Greenpeace Unveils Its Eco City Concept
carbonfree.co.uk 14th February 2008 Greenpeace has launched an interactive virtual city showcasing how towns and cities across the UK are fighting climate change and enjoying a cleaner and more secure energy future - without relying on new coal or nuclear power stations. The new online town, called EfficienCity, uses interactive case studies and animation to demonstrate how the UK could slash its greenhouse gas emissions, cut electricity bills and beef up the security of its energy supply. The town is powered by "decentralised energy", a clean and efficient energy system that provides heating, cooling and electricity to the community. Greenpeace is asking visitors to the virtual town to "reclaim the power" from central government and instead engage with their local councils, encouraging them to implement their own local energy schemes based on efficiency, renewables and combined heat and power. Through interacting with virtual football stadiums, supermarkets, hospitals and breweries based on real world examples, visitors can see how their own communities can join the fight against climate change by generating their own energy. Greenpeace has developed the project in response to the official energy policy of the UK government, which currently favours large, centralised power generation and nuclear reactors as the solution to keeping the lights on and tackling climate change. Developed in collaboration with Biro Creative - founded by former staffers of the Adbusters Media Foundation - the project shows how the solutions to climate change can be applied to every British town. Videos, animations, slideshows and sounds guide the user through a brilliantly realised low carbon system, explaining how renewable technologies - from wave and tidal power to micro-hydro and anaerobic digestion - work. The town also shows how electricity, heat and cooling can all be part of a local energy network. Greenpeace energy advisor Darren Shirley said: "With EfficienCity we're trying to demonstrate virtually how the real solutions to climate change can work in practise. We're hoping that visitors to the city will see that these technologies aren't science fiction - they're already available today. "There's absolutely no reason why this kind of integrated, low carbon system couldn't work in every town in Britain. That's why we want people to get active, contact their local politicians and demand real change." Nicholas Klassen of Biro Creative said: "To combine real world feel with technical precision, we started with a visual style based on "information graphics" and filled it out with colour, dynamism and the ordinary touches of everyday life. "The site is designed to allow users to dig in on their own terms. Some will graze through the site and be happy with a surface-level engagement. Others will drill down to every layer to absorb every detail."
 By Karin Kloosterman
January 13, 2008Solar energy is an exciting option to greenhouse gas producing power sources, because the sun offers unlimited power, and zero carbon emissions. But to make it a real-world energy alternative, kinks in the system need to be addressed.
One of the biggest drawbacks to using solar energy is its unreliability: the sun's rays are not constant, and the power cannot be stored. The Israeli company EDIG, working in traditional markets of electro-mechanics since 1971, believes it has the solution, in the form of a low-cost hybrid generator.
Through subsidiary EDIG Solar, the company plans to make solar energy a viable power alternative. The company's power plant is hybrid, meaning that like electric cars, the system's turbines can adapt to more than one energy source.
During a rainy day, the solar turbines can switch over and run on traditional or alternative fuel.
"It's modular, meaning it can easily be increased in size, and it is flexible in terms of fuel use. It can be powered by bio-diesel, bio-gas or fossil fuels," explains the company's CTO Pinhas Doron, an engineer.
When it comes to alternative energy options, one technology does not fit all, he says. "Every application has to be examined on its own merit, and the best solution applied to it. Our solution works well for grid connected electricity, where there is ample sun."
Based on the research of Prof. Jacob Karni, director of the Center for Energy Research at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, EDIG's technology attracts the sun and concentrates it by way of tiny mirrors on the ground.
The thermal energy generated by the sun drives turbines in a tower, the same turbines that can be powered by traditional fuel, the moment a cloud passes overhead, or at night when the sun sets.
And in doing this, "our hybrid solution addresses the issue of intermittency of solar radiation," says Doron.
Admittedly, he will not try to sell this solution to the northern states in America, or to Canadians, but it would be perfect for places where there is direct radiation, such as in the southwest USA, southern Spain, or in India, he says.
EDIG recently built a 100 kW pilot plant study in Nanjing, China. It included a power conversion unit (a solarized gas turbine and a solar receiver), which was installed on a tower, and a field of heliostats (sun-tracking mirrors).
The unit was fully operational and supplied power to the local electric grid, says Doron. "We proved our concept - we connected to the grid and operated seamlessly," he reports. The next step is building a plant in Israel's Arava Desert, which should be ready by next year.
