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Stunning Finnish Micro-Cabin Built For Just $10,500!

Inhabitat — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:35:07 +0000

Measuring in at just 96 sq. ft., the space is a cozy home with a loft big enough for a bedroom and storage for Falcks clothes. The lounge and living area on the bottom floor offers a place to relax and enjoy the surrounding views. A huge window provides views across the lake from both floors and bathes the interior in natural light.

Falk chose to use recycled materials to go light on the earth and keep costs low. He estimates the total spent on the cabin at around $10,500 an unbelievably affordable price for such a serene-looking micro home.

Via Tinyhouselistings

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MREA PV 211.01 PV System Inspection

Big Green Monster — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:33:08 +0000

Course Description

This one-day course outlines the formal inspection of a photovoltaic system to ensure that the PV system installation conforms to professional, legal, and regional and regional electrical and mechanical standards. In this course, participants will become familiar with applicable codes and standards that ensure that system mounting and attachments, electrical calculations, grounding, labeling, and documentation meet existing codes.

This course can be taken as part of a four-day progression along with PV 207 PV System Commissioning and Decommissioning and PV 307 PV System Commissioning Lab.

Course Instructors:

Craig Buttke, North Wind Renewable Energy

Pre-requisites:

PV 205 Intermediate PV or PV 701 Photovoltaic Technology Instructor Institute or Electrical Inspector.

Continuing Education Units:

7.0 continuing education credits for NABCEP PV Installer Certification

Required Materials:

Pen or pencil
Paper
Calculator

MREA PV-ST 705.01 Solar Site Assessment Instruction

Big Green Monster — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:32:28 +0000

Course Description

This two-day training is designed for photovoltaic and solar thermal instructors interested in offering a site assessment training program at their institution whic meets the requirements for the MREA Site Assessment Certificate. Participants will work as a large group to review teacing materials and resources related to site analysis, customer interview, site evaluation, system placement, shading analysis, financial analysis, and site assessment reports. Successful completion of this course, the submission and mentoring of two practice site assessments, and a passing grade on the MREA Site Assessment Exam will qualify instructors as an MREA Site Assessment Certificate Recognized Trainer. This recognition will allow instructors to offer the MREA Site Assessment Certificate as part of their training program.

Course Instructors:

TBD

Pre-requisites:

Participants must be affiliated with an active solar training program in the Midwest.

PV 701 Photovoltaic Technology Instructor Institute or ST 701 Solar Thermal Technology Instructor Institute; or PV 101 and PV 201; or ST 101 and ST 201.

Required Materials:

Pen or pencil
Paper
Calculator

Billboard Wars, Chapter 2 (or Is It 3?)

NY Times — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:32:03 +0000

Forecast the FactsA group that campaigns against climate change skepticism says that Clear Channel rejected its billboard ad, an ironic play on an ad from the conservative Heartland Institute.

Chicago commuters have all the fun. Two weeks ago, there was the Heartland Institutes Unabomber billboard likening a belief in climate change to psychopathy. This week, those stuck in traffic missed out on one larger-than-life retort to the Heartland campaign but will get to view another.

Forecast the Facts, a campaign devoted to accuracy and integrity in weather monitoring, had hoped to advertise in the exact same spot in an ironic format mimicking the Heartland ad. The Heartland billboard had depicted Theodore J. Kaczynski, who killed three people and wounded 23 with mail bombs, alongside the red-lettered words: I still believe in climate change. Do you?

Forecast the Facts, which is seeking to persuade corporations to end their donations to Heartland, would have presented the Pfizer pharmaceutical companys logo alongside similarly imposing red letters reading: We still support Climate Deniers. Do you? Just below, Pfizers 2010 donation to the Heartland Institute, which a document circulated this spring put at $130,000, would be shown in small white print.

But it was not to be at least not in that billboard location, managed by the Clear Channel Chicago global media and entertainment company. We are not an arbiter of positions in any way, said Jim Cullinan, a Clear Channel spokesman. But theres also legal issues about fair use of images and what we can and cant do with them.

Theres a big difference between a public image of the Unabomber and a specific trademark in terms of legality, he said.

A spokeswoman for Pfizer meanwhile emphasized on Thursday that the company was not on board with all of Heartlands positions. We do not agree with Heartland Institutes position on climate change, the spokeswoman, Sharon Castillo, said in an e-mail to the Times.

Rather than a reprimand of Pfizer, Chicago drivers will be treated to a less tongue-in-cheek but pointed billboard sponsored by Al Gores Climate Reality Project. In more soothing shades of earthy green, it asks: Who to believe on climate? Heartland or EVERY National Scientific Academy in the world?

We really try to put things up that are appropriate, Mr. Cullinan said.

Maggie L. Fox, chief executive of the Climate Reality Project, described the groups billboard response as a small reminder of who is really on the fringe.

An organizer with Forecast the Facts expressed some disappointment with the rejection of its ad. Im sure that if we had wanted to run an ad that says trees smell nice or something, they probably would have let us run that but who knows, said Brad Johnson, its campaign manager.

Pfizer is not the only corporation Forecast the Facts had hoped to plaster across the freeway. It also planned to call out Microsoft and
Comcast for donations to Heartland.

Our goal was to highlight Pfizer and other corporations support of the Heartland Institute, Mr. Johnson said. The question to ask is whether these corporations are based on a foundation of science or on a foundation of profit.

With their billboards rejected by Clear Channel, Mr. Johnson and his colleagues are considering alternative ways of getting out their message. Id like to say I was surprised by Clear Channels reaction, but I wouldnt be doing what Im doing if I had faith in corporations abilities to do the right thing, Mr. Johnson said.

Mr. Cullinan countered that Clear Channel had tried to negotiate with Forecast the Facts on the ads but that the organization was not willing to compromise on the design. We have no dog in this fight, he said.

E-mails forwarded to the Times from Forecast the Facts indicated, however, that the group had offered some alternative takes on the ads.

Until a different forum is found, Forecast the Facts rejected billboard will join the cyber ranks of Grists recent Heartland ad parodies, which include images of Pol Pot, Hannibal Lecter and Cruella DeVille.

Climate Reality ProjectA billboard ad from the Climate Reality Project that Clear Channel has agreed to display. The company said it would be up on Saturday.

Galveston’s Green Revival House is a LEED Platinum Renovation With Historic Charm

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:33:12 +0000

Historic houses can become energy-efficient without losing charm just look at the Galveston Historical Foundations Green Revival House at 3101 Avenue Q in Galveston, Texas. The project started when GHF moved the house 17 blocks to a new lot after Hurricane Ike destroyed its foundation. The Green Revival House features new insulation, four solar panels, two rainwater cisterns, and its one of the nations first historic buildings to achieve Platinum certification through the LEED for Homes program. GHF completed the project in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the 1772 Foundation.

+ Galveston Historical Foundation

The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!

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The Billboard Wars, Chapter 2 (or Is It 3?)

NY Times — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:31:24 +0000

Forecast the FactsA group that campaigns against climate change skepticism says that Clear Channel rejected its billboard ad, an ironic play on an ad from the conservative Heartland Institute.

We really try to put things up that are appropriate, Mr. Cullinan said.

Pfizer is not the only corporation Forecast the Facts had hoped to plaster across the freeway. It also planned to call out Microsoft and
Comcast for donations to Heartland.

Mr. Cullinan countered that Clear Channel tried to negotiate with Forecast the Facts on the ads but that the organization was not willing to compromise on the design. We have no dog in this fight, he said.

