In case you missed the news, the $700B bailout included tax credits for renewable energy industries. So what are the greenest bits of the bill and what does it mean for renewable energy companies? Also, where is all that glorious cash coming from?

Renewable Energy Tax Credits:

• Solar energy gets an 8-year extension on existing 30% tax credits for residential and commercial solar installations.

• Solar installations for residents and utilities are no longer confined to the US$2,000 monetary cap.

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/06/bailing-out-renewable-energy-tax-credits/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/29/a-thin-film-solar-installation-revisited/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/29/a-thin-film-solar-installation-revisited/#comments Mon, 29 Sep 2008 06:30:54 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/29/a-thin-film-solar-installation-revisited/ A season has passed since we covered the installation of Magco Inc.’s new thin film solar panel installation. The previous article generated a lot of interest and questions, so it’s time to get back on the roof and report on some real-world figures.

  If you need a refresher on thin film solar technology, check out two of our previous posts. The important thing to remember here is that thin film solar is lighter than silicon panels, and uses different wavelengths of light.

  In May of 2008, Magco Inc. installed 27kW of Unisolar’s triple-junction laminate panels. That’s 4,900 sq ft of thin film goodness. The building contains a warehouse and offices, and it has a metal roof. The solar panels were literally glued to the roof.

  Total installation cost: US$215,000 (including inverter and hiring a master electrician)

  Energy produced each month provides about 1/3 of Magco’s total needs. That may not seem like a lot, but recall that this includes a warehouse with associated heating/cooling, machinery and equipment. Magco anticipates producing about US$9,000 each year from the panels. So let’s do the math:

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/29/a-thin-film-solar-installation-revisited/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/22/no-small-steps-for-man-one-giant-leap-for-prius/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/22/no-small-steps-for-man-one-giant-leap-for-prius/#comments Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:30:02 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/22/no-small-steps-for-man-one-giant-leap-for-prius/ On September 7 a robotic Prius took a cruise around San Francisco. The “Pribot” maneuvered through city and highway traffic along a 40 mile course. The only mash-up? A scrape at the Bay Bridge exit. I welcome our new vehicular overlords.

  In all seriousness, if this technology were to become affordable, would you buy in? How much trust are you willing to invest in a robot, no matter how stylish? Lesser versions of this kind of technology already exist in luxury Nissan, Volvo and Lexus models. They alert a driver if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane or even automatically make corrections. So why not take the leap and let your car tackle the morning commute? Who really wants to go through rush hour? Turns out, not the inventor.

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/22/no-small-steps-for-man-one-giant-leap-for-prius/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/15/cleaning-up-tech-how-to-recycle-old-electronics/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/15/cleaning-up-tech-how-to-recycle-old-electronics/#comments Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:30:07 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/15/cleaning-up-tech-how-to-recycle-old-electronics/ Every time I buy a new gadget it’s like welcoming a new pet into the family. You go to the store, select the perfect little tyke, and rush home to introduce it to your existing collection. The best part? No jealousy among your older electronics: they’re made to play together.

  But electronics rarely last as long as a real pet. As faithfully as it might serve you, within a few years it’s time to put that gadget out to pasture. This is your guide to the greenest pastures around.

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/15/cleaning-up-tech-how-to-recycle-old-electronics/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/08/removing-oil-from-renewable-tech/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/08/removing-oil-from-renewable-tech/#comments Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:30:50 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/08/removing-oil-from-renewable-tech/

  Renewable energy is expanding quickly these days. But it’s still a fact that these technologies rely on petroleum and petroleum products for transportation and production. Now that is starting to change. A solar panel producer called BioSolar has replaced a vital component of their silicon panels with a cheaper petroleum-free alternative.

  Silicon panels require a protective backsheet to keep out moisture and protect the panel. Usually this backsheet is made from plastic, and practically all traditional plastics are petroleum-based. BioSolar’s backsheet is made from cotton rags and castor beans. They turn the cotton rags into a film of cellulose and blend in nylon made from the beans. The resulting cover lasts just as long or longer than the plastic blacksheet, and they keep out the moisture too. BioSolar also avoids genetically-modified crops.

