Author Archives: SolarFeeds
Apple’s Green Efforts: Too Little Too Late?
Apple is trying to offset its long history of unsustainable practices through a number of initiatives that include hiring former EPA head Lisa Jackson. Even if the company manages to clean up its act, they may be haunted by their past for years to come. As Apple strives to improve its sustainable performance, the company is being [...]
Residential Rooftop Thinking Outside the Box
Although it’s not always feasible to install a rooftop solar array on your home, that doesn’t mean you can’t harness the power of the sun. If your roof is shaded or improperly positioned for solar photovoltaics (PV), there are several other options. From awnings to gazebos to greenhouses, solar energy enthusiasts can find a creative [...]
The Siemens SST-500 GEO Steam Turbine
Geothermal plants are going to get a new addition to the family of energy assistants. This is because Siemens Energy is releasing a steam turbine that is going to extremely useful to the current state of how these plants are offered powered. This turbine will assist the power range up to 120 megawatts. A New [...]
Stanford Scientists Create Low-Cost Zinc-Air Battery
A new zinc-air battery developed by the Stanford scientists could prove to be a low-cost to lithium-ion technology. This battery has higher catalytic activity and durability than similar batteries made with platinum and other costly catalysts. The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Communications. “There have been increasing demands for high-performance, [...]
In Focus: Fighting Fracking
“Fighting fracking is unbelievable.” That understatement comes from Sharon Wilson, or TXSharon as she’s become known among the anti-fracking brigade. We got to know her when she decided to go solar through 1BOG, and we’ve been learning from her ever since. Sharon’s commitment to anti-fracking started slowly after fracking began to happen around her in [...]
China Whines Over EU Tariffs
On June 4, the European Union decided to impose provisional anti-dumping tariffs of nearly 50 percent of Chinese photovoltaic (PV) solar modules. But there’s a silver lining for Chinese PV manufacturers: they have until August to curb their anti-competitive practices, before the full impact of the tariffs take effect. In response, China is now investigating [...]
Cool: Kyocera’s Green Curtains
Kyocera’s Green Curtains are a big hit and now the company is planting them every spring at offices in Japan and various parts of the world. Foliage plants and vegetables are planted on trellises along walls, providing shade and reducing heat gain. Just having plants outside on walls lowers the indoor temperature inside about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit during summer. They are not [...]
Solar Wheelchair Wins Competition
A student team from the University of Virginia School of Engineering won first place in the 2012 World Cerebral Palsy Day “Change My World in One Minute” competition with their prototype design of a solar-powered wheelchair with retractable panels. Seventeen million people worldwide live with cerebral palsy, a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that [...]
The World’s 10 Greenest Ski Resorts
Aspen Skiing Company The ASC or Aspen Skiing company is the leader in making environment friendly skiing experience. They own four mountains in the Aspen region named- Aspen, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass. They started early on their mission of creating environment friendly skiing resorts. They use wind power for running their establishment and have [...]
Why We Need Green Roofs
More and more businesses, apartment owners, and homeowners are looking to create green spaces throughout their properties, including on their roof. There are many reasons why owners are regarding this as a good long-term investment opportunity. In addition to raising the value of their properties, they are also offering value to the surrounding environment. What [...]
The Waka Waka Solar Mobile Phone Charger
It’s not uncommon to find yourself with a drained mobile phone battery. And if your life and occupation rely on being connected through your phone, it can be more than an inconvenience when you’re away from a power outlet. Luckily, the continuous development of solar technology allows for products like the Waka Waka solar powered [...]
Sunpower: A Good Investment After Mega Run?
The stock market has been paying attention to SunPower (SPWR) in a big way. At the end of May the stock hit an annual high of 23.76, a gain of 125% from where it was just a month earlier. That price is quadruple levels it was trading at in the beginning of the year. Since [...]