Investing

A Real TV Star: New ENERGY STAR Rules for TV Efficiency

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

How many hours a day do you use your TV? One? Two? Five? More?

Okay, let's ask a more important question: is your TV energy efficent?

Don't know the answer? That's okay, because until now it was hard to know if your television was a power hog or not. But now new rules from the EPA's ENERGY STAR will make it easier to buy an energy-efficient model -- just in time for the holidays!

Old ENERGY STAR rules only rated TVs according to how much power they used while off or in "standby" mode. The new rules go several steps further, requiring energy efficiency when TVs are on, and also guiding the use of external power supplies when necessary. "This new specification is important," says the EPA, "since televisions being sold now are larger, in use more hours a day, and offer more vibrant pictures, which can impact the amount of electricity they use. In fact, some of the largest, high resolution televisions can use as much as 500 kWh per year."

TVs with an ENERGY STAR rating will use an estimated 30% less juice than other TVs, so this will really make a difference as people replace their old models with new, higher-tech screens.

So far, 229 TVs conform to the new rules. They include 19 plasma models, 199 LCD models, and 11 "others".

Check 'em out!

Green Tech on Time Magazine's 50 Best Inventions of 2008

jplatt — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:31:24 -0400

Okay, there are still two months left to go on 2008, but we've already seen some incredible innovations hit the the market this year. Time Magazine has gone ahead and picked its "50 Best Inventions of 2008," and several green technologies and devices are on the list.

The list includes three different electric and hybrid vehicles. The luxury Tesla Roadster clocks in at number 2, while the forthcoming Chevy Volt ranks at number 7. Much further down the list was another concept vehicle, the Aptera Electric Car, at number 46.

Speaking of green transportation, Montreal's public bike rental system ranked number 19. This solar-powered, high-tech innovation is a great way to inspire local bike-riding and cutting greenhouse gases.It's time for this to take hold in other cities around the world.

Biofuel ranks high at number 11, but it's not the corn-based ethanol you can buy now. Time looked at algae-based biofuel -- currently being tested in labs around the country -- and found it to be good.

Another power source, Nanosolar's thin-film solar panels, came in at number 25. A prototype biomechanical energy harvester (a device you wear that collects the energy from your movements) ranked 33, while a flying wind turbine from Sky Windpower followed at number 35.

Innovative smog-eating cememt, which just hit the market from Italcementi, came in at number 37. A great idea, and I hope we hear more about it in the coming year.

An eco-friendly fridge that Albert Einstein invented in 1930 -- and which Oxford University scientists recreated this year -- hit the list at a not-too-chilly 31. Sadly, this hasn't been commercialized yet.

While not exactly tech you can use, the Global Seed Vault came in at number 6 on Time's list. But it's still an important innovation.

And while not technology at all, the Vatican's new 7 deadly sins -- including polluting -- made the list at number 40. See, pollution is evil!

CherryPal's 'Green' Computer Finally Ships Next Week

jplatt — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:07:48 -0400

Months after it was first announced, I'm sure many people had given up waiting for the CherryPal, a desktop PC with no moving parts that promised to use just 2 watts of power.

Well guess what? The CherryPal SSD C114 ships next week -- at a bargain-basement price of just $249.

It will take some time for reviews to come in, but until then, let's look at the innovations that are expected with this tiny-but-powerful machine:

It uses just 2 watts of power -- 98% less than the 114 watts used by the average desktop computer.
It has no moving parts, so the company says it will last for up to ten years.
It uses 80% fewer parts, so less waste is created in its manufacture.

The CherryPal has a few other features of note. It boots up in just 20 seconds (no more wasted time and energy during the start-up phase). Most of the software isn't located on the hard drive; it's on the Internet, so you have fewer worries about upgrades and downloads (good luck using the PC if your Internet is out, though). It comes with a wide range of open-source programs, so it's ready for use right out of the box. And it doesn't make any sound, which is something I wish could be said of all computers.

Obviously, with a price of just $249, the CherryPal doesn't come with a monitor, and you can't seem to buy one directly from CherryPal, so that's one more item that needs to be packaged and shipped, but if you're buying a green computer, you probably have a green monitor in mind, too.

Worth a look!

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.

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.