  The best part about it is the cost: up to 50% less than traditional plastic backsheets. As the price of petroleum and petroleum-products rise, this alternative starts to look more

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/08/removing-oil-from-renewable-tech/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/01/tech-today-or-tech-tomorrow-energy-debate-2/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/01/tech-today-or-tech-tomorrow-energy-debate-2/#comments Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:30:22 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/01/tech-today-or-tech-tomorrow-energy-debate-2/ This is Part Two on a debate by The Economist. The official debate concluded earlier this week, but you can still vote and leave comments or critique. The question was:

  “Can we solve our energy problems with existing technologies today, without the need for breakthrough innovations?”

  Though we often envision debates as pitting two opponents against each other, hopefully in an intense battle of wit and wordsmithing, this one was not so. Both sides found themselves agreeing with each other more often than not, and parried with points on implementation.

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/09/01/tech-today-or-tech-tomorrow-energy-debate-2/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/25/tech-today-or-tech-tomorrow-energy-debate-1/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/25/tech-today-or-tech-tomorrow-energy-debate-1/#comments Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:30:36 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/25/tech-today-or-tech-tomorrow-energy-debate-1/ The “Economist” debate involves journalists, industry gurus, investors, bureaucrats, and of course economists who have all long been involved in renewable energy. The question:

  “Can we solve our energy problems with existing technologies today, without the need for breakthrough innovations?”

  This is the defining question of our time.

  New innovations, improvements, or breakthroughs are happening all the time in clean tech, especially among renewable energy technologies. Yet technological limitations still plague the various industries. These hurdles include energy storage, energy efficiency, transmission infrastructure and technology, hydrogen power, CO2 capture and sequestration, and producing bio-fuels at an industrial scale. Economics is also a potent issue that both hampers and launches these technologies, hence the host of this debate.

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/25/tech-today-or-tech-tomorrow-energy-debate-1/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/18/wind-turbines-and-health/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/18/wind-turbines-and-health/#comments Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:30:11 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/18/wind-turbines-and-health/ Wind turbines are a fast, efficient way to produce renewable energy. They’re good for the environment, the power grid, and local communities. But some residents who live closest to the turbines complain about the noise, and limited data suggests it might be more than a nuisance.

  Wind turbines have grown quieter with improvements in technology, but the fact remains that they generate noise. At night in particular, the atmospheric conditions change so that turbines are more likely to generate audible sound. Beyond causing annoyance, some residents have started to complain about health effects. They claim to suffer from exposure to “infra-sound”.

  This sound is so low that the human ear can’t detect it, but that’s doesn’t mean it can’t impact the human body. After all, we can’t see UVA or UVB light rays, but you feel them in a sunburn. The question is how and to what extent? Is it serious enough to be a concern?

  This is where research into the topic becomes tricky. It’s one thing to find a report or article online that discusses the topic; it’s another to find reputable research that  provides (unbiased? conclusive?) evidence. It’s an emotional subject, so reliable information is hard to find. Some sources made nasty accusations against an opponent (government, industry, organization, etc.) without any evidence at all. The conclusions I was able to draw are pretty straightforward, and they fit nicely into two points.

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/18/wind-turbines-and-health/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/10/the-strandbeests-cometh/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/10/the-strandbeests-cometh/#comments Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:36:16 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/10/the-strandbeests-cometh/

  I came across these critters on Inhabitat and couldn’t resist. You can power homes, towns, and ships, and maybe planes with wind, but what about an organism?

  Artist-engineer Theo Jansen has set out to design new life on the beaches of the Netherlands. Through his work, he hopes to uncover some of the lessons that nature learned on the path to complex organisms.

  Though I wouldn’t go so far as to categorize these sculptures as “artificial life“, they are certainly amazing works of art and biomimicry. Different designs are given specific problems to overcome, like moving across the sand, staying out of the surf, or anchoring down before a storm. The most efficient and successful “generations” pass their secrets onto the next creation, and the least successful are scrapped.

