solar

Carry the Power of the Sun on Your Back

jplatt — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0400

Do you carry a lot of portable devices with you? Well now you can charge them on the go with the new solar backpack from gadget4all.com.

While solar backpacks aren't new, this latest model is priced at just $48 -- less than half the price of the Eclipse Solar Gear Laptop Backpack and one-fifth the price of the popular Voltaic Solar Backpack.

While the Eclipse and Voltaic models offer a few more bells and whistles, Gadget4all's device is no slouch, and comes at a better introductory price point. It comes with a 5.5V solar panel and has an output of 5.8V, allowing it to charge any small portable device such as a cell phone, MP3 player or GPS unit. On cloudy days, it can also be hooked up to a computer's USB port for additional charging capacity.

Worth a look for the road warrior or the student looking forward to the start of school in just six weeks.

3rd-Gen Prius: Toyota to Add Solar Panels

khallgeisler — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:00:00 -0400

The more we hear about the new Prius, which should show up in 2009, the more excited we get. The latest news is that Toyota will add solar panels on the roof to power the car's accessories.

The panels won't generate enough juice to power the car, but they will be enough to run the air conditioner and other electricity-sucking accessories. The panels will be available on the high-end versions of the Prius and possibly a Lexus hybrid model, giving drivers a new way to flaunt their green -- as a sign of their concern for the environment and their ability to lay out the cash to save it.

The next generation of Toyota's flagship hybrid is already slated to get a power boost and better fuel economy, so these panels are icing on the cake. With the current version of the Prius in short supply lately, and the premium being exacted by dealers for the privilege of buying one, you may be better off socking away that down payment and waiting until next year. Just drive your current car mindfully in the meantime.

Signed up for Solar Energy Installation Evaluation

C2 — Tue, 27 May 2008 08:08:43 -0400

I finally signed up for an evaluation from one solar installation company. I expect to hear back in three business days...I'd like to see if it makes sense to use solar energy to take us off the grid one day (wait until another blackout then we're all off the grid). Environmentally it is a compelling scenario...economically is another story...aesthetically it may be problematic too...should I worry that in 20 years when I want to sell our house that it will be outdated (like the Brady Bunch ranch houses)? hey, bite the bullet, God did not put me on this earth forever to exploit and plunder and not care..I plan to sign up for more installation companies...

Knight Rider Recycled -- Reborn With Green Twist!

adevito — Fri, 16 May 2008 01:00:00 -0400

Recycling is everywhere these days, especially in Hollywood, where old ideas get re-used every day. Case in point: the new remake of the 1980’s show Knight Rider.

Sure, the show gave us David Hasselhoff, who will be around longer than the plastic bottles in your local landfill. But the new version of his talking car is a lot more eco-friendly; it’s a solar/hybrid Ford Mustang, which replaces the old series’ Trans Am and its liquid hydrogen turbo engine.

We’re hoping the new Knight Rider will be on the air long enough for us to recycle an old Members Only jacket and grow a curly mullet worthy of The Hoff himself.

Want to find out more about recycling?

Recycling Tips: Did You Know You Cannot Recycle Messy Pizza Boxes?

The Benefits of Recycling: Let’s Talk Trash

Recycling the Looking Glass: When Garbage and Art Collide

Top 10 Recycling Resources

Recycled Record Snack Tray

The Benefits of Recycling Cardboard

The Art of Garbage

Reduce, Reuse… FREECYCLE

Recycle Those Electronics!

Back to Basics—RRR

Picking Up Garbage TVs and Recycling as Art

Students Recycle and Reduce Garbage: Take It Or Leave It

Recycling Your Garbage: Where Does it All Go?

Who Built the Solar Car?

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

The SUNN won't win any design awards, but it sure will turn heads.

This build-it-yourself solar-powered car -- invented by Art Haines -- is one of the most innovative ideas I've seen in years. For just $4,500, you get almost everything you need to build your own solar-powered, street legal, neighborhood electric car. The parts come delivered on a flatbed truck, and with just 80-120 hours and some everyday hand tools (plus the solar panels and batteries, which you are encouraged to order locally), you can soon be puttering around in your very own solar-powered vehicle.

The SUNN only goes 25 miles per hour, and it has a maximum range of just 20 miles, but if you're only going a short distance on local roads, this is a pretty cool alternative to gas-powered transportation. The kit comes with seat belts, windshield wpers and turn signals, so as long as you register it as a low-speed vehicle, you should be allowed to take it out on the town.

According to the SUNN's FAQs, the solar panels aren't included so you can decide how much you want to spend on them, where on the car you want to mount them, or even if you want to use them or not. If you skip the solar panels, the SUNN can also be plugged into a standard electrical outlet, with an estimated energy-cost-per-mile of just $.01.

Right now, the SUNN Electric Vehicle Company is just taking orders (and deposits) for their car kits, which will ship in the near future.

MyGreenCottage - National Green Home Building Company

jchait — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:00:00 -0400

If you’re looking to build green with total ease, you may want to check out MyGreenCottage a nationwide builder of custom green homes. This company is currently all the rage, and for good reason.

Nice green guy, Ed Begley, Jr. recently became the official spokesperson for MyGreenCottage which can only enhance the appeal of a company who is already going above and beyond when it comes to green homes. It helps me anyhow. It's looking like Living with Ed (HGTV) is not continuing - which has been the great depression of my TV year. It was one of the only shows I liked, so seeing good old Ed elsewhere is kind of nice.

MyGreenCottage notes that their main goal is to, “Create beautiful, safe homes that are healthy for you, your wallet and the planet.” The also build, “Any style, any size, anywhere.”

Perks of this green home building company include:

Consulting, free info about products, fresh home building, and green home renovations.

The company operates in a paperless and virtual environment – a virtually unheard of achievement among companies in general, but an excellent way to cut down on resource losses.

They employ a stunning array of green home options including solar, geothermal, energy star, fresh air systems, wind power, and more.

Offers an on-time, and even better, on budget guarantee.

Builds for around the same costs of a conventional home.

They also build strong and very fire resilient. MyGreenCottage uses a MGC fire retardant building system. You can watch a video where they actually blast a MyGreenCottage wall with a 5000-degree blowtorch. Pretty cool.

Visit the MyGreenCottage website and see news coverage, watch videos, learn more about their eco-products and design systems, and see great galleries of their homes. Some a little big for green, but keep in mind this is client choice. You could choose a smaller square foot home design with them to keep things truly on the green up and up.

Today’s bonus:

Check out this video - MyGreenCottage comes in to do a basic green home facelift on a standing home using zero VOC paints.