Tag Archives: clean energy

SolarWindow Window Coating – Versatile Solar Power Generation

SolarWindowâ„¢ window coating generates electricity from light, both from the sun, and artificial light, as well. It is extremely versatile, able to be printed onto glass, plastic, or even paper, making it easy to install this wonder material in many places. This coating sets itself apart from others we have featured, as it can be…

Masdar City Launches Phase 2 Master Plan

The fascinating cleantech evolution of Masdar City continues! Pushing the limits of urban design and community building, Masdar City is pressing forward in its pioneering quest for the highest quality of life with the lowest carbon footprint. Setting a new international precedent for sustainable urban planning, Boston-based CBT is presenting its award-winning Detailed Master Plan…

Meet The Men Who Put Solar Shingles On The Roof

Solar shingles are now gaining increasing traction in the renewable energy landscape. They are architecturally distinctive, more so than traditional rooftop photovoltaic panels. Solar shingles provide an integrated building product providing both roofing security and solar electricity in one package. As PV Magazine’s Charles W. Thurston has stated, “The nascent field of U.S. solar shingle manufacturers…

NEXT Solar Window Coating Generates Free Electricity From Sunlight

NEXT Energy Technologies has developed a scalable solar window coating that allows commercial glass products to produce clean energy from the sun. The product pays for itself in a year and provides clean energy for up to 30 years. “It is certainly not an overstatement to describe this technology as a game-changer with far-reaching implications…

Thermoslate Solar Thermal System Integrates Unseen Into Slate Roof

The Thermoslate solar thermal system from Spanish slate company Cupa Pizarras is worth observing. Here’s why:  a structure’s slate roof can absorb a massive amount of heat and because of this stone, it has good thermal mass and holds it for some time, reports treehugger. In the Thermoslate system, slate roof tiles are integrated with thermal cells…

World’s Largest Solar Glass Envelope To Supply Electricity At Copenhagen International School

Dubai-based Emirates Insolaire will supply about 12,000 solar glass panels to the Copenhagen International School in Denmark, boosting the facility’s production of clean electricity. Emirates Insolaire produces and distributes colored solar glass and colored PV modules using what is called Kromatix technology. This technology allows solar PV to be integrated into the architectural design of all types…

Can BE-Wind’s New Windmill Provide More Wind Power?

Be-Wind wind power generator

BE-Wind* is taking what you think you know about small wind technology and turning it on its head. It has improved performance and made its windmills quieter by blocking the wind! How does the company do that? The Science of Wind Power Generation Current vertical wind generation systems are inherently inefficient because the wind that…

First US Power-to-Gas Plants Open in California and Colorado

The first power-to-gas plant in the US opened in California

Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) is bringing science fiction to life, launching two demonstration projects to create and test a carbon-free, power-to-gas system for the first time ever in the U.S. The technology converts electricity into gaseous energy and could provide North America with a large-scale, cost-effective solution for storing excess energy produced from renewable…

Wind Tree Provides Silent Wind Power Beautifully

Wind Tree turbine

A new French start-up, NewWind, is making wind power beautiful!  Their new Wind Tree offers almost a hundred mini-windmills on an apparatus designed to look like a tree. Due to the light construction of the “leaves,” the Wind Tree generates power at wind speeds as low as 4.4 miles per hour!  This translates into sustained…

Ocean Wave Energy Provides Continuous Renewable Power

ocean waves provide continuous renewable energy

Last week the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced that it will consider issuing a research lease for Oregon State University to study ocean wave energy off the Oregon coast.  The Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center is seeking approval to build a test site about 5 miles off the Newport coast to study utility-scale…

Do-It-Yourself Solar Power Kits Available on Amazon

Andalay Solar has just announced that it is making its do-it-yourself solar power kits available for sale on Amazon.  Now potential solar customers all over the US have an easy way to access the equipment necessary to get free electricity. Andalay’s AC (alternating current) solar system allows homeowners to install their own photovoltaic system, and…

Urban Wind Turbine Provides Quiet Power

Liam F1 Urban Wind Turbine

The newly introduced Liam F1 Urban Wind Turbine developed by The Archimedes will allow those in cities to quietly make their own power as easily as their country cousins.  Besides it’s almost silent operation, the windmill boasts 80% efficiency, much higher than the 25-50% of other turbines. The unit is 5 feet wide, so a…

Groundbreaking Begins on Apple’s Environmentally Friendly Campus

As one of the most influential tech companies in the world, Apple tends to lead by example. When it comes to sustainability, the Cupertino-based tech giant hasn’t always had a sterling reputation; however, in recent years, Apple has doubled down on…

Air Conditioning Alternatives: Thermally Driven Cooling Systems

Cooling in the heat of summer can be a daunting challenge in congested urban areas. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg have been working on innovative sorbents that can store a particularly large amount of water vapor that can be used for cooling purposes. This research information released today…

Guest Post: How To Build Your Own Solar Panels

Thanks to Agnes Jimenez, for providing this post on how to build your own solar panels. There is no second opinion about the enormous benefits of solar electricity. With the ever rising prices of fuel and hence the on-grid electricity, the only viable option we are left with is to switch to the off-grid solar…

Books: "The Solar House" – by Anthony Denzer

Tony Denzer recently wrote to see if we were interested in writing something about his new book, “The Solar House – Pioneering Sustainable Design.” We are glad we came across this pertinent work, especially for those wanting to know more about the history of solar. As Denzer aptly points out, “Few people are aware of…