E-mails forwarded to the Times from Forecast the Facts indicated, however, that the group had offered some alternative takes on the ads.

Climate Reality ProjectA billboard ad from the Climate Reality Project that Clear Channel has agreed to display.

Denis Drouet’s Colorful ‘Order in Chaos’ Table Encourages Play

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:35:04 +0000

Denis Drouets colorful Order in Chaos table aims to encourage play between children and adults. Children can hide under the table (as they love to do) and pull the strings, which creates a pattern on the tables surface above. Drouet showcased his project at the Milan Furniture Fair as part of HDKs Play in Progress exhibition, which was based on the idea that play is a fundamental human activity that is vital to creativity.

+ Play in Progress

+ Milan Furniture Fair Coverage on Inhabitat

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Harvest Pavilion Collects the Bounty on an Eco-Farm in China

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:34:32 +0000

The eco-farm consists of four small-scale public buildings: a club house, a harvest pavilion, a botanical showroom, and an information center. Completed in 2012, the Harvest Pavilion is the first of the four structures and will be used to collect, process and store the harvest from the farm. As the farm is vast, flat, and wide open to sky, the pavilion is a reflection of that feeling of spaciousness and absorbs the landscape into its folds.

The pavilion was designed to be a simple, light, and translucent cuboid, with a horizontal thin plane hovering at the top, flying parallel with the horizon in the distance. It is built with pre-fabricated aluminum rods and a cantilevered roof that overhangs at four different depths. The shady space below becomes a transition zone from the farm to the interior. Clad in floor-to-ceiling frameless glass panels, and then covered with vertical laminated bamboo louvers, the pavilion is open and transparent. Pivoting glass doors open the interior up to the exterior, and cross breezes create a pleasant atmosphere with an immediate connection to the farmland.

+ Vector Architects

Via ArchDaily

Images Shu He Photo

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The Enessere Hercules Wind Turbine Generates Wind Energy in Fine Style

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:33:54 +0000

Wind energy is one of the cleanest, most reliable sources of renewable energy out there, but theres one strike against it: Most wind turbines arent exactly the most attractive sight. But for anyone who says that wind energy cant match form to function, feast your eyes on the Enessere Hercules wind generator. With curved wooden blades, the23-foot-tall wind turbine looks more like a sculpture than other more utilitarian wind turbines, and because of its clever design, it can harness the power of wind coming from any direction.

The Enessere Hercules isnt meant to contend with those enormous wind turbines you see at wind farms in the Great Plains; instead, its presented as a functional wind turbine that could be used at home or maybe even on commercial buildings. The unit has an installed power of 5kW for production peaks close to 3 kW, according to Enessere.

The wooden blades used in the Hercules, which were designed by wood engineering expert Renato Guerra, weigh only slightly more than those made from composite materials that are used in most windmills. Because of the sleek design, its unlikely that theEnessere Hercules would elicit the same aesthetic critique that many larger windmills have, and we could imagine it fitting in pretty seamlessly in many urban areas.

via Gizmodo and TreeHugger

+ Enessere

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Geoengineering Experiment in UK Canceled Over Patent Dispute

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:33:04 +0000

A controversial geoengineering experiment that would have simulated the cooling effect of a volcanic eruption was canceled this week over a patent dispute. A team of scientists in the United Kingdom had announced last year their plans to send a gigantic balloon 12 miles above earth to recreate a volcanic cloud and study whether it could have cooled the earth. But arguments over a patent application, submitted before this proposed project had even begun, raised concerns over a potential conflict of interest.

The Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering (SPICE), a consortium of several UK universities and a British aerospace company, had mulled a plan adding to the list of ambitious, or crazy, ideas to slow global warming using geoengineering. SPICEs plan would have suspended a balloon the size of a football stadium 12 miles above the earths surface. The balloon, tethered to the ground by a long hose, would then have burst out a combination of chemicals and water into the atmosphere. In turn the scientists has planned to study the resulting data from the artificial cloud and gauge whether more scaled efforts would cool the planet while reflecting sunlight.

Two scientists involved in the project, however, had applied for patents for some of the projects technologies before their involvement with SPICE. Meanwhile critics of the scheme and other geoengineering projects raise concerns that the UK lacks any government regulations or guidelines for such guargantuan experiments. Environmental organizations, including Friends of the Earth and the ETC Group, had also criticized the plan. Complaints against geoengineering experiments include fears that any benefits could be canceled out by altered rainfall patters and threats to the global food supply. For now SPICE says it will continue the research, but it will be limited to laboratory work.

Via Guardian, Nature.com

Photos courtesy Wikimedia (Justin Hamel, HughHunt)

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6 Awe-Inspiring Designs Made From Food!

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:32:07 +0000

Fantastical PhotographedScenes Pay Tribute To Food

Photographer Matthew Carden creates fantastic miniature landscapes that revisit healthy eating choices. From a bugs perspective, Carden creates playful moments using fruit, vegetables and small human figures in a Small World. Here we realize the beauty in everyday life and eating.

Biodegradable Designs Grown From Dried Orange Skins

Israel-based Ori Sonnenschein loves experimenting with food waste and everyday objects. His latest adventure is Solskin Peels, a collection of objects made from tangy orange skins that are biodegradable, locally sourced, cheap, water-resistant and smell like heaven.

Spectacles and Other Decor Made From Fish Scale Plastic

Royal College of Arts newgraduate Eric de Laurens unveiled a series of objects using a smelly technique he developed himself while studying in his final year. Cups, reading glasses, goggles and a fishy table decoration were made using a recycled and innovative material that he calls fish scale plastic.

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9AM PT to 10AM PT: Improving Consumer Confidence with the Solar Energy Estimate (SEE) Report

Big Green Monster — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:31:24 +0000

SolarTech, a non-profit industry consortium, will be hosting a webinar on May 24th at 9AM PT / 12PM ET to highlight the benefits of the Solar Energy Estimate (SEE) Report. The SEE Report is an industry-standard way of communicating key PV system performance projections and system information in a consistent and clear manner. The goal of the SEE Report is to reduce consumer confusion by offering a service similar to the Federal government’s new-car MPG rating system.

This webinar will cover a basic introduction to the SEE Report and how it helps both bring transparency and consistency to the sales process, while improving consumer confidence.

This webinar will also feature two ways of generating SEE Reports. The SEE Report is freely available to all solar contractors and consumers at www.solarhub.com. The webinar will also cover the SEE Report integration with the SolarNexus web-based solar business management platform for solar installers, which allows SolarNexus users to generate a SEE report automatically when creating a client proposal or quote.

This is the first in a series of Thought Leadership webinars sponsored by Trina Solar. Registration for this webinar is found at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/632725854.

WTO Panel Rules Against Dolphin-Safe Tuna Labeling

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:34:47 +0000

On Wednesday the World Trade Organization ruled against the sale of cans of tuna labeled dolphin safe, arguing that the practice discriminates against Mexican fishermen and that theUnited States definition of dolphin safe tuna unfairly restricts trade. The WTO decision threatens a business practice that has been in place for over 20 years. Environmentalists and businesses both criticized the ruling for potentially threatening dolphin species in the Pacific Ocean as well as interfering with U.S. consumers choices.

The dispute between Mexico and the U.S. is over techniques used to harvest tuna. Mexican fishing boats are known to use dolphins to round up tuna, a practice once common in U.S. waters but now discouraged. The U.S. contends that the such practices harm dolphins. Mexico counters that its methods are safe and that the U.S. dolphin safe labeling system unfairly restricts trade.

