Many uses for super-charge ion batteries
February 27, 2010
We've seen Toshiba's SCiB (super-charge ion batteries) before at last summer's Consumer Electronics Show, where they were providing the power storage for a battery-assisted bike. SCiB batteries are useful for a wide range of functions, from electric bicycles and hybrid and electric vehicles, to industrial equipment and renewable energy storage. Toshiba has now opened a US-based technical support center to aid in developing the SCiB, particularly for vehicles, grid storage, and wind and solar power applications.
The SCiB has characteristics that make it very appealing. It performs like an ultracapacitor with rapid charge times, reaching 90% charge in about 5 minutes. It is good for thousands of cycles without extensive capacity loss, and it has a life span of 10 years or more. And, of potentially particular interest for vehicle manufacturers, it is able to perform even at low temperatures down to -30 degrees Celsius (-22 degrees Fahrenheit).
The SCiB batteries are based on lithium chemistry, as are many other batteries currently in use. However, according to Toshiba, in addition to the other beneficial features the SCiB offers, they also have an internal structure which helps prevent short circuits and avoid "thermal runaway" even if they do develop a short circuit.
Link: Toshiba
via: NA Windpower
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Texas utility leasing rooftop solar systems
February 25, 2010
TXU Energy, a large Texas utility company, will lease rooftop solar power systems to their customers in the Dallas area.
Homeowners can sign up for the program with TXU and their partner in the project, SolarCity, will design and install the systems. After tax incentives, an owner of a three-to-four bedroom house would owe about $35 a month for a lease, though for $26,000 they could buy the array outright. When leased, SolarCity continues to own the array and performs any maintenance.
Currently, the state utility infrastructure company Oncor has funds to offer rebates on about 400 home installations, but SolarCity expects the program to grow quickly over the next five years.
This is not the first program like this in the country making residential solar affordable for homeowners, though it is the first one run by a utility. The state of Connecticut and the cities of Berkeley, San Diego and Palm Desert have all started solar financing programs for their residents and a California non-profit organization started a statewide financing program.
via Green Inc.
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Why is Bloom Energy lying to us?
February 24, 2010
Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely excited about Bloom Energy. I honestly think that their technology is a good thing for the world and that it might very well revolutionize the power infrastructure in America and throughout the world. And yes, it will create jobs and make a select few people very rich.
In fact, I think it's so revolutionary that it doesn't need to be inflated by false or misleading claims ... which is why I'm a little put off by a few naughty little lies in the Bloom press release I got this morning.
Annoying press point #1:
The Bloom Box "energy server" works with "nearly any fuel source." To me, "nearly any fuel source" means anything containing carbon/hydrogen compounds, ranging from gasoline to wood.
The Bloom Box doesn't run on "nearly any fuel source" it runs on methane or methane or methane. That methane can be pumped out of the ground or captured from landfills, but it's still methane, and as I count it, that's one fuel source.
Annoying press point #2:
Companies using the Bloom Box can "expect a three to five year payback on their capital investment." This is Read more
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BrightSource gets $1.4 billion DOE loan guarantee for 400 MW of solar thermal
February 24, 2010
BrightSource Energy, Inc has received $1.37 billion in loan guarantees from the DOE for 400 MW's worth of solar thermal energy projects through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
With the funding, the company is constructing three utility-scale concentrated solar plants that will make up the Ivanpah Solar Complex. Located in the Mojave Desert on federally-owned land, the complex will be the largest in the world and will double the capacity of installed solar thermal in the country. It will produce enough electricity to power 140,000 California homes.
The first plant will start construction this year and be completed in 2012, while the other two have completion dates of mid-to-late 2013. PG&E and SCE have entered into long-term agreements to purchase the power generated by the plants.
BrightSource was one of the companies with renewable energy projects biding their time in the Bureau of Land Management approval process glut. We're glad to see such a large project make it through and to get federal financing support as well.
via DOE
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Device mimics leeches, ejects plug when gadget is done charging
February 22, 2010
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Review: Gaea Olive Oil – Great Taste, Less Emitting?
February 22, 2010
Gaea recently sent my family some samples of its extra-virgin olive oil to sample. The premise of their operation is simple: grow great tasting olives, produce high quality olive oil, and offset their carbon emissions.
