Cut 10 percent off your energy bill

Government data suggests that the burning of natural gas and heating oil for the purpose of heating homes accounts for up to six percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

Plugging leaks and stopping drafts in your home can quickly and easily result in saving 10 percent off your energy bill. If you want to go a step further, there are federal tax credits available for installing green insulation and energy-efficient windows and doors.

Stopping drafts can be as easy as noticing where they are in your house and caulking the gaps around windows and doors. This guide from The Daily Green can help you get started.

New Mexico announces plan for giant energy converter

The inability to transport solar and wind energy between different power grids in the U.S. has also been a limiting factor in the expansion of renewable energy use in the country. However, a project announced today by the State of New Mexico will make it possible to more effectively transmit solar and wind energy between the three main U.S. energy grids.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said the new energy hub will "be the largest power converter in the world, making New Mexico the meeting place for America's electricity needs." The state and the company that would be in charge of constructing the converter are now seeking approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. If the project is approved, construction could begin as soon as 2011.

For more information on the renewable energy hub, check out this story from Business Green.

The first laptop bags with solar panels

Mascotte Industrial Associates, a UK company, has developed the first line of consumer electronics bags with built-in solar panels.

The bags are fitted with Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. This marks the first time that DSSC technology has been used in consumer products. DSSC is a type of "thin-film" solar technology that allows solar panels to be manufactured quickly and molded to fit various materials. A similar techonology is being used in cell phones that are fitted with solar panels, which providers have started marketing this year.

The bags will be displayed at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair this week and will be capable of charging laptops, cell phones, cameras, and other devices. For more information, check out this story from Business Green.

Solar Decathlon showcases homes of the future

For the new two weeks, the National Mall in Washington, D.C., has been turned into a residential development to showcase the best solar homes available in the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon competition.

University teams from around the country as well as teams from Germany and Spain have spent over two years building solar-powered houses. Like the decathlon at track & field competitions, the contest has 10 "events," or areas that the house are judged on: architecture, market viability, engineering, lighting design, communications, comfort zone, hot water, appliances, home entertainment, and net metering.

The purpose of the competition is to promote the world's growing need to find ways to harness and use alternative energies. For more info on the Solar Decathlon, check out this story from CNN.

New projects planned for California solar power plants

Power provider Southern California Edison announced today that it is partnering with two major solar power installations in Southern California to provide more solar power to its customers. The solar plants are expected to be up-and-running by 2012 or 2013.

Currently, only five percent of the renewable energy that SCE buys is solar, but the sources that supply the solar power to the company account for 65 percent of the solar power produced in the U.S. The California state government has set a goal for 20 percent of the power consumed in the state to come from renewable sources by the end of next year. While that's unlikely to happen, agreements and partnerships such as the one SCE made today will certainly go a long way towards making it happen.

For more info on SCE's use of solar power, check out this story from The Daily Green.