Friday, April 29, 2011

Companies: If You’re Going to Kill a Product, Open Source It!


The Make blog has a great post bringing up the idea that if a company is going to discontinue a product, such as what Cisco recently did with the FlipCam, then they should at least open source it so that makers can hack, modify, upgrade, or at the very least repair the products that they own. The post points out a list of really cool products we'd love to have open sourced, including Sony AIBO and Sony QRIO, IBM's Deep Blue, Potenco's Pull-Cord Generator (PCG) and several other gadgets.

The Make blog has a great post bringing up the idea that if a company is going to discontinue a product, such as what Cisco recently did with the FlipCam, then they should at least open source it so that makers can hack, modify, upgrade, or at the very least repair the products that they own. The post points out a list of really cool products we’d love to have open sourced, including Sony AIBO and Sony QRIO, IBM’s Deep Blue, Potenco’s Pull-Cord Generator (PCG) and several other gadgets.


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Companies: If You’re Going to Kill a Product, Open Source It!


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REI Announces Green Energy Project Grant | 3BL Media


Funding for this project was made possible through REI's partnership with BEF, a nonprofit environmental foundation that markets green power products and funds new renewable energy projects. Since 2007 REI has purchased carbon offsets ...

Funding for this project was made possible through REI’s partnership with BEF, a nonprofit environmental foundation that markets green power products and funds new renewable energy projects. Since 2007 REI has purchased carbon offsets …


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REI Announces Green Energy Project Grant | 3BL Media


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REI Announces Green Energy Grant


REI Adventures, a leader in worldwide guided active adventure programs, announced that a grant of $87000 has been awarded to Nepal SEEDS, a nonprofit organization focused on improving social, educational and environmental development. Original Article: 3blmedia.com

REI Adventures, a leader in worldwide guided active adventure programs, announced that a grant of $87000 has been awarded to Nepal SEEDS, a nonprofit organization focused on improving social, educational and environmental development. Original Article: 3blmedia.com


http://www.youtube.com/v/e4iGzJS5ZmU?f=videos&app=youtube_gdata


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REI Announces Green Energy Grant


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Thursday, April 28, 2011

Total To Take Controlling Interest in SunPower


Total, mostly known for its oil and gas operations, announced that it will try to buy a controlling interest in SunPower, the maker of high efficiency solar modules.
Under terms of the deal, Total will, through a subsidiary, launched a tender offer to...

Total, mostly known for its oil and gas operations, announced that it will try to buy a controlling interest in SunPower, the maker of high efficiency solar modules.


Under terms of the deal, Total will, through a subsidiary, launched a tender offer to buy up to 60 percent of SunPower's Class A shares and 60 percent of the Class B shares for $23.25 a share. It represents a 46 percent premium over the current price of SunPower's A shares as of April 27 and 49 percent premium over the B shares. Total will also issue $1 billion in credit to SunPower.


If all goes well and the transaction goes through, SunPower will continue to operate under its current management.


In all, it will cost Total around $2.3 billion.


The deal likely answers one of the most-asked questions in the solar industry: what happens to SunPower. The company produces some of the most efficient solar panels on the market. It is also historically been one of the most nimble companies when it comes to tweaking its strategy to capitalize on changing circumstances. SunPower, along with First Solar, was one of the first to aggressively pursue utility-scale projects and to develop its own solar parks.


Recently, when it found itself approaching the efficiency wall, SunPower launched an effort to develop an inexpensive solar concentrator.


On the other hand, SunPower has been attacked from below by Asian competitors who have steadily cut the price of solar. Price erosion has made SunPower one of the more prominent acquisition targets. (At the same time, its ability to adopt new strategies has also made it one of green tech's prime acquirers.)


Total also represents one of the more unusual and unexpected trends in green technology: the rise of France. Schneider Electric has bought five companies in recent months to expand its portfolio. Saint-Gobain, mirror maker to Louis XIV, invested $80 million into smart window maker sage. Areva, the French nuclear giant, bought solar thermal company Ausra last year.






Colorado Senator Michael Bennet lays out green energy goals …


In an exclusive interview with SmartPlanet, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet laid out his legislative goals for the upcoming Congress and discussed wha.

