Energy Blogs – The lighter greener side of things

OK so it is only fitting that I start this post with a site that isn’t a blog but well it is so warm and fuzzy:

http://www.globalgiving.com/

 

 

 

Spread the Love And You Could Win A Free Bouquet

Send a GlobalGiving Valentine With Any Donation Make a donation to any project and after you check out, spread the love with a GlobalGiving Valentine eCard. Enter yourself and your friends and family in a raffle to win one of five bouquets from Organic Bouquet. question mark

give now

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This Blog is pretty cool and very topical:

http://www.energyrefuge.com/blog/

Renewable energy sector feels impact of economic downturn

February 6th, 2009 · No Comments

Two recent articles say that the renewable energy sector has been suffering from the effects of the credit crisis. The International Herald Tribune announced that “installation of wind and solar power is plummeting. Factories building parts for these industries have announced a wave of layoffs in recent weeks, and trade groups are projecting 30 to 50 percent declines this year in installation of new equipment, barring more help from the government. Prices for turbines and solar panels, which soared when the boom began a few years ago, are falling.”
[Read more ?]

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This Blog ranges all over the place from serious to soft. It is generally accurate though, where some are not:

http://curtrosengren.typepad.com/alternative_energy/

Wind power forecasting in the US

As the prevalance of wind power increases, so does the importance of being able to answer the question, “Is the wind going to blow?” As this article on wind power forecasting points out:

An unexpected lack of wind in the US can cause blackouts. This is one problem that many regions in the United States of America may face on the short and medium term as a consequence of the country’s growing dependence on renewable energies, particularly wind power.

With that in mind, a project is underway to make wind power forecasting more accurate.

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This Blog tends towards the financial, but has some real life applications as well:

http://www.alternat1ve.com/

Metrobank and Sumitomo-Mitsui Bank sign deal for carbon credit sourcingPublicly listed Metrobank had partnered up with the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC) of Japan for the development of a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project in the Philippines. Based from our understanding of the deal, SMBC will tap Metrobank’s extensive client base in the Philippines for subscription into the Carbon Credit Market.

Both banks are looking to tap into the Renewable Energy sector that was recently spurred by the passage and signing of the Philippine’s Renewable Energy Bill that seeks to give incentives to businesses that will put up renewable energy projects in the country. These businesses therefore make money, not just from their regular business model, but from the trading of their excess carbon units.
Read the rest of this entry »

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This Blog is Corporate I believe and very terse. It has useful articles though:

http://home.comcast.net/~energy-blog/home.htm

Alternative Energy Blog

Thursday, October 20, 2005
There looks like there’s been a breakthrough in the production of Solar Cells.  At UCLA, Engineers have developed a method of making solar energy cells out of everyday plastic.  The cells can be produced for 10-20% less than current cells and the engineering team at UCLA hopes to have the cell’s efficiency up to around 15-20%.  These cells could be commercially available in just a few years.It seems that UCLA is in a race with New Mexico State University and Wake Forest University to create affordable solar cells using plastic.  Using nanotechnology, NMSU and WFU have already achieved an efficiency level of 5.2 percent.

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We end on this funny note…it hasn’t been updated since 2005! Apparently it’s just a “Google Scoop” to get Ad dollars with very little effort.

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Energy And Environmental Blog’s – What my competito….friends have been up to lately

This site is not for the average reader or for the weak at heart. This is hard core energy news with BLOGS by people who DO, teach not…. as Yoda might say:

http://www.energyblogs.com

Interesting ideas and viewpoints are constantly emerging on EnergyBlogs.com.  We have enhanced the topics available for categorizing blogs so that you can easily reflect the dynamic conversations taking place within the global power industry.

To assist in this transition, existing blogs have been recategorized into the appropriate topics.  We encourage you to review the recategorization to make sure the topics best reflect the content of your blog and update the categories if appropriate.

As always, we encourage you to start a new blog on one of the engaging new topics!  If you have any questions, please contact service@energycentral.com.