The American definition of dolphin-safe tuna is more restrictive than internationally-accepted standards. The U.S. requires that tuna are caught without the use of huge nets, called purse seine nets, to encircle dolphins and also mandates that no dolphins are killed or injured during the process. Tuna and dolphins often swim together throughout the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean in enormous schools, and until the 1980s indiscriminate fishing practices led to many dolphins killed or mutilated while tuna were harvested by commercial fishing boats.

Mexican fishing boats are allowed to chase and encircle dolphins in order to catch tuna, but in the U.S. such a practice means that the dolphin-safelabel cannot be placed on canned tuna. Now, almost every large American supermarket chain will not stock tuna products without the label, and those differences in fishing practices and labeling standards are behind the dispute between Mexico and U.S. fisheries that dates back to 1991.

The Earth Island Institute, which developed the U.S. voluntary standard for dolphin-safe tuna, called the WTO decision absurd, and the U.S. Trade Representatives office said it would stand by the labeling system. Public Citizen also criticized the ruling, saying that it was a major blow to consumers ability to make free and informed choices about how food is sourced and processed. In the aftermath of the WTOs ruling, one option the U.S. has is to train Mexican fisherman on safe fishing practices without encircling and chasing dolphins. Meanwhile, other environmental groups point out that dolphin-safe does not necessarily mean that approved fishing practices are protecting other species living in the oceans.

Via Guardian, MSNBC

Photos courtesy Wikimedia (NASA, Erik Christensen)

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Mind-Controlled Robotic Arm to Transform the Lives of the Paralyzed

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:34:19 +0000

Here at Inhabitat, we are huge fans of any technology that can improve the lives of disabled people, such as exoskeletons and robotic suits. However,Brown University, working withthe Department of Veteran Affairs, the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, have developed a robotic arm that allows disabled people to use their thoughts to grab objects thanks to a computer-brain interface.

The research, which has been published inNature, reports that two people with tetraplegia are now able to reach for and grasp objects in three-dimensional space using robotic arms that they controlled directly with brain activity. The BrainGate neural interface system is an investigational device that is currently being studied under an Investigational Device Exemption, but it is already having real-world effects. One participant used the system to serve herself coffee for the first time since becomingparalyzednearly 15 years ago.

The two participants, a 58-year-old woman (S3) and a 66-year-old man (T2), had each been paralyzed by a brainstem stroke several years earlier which had left them with no functional control of their limbs. However, by using neural activity to directly control two different robotic arms, one developed by the DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics and the other by DEKA Research and Development Corp., they were able too perform reaching and grasping tasks across a broad three-dimensional space something that had previously been impossible.

For the test,S3 and T2 were able to control the arms to reach for and grasp foam targets that were placed in front of them using flexible supports. S3 was even able to use the DLR robot to pick up a bottle of coffee, bring it to her mouth, and issue a command to tip it allowing her to drink through a straw. She was then able to return the bottle to the table.

All the participant needed to control her BrainGate-enabled, robotic-arm was a combination of two-dimensional movements across a table top plus a grasp command to either grasp and lift, or tilt the robotic hand.

Our goal in this research is to develop technology that will restore independence and mobility for people with paralysis or limb loss, said lead author Dr. Leigh Hochberg, a neuroengineer and critical care neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard. We have much more work to do, but the encouraging progress of this research is demonstrated not only in the reach-and-grasp data, but even more so in S3s smile when she served herself coffee of her own volition for the first time in almost 15 years.

Click here to see a video of the experiment.

+ Brown University

Cia BBC News

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Thomas Wold’s Quirky and Unique Creations Made From Upcycled Furniture

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:33:39 +0000

Thomas Wold is a custom craftsman who lives in the Bay Area with a design/fabrication studio in Berkeley. He struck our fancy with his amazing upcycled furniture creations that take parts and pieces from old furnishings. His assemblages have a decidedly modern aesthetic and are often painted bright popping colors. Wolds talent shines through in the pieces and its clear how much thought and skill have gone into fitting all the parts together.

Wold is well-known for his custom furniture designs and installations, and also works on custom cabinetry and interior woodwork for homes around the Bay Area. Check out his portfolio to see a more complete picture of his skills. We were most in love with his use of old furniture to create these quirky and unique cabinets. Hes also made couches, bookcases, nightlights and more.

You can also get a sneak peak of his two-bedroom house over at Design*Sponge.

+ Thomas Wold

Via Anthology

Images Thomas Wold

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Could Solar Satellites Be the Key to Infinite Energy?

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:33:04 +0000

While solar energy has long been touted as the key to solving the planets energy demands, the problem of efficiency has always hampered it. However, a team of engineers from theUniversity of Strathclyde in Glasgow believe that the key to solar energy isnt here on Earth, but out in space.

The team is currently testing equipment that they believe would act as a platform for solar panels to collect the suns energy and allow it to be transferred back to earth through microwaves or lasers.

They hope that these solar satellites would be able to provide the planet with a reliable source of power that would allow valuable energy to be sent to remote areas and provide power to areas that are difficult to reach by traditional means.

Dr. Massimiliano Vasile, of the University of Strathclydes Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, who is leading the space-based solar power research, said: Space provides a fantastic source for collecting solar power and we have the advantage of being able to gather it regardless of the time of the day or indeed the weather conditions.

In areas like the Sahara desert where quality solar power can be captured, it becomes very difficult to transport this energy to areas where it can be used. However, our research is focusing on how we can remove this obstacle and use space based solar power to target difficult to reach areas.

By using either microwaves or lasers we would be able to beam the energy back down to earth, directly to specific areas. This would provide a reliable, quality source of energy and would remove the need for storing energy coming from renewable sources on ground as it would provide a constant delivery of solar energy.

Initially, smaller satellites will be able to generate enough energy for a small village but we have the aim, and indeed the technology available, to one day put a large enough structure in space that could gather energy that would be capable of powering a large city.

Among the teams innovations is a space web that was used in an experiment over the Arctic Circle.The experiment, known as Suaineadh, was an important step forward in space construction design and showed that larger structures could be built on top of a lightweight spinning web, paving the way for the next stage in the solar power project.

Dr Vasile added: The success of Suaineadh allows us to move forward with the next stage of our project which involves looking at the reflectors needed to collect the solar power.

The current project, called SAM (Self-inflating Adaptable Membrane) will test the deployment of an ultra light cellular structure that can change shape once deployed. The structure is made of cells that are self-inflating in vacuum and can change their volume independently through nanopumps.

The structure replicates the natural cellular structure that exists in all living things. The independent control of the cells would allow us to morph the structure into a solar concentrator to collect the sunlight and project it on solar arrays. The same structure can be used to build large space systems by assembling thousands of small individual units.

If all goes to plan, one day we could have a network for solar satellites that would essentially beam down energy for use all over the world.

+University of Strathclyde

Via BBC News

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Proposed New Jersey Solar Bill May Not Solve SREC Woes

Big Green Monster — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:32:38 +0000

SenatorsBob SmithandStephen Sweenyrecently introduced New JerseySenate Bill 1925. The bill proposes to amend New Jersey’s current solar Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements in an attempt to help stabilize theoversuppliedSREC market. The bill is currently in draft form and is scheduled to be heard by the New Jersey Environment and Energy Committee on Thursday, May 17, 2012.

Based on the information presented below, the proposed version of S1925, while increasing the near term solar RPS requirements, will likely still leave the market oversupplied. This note summarizes the key points in the draft legislation and quantifies the near term and long term impacts it would have on the SREC market if passed into law.

