practical solutions then existed. Green Vehicles has been building and shipping vehicles based on lithium-ion battery technology since 2009.