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Blogger Photos

To Dr. Chu: Align Stimulus to Clean Energy Reform

02/08/2009 at 08:22 PM   |   Jose Antonio Vanderhorst-Silverio – Electricity Without Price Controls Blog

A system architect should lead a high leverage clean energy reform transformation of the power industry for DOE to distribute as soon as possible the …


Blogger Photos

Bacteria to Power Up the Carwash? – By Lance Winslow

02/06/2009 at 08:29 PM   |   Lance Winslow – Lance Winslow’s Online Energy Think Tank Blog – Articles by Lance Winslow Blog

By Lance Winslow   Alternative energy is bolder rage and it makes sense to take this technology and apply it to his many possible industries …


Blogger Photos

VENDORS UPBEAT – Really!!! – Distributech Musings

02/06/2009 at 01:00 AM   |   Martin Rosenberg – From the Editor’s Desk Blog

Before we get to the meat of this posting, I offer a snippet from a conversation I snagged early this week with Neal Schmale, president and chief oper..

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When this guy is on he is really on, but again this site is only for the hard core wonk:

http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/

December 01, 2008

EPA Raises Raises Requirements for Renewable Fuels

An item of interest to ethanol producers and other supporters of ethanol is this announcement by EPA, as further clarified by this announcement by EERE:

Epaseal1

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on November 17 that the 2009 renewable fuel standard (RFS) will require most refiners, importers, and non-oxygenate blenders of gasoline to displace 10.21% of their gasoline with renewable fuels such as ethanol. That requirement aims to ensure that at least 11.1 billion gallons of fuels will be sold in 2009.  . . . While the RFS requirement is increasing by about 23%—from 9 billion gallons in 2008 to 11.1 billion gallons in 2009—the percentage requirement is increasing by nearly one third, from 7.76% in 2008 to 10.21% in 2009.

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He also only posts when he feels like it. The last post was in December. Did the Obama Election scare you away?

Then there is the worldwide wonks. Don’t look if you do not really really care.

http://peakenergy.blogspot.com/

Monday, February 09, 2009

Let engineers make Britain great again

The Guardian has a fairly technocractic article on the low value accorded to engineers in Britain and the value of implementing some large scale and tecnically complex infrastructure to rebuild the economy on “solid foundations” – Let engineers make Britain great again.
Orson Welles said film-making was the biggest electric train set a boy ever had. He was wrong. A new high-speed train line would be, if the boy or girl grew up to engineer it.

But in Britain, the train set is broken and has been packed away in the attic. We’re not proud of industry and we certainly don’t want our kids to grow up to be engineers. It’s a tragedy. It never used to be this way. We need to rediscover the power of engineering, its impact and contribution. It can stimulate young minds and it can stimulate the economy. …

So the young are innately curious about how and why things work. Yet what happens between childhood and adulthood? We stamp it out of them. Engineering gets stigmatised and we encourage our kids to become “professionals” – lawyers, accountants, doctors. Unlike in France or Germany, engineers are a bit of a nonentity here. Engineering is almost a dirty word. We’re told it’s “old industry” and that we are a “post-industrial nation”.

Part of the problem is that engineers are not accorded the status they deserve. We celebrate designers and architects, but forget the clever people who turn the theory into reality. The Millau bridge in France was designed by Norman Foster, but it was French engineer Michel Virlogeux who made it work. A magnificent achievement, but whose name do people remember? In 2005, Ellen MacArthur became the fastest person to sail round the globe, but little was made of Nigel Irens, who engineered her trimaran. …
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Damn it man…Engineers are important…but so are their mothers and they never mention them.

So YOU think YOU are into renewable energy, huh. Better eat your Wheaties for this one.

http://renewenergy.wordpress.com

 

CPUC Says CSI Doubled Installations in 2008

 

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a quarterly staff progress report on the California Solar Initiative, showing that in 2008 Californians installed twice as many megawatts (MW) of solar power than the year before, and that demand for new solar projects continues to hit record levels.

Read Full Story

 Fraunhofer Sets CPV Efficiency Record of 41.1%

 

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) have achieved a record efficiency of 41.1% for the conversion of sunlight into electricity using a concentrating solar PV system.

Read Full Story

 

Texas Approves US $5B for Transmission

 

In 2006 Texas overtook California to lead the nation in installed wind power generating capcity. Now, just three years later, wind turbines generating 8005-megawatts (MW), more than all the turbines spinning in California, Iowa and Minnesota, have outstripped the capacity of the high-voltage grid to move the power from windy west Texas to major cities where it’s needed.

Read Full Story

Crude Reality: Oil Bulls See Hope in Stimulus Package

Crude oil futures in New York are still climbing Monday, jumping more than 5% in early trading before settling down to a more modest 1.5% increase.

What’s driving the uptick? There are theories for all tastes.