Summary of S1925

Senate Bill 1925 proposes a few substantial changes that would influence New Jersey’s RPS requirements beginning in the 2014 compliance year (June 1, 2013 – May 31, 2014). The chart below demonstrates the change from a fixed SREC requirement under the current RPS to a % based Solar requirement under S1925. The Solar RPS requirements would change beginning in the 2014 compliance year, with a requirement of 1.832% increasing to 3.730% by the 2028 energy year.

Additionally, the table below shows the SREC quantities required under the current RPS versus the estimates required under S1925. While S1925 increases the RPS requirements in the near term, the % requirements estimate a decrease vs. the current requirements beginning in 2023.

Beyond the proposed changes in SREC requirements, S1925 would implement a new fixed Solar Alternative Compliance Payment (SACP) schedule. The schedule reduces the SACP beginning in 2014 to $350/SREC declining to $252/SREC in 2028. The implementation of this schedule will cap SRECs at a price of $350 in 2014 and decrease in future periods. The table below demonstrates the proposed schedule as compared to the current RPS requirements.

In addition to S1925′s proposed SREC and SACP changes, the bill also addresses a few other areas:

An SREC’s useful life would extend from three to five years; giving it eligibility in the year in which it is issued and the following four energy years.
During 2014, 2015, and 2016, approved non-net metered grid supply projects cannot exceed more than 100 MW in total aggregated capacity each year. Grid supply projects located on brownfields are not limited under this stipulation. After 2016, the approval of grid supply projects would be subject to review by the Board of Public Utilities (BPU).
Solar RPS requirements would automatically increase by 20 percent for the remainder of the schedule in the event that the following two conditions are met: 1) the number of SRECs generated meets or exceeds the requirement for three consecutive reporting years, beginning with energy year 2014 and 2) the price for SRECs purchased by entities with renewable energy portfolio standards obligations in each of the same three consecutive reporting years is less than the current SREC price in the year prior to the three consecutive reporting years (i.e. if the price in 2014, 2015, and 2016 is less than the 2013 price and the number of SRECs exceeds the requirement in each of these years, the 20 percent increase in the RPS will be triggered).

What Does This Mean for the NJ SREC Market?

While S1925 takes the steps needed to prop up the NJ SREC market, a closer look at the numbers suggest that even if this bill comes to fruition the market could continue to be oversupplied. The table below shows the current and proposed S1925 RPS requirements through 2017. Both scenarios demonstrate what the markets look like given estimates of installed capacity through April 30, 2012, and assume that excess, eligible SRECs from prior periods are used to meet the compliance obligations in the current period. Under the current RPS requirements, assuming no new build, the market is oversupplied through energy year 2016. Applying these same figures to the estimated SRECs required if S1925 is implemented, the market is short approximately 118,500 SRECs in 2014 (the equivalent of approximately 98.8 MW operational all year long).

Although the requirements under the current installed capacity and proposed changes under S1925 put the market at under supply with no new build, the likely hood of that is minimal. Over the last twelve months (LTM), the average MW installed per month has been 36.0 MW. That figure over the last six months has reached 44.9 MW/month. Given the recent historic build rates, we have analyzed 3 different scenarios in which the following cases are assumed:

Case 1 shows half of the LTM average MW added per month throughout the course of the annual forecast periods;
Case 2 shows the LTM average MW added per month remains the samethroughout the annual forecast periods;
Case 3 shows 1.5x the LTM average MW added per month throughout the annual forecast periods.

Note, for the purpose of obtaining an ending balance of MW capacity as of May 31, 2012, the table below assumes another 36.0 MW is added in the month of May 2012.

In each of the three cases presented above, the market ends up in oversupply through at least 2016. It is important to note that each case assumes all excess, eligible SRECs from the prior period are utilized to meet the current year RPS requirements.

As demonstrated in the scenario analysis, the market would need to substantially slow down current monthly build rates to allow supply to come in line with demand in the future RPS compliance periods. Its unlikely that build rates will decline fast enough to protect from future oversupply. This bill does not allow for an increase in build rates (it requires a decrease) and cannot be used as a justification for an increase in PV installation growth.

Reaching the install rates shown in Case 1 (approx. 18 MW/month) should be within reach despite the restrictions put on grid supply projects. Additionally, the potential introduction of newEDC SREC programs, as well as historic build rates in the residential and commercial sectors, will also contribute to meeting the levels outlined in Case 1. Clearly, SREC pricing and availability of forward contracts to support new project development will impact future build rates, but even in markets with an oversupply of solar (i.e. PA), projects continue to be built without much regard for the current SREC environment.

How Does this Impact the 2012 and 2013 energy years?

Under the current draft of S1925, the RPS requirements would be unaffected in 2012 and 2013. The 2012 generation period will come to a close at the end of May 2012. Compliance buyers will have until approximately the end of September to wrap up their purchases before finalizing RPS reports with the BPU. As it currently stands, we estimate the NJ2012 market to see an excess of approximately 180,000 SRECs. Recent over the counter trading has increased to levels between $125 and $135/SREC, up from the last SRECTrade auction clearing price at just above$115/SREC.

The Electric Distribution Companies (EDCs), or regulated utilities, in NJ will be holding anauctionon Thursday, May 17, 2012. Recent announcements show that as many as 33,000 NJ2012 SRECs will be available for sale during this auction. Given these volumes, 2012 demand may be reduced after this auction.

In addition to the 2012 energy year, the 2013 compliance period is fundamentally oversupplied. Current estimates show the 2013 period will see an excess of approximately 496,000 SRECs. This estimate takes into consideration the excess SRECs from 2012 and installed capacity estimates through April 2012. The 2013 forward market has recently traded above the 2012 vintage, but given the fundamental oversupply it is likely pricing will trend downward throughout the 2013 compliance period beginning June 1, 2012 (note the first 2013 vintage SRECs will not be issued in GATS and available for delivery until the end of July 2012).

SRECTrade will continue to keep a close eye on the S1925 legislative process as it makes its way through the Senate Environment and Energy Committeeand the remaining requirements needed before it can be signed into law.

Note: Percentage based SREC requirements have been forecast based onEIA Report updated 11/15/11 By End-Use Sector, by State, by Provider. Projected SRECs required utilizes the most recent EIA electricity data applying an average 1.5% growth rate per forecast year. The states RPS Solar requirement is then multiplied by forecast total electricity sales to arrive at projected SRECs required.Projected capacity required is based on a factor of 1,200 MWh per MW in New Jersey.

For a PDF copy of this post clickhere.

This article was originally posted on SRECTrade’s blog athttp://www.srectrade.com/blog/

Image:Gemenacomvia Shutterstock

Domestic Module Manufacturing: PV Globalization or Political Vote-Seeking?

Big Green Monster — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:32:14 +0000

The fact that these facilities continue to receive government support would suggest that many policymakers remain fixated on domestic solar manufacturing, despite the chronic oversupply that currently exists within the upstream segment of the PV value-chain. Moreover, many of these projects are funded as a means of local “job creation,” despite the fact that modern module fabs are not particularly labor intensive compared to downstream PV system requirements.

Such manufacturing “support” policies are being implemented globally. For example, within South America, there are manufacturing facilities with capacities of 5-20 MW being developed in Brazil. In Argentina, national and state funds are being made available in an attempt to create a domestic PV value-chain to satisfy up to 0.5 GW of installations over the next decade. In the Caribbean region, several islands have proposed tax policies to stimulate domestic PV manufacturing. For example, project developers in Jamaica are required to invest in manufacturing facilities as a prerequisite to securing PV project activities.