We’ve used the olive oil for a week or so, cooking with it (excellent flavor for meats and veggies) and using it in our recipes. The verdict? Delicious. Whether you’re making a salad dressing, sauteing veggies or chicken – you can’t go wrong.
Gaea offers a variety of olive oils: Sitia-Crete, Kalamata, Organic, and several flavored versions.
There are also whole olives, tampenades, appetizers, roasted peppers, sundried tomatoes, grape leaves, and a line of sauces that I’d love to get my hands on.
Now, to the claim that Gaea is the “first extra virgin olive oil in the world to be certified carbon neutral”. A google search turns up some smaller olive farms that have attempted to achieve similar carbon reductions and offsets. I’m really not too worried who was the first to be certified, but I am interested in how Gaea achieves those claims:
Carbon or Greenhouse Gas offsetting is the funding of climate protection
projects by an individual or a company, such as GAEA, in order to
compensate for the carbon emissions it produces as a result from its
operations and/or products. GAEA calculated the amount of carbon
emissions produced per kg of olive oil and compensated it by funding
climate protection projects through the myclimate foundation.
Ok, so it’s through offsets, then. Well what kind of offsets you ask? Gaea provides the details in this brochure.
Let me get on my soapbox for a minute: I am happy to see when companies are interested in reducing their environmental impact, though I wish that the website went into more detail about their carbon calculations. I also wish that Gaea provided a description of the other methods that they are using to reduce their environmental impact. Are they reducing fertilizers and pesticides? Preventing soil erosion? I have been and will continue to be skeptical about companies who pay for carbon offsets, do little to make real on-the-ground changes, and call their products climate neutral. To be fair, I requested this information from the company and this is their response:
Gaea is leading the way in the international olive oil industry with their green ‘rev-oil-ution’ to reduce the environmental impact of their operations from cultivation to the shelves of the supermarket. Gaea is committed to preserving the Earth’s natural resources with our non-depletion policy on wild products, recycling policies, Integrated Crop Management and Organic Farming techniques. With a name that literally stands for ‘Mother Earth’, Gaea has been committed to environmental sustainability since its inception. Care and respect for the environment remains at the core of our company values. This information can be found on the Gaea website at http://www.gaea.gr/1/gaeaStory2.html.
I’m not sure what “non-depletion policy on wild products” means, but it does sound like the company is attempting to minimize its environmental impact. I do know that a more complete disclosure of their carbon emissions inventory and farming practices would go a long way for environmentally conscious consumers.
If you are in the market for some extra virgin olive oil, or Greek specialty products – Give Gaea a try!
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Bloom Energy: Should you believe the hype?
February 22, 2010
The clean tech news of the week is going to be dominated by Bloom Energy's emergence from stealth. I can hardly believe that it was almost four years ago that I first wrote about Bloom. Reading that 2006 EcoGeek article, I'm proud to say that we got got the broad picture right, but the details are still tantalizing.
Bloom Energy's current product is a relatively inexpensive and versatile fuel cell that can power roughly 100 American homes. The devices cost $700,000 a piece an are roughly twice as efficient as natural gas power transmitted through the grid. They've sold a bunch of these boxes (with hefty federal and state subsidies) to a bunch of large businesses in California, including Google, eBay, FedEx, WalMart and Staples. The boxes are busy creating "clean" energy as we speak.
Bloom has finally opened the doors to its operation to the press, allowing 60 Minutes a walk-through of their facility as well as providing interviews with the CEO of eBay and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. But I put "clean" in quotation marks because, despite the fact that the words "carbon dioxide" are never mentioned, Bloom Boxes still pump CO2 into the atmosphere, albeit far less than a traditional grid-scale natural gas plant would.
Bloom's energy is certainly Read more
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Review: The Book of Rubbish Ideas
February 21, 2010
[ed note: the following post is written by Alison Bayne. Check out her blog at alisonbayne.blogspot.com]
The Book of Rubbish Ideas is anything but rubbish. It is FULL of excellent tips to help eco-newbies and hard-core Greens see rubbish as a resource, cut down on waste, and save time, money and resources as a result.
Don’t be put off by the quirky cover; author, Tracey Smith, a contented downshifter, aims to take the freaky out of eco, and her book is accessible, practical and positive. There’s no holier-than-thou attitude to reusable nappies, washable sanpro and chicken-keeping; we are encouraged to ditch the guilt for what we are not doing and start feeling good about what we are doing.
