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1. Daily Sprout
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2. Recycled Subway Cars Turned into Studios in London
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3. Sharp and Enel Teaming Up on Thin-film Solar
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4. 10 Green Options for Black Friday
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5. Solar Cell Efficiency Research Heats Up
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6. Ireland Calls for 10% Electric Cars by 2020
Daily Sprout
Josie Garthwaite - 1
Gas on the Cheap: Retailers in Missouri have slashed fuel prices by selling gas without ethanol, the grain-based alcohol that many states require as a gas add-in to reduce air pollution. — Reuters
Environmental Investing: Some of the world’s biggest pension funds and foundations in are redirecting investment to companies that minimize environmental harm. Why haven’t institutional investors like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the United Nations pension fund come on board? — New York Times
Solar-Motive: Shares of the photovoltaics company SolarWorld plummeted on news of a planned bid to take over GM’s Opel, but the company stands by its vision of turning automaking green without Detroit. — NYT’s Green, Inc.
Green Stimulus in China: China’s economic stimulus plan reveals a commitment to efficiency and environmental improvements, suggesting the global economic downturn could help the U.S. and China tackle climate change. — Guardian Environment Network
Farm-Car Coalition: Ethanol makers are making the most of Detroit’s troubles, calling for Big Three execs to demonstrate their commitment to biofuels. A mighty coalition of lawmakers from car-producing and farm states could be on the horizon. — Dow Jones Newswires
Recycled Subway Cars Turned into Studios in London
Jorge Chapa - Architecture
Enterprising young artists in the London scene are usually presented with the dilemma of having to rent extremely expensive studio space in order to be able to work. This led furniture designer Auro Foxcroft to a rather ingenious and environmentally conscious solution. What was it? Take old subway cars, mount them on a rooftop, and use them for office space! A bit sparse? Sure! But these recycled subway cars are sure to inspire other green-minded, socially conscious artistic efforts.
Sharp and Enel Teaming Up on Thin-film Solar
David Ehrlich - Energy
There’s a new power couple in the thin-film industry. Japan’s Sharp announced plans yesterday to invest at least ¥100 billion yen ($1.05 billion) in a venture with Italy’s Enel to manufacture thin-film solar cells and build and own solar power plants in Italy and across the Mediterranean region (hat tip AFP).
Sharp, one of the world’s largest makers of solar cells, and Enel, Italy’s largest electric utility, plan to set up the joint venture in the spring of 2009. Sharp said the venture will develop a number of solar photovoltaic power plants using thin-film solar cells, mainly in southern Italy, that are expected to generate a total capacity of 189 megawatts by the end of 2012. In addition, Sharp and Enel, along with a yet-to-be-named European manufacturing partner, plan to build a factory in Italy with an initial thin-film manufacturing capacity of 480 MW per year, eventually expanding to 1 gigawatt. Sharp said operations are expected to start in mid-2010.
The Japanese firm has big plans for thin film, with Executive Vice President Toshishige Hamano saying in September that Sharp is gunning for a 50 percent market share in thin-film solar by 2012. Sharp opened a new thin-film production line in Japan in September, boosting its capacity to 160 MW per year, up from 15 MW.
Hamano told AFP this week that the new venture is aiming to cut the cost of solar power generation in half by 2010. And he isn’t worried about the credit crunch taking a bite out of the venture’s plans. “Enel’s finances are far more solid than ours,” he said, pointing out that Enel is 31 percent owned by the Italian government.
Thin film got another boost this week with two research studies on developments in the technology that could eventually raise the efficiency of the flexible solar cells. The studies, from the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, look at using a new plastic, as well as anti-reflective and reflective coatings, in the manufacture of thin-film cells.
Sharp said it would invest about ¥100 billion yen for the solar power generating business, but did not disclose any financial details for the manufacturing side. The three companies, including the unnamed third partner, are still working out the details of the manufacturing business, according to Sharp, and plan to sign a memorandum of understanding in December.
10 Green Options for Black Friday
Katie Fehrenbacher - Energy
Black Friday –- the day after Thanksgiving, and one of the busiest shopping days of the year — might be a bit darker this year. Consumer spending is expected to drop slightly with 128 million shoppers planning to head to the malls Friday, Saturday or Sunday, down from 135 million the year before, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). According to Nielsen one third of U.S. consumers expect to spend less during the holidays than last year and those still shopping are planning to purchase necessities and value goods like gift cards for groceries, gas and phones.
That can't be good news for companies that are selling green goods and gadgets, since cash-strapped consumers aren't likely to pay a premium for eco-friendly products. But green products that can actually help consumers save money could gain some traction, as could green-themed products that are just flat-out cheap enough. Green technology is still high up in public awareness thanks to renewed pledges from President-elect Obama, and according to Nielsen 85 percent of U.S. adults say they care about protecting the environment.
With that in mind, here are 10 green options that just might fit your slimmed-down budget and help fight global warming:
Ditch Junk Mail for Good: GreenDimes is a service that says it will remove 90 percent of your junk mail and deliver only the mail that you want. One year of GreenDime's junk-mail-busting service is $20, and you can send it in the form of a GreenDimes emailed gift card.