In an exclusive interview with SmartPlanet, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet laid out his legislative goals for the upcoming Congress and discussed wha.


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Colorado Senator Michael Bennet lays out green energy goals …


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Which Side of the Global Warming Debate Has Been Right?


photo: baldeaglebluff / Creative Commons The following is a guest post from Skeptical Science by Dana Nuccitelli. With policymakers and the public receiving such diametrically opposed messages from these two prominent scientists, it's understandable that many people simply don't know what to believe. One way to compare the credibility of the two sides is to look back at the history of their research, comments, a...

photo: baldeaglebluff / Creative Commons The following is a guest post from Skeptical Science by Dana Nuccitelli. With policymakers and the public receiving such diametrically opposed messages from these two prominent scientists, it’s understandable that many people simply don’t know what to believe. One way to compare the credibility of the two sides is to look back at the history of their research, comments, a…


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Which Side of the Global Warming Debate Has Been Right?


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Mega Merger: Exelon and Constellation to Form $52 Billion Utility


It's the year of utility mergers.
In January, Duke Energy announced plans to buy Progress to create a utility that will span a large section of the Southeast.
Today, Exelon announced it will buy Constellation Energy to form a utility that will span ...

It's the year of utility mergers.


In January, Duke Energy announced plans to buy Progress to create a utility that will span a large section of the Southeast.


Today, Exelon announced it will buy Constellation Energy to form a utility that will span 38 states, parts of Canada and the District of Columbia.


The deal, once completed, will give Exelon a market cap of $34 billiion and an enterprise value of $52 billion and a customer base that includes 35,000 commercial and industrial customers and millions of households. The combined entity will sport 34 gigawatts of power generating capacity, the country's largest nuclear fleet with 19 gigawatts of generating capacity. The overall power mix will be somewhat clean, the company claims, with 55 percent of its capacity tied up in nuclear, 24 percent coming from natural gas and 8 percent coming from hydroelectric dams and renewables. (Constellation also bought CPower in September to expand its footprint into demand repsonse services.)


Overall, the combined company will generate 226 terawatt-hours of energy a year.


It will also be the number two distributor of gas and electricity in the country serving 6.6 million customers in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Illinois.


Will it be an easy merger? No deal this size will ever go completely smoothly. The reliance on nuclear also poses a problem. Even before the Fukushima disaster, Constellation decided to put the Calvert Cliffs 3 plant in Maryland on hold because of the costs associated with getting a federal loan guarantee. Piling safety concerns on top of the financial issues is simply going to make building new nuclear plants, and extending the license on old ones, more difficult. (The anticipated cost was $1.6 billion for Calvert Cliffs 3, or $6 a watt. That's more than natural gas, coal and even wind with storage.)


We'll get more details as the story develops today.




Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Green Energy « Edged in Blue


There is one inescapable fact about energy technology over the past 150 years: Technology trends inevitably toward less stinky. Coal stinks, prompting the original green energy technology: The internal combustion engine. ...

There is one inescapable fact about energy technology over the past 150 years: Technology trends inevitably toward less stinky. Coal stinks, prompting the original green energy technology: The internal combustion engine. …


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Green Energy « Edged in Blue


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High Levels of Flame Retardants Found in Dogs


Image: Sugar Pond /CC Researchers at Indiana University have found flame retardants in the blood of pet dogs at levels five to ten times higher than typically found in humans. Could dogs be the canary in the coal mine for how accumulating polybrominated flame retardants will affect humans? ...

Image: Sugar Pond /CC Researchers at Indiana University have found flame retardants in the blood of pet dogs at levels five to ten times higher than typically found in humans. Could dogs be the canary in the coal mine for how accumulating polybrominated flame retardants will affect humans? …


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High Levels of Flame Retardants Found in Dogs


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Green Energy Technology, Learn How To Save Money | NYCPPL.COM


Green Energy Technology, Learn How To Save Money - www.Magni-Power.com What are the Benefits of http By constructing the www.Magni-Power.com power generator, you will be able to generate completely free el...

