alternative energy

Greening Your Grill: 5 Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Charcoal and Gas

thegreenconnoisseur — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:48:03 -0400

Summertime is upon us full-force and 4th of July celebrations are just around the corner - it's time for backyard barbecues but the traditional cookout is not so eco-friendly. In fact, the estimated 60 million cookouts that will take place this weekend will "consume enough energy to power 20,000 households for a year" according to the Sierra Club. (To view the full story follow this link http://thegreenconnoisseur.blogspot.com/2009/07/greening-your-grill-5-eco-friendly.html)

Put Your Computer to Use for Good When You're Not Using It

jplatt — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:00:00 -0500

You're probably using only a fraction of your computer's computing power when it's on. When it's idle, you're using even less. But now you can put that unused processing power to good use coming and help come up with the next generation of solar-power materials.

The Clean Energy Project @ Harvard University aims to create "organic photovoltaics to provide inexpensive solar cells, polymers for the membranes used in fuel cells for electricity generation, and how best to assemble the molecules to make those devices."

The problem is, there are tens of thousands of possible combinations of the organic materials that would be used to create those substances. Which combination is the best?

That's where you -- and your computer -- come in. By downloading the project's software at the link above, your computer will become part of a worldwide grid of similar computers, and will help to calculate the optimal materials during the time your computer would otherwise be idle.

Obviously, an "off" computer is better for the environment than an idle one, but if you're going to be idle anyway, you may as well be doing some good in the process.

News: How the Philippines Can Be a Solar Power

solarpowerboy — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:39:45 -0400

Interesting News from Business Week

The solar power industry these days is a mix of large and small companies pushing their own technologies. The playing field is still wide open for competing solar panel technologies (i.e. 12 Volt Solar Chargers). Eventually, the market will decide which ones will be left standing and which ones will eat the dust.

With all this competition, are there still opportunities for developing countries like the Philippines? Yes, particularly in manufacturing and in the downstream and applications areas of the value chain. The Philippines semiconductor and electronics industry, working closely with local universities, industries, and investors, can offer significant opportunities for innovation, particularly in solar energy applications development and manufacturing-process reengineering and optimization.

What Will McCain and Obama Do About Plug-In Hybrids?

jplatt — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:00:00 -0400

With four weeks to go until the presidential election, it's time to start thinking about the potential impact that Barak Obama and John McCain will have on the environment over the next four years. One area where both candidates see a future is in hybrid vehicles.

Each candidate has expressed a desire to bring plug-in hybrid cars off the drawing boards and into our garages.

McCain's plan is simpler, and hinges on the thought that plug-in prototypes are not quite ready for prime time. McCain told ScienceDebate2008.org: that he would create a "$300 million prize for the development of a battery package that has the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars. This is one dollar for every man, woman and child in the U.S. -- a small price to pay for helping to break the back of our oil dependency – and curb the dangerous effects of global climate change."

Obama, on the other hand, is ready to start buying hybrid vehicles right now. According to his web site, Obama wants to use government buying power to jump-start the commercial market for plug-in hybrids. He promises to convert all White House vehicles to plug-in hybrids within one year (as long as that doesn't create any security issues). After that, he says he'll mandate that half of all new vehicles annually purchased by the government are plug-ins in just four years.

Obama's energy platform promises a $150 billion investment over 10 years which will, among other things, "accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids." He wants to put a million plug-in hybrids on the road in seven years, and will push for a $7,000 tax credit to help make that happen. He also promises $4 billion in "retooling tax credits" to manufacturers so they can be ready to put plug-ins on the road and repair them.

Interestingly, neither the Green Party nor its candidate Cynthia McKinney appear to have a specific policy about hybrid vehicles.

Wind Turbine Power: Farmers Turning the Wind into Gold

jkraft — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:32:43 -0400

Europe has long led the local wind power movement, starting in the middle ages, when Dutch farmers put up wind mills to grind grain and pump water. They’ve also managed to avoid the corporatization of wind power. In Germany, much of the nation’s wind capacity was built by local landowner associations.

US wind farms, on the other hand, usually require rural landowners to lease their land to external wind developers for an annual royalty. These massive fields of hundreds of turbines connect to far-away electric grids with long transmission lines.

But now, farmers in the Upper Midwest are banding together to turn the air over their blustery pastures into gold. National Wind is a community-based wind development company in Minnesota that shepherds local wind co-ops through the often arduous process of harnessing wind power, assisting them with financing, siting issues, zoning approvals and installation. The developments range in size, but often the turbines are installed as single units or in small clusters so that the energy doesn’t have to travel far.

Community-based wind makes sense for communities that are feeling the impact of industrial takeover of agricultural lands. Small farmers who might be priced out by agribusiness can now reap the advantage of their wind rights in addition to their crop yield.

Additionally, these locally-owned projects allow energy revenue to circulate through local businesses and bolster rural economies. Community-owned wind power has grown from almost nothing 8 years ago to a 3.6 percent share of the wind power market today and continues to accelerate.

