24 March 2014 - Burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil) is putting 32 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide annually into the atmosphere. Since CO2 is a greenhouse gas that traps heat from the sun on earth and prevents it radiating back out to space, this unprecedented human output is causing climate disruption, a process that will accelerate over the next few decades and will prove extremely costly to human society (if the latter can even survive).
The only energy source that has a hope of fixing this problem and of resolving the coming energy crisis is solar. The cost of solar panels is falling rapidly, raising the hope that we can put in enough panels quickly enough to avoid the very worst scenario of carbon-induced climate disruption. read more>>>
25 March 2014 - Siemens has confirmed construction work will start soon on a wind turbine factory at the Green Port Hull site in East Yorkshire.
A revised planning application will now be submitted within months with the plant due to be operational by early 2016.
The Green Port Hull project has been on hold since early 2011.
But Siemens confirmed today it will commit £160m to the scheme with Associated British Ports investing a further £150m. read more>>>
March 25, 2014 - WoodRight Forest Products has selected six "focus communities" based upon an environmental non-profit group's study documenting major green building certifications across 20 states.
Columbus, OH, Cincinnati, OH, Greensboro, NC, Charlotte, NC, Washington, DC, and New York City were selected based on research by sustainable development non-profits Appalachian Sustainable Development of Virginia and Rural Action of Ohio, and other environmental groups. WoodRight will bring product education, specification, and sourcing benefits to a variety of local building professionals in these communities, including: read more>>>
March 25, 2014 - Honda has built a demonstration smart home in California that promises to generate more energy than its occupants will use.
The Honda Smart Home U.S. is a 1,944-square-foot home that uses renewable energy sources, sustainable building materials, and innovative construction techniques. Where the average home consumes 13.3 megawatt hours of electricity each year, the Honda Smart Home sends 2.6 megawatt hours back to the grid.
That difference is largely due to a 9.5 kW solar array on the roof. read more>>>
26.Mar.2014 - Tackling the climate change menace offers a new window of economic opportunities, environmental experts as well as the Lagos State government have said.
Thus, the Lagos State government has indicated its readiness to come up with measures that will present friendly environment for economic opportunities in tackling climate change issues.
This was the basis for the discussions had during this year’s Climate Change Summit, which is the sixth in the series of such organised by the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment. read more>>>
Mar 26, 2014 - Are we green enough? As another report lays out the environmental and economic benefits of a "green economy" in New Zealand, science reporter Jamie Morton looks at whether we're doing enough to get there.
As far as Simon Terry is concerned, it's not optional, but essential.
Mr Terry, executive director of the New Zealand Sustainability Council, is talking about a shift to a green economy - and quickly. read more>>>
March 26, 2014 - Efficiency programs sponsored by electric utilities saved 126 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2012 -- enough to power more than 12.2 million U.S. homes for one year, according to the Edison Foundation Institute for Electric Innovation.
Further, U.S. customer-funded electric efficiency expenditures totaled nearly $5.9 billion in 2012 -- a 3 percent increase from 2011. The study also found that 2013 U.S. customer-funded budgets for electric efficiency totaled $7 billion. In five states, 2012 electric efficiency expenditures more than doubled from 2011 levels. read more>>>
March 26, 2014 - After several years of slower than anticipate growth, the smart buildings technology market is expected to grow rapidly as there is increasingly broad market awareness of the business values generated by deploying smart building solutions, according to IDC Energy Insights. Smart building technologies have matured to enable facility optimization through the convergence of information technology and building automation. Building owners and key decision makers are increasingly aware of the business value of these solutions; however, adoption of these technologies has been slow due to changes in business processes required for deployment and utilization.
Different countries experience different drivers of smart building expansion, including owners and managers seeking to reduce and control energy costs (U.S.) to governments driving environmental and energy efficiency objectives (Germany) to meeting energy supply challenges (Japan), according to IDC research. read more>>>
26 March, 2014 - In partnership with the 202020 Vision, which seeks to increase urban green space by 20 per cent by 2020, Brookfield Multiplex has created Australia’s first ‘green’ construction site office at their Wetherill Park site in New South Wales.
The project is a ‘plug and play’ evidence-based Plant Plan developed and recommended by experts in the field, and includes a best practice, DIY guide for the implementation of any site office or demountable shed.
Developed by the University of Sydney and 202020Vision Advocate, Associate Professor Tonya Gray, the project is the first collaboration of the 202020 Vision’s Nursery. read more>>>
Gone are the days of green building being a niche market. Today, it's a big business that's the future of the construction industry.
Mar 25, 2014 - Eco-friendly construction is no longer exclusively the jurisdiction of iconoclastic clients or small, hippie-run companies. As the housing market has recovered, the industry has lured talent from every sector and is now growing at a rapid clip--sealing its place on our list of the top industries of 2014. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, total revenue across the industry should grow to $245 billion by 2016.
We asked three small companies in the green construction industry how they broke into the business and what they learned along the way. Here’s what they had to say: read more>>>
03/21/14 - We’ve seen many examples of how well green buildings can work in temperate and warm climates, but what about the harsher conditions that can lash homes in rural Quebec? Inhabitat recently had the opportunity to interview Bernat Ferragut and Kate Alvo of Maison Durable Portneuf about the innovative techniques they used to create their eco-friendly, sustainable, elegant home in the woods of Portneuf, Quebec, and how they can help others do the same.
March 24, 2014 - A consortium of energy companies, auto manufacturers, government laboratories, and other stakeholders is driving the acceleration of the rollout of an infrastructure for hydrogen-powered vehicles and related technologies. H2USA was launched last year by the Department of Energy (DOE) and other stakeholders to focus on furthering the infrastructure for hydrogen-powered vehicles, such as those powered by fuel cells.
March 23, 2014 - Milagro Manzanares wanted to be an architect when she first began taking classes at Tri-Tech Skills Center, she said.
March 24, 2014 - Nanyang Technological University (NTU) scientists have developed a next-generation solar cell material which can also emit light, in addition to converting light to electricity.
March 24, 2014 - Imagine a field of small wires -- standing at attention like a tiny field of wheat -- gathering the Sun's rays as the first step in solar energy conversion.
03/24/14 - London’s iconic Big Ben clock tower might be getting a solar facelift. The Guardian reports that the House of Commons is looking into plans that would add solar panels to the landmark’s clock face. Last month parliamentary passholders were asked to submit ideas on how the government could improve energy efficiency in the historic area by 34 percent. One passholder suggested adding photovoltaics to the face of Big Ben, which since 2012 has been rechristened the Elizabeth Tower, to generate green energy.
Developing countries represent the largest and fastest growing nanogrid markets, report concludes
Mar. 24, 2014 - If you think of climate change as a hazard for some far-off polar bears years from now, you're mistaken. That's the message from top climate scientists gathering in Japan this week to assess the impact of global warming.
March 25, 2014 - Solar policy and utility leaders have been recognized by Vote Solar, a national nonprofit solar advocacy organization, for "outstanding efforts to make solar power a mainstream American energy resource."
March 25, 2014 - The vast majority of the American public claim to be energy efficient, but when it comes to putting words into action, the assertions fall short. Despite the fact that many are not actively trying to conserve energy, they can be critical of the type of energy and where it comes from -- but perceptions are changing, according to a Harris Poll.