Across Africa, countries such as Algeria, Nigeria, and Tunisia are utilizing state-owned energy firms to develop manufacturing facilities to serve domestic electrification projects and regional off-grid system demand. Ethiopia and Kenya also have domestic module manufacturing facilities that are owned by partnership ventures between foreign and domestic companies. While some of these facilities are currently operating at low capacity utilization levels, they are producing PV modules, albeit courtesy of state support. Some recently-installed manufacturing lines are being configured to serve the growing demand for off-grid systems, from small to large-scale.

However, each of these domestic firms must still compete with large-scale international manufacturers. Therefore, it remains somewhat unclear if they can survive in the absence of state funding or when multinational firms start to expand into what were previously regarded as niche PV markets.

Domestic module manufacturing is also prevalent in more developed countries, in particular Canada. In Ontario, the Green Energy Act has enabled the creation of a robust domestic PV supply chain in just three years. In fact, the initiative has proved so popular that some Ontario-based PV manufacturers now find themselves at a competitive disadvantage, even within their own local market. By the middle of 2012, there will be over five times the amount of module capacity required to meet projected demand.

Another knock-on effect of the recent surge in small-scale domestic PV module manufacturing has been the creation of a new addressable market for PV equipment suppliers. Indeed, at a time whenPV equipment spending is going through a prolonged downturn, any new market opportunity can be viewed as a positive development. Today, most PV module equipment suppliers are actively pursuing small-scale module fab builds to compensate for the absence of turn-key module line orders from countries such as Spain and Italy.

It remains likely that some form of local module manufacturing will be installed within all regions exhibiting PV market growth. However, with vertically-integrated multinational firms now aggressively targeting emerging PV regions, there is a distinct possibility that small-scale module manufacturing will only survive within niche markets that offer the security of local subsidies or domestic incentives.

Ultimately, all manufacturing must follow the global industrys declining module ASP trajectory, with production costs at any stage of the value-chain being low enough to provide positive operating margins. With small-scale manufacturers dependent on upstream supply of c-Si cells, their ability to control costs will be challenged by the GW-scale vertically-integrated fabs of tier 1 industry-leaders. Thus, domestic incentives will provide a limited window of opportunity for small-scale manufacturers to gain a foothold in their local markets, potentially by partnering with downstream project developers to offer a value-added proposition.

Michael is an analyst for Solarbuzz. He covers primary research and analysis concerning the photovoltaic industry.

This article was originally published at SolarBuzz Analyst Blog and was republished with permission.

Image:Monika23via Shutterstock

31 Percent Anti-Dumping Tariffs Announced for Chinese Solar Panels

Big Green Monster — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:31:52 +0000

In its preliminary determination, the DOC set duties at 31.14 percent for Trina, 31.22 percent for Suntech and 31.18 percent for other Chinese solar manufacturers that chose to participate in the investigation. The companies that chose not to participate were hit with a 250 percent tariff. The tariffs will be retroactive and be applied to panels that were shipped from as far back as about the middle of February 2012.

A final determination must still be made, and the tariff rates can still be adjusted upward or downward. But the ruling gave an anxious industry a better sense of the implications of the trade case. And the numbers that came out were much higher than many expected.

Thursday’s announcement was for anti-dumping tariffs and it was the second of two duties set by the DOC that directly stemmed from a trade complaint filed by SolarWorlds American subsidiary. DOC officials will now confirm the information provided by the Chinese government and the Chinese manufacturers that chose to participate. Final determinations are expected to be made for both tariffs in late July, though an annoucement may not come until September.

In March, the Department of Commerce announced a preliminary determination that set relatively modest countervailing duties that essential measure the level of subsidies and benefits coming from the Chinese government to Chinese crystalline silicon panel manufacturers. The countervailing duties were applied on three levels: 4.73 percent applied to Trina, 2.9 percent to Suntech, and 3.59 percent to all others. That had been a welcome relief for many in the solar industry, especially the installers who have come to base their business models around low-cost panels. But the feeling was short-lived with the announcement of the countervailing tariffs, which will be added to the anti-dumping tariffs announced on Thursday.

The two together are certain to make Chinese solar panels much more expensive. The ruling could add about $0.30 a watt to the price of a panel. Chinese companies are expected to set up workarounds like tolling in which they send panels through another country, or even set up remote manufacturing facilities outside their country. Tolling is expected to add about $0.06 to $0.08 per watt.

The Background

In a trade complaint filed in October, SolarWorld’s American subsidiary and six other solar panel manufacturers claimed that Chinese companies are receiving an unfair level of subsidies from the Chinese government and that they are then dumping their products at below the cost of production into the American market. This, they contend, is stifling solar panel manufacturing in the United States. The case made by the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM) has been folded into the growing political narrative that America must reclaim its ability to lead in the global arena of manufacturing and innovation.

On the other side, the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) says that the overriding goal is to make solar energy as competitive as possible. Low-cost Chinese panels have figured prominently in this race to make solar energy competitive with fossil fuels. Panel prices have dropped by 50 percent in just the past year, and that growth has spurred an installation boom that many in the industry feel is unsustainable if prices spike.

Industry Reaction

Jigar Shah, President of CASE: Today SolarWorld received one of its biggest subsidies yet an average 31% tax on its competitors. Whats worse, it will ultimately come right out of the paychecks of American solar workers. Fortunately, these duties are much lower than the 250% tax that SolarWorld originally requested. This decision will increase solar electricity prices in the U.S. precisely at the moment solar power is becoming competitive with fossil fuel generated electricity. At the same time, CASE recognizes that todays decision is preliminary. Between now and a final decision before the end of the year, there are many issues that will be addressed and whose resolution would lead to a significantly lower tariff. CASE will continue to fight SolarWorlds anti-consumer and anti-jobs efforts to ensure a better result for Americas solar industry.
Rhone Resch, President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association: “The solar industry calls upon the U.S. and Chinese governments to immediately work together towards a mutually-satisfactory resolution of the growing trade conflict within the solar industry. While trade remedy proceedings are basic principles of the rules-based global trading system, so too are collaboration and negotiations. Importantly, disputes within one segment of the industry affect the entire solar supply chain and these broad implications must be recognized. In addition, the U.S. solar manufacturing base goes well beyond solar cell and module production and includes billions of dollars of recent investments into the production of polysilicon, polymers, and solar manufacturing equipment, products which are largely destined for export. If the U.S.-China solar trade disputes continue to escalate, it will jeopardize these U.S. investments.”
Gordon Brinser, President of SolarWorld: “Today, SolarWorld and the many industry players who embrace the sustainable efficiency gains and price declines that come from fair competition can take heart that the U.S. government is standing up against Big China Solar, said Gordon Brinser, president of SolarWorld Industries America Inc. and leader of the Coalition for Solar Manufacturing (CASM). Commerces careful measures could help thwart Chinas illegal drive to control the solar market and supplant manufacturers and jobs in America, the very country that invented, pioneered and innovated solar to todays mainstream viability.
Steve Ostrenga, CEO Helios Solar Works: “Commerces ruling in the SolarWorld case is a bellwether decision. It underscores the importance of domestic manufacturing to the U.S. economy and will help determine whether the country will be a global competitor in clean technologies or outsource them China. It is also critically important for thousands of U.S. workers.

Andrew Beebe, COO of Suntech: These duties do not reflect the reality of a highly-competitive global solar industry. Suntech has consistently maintained a positive gross margin as revenues are higher than our cost of production. We will work closely with the Department of Commerce prior to their final decision to demonstrate why these duties are not justified by fact.”

