Human/Nature: Artists Respond to a Changing Planet

Can art inspire conservation? Can conservation inspire art? Human/Nature: Artists Respond to a Changing Planet began six years ago in the form of these questions, triggering an unusual collaboration and an extraordinary and circuitous journey. BAM/PFA, in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) and the international conservation organization Rare, commissioned eight of the world’s most thoughtful and innovative artists to travel to eight UNESCO-designated World Heritage sites and to create new works of art in response to their travels and experiences there.
UC Berkeley Critic's Choice

Google Takes You To Road Not Taken. (Energy Initiatives By President Jimmy Carter)

Google Travels Back To The Future, To Bring President Jimmy Carters Solar Panels From 1979!. This shows what a vision the former president had. Had we taken the roads introduced at that time, we would have been far ahead in saving the planet. Ten years later, my father installed our first solar water heater. I hope that all the solar panels that we install, live their life time.
This is what President Jimmy Carter said at the dedication of the Solar Water Heater Panels at the White House;
"This dependence on foreign sources of oil is of great concern to all of us. In the year 2000, this solar water heater behind me, which is being dedicated today, will still be here supplying cheap, efficient energy. A generation from now, this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people."
(To watch video of the dedication, check out this trailer for a movie about the panels).


You can find more information and photos from this Google Blog Post;
Official Google Blog: Back to the energy future

Tags: Solar Panels, Solar Water Heater Panels at the White House, solar water heater, energy conservation

Halloween Energy Tricks From Google!

If you are scared of energy costs during Halloween or genuinely want save some energy and help our world, help is coming, not very surprisingly from, Google.
Google's Climate Change & Energy Initiatives team (at Google.org) have created a handy energy saving calculator to help you see how simple steps can help you save money for treats -- and ward off scary carbon emissions.
They also have put together a webpage with many tricks to help you save energy thus money. The inspiration for this idea, has come from the U. S. Department of Energy.
So follow the links and save some scares. The tricks page gives you information that goes way beyond Halloween, in saving energy

Official Google Blog: Is your house haunted by high energy prices?

Tags: U. S. Department of Energy, Halloween, energy saving, Climate Change & Energy Initiatives, Google.org, energy conservation

“PCM express”, Phase Change Materials Simulation Software For Buildings May Save Energy Usage.

PCM express is a planning and simulation program for buildings using phase change materials (PCM). It aims to support architects and planners in planning by facilitating reliable decision-making in dimensioning the system and by speeding up the market launch of PCMs.

In this respect, PCM express provides users with a simple method of defining a PCM system. This includes the use of PCMs in wall structures and changes in the associated mains services. In particular, the low-energy approach is to be supported in the form of activated building components (panel heating, cooling areas) and energy-saving cooling techniques. Depending on the situation, the use of PCMs may be justified by the increased level of comfort provided (private houses with wellness requirements) or by economic considerations (office buildings). Both strategies are supported by the program, through the use of menus, predefined usage profiles and adapted presentation of the results.

Ludwigshafen, Germany – May 28, 2008 – Together with Dr. Valentin EnergieSoftware, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), maxit and DAW (Caparol), BASF is making the new simulation software “PCM express” available to architects, planners and house builders. The software makes it possible to calculate the advantages of using phase change materials (PCMs) in buildings. Users can now not only calculate simply and clearly how much more comfort can be gained by using phase change materials, but also the potential energy and cost savings compared with a non-PCM system. The software can currently be requested free of charge via the Internet. The project was supported by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi).

According to Marco Schmidt of Technical Marketing in the Polymer Dispersions for Construction unit at BASF, there is another advantage for users: “Because the software is an express version, the program can be easily operated by virtually anyone familiar with the structural conditions of a specific building. The simulation software doesn’t only help house builders make decisions, it is also an analytical tool for architects and engineers”, he adds.

