However Hawaii isn’t the trend setters we may have first thought them to be.

Over at MetaEfficient.com, they have an article pointing to the fact that 90% of Israeli homes already have solar water heaters. It began in the early 1950’s when the Israeli government encountered a fuel supply shortage, and restricted the times when water could be heated. In response, the people decided that they would start heating their own water using solar panels.

By 1983, 60% of the populated were using solar panels, and a law was eventually passed making what was already a common practice a law, regulating that all new houses be installed with a solar water heater.

Following in Israel’s step though, is Spain, who towards the end of 2004 saw their Industry Minister Jose Montilla, announce that starting the following year anyone who intended to build a new home would have to include solar panels in their plans.

Already Spain is the fourth largest manufacturer of solar power technology, exporting 80% of this to Germany. A country with more sunshine available than any other European country (try and work out how they figured that one), the Spanish government is committed to ensuring 12% of their primary energy is from renewable energy sources like solar by 2010.

For those wanting to see this in action, but don’t have the money to travel to Spain or Israel or even Hawaii, there are some simple tools to use from your own computer. A jump on to Google Earth will reveal a multitude of blurry out of focus shining squares on the tops of Jerusalem’s houses. And a visit to Flickr and searching for Jerusalem or Spain plus solar power, will reveal a veritable mass of photos showing solar panels atop houses.

In this way, from the smaller states and countries, let’s hope that in time, larger countries will follow.

credit: maryatexitzero at Flickr under a Creative Commons license

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Smaller start-up car companies, such as Th!nk, have plans for solar power augmented cars on the books too, but the incorporation of solar panels on the Prius would mark the first time a major car manufacturer has done such a thing with one of its models.

Currently in its second generation, the third generation Prius has been widely anticipated for some time now. Due for a complete overhaul, the addition of solar panels to the Prius would corroborate the expectation of major changes in both style and function in the next generation model.

According to Marketwatch, the Nikkei reported that the solar panels would provide a portion of the two to five kilowatts needed to power the air conditioning unit. The solar panels would be supplied by Kyocera.

Toyota plans to pump up production of the Prius next year to 450,000 units. This would represent a 60% increase in production over 2007 numbers, Marketwatch also reported.

Although that sounds promising, Toyota has kind of dropped the ball this year by failing to meet demand for the popular hybrid and causing a worldwide Prius shortage. Blaming a lack of battery production capacity, Toyota has promised to open another battery facility soon.

Let’s hope they can actually meet demand for the Prius next year, especially if they plan on including such excellent and logical features as solar powered on-board electronics.

Posts Related to Hybrid Electric Vehicles:

• Low Impact Living: Think Hybrid Cars are Too Expensive?
• First Time Ever: Prius is Most Searched New Car on Cars.com
• Paul McCartney’s Lexus Hybrid Gets 4 MPG
• Sorry Folks, VW Diesel Electric Hybrid Not Coming to US
• Are Plug-Ins and Electric Cars A Health Hazard?

The latest advance came with this week’s announcement by Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) that the utility plans to add 110 megawatts of new solar energy capacity in the state.

“Pending regulatory approval, FPL will build 110 megawatts of solar power right here in the Sunshine State, making Florida No. 2 in the nation for solar energy,” said Lewis Hay III, chairman and CEO of FPL Group. Hay made the announcement during the state’s second Serve to Preserve summit on climate change.

The proposed installations include solar arrays at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, an FPL facility in DeSoto County and an FPL plant near Indiantown. Construction on all the arrays are expected to start either later this year or early next year.

Also at the climate summit, the Gulf Power Company announced its new EarthCents initiative, which will provide incentives to customers who install solar thermal water heaters.

FPL’s CEO also spoke during the first day of the climate summit, and chastized the U.S. Senate for failing to vote on legislation to limit carbon dioxide emissions. Hay said the best solution lies with a carbon tax, rather than with a cap-and-trade system.

“If we do nothing to reduce the amount of CO2 pouring into the atmosphere, we are not avoiding the cost,” Hay said. “We are simply pushing both the cost associated with the growing consequences of global warming and the future cost of CO2 reductions down the road, onto our children and grandchildren. And if we do take action, I am confident the cost will be far lower than projected. America’s economy is driven by a fierce entrepreneurial spirit. Tell a capitalist there’s money to be made in finding cost-effective CO2 reductions, and watch the market burst with cost-effective solutions.”