Want to learn more about wind power?

Inexpensive Residential Wind Turbine—Wind Power—Alternative Energy For Your Home

Can You Harness Wind Power or Not?

Home Wind-Power Turbines Going Mainstream

What YOU Should Know About Wind Power!

Can You Use Wind Turbines to Power Your Home?

Residential Wind Power

Home Wind-Power Turbines Going Mainstream

jchait — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In April an article appeared in the New York Times; Technology Smooths the Way for Home Wind-Power Turbines, a clear sign that wind power is becoming more mainstream, as the article actually goes on to relate.

Excerpt:

“Back in the early days, off-grid electrical generation was pursued mostly by hippies and rednecks, usually in isolated, rural areas,” said Joe Schwartz, editor of Home Power magazine. “Now, it’s a lot more mainstream.”

That above excerpt sums up the situation pretty nicely. I remember being amazed when I saw wind power in, I think, Mother Earth News. It was surprising, because I knew so little about it, and that was around 2000 or so. It just hasn't been a big topic among the conventional world.

The New York Times relates the following points about the new up a coming wind power acceptance.

Technology has made it simpler to have a wind system set up, without a bulky battery source as backup.
While federal incentives for wind power do not currently exist, many states have their own incentives set up for those using wind power.
It's estimated that eco concerns, more than cost savings are driving wind power installs.
Urban folk, more so than rural, may be unhappy seeing big wind towers set up.

Of course the article goes more in-depth. Read the whole article.

To learn more about wind power check out the following:

Wind Turbine Power: Farmers Turning the Wind Into Gold

Find Out if Wind Power Will Work on Your Land

Inexpensive Residential Wind Turbine - Wind Power - Alternative Energy for Your Home

Can You Harness Wind Power or Not?

What YOU Should Know About Wind Power!

Can You Use Wind Turbines to Power Your Home?

Residential Wind Power

Can You Harness Wind Power or Not?

jchait — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0400

In my series of posts last week related to choosing the perfect land for your green home, I mentioned wind power. Wind power is cool but not all plots of land will allow for decent wind power. If wind power is something you do want to utilize, either right out of the gate or later on, then you need to choose land that works.

Some wind options include wind-powered water pumps or a wind energy generator. To make sure you can utilize this renewable resource here's what to look for:

You need reliable wind - year round if possible, although many are now simply combining solar and wind. Make sure to study the wind patterns in your area. Mapping wind rates and strengths can take up to a year - obviously because it's nice to know what the wind is like year round. But you can take some shortcuts by using the following resources:

State Wind Resource Maps
Wind Web Tutorial
For a somewhat hefty price WindLogics will map your wind for you. It's costly, but is noted as giving an accurate idea of what sort of wind situation you have.

Identify obstructions to wind flow on your land. Mountain ranges, a valley, a forest, buildings, and other obstructions can all distort the wind that reaches your home.

In my opinion, wind is a much more difficult energy source to estimate than solar. The best plan if you'd like wind powered anything on your land is to read a lot of good books on wind power - start with the Solar Living Sourcebook. for some good book referrals. Even better talk with a housing professional who has experience with wind and wind power density.

Want to learn more about wind power?

Wind Turbine Power: Farmers Turning the Wind Into Gold

Inexpensive Residential Wind Turbine—Wind Power—Alternative Energy For Your Home

Home Wind-Power Turbines Going Mainstream

What YOU Should Know About Wind Power!

Can You Use Wind Turbines to Power Your Home?

Residential Wind Power

Keep on Truckin'

khallgeisler — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0400

If you think you're tired of crazy expensive trips to the gas station, think of how truck drivers feel. The balance on their fuel cards is a physical weight in their wallets by now. These guys have long been proponents for biodiesel, which is where BioTrucker comes in.

BioTrucker.com has recently announced the first-ever biodiesel fuel card. Its features are designed for the eco-minded trucker on the go, including bypassing the credit markup to get the cash price for fuel. The card is accepted at almost 5,000 truck stops across the country already. The swanky cabs with laptops and wifi access can find truck-accessible biodiesel stations at the web site; otherwise, they can call 866-BIODIESEL for locations.

In related big-truck, gas-sucking news, Peterbilt has added two medium-duty hybrid work trucks to its production, bringing the company's hybrid total to four models. Regenerative braking works in tandem with the diesel engines to reap a 30% - 60% fuel improvement, depending on the truck.

The new Model 330 brings the power of hybrid tech to garbage and recycling pickup, meaning the garbage truck might not wake you up as it goes about its morning rounds. The Model 335 runs its bucket on battery power, rather than leaving the diesel engine running while workers change bulbs in traffic lights.

Peterbilt also announced the Model 320, another garbage truck, but this one uses hydraulic fluid to store the braking energy for later, rather than batteries. These models join the company's sleeper-cab, long-haul, highway-ready, hybrid hauler, the Model 386.

Photo by letouj.