On the supply side, OPEC now says it is doing better at sticking to reduced production targets than most outside analysts give the cartel credit for. OPEC’s secretary general said today the cartel has already cut 80% of the 4.2 million barrels it’s meant to take off the market, and the cartel is ready to cut again at its March meeting.

On the demand side, President Obama’s cheerleading for the $800-odd billion stimulus package and signs the Senate could pass its version tomorrow are giving bulls hope there’s a quick fix in store for the battered U.S. economy that will rekindle demand for oil. Given that natural-gas futures are also up on Monday—the first four-day winning streak for gas since last autumn—there’s something to be said for the idea of a light at the end of the tunnel for the U.S. economy.

But the imminent passage of the stimulus package could be bullish for oil prices—without ever stimulating a lick of oil demand in the U.S.

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Fun stuff huh? Then there is the LONGEST running serious Energy Bog oh blog started in 2005

http://www.leonardo-energy.org/drupal/seblog

Sustainable Energy Blog

Printer-friendly version

Insuring electric cars

Submitted by Bruno De Wachter on Thu, 2009-02-05 06:30.

 

Cheaper or more expensive than conventional cars?

When the cost of a plug-in vehicle is mentioned, it mostly refers to the purchasing and maintenance expenses. Sometimes, tax reductions given to electric vehicles (EVs) are taken into account, but the insurance cost is rarely discussed. This is somewhat strange, since the insurance on a conventionally fuelled car accounts for roughly one quarter of its fixed cost of ownership. So, what happens to this cost when switching from a conventional car to an EV?

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Tomorrow I will try my hand at Alternative Energy Blog sites. They are funner.

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This I Believe – This is brought to you by a very inattentive listner

It’s true. I have been driving around in my car this week and listening to local Public Radio Station WUIS. They have been calling on people to write a This I Believe essay. The deadline was tomorrow.

http://wuis.org/

That generally does this:

 

Impact of Layoffs

February 3, 2009 — The Firestone Tire Company announced it would close its Decatur production plant back in 2001, displacing more than 12-hundred workers. Last week, another major employer, Caterpillar, announced it would be cutting jobs at its plants in Decatur, Aurora, and East Peoria. Robert Hironimus-Wendt is a sociology professor at Western Illinois University. He conducted extensive research on those Firestone workers in the months following their layoffs. In an interview with WUIS’s Jenna Dooley, Hironimus-Wendt says the experience of the Decatur workers provides some insight into the current state of the job market…

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Was doing this:

http://www.wuis.org/artsentertainment/TIB_2009.html

Deadline for essay entries: Thursday, February 5, 11:59 p.m.

Entries can be delivered to:
WUIS – This I Believe
One University Plaza, MS WUIS 130
Springfield IL 62703

Or they can be e-mailed to:
WUIS@uis.edu
Questions?:
Call (217) 206-6403

March 9-20 Essays are broadcast at 7:55 a.m. & 4:45 p.m. on WUIS
WUIS encourages area high school seniors to enter the This I Believe essay contest designed to capture their viewpoints and share them with the community. During the spring 2009 semester, some area high schools have even used the This I Believe high school curriculum in their English classes.

In February, a judging panel meets to read the submitted essays and ultimately select ten winners, who will record their essays under the supervision of WUIS News Director Rich Bradley. The winners will each receive $100 scholarships from The Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise.

Listen to the winning esays on WUIS at 91.9 FM, 89.3 FM or stream them here at WUIS.org March 9-20, weekdays at 7:55 a.m. and 4:45 p.m.:}

Feeling like a fool because I had already written my essay and everyone will tell you I AM NOT a high school student, I went to National Public Radio:

http://www.npr.org/

Who normally does this:

U.S. To Cap Executive Pay
For Recipients Of Bailout Funds

President Obama announced rules limiting executive pay to $500,000 a year for companies getting taxpayer bailout funds. In addition to the salary cap, there will also be restrictions on bonuses, payouts or “golden parachute” severance packages for companies accepting taxpayer assistance.

So I scroll down past Arts and Entertainment, past Breaking News, Past a cute little article on Conquering A Baker’s Fear of Yeast, past Most Popular, past Listen Now – Helene Grimaud’s Bach, past an amusing little article – Obama Meets Spidey: The Intervention, past Sports (about a woman and her sail boat  – whew hew) and there finally was This I Believe

Which is:

http://www.thisibelieve.org/index.php

What is This I Believe?

