Laurel company shines new light on solar energy storage
System is one of the first commercial microgrids in the country
October 17, 2013 - Laurel-based real estate developer Konterra Realty is hoping to light the way towards renewable energy by hosting Maryland’s first commercial solar microgrid system.
“The Konterra Solar Microgrid is a prime example of Maryland’s innovation economy moving forward,” said Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D), who attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the solar microgrid Tuesday afternoon at Konterra’s headquarters in Laurel.
By hosting one of the first commercial solar microgrids in the country, Konterra is helping Maryland lead the way in the emerging renewable energy industry, he said. read more>>>
EBay, Ellison Embrace Microgrids in Threat to Utilities
19 October 2013 - Microgrids are emerging as a credible threat to the dominance of America's 100-year-old-plus utility monopoly, possibly making these electricity power transmission lines obsolete.
Oracle Corp. Chief Executive Officer Larry Ellison plans to build one to power the Hawaiian island he bought last year. EBay Inc. has one to run a data center. The University of California at San Diego and the federal government have invested tens of millions of dollars in the technology.
The 3,200 U.S. utilities are already facing what NRG Energy Inc. CEO David Crane calls a “mortal threat” to the industry. read more>>>
Solar Means Business Infographic Shows the Top 10 Brands that Went Solar in 2013
10/18/13 - This week the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Vote Solar released their second annual Solar Means Business report, which ranks the top brands in the U.S. based on their installation of solar power at their warehouses, stores and facilities. This year’s top solar installers include Apple, Ikea, and Wal Mart, and the report states that more than one out of every three Americans – 117 million people – live within 20 miles of at least one of those 1,000 installations. Check out the infographic after the break for a closer look! read more>>>
Arkhenspaces' Taichung Cultural Center Design Features a Wind Power-Generating Green Wall
10/18/13 - Arkhenspaces' Proposal for the Taichung Cultural Center International Competition—which was ultimately won by SANAA—is based on the combination of sustainable technologies and the idea of flexible spatial organization. Its primary focus is a “wind wall” that is covered with vegetation and is designed to absorb carbon dioxide and harvest wind energy with carefully positioned small turbines. Part of the building would be built using recycled shipping containers, and would be used to host special exhibitions and could be moved around to create multiple spatial configurations.
The “moving wall”, positioned on the north façade of the Cultural Center’s library, can create different atmospheres through the use of an automatic system. It enables the creation of different atmospheres within the building and has the the capacity to respond to different weather conditions. read more>>>
Workers set to work on greener economy
Power Shift conference about global warming, jobs
October 21, 2013 - The nation’s largest labor unions are ready to help fight global warming, but are cautioning environmentalists that workers need new clean-energy jobs before existing industries are shut down.
The four-day Power Shift conference in Pittsburgh is training young people to stop coal mining, fracking for oil and gas, and nuclear power, but organizers also want workers to join the battle against climate change.
Union leaders say their workers want to help build a new, green economy.
“Global warming is here, and we can work and get it fixed together,” United Steel Workers president Leo Gerard said in a Friday night address at Power Shift. read more>>>
When it comes to construction of office buildings, green is the new black
October 20 2013 - In an effort to attract and retain talent and promote a healthier work environment, many corporate tenants are looking to locate in sleeker, brighter spaces. And increasingly, companies concerned over rising energy costs and seeking to minimize their environmental footprints are putting green office space high on their wish list.
In turn, office developers looking to maximize their potential pool of tenants are regularly delivering Energy Star and LEED-certified office buildings. Nationally, a third of all new office space completed in 2011 was green. read more>>>
New market study finds Brazil leads the BRIC nations in renewables revenues
18 October 2013 - A new study by Fast Market Research has found that Brazil is the leader among the BRICs when it comes to revenues generated by the development of renewable energy resources.
The report says Brazil's renewable energy sector crated revenues of $92.1 billion in 2012. This was followed by China, India and Russia with a value of $90.1, $21.4, and $7.0 billion, respectively.
In economics, "BRIC" is a grouping acronym that refers to the countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China, which are all deemed to be at a similar stage of newly advanced economic development. read more>>>
Governments and industry should cooperate to solve energy trilemma, say experts
16 October 2013 - With growing energy demand in Asia and coming challenges in the global market, industry and governments need to work together to find solutions to tackle the “energy trilemma” of energy equity, energy security, and environmental sustainability, said panelists at the opening session of the World Energy Congress on Wednesday.
“There is a lot of common ground between industry and government,” said Jon Drzik, CEO of Oliver Wyman, the international management consulting firm. “Solving the energy trilemma requires a sustainable policy that endures over time, requiring a partnership between industry and government.” read more>>>
Rethinking Utility Business Plans: Utilities, Regulators & Distributed Solar Generation
October 21st, 2013 - Record growth in rooftop solar and other distributed clean energy resources has prompted a national conversation about the future of the electricity business. While utilities increasingly view customer investment in distributed solar as an existential ‘disruptive threat,’ much of that threat is actually a product of the regulatory structures under which our utilities currently operate. Next-generation utility business models and regulatory frameworks will hopefully be used to support the growth of distributed solar generation, instead of trying to stifle it. read more>>>
Cleaner and Greener Cities With Integrated Transparent Solar Cells
Oct. 21, 2013 — Imagine buildings in which the windows allow the sun's light to enter, and at the same time capture the energy from the sun needed to meet all their energy needs. In this seemingly futuristic scenario, the windows become productive solar cells that help us decrease our reliance on fossil fuels and advance towards a greener and cleaner environment. In a recent study carried out at ICFO, researchers have fabricated an optimal organic solar cell with a high level of transparency and a high power conversion efficiency, a promising step forward towards affordable, clean, more widely utilized and urban integrated renewable energies.
The results of this study have just been published in Nature Photonics. read more>>>
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