Green Energy Technology, Learn How To Save Money – www.Magni-Power.com What are the Benefits of http By constructing the www.Magni-Power.com power generator, you will be able to generate completely free el…


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Green Energy Technology, Learn How To Save Money | NYCPPL.COM


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Arabic-Web-Spain eyes wind and sun-powered future


In Spain, electricity generated by wind farms has overtaken that produced by the country's nuclear power stations. Environmentalists hope that one day this, as well as power generated by pioneering thermo-solar plants, will see Spain entirely powered by green energy.

In Spain, electricity generated by wind farms has overtaken that produced by the country’s nuclear power stations. Environmentalists hope that one day this, as well as power generated by pioneering thermo-solar plants, will see Spain entirely powered by green energy.


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Arabic-Web-Spain eyes wind and sun-powered future


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Monday, April 25, 2011

Green Energy – Bring Eco-friendly Consciousness


At present, everyone are taking an active role in bring eco-friendly awareness and ways to save our planet. Certainly, it took years many years of hard research and development in bringing advanced and latest technologies into human ...

At present, everyone are taking an active role in bring eco-friendly awareness and ways to save our planet. Certainly, it took years many years of hard research and development in bringing advanced and latest technologies into human …


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Green Energy – Bring Eco-friendly Consciousness


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A Paris School Turns to the Sewers for a Sustainable Heat Source


Heated water running through Paris' sewers will be put to use heating a school. Photo: Shadowgate under a Creative Commons license . Paris has been on an alternative energy roll as of late: installing hydropower turbines in the Seine , testing the limits of urban wind power and using solar power to

Heated water running through Paris’ sewers will be put to use heating a school. Photo: Shadowgate under a Creative Commons license . Paris has been on an alternative energy roll as of late: installing hydropower turbines in the Seine , testing the limits of urban wind power and using solar power to


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A Paris School Turns to the Sewers for a Sustainable Heat Source


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Sunday, April 24, 2011

{} Ebaytitle Could you? Someone give me some examples of energy …


The International Site for the Green Energy Industries. « The auction PV m? S popular, now that Obama?

The International Site for the Green Energy Industries. « The auction PV m? S popular, now that Obama?


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{} Ebaytitle Could you? Someone give me some examples of energy …


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Friday, April 22, 2011

Herman Cain: Green Energy is a joke! | The Right Scoop


Herman Cain spoke two days ago at Cedar Rapids, Iowa on becoming energy independent. The main point of this clip is Cain debunking the idea of ' green energy ' and talking about why gas prices are so high. Also, I love hearing Herman Cain ...

Herman Cain spoke two days ago at Cedar Rapids, Iowa on becoming energy independent. The main point of this clip is Cain debunking the idea of ‘ green energy ‘ and talking about why gas prices are so high. Also, I love hearing Herman Cain …


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Herman Cain: Green Energy is a joke! | The Right Scoop


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Green Renewable Energy Companies | Green Energy Companies


Green energy companies are becoming more common every day. This is perfect, because with everything going on in the world today, many of us are looking for.

Green energy companies are becoming more common every day. This is perfect, because with everything going on in the world today, many of us are looking for.


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Green Renewable Energy Companies | Green Energy Companies


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Green Energy Online is an online resource full of information and news related to the green, alternative, renewable, eco-friendly, clean and sustainable energy industry.





Parking is Underpriced, Creating Lots of Problems


Correct Price = Lowest Cost That Still Leaves 1-2 Empty Spots Per Block Yet another great installment in the " Moving Beyond the Automobile " series from our friends at Streetfilms . This episode explores the problems caused by under-priced parking spots in cities; how some of the most valuable land in the world is almost given away, meaning that free spots are hard to find and a large fraction of the traffic is cars cruising around, looking for a spot, ...

Correct Price = Lowest Cost That Still Leaves 1-2 Empty Spots Per Block Yet another great installment in the ” Moving Beyond the Automobile ” series from our friends at Streetfilms . This episode explores the problems caused by under-priced parking spots in cities; how some of the most valuable land in the world is almost given away, meaning that free spots are hard to find and a large fraction of the traffic is cars cruising around, looking for a spot, …


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Parking is Underpriced, Creating Lots of Problems


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Thursday, April 21, 2011

Green energy subsidies mean billionaires get your money | Timothy …


Do you think our government should take money from taxpayers and give it to billionaires? Some billionaires do, as long as they couch it as " green energy ." Chris Moody at the Daily Caller reports on an event in DC yesterday: ...

