Solar Power News and Info
These days we are incessantly debating over one of the hottest issues, i.e. environmental pollution and rise in temperature throughout the world. An intelligent person always likes to foresee the near future a bit and try to prepare himself /herself for the impending battle raising from the horizons of the past. He or she [...]
Posted in: Industry, Solar Power, Wind Power
One of the oldest earth-friendly paper goods company is having a killer contest right now, perfect for all tree huggers. Marcal Paper Products, LLC, manufactures premium recycled paper towels, bath tissue, facial tissue and napkins for home consumption and to distributors for away-from-home use in hotels, restaurants, hospitals, offices, factories, and schools. Not only are Marcal product recycled content, but they’re also hypoallergenic, virtually lint free, manufactured without chlorine bleaching and are made without added dyes and fragrances. So much healthier for your family and the planet.
I’m actually not a paper towel advocate BUT if you have to buy, recycled is way better than conventional, virgin made paper towels.
ABOUT THE CONTEST:
Marcal Small Steps “Save the Trees” Paper Towel Design Contest is open to artists and tree lovers in the U.S. All you have to do is submit original drawings that show your imagination and passion for trees. Minors can enter with a parent co-sign permission, so call out the kiddos as well.
CONTEST DURATION:
Entries will be accepted by postal mail or e-mail until June 30, 2009. The lucky winners will be announced on or around July 16, 2009.
WHAT YOU CAN WIN:
The prize for this contest is fantastic! The grand prize winner will win a trip to California’s Sequoia National Park, (which, by the way is an amazing place to visit) along with a year’s supply of Marcal Small Steps 100% recycled paper products, AND the winning artwork may be used as inspiration for future Marcal brand product packaging.
This is an awesome contest for adults and kids. Head over to Marcal to enter.
[image via Marcal]
Post from: Blisstree
“Save the Trees” Paper Towel Design Contest
Until now, in order to make more powerful wind turbines, you had to make longer blades, so they could capture more incoming air and transform it into mechanical work. Leviathan Energy, led by dr. Daniel Farb, has refreshed this approach towards increased efficiency not by increasing the blades, but by making the wind hit them differently.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recently released their latest list of top green partners in their Green Power Partnership program. In case you haven’t heard of this program, it’s a voluntary program that allows companies to buy green power which can help reduce the environmental impacts of electricity use. Also this program’s funds go to support the development of new renewable generation capacity nationwide.
Topping out the list this time around is Intel Corporation, followed closely by PepsiCo, Kohl’s Department Stores, Dell Inc., and Whole Foods Market. The EPA notes about the list, that currently, “Combined, these top 50 largest purchases amount to nearly 11.8 billion kilowatt-hours annually, which represents more than 70 percent of the green power commitments made by all EPA Green Power Partners.”
Does it matter to consumers:
Sort of. On on hand it’s smart to support companies who buy into green power because it’s a mark of a company actually doing something that’s not only green-minded, but easy to track (i.e. something consumers can see) and useful for the environment. On the other hand, you have to personally decide if this green step taken by a company makes them green enough for you, or if this step is simply something to make up for other green sins, i.e. producing potentially harmful toxins like bleach laden products.
As one example, Kimberly-Clark Corporation made the top 50 list, and that’s cool. Their annual green power (Biomass) usage (kWh) is 223,000,000. Obviously that’s a good deal. However, they also cut down countless trees each year to produce their products. So are they green? Not so much in my opinion. Does it help that they buy into green energy? Sure some, but so do other companies who also have other eco-standards in place.
These sorts of lists can help you make decisions about which companies to support, but keep in mind that being a good green consumer is much more in-depth than simply checking out one list.
Post from: Blisstree
The Environmental New Service has a piece posted about Obama’s first 100 days and the green actions he’s taken thus far. According to the piece, most environmentalists, while not happy to the max, are pretty darn satisfied with Obama’s eco-related progress so far. Obama seems to be at the same level as eco-minded Americans. At a recent town hall meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, Obama said “Now, after 100 days, I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made, but I’m not satisfied… our nation is not leading the world in developing 21st century energy. I’m not satisfied. And I know you aren’t either.”
