Solarion

Solar energy, will be playing a big role in our lives, as it has been playing for eons. Sustainable society is a need if we are to survive as a planet. There are many a facets to solar energy, solar electricity, solar heat and so on. Education is key factor in bringing Solar power to the doorsteps of every house and all people. This site will try to empower you, by bringing new about solar energy, the solar power blog, empoweringsolar. Be powerful! be off the grid. Let Sun Shine On You.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

EnergyStar 4.0, New Specifications for Many Office Products in 2007

2007 brings new ENERGY STAR specifications for office and imaging equipment. This means it will be more difficult for computers, copiers, fax machines, mailing machines, multifunction devices (MFDs), printers, and scanners to earn the ENERGY STAR

Energy Star 3.0 was all over the place, but those standards have been in place for a decade. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will introduce new ENERGY STAR 4.0 requirements on July 20th, 2007. What’s going to change? What is in it? What do manufacturers have to do to get compliant? What does business' need to do to be compliant? well it seems that it is easier than one tend to assume. Even small business' can still save money on power and cooling by implementing ENERGY STAR 4.0 compliant desktops and other office appliances.

There are two fundamental changes from the current ENERGY STAR 3.0 program to the ENERGY STAR 4.0 that will have a decided impact on your organization should you choose to implement the new standards:

Idle power usage will now be measured and used as a metric to earn the ENERGY STAR 4.0 rating as opposed to Standby power.
An 80% efficient power supplies are a requirement.

In Standby, the number of storage devices, processor cores, graphics power, memory, etc. makes very little difference to the power used. These devices are either turned off or are in a very low power state. However, in idle, all these devices are drawing power. The amount of memory or the number of hard drives has a big impact on power used. This is why the ENERGY STAR 3.0 configuration you’re buying today might not be a configuration that will meet ENERGY STAR 4.0 in the future.

The 80% efficient power supply is a principal requirement of Energy Star 4.0 and a major new innovation. What is an 80% efficient power supply? When a power supply converts AC power from the wall to the various DC voltages that the computer needs, there is always a loss of power. The power loss varies with how busy the computer is. An 80% efficient power supply is guaranteed to lose less than 20% of the AC power at 20%, 50% and 100% loads. Currently, power supplies for desktop computers range from approximately 65% to 75% efficiency.

Revisions to existing specifications by energy Star!

Monday, July 09, 2007

Platinum LEED Rating from U.S. Green Building Council is awarded to Ranch House at Del Sur

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Ranch House at Del Sur, the information center for the newly opened master-planned community by Black Mountain Ranch LLC in north San Diego, last week was awarded a Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, a program of the U.S. Green Building Council and the most widely recognized standard worldwide for sustainable, high-performance, low-energy-use buildings.

With a point score of 59 out of a total 69 points possible, the 3,000-square-foot Ranch House is the first private-enterprise, new construction building to achieve Platinum rating in California, and San Diego’s first Platinum-rated structure.

“The Ranch House is to be commended for its LEED Platinum Certification,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “As a visitor information and resource center, the Ranch House will serve as an example to the community as well as raise awareness among consumers and new home builders. The Ranch House will be a model for master-planned community development.”

Of the approximately 680 LEED-NC (new construction) certified buildings in the world, only 28 have achieved Platinum certification. Many Ranch House features are available as standard or options to the 2,500 homes under construction at Del Sur. In addition, the Ranch House is actively promoted as a showcase and resource to all San Diegans to encourage learning about — and committing — to environmental stewardship.

“We’re honored that the Ranch House has been recognized by the Green Building Council with its highest rating,” said Fred Maas, president and CEO of Black Mountain Ranch LLC, developer of the 1,800-acre Del Sur. “The Ranch House is the focal point of the Del Sur vision: celebrating heritage, craftsmanship and sustainability. Everything from the land planning to the recycling of construction waste to the use of Earth-friendly materials and techniques is part of the Del Sur green building strategy.”

