INTERVIEW: Panasonic’s Haruyuki Ishio Gives Us the Inside Scoop About Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town

July 22, 2013, 5:55 am

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Post tags: eco design, eco development, eco town, eco-city, electrical car town, fujisawa, Fujisawa SST, green city, green design, green town, haruyuki ishio, haruyuki ishio interview, integrated energy home, Japan eco city, Japan green city, panasonic, Panasonic eco city, smart grid city, smart grid design, smart grid integration, sustainable design

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Mercedes Unveils Solar-Powered ‘Vision’ Golf Cart of the Future

July 23, 2013, 7:30 am

≫ Next: Norwegian Town Creates ‘Artificial Sun’ to Light Up Dark Winter Days

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Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the Vision, which the automaker is touting as the golf cart of the future. Today’s golf carts rarely set hearts on fire with their slab sided minimalistic designs, but the Vision takes Mercedes-Benz design cues and applies them to create a golf cart that is not only sexy, but also green with its solar-powered electric motor.

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Post tags: battery, Battery powered vehicle, electric golf cart, electric motor, green transportation, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz Vision Golf Cart, solar golf cart, Solar Power

Norwegian Town Creates ‘Artificial Sun’ to Light Up Dark Winter Days

July 23, 2013, 2:36 pm

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The small Norwegian town of Rjukan is getting its own artificial sun this month. Engineers are completing The Mirror Project—a system of three 300 square foot heliostatic mirrors that redirect winter light into the valley, turning one of the biggest town squares into a sunny meeting place. The entire mechanism is controlled by a central computer that adjusts the position of the mirrors.

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Post tags: "solar energy", artificial sun, artificial sun Norway, heliostat, heliostat Rjukan, helistatic system, renewable energy sources, Rjukan Mirror Project, Rjukan mirrors, solar, solar concentrating power, Solar Power, solar power Norway, sun-tracking mirrors

SylvanSport’s Lightweight GO Pop-Up Camper Comes with its Own Solar Generator

July 24, 2013, 2:12 pm

≫ Next: Israeli Company Sol Chip Developing World’s First Everlasting Solar Battery

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Post tags: eco design, Go 400 Solar Power Kit, green design, portable solar generator, solar powered camper, sustainable design, SylvanSport Go Camper

Israeli Company Sol Chip Developing World’s First Everlasting Solar Battery

July 25, 2013, 2:18 pm

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Researchers at Sol Chip are working on an ambitious project to create the world’s first everlasting solar battery. It is hoped that the battery will be able to recharge even in low-light environments to power just about any mobile electronic device. Sol Chip’s current prototype of the technology combines photovoltaics with microchip technology. So far the battery has been limited to an output of 8.4 volts of power, which is enough to power a limited array of outdoor devices.

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Post tags: batteries, green technology, microchip technology, microchips, mobile electronic devices, rechargeable solar battery, renewable energy sources, Sol Chip, Sol Chip solar battery, solar battery, solar battery design, Solar cells, Solar Power, solar technology

LEED Platinum Leon Springs Home Features a 17,000 Gallon Rainwater Catchment System

July 26, 2013, 8:47 am

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Post tags: eco design, green design, Karla Greer, lake flato architects, leed platinum home, Leon Springs Texas, rainwater catchment system, sustainable design

UCLA Doubles Efficiency of Transparent Energy-Generating Solar Film

July 30, 2013, 2:34 pm

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A team of UCLA researchers has achieved a breakthrough in polymer solar cell (PSC) technology by doubling the efficiency of the transparent solar cells they unveiled last year. Led by Yang Yang, Director of the Nano Renewable Energy Center of California Nano Systems Institute, the team has been developing solar cells made from PSC – a photoactive plastic that converts infrared light into an electrical current. It’s nearly 70% transparent because it produces energy by absorbing mainly infrared light. The new PSC could be applied as film on windows and cell phone displays without compromising the user’s ability to see through the surface.

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Post tags: 7.3% conversion rater, converting infrared light to electrical current, double-layer polymer solar cell, film for electronic devices for charging, film for windows to generate electricity, infrared light, nano renewable energy center of california nano systems institute, photoactive plastic, polymer solar cell, psc, semi-transparent polymer solar cell, solar film, transparent solar cell, ucla, visible light, yang yang

Stanford Researchers Develop Record-Breaking Thinner Solar Cells That Absorb More Light

July 30, 2013, 2:36 pm

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Solar power research is a big deal. Scientists have been searching for a way to improve photovoltaic efficacy for years by developing new technologies – from giant solar concentrator arrays to satellites that beam power back to Earth. Now, Stanford University researchers have developed what they call the thinnest, most efficient photovoltaic wafers ever. Instead of increasing the size of the solar arrays, the researchers created solar wafers with a nano-sized structure that is 1,000 times thinner than any other commercially available thin-film solar cell absorbers.