Vacuum Cleaner Whiz Going To The Streets

Update: Dyson Is NOT Making An Electric Car, A Report from London

The king of vacuum cleaners, James Dyson, is betting that a souped-up version of his vacuum cleaner and hair dryer motors will power cars over hundreds of miles.

Using technology developed for his lightweight electric motors, Dyson hopes to partner with Honda or another car maker, rather than build a car from the ground up.

Solar panels on top of the vehicle, or on the garage where it is stored, would provide electricity to charge the car’s battery.  Of course, the best performance would probably come from a country where there’s abundant enough sunshine to keep the battery charged.

Of course, he could also think about adding a plug-in function, just in case it stays cloudy for days on end.

Engineers at his Wiltshire HQ are currently said to be developing the motor at its facility in the Uk.

The British inventor has made a fortune with his bagless vacuum cleaner and hand dryer.

His first endeavor was the Ballbarrow, a wheel barrow he invented in the 1970’s, which led to the vacuum cleaner, the “supercharged” hand dryer, and more recently a two-drum washing machine.

Dyson believes electric cars are the future for city driving at present, but with his new motor they could reach much higher speeds and have a longer range.

Just think, you could whiz down the road, vacuuming up dust and debris, then blowing it to the side of the road or into a side-car Ballbarrow for dumping at an appropriate site.

What a concept.

Photo Credit:  Mail Online

Story Source:  Mail Online

References to other electric car posts:

• Mercedes, Smart to Sell Electric Cars in 2010
• Th!nk Ox: An Electric Car With Style and Smarts
• The All-Electric (EV) CitiCar: Powered by the Sun
• Mindset Six50 Electric Car Mixes Gas, Li-Ion and Solar Power

I’m eagerly awaiting the 4-door, family-sized EV sedan rumored to be in the pipeline from the Canadian-based ZENN Motor Company (they already make a great 2-door model that’s even affordable to us non-celebrity types, picture above). I’d like to avoid going to the gas station at all when going to an Energy Fair or Green Festival. While our VW Jetta TDI gets more than 40 mpg, these days the cost for diesel (and biodiesel when I can get it) is quite a bit more than gasoline, and rising faster than gas.

For now, we’re moving around locally in a funky-looking, all-electric CitiCar, made in 1974. Our CitiCar is restored to roughly original condition (except for the wear and tear on the body itself) with the expert help of our neighbor who found two more after we found ours. It’s hard to go anywhere without people cutting me off — not out of rage — but curiosity or with a smile on their face. Sometimes getting a “head turner” doesn’t need to come at a huge price.

Which is my point. Why not own an EV for less than $8,000 (perhaps much less), today? The cost for our CitiCar plus new parts and new batteries ran just over $3,400, with the restoration and rewiring taking about a year, off and on — again, thanks largely to the electricity-savvy knowledge of our neighbor. Since the CitiCar is over 30 years old, we snagged collector plates and pay the registration fees only once, then we’re done for as long as we own the car. If you don’t mind the “used” appearance of a vehicle, you can ride around without having spent a dime at the gas station. Our CitiCar doesn’t possess the attractive styling of an EV1 from GM — but you won’t find even one of those on the road anywhere.

I’m amazed that there are still hundreds of CitiCars out there in garages, warehouses, or in a barn like mine was: motor on the seat and tires rotting. There were supposedly about 2,600 or so CitiCars manufactured by the Sebring Vanguard Company in Florida from 1974 to 1976, during our last American energy crisis. Whether because of liability insurance or crash test requirements, the company halted production and disappeared within a few years of rolling the first CitiCar off the line.

We like to think the car resembles a wedge of cheese because in Green County, near Monroe, Wisconsin, where there are more cheese factories than any other county in the US. The CitiCar negotiates the bumps a bit rough and the brakes need pumping to stop effectively, but with a top speed of about 35 miles per hour and 30 to 40 mile range, it gets us where we need to go for about 1-cent a mile. In a future blog, perhaps I’ll add a video of my 8 mile round trip to the bank — if there’s interest to see it on the go.

