Caltech activates and researches solar energy

Posted on October 22, 2010 by quest

National power financier Perpetual Energy Systems and California Institute of Technology (Caltech) today announced the activation of a 1.1 mega watt (MW) solar energy system. The system is part of Caltech’s goal of 1.3MW of solar power installed by 2010. The project is expected to generate an estimated 1,646,668 kilowatt hours of clean energy in its first full year of operation. The new solar power system will eliminate approximately 1,150 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) in its first year of operations, which is equivalent to removing 222 cars from the nation’s roads or planting 252 acres of trees.

John Onderdonk, Caltech’s Sustainability Manager said,“This recent installation, which brings Caltech’s total installed solar capacity to 1,300 kW represents two percent of the Institute’s energy consumption and contributes significantly to our plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020; Our agreement with Perpetual allows the Institute all the advantages of solar, but without the financial outlay for the installation and maintenance. This is a win-win situation for us and we look forward to working with them again on future solar installations.” Caltech entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Perpetual to host the solar installations, enabling Caltech to host solar with no capital outlay. Under the agreement Caltech will purchase clean solar energy produced by each installation at a predetermined, fixed rate. The system is owned and operated by Perpetual.

More than 4,500 solar panels comprise the system, which will generate electricity from the rooftops of seven structures on the Caltech Campus.The Cahill Center is one of the selected buildings and is Caltech’s first building to achieve USGBC LEED gold-level certification. Back in July U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman awarded Caltech $122 million to research solar energy over five years with a multidisciplinary team of top scientists to establish an Energy Innovation Hub; aimed at developing revolutionary methods to generate fuels directly from sunlight. The hub will include Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and will be directed by Nathan S. Lewis, George L. Argyros Professor and professor of chemistry at Caltech.

ROBERT F KENNEDY JR ON RENEWABLE ENERGY

GREEN: WEBINARS

LA charging up

Posted on October 18, 2010 by quest

In a city like Los Angeles where everything is dependent on the automobile this is a move in the right direction. LA Metro, EV Connect and the California Energy Commission will be conducting a pilot program to assess the integration of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) into the transportation network and consumer behavior and ridership patterns.

EV Connect has 15 years of experience in the electric vehicle industry and is now a leading provider of EV Infrastructure solutions dedicated to widespread electric vehicle adoption of electrified transportation. EV Connect also services the entire spectrum of businesses and municipalities that are well-placed to benefit from the EV revolution as charging station hosts, including universities, hotels and resorts, and big box retailers and shopping centers.

“This project will bring the city of Los Angeles closer to achieving its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 35 percent below 1990 levels by 2030,” said Energy Commissioner Anthony Eggert. “The Energy Commission is proud to be a part of this first-of-its-kind PEV infrastructure rollout with EV Connect and Metro.” The transportation emissions accounts for 40 percent of greenhouse gas in the State of California. So this project could have a great impact. “We are looking forward to the success of this pilot effort, which will encourage drivers of plug-in electric vehicles to use Metro while charging their vehicles at our transit stations,” said Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe. “At Metro we demonstrate best practices in sustainability with over 2,500 clean air buses along with a commitment in building all new transit facilities to LEED standards. This project is another example of how Metro is protecting the environment.” Several sites around LA have been selected for the project.

“This is the first study of its kind to analyze the integration of EV solutions into a transit network,” said Jordan Ramer, CEO of EV Connect. “The data procured from this study will establish industry benchmarks on charge and ride commuters which will help shape the future of multi modal transportation.”

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

First Solar to build two new manufacturing plants

Posted on October 15, 2010 by quest

Tempe, Arizona based industry leader First Solar, Inc. has announced plans to build two new manufacturing plants. This will boost the company’s annual manufacturing capacity by nearly 500 MW to help meet strong demand for its advanced thin-film photovoltaic modules. First Solar manufactures solar modules with an advanced semiconductor technology and provides comprehensive photovoltaic (PV) system solutions. The benefits of thin film photovoltaic technology over silicon is that they are generally less expensive to produce, can be produced much faster than silicon, they are thinner and more easier incorporated into building materials, paints, and fabrics.

The new plants announced today, combined with these previously announced expansions, will nearly double production capacity from 1.4 GW in 2010 to more than 2.7 GW in 2012. The plants are expected to be built in the United States and Vietnam and completed in 2012. Each new plant will create approximately 600 green jobs and will be designed to accommodate additional production capacity. Negotiations and site assessments are ongoing in both countries and will be finalized and announced at a later date.