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Post tags: clean tech, green design, green technology, photovoltaic, renewable energy, Solar Power, solar wafers, stanford university, sustainable design, thinnest photovoltaic wafer

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Bosch Lauches Off-the-Shelf Home Solar Power Storage System

July 31, 2013, 10:30 am

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Consumers and homeowners can now get their hands on a home solar power and battery system, thanks to Bosch. Called the BPT-S 5 Hybrid, the integrated solar supply system has everything- an inverter, Saft lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. In total, the system provides an easy way of storing PV power that can be plugged into a home or grid in much the same way as a generator. Initially produced in 2012, this is the first time Bosch has made the unit commercially available—though currently only to buyers in Germany.


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Post tags: bosch, BPT-S 5 Hybrid, eco design, green design, home solar power management system, Saft Lithium-ion battery, solar energy storage, sustainable design

Global Solar Power Passes 100,000 Megawatt Milestone and Continues to Increase Rapidly

August 1, 2013, 2:30 pm

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Image via Flickr

The sun is shining on solar energy across the world. In 2012, a record 31,100 megawatts of solar photovoltaics (PV) was installed, pushing the total global solar power capacity past 100,000 megawatts. Now, new reports from the Earth Policy Institute and Worldwatch Institute find that more countries are getting into the solar power game as costs come down and installations ramp up. Solar PV installed capacity increased by 41 percent in 2012 alone, with more than 30 countries now claiming capacity of over 100 megawatts—a figure that is projected to double by 2018.

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Post tags: "solar energy", china, germany, italy, megawatts, Solar Power, solar PV capacity, united states, world solar

First Ever Solar Decathlon China Design Competition Kicks Off Today

August 2, 2013, 10:00 am

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The first ever Solar Decathlon China collegiate design competition officially kicked off today with 22 teams representing 35 universities and 13 countries gathered to show off their awesome solar-powered home designs. The City of Datong went all out to prepare for the event, which is the largest the city has ever hosted, going so far as to build a whole new hotel where all of the teams have been staying for the last two weeks while constructing their homes. Already the competition is off to an excellent start; reportedly when Team Israel finished their work early, they went over to lend a hand to the team from London Metropolitan University and Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts.

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Post tags: china design competitions, China Solar Decathlon kicks off, clean tech, college architecture design competition in china, eco design, green design, intercollegiate design competition, prefabricated design, Solar Decathlon China 2013, Solar Decathlon DoE, Solar Power, sustainable design

Man Attempts 1,200 Mile Journey in Solar-Powered ELF Bike/Car

August 2, 2013, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: Ralf Sander’s World Saving Machine Uses Solar Energy to Create Ice!

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Organic Transit’s ELF has grown from a Kickstarter project into an amazing personal transit vehicle, and now a 65-year-old man from Cambridge is attempting to ride the 1,200 miles from Durham, North Carolina, where the half bicycle/half car is manufactured, back to his home in Massachusetts. Equipped with a small electric motor, solar panels and a protective shell, the ELF is essentially a futuristic bike/car hybrid that can travel 1,800 miles on the energy equivalent of a single gallon of fuel!

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Post tags: eco car, eco-mobile, ELF, emissions free vehicles, futuristic bicycle car, green transportation, green vehicle from North Carolina, half bike half car, man drives ELF from NC to MA, Mike Stewart, Organic Transit, solar-powered vehicles

Ralf Sander’s World Saving Machine Uses Solar Energy to Create Ice!

August 6, 2013, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: NREL Study Finds 32 Acres of Solar Can Power 1,000 Homes

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The World Saving Machine III is an incredible sculpture that transforms solar energy into ice – literally, as well as (on a larger scale) metaphorically. The project was installed at the Seoul Museum of Art in 2009, and it used solar energy during the hot Korean summer to make snow fall inside the museum’s café. Designed by artist Ralf Sander, the World Saving Machine explores the ability of science and innovation to change the world and seeks to spur public discourse about societal problems.