To completely stay on the renewable energy side and avoid electricity coming from coal-fired or nuclear power plants, we’re recharging the CitiCar with a .5 kW photovoltaic system — perhaps one of few solar powered cars on the planet.

So, until you save up enough for the Tesla or the next generation of long-range EV cars that fit more than two people, you might keep your eye out for an old CitiCar.

Image Credit: Zenn Motor Company

It’s a question I’ve taken on before in a post titled, “What Do I WIMBY (Want In My Backyard)?,” and it’s now cropped up in the news. The place: Southern California. The plan: San Diego Gas & Electric Company’s proposal to build one of the planet’s biggest solar power installations in the desert, along with wind and geothermal facilities. The opposition: environmental groups like the Center for Biological Diversity.

Why? Because the Sunrise Powerlink clean-energy project calls for 150 miles of high-voltage power lines, including spans through the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the Cleveland National Forest and other protected parks and preserves. In fact, state and federal agencies analyzing seven potential routes for power lines ranked the path through Anza-Borrego as the second-worst in terms of potential environmental damage.

The Center for Biological Diversity says its opposition goes beyond just aesthetics, though. It claims the main reason for the Powerlink project is access to cheap, polluting energy from Mexico, a charge San Diego Gas & Electric has dismissed as a “myth.” The center, in turn, has offered testimony arguing that the utility’s contracts for renewable energy “aren’t viable.”

“The project would ravage habitat, contribute to global warming, and even pose a significant threat to people from wildfire,” reads a project summary from the center.

Which position will carry the day? California residents might know by August, when the California Public Utilities Commission could give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to the proposal.

The patent filing discusses placing the solar technology behind the LCD screen of the devices so that the panels would absorb ambient light without adding additional width and bulk to the device. While the technology could be difficult to implement (Motorola filed a similar patent for their mobile devices in 2001 but is yet to be able to successfully integrate solar technology into their devices), having a company as large and influential as Apple roll it out could mean cross product integration with iPods and MacBooks in addition to the iPhone.

The company takes a lot of knocks for not being environmentally conscientious, but downloading tracks and movies instead of buying copies and using maps on mobile instead of printing directions does help limit impact. Making their products more energy efficient is a winning venture for the mega-brand.

Kids today. You let them play with a LEGO MINDSTORMS kit and what do they do? They build a solar powered AC outlet and 12 volt DC power port. At least, that’s what some enterprising students at New York City’s Little Red School House and Elizabeth Irwin High School did in the courtyard of the Brooklyn Ecoeatery restaurant.

The Off-Grid Outlet has a tracking mechanism to make sure that it always points towards the sun. The outlet’s users can control the solar panel using switches, and can watch the relationship between the panel and the energy captured via embedded displays.

So who will actually get to make use of the roving outlet?

For now, the Off-Grid Outlet will function as a charger for laptops and other portable electronic devices in the Brooklyn Ecoeatery’s courtyard. And if you happen to be hanging around Brooklyn on June 11th between 4pm and 7 pm, you can watch the students take the outlet on a test drive there.

The creation of the Off-Grid Outlet was led by Habana Works, a Brooklyn-based organization that provides free programs to unite community members around the cause of improving both human and natural habitats. Habana Works programs include Urban Studio Brooklyn, Kid’s Corner, Habana Labs, and Garden Works.

It sounds like they’re doing some great things so far!

Photo Credit: wili_hybrid at Flickr under a Creative Commons License

Among the wine-makers using solar power: Far Niente, Frog’s Leap, Fetzer, Domaine Carneros, Ridge and St. Francis, among others. According to one solar company executive, the region’s wineries are going solar 40-plus times faster than any other type of business in California.

The most innovative adoption of vineyard solar power so far is on view at Far Niente, where a system of so-called “floatovoltaics” gathers up sun energy via 1,000 pontoon-based solar panels floating on an irrigation pond. The installation, developed and installed by California’s SPG Solar, lets the winery tap into sun power without the need to panel over valuable grape-growing land.

All together, Far Niente’s solar arrays can generate up to 770 kilowatts of energy for the winery.

Frog’s Leap, an organic winery that went 100-percent solar in 2005, also takes advantage of geothermal energy. The system keeps the wine-maker’s hospitality building comfortable for visitors, no heating or A/C needed.