 

This I Believe is an international project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values that guide their daily lives. These short statements of belief, written by people from all walks of life, are archived here and featured on public radio in the United States and Canada, as well as in regular broadcasts on NPR. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.

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So I submitted this:

This I Believe. We must love the Earth more than we ever love ourselves. Science fiction is a myth. We are stuck on this planet for the rest of our great great grandchildren’s lives. Yet we squirt poisons into the air and the water like it doesn’t matter. Like birds and fish are not food.  We use poisons on our soil to plant food. If we are not very careful soon the Earth shall tire of this. A new dominant species shall replace us. This is a practical matter this love. Past generations of humans had their faults but they were not disrespectful of Planet Earth. They sailed its waters. They traveled its land. They enjoyed its wonders without plunder. Every child should be taught from the time they are born that walking is better then riding. That riding a bicycle is better than riding on mass transportation. That taking mass transportation is always better than riding in a car. That cars when used should have more than one person in them. Every Child should be taught that there is no Away in “throwing things away”. That litter is not tolerated. That recycling of everything is mandatory. That Garbage dumps are an affront to God.

 

We humans have depended upon the dead for our energy. That is all fossil fuels are. Coal, Oil and Gas are the products of long ago dead forests. That is why they stink. We can no longer release them into the air. We should leave the dead to rest in peace. Burning things up is a primitive behavior worthy of Neanderthal and early Humans. It is unworthy of us. We are surrounded by energy. Our World travels at 27,000 miles an hour causing Aurora Borealis to crackle at the poles. Our Moon exerts enough power on our planet to lift water 25 feet in the air. Our Sun Burns at 27 million degrees and plasma bursts forth at 2 million degrees. It inundates the surface of this planet with 27 gigawatts of power a day in photons. Our winds blow daily. Why in the stratosphere they howl as the Earth rotates. Humans burn at 98 degrees. With properly built homes and adequate nourishment we could heat our homes with ourselves. Ironically the earth is cool at a given depth and we can cool ourselves with it when it is hot. We are engulfed with resources that we squander daily while half the world’s population lives in squalor and ignorance. This will only truly change when we use the energy that we have been given, not what we can dig up.

 

We can begin this change by the simple act of not doing. If for one day everyone just stopped drinking gasoline the world would begin anew. If for just one day we did not throw anything away but our love for each other, and if everyone celebrated Earth Day in awe for all we have been given, the damage could be undone. This I believe.

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Maybe someday you will hear it on the Radio, but I got my doubts. They said no rants…

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Archer Daniels Midland Should Lead To The Future Not Repeat The Past – Deep well injection is so last century

ADM  just got their Permit to inject CO3 into Illinois’ soil. Why would they want to throw away the chance to produce the fuel of the future? They are so proud of it they want to spend 66 million $$$ of your money on it.

http://www.admworld.com/cgi-bin/search/naen/search.asp?Realm=Admworld_NAEN&Terms=deep%20well%20injection

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC) and the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) announce that they are working together on a carbon sequestration project. The project will involve the capture and storage of carbon dioxide from ADM’s ethanol plant in Decatur, Illinois. In this project, carbon dioxide will be stored in the tiny spaces of porous rock deep below the Earth’s surface. This technology is one method of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by permanently storing carbon dioxide in the ground rather than releasing it into the atmosphere.

The project is designed to confirm the ability of the Mount Simon Sandstone, a major regional saline-water-bearing rock formation in Illinois, to accept and store 1 million tons of carbon dioxide over a period of three years. The carbon dioxide will be provided by ADM from its Decatur, Illinois, ethanol plant, and the project will be located on ADM’s Decatur property.

“Carbon sequestration is a promising technology to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Our goal for this project is to further demonstrate its safety and effectiveness,” said Robert Finley, director of the ISGS Energy and Earth Resources Center. “Deep saline rock formations, like the Mount Simon Sandstone, offer the greatest potential for sequestration of large volumes of carbon dioxide.”

“ADM is pleased to work with the geologists from the MGSC and ISGS, and be a part of this important, timely research,” said Dennis Riddle, ADM president, Corn Processing. “We see potential for carbon sequestration to improve the environmental footprint of biofuels by further reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

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Yet they could be doing this instead:

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2009/01/02/science/975algae010109.txt

Trying to Turn San Diego into the Green Houston

Thursday, Jan. 1, 2009 | In the early 1990s, San Diego’s moribund economy was revived by a bunch of scientists who figured out how to do things like turn a mobile phone into a multi-media entertainment center and develop a diabetes therapy out of lizard spit.

