Getting that Green

This site has a really nice state by state listing of the certifications you can get. National Programs are listed too, and there’s a nice resources page behind the scenes too. I’m getting ready to publish a spreadsheet to the Solarious site which contains the contact information for photovoltaic training sites around the US. The LEED-NC exam has a great training site www.intheleed.com which has insight into that test should you be considering it or in going for the certification for your building project. Armed with only these tools, you could be on your way to a green career today!
clipped from www.pathnet.org
Definitions of green building are fuzzy to many people. We intend to bring them into focus.
Green Building Certification Programs

The only way to ensure that a home is
green is to get it independently verified. The following programs certify homes as being green, or energy-efficient. Many of the programs are offered through utility companies that provide
rebates and incentives.

NATIONAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS

American Lung Association Health House

ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes

Environments for Living

LEED for Homes

PROGRAMS BY STATE

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Yes Yes Yes!

The age of truly renewable energy is arriving. And scientists and dreamers are taking the technologies far beyond things that generate power under certain conditions to envision ways that we can integrate power generation into our existing life patterns. Check out these five emerging technologies, outlined in H+ Magazine, that show promise to change the way we think about power.
clipped from www.hplusmagazine.com

Five Paths to Unlimited Renewable Energy

If you were trying to design an energy system for a rapidly growing population, it would be hard to do worse than the one we have today. It’s brittle — dependent upon unstable regions and massive centralized networks. It’s dirty — poisoning us with mercury and heating the atmosphere with carbon. And it’s finite — we’re perilously close to running out of one of our key energy resources, oil. Getting away from all of this won’t be easy, and we’re running out of time to make it happen.

But there’s also good news: We know exactly what we need to do to get out of this mess, and we have all of the necessary tools at hand.

Five Paths to Unlimited Renewable Energy
WIND:  GO FLY A KITE
GEOTHERMAL:  WE’RE GENERATING STEAM HEAT
SOLAR: FLEXIBLE AND UBIQUITOUS
HYDROKINETIC: THE MOTION OF THE OCEAN
MOTION: SHAKE YOUR BODY
GETTING FROM HERE TO THERE
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Another interesting thin-film CIGS application

Heliovolt is another company tackling the task of bringing thin-film solar technologies, which have traditionally been to expensive for mass deployment in to the reach of the general public. Their patented FASST technology looks very promising. If you are a developer or engineer, they are currently seeking people to partner with on photovoltaic integrated design runs. Info below.
clipped from www.heliovolt.net

Power Modules
  

Mass-market modules.

 

HelioVolt’s FASST™ process eliminates the expense of slicing photovoltaic circuits and assembling individual solar cells into modules. Our line of integrated platform circuits can be adapted to a range of sizes and shapes and applied to almost any construction material: glass, steel, metal, composites and some polymers.

 

Combining integrated solar power with pleasing aesthetics, our module platform can be adapted to a wide range of architectural systems:

 

  • Sunshades
  • Sun louvers and curtains
  • Skylights
  • Curtain walls
  • Spandrels
  • Windows
  • Atria

 

If your business is the manufacturing, design, or distribution of building products, now’s the time to get in touch. We are actively seeking cooperative development opportunities. Contact us regarding Partner Opportunities.

 

Partner Smart  Power Buildings

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Very cool: Konarka Power Plastic

Download the PDF below for a really nice look into the future at Konarka, which manufactures thin film flexible solar panels. I especially like their solar Power Thread technology, which promises to make solar power generation available in the actual thread structure of woven garments and cloth items such as Sunbrellas.

They still have to bring that technology to market, but their Power Plastic is available now and being integrated in a variety of home design applications. Very nice!

clipped from www.konarka.com
Konarka Power Plastic® is a photovoltaic material that captures both indoor and outdoor light and converts it into direct current (DC) electrical energy

Konarka Power Plastic is a photovoltaic material that captures both indoor and outdoor light and converts it into direct current (DC) electrical energy. This energy can be used immediately, stored for later use, or converted to other forms. Power Plastic can be applied to a limitless number of potential applications – from microelectronics to portable power, remote power and building-integrated applications.

We will soon be announcing the availability of our seven standard products. These products include Konarka Power Plastic panels ranging from our KT 25 (0.25W) to our KT 3000 (26W), perfect for many portable and remote power applications. Sign up to be among the first to receive the announcement! Get to know the features of our standard products by clicking on the links below and downloading our technical specification sheets and information sheets.