And don’t think California’s wine-makers are the only ones concerned about the environment and sustainability. Up in Oregon, wineries have come together to develop a new labeling system to identify wines that are “sustainable, organic and biodynamic.”

What a problem to have, huh? So many “green” wines, so little time!

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.

Other solar technologies already track the sun through the sky, so why not CPS? The simple answer is in the clear fluid tubes: one long tube is mounted over a row of collectors, fixing the collectors into a straight line. This design reduces cost and increases efficiency. It also limits which direction the collectors can move. They can’t tilt left-to-right towards the sun, for example, because of the rigidity of their construction.

Dr. Thomas Hinderling of CSEM (Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique SA) suggests that instead of moving each collector (an expensive feat), why not move a platform beneath the concentrated solar farm? That way, in theory, all of the collectors would simultaneously generate the maximum possible amount of electricity, and you would utilize existing and inexpensive technology. Everyone wins! But to make it possible, you have to build a solar island.

Wouldn’t it be expensive to build an island? If something went wrong, you would endanger the entire installation. CSEM has a solution. They propose constructing a large round platform (5 km!) on an airtight frame, and filling the enclosed space with gas, effectively floating the bulk of the weight on air. If you’re having trouble visualizing that (I know I did), think of it this way: they want to build a fancy air mattress to support the platform. Using gas ensures an equal distribution of weight across the entire structure - assuming you don’t spring a leak like my air mattress. By controlling the pressure of the gas, you could build a flat or slightly convex surface and mount the solar collectors accordingly. Anyone who doubts the power of pressurized gas should watch Jaws or perhaps Jumangi (for a slightly scientific explanation).

In water, you would attach the platform to a floating ring and program motors to spin it in the desired direction. This style of solar collector doesn’t require a great degree of precision so no expensive equipment required. On land you would use the same technology, but you would build a moat to float the circumference of the platform. Water or oil in the moat would reduce the amount of energy required to spin it. (I propose a circular rail system that it could be fueled by the steam or electricity generated by the CSP. I’m not an engineer; perhaps that solution is too expensive?)

As concepts go, this one is certainly big, but a number of problems must be overcome to make it a reality. One potential problem could be high winds. Could air moving over a flat membrane produce enough lift to cause damage? In the desert, where CSP works best, there’s a lot of dust and sand. In the ocean you must contend with salt water and rough seas. How big must your platform be before it can withstand a hurricane?

Another concern central to renewable energy development is transmission lines. If you build these platforms in the ocean, as this article suggests, how will you transfer the heat or generated electricity to land?

Despite technical difficulties, the promises of this concept are tempting enough to draw in investment. A pilot project is under construction in Ras al Khaimah, a member state of the United Arab Emirates(UAE), to work out the details. (See picture, taken May 2008) If this technology proves feasible, it will be one more weapon against increasing renewable energy demands. Hopefully these platforms will be scalable so that the cost of the platform decreases as its size increases. For details and some rudimentary calculations, see the original article.

Related Articles:

The Department of Energy

DIY Solar Thermal Water Heater: Treehugger

Mega Solar Thermal Projects

Solar Thermal Housing in Canada

Power Towers: Solar Thermal Power at night

Infrastructure is a definite minus because there will be not much to talk about - bad roads, lack of electricity - yet cell phone communication knows no boundaries in any modern economy and even communities in backwater areas of the continent would go for the best connectivity.

The dilemma faced by these companies has always been how to power their base stations in an economical and environmentally-friendly way, given circumstances where no utility power is available.

Currently, remote cell sites across Africa are typically powered by diesel generators with lead acid batteries providing back-up power should the diesel generators fail. With increasing costs of diesel fuel, concerns over diesel emissions and high maintenance requirements of the diesel generators and lead acid batteries, there is a strong movement by groups such as Safaricom to reduce diesel usage by integrating wind turbines or solar panels into the systems powering cellular sites.

But to do so requires an energy storage system that is capable of repeated deep cycling, with high reliability, long life and low maintenance costs. Again, diesel power is far from ideal. Supplying fuel in areas where the roads are very poor and armed escorts are sometimes required is very expensive. Also, the diesel generators are under-loaded so they are not operating very efficiently and they require more frequent maintenance.