While the company is not reinventing the "solar" wheel, its IP rests in at least two areas, says Doron. It's solar "receiver" is based on patented Weizmann technology, and the modifications on the turbine, which allows it to switch energy sources and at high temperatures, without the user noticing it, was difficult to overcome.
Of course, when the solution is being operated in hybrid mode, there are "no zero emissions," says Doron. "But during optimal conditions of sunshine, it could be. Fuel use would be minimal," he stresses.
Will this be a solar solution we can all live with? Avraham Israeli, a private consultant and previously a trade exec at Israel's Export Institute for clean technologies, recommends EDIG as the most promising solar energy company in Israel, if not the world.
"The company is implementing a technology of solar thermal electricity generation. It seems to be the most cost-effective technology in the market," he told ISRAEL21c.
And if the new hybrid plant from Israel doesn't live up to the promise and hype, there is always the sun.
After five years of product development – including aggressively pipelined science, research and development, manufacturing process development, product testing, manufacturing engineering and tool development, and factory construction – we now have shipped first product and received our first check of product revenue. We are grateful to everyone who supported us through all these years and the many occasions where there appeared to be mile-high concrete walls in our path; the unusual intensity and creativity of our team deserves all the credit for achieving this major milestone today. Our product is defining in more ways I can enumerate here but includes: - the world’s first printed thin-film solar cell in a commercial panel product; - the world’s first thin-film solar cell with a low-cost back-contact capability; - the world’s lowest-cost solar panel – which we believe will make us the first solar manufacturer capable of profitably selling solar panels at as little as $.99/Watt; - the world’s highest-current thin-film solar panel – delivering five times the current of any other thin-film panel on the market today and thus simplifying system deployment; - an intensely systems-optimized product with the lowest balance-of-system cost of any thin-film panel – due to innovations in design we have included. Today we are announcing that we have begun shipping panels for freefield deployment in Eastern Germany and that the first Megawatt of our panels will go into a power plant installation there. As far as the first three of our commercial panels are concerned: Panel #1 will remain at Nanosolar for exhibit. Panel #2 can be purchased by you in an auction on eBay starting today. Panel #3 has been donated to the Tech Museum in San Jose. [These are obviously not the first three we ever produced – we have produced loads for testing – but these are the first three of what we consider our commercial panels.] Related Info: Nanosolar Shipping for Megawatt Municipal Power Plant
Named Innovation of the Year
November 13, 2007
Posted by Martin Roscheisen, CEO Popular Science magazine — which many of us read when we were little — just came out with its annual innovation awards. Our solar electricity technology was named the top Innovation of the Year 2007. Ranked #1 overall, we even came out ahead of the Apple iPhone and many other great technologies (and companies with much larger marketing budgets too in particular). It’s great to see our hard work — and greentech in general — recognized so enthusiastically! Now we have no choice but to actually make sure that there’s going to be a solar panel on every building in the future. See also: Popular Science press release, website |
| December 13, '07 Israel to Reduce Greenhouse Gases (IsraelNN.com) According to Galei Tzahal, Israeli delegates in a conference in Bali on global climate issues will promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The delegates are expected to say Thursday that Israel will reduce its emissions beginning in 2012. The head of the Environmental Protection Ministry, Dr. Yossi Inbar, will tell conference participants that he cannot say at this time to what degree Israel will reduce emissions, but that Israel will sign an agreement specifying a percent decrease in 2009. Many scientists believe that greenhouse gas emissions are a central factor in global warming. | | | The Israeli delegates will also announce Israel’s readiness to assist other nations in dealing with water shortages. Israel is internationally known for expertise in water conservation. 
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November 8, 2007 ASES: 40 Million 'Green Collar' Jobs by 2030 As many as 1 out of 4 workers in the United States will be working in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries by 2030, according to a new jobs report from the American Solar Energy Society (ASES). The renewable energy and energy efficiency industries today generate nearly $1 trillion in revenue in the U.S., contributing more than $150 billion in tax revenue at the federal, state, and local levels.