Konarka builds products that convert light to energy anywhere.

DOWNLOAD A PDF 

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Very green paper

Though we’d all love to ditch the paper habit entirely, there are times when you just have to write something down. And when that happens, there’s nothing I love more than a nice, neat and professional looking paper notebook that makes everything you put inside look that much more important and lasting! Check out this company, WhiteLines, which makes some really sweet paper that even comes with a printed Carbon footprint on each book.
clipped from ecopreneurist.com
White Lines Carbon Neutral Swedish Paper

White Lines factory reuses their carbon emissions in a closed loop, making for zero CO2 emissions, for one. Then they offset what they can’t reuse (transportation, etc) via planting trees in Africa, as coordinated by environmental consultancy U&W (interestingly pronounced “You & We” in Swedish) The wood used for the paper comes from locally sourced, sustainably managed forests, and woodchip waste from sawmills. And every package tells you the precise carbon footprint, the materials traced back to the source.

The paper uses white lines rather then black or blue. And? And that means less visual competition between pen/pencil strokes on the line. This does two things: When copying or faxing, the white lines disappear, so you can draw using grid paper as a guide, then when others see it, all there is is your drawing. For those learning to write, the focus is squarely on the writing, without the distraction of other lines.

available domestically in the US today, through Amazon
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No, Solarious has not left the building…

Just a quick update to everyone:  While you haven’t been getting your daily dose of Solarious lately, there’s been lots of action behind the scenes.  I am in the midst of gathering and posting a lot of new information on the back pages to make this the best green living and  sustainability resource ever.  There’s also a lot of good information from experts coming about gardening, recycling, and more.  It means the sacrifice of a few posts (as you’ve seen) to get everything put together in a way that works, but rest assured, I’ll be picking up that dusty pen again soon!  Blessings to all of you~

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Swaptree: Get cool stuff for cleaning out your closet

The idea behind Swaptree is simple. You have a stack of old books, CDs, and maybe video games that you never use. Of course, being a conscientious greenie, you don’t want to add to our already clogged landfills by throwing them away. You could donate them to the local library (so long as there’s no profanity, violence, not already too many copies there, etc) but there’s this book you’ve been dying to read… you’re the perfect candidate to sign up for Swaptree now! You list the items you have, then search the items that others have, arranging free trades with people. So you get The Botany of Desire (an awesome read!) for the price of shipping, and also manage to rid yourself of that dusty old copy of the joy of cooking that Aunt Mabel gave you even though your apartment doesn’t even have a kitchen. Saves landfill space, introduces you to media you may not even have known about, and helps to undermine the excessive capitalism that’s sweeping the planet all with one click. It only takes a second to sign up (well, their website claims it takes 8 seconds, so I’ll trust them on that), which you can do at the Swaptree Signup Page.

A brief tour around the site revealed some pretty interesting looking picks available for trade… the first Godfather movie, Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, Star Wars movies and complete seasons of many many TV shows, the Complete Planet Earth collection on DVD (an amazing series), lots of kids movies, music ranging from Bob Marley to Madonna and pretty much everything in between, and a wide assortment of video games, of which I won’t even pretend to know what’s hot and what’s not. I’d bet that no matter what your tastes there’s something here for you.

Part of going off-grid involves understanding that the capitalist system in which we’ve been raised is unsustainable and needs to change. Barter predates the exchange of money as a form of goods exchange by a long time, and is a more globally conscious way of doing business removing the money component of the trade. If you want some interesting fodder for thought on this topic, watch Zeitgeist: Addendum (or it’s predecessor Zeitgeist), available for free on Google video. After the two to four hours it takes to complete this mini rite of conscious passage, you’ll have a whole new understanding of the ways in which those in power control us through our present financial system. It will also make internet sites like Swaptree and Freecycle make that much more sense. But do you really need to be convinced that getting free stuff for the stuff you don’t want is a beautiful thing? Visit today!