Local technology firms have come to the rescue of these cell phone providers to design and supply pilot wind/diesel hybrid systems at very remote base stations, the systems consisting mainly of a turbine on a tower, sealed batteries, and an inverter, with remarkable results. But the idea is to gradually shift to wind and solar power only in a continent that has an abundant year round supply of both.

One such firm is Winafrique Technologies, an integrated renewable energy resource company in Nairobi whose directors believe Africa’s wind and solar potential is far from tapped. Winafrique has completed a total of 41 sites of which 21 are powered by wind and solar hybrids, cutting client energy costs by upto 70%.

An installation in Laisamis, a remote town of 1,000 people of the Soboto tribe (related to the Maasai) has changed the lives of the local people. Getting there from the capital Nairobi is a 24+ hour drive on bandit filled roads. Laisamis has no electricity, no running water, no sewers, no radio, no TV - but it does have cell phone service.

Even though Laisamis is very remote and the household income is very low, the new base station is already handling thousands of calls a day. In fact, the lack of electricity to charge local cell phones has emerged as a barrier and Safaricom will soon add a battery charging station to their base station facility. That too will be powered by the wind.

Cell phones allow children to talk to parents who have gone to work in the major cities, law enforcement to spread the word on cattle thefts, and clinicians to seek the advice of doctors. For the people of Laisamis, and other remote areas of Africa, a cell phone provider’s ingenuity coupled with wind and solar ensures they partake of modern technology too.

Image Credit: Bergey Windpower Co.

Ideas for businesses, and hope for everyone concerned about global warming - that’s what you get with our just-published, first annual Innovations Review. This new report highlights innovative processes, products, and technologies in a range of different industries.

Green business practices can drive cost savings and create new markets, giving companies a competitive advantage. But what’s next after the basics, like switching to energy-saving light bulbs and printing double-sided?

Here’s one example that caught my eye - a southern California Web hosting company powered entirely by the Sun.

All server farms must be kept cool. In fact, the average data center is 40 times more energy intensive than an office building. For Affordable Internet Services Online (AISO) , which is in the desert, cooling is a particular challenge. But AISO is able to meet 100 percent of its power needs - for both its office and server farm - from 120 solar panels.

How is this possible? The answer lies in a combination of efficient design and innovative technology. For example, the AISO facility features:

• A unique air cooling system blows in cool air from outside when the temperature drops below 50°F (as often happens at night).
• Twelve-inch walls with high-grade insulation.
• Servers running at 75 percent capacity - compared to the usual 10 percent - thanks to virtualization software that lets one server host multiple applications.

The data center cost 60 percent more to build than a standard site. But AISO saves $3,000 a month in utility bills, and its environmentally responsible business practices have attracted a fast-growing client base.

In short, the company’s investment is rapidly paying off.

Check out the full report for examples of other innovative business practices in real estate, manufacturing, fleet management, finance, and more.

The tide began turning when Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican with a strong environmental sentiment and an affinity for renewable energy, first took office. Then came the debut earlier this year of Florida’s largest solar array to date, a 250-kilowatt installment in Sarasota County.

And now comes the news that Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) in Ft. Myers has been singled out by state lawmakers for an $8.5 million allocation to build a 16-acre solar farm on its campus. While the funding still needs a final OK from Crist, who’s likely to approve, the money would help FGCU construct what would be the largest university-based solar farm in the world.

Once the allocation is cleared by the governor, FGCU officials plan to move forward aggressively, with plans to begin construction in October and finish by next summer. Upon completion, the state-funded solar farm is expected to provide 100 percent of the campus’ energy needs.

While that project alone could save the school $22 million in energy costs over the next three decades, university officials have even greater ambitions. In addition to the state funds, they hope to collect enough private donations to cover the cost of another solar array that could generate one further megawatt of power.

With developments like this, Florida’s energy security future looks a little brighter every day.

So I thought it might help to pose the future-of-our-energy question in another way: What do I WIMBY? (As in, Want In My Backyard?)