  Jansen uses genetic algorithms in his designs, and upgrades each new “generation” by hand. All of his sculptures are wind-powered, and built from lightweight plastic pipes. He uses plastic tubing for the pneumatic systems that “power” the Strandbeests.

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/10/the-strandbeests-cometh/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/04/top-5-plants-that-inspire-new-technology/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/04/top-5-plants-that-inspire-new-technology/#comments Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:30:01 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/04/top-5-plants-that-inspire-new-technology/

  There’s a lot of hype out there about new technologies that will “change everything”. Sometimes it’s nice to sit back and “smell the roses”. In that spirit, here are five plants with surprising super powers - they have provided a boost to technological innovation or invention, often with a green lining.

  Algae and Biofuel

  If you keep track of the news, algae should already be on your radar. Depending on your favorite species, algae can be eaten, burned for heat, or used to produce hydrogen, methane, biodiesel, or plain old fertilizer. Algae is so prolific, and comes in so many varieties, that it’s actually a chore to isolate your preferred species for cultivation out of a water sample from the wild. The best part is that algae soaks up the sun and lots of CO2 to work it’s magic. That’s two forms of renewable energy used to produce fuels or foods (sushi anyone?) in high demand.

  An algaculture biodiesel plant is already in operation today, happily churning out 4.4 million gallons of algal oil per year. That may not sound like a lot, but as the first operational algae oil factory, you can bet they’ll make enough money to build bigger. Other companies are also in the game to make algae the biggest thing since oil. As a renewable source of fuel, algae is becoming one of many solutions to our energy problems. Not too shabby for pond scum.

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/04/top-5-plants-that-inspire-new-technology/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/28/innovative-solar-cell-wins-rd-100-award/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/28/innovative-solar-cell-wins-rd-100-award/#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:30:05 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/28/innovative-solar-cell-wins-rd-100-award/ R&D magazine covers the newest, nerdiest gear from inventors and scientists. The R&D 100 awards are hailed as the “Oscars of Invention” by the Chicago Tribune. The prestigious award helps push the most promising inventions into the market. Other winners include specialized microscopes and super-hydrophobic coatings.

  EMCORE is the proud producer of inverted metamorphic (IMM) solar cells, which are already used on land and in space. The IMM technology recently made an in-orbit efficiency record of 33%. EMCORE is a reputable and successful semiconductor company. Their solar technology has been on my radar for a while now.

  Developed in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Vehicle Systems Directorate of the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the IMM design is comprised of a novel combination of compound semiconductors that enables a superior response to the solar spectrum as compared to conventional multi-junction architecture. Due to its unique design, the IMM cell is approximately one fifteenth the thickness of the conventional multi-junction solar cell and will enable a new class of extremely lightweight, high-efficiency, and flexible solar arrays for space applications. (via news release)

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/28/innovative-solar-cell-wins-rd-100-award/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/21/clean-tech-intro-the-solar-family/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/21/clean-tech-intro-the-solar-family/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:30:43 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/21/clean-tech-intro-the-solar-family/ Solar power means more than solar panels. These days it can also mean collectors, towers, dyes, oh my! Here’s a guide to (most of) the different kinds of solar technologies that are out there today.

  First, the basics: Anything that uses solar energy as a source of power is solar-powered. Simple, right? Well let’s not forget that the sun gives us more than a whole spectrum of light, it also gives us heat. Both are used for a wide variety of applications, not just electricity.

  1. Solar Thermal

  Solar thermal technologies use heat. Cleantechnica has already introduced solar thermal. The cheapest, easiest, and most financially sound solar investment you can make for a house is to install a solar thermal collector. It collects solar energy to provide warm water or warm air for your house, even in the far north. On a larger scale, mirrors can be used to focus heat from the sun to boil water and turn a turbine. Generating electricity with this method is called Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). Large scale CSP projects are already underway in deserts around the globe, and in some places they are invigorating the economy.