Now, with the economy tanking again, another bunch of scientists is telling anyone who will listen that the region’s next economic boom might be borne out of pond scum.

Algae that is — green gold, San Diego soda.

San Diego, already home to dozens of companies involved in solar or wind energy, would be a major player in the nation’s multi-trillion-dollar energy economy if a group of local researchers succeed in turning algae into a commercially viable transportation fuel, something they think they can do within a decade.

“[It] is the scientific challenge of our generation,” said Stephen Mayfield, a cell biologist and associate dean at the Scripps Research Institute, referring to the need to cure America of its 200-billion-gallon-a-year oil addiction. “And algae is the answer.”

And a top-notch research infrastructure, a thriving biotech sector and proximity to cheap land in Imperial County, where the plant could be grown on a large scale with plenty of sun, combine to give San Diego a strong foundation for building on algae’s future.

Mayfield is one of several scientists at both Scripps institutions and the University of California, San Diego who are considered among the word’s foremost algae researchers. Other prominent names are Steve Kay, dean of the division of Biological Sciences at UCSD, and B. Gregory Mitchell, a biologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

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Energy Tax Credits For 2009 – The last parting shot from GWB

http://www.ase.org/content/article/detail/2654

Energy-Efficiency Home

and Vehicle Tax Credits

Energy-Efficiency Home

and Vehicle Tax Credits

President Bush has signed into law new consumer tax credits for energy efficiency home improvements, as well as purchases of plug-in hybrid vehicles. These provisions were included in H.R. 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which the president signed on October 3, 2008. The homeowner tax credits are largely the same – but not identical – to those that expired at the end of 2007, and begin again on January 1, 2009.

Taxpayers who claimed some but not all of the $500 federal income tax credit for energy efficiency home improvements that was in effect in tax years 2006 and 2007 may utilize the unused portion in 2009, the IRS has informed the Alliance to Save Energy. Please consult your tax advisor for details.

What’s New:

  • The consumer tax credits for energy-efficiency home improvements have been revived with a few tweaks for the calendar year 2009. To be eligible, most qualifying products must be purchased and installed between January 1 and December 31, 2009. There also are some new eligible products. Please see below for additional details. Efforts to have Congress further extend the consumer tax credits continue! This web page will be updated to reflect any new legislation.

Energy Efficiency Can Lower Your Federal Tax Bill as Well as Your Energy Bills

  1. Introduction to Tax Credits
  2. Consumer Tax Credit Information
  3. Hybrid and Diesel Vehicle Tax Credit
  4. Home Energy-Efficiency Improvement Tax Credit
  5. Geothermal Heat Pumps, Solar Energy, and Fuel Cells
  6. Additional Information

http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/incentive2.cfm?Incentive_Code=US41F&State=Federal¤tpageid=1&ee=1&re=1

Federal Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency

Energy-Efficient New Homes Tax Credit for Home Builders

Last DSIRE Review: 10/09/2008

Incentive Type: Corporate Tax Credit
Eligible Efficiency Technologies: Comprehensive Measures/Whole Building
Applicable Sectors: Construction
Amount: $1,000-$2,000, depending on energy savings and home type
Maximum Incentive: $2,000
Website: http://www.irs.gov/
businesses/small/industries/article/0,,id=155445,00.html
Authority 1: 26 USC § 45L
Date Enacted: 8/8/2005 (Amended 2008)
Effective Date: 1/1/2006
Expiration Date: 12/31/2009
Authority 2: H.R. 1424: Div. B, Sec. 304 (The Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008)
Date Enacted: 10/3/2008
Expiration Date: 12/31/2009

http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/eem/eemhog96.cfm

Energy Efficient Mortgage

Home Owner Guide

THE ENERGY EFFICIENT MORTGAGE means comfort and savings. When you are buying, selling, refinancing, or remodeling your home, you can increase your comfort and actually save money by using the Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM). It is easy to use, federally recognized, and can be applied to most home mortgages. EEMs provide the borrower with special benefits when purchasing a home that is energy efficient, or can be made efficient through the installation of energy-saving improvements.

Home owners with lower utility bills have more money in their pocket each month. They can afford to allocate a larger portion of their income to housing expenses. If you have more cash, why not buy a better, more comfortable home? There are two options with the Energy Efficient Mortgage.

The TWO SIDES of the EEM COIN

Finance Energy Improvements!

