April 2009
Monthly Archive
Norway to ban gas-only cars?
Posted by admin on 30 Apr 2009 | Tagged as: Biofuel, Hydrogen
The Norwegian government is considering a proposal to ban gasoline-only cars by 2015.
Carmakers could only sell new cars that run fully or partly on fuels such as electricity, biofuels or hydrogen.
Hybrids using fossil fuels and electricity would still be permitted.
20-megawatt solar tower completed in Spain
Posted by admin on 29 Apr 2009 | Tagged as: Solar
Abengoa announced the completion of a 20-megawatt solar tower in Seville, Spain. The tower will provide electricity to 10,000 homes.
The solar tower is the largest in the world, about half as tall as New York City’s Chrysler building, and it’s covered with 1,255 mirrored heliostats that focus solar radiation. The radiation boils water to drive a turbine and generate electricity.
Wisconsin college offers geothermal drilling program
Posted by admin on 28 Apr 2009 | Tagged as: Geothermal
Gateway Technical Institute in Kenosha, Wisconsin will offer a geothermal drilling program, the first of its kind in the country.
Ann Archibald, owner of 2DX2 Geothermal Systems, and Tony Anhalt, owner of Anhalt Well Drilling & Pumps Inc., both of Racine, said skills taught in the program can feed directly into a growing market as residential, commercial and industrial developers look for better, more economical means of energy.
Hydro makes up 35-40% of Michigan’s renewable energy
Posted by admin on 27 Apr 2009 | Tagged as: Hydro
Hydro power makes us 7% of the United States’ renewable energy production, but it produces 35-40% of Michigan’s.
Consumers Energy reports that there are 100 hydroelectric dam projects in Michigan, with a total capacity of 400 megawatts or 3.5 million megawatt hours each year. Consumers owns and operates 13 of these dams which have a total capacity of 132 megawatts or 1.2 million megawatt hours each year.
Wal-Mart to increase solar energy use
Posted by admin on 26 Apr 2009 | Tagged as: Solar
Wal-Mart will double its use of solar energy by putting rooftop solar arrays on 10-20 stores or distribution centers in California.
Wal-Mart plans to announce for Earth Day on Wednesday that it will as much as double the size of its solar-power initiative in the next 18 months by putting rooftop solar arrays on 10 to 20 stores and distribution centers in California. The retail giant early this month finished installing solar setups at 18 Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores and two warehouses in California and Hawaii.
Obama administration approves offshore wind projects
Posted by admin on 25 Apr 2009 | Tagged as: Wind
The Interior Department cleared the way for the development of offshore wind projects along the Atlantic Coast.
The most prominent proposed development would be built on Nantucket Sound off Cape Cod, Mass. That project has been opposed by the Kennedy family and others in part because it would be visible from Martha’s Vineyard and other scenic areas.
Virginia utility adds electric hybrids to fleet
Posted by admin on 24 Apr 2009 | Tagged as: Electric car
Dominion Virginia Power has added five plug-in hybrid trucks to its fleet in an attempt to gauge how electric vehicles will affect the utility.
Two of the vehicles, International DuraStar Hybrid bucket trucks, are being used daily. The trucks employ electric motors that aid in acceleration. A special braking system captures energy generated while decelerating and feeds it back to the electric battery pack that powers the vehicle. When the truck idles, the engine shuts off.
Like other Dominion medium-duty trucks, the hybrids run on B20 biodiesel, which is composed of 80 percent diesel and 20 percent vegetable oil. Company officials say the hybrids get about 9 mpg.
Baseball stadium to try for LEED certification
Posted by admin on 24 Apr 2009 | Tagged as: LEED
The Arizona Diamondbacks have hired a consulting firm to try to earn LEED certification before it hosts the All-Star game in 2011.
Rather than enact a simple recycling program throughout the ballpark, we chose to develop a program to have Chase Field achieve the ultimate certification in green building to make sure we were covering all aspects of corporate sustainability and advocating to our fans how important it is for them to become involved as well,” said Culen Maxey, the team’s senior vice president for business operations.
Albiasa proposes to build $1 billion solar plant in Arizona
Posted by admin on 23 Apr 2009 | Tagged as: Solar
Spanish solar power company Albiasa wants to build a Arizona’s second concentrated solar power plant in Kingman.
The 200MW facility will be built on 1,400 acres of private land, creating 2,000 temporary jobs and 100 full-time jobs once the plant begins operations in 2013.
Oregon building will be “world’s greenest”
Posted by admin on 23 Apr 2009 | Tagged as: Biofuel, LEED
Independence, Oregon’s Independence Station, a 57,000 square foot building scheduled to open next year, will receive the highest LEED rating ever given and will run on biodiesel.
Biodiesel Magazine reports that the $15 million building is halfway finished with completion scheduled early next year. The article says along with the power from biodiesel, the building will feature rainwater collection and reuse, use sunlight, and be built from recycled and reclaimed building materials.