The Fallout

Many in the industry have been fretting that a steep penalty on Chinese panels would stifle the rate at which solar has been growing in the American market. New tariffs, they say, have the potential to derail the downward costs that have made solar a more appealing option to investors. As a result, the industry could see significantly less growth in the years ahead. And that means fewer American jobs.

Melanie Hart and Kate Gordon of the Center for American Progress refuted that notion this week, arguing instead that not challenging legal practices sets up a scenario in which Chinas leaders will dictate not only the price of solar panels that dominate the open market, but they will also choose which types of solar technologies their government will support. This, they say, could lead to stunted growth in both installations and innovation.

[O]nce Chinese companies drive out their competition from the solar manufacturing sector, they will immediately start raising prices to increase their profits and start to wean off of government subsidies, they wrote this week. We are currently seeing a similar pricing pattern in the global rare earths market. China has around one-third of the worlds rare earth supplies but controls 90 percent of the global market, primarily because lax regulatory oversight enabled Chinese companies to mine cheaply and price everyone else out of the market.

In an op-ed penned for the Boston Globe, Tom Gutierrez, CEO for New Hampshire-based GT Technologies, wrote that the trade dispute has done little to help build a stronger American solar market. All it has done, he said, is force Chinese manufacturers to find new ways to enter the U.S. with their low-cost panels.

Many Chinese manufacturers are simply redirecting their flow of products through other countries to avoid the US-imposed barriers, or in some cases the location of their production, and in all likelihood they will continue to provide the global market with competitively-priced solar panels, he wrote. This action by the U.S. government merely forced Chinese companies to find new ways to innovate in order to compete. In all likelihood the Chinese will be just fine. In fact, we may be transforming domestic Chinese players into more formidable forces by encouraging their global diversification and expansion. But what about the U.S. solar industry?

The debate has extended far beyond the solar industry and has become a political lightning rod that has shaped some unexpected alliances. For an industry that depends on liberal-leaning policy support, the free market principles touted by the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy have generally played strongest in conservative circles. Democrats, meanwhile, are pushing a get-tough-on-China strategy that threatens to undermine the low-cost goals of much of the industry. Just this week, two Democrats Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Charles Schumer of New York introduced a bill aimed at China that would exclude all foreign-made solar panels from a 30-percent tax credit unless the modules passed a threshold of domestic manufacturing.

On Our Radar: A Nuclear Snapshot

NY Times — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:31:14 +0000

Energy Information AdministrationAsia has seen the steepest growth in nuclear power generation capacity in recent decades.

The Energy Information Administration presents a new visualization of the global capacity for nuclear power generation. From 1980 to 2010, nuclear capacity in Asia quadrupled, led primarily by Korea, Japan, and India; more recently, growth has been led primarily by China, where capacity has quintupled in the last 10 years. [Energy Information Administration]

Brazils president faces growing pressure to veto a law that would open vast protected areas of forests to ranching and farming. Opponents say it could reverse the nations gains in slowing Amazon deforestation. [The New York Times]

Canadas foreign affairs minister says the government will cut off financing for the countrys National Roundtable for the Environment and Economy, a green advisory group. He asserts that taxpayers should not have to pay for an organization that has repeatedly promoted a carbon tax, but the roundtables chief executive denies that it did so. He says it did support cap and trade in 2009, when it was official government policy. [The Guardian]

A second endangered Sumatran elephant has been poisoned in Indonesia, presumably by poachers or by villagers trying to protect their crops. [Agence France-Presse]

US Consumers Willing To Pay Higher Utility Bills For Clean Energy

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:40:01 +0000

According to a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change, Americans are willing to pay for slightly higher electricity bills for clean energy. The survey, led by researchers from Yale and Harvard, asked this question: would consumers be interested in a law requiring utilities to source 80 percent of their power from sources including nuclear, solar and wind by 2035? The results indicated that on average, Americans are willing to pay an extra $162 more a year for an energy policy that mandated 80 percent of electricity is generated from renewables by 2035.

The researchers, Yales Matthew Kotchen and Andrew Leiserowitz and Harvards Joseph Aldy, found that the maximum amount citizens were willing to pay to ramp up renewable energy production was under $14 a month. The trio asked respondents questions about their support for a national clean energy standard (NCES), and they also provided different descriptions of the bill with various price tags. The 1,010 American surveyed last year also were provided three different versions of clean energy: renewables alone; renewables with natural gas; and renewables with nuclear.

The results show that Americans are ahead of Congress when it comes to a clean energy policy. Bills that would establish a NCES standard have been floated recently in both the House and the Senate, but politicians have only been willing to see electricity rates increase an average of $50 to $60 annually.

The rates Americans are willing to pay vary by demographics and geographic location. Senior citizens, non-whites and Republicans showed lower enthusiasm for a NCES. Support for such a policy decreased when natural gas and nuclear were included in the mix in addition to the rates citizens are willing to pay for such a policy. And the popularity of a new clean energy policy depended on the congressional district in which the respondent lives. Nevertheless, the survey shows that Americans support such programs as a feed-in tariff as long as the increases are not too steep.

Nature Climate Change

Via Washington Post

Photos courtesy Wikimedia (U.S. Air Force, Windtech)

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Ancient Roman Temple of Diana Restored With Unique Raised Visitor Platform

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:39:34 +0000

Over the last five years architecture studio Jos Mara Snchez Garca was faced with the challenge of restoring Spains ancient archaeological site the Temple of Diana. Located in the city of Merida, the Temple dates back to the Roman times, when it was originally built as a forum, and the central point of Merida. The renovations were designed by the Spanish architects in order to revive elements of the sites unique place in history, while also establishing the surrounding space within modern architectural discourse.

Each element of the design works to complement the original temple and the architects ensured that they respect the heritage of the site. An L-shaped perimeter platform was built to seal off the edge of the city and create a new perspective for visitors, while supporting the large area of the public square. The sacred space, which consists of two ponds, the cryptoportico and the Roman wall, has been restored and incorporated within the plaza itself.

This labor-intensive process emerged over several years and was finally completed in 2011. The designers mimicked the materials and techniques used to build the original site. With the use of earth finishing, lime, and granite-like stone they made sure the new platform was a fitting addition to the sacred Temple.

+ Jos Mara Snchez Garca

Images courtesy of Roland Halbe

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PLOF Recycles an Array of Production Waste into Colorful Ottomans

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:39:00 +0000

Thoughtful designers, like those at Atlier Belge, are looking for new and innovative ways to create furniture that incorporates sustainable solutions.PLOF is an eco-friendly and durable way to reuse different types of production waste. Colorful textile leftovers are shredded into smaller pieces and upholstered with see-thru PE plastic to create furniture benches.The combination of colors and textures is unique to each bench, and no two are the same. Like any upholstered piece PLOF is padded with several knots topped by shiny white buttons adding comfort and elegance.This unique bench gives new life to waste textiles and will make for a creative and colorful addition to your home indoors or out.

+ Atlier Belge

The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!

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David Suhami’s Pocket Knife Transforms Tools into Jungle Safari Creatures

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:38:42 +0000

The original swiss army knife is an essential tool for many of us, and now David Suhami has created a revamped version of the ubiquitous pocket-gadget with a unique and amusing twist. Each element of Suhamis version the multi-tool comprises a different part of a jungle animal! Contained within the cool gadget lies silhouettes in the form of a Rhino, Giraffe, or an Antelope, making the knife its very own miniature jungle safari.