“These expansions provide proximity to growing U.S. demand while supporting our roadmap to drive down the cost of clean, sustainable solar electricity,” said First Solar CEO Rob Gillette.”Effective government policies provide long-term visibility and enable sustainable markets.” In addition to the increase in manufacturing employment, First Solar expects to generate over 1,000 construction jobs through the installation of solar power plants from the company’s 2.2 GW North American project pipeline.

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Eco leader Marriott reduces energy & greenhouse gas

Posted on October 11, 2010 by quest

Since 2007, Marriott International has reduced its energy consumption by 11 percent, reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 10.7 percent, and is on track to meet its aggressive goal of a 25 percent decrease in energy and water consumption per available room by 2017. These results are among those reported to shareholders, customers, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), associates and other stakeholders in the company’s first official Sustainability Report using the guidelines set forth by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), making Marriott the first major U.S.-based hospitality management company to report in accordance with this initiative. J.W. Marriott, Jr., Chairman and CEO, Marriott International, Inc. said

Surfer Dudes make Rapanui Eco Fashion Cool

Posted on October 9, 2010 by quest

Rapanui has just won the UK 2010 Sustainable Business Awards and now employs 12 full time staff in its office in Bembridge. This achievement is even more remarkable considering the brand was founded with only $316 of savings in University halls; recognized when Rapanui won a runners-up place at the 2010 Enterprising Young Brits Awards. The Brothers’ ethos of ‘doing business the right way’ won them a finalist place at the 2010 RSPCA Good Business Awards. Rapanui was set up by brothers Mart and Rob Drake-Knight in early 2008 now aged 23 and 25 respectively. Through surfing they saw and experienced the changing environment and climate at their local beach and as inspired, unemployed graduates in a recession, they took a different path; if you can’t find a job, make one. The aim still is to inform through the brand and mix eco with trend – to make it fashionable for people to go green.

Rapanui makes clothing from natural organic fabrics in a Fair Trade audited, wind powered factory. They say it’s not that people don’t care about child labor, the environment, our climate, it’s just they don’t know. They make it easier for people to see where clothing comes from and how it is made so they can make informed choices. It’s called Traceability. The brand’s forte is its radical approach to Sustainability: Rapanui take a total life cycle approach to their product’s human, environmental and climatic impact, and address each aspect. This is not a clothing company ticking the green box. This is a company aiming to change the entire fashion industry. Rapanui uses Certified Organic fabrics, Fair-Trade labor and Renewable Energy.

Rapanui has held Seminars and Lectures at UK and EU universities and multinational companies such as Centrica PLC on Sustainable Business and sit on the Panel at Plymouth University’s All our Futures Conference. These events have helped Rapanui share their Eco-Labelling idea, a way of packaging textiles products to communicate the effects caused by their buying action, essentially a way of forcing and regulating transparent business ethics in textiles. Rapanui also hosts the national petition for Textiles Eco-Labelling at 10 Downing Street. Rob and Martin Drake-Knight are listed on the Future 100 List of Top young Ethical Entrepreneurs.

NEW SOLAR ENERGY INTL ONLINE COURSE

Sleek eco friendly designs for urban vertical farms

Posted on October 5, 2010 by quest

IBM’s recent rollout of CItyOne should be a wake up call that business as usual just isn’t going to cut it. CiyOne is IBM’s new interactive ecosystems game. CityOne is an innovative way to create collaboration among all the participants of our cities. Maybe it’s wishful thinking to hope our political representatives will figure that out and start working on a national renewable energy plan that includes solar and wind power that can transform the nation to new prosperity. But than again it’s our job to tell them that green jobs is what we want and need.

When you think green though it’s important to recognize its impact effects every aspect of daily life. That includes the idea of vertical farming as a method to meet increased food demand and reduce co2 emissions. We as a nation have a tremendous about of knowledge that has to be shared in order for us to move ahead.

No where is this more apparent than in agribussiness. Recently Richard Keller, AgProfessional editor writing about two agribusiness conference the Farm Progress Show and Agriculture 2.0 Global Investments Conference wrote” Both glass building farming systems were outlined at the New York City Agriculture 2.0 Global Investments Conference for agricultural innovators and investors. The attendees of the conference in September were quite different than those attending the Farm Progress Show at Boone, Iowa, at the end of August.

ITALIAN DESIGNED VERTICAL FARM

At one conference, most attendees thought global warning is a make believe concept, and at the other conference, attendees were positive that changes in global weather are obvious and not a theory. At the farm show, tripling the yield per acre by 2050 was a typical discussion goal, and at the conference, two speakers outlined the goal to find financing for multiple-story greenhouse-type building for growing food crops by 2050 in the middle of cities.” In Vancouver,BC Terrashere Systems is already operating a small scale vertical facility. Vertical farming and TerraSphere Systems