Fullerton Architects P.C., of Kalispell, MT provided architectural design services, in consultation with LEED consultant Hernando Miranda of Soltierra, Inc. in San Diego. Landscape architecture was provided by Vita Planning & Landscape Architecture and Wimmer Yamada and Caughey, and interior design was provided by San Diego-based Design Line Interiors. Standard Pacific Homes constructed the Ranch House at Del Sur, and Benchmark Landscape provided landscape installation services.

Resource Conservation, Recycling and Reuse

Through the incorporation of efficient appliances, weather-based irrigation and low-water plant palettes, combined annual estimated water savings are 70 percent, or more than one million gallons saved per year. A photovoltaic (solar) energy system provides about half the building’s power, while natural lighting, EnergyStar appliances, and efficient ductwork save approximately 57 percent of energy annually. Wind credits offset the remainder of the energy use, making the Ranch House a net-zero consumption facility.

Approximately 89% of construction waste at the Ranch House was recycled, and materials were re-used on-site where possible. Cork in the flooring, sunflower husks in countertops, wheat waste in cabinets and ceilings, and salvaged timbers used in flooring and ceiling trusses are among the reclaimed or rapidly-renewable resources on display at the Ranch House.

The porous concrete driveway leading to the Ranch House aids with groundwater filtration and mitigates storm-water runoff. Electric vehicles, dedicated carpool parking spaces and bike racks offer and demonstrate a variety of resources for alternative transportation.

About the U.S. Green Building Council and LEED Certification

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit composed of leaders from across the building industry working to advance buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Driving its mission to transform the built environment is the Council’s LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™, which is accessible on-line and supported by a robust LEED Workshop program and the LEED Professional Accreditation program. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

Live Earth is a successful event in rising awareness of global warming all over the world!

Organizers of this weekend's Live Earth concerts are calling it the biggest musical event ever staged.

The 29-hour music marathon featured 100 of the biggest names in music and spanned seven continents with an estimated worldwide television audience of 2 billion.

The concert was also available on the Internet. More than 10 million people tuned in to the video broadcast on LiveEarth.MSN.com, (Which made it difficult for many users to see the concert!) making it the most watched online event ever.

I Started with Australia, Japan and ended up with Police in New Jersey!, it even had a band performing in Antarctica! Brazil, which was the only free concert, touted to have had the largest audience, anywhere from 200000 to 100000!.

The event ended Saturday night at Giants Stadium in New Jersey with a plea to concert-goers from organizer and former U.S. vice president Al Gore.

Gore called on fans to adhere to a seven-point pledge to tackle global warming. I have done most of the pledges already! Except for the driving bit!.

"Put all of this energy in your heart and help us solve the climate crisis," said the former vice president, appearing on stage at the end of the New Jersey concert with his wife Tipper.

Friday, July 06, 2007

Ten things to do at home to keep our Earth Alive,

While watching Live Earth,Do your part to ensure a healthy planet by incorporating these ten simple actions into your everyday life.