Surprisingly the design can create up to 81 different combinations of animals, each one a creature-shaped tool with a functional purpose. Suhami, a student at the Industrial Design at Shenkar College of Engineering Design in Tel Aviv, has retained an element of traditional craft by making the pocket tool from simple Stainless Steel and fine Tabebuia wood.

Via Sinbaddesign

Images courtesy of David Suhami

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Riccardo Belli’s “Grow” Tiles Provide a Nurturing Environment for Plants To Grow in the City

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:38:06 +0000

No matter how much we build, plants always seems to find a way to sprout up through the cracks of human civilization. Inspired by the constrast between the natural world and human culture,Riccardo Belli, a student at the Academy of Fine Arts Design at Maastricht,created Grow, a unique ceramic tile that includes a suitable habitat for living plants, and that encourages living things to thrive within the built environment.

Bellis bubble design is intentionally organic, and its deep indents provide an inviting habitat for moss to grow in. Belli hopes that Grow, and the plants it encourages in urban environments, will change peoples perceptions of the dynamic between nature and culture.

+ Ricardo Belli

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Ryosuke Fukusada’s Glowing LED Lamps are Suspended in Crocheted Nets

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:36:07 +0000

We recently showed you Ryosuke Fukusadas innovative and playful designs, which include wooden light bulbs and tiny cakes shaped like furniture; his recent project, Net Lamps, places efficient LED lamps as glowing orbs suspended within crocheted nets. Hanging Net Lamps combine elastic Poly-net knitted into a tight column, which, suspended from metal loops on the floor and ceiling, hold the lamp in mid-air as it softly illuminates the unusual surrounding fabric.

The structure can be modified in length by just chopping its end part, adapting it to different ceiling heights and spaces. A graduate from the Domus Academy, Fukusada, a former consumer-electronics designer raised in Japan, currently works as a product designer for Patricia Urquiola. Based in the bustling city of Milan, he continues his own design practice.

+Ryosuke Fukusada

Via Spoon and Tamago

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Can the Voice of Solar Shine Brighter?

Big Green Monster — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:31:39 +0000

Local installers without a large PR and marketing staff simply don’t know where to begin. Or maybe they submitted a few pitches to the bigger markets and, after being ignored, decided publicity efforts weren’t worth the time. Or maybe they just feel that promoting to local and regional markets places like your local Patch site or print newspapers doesn’t yield enough eyeballs to make it worthwhile.

A recent #SolarChat, a bi-monthly Twitter chat I host, turned this perception on its head. With guest panelists Carter Lavin, business development manager of the Solar Marketing Group, and Jessica F. Lillian, editor of Solar Industry Magazine, we explored the most effective media outreach tactics, shared tips to get the attention of journalists and bloggers, and gained incredible insight about the state of solar in the mainstream media.

Thinking Local

It became apparent that solar supporters have a strong voice. Although we’re not (yet) getting headlines on the front page of the New York Times, smaller local and regional media outlets are, in fact, open to sharing solar stories. Of course, we have to pitch them in the right way with a catchy headline, strong lead, and slant toward human interest.

Several participants in this recent #SolarChat discussion noted that local reporters are always thrilled to receive feel-good solar stories. We should not underestimate the power of the local media when it comes to spreading the word about solar. Many small voices create a strong force. Just look at the power bloggers today; many are as well respected and some more widely read than traditional journalists. The power of citizen journalism is sweeping the world across every industry, and the solar industry is no different. It’s time to take advantage of it.

Focus on the Positive

Let’s face it: The solar industry isn’t necessarily the mainstream media’s darling. That’s not surprising, since its an emerging industry going up against strong lobbyists from the coal and oil industries that influence the larger news outlets. Money talks ad dollars are the language of TV and print journalism. Many mainstream media outlets have given ample coverage to the few solar failures, but solar advocates know that’s not where the real solar story lies.

What can we do? Of course, we can and should counter solar misinformation by writing letters to the editor with facts and data the truth is on our side!

But we’re big enough to take a pro-active stance, as well. It’s time to switch out of the reactive mindset, merely countering the negative stories, and go after the local media that’s within our reach and eager to hear the truth about solar. Solar is helping lower-income families and school districts afford the electricity they need. Solar energy is saving middle-class Americans hundreds on their electric bills. Solar power is creating jobs, and it’s creating a brighter future for us all.

Together, we can make a huge difference. The momentum #SolarChat has gained in less than a year is a huge example of many small voices (you cant get much smaller than 140 characters) impacting hundreds of thousands of followers.

What if every solar installer and manufacturer aimed to have a story placed in their local paper and on their Patch site? What if everyone in the industry connected with just one lifestyle blogger with a large mainstream audience and placed a guest post there? What if every solar professional took the opportunity to speak at a local school about the benefits of solar and career opportunities in renewable energy?

The viral effect of these placements and appearances can rival anything big coal and oil lobbyists can throw out there; we can debunk myths and spread solar stories that will inspire consumers to action.

Harnessing the power of the local media to spread the word about solar is similar to installing a solar PV array on your own home to harness the sun’s power for electricity. Why pay for something (whether it’s publicity or electricity) that you can get for free when you know how?

So, tell us: How will you take action in the media?

Image:Cienpies Designvia Shutterstock

Mission Critical: A Clean Energy Call to Arms

Big Green Monster — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:31:21 +0000

While Congress fumbles, the Department of Defense (DoD) has identified our fossil fuel dependence as a national security threat which exposes our country to increased vulnerability both at home and abroad. The Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines have all set aggressive goals lower energy demand, utilize new renewable fuel sources, and develop energy generation, storage, and transmission technologies that will allow military installations to function more reliably and expeditionary forces to perform more effectively. Not only that, but the DoD has unequivocally determined that climate change is a threat multiplier that will heighten geopolitical instability, resource conflicts, and humanitarian disasters around the globe stretching the capacity of our Armed Forces to respond. Accordingly, not only is the military dedicated to improving energy performance and diversifying energy sources, it is specifically committed to developing low-carbon technologies.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta asserts that all of these initiatives are for one purpose only. By changing the DoD energy posture, America will have a military that is better able to project and sustain forces around the world to meet any challenges to the nations security and interests of the American people.

Through my work with Environmental Entrepreneurs, Ive had the privilege to meet with many of the Pentagons energy leaders executing this clean-energy mandate, and also to work alongside a number of retired military officers to advance these initiatives. I can say without reservation that these are the best allies the clean-technology sector could have.

DoD brings formidable assets to this mission. Armed services installations encompass more than 28 million acres of land. DoD plans to install at least 3 GW of renewable-power generation on these bases the single largest commitment to clean energy in the U.S. It manages more than 2.2 billion square feet of building space for which it is seeking to greatly improve energy and resource efficiency performance. As a massive consumer of fuel (using nearly 2 percent of the nations total), and unwilling to sustain the enormous budgetary burden of volatile fuel prices, the military is seeking alternative transportation technologies for its vehicles on bases, as well as its aircraft, ships, and combat vehicles. It is evaluating every aspect of its operations, from energy demand in base housing to the batteries that soldiers carry to battle, and pinpointing where next-generation technologies can improve the nations security.

And the military is prepared to invest in these technologies. The Pentagon is requesting $2 billion in fiscal year 2013 for energy improvements to DoD installations and expeditionary operations, with a view to both short and long term results. In many cases these investments will produce huge savings on energy costs.

In the absence of a cogent national energy policy, the militarys actions add up to a national demand signal like no other in the United States today. Because the military is both a strategic (and relatively patient) investor and a huge customer for new energy technologies, DoDs energy mandates are providing an innovation pull function that holds massive promise for economic growth and job generation in the private sector.