Do you think our government should take money from taxpayers and give it to billionaires? Some billionaires do, as long as they couch it as ” green energy .” Chris Moody at the Daily Caller reports on an event in DC yesterday: …


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Green energy subsidies mean billionaires get your money | Timothy …


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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Facebook and Earth Day Network Release Billion Acts of Green App


Image via screengrab of Billion Acts of Green Facebook page Will a billion acts of green save the planet? Nope. But that doesn't stop us from trying to make every small step count, literally, this Earth Day. Earth Day Network and Facebook have partnered up to create a new app that allows you to declare your act of green, and be added to the giant number of people who will do a little something for the planet this week

Image via screengrab of Billion Acts of Green Facebook page Will a billion acts of green save the planet? Nope. But that doesn’t stop us from trying to make every small step count, literally, this Earth Day. Earth Day Network and Facebook have partnered up to create a new app that allows you to declare your act of green, and be added to the giant number of people who will do a little something for the planet this week


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Facebook and Earth Day Network Release Billion Acts of Green App


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Spain eyes wind and sun-powered future


In Spain, electricity generated by wind farms has overtaken that produced by the country's nuclear power stations. Environmentalists hope that one day this, as well as power generated by pioneering thermo-solar plants, will see Spain entirely powered by green energy.Duration: 01:46

In Spain, electricity generated by wind farms has overtaken that produced by the country’s nuclear power stations. Environmentalists hope that one day this, as well as power generated by pioneering thermo-solar plants, will see Spain entirely powered by green energy.Duration: 01:46


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Spain eyes wind and sun-powered future


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Got Green? Energy-Efficient IT Continues to Gain Ground


“The green data center has evolved in response to concern over energy use, but it is also connected to the broader transformation that data centers are undergoing. Data centers of the future will be more energy -efficient, more adaptable ...

“The green data center has evolved in response to concern over energy use, but it is also connected to the broader transformation that data centers are undergoing. Data centers of the future will be more energy -efficient, more adaptable …


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Got Green? Energy-Efficient IT Continues to Gain Ground


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Can Smart Grid Improvements Lower Power Bills by 30 Percent?


Texas, the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions where the power market has been opened to retailers assert that the market system lowers power prices.
But these markets are also masking inefficiencies.
The Galvin Electricity Initiative, an organiza...

Texas, the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions where the power market has been opened to retailers assert that the market system lowers power prices.


But these markets are also masking inefficiencies.


The Galvin Electricity Initiative, an organization founded by former Motorola chief Bob Galvin for improving the grid, has rolled out what it calls the Perfect Power Seal of Approval program to rate the various smart grid and efficiency initiatives underway at various utilities. The organization looks at four categories of characteristics -- reliability, consumer empowerment, efficiency/environment and cost -- of a smart grid initiative and then assigns a grade (from zero to 100) to how well it works. Utilities can have all four characteristics rated and shoot for a perfect 400 or ask Galvin to look at one or two.


The program has been in soft launch but now will expand.


Does it work? One of the interesting findings so far is that dynamic pricing certainly could help lower power prices. Even in jurisdictions with electricity retailing, Galvin has seen examples where the retail price of power and the dynamic price differs by 25 percent to 30 percent, according to John Kelly, the deputy director of the initiative, with the retail price being the higher one. Power providers that offer dynamic and/or real time pricing, naturally, earn points under the program.


Offering the opportunity for lower power bills through dynamic pricing options, of course, would also finally allow utilities to show why smart meters -- and all of their related smart grid activities -- are worthwhile. Recently, our grid reporter Katie Tweed trolled through the options for buying power in Texas. The conclusion? Although power prices have declined by 13 percent to 17 percent in the Lone Star State since 2002, the current programs from power retailers don't differ that much, and few take substantial advantage of smart meters.