"The green collar job boom is here," said Neal Lurie, Director of Marketing of ASES. By the year 2030, the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries could generate up to $4.5 trillion in revenue in the U.S., but only with the appropriate public policy. This would include a renewable portfolio standard, renewable energy incentives, public education, and R&D. The 40 million jobs that could be created in renewable energy and energy efficiency by 2030 are not just engineering-related, but also include millions of new jobs in manufacturing, construction, accounting, and management. Currently, there are 8.5 million jobs that have spawned from the renewable energy industries. According to ASES, the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries today generate nearly $1 trillion in revenue in the U.S., contributing more than $150 billion in tax revenue at the federal, state, and local levels.
 http://www.electricitybook.com/solar-water-heaterYou may have seen Garrett Yazzie and his family the other night on Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Extreme Makeover built his family a new "green" home. But what is most interesting is the solar water heater he built from an old car radiator so he could heat his home. His younger sister has severe asthma and burning coal and wood in their wood burning stove was causing her problems. That's why this young inventor and Navajo Indian, Garrett Yazzie, built the solar water heater - to heat his home for his family. Garrett has won numerous awards for this invention including a Discovery Channel Young Scientist Award. Not only did his solar water heater provide much needed heat for his family, but it got his family a new green home and a new Ford hybrid SUV. Not too bad for a 13 year old! I think everyone should have one of these on their home. What I like about his solar water heater is he uses it to heat his home and his water. I believe he uses some kind of heat exchange system made out of a window fan. And, of course, the hot water can be utilized right out of the system - be careful though - it will be scalding hot. It looks like the water is heated in the radiator which is obviously under a sheet of glass or plexiglass. I'm not exactly sure what the soda cans are for. My best guess is there is a glass covering over the soda cans too and the soda cans are used as a crude air driven heat exchanger for heating the rooms. Of course, everything is pained black to absorb more of the suns rays. The rest is basic solar oven technology. The suns rays enter the glass and upon hitting the black surface, is converted to thermal energy which is trapped inside the glass by the greenhouse effect. Start saving yourself some money today! If a 13 year old kid can do this, you certainly can do it. It costs very little money, it's easy to understand, so what are you waiting for? If you need more information, get my book "Electricity - Make it, Don't Buy it". There's a whole chapter in the book on solar heating and cooling. In addition to the other chapters, principles like thermosiphon, solar cooking, thermal walls, cryophorous, evaporative cooling, thermal mass, thermal chimney, parabolic and trough collectors, solar room, etc are discussed. Click the banner below for full details...  Renewable Energy Solutions (eBook) - This family has been living off the grid for 14 years
By Philip Proefrock
Wed, 22 Aug 2007 It's not just for hobbits anymore. The logic of green roofs is becoming more apparent. We can minimize our bills while maximizing the beauty of the urban landscape. And every day it's becoming a little easier to live in a house that just happens to have plants growing on it. 
Vegetated roofs, or green roofs have a layer of living plants on top of the structure and the waterproofing elements. There are really two types of green roofs, intensive and extensive. 
Intensive green roofs often have a soil depth of a foot or more, and require substantial structural elements to support the weight of the whole roof. Intensive roofs can sustain a wide range of plant species and typically require a fair amount of regular maintenance. Because of the additional demands they impose, intensive roofs are much less common than extensive roofs.
Extensive roofs are much shallower, typically only 2 to 4 inches deep, and are planted with particularly hardy plants. Over the last 50 years or so, this kind of roof has been developed, specially in Europe,. But now they are becoming increasingly common in the United States. Why are green roofs such a great idea? First, they help to reduce roof stormwater runoff. In some cases, this can help reduce the size of stormwater pipes, and the amount of stormwater that needs to be treated by municipal water treatment. In a light rainfall, a building with a vegetated roof can have no stormwater runoff at all. Green roofs also protect the roof membrane from sunlight, which breaks down the roofing
material. Having even a couple inches of soil helps to greatly extend the life of the roof, and a longer lifespan means less material ends up in landfills from re-roofing buildings after the membranes have failed. 
Green roofs keep the roof cooler, which helps to reduce the heat-island effect, which contributes to cities being hotter than the surrounding countryside. This can be beneficial to the building in reducing its summertime cooling load. A green roof is also a source of oxygen and provides a habitat for some birds. Birds and insects can find homes much more readily in the living environment of a green roof, where an ordinary roof is nearly barren. And yes, it's even possible to graze goats. 