OK, here we go: Following are photos illustrating several clean and/or renewable energy options that could help us curb greenhouse gas emissions and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Which ones would you be willing to view from your backyard as a tradeoff for a cleaner, brighter future? Be honest now: I’m asking literally if you would say OK if one of these was what you saw when looking out of the window of your home.

Is it Nuclear Power?

Image credit: Anna Gomez at Wikimedia Commons, released into public domain.

Concentrated Solar Power?

Image credit: Sandia National Laboratory at Wikimedia Commons, released into public domain.

Distributed Solar Power?

Image credit: Downtowngal at Wikimedia Commons, under a Creative Commons license.

Wind Power?

Image credit: Dirk Ingo Franke at Wikimedia Commons, under a GNU Free Documentation license.

Hydroelectric Power?

Image credit: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation at Wikimedia Commons, released into public domain.

Tidal Power?

Image credit: TidalStream Partners at Wikimedia Commons, under a GNU Free Documentation license.

Or Geothermal Power?

Image credit: Gretar Ívarsson at Wikimedia Commons, released into the public domain.

I’ll be the first to answer: I’d have to say distributed solar (rooftop panels) and tidal. Honestly, I’d find all the others unsightly when viewed from my home. (Though I have to acknowledge that’s clearly selfish: if it’s a choice between saving the Earth — and civilization — from the effects of catastrophic climate change, I’d take any of the above.)

Of course, by the time any of us really has to make that choice, it’ll be too late to stave off a climate catastrophe. That’s the problem with NIMBYism.

Frank Schiavo’s compact, tract-built, three-bedroom ranch-style home in a modest San Jose neighborhood demonstrates that remodeling to create a cutting-edge green home is neither difficult nor expensive. Heated with sunlight and cooled by night air, his home is comfortable, quiet and tasteful, filled with light and local art. With only modest investments in a sun room, extra insulation, new windows, a very small array of rooftop photovoltaic and solar hot water panels, his electricity bill for the coldest, cloudiest months of the year averages a few dollars a month. His gas bill is even more modest.

What’s most impressive about Schiavo’s house isn’t that it’s so comfortable and practical for him to own, it’s that it demonstrates that lofty resource conservation goals can be achieved on a modest remodeling budget.

Passive Solar Energy is Inexpensive

Schiavo’s remodel performs so well, and for so little, because it focuses on conservation, not features. San Jose has plenty of sun, so Schiavo’s house exploits passive solar design. First, Schiavo thoroughly insulated. Next, he added heat-collecting thermal mass (in the form of a small sunroom addition) to store heat energy in the winter and stabilize temperatures. In the summer, he stores the cool of the night air. Interior walls sport an unusual finish detail that, at first brush, appears to have been motivated by modernist aesthetics. Stacks of black, rectangular solids suggestive of consumer electronics protrude from interior walls extending from the floor to chair-rail height. As Schiavo explains, these are actually five gallon metal cans that have been painted black and fitted into steel support racks in key wall sections. The cans are filled with water, which has terrific thermal mass for its weight and volume. Many of these cans are situated in an interior wall that separates the interior from a south-facing sunroom. The water-filled cans store heat in the winter (and the cool of night air in the summer) and release it into the interior of his house.

Passive Solar Heating/Cooling: Operating the House

In the winter and early spring, Schiavo lowers special insulated doors in his sunroom, exposing the water-filled cans. Sun enters the windows of the sunroom and heats the brick-in-sand floor. The warm air in the sunroom then heats the water-filled cans. At night, Schiavo closes the insulated doors, and the water-filled cans radiate heat back into his house. This is an implementation of a passive solar Trombe Wall.

An added benefit of the sunroom space is that it makes an ideal place to hang laundry to dry. Schiavo admits he does use his gas dryer: about a minute or two per load, with no heat, to fluff-up his clothes and remove lint.

Schiavo Himself

A sustainability activist, passive solar design consultant, and retired environmental studies instructor from San Jose State University, Schiavo doesn’t shrink from publicity. A recent article in the San Jose Mercury News (4/5/2008, Is that a lion in the yard? S.J. fence-mural draws second looks) covers the extensive mural in Schiavo’s front and side yards, painted by a friend.