+ World Saving Machine

+ Ralf Sander

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Post tags: "solar energy", eco-art, green art, green design, ice, Ralf Sander, renewable energy, Seoul Museum of Art, solar powered ice maker, solar refrigeration, sustainable design, World Saving Machine, World Saving Machine III

NREL Study Finds 32 Acres of Solar Can Power 1,000 Homes

August 7, 2013, 12:30 pm

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When comparing the advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels and renewable energy sources, how much real estate each requires to generate electricity is a key factor. While power plants that use coal or natural gas need acres of land to extract natural resources as well as the facility itself, solar can function with surprisingly little. A new report by Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has established that only 32 acres is required to power 1,000 homes.

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Post tags: data, Electricity, energy department, fossil fuels, Homes, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL, Policy, power plant, pv, renewable energy, report, residential solar energy, solar panel, study, utilities

Australia’s Retrofitted Illawarra Flame House Takes Slight Lead in Solar Decathlon China

August 7, 2013, 2:26 pm

≫ Next: Solar-Powered Sol Laptop Can Run for 10 Hours on a Single Charge

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Post tags: 2013 solar decathlon, australia, Department of Energy solar decathlon, eco design, green design, green renovations, Illawarra Flame House, Living Building Challenge, net zero energy homes, Prefab Housing, prefab PODS for retrofitting old homes, solar decathlon china, solar powered homes, sustainable design, team israel, team UOW from Australia

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Solar-Powered Sol Laptop Can Run for 10 Hours on a Single Charge

August 7, 2013, 2:27 pm

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WeWi Telecommunications Inc. just unveiled a new solar-powered laptop that can run for 10 hours straight on a single charge! The Sol laptop features built-in foldable solar panels, so it can be used in off-grid areas and countries where access to electricity is limited. The makers claim the device can run directly off solar energy and can harness enough power to fully charge its battery in less than two hours.

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Post tags: "solar energy", foldable solar panels, Green Laptop, green technology, laptop design, Rechargeable Battery, Solar Power, solar-powered battery, solar-powered laptops, waterproof laptop, WeWi, WeWi solar-powered laptop, WeWi Telecommunications

ASAP Solar-Powered Jet Ski-Paddleboard is Designed to Save Lives at Sea

August 8, 2013, 1:09 pm

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Post tags: aquatic vehicle, As Soon As Possible, ASAP, electric vehicles, green energy, green transportation, jet ski, paddle board, Richard Branson, Ross Kemp, Solar Power, UK Lloyds TSB Enterprise Awards, Virgin, water vehicles

KKA Unveils Solar-Powered EV Charging Stations Made From Locally Sourced Wood for Sweden

August 8, 2013, 1:11 pm

≫ Next: NREL Uses Corning’s Flexible Willow Glass to Develop Cheap, Efficient Solar Shingles

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Post tags: "solar energy", charging stations, electric bikes, electric cars, electric scooters, ev charging stations, Gothenburg, Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture (KKA), locally sourced wood, Solar Power, solar-powered charging stations, Sweden green architecture, Sweden green design, Sweden green transportation

NREL Uses Corning’s Flexible Willow Glass to Develop Cheap, Efficient Solar Shingles

August 9, 2013, 11:00 am

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The US department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently announced that it using Corning’s thin, flexible Willow Glass to develop thin-film cadmium telluride photovoltaic cells. By using Willow Glass as a flexible substrate, the NREL can roll out rooftop photovoltaic cells using a serialized newspaper printing process, greatly improving production speed.

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", "solar energy", corning, corning willow glass, eco design, flexible solar shingles, Green Building, green design, green home, green lighting, green products, renewable energy, Solar cells, solar shingles

TransCanada’s “Shameless Ploy” to Fool Americans that the Keystone XL Pipeline is a Bunch of Solar Panels

August 12, 2013, 3:12 pm

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Were we wrong to peg the Keystone XL Pipeline as a ticking carbon bomb? That’s what TransCanada seems to want us to think. In a puzzling Facebook ad released last week, the energy company responsible for the oil pipeline paired a XL Pipeline promotional ad with a picture of solar panels. Once Greenpeace executive director Philip Radford caught wind of the deceptive ad, he condemned it as yet another “shameless ploy” by TransCanada.

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Post tags: dirty energy, Facebook ads, greenhouse gases, Greenpeace, Keystone XL Pipeline, oil pipeline, oil sands, Philip Radford, solar panels, tar sands, transcanada