Your Appliances Suck, Power That Is: The Kill A Watt energy monitor is one of those devices that gives you some good info — but not much to do with it. Plug your appliances in to the $45 device and measure how efficient they are. You’ll be able to see if you need a new Energy Star air conditioner or fridge…next holiday season.
Go Used Gadget Shopping: There have been an influx of sites lately that will buy and sell used gadgets and cell phones. Go e-shopping for your loved one on Gazelle, FlipSwap, ReCellular, and the old standbys Craigslist and Freecycle. In this case, it's OK to re-gift.
Grid-Free Gear From Freeplay: Freeplay started more than a decade ago with a grant from the British government and the goal to develop geeky rugged gear. The company sells items like a $30 crank cell phone charger, and solar-powered radios and flashlights for under $100. You can buy them at REI and on Freeplay's web site.
A Power Strip That’s Smarter Than You: This $42 Smart Strip Power Strip works by automatically switching off power to some of the 10 or so outlets when your gadgets aren’t in use. Hopefully the power switching is smart enough that it won't interfere with your charging as it delivers the electricity bill savings you're looking for.
Stop Flying, Start Webcamming: Plane flights can easily negate any work you've done on your carbon footprint; telepresence devices can really cut down on the carbon emissions of travel. A good webcam like the ones at Logitech can make IT-based personal communication cross country a pretty good option.
Go On A Carbon-Free Diet: Yes, they're controversial, but the good thing is, you can give as many or as few as you want. Carbonfund.org, which is one of the more reputable sources around, has a "give the gift of carbon neutrality" option available.
Give the Gift of Knowledge: There are more than enough books and publications out there that'll teach you about what's really going to help save the planet from global warming and how dire the situation really is. Check out Thomas Friedman's Hot Flat and Crowded, Bill McKibben's Deep Economy and Spencer Weart's Discovery of Global Warming.
Electric Wheels — Budget Style: Is the fancy-pants Tesla Roadster — or even GM’s overhyped Volt — way, way out of your price range? Razor makes an electric scooter that sells for under $200. It only goes 15 miles per hour and the max weight is 220 lbs., though, so go easy on the stuffing this year.
Warm Woolies Can Battle the Power Bill: Not to be a Jimmy Carter, but the energy to heat buildings consumes a massive amount of energy in North America. The same way insulating your house can cut energy consumption, warm clothing or better bedding can do the same.
This article also appeared on BusinessWeek.com
Solar Cell Efficiency Research Heats Up
Josie Garthwaite - Energy
Thin-film solar companies may not like questions about their conversion efficiency, but two new studies out this week from MIT and UCLA could eventually help solar cell manufacturers achieve numbers worth bragging about.
In a study published in this week’s Journal of the American Chemical Society, UCLA researchers developed a new plastic that could be an important step in creating more flexible and affordable solar cells. Plastic and polymer solar cells are not new (the lead researcher on today’s study came out earlier this year with a method for producing semi-transparent versions of the cells), but their efficiency has for years been less than impressive.
The new technology from UCLA, which could make solar installations possible on more varied surfaces, isn’t breaking efficiency record. While about 5.1 percent of the light hitting UCLA’s new cell gets converted to energy, the global leader in thin-film technology, First Solar, reports efficiency of more than twice that.
The MIT team used computer modeling to design thin-film crystalline silicon cells that, according to the researchers, are up to 50 percent more efficient than today’s commercial offerings. They have an antireflective coating on the front, and layers of reflective coatings, plus tightly-spaced lines called diffraction grating, on the back.
Slated to present the innovation at a conference in Boston next week, the MIT scientists say their design remains far from mass production. But according to researcher Peter Bermel, refining the design (and reducing its cost) could give the team a technology ripe for licensing to companies like CSG Solar and Oerlikon Solar, which work with thin-film solar cells around the same thickness (5 microns) as MIT’s layered cells.
Ireland Calls for 10% Electric Cars by 2020
Josie Garthwaite - Automotive
The Bay Area mayors who last week set out to make their region an electric vehicle capital have a new rival overseas. Ireland’s government today announced a goal to have 10 percent of all cars running on electricity by 2020. It plans to offer incentives, such as tax writeoffs for businesses’ electric-vehicle purchases, launch a $1.3 million research fund, and invest in infrastructure for the some 250,000 electric vehicles planned to hit Ireland’s roads over the next 12 years.
Ireland’s energy and transport ministers hope the move will spur an influx of international investment and free up capital currently spent on fossil fuel imports, helping revive the Celtic Tiger, which has recently burrowed deep into recession.
This could mean new opportunities for startups like Better Place, which has infrastructure development deals with Israel, Denmark and California (and says it’s in talks with 25 countries). Or Couloumb Technologies, which has teamed up with San Jose to deploy “smart charging” stations throughout the city. The Independent reported earlier this week — and Better Place confirmed with us today — that the company has already met with Ireland’s government and major utility. In a statement released today, Christian Engelfeldt, business development director for Better Place in the EU, said the company is “actively evaluating” the Irish market.
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