	1) Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent lights (CFLs). Look closely at labels when buying light bulbs. Those marked as CFLs last 10 times longer and use 66 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs while delivering the same light levels. As a result, CFLs accrue net savings between $30 and $45 over their lifetimes, depending on your cost of electricity, the wattage size of the CFL, and the lamp's lifespan (manufacturers make CFLs that last 6,000, 8,000, or 10,000 hours). The return on investment is 15 times higher than leaving your money in a bank account or the average return on Dow Jones stock investments. CFLs also reduce the release of greenhouse gas emissions and are safer because they burn at a lower temperature (160° F or less) than incandescent and halogen lights, which can burn at temperatures up to 500° F.
	2) Inflate your car tires. When walking or biking isn't feasible, you can do something to better protect the Earth while driving. Take a step in the right direction by inflating your car tires. Pumping them up can improve your gas mileage by about 3.3 percent – a savings of about 7 cents per gallon. It‘s the right thing to do for your wallet and the right thing to do for the Earth.
	3) Weigh your ecological impact. It’s far easier than stepping on a scale. Take CI's short eco-footprint quiz to find out if you need to tread more lightly on Earth’s biodiversity. Measure how last year’s habits stack up, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a full-fledged eco-warrior in the year ahead.
	4) Turn down the hot water heater. Set your water heater to 130° F. While you’re at it, turn down your house thermostat during the winter to 55° F when you go to bed or leave home. These simple actions can have enormous positive consequences, preventing the emission of more than 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide over the course of the year, while cutting your energy bill by more than 10 percent. And that’s just from you! Get your friends on board, and the benefits will multiply.
	5) Choose your seafood wisely. We can’t afford to wait until 2008. The world’s seafood will be entirely depleted by 2048, according to an early November report in the journal Science. That means the moment to shape up is now. By buying and eating certain types of seafood, you can discourage harmful fishing practices and avoid the more depleted or threatened species. Take a look at Seafood Choices Alliance or Seafood Watch to make smart choices.
	6) Replace your showerheads and faucets with high-efficiency models. Retrofitting just one showerhead and two faucets will reduce water usage by 50 percent to 70 percent, while maintaining the same user experience. The cost savings you’ll see on your water and electricity bills will pay for the retrofit in only three to 12 months.
	7) Offset your carbon footprint. Carbon footprints are soooo last year. Luckily, CI's new carbon calculator guarantees you’ll be on the cutting edge. It empowers you to offset your personal impact on Earth’s rising climate. Donate $10 to offset your cross-country road trip, $20 for the upcoming family reunion, or $7 for a domestic roundtrip flight. Your money will help protect the roughly 832,000-acre Makira Forest in northeast Madagascar and prevent millions of tons of CO₂ from entering the atmosphere.
	8) Buy locally produced meats and produce. Sounds like a good idea, but you don’t know where to start? Just type in your zip code on Local Harvest's website to see a list of farms and farmers’ markets close to home, as well as nearby restaurants committed to supporting their neighbors. Buying locally produced food cuts out the middlemen and the vast amounts of energy required to get your products onto store shelves. Most produce in U.S. supermarkets travels an average 1,500 miles before it is sold!
	9) Drink more water from reusable glassware. It’s great for your bank account, your health, and your planet. The average American consumed more than 400 beverage bottles and cans in 2006, leaving behind wasted glass, plastic, steel, and aluminum. That adds up to excessive amounts of fossil fuels and hydropower for mining, processing, refining, shaping, shipping, storing, refrigerating, and disposing of those materials. Of course, changing your drinking habits both at home and at work is applicable to just about every other habit, as well. You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: Reduce, reuse, and recycle.
	10) Turn down the thermostat just three degrees in the winter and up three degrees in the summer. You can prevent the emission of nearly 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. Straight from Conservation International

Live Earth 070707 Live!

Live Earth 070707 is about o begin in Austrailia!
I am watching world feed now! Please Join!

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Steorn Orbo! Free Energy, may be after that free lunch!

I think one of the first physics lessons that you learn at school is about Principle of Conservation of Energy. The Simple fact that the principle of the conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created or destroyed, it can only change form.

The first law of thermodynamics is an expression of the universal law of conservation of energy, and identifies heat transfer as a form of energy transfer. The most common enunciation of first law of thermodynamics is:

"The increase in the internal energy of a thermodynamic system is equal to the amount of heat energy added to the system minus the work done by the system on the surroundings."

If you would like to learm more follow this link for historical time line.

But now Steorn, an Irish company, claims;

"Orbo produces free, clean and constant energy - that is our claim. By free we mean that the energy produced is done so without recourse to external source. By clean we mean that during operation the technology produces no emissions. By constant we mean that with the exception of mechanical failure the technology will continue to operate indefinitely.

The sum of these claims for our Orbo technology is a violation of the principle of conservation of energy, perhaps the most fundamental of scientific principles."
There were to be a demo today but it came against some problems that might get resolved so all of us can see a demonstration of this phenomenal form energy! and save the world!