  The cool thing about CSP is that it overcomes one of the major problems with renewable energy. It used to be true that solar farms stopped producing energy as soon as the sun went down. No longer. Heat is much easier and cheaper to store than electricity, so you can save it for the hours or days when the sun doesn’t shine. Power towers and molten salt are just two methods of producing solar power whenever we need it.

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/21/clean-tech-intro-the-solar-family/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/14/dying-to-boost-solar-efficiency-by-50/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/14/dying-to-boost-solar-efficiency-by-50/#comments Mon, 14 Jul 2008 06:30:10 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/14/dying-to-boost-solar-efficiency-by-50/ MIT has perfected a dye technology that could change the solar world as we know it.

  The most efficient form of solar technology today is (arguably) extreme concentrated photovoltaics, essentially solar panels placed under a magnifying glass. But the problem with these systems is heat.

  Concentrated sunlight can melt silicon solar panels unless you include specialized cooling systems. Cooling technology costs money, and the panels require expensive tracking mechanisms to follow the sun through the day. MIT’s new solar system bypasses the heat and tracking problems all together.

  Thin coatings of organic dyes absorb sunlight and redirect favored wavelengths into a pane of glass. The light is aimed and concentrated towards the edge of the pane where small solar panels are located. The concentrated light allows the panels to produce the maximum possible amount of energy all day, every day without cooling systems or complex tracking mechanisms.

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/14/dying-to-boost-solar-efficiency-by-50/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/07/harness-a-volcano-to-power-your-town/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/07/harness-a-volcano-to-power-your-town/#comments Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:30:06 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/07/harness-a-volcano-to-power-your-town/

  Great Balls of Geothermal Fire!

  Everyone knows that volcanoes have plenty of heat to spare, and normally we prefer that they keep it to themselves. Now, with energy prices rising, some communities are starting to reconsider their rumbling neighbors.

  Geothermal energy relies on heat and water beneath the earth’s crust. Together they can create steam to turn a turbine. The trick is access: most of the earth’s heat is located miles beneath the crust. Even active volcanoes can hide their volitile energy under very hard igneous rock. Young volcanoes can have shallow magma reservoirs and sometimes they still have softer earthen crust. Just add water into this situation and you have potent potential for geothermal energy.

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/07/harness-a-volcano-to-power-your-town/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/29/cheap-green-computer-runs-on-2-watts/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/29/cheap-green-computer-runs-on-2-watts/#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2008 03:30:45 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/29/cheap-green-computer-runs-on-2-watts/ As far as green gadgets go, this little desktop computer will give Dell and (to a lesser extent) Apple a run for their money.

  The CherryPal promises to be affordable, efficient, and powerful enough for the average PC user. At first glance, that stats on the system look modest, and for good reason. This design actually cuts out 20% of PC components to reduce energy usage. But fear not, despite being small (the size of a paperback), the CherryPal claims it can start up in 20 seconds, and cloud computing provides more power/storage when you need it. A Linux operating system (now more user friendly than ever), and cloud computing means you won’t need to worry about viruses or install protective programs that can slow down your PC.

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/29/cheap-green-computer-runs-on-2-watts/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/16/clean-tech-of-the-weed-wash-clothes-without-water/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/16/clean-tech-of-the-weed-wash-clothes-without-water/#comments Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/16/clean-tech-of-the-weed-wash-clothes-without-water/ Not exactly washing without water, but with less than 2% of a normal washing machine. That’s only 1 cup of water for those sweaty gym clothes, grubby kid-wear, and foul socks.

  Washing with soap and water has been THE WAY to clean most clothes for so long, it’s hard to imagine reducing H2O by 98%. What this technology lacks in sexy bells and whistles, it gains in implications. Billions of gallons of clean water could be conserved every year simply by adopting this dry cleaning technology. Less water also means less drying, which can add energy savings to those with energy-hungry clothes dryers.

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/16/clean-tech-of-the-weed-wash-clothes-without-water/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/09/new-carbon-negative-community-loves-their-waste/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/09/new-carbon-negative-community-loves-their-waste/#comments Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:44:52 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/09/new-carbon-negative-community-loves-their-waste/ … for production of renewable energy and maybe carbon sequestration.

