solar power

Learn the Basics of Solar and Wind Power with Free eBook

jplatt — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:00:00 -0500

Do you want to know more about solar power, but don't know where to start? Well Real Goods Solar has an offer for you: a free ebook containing everything you need to know about getting started with solar power.

This 70-page eBook exerpts the “Renewable Energy 101—Solar, Wind, and Hydro Electric" section from Real Goods' Solar Living Sourcebook. This massive tome -- now in its 30th anniversary edition -- that covers everything you need to know about generating your own electricity.

But this free eBook isn't all. The first 90-plus pages of the book are also available online for free. If you like what you read, you can also order the printed edition of the 600-page book for just $35.

The full version of the book not only gets you started with solar or wind power, but also teaches you how to sell renewable energy back to your utility company, plus "how to site and build your dream eco-home; how to minimize your fossil fuel use; and more"

Give it a shot -- free reading and sustainable energy. They go together pretty well!

Check Out the Latest Solio Solar Chargers

jplatt — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:00:00 -0500

Every once in a while, a new device comes along that instantly grabs peoples' attention. That's the case with the Solio line of solar-powered device chargers. These great little tools allow you to use the power of the sun to charge just about any cell phone, MP3 player, game player, GPS unit, or other small electronic device.

Solio's line of chargers are actually "hybrids" -- you can use their built-in solar panels, or plug them into a wall socket to fully charge them. Then, plug the Solio into any device to charge it on the go.

According to Solio, one hour of sunlight translates to 20 minutes of talk time or 50 minutes of music (depending on the device, or the quality of the sunlight).

There are three main Solio chargers: the Magnesium ($169.95), the H1000 ($79.95), and the Solio Classic ($99.95). They also sell a few types of LED lights that you can attach to your Solio for flashlight capability.

So, if you're looking for a way to cut your energy use, get off the grid, and make your small electronics more efficient, give the Solio a try.

Coolerado Air Conditioner Wins Renewable Energy Award

jplatt — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 09:00:00 -0500

Ready for a new idea in air conditioning? A company called Coolerado says it sells the world's most efficient air conditioners. The governor of Colorado recently presented the company with the state's Governor’s Excellence in Renewable Energy Award for 2008.

I'll let Coolerado CEO Mike Luby tell the story:

Our units work on an amazingly small amount of power…about 600 watts, which is about a third of the power of a hair dryer. That’s as green as it gets these days in the A/C world and better than anything else on the market. And one of the reasons we got the award is we showed our systems can take air conditioning completely off the grid using a small amount of solar energy, about 4 standard solar panels worth.
It was a great project. We put a Coolerado C60 A/C unit on a trailer (a C60 will cool a 3000 sq. ft. building), connected 4 solar panels over the top, and showed this system at trade shows, street fairs, and music concerts…we even went to the Democratic National Convention. What surprised people the most was not only the solar powered cool air they enjoyed right on the street, but that the hotter it got, the better it worked!

You can't purchase a Coolerado air conditioner directly from the company or any retailer, only approved installers, which are currently working in 10 US states, England and Singapore. Let's hope to see them expand quickly, though, so we can put their new technology to the test around the country!

Six Simple New Years Resolutions for Greener Electronics

jplatt — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 09:00:36 -0500

Hey, it's a New Year! And with it comes all of those little vows we always make -- lose 5 pounds, call your mom more often, get a promotion ... and live a greener life.

Well, here are five easy (and important) promises you can make to yourself to improve your footprint by greening your electronics and other devices.

1. Ditch the disposable batteries. There's simply no reason to use disposables any more. They only reason they're still for sale everywhere is because so many stores make so much money on them. But every battery that gets thrown out leaches toxic chemicals into the environment. Break the chain. Go completely rechargeable. It's an easy step, and you won't regret it.

2. Go off the grid -- at least a little bit. Rechargeable batteries are great, but they still suck power off the electric grid. Break that chain, too. Buy devices with solar chargers (like flashlights), or pick up a solar charger (such as the fantastic Solio). Leave the solar charger in your window, then use it to power your iPod, cell phone or other portable devices. Instant green karma.

3. Pull the plug. When you're not using your electronic devices, turn them off. Better yet, unplug them or turn off their surge protectors. TVs, DVD players, computers, printers, game consoles and dozens of other devices keep using power even when they're "off." This stand-by mode can account for 10% of your power use. Slash and burn, baby.

4. Be a Star. When buying new electronics or appliances, look for the Energy Star logo. This signifies that you're buying an energy-efficient device, which can save you anywhere from 10-30% on energy usage. A no-brainer.

5. Recycle your old electronics properly. If you're replacing something, or getting rid of something that no longer works, don't just toss it in the trash. Take it to a recycling center where it will be disposed of properly. Electronics contain too many toxic materials for them to be disposed of improperly, so make sure you do the right thing.

6. Finally, fully, break the incandescent chain. I still have two lamps and two outdoor light fixtures that oddly enough won't work with CFL bulbs. It's time to get rid of them. Even though changing the lamps will create some waste, the energy savings from being able to use CFL bulbs will be worth it.

Looking for more specifics on any of the ideas above? Scroll through the Green Tech archives. You'll find plenty of examples and ideas to help you live a greener life.

Happy 2009, my eco-friendly friends!