"Important update on the Kinetica demo:

We are experiencing some technical difficulties with the demo unit in London. Our initial assessment indicates that this is probably due to the intense heat from the camera lighting. We have commenced a technical assessment and will provide an update later today. As a consequence, Kinetica will not be open to the public today (5th July). We apologize for this delay and appreciate your patience."

If this proves to be true as the creators claim, it will be a boom for green energy!

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Happy 4th of July 2007 America!

Be safe, Be free and Be thinking of Our world. Let's leave something behind so that they can land on!

Monday, July 02, 2007

WeSeePeople: Vote for New 7 Wonders of the world

Please go and vote for new seven wonders of the world, as this will work toward the awareness of the world and our heritage.
WeSeePeople: Vote for New 7 Wonders of the world

Go green through flowers and more

Sustainably grown, organic from "seed-to-store" flowers of every variety and color are now much more widely available. The best ones are from your own garden, farmer's market or local floral designer who specializes in organics. But when time and miles require a long distance solution, the Internet is suddenly filled with resources that will guarantee delivery of no-spray, sustainably grown beauty.

Look for the USDA Certified Organics seal, or the VerifloraTM emblem. VerifloraTM is America's first Green Label certification standard for the floral industry. The standard establishes procedures for verifying sustainable agricultural practices employed by flower and ornamental operations, from soil preparation and seed planting through production, harvest, and post-harvest handling. If a VerifloraTM farm is not already organic, it must have plans to make that transition.

Checkout Organicbouquet.com, which carries roses in just about every shade imaginable, as well as lilies and tulips, or Californiaorganicflower.com, which bills itself as the country's first online retailer of organic flowers.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Is Darfur Crisis related to Global warming? or Is violance in Darfur worsened by Global warming?

Yes I am confused too but there is some truth and a relationship to this after looking at the above data. I gathered this information while I was checking out Live Earth concert that is slated for 07-07-07. (It happens only once in hundred years!)
Decades of drought helped trigger Darfur's violence as rival groups fought over scarce water and arable land.Now, experts fear the war and its refugee crisis are making the environment even worse, leaving the land increasingly uninhabitable and intensifying tensions with no end to the drought in sight.
Darfur's tragedy could be repeated in much of North Africa and the Middle East, experts fear, because growing populations are straining a very limited water supply. Data show rainfall steadily declining in the region, possibly because of weather changes linked to global warming.
Well keep that in mind when you throw that plastic bag away next time. We may never know what we are igniting!
Read the complete article,

Darfur violence leaves environmental scars

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Keep your connections hassle free with Net Neutrality

Keep your connections hassle free with Net Neutrality
Geemodo: Net Neutrality How it affects you and the nation.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Google will go carbon neutral by the end of 2007

To any one concerned about our dear earth, will be happy to hear that a globally known entity like Google tipping the hat will make a major effect. I have earlier written about Google's Solar Energy efforts. But I did not think at that time that Google will reach Carbon Neutrality by this time frame.
I am surprised everyday how much less people know what they are doing to this planet. All innocent family and people loving people, just not enough awareness of things we could do to help conserver a tiny part of this planet.
Google has done super service by joining the many a companies, governments and individuals that further this effort. If you ask 100 people if they knew what is Solar energy is you will be surprised at the answers. But they will surely will know what Google is! So there you go. Thanks Google.
So what is this carbon neutrality? Well it is long way to explain but for now I will tell you how Google is doing it!
Google's plan to neutralize it's carbon footprint includes three basic strategies:
- reduce energy consumption by maximizing efficiency;
- invest in and use renewable energy sources; and
- purchase carbon offsets for the emissions that we can't reduce directly.

To calculate Google's carbon footprint, They have taken into account emissions from purchased electricity, employee commuting, business travel, construction, and server manufacturing. In a partnership with the Environmental Resources Trust (ERT), Google has independently verified this assessment, and will continue to do so every year.

in addition, Google already has several other environmental programs and initiatives in place. Last week Google announced the Climate Savers Computing initiative to greatly improve computing energy-efficiency standards. (Make sure your next computer purchase is a compliant PC!)
Transportation is another major area of focus. Google employee shuttle system provides a commute for more than 1,500 Googlers daily around the San Francisco Bay area, and several hundred more have also taken advantage of the rebate Google offers when an employee bought a fuel-efficient vehicle.

