Berkeley and Stanford Racing in 2011 World Solar Challenge

Posted on August 26, 2011 by quest

Panasonic Corporation of North America has announced their support for student teams in the Darwin-to-Adelaide, 3,021-kilometer 2011 World Solar Challenge in Australia this October. Panasonic is providing the latest Lithium Ion battery technologies for use with solar-powered vehicles engineered by undergraduate teams from the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University in the seven day drive through the Australian Outback. Yesterday’s announcement came at Infineon Raceway’s first Accelerating Sustainable Performance Summit, a day-long forum for innovators and thought-leaders to explore prospects for sustainable automotive development and performance-oriented marketing of green cars. Peter Fannon, Vice President, Technology Policy, Panasonic Corporation of North America was on hand to wish the two teams the best of luck in proving their innovative solar car designs in the grueling Australian Outback environment.

“These teams are truly proving the power of nature’s most ubiquitous fuel, the sun, and helping advance the time when sun power can be a routine part of transportation, and more in our daily lives,” said Mr. Fannon. “Panasonic is pleased to be part of realizing this vision.”In addition to the Lithium Ion batteries that will power the vehicles, Panasonic will also equip the two teams with ruggedized LUMIX digital cameras and Full HD camcorders to enable them to record their performance in the 1,877 mile vehicle endurance test. Although the cars competing in the World Solar Challenge are powered by solar energy, the sun’s rays are converted to electricity, which must be stored when not used immediately. This excess energy is stored in high-efficiency Lithium Ion batteries and is then used to power the vehicles when solar power is not feasible, for example, when it is cloudy or at night.

A prestigious event that attracts the world’s best technical universities and colleges, the World Solar Challenge aims to help discover new automotive technologies that rely on the power of the sun by engaging student teams to develop electric vehicles for a week-long race across the Australian Outback. Currently in its 11th year, the 2011 event will host teams from all over the world to participate in the 3,021-kilometer journey. Dedicated to the goal of becoming the number one green business innovation leader in the electronics industry by 2018, Panasonic pledges to practice prudent, sustainable use of the earth’s natural resources and protect our environment through the company’s Eco Ideas programs.

Japan Energy Law To Cut Nukes, Boost Solar, Wind

Solar Trees Powering Electric Vehicles

Posted on August 25, 2011 by quest

Envision Solar International, Inc., a leading sustainable infrastructure product designer and developer, today announced that the company has commenced work on 15 electric-vehicle (EV) charging enabled Solar Tree structures with their integrated EnvisionTrak proprietary and patent pending tracking systems for a major US Government entity. The project will generate over $800,000 of revenue for the company and is expected to be completed in Q4 of 2011.

Envision Solar’s President and CEO, Desmond Wheatley, said, “Our ability to deliver high quality products to equally high quality customers with whom we have huge scaling potential is key to our growth strategy. This deployment of 15 of our CleanCharge enabled EnvisionTrak Solar Tree structures for the world’s largest customer is another significant indication of our ability to repeatedly execute on that strategy. We are proud and delighted to have been selected for this very high visibility project and look forward to many more.”

Company Chairman and Founder Robert Noble stated, “We are excited about seeing 15 of our iconic, archetypal “Smart Trees™” deployed at this highly visible location right here in our home town, San Diego. For many years to come, visitors to this Solar Grove will be able to charge their EVs, see clean energy generation in action, up close, and experience the sheer pleasure of a shady park of beautiful Solar Trees. It is truly an honor for us to be working on such a forward-looking project which we know will be a powerful demonstration of the government’s growing real commitment to a sustainable future.”

Elon Musk Donates Solar Power Project to Japan

Clean Cities TV Produces Electric Vehicle Video

Posted on August 24, 2011 by quest

Internet TV Network, TV Worldwide , recently completed production and launch of a training video on home installation and inspection requirements for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). The video was created for Clean Cities TV , the educational Internet TV channel the company produces, in support of the U.S. Department of Energy‘s Clean Cities program. The video provides vital information for electrical contractors and inspectors as they assist homeowners in ensuring that proper residential EVSE standards, practices and safety precautions are followed.
The video is part of a series of live and recorded educational Internet programs on the Clean Cities TV channel. CCTV was launched in April to support Clean Cities and its mission to reduce U.S. petroleum consumption through the use of alternative and renewable fuels, idle reduction, fuel economy measures, and new emerging technologies.

The new video features input from experts who have been engaged in the development of standards and specifications for proper design and installation of EVSEs. These approaches are customized to support a full spectrum of residential applications. “Proper EVSE installation is so vital to the national goal to get 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015, so it is very rewarding to support this effort, deploying our Internet TV capabilities to educate and inform,” stated Dave Gardy, Chairman and CEO of TV Worldwide.