  Carbon neutral is gaining popularity these days, but Mantria Corporation is taking it a step further.

  “We pledge Mantria Place will be the first carbon negative community in the nation by 2011,” states Troy Wragg, Mantria Corporation Chairman and CEO. “Carbon neutral is simply not good enough given today’s environmental issues. At Mantria, we believe that we must go much further to truly help our planet. Our goal is to be carbon negative.”

  Located in Sequatchie County, Tennessee,  Mantria Place will be Tennessee’s largest master planned community weighing it at 5,500 acres. Nearly half of that will be green space in addition to two championship golf courses. A big question looms: can new, luxurious development really be green? With luxuries like two golf courses, how can their carbon footprint make it below par? Mr. Troy Wragg was kind enough to speak with me to answer that very question.

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/09/new-carbon-negative-community-loves-their-waste/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/02/geo-engineering-for-a-tailor-made-planet/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/02/geo-engineering-for-a-tailor-made-planet/#comments Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:57:17 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/02/geo-engineering-for-a-tailor-made-planet/ Geo-Engineering is “the deliberate modification of Earth’s environment on a large scale “to suit human needs and promote habitability”‘ (via Wikipedia). Until recently it was the stuff of science fiction, a god-like power regulated to unseen aliens or super-futuristic societies. Occasionally planetary catastrophe also ensued.

  Yet with climate change and global warming sparking alarm across the globe, some scientists have started to explore the possibility of altering the natural environment on a global scale. Several strategies are outlined below:

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/02/geo-engineering-for-a-tailor-made-planet/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/31/how-to-power-the-planet-use-the-force-luke/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/31/how-to-power-the-planet-use-the-force-luke/#comments Sat, 31 May 2008 14:23:34 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/31/how-to-power-the-planet-use-the-force-luke/ (Quote shamelessly borrowed from Star Wars via Lucasfilm Ltd.)
  There’s a basic law of physics that everyone can agree on: you can’t create energy from nothing. So when an invention comes along and seems to do exactly that, scientists are skeptical. Some get downright prickly. The problem is, these inventions exist, and everyone who looks at it agrees: it works.

  Fortunately, no laws of the universe were harmed in the making of this device, though Star Wars geeks like myself could have reason to rejoice.

  The Dark Side

  The idea stems from some of the most bizarre, puzzling, and dark corners of Physics, specifically Quantum Physics. Here’s the very basic idea: there is energy/matter everywhere in the universe, even the deepest, emptiest depths of space. Since there’s almost no normal energy/matter in the deepest, emptiest depths of space, the fact that all that space exists (and is expanding) means that it must be filled with something. Enter Dark Matter/Dark Energy. It is believed to exist everywhere in small amounts, but since it fills the universe, that means that there’s A LOT of it - as close to infinity as you can get. While this matter/energy is not literally “dark” in any sense of the word, it does prove that energy exists everywhere, and that it affects normal matter so that (in theory) we could use it. (Watch a video for more details about this concept)

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  ]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/31/how-to-power-the-planet-use-the-force-luke/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/26/solar-thermal-islands-cool-concept-or-pipe-dream/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/26/solar-thermal-islands-cool-concept-or-pipe-dream/#comments Mon, 26 May 2008 13:22:34 +0000 Michelle Bennett http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/26/solar-thermal-islands-cool-concept-or-pipe-dream/

  I ran across this article at The Oil Drum and thought it was too tasty to pass up. It describes a new design to help concentrated solar power (CSP) increase efficiency and reduce cost.

  Here’s the problem: solar thermal collectors focus the sun’s heat onto a clear tube of fluid (see: Intro to Solar Thermal). The collectors generate the most energy when the sun’s rays are parallel with the tube of fluid.  Since the sun moves across the sky throughout the days and seasons, it only reaches this “sweet spot” certain hours each day. But, if the solar collectors could move to track the sun, their power output could increase dramatically. Keep in mind that CSP is one of the most efficient forms of solar power.

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