Schiavo first found the public eye in a well-publicized struggle with his local garbage company. Through a combination of disciplined purchasing habits, composting in his yard, and extensive recycling, he has virtually ceased to produce any trash. For years, he continued to pay the local garbage company for a service he wasn’t using. The mayor of San Jose found out and ordered the garbage company to stop billing him. His example led to the City’s composting program, run, incidentally, by a former student.

If you live near San Jose, you can see Schiavo’s house and mural at 1186 Bayard Drive. Look for footprints painted on the sidewalk, position your feet in them, and watch mural, building and landscaping meld into one large piece of art.

Related Articles:

• Life Cycle Costs
• Vancouver Adaptive Reuse
• Super-Insulating Vacuum Glass
• Patrician Place: an Experiment in Energy

Off the Grid Homes combines beautiful images with technical information for sustainable homes.

The book by architect Lori Ryker is less of a manual for systems to be used in off the grid homes (though it does include good information about the systems and strategies that are used in sustainable off the grid living) and more of a showcase of state of the art homes at the intersection of appealing architecture and high sustainability.

For many, the phrase “off the grid home” brings associations of a rudimentary, hand-built, rustic cabin. It usually suggests a rough hewn character and images of anything other than refinement and elegance. But that image is far from the case in examples presented in this book.

The case studies presented in this book offer examples of architectural works by firms such as Arkin/Tilt Architects, BLIP design, and the author’s own firm: Ryker/Nave Design. The book includes six case studies of reasonable-sized single family homes (from 1440 square feet to 4200 square feet). Each of these private residences is a comfortable example of an architecturaly appealing home that would catch the observer’s eye in any case. The fact that they are off the grid homes as well simply adds to the appeal.

The examples are well spread out, to showcase a variety of approaches and conditions where off the grid homes can be located, though from my midwestern perspective, they are all western homes, located in Montana California, Washington, and one in Tasmania. Two of the examples are situated in urban environments, while the other four are located in rural locations, more along the lines of what first comes to mind when the phrase off the grid is mentioned. In addition to numerous photographs of each house, there is also a section at the end of each case outlining both the passive- and the active-systems used in each project, as well as a listing of many of the materials used in order to make each project sustainable.

There are some surprises in the case study selections. For instance, the Capitol Hill House in Seattle might not immediately match with most expectations of an “off the grid” house. It is located in an urban neighborhood, and, although it is connected to the electrical grid with a net metering set-up, it’s photovoltaic panels provide nearly 100 percent of the energy the house needs on an annual basis. And not only is the Capitol Hill House an off the grid house, but it is also an example of a remodeled homerather than one that was built new; sustainable and off the grid in a home renovation.

Lori Ryker explained her criteria for what qualified as off-the-grid, saying, “it became clear to me that there are many aspects of energy and resource independence that are applicable to this term. For instance, rainwater collection, used to reduce a homeowner’s reliance on municipal water, provides a component of off-the-grid living, yet the house may not be 100 percent off the grid. In the same way, someone may elect to integrate a photovoltaic [PV] system that is large enough to support all of their electrical-energy needs but live within the city limits, which requires them to remain tied to the municipal infrastructure. They may not be living 100 percent off the grid, but they have found a way to produce their own energy while continuing to live within the density of the city.”

There are also clear, well explained sections discussing various technologies, with descriptions of Water Collection and Gray Water Reuse, Photovoltaic Systems, Wind Turbine Systems, Solar Hot-Water Systems, and Geothermal Systems. While a specific system is used in each case, the technical discussion addresses the system in a wider context, explaining various options and different methods that can be used to accomplish these systems.

The off the grid homes presented in this book are not the isolationist enclaves you might first expect, but are showcases of well designed buildings. The ideal of being off the grid is reflected in an approach to how the building works, and how it reduces impacts on the environment.

Lori Ryker has assembled a wonderful book that nicely bridges between an architectural book with fabulous pictures and a technical book on sustainable design. It shows how wonderful a sustainable home can be, both in its design and its operation, bringing together the best of both worlds and making for some truly remarkable homes.  It is an appealing combination, well recommended to anyone who is looking for examples of how other homes have incorporated sustainability.