TV Worldwide’s network of Internet TV channels currently offers several different target demographic audiences, including the National League of Cities TV , produced in cooperation with the National League of Cities. “We’re making sure that viewers on other channels such as our NLC TV audience of 22,000 city decision makers in 1,600 member cities are aware of this content, not only from the standpoint of what constituents need to know about residential installations, but also because of the future decisions city leaders need to make in deploying charging installations at the municipal level. We’re learning that across all alternative fuel technologies, once cities know about Clean Cities program solutions that have been deployed successfully, they find real savings — an important consideration in this time of tight municipal budgets,” Gardy said.

Food Sustainability Forum to be held at Claremont Resort

New Urban Farming Laws In The Big Apple

Posted on August 18, 2011 by quest

While the latest poll numbers show popular support for Mayor Mike Bloomberg cooling off, the Mayor took action today on one the hottest issues in New York City – local food. Earlier today at City Hall, Bloomberg signed a package of laws that will help increase the amount of fresh, local food available in the city. This package of legislation is a key component of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn‘s highly praised “FoodWorks” plan, which is designed to significantly overhaul our regional food system. One bill requires the city to collect and publish “metrics” on how food is produced, processed, distributed, and consumed in the region. These metrics include everything from counting the number of restaurants in the city, to tracking the number of vendors at greenmarkets, to recording how much food is transported by truck or by rail. Having this baseline information can help officials make better decisions about how we get our food and how to improve its impact on public health and the environment.
Another bill calls for the creation of procurement guidelines to encourage city agencies to buy food grown or processed in New York State. (Without a change of state procurement law, which the City Council is also calling for in an official Resolution, NYC is currently hindered in encouraging the purchase of food from farmers in neighboring states.) Two other bills in the package promote urban agriculture and rooftop farming. By helping urban farming to flourish, New York may someday serve as a model for the benefits of truly sustainable, local agriculture.

I had the opportunity to testify on these food bills this past Spring, and now that they’ve passed, the sentiment is the same: New York has enormous potential to become a national leader in providing sustainable, local food, and these bills are a good first step in reforming our food system. At the same time, as we testified, ultimately the city will need to put in place concrete purchasing targets for buying regional food and define what constitutes “sustainable” food (just because it is local doesn’t necessarily mean it is healthy or better for the environment). Mark Izeman-Natural Resources Defense Council

SunPower and Ford Offer ‘Drive Green for Life’

New Solar And Clean Energy Bill Set For Japan

Posted on August 18, 2011 by quest

By Chisaki Watanabe and Sachiko Sakamaki - Japan’s lower house of parliament is set to pass legislation to subsidize renewable energy amid a push to reduce dependence on nuclear power, paving the way for Prime Minister Naoto Kan to quit as early as next week. The bill requires utilities to buy electricity generated by geothermal, solar and wind sources at above-market rates in order to stimulate investment in renewable energy, which accounts for 9 percent of Japan’s power supply. Kan last month called for phasing out atomic power after the March earthquake and tsunami caused the worst nuclear disaster in 25 years.

Passage of the bill marks the last of three legislative goals Kan set down before fulfilling a pledge to resign. His popularity has dropped over his handling of the quake and the crippling of Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima atomic power plant. An opposition politician yesterday said the lower house vote, originally scheduled for today, may be delayed. Introducing the subsidies, known as feed-in tariffs, may help companies like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., which makes wind turbines and develops geothermal plants, and solar panels makers Panasonic Corp. and Sharp Corp. Japan aims to increase the size of the renewable energy market to 10 trillion yen ($130 billion) by 2020, from about 1 trillion yen in 2009, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said

Consumers Willing to Pay More for Sustainable Apparel

Cadillac Electric Vehicle ELR Comes To Life

Posted on August 18, 2011 by quest

The innovative Cadillac Converj Concept, a dramatic luxury coupe with extended-range electric vehicle technology, is moving forward as a production car that will be called the Cadillac ELR. Development of the ELR is just underway, so details on performance, price and timing will be announced later. The Cadillac ELR will feature an electric propulsion system made up of a T-shaped lithium ion battery, an electric drive unit, and a four-cylinder engine-generator. It uses electricity as its primary source to drive the car without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the battery’s energy is low, the ELR seamlessly switches to extended-range mode to enable driving for hundreds of additional miles.

“The concept generated instant enthusiasm,” said Don Butler, vice president-Cadillac Marketing. “Like other milestone Cadillac models of the past, the ELR will offer something not otherwise present – the combination of electric propulsion with striking design and the fun of luxury coupe driving.” Cadillac selected the name ELR to indicate the car’s electric propulsion technology, in keeping with the brand’s 3-letter international model naming convention.
The Converj Concept sparked the idea of combining the desirability of a grand touring coupe with electrification, said Ed Welburn, GM vice president, Global Design.“There’s no mistaking it for anything but a Cadillac, an aggressive, forward-leaning profile and proportion showcases a uniquely shaped, modern vision of a personal luxury 2+2,” Welburn said.