Ratings like this could become more important as deregulation and retailing spread. (Dynamic pricing will be a big topic at Greentech Media's Networked Grid taking place May 3 and 4.) Illinois is currently promoting deregulation, said Kelly. The state has also created an option where cities can vote to become power purchasers on behalf of their residents. The idea is to use the heft and buying power of the city to get a better deal. Information like this can only help determine the true cost of what they're buying.




The Department of Defense Picks Viridity Energy for Demand Response


The Defense Logistics Agency for Energy (DLAE) has selected Viridity Energy to implement curtailment and efficiency strategies at military and other installations around the country.
The Department of Defense is one of the largest consumers of energy ...

The Defense Logistics Agency for Energy (DLAE) has selected Viridity Energy to implement curtailment and efficiency strategies at military and other installations around the country.


The Department of Defense is one of the largest consumers of energy in the country and within the federal government. Starting under the Bush Administration, various agencies and divisions in the DoD have set ambitious goals for reducing fossil fuels and increasing renewables. Last month, the DoD announced a program to pursue grid storage research with ARPA-E.


A flurry of DoD purchasing also often leads to quicker adoption of technologies and lower prices for the private sector. The DoD was the primary consumer of semiconductors and transistors in the 1950s and 1960s. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has a great speech on how critics complained when the Navy switched from wood to coal in the 19th century as a primary source of power, and then switched again form coal to oil. Nuclear subs? It couldn't be done, critics said. Now the entire fleet is nuclear.


The project also fits into the increasing specialization in demand response and efficiency services. EnerNoc earlier this year bought M2M Communications to serve the agricultural market. EPS serves industrial food processors. With Viridity involved in the DoD program, expect to see microgrid software play a part.


Here's more on Viridity, which has received money from Intel Capital and Braemar, from an article in January:


The company says its software exists to create "unified power assets" out of buildings and corporate campuses. The software essentially monitors power consumption and power production (in the case of renewable assets) within a given community (i.e., microgrids) and applies demand response rules and algorithms to conserve energy.


It then sells these power assets into the wholesale market. The utility is shielded from the underlying complexity and everyone is happy. The company has worked with Siemens on a number of projects, including one at Drexel University.


Last year, ABB, the electrical equipment giant, bought Viridity competitor Ventyx for $1 billion. Other companies -- such as demand response king EnerNoc and smart meter technology maker Silver Spring Networks -- are building out energy management portfolios that will let them combine demand response and demand management with building control. Ultimately, it will be a seamless web.


From a practical perspective, microgrids and virtual power plants can be considered the same thing. In both cases, software is used to simplify a management headache by consolidating assets under a single roof. Microgrids, however, can represent a marketing challenge. It sounds like you are trying to bring power to one of those villages in Mad Max. Shifting the dialogue to include terms like "unified power assets" or "virtual power plants" makes it easier to understand the possibilities. An aircraft carrier, a military base, a college campus, even a datacenter can be seen more easily as both part of a larger grid and something entirely distinct.




Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Renewable ENERGY Electricity Green energy future


Two minute video clip selling green energy strategy for western australia Video Rating: 4 / fiveRenewable ENERGY Electricity.

Two minute video clip selling green energy strategy for western australia Video Rating: 4 / fiveRenewable ENERGY Electricity.


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Renewable ENERGY Electricity Green energy future


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Monday, April 18, 2011

Nissan to ‘Patch’ 5,300 LEAF Electric Cars to Solve Rare Restart Problem


Photo: Michael Graham Richard Not a Safety Issue and Fix is Coming A problem with the Nissan LEAF could cause the electric car to fail to start after being turned off. While only a small numbers of cars are affected and the problem isn't serious enough for a recall, it's still big enough to be causing PR headaches for Nissan, so they've decided to reprogram all the LEAFs that are on the road (around 5,300 so far)....

Photo: Michael Graham Richard Not a Safety Issue and Fix is Coming A problem with the Nissan LEAF could cause the electric car to fail to start after being turned off. While only a small numbers of cars are affected and the problem isn’t serious enough for a recall, it’s still big enough to be causing PR headaches for Nissan, so they’ve decided to reprogram all the LEAFs that are on the road (around 5,300 so far)….


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Nissan to ‘Patch’ 5,300 LEAF Electric Cars to Solve Rare Restart Problem


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