What is a green roof made of? Starting from the top, an extensive green roof has a layer of plants, which are typically sedums. These are low-growing, shallow rooting, drought tolerant plants. There are many different varieties of sedum, with different different coloration and different flowerings, so that a roof can have a varied appearance, rather than looking like an entire crop of a single variety. The plants are in a growth medium, an engineered mixture of lightweight soils, vermiculite, and other materials that provides a good environment for the sedum. The shallow depth of the soil aids in keeping weeds from establishing themselves on the roof, since most weeds cannot survive in the arid and shallow soil conditions on a vegetated roof. Local plants that can survive in that environment may establish themselves on the roof, as well. Underneath the soil are several membrane layers, rather than just a single membrane roof. There is also a drainage layer (to allow excess water to move freely, rather than lifting the soil and having it flow off the roof in a mudslide, and a root barrier layer, which keeps the roots from penetrating the roof. The roof membrane sits on the roof deck, insulation, or structure of the building much like a conventional roof. 
Can I put a green roof on my house? Green roofs make sense for residential use as much as for commercial buildings. However, retrofitting a green roof onto an existing house is not a simple matter because of the extra weight a vegetated roof adds. Most roofs are not structurally strong enough to support a vegetated roof without some reinforcement. Green roofs also work best on lower slopes. They can be installed on steeper pitched roofs, but the design and installation is more difficult and
requires additional care. The added cost of a vegetated roof versus a conventional shingle roof, and the relatively small number of contractors familiar with installing them are probably the biggest limiting factors. A house with a suitably pitched roof would still likely need structural evaluation from an architect or engineer before going ahead with a retrofit, and some structural reinforcement is likely
to be needed. 
Does a green roof have to be mowed? A sedum covered roof is naturally self limiting in size. Most sedums grow only a few inches tall. As mentioned above, it is also fairly self weeding, due to the inhospitable environment it offers to most weed species. An extensive roof planted with prairie grasses on the Ducks Unlimited National Headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba uses a controlled burn of its upper roof every three years to repropogate the prairie plants. The 16 inches of soil protects the building
from any damage while the grass fire helps remove weed species and assists prairie species which need periodic fires as part of their life cycle. What Does the Future Hold? We were excited a while back to announce Toyota's green roofing tile. These modular, interlockable grass tiles make green roofing an absolute cinch. They're a lot lighter than other methods, and installation is a breeze. At about $34 per tile, they're still expensive, but prices would of course drop if demand were to increase. 
And, second, I and many others would like to see Friedenreich Hundertwasser's vision of every horizontal surface being returned to nature: "The true proportions in this world are the views to the stars and the views down to the surface of the earth. Grass and vegetation in the city should grow on all horizontal spaces - that is to say, wherever rain and snow falls vegetation should grow, on the roads and on the roofs. The horizontal is the domain of nature and wherever vegetation grows on the horizontal level man is off limits; he should not interfere. I mean taking away territories from nature, which human beings have always done." 
Green Roof Resources:
-The EPA on Green Roofs-Greenroofs.com-Green Roofs on Wikipedia-Green Roofs for Healthy
Cities-
Image Key:
1. Hundertwasser's Waldspirale, Austria...From WikiMedia Commons
2. Green Rooftops from Swishphotos on Flickr from the Faroe Islands
3. Grass Roof in Oswego Illinois, USA, from Greg Robbins on Flickr
4. Solaire Green Roof in Battery Park City, NY from Birdw0rks on Flickr
5. Goats on a Roof in Wisconsin, from Driftless Media on Flickr
6. Grass Roofs in Iceland from Pietroizzo on Flickr
7. Green Roof in Tokyo from Dissonanc3 on Flickr
8. Toyota Roof Tiles from Toyota Roof Garden
9. Hunderwasser's village model, on display at Kunsthaus in Vienna.
Bethesda, Maryland [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] Photovoltaic Systems - the first comprehensive guide to the installation of commercial and residential solar energy systems has been published by the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the Electrical Industry (NJATC). Authored by Jim Dunlop, the textbook covers the principles of photovoltaics (PV) -- the direct conversion of solar energy into electricity -- and how to incorporate it into stand-alone or utility-connected electrical systems. Illustrations clarify concepts, photographs show how components are integrated to form complete PV systems. A CD-ROM provides interactive worksheets, quizzes, calculators, video clips and animated graphics depicting PV principles and operation and links to additional resources. NJATC is a joint program of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) that has been training journeymen in the design and installation of solar energy systems for more than a decade.
