alt.energy review

BP back pedals on alternative energy

July 1st, 2009 / No Comments » / by Michael

: Image by Peter Gasston via Flickr

British Petroleum , or BP, has closed its London headquaters for alternative energy and its head has stepped down and is cutting way back on its 1.4B dollar investment. Well that’s just great. Thanks BP.

BP = “Back to Petroleum?” | Mother Jones.

BP axes 620 jobs from solar business (guardian.co.uk)
Oil Companies Reluctant to Follow Obama’s Green Lead (nytimes.com)
BP shuts alternative energy HQ (guardian.co.uk)
Red tape in UK defeats eco fund (telegraph.co.uk)
New chairman to ring the changes at BP (telegraph.co.uk)
Wind farms seek state aid to keep moving (guardian.co.uk)
BP, China win right to develop Iraq’s Rumalia oil field (financialpost.com)

Posted in: Consumption, Investment, economy

Tags: Business, London

Morning Commute Becomes Electric

June 26th, 2009 / No Comments » / by Michael

The city of Baltimore have begun an electric car sharing program, where Electrovaya is renting out the Maya 300 for as low as $7.50 per hour.

Car Sharing Goes Electric | Autopia | Wired.com.

The little car that could boosted by Exxon film (thestar.com)
The Day After Zipcar Makes a Profit – Part II (treehugger.com)
Help Fill the Autopia Fantasy Garage (wired.com)
Tri, Tri Again for Aptera 3-Wheeler Federal Loan (wired.com)

Posted in: Transportation, Uncategorized, electric

Tags: Baltimore, Electric Vehicle, Electrovaya, Technology, Transportation

Chicago skyscraper turns green

June 24th, 2009 / No Comments » / by Michael

: Image via Wikipedia

PLans to reduce electricity consumption by 80% include wind turbines, new roofs, and solar.

Sears Tower to undergo $350M green remodel – Yahoo! News.

Sears Tower To Be Renamed, Become Willis Tower (huffingtonpost.com)
Sears Tower TIF: Willis Wants Tax Deal For Move To Iconic Skyscraper (huffingtonpost.com)
Green Upgrade Planned for Sears Tower (shoppingblog.com)
Mini City Unveiled by Chicago Architecture Foundation (chicagoist.com)

Posted in: Consumption, Solar, Wind, architecture, electric

Home, Wind Power, Home

June 23rd, 2009 / 1 Comment » / by Michael

: Image via Wikipedia

A home wind turbine is coming to a neighborhood near you. Ace Hardware is going to be selling this potential 2000 kilowatt per year generating device built not with gears, but magnets, and will quietly reduce your electric bill. A step in the right direction; as the industry scales, so will the price tag of $4500 come down.

EarthTronics’ Home Wind Turbine Coming to Ace Hardware This Fall | Sustainability | Fast Company.

Home wind turbines coming to Ace Hardware (inquisitr.com)
Backyard Wind Turbine by Wind Simplicity Mirrors Art and Nature (treehugger.com)
How To Get Wind Turbines To Work Harder (innovationtoronto.com)
Honeywell Wind Turbine (forcedgreen.com)
Wind Could Provide 100% of World Energy Needs (hardware.slashdot.org)
The 11 Most Interesting Wind Turbine Designs (gcaptain.com)
Small Wind Turbine Market in US Nearly Doubled in 2008 (domesticfuel.com)

Posted in: Wind, electric

Tags: DIY, home, Turbine, Wind, Wind power

Solar arrays to power data center.

June 18th, 2009 / No Comments » / by Michael

: Image by lars hammar via Flickr

A hefty 4.5 megawatt will be generated by an array of solar panels to provide a Phoenix data center with a portion of its 80 megawatt demand. And even more interesting is its time shifting capability to save the company 50% of its energy bill by using onsite thermal storage.

Will Your Next Data Center Be Solar Powered? | Inside Green IT on GreenerComputing.

APS launches solar rooftops project in Flagstaff (biodieselinvesting.com)
Transparent Solar Panels For Windows And More (ubergizmo.com)
Is building a homemade solar panel a good idea? (techburgh.com)
Solar Panels in the Sunset Almost Fully OK’d (sf.curbed.com)
California Homeowners: Don’t Wait for the Cost of Solar Panels to Drop (lightbulbs.org)
Massachusetts Leasing Solar Panels to Residents (takepart.com)
Arizona Solar Power Conference Demonstrates How Business Parks, Shopping Centers, Warehouses and Multiple Dwelling Housing Units Can Supplement Electr (ecofriendlymag.com)
Starwood, APS partner to build Arizona solar power plant (lightbulbs.org)
Arizona Dreams Of Becoming Solar Thermal “Power Colony” Of Western North America (treehugger.com)
Largest Solar Plant in the World Coming to Arizona? (treehugger.com)
APS Solar Tour ‘09 Spreads Word of Sun’s Power (ecofriendlymag.com)
DIY Solar Flyer motorcycle tearing around Phoenix, Arizona (engadget.com)
220-mph Solar-Powered Train Proposed In Arizona (tech.slashdot.org)
ASES Solar Tour: Massive National Event for Solar Education (treehugger.com)
Hawaii Solar Energy Resources and Incentives (ecofriendlymag.com)
Solar Energy Maps (coolerplanet.com)

Posted in: Consumption, Solar, electric

Tags: Solar, Technology

20 by 2020 with 30: China aims to be renewable superpower

June 11th, 2009 / No Comments » / by Michael

: Image by Getty Images via Daylife

20% Renewables by year 2020 with 30 billion dollars investment in green and reneweable energy sources is the target set by Beijing. This is good news forone of the world’s most polluting countries, fueled by the trade revolution of the past couple of decades. Now, like everywhere else, tight budgets are helping to drive the need for lower cost and consumption of energy.

China makes renewable power play to be world’s first green superpower | Jonathan Watts | Environment | guardian.co.uk.

China and the environment: Red, green – and black (guardian.co.uk)
Eco Solids to set up water treatment agency in China (telegraph.co.uk)
China puts its faith in solar power with huge renewable energy investment (guardian.co.uk)

Posted in: China, Consumption, Investment

Tags: Asia, China, Environment, renewable

Slim Fusion

June 9th, 2009 / No Comments » / by Michael

: Image via Wikipedia

Nuclear fusion power project to start in slimmed-down version – Yahoo News. After years of debate the multinational effort to prove whether or not nuclear fusion is a viable source of energy is to go ahead. In 2018.

California fires up laser fusion machine (guardian.co.uk)
Laser experiment powers up (news.bbc.co.uk)
Fusion Power: A New Way to Boil Water (metamodern.com)
The Next Really Cool Thing – Fusion? (innovationtoronto.com)
5 big alt-energy letdowns: Ideas that sounded good but… (sciam.com)
Navy Scientists Zip Lips on Cold Fusion Tests (wired.com)
Will Inertial Confinement Fusion FINALLY Produce Power? (scienceblog.com)

Posted in: electric, nuclear, research

Tags: fusion, Fusion power, nuclear

Fuel efficiency to the extreme; VW goes 235 mpg.

May 18th, 2009 / No Comments » / by Michael

: Image via Wikipedia

Volkswagen 1-Liter 235 MPG Extreme Fuel Efficiency Car | GreenCar.com. Although technically not an alternative energy, I just had to comment on this fantastic vehicle set to be in production next year. Um, I want one.