US Colleges to Buy Green Power in MTV Competition
URL: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/37997/story.htm Website: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/37997/story.htm
Wal-Mart Rewarded for Energy Efficiency
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.’s commitment to energy efficiency including a plan to reduce by 20 percent the amount of energy used in all its existing stores has earned the retailer the Alliance to Save Energy’s 2006 Chairman’s Award. The award, personally selected by the Alliance Chair, U. S. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), also recognizes the company’s existing energy practices and commitment to design and open a viable prototype store within four years that is 25 to 30 percent more energy efficient and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 30 percent. The award will be presented to Wal-Mart at the Alliance ‘s Evening with the Stars of Energy Efficiency awards dinner on September 12 in Washington , D.C., to be accepted by Executive VP of Risk Management, Benefits and Sustainability Linda Dillman. “As the nation’s largest private electricity consumer, Wal-Mart recognizes that it can have a huge impact and be a powerful force for change in the private sector by reducing its energy use and contributing to environmental sustainability,” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan. “Wal-Mart’s leadership in the energy-efficiency arena led to its selection by Sen. Mark Pryor as the recipient of one of the Alliance ‘s most prestigious awards, […]
Enzymes May Hold Answer to Harnessing Hydogen Power
URL: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/37993/story.htm Website: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/37993/story.htm
The Worlds Greatest Green Inventions
Published: 04 September 2006 We all want the latest cars, the grooviest clothes and the shiniest gadgets. But what of the price to the planet? Is it possible to go shopping with a clear conscience? Can environmentally sound products still be objects of desire? The cutting-edge environmental website treehugger.com thinks so. Here, its editor, Michael Richard, shows Josh Sims how a new breed of inventors is coming up with the goods – and they don’t cost the earth THE ECO KETTLE It is estimated that, on average, we boil twice the volume of water needed every time we use our kettles. With a 3kW kettle that’s the same as wasting the energy of around 50 light bulbs. And standard kettles are often highly inefficient – a stove-top kettle, for instance, requires energy to heat the handle and shell in addition to the water. But British designer Brian Hartley’s Eco Kettle solves these problems at a stroke. You fill it up, and then use the measuring button to release the exact amount of water you require – from a single cup to a full jug – into a separate chamber for boiling. It is also insulated to keep the water hot. […]
Melting Permafrost Could Accelerate Warming
URL: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/09/060906-methane.html Website: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/09/060906-methane.html
Amazon Deforestation Rate Falls
URL: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/sep2006/2006-09-07-02.asp Website: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/sep2006/2006-09-07-02.asp
Spire Subsidiary Signs Agreement with Principia Lightworks
Bandwidth Semiconductor, LLC (Bandwidth), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Spire Corporation (Nasdaq: SPIR) has entered into a five-year manufacturing agreement in which it will be the exclusive supplier to Principia Lightworks, Inc. (Principia), of semiconductor wafers. This agreement will enable Principia, a Woodland Hills, California firm, to begin high volume production of its patented device, an electron beam pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser (eVCSEL) as a light source for projection display applications, including rear-projection consumer television (RPTV). Under the terms of this agreement, Bandwidth will be producing III/V and II/VI wafers for Principia with full production expected to start in mid 2007. During the first three years of the agreement, Bandwidth anticipates revenues will be in excess of $16 million, which includes revenue from the production of wafers and recognition of certain nonrecurring engineering and facility access payments. Bandwidth will begin the scale-up of its existing metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and related processing facilities to satisfy Principia’s requirements. Principia has made an up-front payment for nonrecurring engineering and facility access costs and, in addition will make monthly facility availability payments throughout the term of the agreement. Although the Company will be committing capital resources to complete the scale-up, […]
Northern Power Awarded $1.8M Contract
Northern Power, a subsidiary of Distributed Energy Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: DESC), has been awarded a $1.8 million follow-on contract by the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Pipeline Company for a stand-alone power system at an emergency drain-down facility along the BTC export oil pipeline in Kodiana, Georgia. The project is the third between Northern Power and BTC, and will be the 39th Northern Power system on the pipeline. The Kodiana emergency drain-down facility is located in a valley in the Republic of Georgia, where the continents of Europe and Asia meet. In the event of a rupture in the pipeline at any point between the two peaks that flank the valley, Northern Power’s system is designed to power a pumping system to channel oil flowing through the pipeline into a specially designed underground holding tank. The power system will also ensure a reliable power source for additional pumps in the underground tank to pump oil out of the tank and back into the pipeline after a rupture is repaired. “The emergency drain-down system was mandated by the government of Georgia to protect the environment,” stated Michael Brennan, vice president at Northern Power. “The power system we have designed will play a critical role […]
SatCon Wins $250K Navy Contract
SatCon Technology Corporation® (Nasdaq NM: SATC) has been awarded a ‘cost-plus’ contract for the development of a Modular High Density Isolated DC/DC Converter for a fuel cell power source from the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The total value of the contract is approximately $250,000 with an option of an additional $100,000. “The award is another example of SatCon’s expertise in electric power conversion systems for mobile and stationary applications,” stated SatCon’s Chairman and CEO, David Eisenhaure. “Although this technology is primarily oriented for the US Navy, the technology developed as a result of this effort is particularly well-suited for our hybrid electric vehicle and aerospace offerings which require higher power density, higher efficiency electric drive system solutions. Our power electronics expertise in component packaging, system architecture, and software controls allows us to develop efficient and compact solutions for challenging applications within constrained space and environmental requirements.” SatCon will design, fabricate, test, and deliver a modular 100 KW fuel cell converter utilizing an architecture, which is based on an advanced high voltage DC/DC capacitive charger developed for the US Army Research Lab. The converter boosts the low voltage variable input from the fuel cell to provide a high quality, constant […]
Boeing to Build Solar Cells for SolFocus
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has signed a contract to provide 600,000 solar concentrator cells to SolFocus, Inc., a California-based renewable energy company that is developing renewable terrestrial energy alternatives. “Companies on the cutting edge of the renewable energy revolution come to us because we are the world’s leading manufacturer of solar cells,” said Charles Toups, vice president of engineering for Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. “Our Spectrolab subsidiary has leveraged its expertise in space photovoltaic products to create solar cells with record-breaking efficiencies for Earth-based applications.” Under the 12-month contract from SolFocus, Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif., Spectrolab will build and deliver 600,000 solar concentrator cells that will be used to convert the sun’s rays into affordable electricity for homes and businesses. The cells produced for SolFocus will be capable of generating more than 10 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power about 4,000 U.S. homes. With the average solar cell efficiency above 35 percent at concentration, Spectrolab’s concentrator photovoltaic cells generate electricity at a rate that can be more economical than electricity generated from conventional, flat panel photovoltaic systems. “Our mission is to deliver reliable solar-generated electricity at wholesale energy prices, and Spectrolab’s multi-junction concentrator solar cells are […]
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