Some eco highlights of Obama’s first 100 days include:
So far, the biggest critics are saying that green issues cost too much. And it does cost money to get things green, that’s pretty much non-debatable. On one side, with so few jobs, and the economy in the tank, I can see the critics side, but as an earth defender, I also think if we wait and wait for things to get better, and don’t take action the earth is also going to tank - we do sort of need a healthy planet to live on you know.
What do you think? Has Obama been green enough during his first 100 days? Too green and not focused enough on economics? Have your say in the comments.
Read the entire piece: Obama Earns Praise for Green Action in First 100 Days
Post from: Blisstree
Obama’s Green Action in First 100 Days
FREMONT, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Satcon (NASDAQ CM: SATC), a leading provider of utility and commercial scale distributed power solutions for the renewable energy market, and Solyndra, a manufacturer of proprietary photovoltaic (PV) systems designed to optimize solar electricity production on commercial rooftops, announced today a strategic partnership to develop and deliver optimized system solutions for commercial rooftop solar power production. As part of the agreement, Satcon and Solyndra will both market Solyndra’s commercial solar PV systems with Satcon’s commercial solar PV inverters as well as collaborate on new technologies that will further optimize design, implementation and return on investment of large commercial and industrial solar PV power plants.
This partnership between two of the leading innovators in commercial grade solar PV lays the groundwork for long term cooperation on solutions that will revolutionize commercial solar power for years to come. By marketing Solyndra\’s highly efficient solar panels and Satcon\’s commercial ready suite of high efficiency solar inverter solutions, including Satcon\’s PowerGate Plus, S-Type inverters, or the groundbreaking Solstice power conversion platform which dramatically increase power conversion from roof and ground mount solar PV plants, Solyndra and Satcon will leverage off the unique contributions that each has made to the solar PV market.
Solyndra solutions enable customers to maximize rooftop solar energy generation through a combination of their unique 360-degree photovoltaic surface and through design flexibility that allows high rooftop coverage. Matching this with Satcon’s feature-rich solutions for power conversion assures maximum power production in virtually any rooftop environment. In addition, Satcon offers the industry’s widest range of large scale inverter power ratings, allowing each solar installation to be tailor fitted to the optimal inverter size for increased system efficiency and performance.
“Our partnership with Satcon allows us to align our respective technologies and give our customers the maximum performance benefit from their systems,” said Dr. Chris Gronet, CEO of Solyndra. “The combination of Satcon’s innovative power platforms, long history in commercial solar, and their wide range of commercial inverter power ratings, make them the obvious partner to collaborate with when creating highly optimized, flexible total system solutions.”
“Solyndra is the leading innovator in the commercial rooftop solar energy market,” said Steve Rhoades, President and Chief Executive Officer of Satcon Technology Corporation. “We are excited to partner with them to deliver a highly optimized solution for commercial rooftops and to drive the next level of innovation for the PV market. “
TEMPE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) announced today that it has initiated a process to recruit its next chief executive officer to succeed Michael Ahearn. Upon selection of a new chief executive officer, Ahearn will continue to serve in the full-time position of executive chairman. In this role Ahearn will focus his efforts at First Solar on the development of public policies needed for the global transition to low-carbon energy infrastructures.
“We are rapidly reaching the point where the evolution of the energy industry will be constrained not by technology or product costs, but rather by policies, programs and institutions that cannot adapt rapidly to the innovations that are occurring in clean energy,” said Ahearn. “Given First Solar’s leadership position in the industry, I believe we are in a unique position to make a valuable contribution to those policy discussions. This will require virtually full-time focus from the very top of the organization. As a major shareholder and founder of the Company, I remain committed to its success.”
The Company has initiated an external search for a new chief executive officer, led by a committee of the Board of Directors. The Board intends to run a thorough and deliberate process designed to identify and recruit a candidate consistent with specific criteria developed with the existing management team and required to lead the Company in executing its long-term strategic plan.