 June 5, 2007 AquaCell Acquires Patents to Revolutionary Solar Powered Air Conditioner http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/partner/story?id=48815AquaCell to Manufacture and Sell Solar Powered Air Conditioner Press Release from SolCool Solar Air Conditioning June 5, 2007 - Redlands, CA AquaCell Technologies, Inc. ("AquaCell") (AQUA) today announced that it has closed the acquisition of GPM, Inc. GPM manufactures the world's only patented solar powered air conditioner. Kevin Spence, AquaCell's President and CFO said, "We are extremely excited to enter the alternative energy space with an affordable solar powered air conditioner." Mr. Spence continued, "The solar powered air conditioner provides climate control at a fraction of the cost of powering traditional air conditioners. We are excited to be a part of the effort to reduce greenhouse emissions by taking users off of the power grid." James Witham, AquaCell’s Chief Executive Officer said, "This acquisition, the culmination of eight months of combined effort on the part of AquaCell and GPM, solidly positions AquaCell in the emerging alternative energy space." Mr. Witham continued, "Having an air conditioner powered through the energy of the sun has far reaching applications for daily cooling requirements for homes and industry, including modular buildings, as well as for emergency backup cooling, such as senior citizen housing and remote telecommunication facilities." AquaCell’s solar powered air conditioner uses less than 25% of the power of traditional air conditioners of the same size. Using DC (direct current) power, AquaCell’s solar powered air conditioner can be powered by only two photovoltaic (solar) panels, freeing the user from the electric utility grid. It is the only climate control equipment in the world that takes direct, renewable DC input to power its internal 24-volt operating system. Use of the air conditioner eliminates the risk of loss of air conditioning due to power shortages and blackouts. The initial versions of the solar air conditioner have been purchased by the US military, corporations and international real estate developers. In connection with the acquisition, the manufacturing will be relocated from Texas to Southern California. Kevin Spence, AquaCell’s President and CFO said, "We are extremely excited to enter the alternative energy space with an affordable solar powered air conditioner." Mr. Spence continued, "The solar powered air conditioner provides climate control at a fraction of the cost of powering traditional air conditioners. We are excited to be a part of the effort to reduce greenhouse emissions by taking users off of the power grid." Since announcing the letter of intent, AquaCell has received numerous purchase requests and interest from varied market segments that have been seeking green solutions to reduce energy dependence, pollution and global warming, while at the same time dramatically reducing energy costs. Brighton Capital, Ltd. of Los Angeles, CA, assisted and advised AquaCell Technologies in the connection with the identification and negotiation of the acquisition with GPM. Brighton Capital has also been retained by AquaCell to identify other possible acquisition candidates in the renewable/alternative energy space. About AquaCell Technologies, Inc.: AquaCell Technologies, Inc. is based in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Historically, its AquaCell Media, Inc. subsidiary installed its patented self-filling Aquacell 1000 Bottled Water Cooler Systems free of charge into various locations generating revenue through the sale of advertising. AquaCell’s direction will now be focused on the acquisition and growth of GPM and other similarly related businesses in the renewable/alterative energy space.
 Explore the Holy Land the way Abra(ha)m did, by setting up (GREEN) campsites from place to place. Genesis 13:3 Then they continued traveling by stages toward Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where they had camped before. 4 This was the place where Abram had built the altar, and there he again worshiped the LORD.
At the moment, of course, it is impossible to explore all the land promised (mandated) to Israel (Balfour Declaration) due to the false claims of the Arabs/Moslems and the Islamic strategy of terrorism to get what they want. This will soon change when Israel will be forced to deal with their hostile enemy and eventually win back control of all the land promised to the Jews - see Prophetic Wakeup call! Then it should be possible to reverse Abraham's steps, starting at the Red Sea in the Sinai and ending at the Euphrates River - see "Pursue Israel's boundaries." It will not just be a matter of exploring the land, but also of settling it by establishing campsites that can develop into communities - similar to the present "outpost" strategy to acquire land. It is still early days, but a good time for the venture to take its first baby steps, since it will start filling the present void of camping facilities in Israel. All it will take to get it going is to set up a workshop/office close to the airport to start putting together campers and camping equipment and work on logistics. Pioneers, Jewish & Christian, are therefore invited to contact HOLY LAND INC. via Feedback to become partners in the project, or potential clients - as new immigrants (olim) or tourists. Please see also, Founder's Report
 This blog complements the project Holy land Camping in Israel and of that particularly the mission to establish strictly green campsites. The plan is to use campsites to settle Zionist refugees from the nations in Israel and to turn them into permanent green communities, villages and even towns eventually.
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