Solar Window Developer Sees Through

Posted on May 8, 2012 by quest

New Energy Technologies, Inc., a developer of SolarWindow, capable of generating electricity on see-through glass, today announced plans to introduce the Company’s novel electricity-generating technologies to commercial interests and industry participants with the appointment of its Vice President of Business & Technology Development, Mr. J. Patrick Thompson. Mr. Thompson is an accomplished industry executive and glass manufacturing-process engineer who brings particular expertise in solar, plastics and film, glass, and solar-glass segments – all important areas of commercial interest and technology development for New Energy’s SolarWindow™.“The ability to generate electricity on glass windows while remaining see-through is a truly disruptive industry breakthrough which could stand to change the way in which we power our homes, offices, and commercial businesses,” explained Mr. J. Patrick Thompson, the Company’s newly-appointed VP, Business and Technology Development. “I’m excited to be part of advancing New Energy’s SolarWindow™ towards commercialization and very much look forward to helping introduce our technology to industry and commercial interests.”

“Patrick has a proven track record with Fortune 100 companies in industry segments most important to the future development and eventual commercial launch of our novel technologies,” explained Mr. John A. Conklin, President and CEO of New Energy Technologies, Inc. “In the past few months, while serving on our Board of Advisors, Patrick’s advice and counsel have been invaluable. I’m proud to now welcome Patrick to our management team during this very exciting time, especially in light of the important development progress we’ve made with SolarWindow in recent months.”

Recently, the Company has achieved significant milestones in the development of its novel, SolarWindow™ technology, capable of generating electricity on see-through glass. Notably, in March, 2012 New Energy Technologies, Inc. and the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory announced the development of ‘invisible wires’ for transporting electricity on SolarWindow™. Weeks earlier, New Energy and the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory fabricated the institute’s largest-ever organic photovoltaic device. Previously, Company researchers successfully fabricated its latest working SolarWindow™ prototype using a faster, rapid scale-up process for applying solution-based coatings which generate electricity on glass.

Urban Farmers Growing Cities

Posted on May 3, 2012 by quest

Independent filmmakers and food activists Dan Susman and Andrew Monbouquette traveled the country producing, Growing Cities, a documentary about urban agriculture in America. After growing up in Omaha, Nebraska near factory farms and fast food outlets, they resolved to seek out the people who were growing food in a healthier, more sustainable way. “Everyone is really tired of hearing about all the problems with our food system,” says Susman, age 24. “So we figured it was time to show off the people who were doing something positive, right in their own backyards.”

He and his childhood friend, Monbouquette, also 24, visited more than eighty urban farmers—from rooftop gardeners to backyard chicken keepers to vegetable farmers – who are working to transform the way this country grows and distributes its food one vacant city lot at a time. GROWING CITIES asks how much power it has to revitalize our cities and change the way we eat. The film follows two friends on their journey across the country as they meet the men and women who are challenging the way this country grows and distributes its food, one vacant city lot, rooftop garden, and backyard chicken coop at a time.

Along the way they learn that this grassroots movement takes many forms – from those growing food in their backyards to activists seeking a meaningful alternative to the industrial food system, and more. At its core, the film asks people to re-imagine what’s possible in urban settings and consider creating GROWING CITIES of their own—places that are healthier, more sustainable, and socially just.

Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging A Reality

Jamba’s Got Juice With Youth

Posted on April 27, 2012 by quest

Jamba Juice Company a leading healthy, active lifestyle company, together with the National Gardening Association (NGA), announced the 2012 recipients of the Jamba “It’s All About the Fruit and Veggies” Grant Award Program. The announcement was made at a press conference and tour today at the Girard Children’s Community Garden in Washington DC.

“We’re proud to once again join the NGA to recognize educators, volunteers and local government leaders dedicated to teaching America’s youth about gardening and caring for the environment,” said James D. White, Chairman, President, and CEO, Jamba Juice Company. “Educating children early in their lives about the origins of fruits and vegetables and the importance of maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle is a good first step in the fight against childhood obesity.” “There is a growing disconnect among our youth between health, nutrition, and the food they eat,” added Mike Metallo, President and CEO, National Gardening Association. “Youth gardening programs, like Jamba’s “It’s All About The Fruits and Veggies” school garden grants, help to bridge that gap by turning book knowledge into hands-on experiential learning. We are delighted to be partnering with Jamba Juice in this important program and appreciate their commitment to encouraging everyone to form a healthy relationship with the foods they eat.”

Administered by the National Gardening Association (NGA), the grant program is designed to provide funding to local school and youth-focused community garden programs as a fun, innovative way to promote nutrition education, sustainability, and healthy lifestyle choices through garden experiences. The program also offers youth valuable, first-hand knowledge of how to seed, maintain and harvest fruit and vegetables. Out of 800 applicants, twenty grants were awarded by Jamba Juice and the NGA this year including three Washington DC youth gardening programs. The winning gardening programs demonstrated excellence in the areas of planning, community engagement, sustainability, and a strong dedication to promoting health and nutrition among youth. Winning applicants will receive packages valued at over $500 which includes gardening tools, a composter, raised bed, seeds, a curriculum and funds to purchase plants and soil amendments.