Perhaps most important of all, the military is creating a roadmap for American civilian society, as each vulnerability that the Pentagon has identified with regard to energy security applies at least as much to the general population. From undependable fuel supplies and prices to vulnerable power grids and inefficiencies in our homes and businesses, these liabilities pose an insidious threat to the resilience and strength of our economy and reduce our ability to compete in global markets.

And yet, some in Congress are prepared to sacrifice national and economic security for a partisan agenda. With a visceral disdain for clean energy, or perhaps with an overly robust relationship with the fossil-fuel industries, they are challenging the motives behind the Pentagons clean energy initiatives and threatening to withhold funding to carry them out.

Now is the time to speak out in defense of DoDs clean energy initiatives. The annual National Defense Authorization Act is currently being hammered out in both houses of Congress. The House Armed Services Committee has already passed their version of the bill which includes provisions to prohibit the military from investing in and deploying low carbon renewable fuels. The Senate Armed Services Committee will take up the bill on May 22nd. Whether youre an employee, a business owner, or an investor in the clean-energy sector, call your representatives in Congress, especially those who sit on the Armed Services Committees, and tell them to support DODs clean energy initiatives. Tell them that those initiatives will help you grow your business and create jobs. They need to know you are watching what they do on this and will hold them accountable. Your voice will have more impact than you imagine.

Civilians from across the political spectrum should step up to defend the militarys clean-energy agenda. Uncle Sam really does need you.

Image:Robert Adrian Hillmanvia Shutterstock

Q. and A.: How to Save Bangladesh?

NY Times — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:31:02 +0000

Agence France-Presse Getty ImagesFamily members checked out their ruined dwelling in Hajaribag, outside the Bangladeshi capital. Such flooding is expected to worsen significantly as a result of climate change in coming years.

In just over a month, policymakers from around the world will meet in Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. The meeting has been dubbed Rio+20, marking the two decades that have passed since a landmark conference on the environment and development was held in Rio in 1992. This time the main themes are energy, sustainable cities, food security, water shortages, the health of oceans, disaster readiness and assuring people a livelihood.

Bangladesh is a prime example of a vulnerable developing nation that faces formidable challenges in all these areas, and it will be directly affected by the decisions that are made or not made at the conference. Firm commitments have often been elusive on the international level.

We asked Thomas Rath, the country program manager for the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development project in Bangladesh, about the development obstacles the country faces, some of which are linked to climate change and environmental degradation. Following are excerpts, edited for brevity and clarity.

How would you describe Bangladeshs agricultural picture?

Bangladesh, bordering India, Myanmar and the Bay of Bengal, is in the subtropical zone, very wet and flat and dominated by agriculture. Three large rivers from the Himalayas flow through the country, all ending in the bay on the southern coast. Its a beautiful, fertile tropical delta.

The New York Times

About 150 million people live here, and the population density is one of the highest in the world after places like Singapore and Hong Kong. Thats 1,200 people per square kilometer (about four-tenths of a square mile). By comparison, in Mongolia there are only three or four people per square kilometer.

This density means that many farmers have very small land plots on which they struggle to feed their families. About 35 percent of the population lives under the poverty line of $1 a day, and about 40 percent, or 60 million people, are completely dependent on agriculture. Many people are landless or have less than an acre or half an acre to live on. It makes you wonder what they are surviving on.

Rice is the principal crop and, for those with very little land, the only crop they grow. Forty percent of children are malnourished, either because they dont get enough calories or because they cant develop healthily only eating rice.

How is climate change affecting the land, people and economy?

Bangladesh sits at the end of the cone of the Bay of Bengal. The country is infamous for natural disasters. Every year there are typhoons. The coastal zones routinely get washed away, and the farmland is destroyed: people lose animals, crops, everything they have. They are very exposed: most of the land is flat and just above sea level, every storm sweeps across the country without any obstacles, and tidal surges pound the coast.

If you go further north, there is an area in the northeast that is essentially a large depression in the land. When the monsoon season, starts the water comes down from the mountains and floods the whole area. It fills up with water and takes months to drain. Vast areas are underwater half the time, so farmers cant go into their fields or grow anything then; they have to rely on something else for most of the year.

These things have always happened in Bangladesh, but with climate change it is expected that these flash floods will occur more frequently, and rainfall will be more intense and erratic. Farmers are already trying to adapt to these changes by sowing their rice earlier and using varieties that mature more quickly so they can get the harvest in before the rains come and they are left with nothing to eat or sell.

In the coastal areas, storms are expected to come earlier and be more frequent and severe. In the last two decades, 500,000 people have been killed in storms, and we should expect that this will increase.

And then of course, the sea level will rise, and the ocean will come in over what dikes have been built. It is very likely that about 30 percent of land in Bangladesh will frequently be underwater and the soil will be saturated with salt and useless. Many, many people will lose their farmland, crops and livestock and homes and become climate change refugees. Where do these people go then, when there is already not enough land in the country?

What are your thoughts on Rio as the conference approaches? Are you hopeful? Cynical?

I am not cynical there are too many cynics already, and how does that help?

But I do think its important that people act instead of just talking.
Its really sad that there are still politicians and governments out there who dont believe that climate change is fact. Its very sad. I dont know what their motivations are, but they should come to Bangladesh and meet the people who wont have homes or land or any way of supporting their families.

Many, many people will lose their farmland, crops and livestock and homes and become climate change refugees. Where do these people go then?

Thomas Rath

If we dont do anything, then the problem will come to us: these wont be problems in our backyard, we will have climate refugees in our front yard, knocking on our door.

These people have a right to live, just as we who by chance were lucky enough to be born in comfortable North America and Europe have the right to live.

Rio was and is a fantastic thing, but we have no time to waste.

The planet cannot afford for us to continue the mistakes we made during industrialization: rooting our economy in fossil energy and polluting the atmosphere as much as possible. We need to help one another.

What are the biggest challenges for Bangladesh?

Its not enough for us to help people become better farmers; we need to help transition the economy to something that does not depend on the availability of land. I know farmers who grow rice before the monsoon season and then, when the rains come, they stock their flooded fields with fish fingerlings and crabs and sell these in Dhaka. It is a strange sort of crop rotation, but it works in some areas.

Agriculture will still be a very important sector in Bangladesh it has to be, given so much food insecurity. But food insecurity can only be tackled by sufficient food production, and expanding agriculture livestock, rice cultivation contributes to climate change, which in turn leads to greater food insecurity through flooding etc.

We need to find ways to help countries all over Asia to reduce carbon dioxide emissions while at the same time producing enough food to feed their people.

Bright-Red U-Shaped Salburua Social Housing Sells Excess Energy in Spain

Inhabitat — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:33:23 +0000

This is a mixed-use development that clusters all the services (such as waste and energy generation) in one central space to ensure maximum efficiency. Each apartment is positioned for maximum solar exposure and privacy, so the bedrooms overlook the linear green courtyard area while the kitchen and dining areas face the street. A continuous ventilation system extends from one side of the u-shaped roof to the other, mitigating the need for protruding chimneys.

A co-generation plant is probably the most impressive aspect of this project. Relying on both natural gas and conventional thermal energy, the system harvests heat from cooling of motor and exhaust fumes so that occasionally excess energy can be sold back to the grid. This combined with passive design and natural lighting results in significant energy savings, which makes an already affordable home that much more attractive. Its a great project and hopefully just one of many more to come.

+ ACXT

Via Arch Daily

Images Aitor Ortiz

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