June 2009
4 posts
House Passes Climate Change Bill : NPR →
The House narrowly passed sweeping legislation Friday that calls for the nation’s first limits on pollution linked to global warming and aims to usher in a new era of cleaner energy.
Clean Energy Emphasized at the Americas Energy and...
Energy efficiency and renewable energy were the major focus of energy ministers and other government leaders from throughout the Americas last week, as they converged on Lima, Peru, for the Americas Energy and Climate Symposium. At the symposium, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced a Low Carbon Communities Program, which will assist countries in developing energy efficiency and renewable...
DOE Delivers Over $80 Million in Weatherization... →
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the transfer of nearly $80 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to Arizona, Kansas, Mississippi, and Oregon to expand state weatherization assistance programs. After submitting their comprehensive state weatherization plans that were due on May 12, these states are now receiving 40% of the total funding...
Secretary Chu Announces $256 Million Investment to...
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced plans to provide $256 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support energy efficiency improvements in major industrial sectors across the American economy. The funding is targeted at reducing the energy consumption of America’s manufacturing and information technology (IT) industries, while creating jobs and...
May 2009
2 posts
DOE to Invest Up to $33.5 Million in Wind Energy...
DOE announced on Tuesday that it plans to provide Massachusetts with $25 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate the development of the state’s Wind Technology Testing Center. Conveniently located in Boston Harbor, the new center will be the first commercial facility in the nation for large wind turbine blades. It will allow for the testing of blades...
DOE Requests $2.3 Billion for Efficiency,...
President Barack Obama unveiled last week a $26.4 billion budget request for DOE for fiscal year (FY) 2010, including $2.3 billion for the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The budget aims to substantially expand the use of renewable energy sources while improving energy transmission infrastructure. It also makes significant investments in hybrids and plug-in hybrids, in...
March 2009
3 posts
ABB Releases cpmPlus Energy Manager Software
Helps customers monitor and manage energy use to reduce overall energy costs, improve efficiency Baden, Switzerland, March 12, 2009 - ABB announced today that it has released its IndustrialIT cpmPlus Energy Manager software to help customers in all industries monitor, manage and optimize their energy usage for maximum efficiency and cost savings. It addresses the business side of energy...
EPA Proposes First National Reporting on... →
On March 10, 2009, the EPA released a proposal for the nation’s first system for reporting greenhouse gas emissions produced by major sources in the U.S. The proposed reporting requirements would apply to a range of specific activities, including power production, industrial sources such as chemical manufacturers, iron and steel production, petroleum refineries, municipal landfills, and industrial...
Cap & Trade- The Worst Kind Of Carbon Tax →
How will a carbon tax be implemented in countries like the US? Here is Stefan Karlsson’s view (an economist from Sweden):
In a “cap and trade” scheme the emission reduction is fixed, so fluctuations in demand for emissions will result in fluctuations in the tax on emissions. In a straightforward carbon tax, the tax rate will be fixed so fluctuations in demand for emissions will...
February 2009
10 posts
Cheaper Concentrating Solar For Photovoltaics →
While the bulk of concentrating solar now in use is for solar thermal steam electric power generation it is not the only use of concentrating solar. Highly concentrated light shined on photovoltaic (PV) materials greatly lowers the amount of PV needed. If the concentrator costs less than PV for the same area then concentrator plus PV can be a cheaper way to go. A Canadian company, Morgan Solar,...
Energy Efficiency could drop U.S. Electric Demand... →
A recent report by the Rocky Mountain Institute states that the U.S. electricity demand could drop by 34 percent if the most inefficient states caught up with the most efficient ones.
Stimulus adds tax credit for home solar panels →
Homeowners interested in sticking solar panels on their roofs got a big boost from the $787 billion economic stimulus package signed Tuesday by President Obama.
Homeowners will now be able to get a federal tax credit worth 30 percent of the cost of their new solar system even if they’re also receiving state or local financing.
Stimulus Package contains Renewable Energy →
About $50 billion for energy programs, focused chiefly on efficiency and renewable energy, including $5 billion to weatherize modest-income homes; $6.4 billion to clean up nuclear weapons production sites; $11 billion toward a “smart electricity grid” to reduce waste; $6 billion to subsidize loans for renewable energy projects; $6.3 billion in state energy efficiency and clean energy...
Do Energy-Saving LED Lamps Save Energy? →
Sure LED lamps use less energy, but it requires more energy to make. Is the net effect a wash? Actually, it does. So it makes sense to replace and use the LED lamps to save energy and money.
Solar Power to $0.146 per kWh in 2012 →
Solar cell companies in China recently submitted a scheme to the Ministry of Science and Technology to cut the cost of solar power generation to $0.146 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in 2012. This is three years earlier then had been thought possible only last year and is largely due to the current steep drop in polysilicon prices and further planned advances in production.
Microsoft's Carbon Calculator →
Microsoft’s free toolset, called the Environmental Sustainability Dashboard, is aimed at letting small to medium-size businesses figure out their carbon footprint without having to pay for outside consultants.
Google's Power Meter →
Google PowerMeter, now in prototype, will receive information from utility smart meters and energy management devices and provide anyone who signs up access to her home electricity consumption right on her iGoogle homepage. [See PC World article]
Obama announces new Energy Guidelines →
Primarily addressing the efficiency of household appliances, we applaud his initial efforts to a “clean energy future”. However, does it go far enough?
Japanese Launching Carbon Label Program →
About 30 Japanese companies will voluntarily start carrying carbon footprint labels on food packaging and other products beginning in April 2009, Guardian reports.
Unlike [elsewhere] Japan’s trade ministry has drawn up a uniform method of labeling carbon emissions to avoid fears among some firms that their competitors may use in-house calculations and produce the lowest possible emissions data.
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January 2009
7 posts
Cost Reduction Through Supply Chain Greenhouse Gas... →
The idea of accounting for a company’s greenhouse gas emissions is a relatively new concept and many companies have yet to complete such an important yet unfamiliar project… the inventory process represents a cost with no immediate return. However, it is a necessary entry point to the various opportunities that do offer significant returns, including energy efficiency improvements and the...
EU Grocers Introducing Carbon Labels →
European supermarket chains are moving towards carbon labels, following the lead of Tesco, which introduced a carbon label trial earlier this year.
Green Vision of San José
The San José City Council adopted the Green Vision, a fifteen-year plan to transform San José into a world center of Clean Technology innovation, promote cutting-edge sustainable practices, and demonstrate that the goals of economic growth, environmental stewardship and fiscal responsibility are inextricably linked. Within 15 years, the City of San José in tandem with its residents and...
Greenopolis →
A social networking site that develops online relations between everyday people, communities, organizations, schools and businesses. As an environmentally-focused social networking site, Greenopolis was created to engage users on green issues so that they might learn, explore and participate in an open dialogue about the present and future of our environment.
Google's Renewable Energy Committment →
Google, the Internet search and advertising giant, is increasingly looking to the energy sector as a potential business opportunity.
Looking for Carbon in Renewable Energy →
Article from ClimateBiz that summarized Lori Byrd (of NREL) saying:
Green power market grew by 50 percent in 2007, fed almost equally by growth in the voluntary and compliance markets. The industry feted its new largest purchaser, Intel, which made a commitment that bested last year’s top REC purchaser, PepsiCo. It celebrated the fact that 28 states plus the District of Columbia have regulations...
OpenECO Community and Software →
This project, initially started by Sun, is an open platform for tracking energy and GHG emissions and to enable developers to build apps.