Water Farms Help Consumers Find Fresh Local Food

Posted on April 23, 2012 by quest

In honor of the 41st Earth Day the Recirculating Farms Coalition released a new interactive map that shows consumers where to buy fresh produce and seafood, and decorative plants and fish from innovative farms. The organization is a collaborative group of farmers, fishermen, educators, scientists and others who promote unique growing methods – recirculating farming.”Recirculating farms are amazing – they use inventive ways to be space, energy, and water efficient,” says Executive Director Marianne Cufone. “Because they can be so eco-friendly, Earth Day is the perfect time to get the word out that these farms are operating all over the U.S. Our new map helps people find and learn about them.”

Recirculating farms are what they sound like; they use naturally cleaned, recycled water, without soil, to raise plants and fish. There are many styles of recirculating farms, but generally they all fall into three categories: hydroponic (plants), aquaculture (fish), or aquaponic (plants and fish).Though recirculating technology is not new – it is similar to that used for ages in hanging gardens, fish ponds, and modernly in aquariums – it is ever improving. Today, these farms can grow more, in less space, using rainwater and renewable energy sources like solar power. Still, they are not well known in the U.S.

One focus for the Coalition is to raise awareness about these farms. Creating a map that shows commercial recirculating farms is a way to reach out to people who want to visit and purchase from the farms and are interested in supporting local, sustainable businesses.The new map uses color-coding to identify the type of farm and provides location and contact information. It is a work-in-progress, the Coalition expects to add more farms and additional details to each entry, including what is grown and where products can be purchased if they are sold off-site.”We are always learning about new recirculating farms, and farmers are contacting and joining the Coalition. This map will expand and be an important resource for consumers who want sustainably grown, fresh local food. We are excited to debut this in time for Earth Day, to help.

Eco Friendly Travelers Growing Greener

Hydroponics Leaders Merge To Serve Urban Farming

Posted on April 20, 2012 by quest

Terra Tech Corp. a leader in controlled agricultural products, announced that it has merged with GrowOp Technology Ltd., a cultivation equipment manufacturer focused on the rapidly emerging medical Cannabis market and maker of “The Big Bud.” Derek Peterson, CEO of GrowOp Technology and newly appointed CEO of parent company Terra Tech Corp., says that traditional urban agriculture shares many of the same technologies and processes that are utilized in the cultivation of medicinal cannabis. Much of the technology that exists today has been funded by commercial cannabis cultivation.“Urban agriculture is a remarkable solution for effectively and efficiently feeding our global population, while delivering a product that is significantly more healthy for both the consumer and the planet,” said Peterson. “If not for cannabis being one of the largest cash crops of this country, the industry would be years behind in technological advancements.”

“Farming is going both urban as well as vertical, and tools like ours are going to be the staples of this new city-centric approach to agriculture,” said Peterson. “We are excited about the opportunity in this market, especially in terms of consolidation, and we plan to implement an aggressive acquisition campaign now that we are a public company.” “As more cultivation moves indoors, urban farmers need a new set of tools to regulate and manage these operations. The global population is growing exponentially, forcing us to seek out and adopt alternative methods for food production. Indoor, vertical and greenhouse cultivation are potential answers to many of our existing agricultural limitations,” suggests Russell Winnett, COO and lead design engineer of GrowOp Tech.

With a global population of approximately 7 billion, scarcity of food and the resources to produce it are rapidly becoming a concern. This increased need to sustain our population puts a strain on other global resources as the production and transportation of food significantly increases greenhouse gas emissions. Terra Tech believes this coupled with greater access to information and understanding that locally grown produce is not only better for the environment but also has a higher degree of nutrition has led to this current surge in hydroponically grown crops. Terra Tech intends to position itself to capitalize on this “growing” market. Locally grown produce is not only better for the environment but also has a higher degree of nutrition has led to this current surge in hydroponically grown crops.

Solar Power Has Ripple Effect On Job Creation

Even The Water Commutes To LA

Posted on March 28, 2012 by quest

Robert Redford a longtime pioneer in the environmental movement joins his son Jamie Redford to narrate Watershed, a new documentary produced by Jamie Redford who resides in Northern California. The film focuses attention on the human demands being placed on the 250 mile Colorado River. Watershed was recently featured at the D.C. Environmental Film Festival.

Watershed

Advancements in Solar Energy Efficiency

Sometimes breakthroughs in technology are inch by inch. Think of the early days of the personal computer industry when new simply meant faster processors and more disk space. Such is the case with solar panels today. SunPower Corp, a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of high efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems today announced that its third generation SunPower Maxeon solar cell is now in commercial production. This world-record efficiency solar cell delivers sunlight to electricity conversion efficiency of up to 24 percent.

$artist Sven Geier fractal art work breakthrough 300x225 Even The Water Commutes To LA$ “We’re pleased to move our world-record breaking efficiency solar cell from the lab into commercial production,” said Tom Werner, SunPower president and CEO. “With the new Maxeon solar cells, offering efficiencies of up to 24 percent, SunPower continues to lead the industry in technology innovation, delivering to its customers the highest efficiency, most reliable solar panels for guaranteed performance.”The new Maxeon solar cells are currently being integrated into select SunPower solar panels that deliver efficiencies exceeding 20 percent. These panels contain up to 128 solar cells per panel and will be availability in limited quantities in 2012.

The new cell has low reverse-bias breakdown voltage to deliver better performance in shady and dusty conditions, and better temperature coefficient for increased energy harvest in hot environments. The new Maxeon solar cell offers improved aesthetics with a consistent, homogenous, sleek black look.