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Wildcraft: learn while you play

Simply put, I love the idea behind this board game! Wildcraft is a Candyland (remember that?) style board game for ages 4 to adult which teaches kids how to identify wild herbs and about their medicinal and culinary uses. Sure wish this game had been around when I was a kid! En route to Grandma’s favorite huckleberry patch, players encounter wild herbs which are stored for use as remedies for various “troubles” such as hunger and injuries. Here are a few of the beautifully illustrated cards:

Echinacea Bee Sting

If you have young children and are trying to encourage them to look more closely at the world around them, this is a great way to get them thinking about plants without it coming off like a school lesson. Heck, even if your “kids” are 40, there’s plenty of opportunity for fun to be had. Additionally, the game emphasizes teamwork and comes with all sorts of excellent bonuses like an organic cookbook and wall chart of wild herbs and their medicinal uses. If all board games were this practically educational, kids would probably be better prepared for life by the time they hit our mainstream schooling system, where, to be honest, all bets are off as to whether they actually receive the knowledge to which they are entitled. Given that the game is completely made in the USA of recycled cardboard and vegetable inks, it makes a perfect gift for parents of youngsters that you know!

We all love to play, and cloaking excellent knowledge in a game makes it so much easier to digest. Know of any other great environmental education games for children or adults? Please share!

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The Future of Renewable Energy Employment

The results from the latest American Solar Energy Society Green Collar Jobs Report are in, and it’s good news all around for dedicated greenies and renewable energy workers. As the report title indicates, renewable energy is expected to employ more than 39 million people in the US alone by 2030, up from an approximate 9 million today. In fact, while the US economy overall took a brutal beating this past year, the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector expanded at three times the rate of the rest of the economy. And this is just the beginning. According to the study, 17% of all American jobs by 2030 may be in these sectors, a whopping one in five or six jobs!

View the full report here, or the executive summary here. The conclusions include a case study on renewable energy employment in Colorado, long considered a state with both a progressive mindset and great renewable energy potentials.

While many of us dream less of working for someone else than of living in a cabin somewhere with no employer at all, the truth remains that going off-grid requires careful planning and a bit of start-up cash. So while you gather your nest egg for your dream house in the woods, why not help support the very industries that will help you achieve those dreams once you are ready? The more bright minds we get into the research and development market and intelligent designers and engineers we place on the ground promoting alternative energy, the lower prices will be and the more efficient products will become. Energy effieiceny, in particular is an underdeveloped market that can really help put a dent in our planetary emissions. Ever heard the phrase the best energy is that which you don’t have to produce? How true!

Incidentally, which jobs are predicted to make you the most bank? Solar photovoltaics, solar thermal, fuel cells, and biofuels, especially in the areas of engineering, chemistry, mechanical workers, and business managers.

Solar photovoltaic and solar thermal will lead the renewable energy markets

Solar photovoltaic and solar thermal will lead the renewable energy markets

Another good bit of news, due to the slowdown of the world economy (yes, I said good news, keep reading), there is a glut of solar photovoltaic equipment that was produced in expectation of a stronger world market. Therefore, the equipment costs of a photovoltaic installation are expected to fall by up to half in the coming year! Together with the tax credits being expended to 30% of your total installation costs, that could mean a savings of more than 65%! Which, of course, you can reinvest into other green techs, helping promote the industry and virtually eliminating your power bills at the same time. Beautiful.

If you’re ready to make the jump into green employment now, check out this article about how to properly set yourself up to be hired into your dream job.

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Finally, the proof! Trees help save you green

From the folks over at the Forestry Sciences Lab of Oregon and the National Institute of Standards and Technology comes proof that planting trees around your home will save you money in the long run on your electric bills.  This is something that has long been suspected and anecdotally promoted, but this is the first study to take people’s actual electricity bills and compare them with the amount of growth of trees near the home.

Its official, trees save energy!

It's official, trees save energy!

If you’re headed for off-grid living, chances are that you’re implementing some sort of solar or wind technology in your power mix, so careful siting of the trees you plant and the panels or turbines you place will be necessary.  But if each tree you plant makes the job of those alternative technologies that much easier, it would be hard to go wrong!  Other studies have shown that a single mature tree can produce as much cooling effect as five, yes that’s FIVE AC units.  For each tree.  Now that’s a powerful plant!

Also, don’t forget that other studies have shown that planting trees in your yard actually raises the property value of your home to prospective home buyers, even without factoring in energy savings.  So in today’s lackluster home market, a few well placed trees could make the difference between a listing that sits or sells. And also, every tree you plant in your environment helps to filter the air that you breathe every day, making your lungs and body that much healthier and promoting biodiversity.  For an example of a nice tree distribution program, check out the Los Angeles organization Tree People, who partner with the city to give away free trees to city residents who agree to care for them.  This weekend, they’re giving away fruit trees like peaches, nectarines, and apples.  Yum!

Here’s the link to a Discovery News article outlining the methodology of this latest study.  Planting Trees Saves You Cash.

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