Can You Write a Cell-Phone Program That Will Save the World?

jplatt — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:00:00 -0400

Every generation of cell phones gets smarter, more powerful, and capable of connecting us in new and different ways. In fact, some mobile phones are so powerful they aren't even called "cell phones" anymore -- they're "smart phones."

And as Stan Lee famously said, "with great power comes great responsibility."

Nokia and inventor Dean Kamen (creator of the Segway) have teamed up to fund a contest to find the next big thing in mobile programs (called applications), with one of the categories specifically calling for eco-related apps. Winners get a $25,000 prize for the creating best new mobile applications “that enhance the use of mobile devices in real-world scenarios.”

Here are the three categories:

Eco-Challenge - "Make a Difference": Developers who submit for this category will be building tools to help people take care of the environment - from charger reminders to mobile learning applications, from navigation info to recycling tips.

Emerging Markets - "IMAGINE the Possibilities": The mission of the Emerging Markets Challenge is to open up new opportunities for developers to pioneer & monetize services impacting the daily lives of millions in developing nations. Examples include applications providing health information and data access, apps offering low-cost infotainment, SMS-driven apps that inform rural agricultural workers of the best time and place to bring products to market, as well as literacy and general education solutions.

Technology Showcase - "Developer Showdown": Open to all technologies, if it runs on S60 or Series 40, then we want to see it! Regardless if it has just been created or you have been selling it for a while, casual or commercial, we want to showcase the best of the best. Be it on Flash Lite, Java, Python, or open source. If it’s a game, enterprise solution, Web-based widget, or just a cool application that will enhance the mobile user experience, then this is the category to enter.

What do you think mobile applications can do to help make the world a better place? And can you write the next great mobile app? If so, Nokia and Dean Kamen are waiting to hear from you.

Entries are due December 15th.

Grand Theft Solar

jplatt — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:10:42 -0400

I guess oil prices are really getting to people. Some folks are so desperate to get out from under the finger of the energy companies, they are resorting to stealing solar panels. In fact, solar-panel thefts are dramatically on the rise, as the expensive components become prime targets for well-trained thieves.

It makes sense, if you think about it. A solar-panel array can cost tens of thousands of dollars. I'm willing to be there's already a huge black market opening up for selling "hot" solar cells, and that's only going to increase as solar gets more and more popular.

If you've got solar cells already, it might be time to look into extra security for your house, such as motion-detector lights. Or maybe we should start installing LoJack on our solar cells.

Actually, this could be a very good business opportunity for someone: develop a security system to protect solar cells for people and companies. New technologies always open up new markets for industrious people, why should criminals be the only ones to benefit?

How Much Do Carbon Credits Cost?

Marcus — Sun, 18 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Looking to purchase some carbon credits, but trying to shop around for the best deal? Well, unfortunately, determining carbon credit prices is a pretty complicated business. There is no one set market rate for individual carbon purchases, and prices tend to fluctuate based on a variety of factors. The type of offset being sold, whether or not the selling organization is non-profit, the level of offset certification included in the purchase, the type of project the purchased offsets will benefit, where the offsets come from, and the market demand for carbon credits are all taken into consideration before cost is determined.

Because carbon trading is a relatively new concept with so many potential variables, the buying process has yet to become streamlined. So, for your convenience, here are some helpful links to assist in your search for a good, honest, environmentally friendly carbon purchase:

EcoBusinessLinks.com

This site features an extremely helpful chart that offers a rundown on the leading carbon offset providers, including cost, project type, offset type, and method of certification. It’s a great place to begin your search.

This Wikipedia entry on carbon credits provides some useful background, from the origin of carbon trading in the Kyoto Protocol to the current economic climate in which credits are bought and sold.

SaveThePlanet.co.nz

This site offers an in-depth analysis of carbon credits and how they are incorporated into the global economy.

ClimateCrisis.net

Before buying carbon credits, calculate your impact with this carbon calculator on Al Gore’s site. It’ll give you a good ballpark idea of just how many credits you’ll want to purchase.

Want to learn more about carbon credits?

How to Measure and Price Carbon Credits

Selling Carbon Credits on eBay—Solution or Scam?

Carbon Footprints

The Quest for the Perfect Carbon Calculator