 

Cost-effective energy-saving measures may be financed as part of the mortgage!

 

Increase Your Buying Power!

 

Stretch debt-to-income qualifying ratios on loans for energy-efficient homes!

 

WHO BENEFITS from the ENERGY EFFICIENT MORTGAGE?

Buyers:

 

Qualify for a larger loan on a better home!

 

Sellers:

 

Sell your home more quickly.

 

Remodelers/Refinancers:

 

Get all the EEM benefits without moving.

 

Pay for energy improvements easily, through your mortgage. Your lender can increase your loan to cover energy improvement costs. Monthly mortgage payments increase slightly, but you actually save money because your energy bills will be lower!

HERS, or Home Energy Rating Systems

A HERS report is similar to a miles-per-gallon rating on a car. HERS are programs which provide evaluations of an individual home’s energy-efficiency. A HERS report is prepared by a trained Energy Rater. Factors such as insulation, appliance efficiencies, window types, local climate, and utility rates are used to rate the home and calculate energy costs.

A HERS Report Includes:

 

Overall Rating Score of the house as it is.

 

Rating scores are between 1 and 100. Higher scores indicate greater efficiency. Cost-effective upgrades are those which will save more money through energy savings than they cost to install.

U.S. Department of Energy recommended Home Energy Ratings contain a numerical score from 1 to 100, a one to five star-plus rating, and the estimated energy costs. Higher scores indicate greater efficiency. Cost-effective upgrades are those which will save more money through energy savings than they cost to install.

A HERS rating usually costs between $300 and $800. This could be paid for by the buyer, seller, lender, or real estate agent. Sometimes the cost of the rating may be financed as part of the mortgage. No matter how the rating is paid for, it is a very good investment because an EEM could save you or your buyer hundreds of dollars each year.

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Seems like a lot doesn’t? The boat has a hole in it and he hands us 3 buckets. That is a recipe for one sunk boat.

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Merry Christmas From Everyone at Community Energy Systems

If you think Christmas is about crass comercialism than go here:

http://www.merry-christmas.com/

But if you think Christmas is about lowering your use of fossil fuels, and other scare resources, please try here:

http://www.csecenter.org/

(:=}

Today I wanted To Post About SeaGen – But I made the mistake of typing in skinny car

into a search engine. I WAS still looking for that gosh darn #$@%!&*(”_) beetle like car that I saw in San Francisco. I turned up the Tango and just loved it. We shall take up SeaGen on Monday. Have a Good Weekend and may God Bless.

 tango.jpg

 http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2003/0727/cover.html

WRITTEN BY PAULA BOCK
PHOTOGRAPHED BY BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER

 Even though it’s Ferrari red, zooms from zero to 60 in four seconds, and has a sensuous black leather dash with the same Motech data display found in Grand Prix race cars, this is not your typical little red sports car.
 

For starters, it’s smaller. Or rather, smallest. At 39 inches wide and 8 feet 5 inches long, it’s skinnier than some motorcycles and shorter than many a living-room couch. It runs on batteries, not gas. And, if the thing ever makes it out of Spokane and into consumer production — a big if — this two-person, commuter concept car could very well alleviate air pollution, cruise past freeway congestion, shimmy through urban gridlock and actually find a parking spot.

At the moment, however, U.S. Patent No. 6,328,121 (Ultra-Narrow Automobile Stabilized with Ballast) is causing a jam in front of Spokane’s Northtown Mall. Traffic stops, drivers gawk.

“Cool,” declares a 20-year-old strawberry blonde, snapping a paparazzi shot. “Can I borrow it and drive to California?” A silvery couple in matching pink polo shirts inquires about the nearest dealership. A woman with toddlers wants to know about safety.

Remarkably, though trapped by the rubberneckers, everyone smiles at the little red car, including a mall-security guy who, instead of unblocking the lanes, gives a thumbs-up: “Awesome!” 
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It all started with a sailboat…

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 Rick and Brian Woodbury refurbished an ocean-going 35-foot junk-rigged schooner, Sea Witch, to sail Puget Sound. It was the sailboat, in a strange way, that launched the skinny car. “Mom hated it,” Bryan recalls. Alice Woodbury never acquired sea legs, feared her family would drown, and didn’t like her husband and son spending every weekend across state at Bainbridge Island’s Eagle Harbor, where Sea Witch moored for free. So Alice issued an ultimatum: The boat. Or her.