Off the Grid Homes - Case Studies for Sustainable Living
Lori Ryker with photographs by Audrey Hall
128 pages, color photographs
Gibbs Smith, Publisher

Off the Grid Homes [Amazon]

Building with Awareness

Renewable Energy Handbook

Reviews on Green Building Elements

First 100% Off-Grid Green Building in San Francisco

The report, “On the Rise; Solar Thermal Power and the Fight Against Global Warming,” touts the multiple benefits of solar thermal power that the U.S. has barely begun to tap. One, it’s a clean source of energy that could replace other power sources that generate greenhouse gases and worsen climate change. Two, by storing thermal energy, it can generate electricity even when the sun isn’t shining. And ,three, it’s wildly abundant in the U.S., offering way more clean energy than we currently use on a daily basis.

The report notes that a 100-mile-by-100-mile solar thermal installation in the American Southwest could meet the entire country’s energy needs. That area, it further adds, is just a little larger than the amount of land in the U.S. that has been strip-mined for coal.

“If we are going to get serious about fighting global warming and addressing our energy challenges, solar energy must be part of the solution,” said Holly Binns, Environment Florida’s field director.

While the Southwest alone could generate more than 7,000 gigawatts of energy,  other parts of the U.S.  — including Florida — promise a large potential for solar energy development. The Sunshine State has some catching-up to do, but recently improved its clean-energy performance with the opening of the Sunshine Energy Solar Array near Sarasota. The 28,000-square-foot array, Florida’s largest to date, can generate 250 kilowatts of energy, enough to power about 45 typical homes per month.

Clearly, the state will need quite a few more like these to make a serious dent in its fossil-fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Florida officials hope recently approved green-energy legislation will encourage those kinds of developments. The bill includes, among other things, authorization for a cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a renewable fuel standard and renewable portfolio standard that promotes wind and solar energy, and new building standards that call for higher energy efficiency in new homes and businesses.

At the national level, the Environment Florida report is also encouraging. With the right policies, it says, the U.S. could easily generate 80 gigawatts of concentrating solar power by 2030. That would be enough to power 25 million homes, reduce carbon emissions by 6.6 percent and create between 75,000 and 140,000 new jobs.

Good news — for a change — isn’t it? Let’s just hope the right people are listening.

For this reason, solar power has long been discounted in favour of wind on this blustery island where one’s neighbours are likely to raise a few eyebrows should one be so eccentric as to cover the roof in solar panels.

This was certainly on the mind of Ashley Seager when he laid out the princely sum of £8,500 ($16,900) in 2007 for the installation of a 3 kilowatt solar power generation system for his South London home. However, one year later and despite a year of weather that has been poor even by British standards, Ashley’s investment is beginning to pay dividends having generated 92% of the Seager household’s annual electricity requirement.

Global warming has not yet turned the British Isles into a tropical paradise, but this experience demonstrates that solar energy is still a viable option, even the most dreary climate, resulting in electricity bills low enough to bring a little sunshine on even the rainiest day.

But - there are a few caveats..

The payback time on the Seager’s solar system will be approximately 13 years - not the shortest investment, and for a British family considering the same investment today the payback time will be even longer; Until recently the British government offered a 50% grant on home solar installations -which has now been capped at £2,500 due to demand, forcing many solar installers out of business despite the rapidly falling cost of the technology. (in comparison, Germany - whose government offers generous renewable energy support -  fitted solar installations to 130,000 homes last year compared to 300 in the UK).

Secondly, payback time is greatly influenced by the fluctuating cost of energy. Solar systems generate electricity during the day which goes mostly unused whilst the family are at work or school. The excess electricity is sold back to the power company and then re-purchased in the evening when the sun has set and energy use is at it’s highest. Although rising electricity costs increase savings, most power companies in the UK buy electricity from solar homes for less than the price at which they sell it back again. Again, in comparison, those renewable-crazy Germans buy electricity for twice the price at which they sell it.

The complex regulations, grants and tariffs which surround micro renewable energy are still shifting as the UK government tries to land on a sensible set of long term energy policies. This uncertainty makes solar a more unlikely option for the less well-heeled, but the savings and the eco credibility factor certainly mean that the Jones’s may soon be swapping those raised eyebrows for solar panels..

Learn more about solar energy, and find out how much you can save (California only) at Renewzle.

With thanks to The Guardian. Photo courtesy of Flickr