Tracey takes you on a tour through the average family home, from bedroom and bathroom through to the kitchen and out into the garden, including the Usually Male Domain of shed and garage, which so often get missed out where decluttering’s concerned.
Tracey’s project boxes at the end of each chapter include creating an art/craft box for your very own Make Do And Mend moments, a luscious His & Hers body scrub for a sticky night in, and (back down to earth) how to clean all sorts of household items – from grubby grout to wooden chopping boards – without using chemicals. Her practical advice is backed up with case studies from every day folk who are making their personal contribution to waste reduction through their own downshifting initiatives, and there are contributions from several celebrity greens, such as Wayne Hemmingway and Kim Wilde.
But this is more than a book of eco tips. It also helps readers get politically active and involved in environmental issues, by providing templates for letters to supermarkets, local schools and political representatives. There’s even an invite to send to your friends when hosting a Clothes Swap Party. So not only can you make changes within your own home, you can take steps to affect the wider world. The resources section is thorough and will have you hooked to the internet for days – there are websites, organisations and eco-products galore and a bibliography that is bound to fill up your amazon wishlist. One person’s rubbish may be another person’s treasure, but The Book of Rubbish Ideas is a gem for everyone.
[ed note: also check out the Book of Rubbish Ideas blog]
Copyright © 2010 GroovyGreen.com - Start Today :: Save Tomorrow. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact michael@groovygreen.com so we can take legal action immediately.
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Five inspired dresses made from newspapers, baseball uniforms, and more
February 19, 2010
For the second season of The GreenShows during New York Fashion Week, models strutted down the runway showing off the best in sustainable, recycled and really awesome attire.
This year the events were held at a new yet-to-be inhabited eco-friendly apartment building in New York City's East Village.
The GreenShows opened with a unique showcase of Gary Harvey's recycled couture. Newspapers and laundry bags rustled down the runway, along with old sweatshirts and baseball jackets repurposed into gowns.
The collection was designed to challenge people's perception of secondhand clothing. Gary, who was previously creative director of Levi Strauss and Dockers Europe, believes: "Too many garments end up in landfill sites. They are deemed aesthetically redundant and get discarded at the end of the season when there are often years of wear left."
So, we say, long live the trench coat! Long live the baseball jacket! Long live whatever else Harvey uses to create his collections! The Daily Green featured 18 recycled dresses by Gary Harvey.
Here's a look at five of the most interesting.
The GreenShows was sponsored by natural beauty company Weleda, and its Skin Food lotion was honored in this creation. Gary Harvey used 350 boxes of lotion to create this masterpiece.
Who says print is dead? It's alive and well, living as eco-couture. This dress was created using 30 copies of the Financial Times.
The Denim Kimono was created using recycled denim jackets and jeans.
It took 21 laundry bags to create this dry-clean-only garment.
The Baseball Puffball Dress was created using 26 nylon baseball jackets.
Photos by Gloria Dawson.
Do you think Gary Harvey is a green hero? Nominate your local hero for a Heart of Green Award, and he or she could win a trip to New York City to be honored alongside celebrities and dignitaries working to make green go mainstream.
More from The Daily Green
- See All 18 Recycled Dresses by Gary Harvey
- 10 Stylish Ways to Wear the Same Little Black Dress
- Amazing Homes Built From Shipping Containers
- One-of-a-Kind Recycled Home Decor
- Photos: 13 Cool Things Made from Recycled Bottles
Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc
Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.
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Reservations for Nissan Leaf starting in April; still no price tag
February 17, 2010
Nissan will begin taking reservations for the Nissan Leaf in April, actual orders can be placed in August and cars will be delivered by the end of the year. But a big question still looms -- how much will it cost?
You can reserve a Leaf for a $100 refundable fee, but as for the actual cost of the EV, the company has only said that it will be competitively priced with similar-sized vehicles, but that allows for a decent price range.
Even with the mystery, the car has picked up quite a bit of momentum lately. Nissan just finished a nationwide tour with the vehicle, drumming up publicity and securing partnerships with 18 launch cities that will install charging stations and get EV-ready in time for the car's release. The company also received a $1.4 billion loan from the DOE this month to begin manufacturing the car and its batteries at a plant in Smyrna, TN.
via CNET
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