Kickstart. Father and son sold Sea Witch and started work on the Tango

Compared to that, creating the Tango was quick, cheap and clean. In 1998, Rick and Bryan took their $20,000 profit from selling the boat and haunted junkyards and used-car lots buying parts. In Seattle, they found a 1968 Fiat 850 Spyder that had been converted to electric, trailered it home to Spokane and tore it apart in their garage. Within two months, they’d built a new frame, mounted wheels, brakes and steering components and rolled the chassis down the street, neighbor kids chasing alongside. By winter they had a drivable car, and by fall, they were racing it on autocross tracks. Working from a photo-shopped picture of a 1998 Mercedes A-Class hatchback morphed to ultra-narrow dimensions, Bryan hand-sculpted a body for the car out of Urethane, fiberglass, epoxy and Bondo, sanding large areas with a cheese grater. They hired a pro to finish and paint the body, then took the car to California.

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Turns out they have their own page:

http://www.commutercars.com/

Meet the Tango

Introducing the world’s fastest urban car

The revolutionary commuter vehicle that combines the speed and agility of a motorcycle with the security and comfort of a high-performance sports car.

Beat Traffic:

The Tango’s ability to maneuver through traffic is second to none. Like a motorcycle, it can change lanes to gain advantage in traffic better than any car in history. Unlike a motorcycle, it is safe, dry, climate controlled, and can securely carry a reasonable amount of cargo. Where lane splitting is permitted (i.e., driving between lanes of stopped or slow-moving traffic), such as California, Europe, and Asia, the advantage can be staggering. In extremely heavy traffic, a Tango or motorcycle can travel in 20 seconds the distance that cars travel in 20 minutes.

Help forge a congestion-free future:

The Tango can fit in a 6-foot half-lane with more clearance than a truck has in a full 12-foot freeway lane. This virtual doubling of lane capacity can make the traffic jam a fading memory.

Parking:

A Tango can park perpendicular to the curb, in left-over spaces between cars or driveways, next to buildings, or in unused corners of parking lots–in thousands of heretofore-unusable parking spaces.

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For more than you ever cared:

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=17387

http://metrospokane.typepad.com/index/2008/06/tango-the-world.html

http://www.evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=16622

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commuter_Cars_Tango

It really is a cute little car (:=}

Just Can’t Seem To Find That Cat – This is my third and maybe final try

Still no luck finding the car I saw in San Francisco. I even tried searching images to see if I could locate a picture. It was a Volkswagen like car but it was narrower in the body and had wheel wells that were not integrated into the body like this littles electric from India:

 http://www.revaindia.com/

http://www.nepalitimes.com.np/issue/2008/12/5/Business/15418

Sunny side up

PAAVAN MATHEMA

 It is a sad irony that Nepal, with its sunny winters and the highest hydropower potential of any country in the world, suffers from endless power cuts.

The country is better placed than most to take advantage of renewable energy sources, but successive governments have done almost nothing to make this happen. Private entrepreneurs, however, have stepped in and one of the pioneers in this field has been Lotus Energy.

“You see the dark houses, the power cuts, you see the pollution on the road and you feel that you have to do something,” says Adam Friedensohn who set up Lotus Energy when he moved to Nepal 15 years ago to promote solar and wind energy technologies.

With partner Jeevan Goff, Friedensohn has set up the company to provide Nepalis with affordable solar alternatives for lighting. Starting with just three staff in 1993, Lotus now employs 100 and has branches across Nepal.

Friedensohn started out with trying to light up rural areas of Nepal with solar power, but quickly got involved in trying to find a solution to the extremely polluting Vikram three wheelers. Lotus collaborated with other parters to start Electric Vehicle Company (EVCO). The project to replace the diesel powered smoke belchers with battery-powered three wheelers became a runaway success, and ‘Safe tempo’ has today become a household word.

 http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/05/reva-takes-2008.html

REVA Takes 2008 Frost & Sullivan European

Automotive Powertrain Company of the Year Award

30 May 2008

Frost & Sullivan presented its 2008 European Automotive Powertrain Company of the Year Award to Reva Electric Car Company (RECC) for demonstrating excellence in sales volumes, superior market penetration and high levels of customer satisfaction within the electric vehicle (EV) industry. In 2007, on average one REVA electric car was sold per day in the United Kingdom.

 RECC has successfully tested and evaluated lithium ion batteries for the REVA quadricycle. The newly developed lithium ion batteries provide a driving range of more than 140 kilometers (87 miles) compared to 60-80 km from the existing lead acid battery pack.

