July 2008
Monthly Archive
Peet’s Coffee gets LEED certification
Posted by admin on 31 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: LEED
Peet’s Coffee and Tea’s roasting plant in Alameda, California was granted a gold LEED certification by the US Green Building Council.
Peet’s designed the two biggest roasters to capture and reuse some of the heat that’s typically wasted during the roasting process. That managed to slash the company’s use of natural gas by a whopping 40 percent, according to Jim Grimes, the company’s vice president for operations.
Wave turbine now in use in UK
Posted by admin on 31 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Ocean Energy
The first turbine to generate ocean power for the UK’s first commercial wave power station is now in operation.
Inverness-based Wavegen plans to install 40 of the turbines off Siader on Lewis in the Western Isles.
It would produce enough power for 1,500 homes and create a much-needed breakwater for boats.
Arizona gets its first wind power project
Posted by admin on 31 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Wind
The Dry Lake Wind Project, one of of the first of its kind in Arizona, will be located 18 miles northwest of Snowflake.
Dry Lake’s Phase I will include approximately 30 wind turbines and is expected to generate up to 63 megawatts (MW) of electricity, depending on final turbine selection. Typically, a wind farm of this size can provide clean, renewable electricity to more than 15,000 typical homes. The estimated environmental benefits of the project will result in the annual offset of over 185 million pounds of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to removing 15,000 cars from the road.
Governors of western states launch ocean action plan
Posted by admin on 30 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Ocean Energy
The governors of California, Oregon, and Washington have launched an ocean action plan designed to address ocean-related issues on the West Coast.
As part of the plan, California, Oregon and Washington will work together, along with the Federal Working Group, on 26 bold actions to help combat polluted runoff and reduce marine garbage, advocate for stricter ocean going vessel emission standards, prevent the introduction of invasive species, explore the feasibility of offshore alternative ocean energy development, improve ocean research, increase ocean education and prevent and respond to offshore oil spills, among others.
China seeks to gain wind power lead
Posted by admin on 30 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Wind
Dabancheng is a windy area in western China that has 118 huge 1.5 megawatt wind turbines. Wind plants of similar size are being built throughout China.
And it’s not the only wind rich region China is developing — China also has facilities of equal sizes under construction in Gansu, Inner Mongolia and Jiangsu. This has resulted in torrid wind power growth of 100 percent a year in China since 2005. China hopes that with the help of the rapid growth it can achieve its goal of getting 15 percent of its power from alternative energy source by 2020, doubling its alternative energy percentage in 2005.
First LEED-certified Harley dealership opens in Illinois
Posted by admin on 29 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: LEED
O’Fallon, Illinois’ Frieze Harley-Davidson Dealership became the first LEED-certified Harley dealership in the US.
Festus-based Trumpet Builders served as the project’s general contractor and Belleville, Ill.-based Karasek Architects designed the state-of-the-art and environmentally conscious building. The facility includes a 33,000-square-foot showroom and maintenance shop that is partially powered by a wind turbine.
The maintenance shop has a radiant floor system, which is heated from burned waste oil.
Florida university works closely with UK on ocean energy
Posted by admin on 29 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: OTEC, Ocean Energy
Florida Atlantic University is working closely with universities and organizations in the United Kingdom on ocean energy.
“FAU is working closely with the British Consulate in Miami, UK Trade & Investment and our other UK partners to help us understand and develop guidance for global policy as it relates to ocean energy extraction,” said Brogan. “Furthermore, Florida and the UK are committed to increasing climate-friendly economic opportunities for our respective citizens, improving our public policies on reducing global emissions of greenhouse gases, exchanging expertise on research and technology, and increasing public awareness.”
Kids have fun at green camp
Posted by admin on 29 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Solar
Elementary school children had fun creating with recyclables at Camp Invention at NOVA School in Olympia, Washington.
The campers said residents of Sludge City had dumped garbage in the lake and built pollution-producing factories, so they rebuilt it with a few green innovations, such as a NASCAR track with solar-powered cars and a solar-powered cheese factory.
Maryland mayor wants to take town off the grid
Posted by admin on 28 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Ocean Energy, Solar, Wind
Chesapeake Beach, Maryland mayor Gerald W. Donovan wants to his town to use renewable energy to meet all of its energy needs.
Donovan, 59, envisions a four-pronged plan that would take Chesapeake Beach “off the grid.” It includes solar panels atop buildings and along the shore, wind turbines on water towers, capturing the energy of the tide in Fishing Creek and requiring homeowners to “go green.”
$2.3 billion biomass plant planned in Austin, TX
Posted by admin on 28 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Biomass
Austin Energy is planning to build a 100-megwatt, $2.3 million biomass plant in East Texas.
The plant, expected to be the largest of its kind in Texas, would run on wood waste, such as sawdust from mills, tree trimmings and pallets. It could generate 100 megawatts of power for Austin Energy, or enough to supply 75,000 homes. The move is part of the city’s ongoing effort to diversify its energy sources for environmental and economic reasons, and it comes as the utility is also planning to put solar power equipment on city-owned land near Webberville.