Now that You've Unwrapped Your Gifts...

jplatt — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 09:00:00 -0500

Ahhh...Christmas day. The gifts are unwrapped, dinner is in the oven, and the credit card bills are in the mail. What next?

Well, if you bought any electronics this holiday season, there are several things you can do to make this Christmas even greener.

1) Properly recycle your old electronics. Too many old devices end up in the garbage, or are improperly recycled. You don't want your old TV to end up as e-waste in some third-world country do you? Click here to find out more about recycling old TVs, and check the Green Tech archives for info on recycling other devices.

2) Buy recyclable batteries -- or try solar powered chargers. Too many toys and gadgets run on disposable batteries. Break that chain by investing in rechargeable batteries and a plug-in charger -- or try a solar-powered charger to power your cell phones, MP3 players and other small devices.

3) When you're not using your new gadgets, unplug them. A lot of electronics (not all, but more than enough) keep sucking juice out of the wall when they're idle. If you're not using something for a while, unplug it -- especially your gaming platforms. Your savings will vary depending on your gadget, but trust me, they'll add up.

There -- just three little steps and your Christmas gifts will be much greener today and in the new year. So enjoy, and keep thinking green!

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.

An Idea to Green Your Grave

jplatt — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0500

Looking for an idea that can help the people you leave behind? The Spanish town of Santa Coloma de Gramenet has turned its cemetery into something better than a memorial. By installing solar panels on top of mausoleums, they have turned the cemetery into a green-power-generating lifeline for the town.

According to an AP report, the cemetery boasts 462 solar panels, which produce enough energy to power 60 homes.

Cemeteries take up a great deal of land that could be better put to use as untouched wilderness, but it's good to see someone producing green change out of death.

Would You Like Some Solar Fries with That?

jchatraw — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:00:00 -0500

I'll never forget the night we went to the store to buy our first microwave oven. In my innocence, I wondered why we would ever need two ovens. Then my dad explained to me the wonders of the microwave, how we could just put food in it and -- presto! -- it would come out piping hot. It wasn't until I went to college that I truly appreciated this amazing invention, although at the time it was lost on a mind that pondered why we didn't just start cooking earlier if it took so long.

Now my mind is making the adjustment again, moving from a faster mentality to a slower one with the solar oven. In Scott Kellogg and Stacy Pettigrew's book Toolbox for Sustainable City Living, you learn how to not only bake with a solar oven but also how to build one. Now, no one has ever accused me of being a handyman (and probably never will, except for my two-year-old who thinks I can fix anything), but the oven seems simple enough to make. Yes, I believe even I could do it.

Here's what they say about solar ovens:

"Solar ovens cook food over the course of a day. Although it may take several hours to bake a potato, slow cooking's conversion of starches to sugars makes up for the wait. Food cooked in this way is especially tasty. Solar ovens produce deliciously cooked food with no energy inputs other than the sun and are great for tasks from cooking vegetables and tofus to toasting nuts. In their most basic form, solar ovens are boxes covered by glazing that heat up when set in the sun. Their designs can be highly elaborate or plain and simple. Solar ovens can be constructed out of wood or even layers of cardboard.

"The sheet of glazing that covers a solar oven allows sun rays in, but doesn't let heat back out. This trapped high heat sometimes nears 200 degrees and will crack regular glass. Tempered glass must be used for glazing. Store-bought tempered glass is the heat-resistant glass dors found on some ovens. Another cheap option is to use baking bags--plastic bags designed to roast turkey. These can be cut open and stretched across a solar oven. For the same reason that regular glass can't be used for glazing, only oven-safe cookware can be used inside of a solar oven."

Financial Crisis Inspires Investment in Cost-Saving Solar Technologies

jplatt — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:08:34 -0400

Solar power is more than just green -- investors are hoping it will earn them a lot of green.

You might call it a perfect storm for solar. The world financial markets are in turmoil, energy prices are at record highs, and new solar innovations are being announced almost every week. Companies know they can save money by buying solar energy, and banks know that solar is a mature enough technology that it is an investment likely to pay off.

A few weeks ago, GreenTech Media revealed that venture-capital funding in renewable-energy companies more than doubled in the third quarter of 2008, with solar companies raking in a record $1.5 billion. And it didn't end there. Bankers are reportedly lining up at this week's Solar Power International Conference, ready to put their green into green.

So what does this mean for you? The next few years will see even more solar devices, more efficient solar innovations, and more options for home and business energy. And that's good news for everyone.

Meet Europe's Top Cleantech Companies

jplatt — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:00:00 -0400

You may not have heard of companies like Odersun, CamSemi, Atraverda and Pelikon, but chances are you will in the days to come. These four companies and 96 others were named to The Guardian and Library Houses's CleanTech 100, listing the best European companies involved in clean technology.

The firms run the gamut of green technologies. Some are involved in solar, wind or tidal power. Others are developing efficient power systems for a variety of devices. Some are trying to turn waste into energy. And that's just scratching the surface.

About half of these companies' products are either in development or beta testing. The rest are already on the market.

To get on this list, the companies faced a pretty tough selection process. Ranking factors included companies' capital history, positive media stories about them, the size of their management team, and independent analysis to make sure that the technologies the companies were developing was actually credible. (In other words, no vaporware allowed.)

The companies were also asked about their environmental vision, what they saw as the size of the market for their products, and the impact they expected their technology to have on the world.

Give the list and the accompanying articles a read. They give me hope about the technologies we'll be seeing in the next few years.