The company’s current REVAi has been designed to facilitate upgrades to li-ion packs when they are made available for sale this year. With the incorporation of the new AC electric motor, the REVAi increases the mid-range torque by 40% and offers a boost mode for short term acceleration.

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I Still Can’t Find MY IT Car – But I did find Innovative Transportation and got all excited

Cool as this site is, it’s not the car I saw in San Francisco. Drat!

http://www.itiselectric.com/

flash-2.jpg 

Sedan
  2008 IT Sedan

 The Sedan is a four-seat, four door multi-purpose vehicle. Performing duties on campus, around the job site or just around town. Standard with hatchback, halogen headlamps, self cancelling turn signals, three point anchored seatbelts, automotive safety windshield, dual zone automotive brakes, side and rear view mirrors, windshield wiper with two speeds and heater/de-mister system.

Specifications

Dimensions

 Length:  140 in (3566 mm)   See the Sedan Photo Gallery

 Width:  60 in (1524 mm)   Available Option

Height:  63 in (1600 mm)

 Dwonlod a Full Spacification Sheet

Wheelbase:  90 in (2286 mm) 

Curb Weight:  1450 lbs (653 kg)

(Sedan w/doors & glass)

ConstructionFrame Material:  Aluminum

Body Material:  Infusion Molded Fiberglass

Bumper Material:  Rotationally Molded Plastic

Windshield:  Laminated Safety Glass

See More Gallery  

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I Was Trying To Find An IT Or A TI Automobile – That I saw in San Francisco

The car looked like a Volkswagen on a Diet. It did not have the fulls curves of a modern Volkswagen and it appeared narrower. Still haven’t found it but I did find these folks and they are neat.

http://www.thegreencarco.com/about_us/contact_us.php

 

The Green Car Company
Sales Department

We Have Moved!!!!
Address: 345 – 106TH AVE NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
Telephone: 425-820-4549
Hours: Now Open 7 days a Week for your convenience!!!
Monday – Friday :  8am – 6pm
Saturday & Sunday – 9:30am – 6pm

Email: Sales@greencarco.com

The Green Car Company is located just off the NE 4th St. exit off of the I-405.  From the NE 4th exit, go west toward downtown Bellevue.  Turn Left at 106th Ave NE. We will be immediately on your right hand side.  The building has a funny round roofline and used to be Backstreet Frame and Art.  We are next door to Bellevue Auto House and two doors down from Taco Time.

The Green Car Clinic Service & Repair

We have Moved!!!!
Address: 345 106TH AVE NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
Telephone: 425-820-4549
Hours:
Monday – Friday :  8:00am – 4:00pm
Closed Saturday & Sunday

Email: Service@greencarco.com

“I think we have a very brief window of opportunity to deal with climate change… No longer than a decade at the most”

Xof1 Solar Car visits The Green Car Company 

———-

UPDATE:

The Xof1 Solar Car was on display here at The Green Car Company and the event was a blast. (Pictures and video to come!) 


The Solar Car will be on display again today! Come by and see it anytime this morning through early afternoon. Call: 425-820-4549 for more information.
—————-

Marcelo da Luz, who has been trekking across North America via solar car will be showing off his Xof1 Solar Car to the public here at the Green Car Company. Come by early Monday afternoon at 2:30pm to see this amazing car!

The Xof1 left Buffalo, NY in early June, traveled up through Northern Canada to the Arctic Circle and he is now on his way down the West Coast to California and beyond. His website www.Xof1.com is cataloging his journey and has a wealth of information about his car.

We apologize for the short notice. Come by early Monday afternoon if you can, otherwise watch this space for lots of photos/video of the event!

 xebra.jpg 

  

Xebra EV Electric Vehicle

XEBRAS do not attempt to behave like other vehicles. Unique, quite and surprisingly agile the Xebra is everything noisy internal combustion engines are not. The ZAP XEBRA electric vehicle is the offspring of more than three decades of thought and evolution. This vehicle was created as a breed by itself. Because the use and purpose of electric vehicles are different from gas cars, the wheel did indeed need to be reinvented.  

For 2008, The Green Car Company has taken the original Xebra and upgraded it to a new level. The Xebra EV has more power, speed, longer range and longer life!  This new level also includes a suspension upgrade with stiffer springs and shocks giving the Xebra  lower resistance and better handling!