The settings make it possible to make calculations for individual rooms or up to ten units of three rooms each. Variables such as construction method, windows, size or local climate are fed into the subsequent dynamic simulation. This means investors, architects and planners can for the first time draw concrete conclusions about the effectiveness and economic feasibility of a PCM solution, which is not possible with a rough estimate.

Projecting the future is always based on assumptions derived from current conditions. All the parameters, such as the rate of price increases, borrowing costs, period under consideration or the useful life of a facility can therefore be freely selected. On the basis of the specified investments, PCM express then dynamically calculates the expected payback period, the rate of return and the capital value of both variants on a comparative basis.

A broad-based portfolio of PCM construction materials is already available today and their impact is now quantifiable for a specific application. “This is another key step towards achieving energy efficient solutions for keeping buildings cool in summer“, says Schmidt. PCM express can be ordered free of charge at www.valentin.de/index_en_page=pcm_express. Information on BASF’s PCMs can be found at www.micronal.de.

How phase change materials work

With Micronal® PCM, BASF has developed a microencapsulated phase change material. Its principle? Microscopically small polymer capsules containing a pure wax storage medium at their core can be inserted into different construction materials such as gypsum wall boards and plasters, aerated cement blocks, chilled ceiling elements, floor screeds, wood-based materials or finishing systems and compounds. If the room temperature reaches the predefined melting temperature (for example, 23 degrees Celsius), the wax inside the microcapsules melts and via this phase change absorbs the excess heat. This stops the room temperature from rising, something no other passive technology can do. If the temperature falls, the wax becomes solid and the capsules release their heat again. The alternating sequence of melting and solidifying is ensured either by nature, for example through temperature differences between night and day, or through the use of activated systems, such as water cooling. In this way, phase change materials help to absorb daytime temperature peaks, thus ensuring more pleasant room temperatures.

As a major supplier to the construction and coatings industry, BASF, through its Acrylics & Dispersions division, develops, produces and markets polymer dispersions, powders and solutions based on acrylates, styrene and butadiene worldwide. They are used, for example, to manufacture plasters, finishing systems and compounds, roof coatings and ceramic tile adhesives. They act as binding agents in paints and coatings. Further information is available online at www.basf.de/dispersions.

Tags: energy conservation, PCM express, Phase Change Materials, BASF

Benefits Of CFLs, Compact Fluorescent Lamps.

You will be able to save energy and a lot of money with CFLs. Compact fluorescent bulbs come in different color temperatures, which produce different color-tone light. Lower color temperature bulbs give off a reddish-orange light while higher color temperature bulbs give off a more bluish-white light.As an example, if you are replacing a standard 60-watt incandescent light bulb from a table lamp in your living room, you will want to replace it with a 13-watt to 18-watt CFL (60-watt incandescent equivalent) with a color temperature of around 2,700 degrees. If you use this table lamp for reading, you might want to buy a 23-watt to 26-watt CFL (equivalent to a 100-watt incandescent) with a color temperature of 4,000.

• An 18-watt compact fluorescent lamp operating 6 hours a day costs 22 cents a month in electricity.
  
• A 100-watt incandescent bulb operating for the same time costs $1.30 a month.

So if you replace ten 100 watt bulbs with CFLs, you stand to save $10.80 off your electrical bill Every Month, that is almost $130 a year. If we all do that it is about 12 Billion dollars that we save in energy costs, just here in USA. So even if you do not want to change 10 lamps, just try it out with 3 or 4. Your hardware store carries these lamps and follow the above guide in wattage to chose right lamp. (Other parts of the world, they call these lamps, bulbs!)
The other good news is that CFL lasts much longer than incandescent bulbs. I just last week replaced a CFL that I installed four years ago. Previously I use to replace incandescent lamps every few months!.
Another part that comes with CFLs is that you just can't toss them once used. Just like old computers or car batteries, these need to be recycled. This is very important and each and every municipality has means of recycling your spent CFLs.
So change to CFLa and have a brighter and safer future, for us and generations to come.

Tags: CFL, energy conservation, Compact Fluorescent Lamp, incandescent lamp