Google is equally committed to finding and developing new green technologies and sources of energy. Google has just completed its solar panel installation in Mountain View, the single-largest corporate solar installation in the U.S. to date.
Google have also joined the World Resources Institute's Green Power Market Development Group. And of course Google.org is working on creative new initiatives, including plug-in hybrid cars. In addition, Google has set itself the ambitious goal of creating 50 megawatts of new renewable generation capacity--enough to power 50,000 typical U.S. homes--by 2012.

Information gathered from Official Google Blog: Carbon neutrality by end of 2007
Google also has a site specifically dedicated to clean energy initiative at Google here.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

A Tree for the planet, a gift for some one you love (may be our planet itself!),

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched a major worldwide tree planting campaign. Under the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, people, communities, business and industry, civil society organizations and governments are encouraged to enter tree planting pledges online with the objective of planting at least one billion trees worldwide during 2007.
There are many other organizations that have joined the effort. Billion Tree Campaign partner-organizations Trees for Life and Tree-Nation.com are offering you the opportunity to give a gift with a conscience this Valentine’s Day or next Valentine day. Each is appealing to people to give their loved ones a tree this lover’s day - a gift that will truly last a life-time and save our planet and may stop someone from starving!

Tree-Nation.com is offering to plant a tree in your loved one’s name in the Saharan desert. The effort is part of their goal to create an 8 million-tree park in the shape of a giant heart there, to help fight Poverty, Global Warming and Desertification.
How about this 2000 year long gift card!

learn more

Name: Adansonia Digitata
Specie: Baobab
Uses:
• can live up to 2,000 years
• enhance soil fertility
• sprouts, fruits, leaves for food
• leaves and flowers for fodder
• traditional African medicine


75

Trees for Life’s ‘I Love Pine’ Valentine’s appeal is giving people the chance to have a specially-dedicated Scots pine, or grove of pines, planted in Scotland’s beautiful Caledonian Forest on behalf of a loved one. To join Trees for Life, to dedicate a tree or grove to a loved one, or to join a volunteer Work Week planting trees, visit Trees for Life - I love Pine website or call 01309 691292.

Monday, June 18, 2007

New multijunction Solar Cell provides 40% efficiency over conventional Solar cells

Researchers at Boeing-Spectrolab have announced that they have created a multi-junction solar cell that achieves an incredible 40.7% efficiency, about twice that of the current most efficient solar cell, that was announced about six months ago by Silicon Valley-based SunPower. Said to be a solar cell capble of achiving 22% efficiency .
But at the announcement SunPower cell, SPR-315 was 50% more efficient than the current industry standard Solar cells used in bringing solar power to homes, industries and even lamp posts.
The new high efficiency multijunction cells have a significant advantage over conventional silicon cells in concentrator systems because fewer solar cells are required to achieve the same power output. This technology will continue to dramatically reduce the cost of generating electricity from solar energy as well as the cost of materials used in high-power space satellites and terrestrial applications.

Spectrolab is reducing the cost of solar cell production through research investments and is working with several domestic and international solar concentrator manufacturers on clean, renewable solar energy solutions. Currently, Spectrolab's terrestrial concentrator cells are generating power in a 33-kilowatt full-scale concentrator system in the Australian desert. The company recently signed multi-million dollar contracts for its high efficiency concentrator cells and is anticipating several new contracts in the next few months.

Development of the high-efficiency concentrator cell technology was funded by the NREL's High Performance Photovoltaics program and Spectrolab.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Zero Emission housing efforts in UK

OFFSITE 2007 is exploring how todays construction and other technologies are teaming to provide high performance, smarter sustainable buildings. The effort will lead to very latest, near zero-carbon houses – possibly the first to achieve Level 6 of the new Code for Sustainable Homes (On 13 December 2006, the Code for Sustainable Homes - a new national standard for sustainable design and construction of new homes was launched in United Kingdom.).
At the OffSite 2007, you will certainly see The Big Build: exhibitions, displays and demonstrations spread over the BRE site, including the full-scale off-site and MMC buildings on the BRE Innovation Park which are retained on the site for two years after the event for demonstration and training purpose, and;

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) – such as off-site manufactured systems and innovative on-site construction methods
Smart technologies – control systems and sensors for monitoring; and intelligent technologies for whole building communication
Sustainable technologies – recycled building products and sustainable building materials; new products from natural resources and application of industrial by-products for construction

If you are unable to attend, you also can followup with this photo Blog.

OFFSITE2007: the exhibition and conference
Over 50 companies are expected to exhibit at OFFSITE 2007, and a major conference runs throughout three days of the event.
The exhibition

This outdoor exhibition space includes the unique Big Build area where two existing and six new real-life buildings are being built especially for the OFFSITE event. This includes the first houses to be built to the new Code for Sustainable Homes, with one exhibitor hoping to achieve the maximum Level 6 rating. See more about the Big Build buildings...

As well as the full-scale exhibits in The Big Build area, key suppliers, manufacturers and installers from the MMC and off-site sector, along with providers of sustainable energy products, innovative communications solutions and more, will be at OFFSITE2007. See who's exhibiting...

Zero emission housing efforts in UK is certainly interesting effort that we all should keep an eye... mmm may both the eyes wide open, on.

I picked up this news from BRE, another site you should keep your eyes on.

Friday, June 08, 2007

Live Earth save our earth, 07-07-07

Live Earth is a monumental music event that will bring together more than 2 billion people on 7/7/07 to raise awareness about global warming. With 24 hours of music across 7 continents, and performances by more than 150 of the world's top musicians, Live Earth will engage, connect, and inspire individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve the climate crisis.

Press Releases and Fact Sheets

Microsoft Commitment to Environmental Sustainability
Microsoft Corp. is committed to environmental sustainability, continuously implementing and exploring new ways to preserve and improve the environment.

GERMANY Live Earth Revealed
Get ticket information, artist line-up and more.

AUSTRALIA Live Earth Revealed
Get ticket information, artist line-up and more.

Spinal Tap to Reunite
They're back and will perform at Wembley stadium to help save the world. Watch the video and get a preview.

U.S.A. Live Earth Revealed
Get ticket information, artist line-up and more.

U.K. Live Earth Unveiled
Get ticket information, artist line-up and more.

SOS Films World Premier at Tribeca Film Fest
Seven short films; Gore to host opening night gala.

A Letter from Joanne Bradford
MSN Corporate Vice President and Chief Media Officer, Joanne Bradford, talks about Microsoft's participation in Live Earth.

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Solar Challenge from Darwin to Adelaide

A DUTCH three-time winning team heads the list of entries for this year's World Solar Challenge from Darwin to Adelaide.

The Nuon Solar Team team won the biennial solar car race across Australia in 2001, 2003 and 2005 and is favoured to take out a fourth victory in October this year.

Chasing it all the way to Adelaide will be the Victorian-based team from the Aurora Vehicle Association which won the race in 1999 and then finished second to Nuon in the last three events.

Releasing the entry list today, South Australian Tourism Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said 46 teams from 21 countries had so far signed up to start the 2007 challenge in October.

"The current team entry list proves that this event is truly inspired by adventure and fuelled by the spirit of friendly competition, attracting teams from research and educational institutions around the world," Dr Lomax-Smith said.

First run in 1987 the World Solar Challenge is designed to promote and celebrate educational and technical excellence and draw attention to the need for sustainable transport.

"Whilst the notion of actually driving a solar car on the road as seen in this event may not be likely, it is very likely that we will all be driving electric cars one day," Dr Lomax-Smith said.

"Some of that electricity may come from a renewable source such a solar energy quite possibly using technology developed through this event."

The World Solar Challenge will leave Darwin on October 21 with the leading cars expected to complete the 3,000km to Adelaide within four days.

Among the entry list so far are cars from Japan, Germany, Canada, Malaysia, the United States, Australia, Singapore, the Netherlands, France and Senegal.

Adelaide Now

Now is the time for "Solar Powered wine!"

St. Helena, CA - Fans of Robert Keenan Winery will notice a pleasant surprise when they pick up a bottle of this year’s “Summer Blend” Chardonnay. The label on the June 1 release is the winery’s first release bearing the words, “Solar Powered and Sustainably Farmed.”

The winery’s recently completed solar power system is the illustration of a sustainable business philosophy that owner Michael Keenan said goes back to his father Robert, who started the vineyard in 1974. Keenan noted, “My father taught me that preserving the environment and keeping the business going were inextricably linked.”

“What was amazing about the solar power option was that it allowed us to fulfill all of the responsibilities we have, to sustainable farming, to our customers, to our community, and to our business – and it was a surprisingly compelling business investment at the same time.”

Keenan Winery’s solar power system, which was designed and whose installation was managed by San Francisco-based Sunlight Electric, will generate 100% of the winery’s electricity needs, and each year reduces Keenan Winery’s carbon footprint by more than 37 tons of CO2, equivalent to the carbon captured annually by 10 acres of forest.

“When you look at all the benefits – environmental, social, economic – this was a no-brainer for us,” added Keenan. “And it wasn’t difficult to do. The whole project, start to finish, was really turn-key.”

Before Robert Keenan passed away in 2006, he installed solar power for the family’s home and told his son that eventually the winery should be powered by solar as well. Michael Keenan adds, “Ultimately, it’s about what practices lead to quality – and preserving resources allow us to focus on the things that create quality.”

Keenan has long received wide recognition for its wines. Most recently, Wine & Spirits Magazine gave the winery’s 2003 Cabernet a 92-point score and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate frequently scores Keenan wines 90-95 points.

SOURCE Robert Keenan Winery

via beverage online

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Hawaiian Electric gets solar Powered!

HONOLULU (AP) _ Hawaiian Electric Company says it plans to negotiate to buy solar power from Hoku Solar Incorporated, a subsidiary of local high-technology start-up Hoku Scientific.

Under the proposed deal, Hoku Solar would provide the electric utility with solar power from a system it would install on the roof of Hawaiian Electric's Archer Substation on Ward Avenue.

The project would be one of the largest solar power systems on Oahu.

Hoku Solar would own and operate the system and charge HECO a fixed rate for the solar power over 20 years. The utility would have the option to buy the system after five years.

Hoku Scientific's shares jumped 42 cents, or almost 10 percent, to four dollars, 69 cents on the news.

(Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Monday, May 28, 2007

A new renewable energy information resource.

Winning Team Launches The Renewable Energy Centre

A new renewable energy information resource.

Via PRWEB Newswire.

The website, The Renewable Energy Centre has been established by the winning team already responsible for one of the UK's busiest property portals, Email 4 Property.

The website is targeted at homeowners who want save money on energy bills and for commercial companies looking to improve cash flow and reduce their carbon footprint. It also provides an invaluable source of new business for companies supplying products and services in this emerging sector.

Entrepreneur Richard Simmons, who was behind the success of Email4Property which now sees over 1 million visitors a month, is convinced this new venture will also become one of the most accessed websites in the UK as he explained;

"I was investigating installing Solar Water Heating for my family home and realised that there was no comprehensive point of reference where I could find the information and contacts I needed. With so much focus on global warming it was obvious that there was a huge gap in the market for this kind of website. We are very excited about how the website will serve both people and businesses and help to accelerate the use of renewable technology within the UK."

A website launched this week is the first of its kind in the UK and is set to lead the way as a primary source of information and reference for renewable energy. The website is targeted at homeowners who want save money on energy bills and for commercial companies looking to improve cash flow and reduce their carbon footprint. It also provides an invaluable source of new business for companies supplying products and services in this emerging sector.