California gives green light to space solar power

Energy beamed down from space is one step closer to reality, now that California has given the green light to a deal involving its sale. But some major challenges will have to be overcome if the technology is to be used widely.

On Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission gave its blessing to an agreement that would see the Pacific Gas and Electric Company buy 200 megawatts of power beamed down from solar-power satellites beginning in 2016.

A start-up company called Solaren is designing the satellites, which it says will use radio waves to beam energy down to a receiving station on Earth.

The attraction of collecting solar power in space is the virtually uninterrupted sunshine available in geosynchronous orbit. Earth-based solar cells, by contrast, can only collect sunlight during daytime and when skies are clear.

Article courtesy of  David Shiga

Washington state gets $13.5 million for green jobs

SEATTLE (AP) -- Washington state is receiving $13.5 million from the U.S. Department of labor to train people for green jobs.
   Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray said Wednesday that three projects will receive money as part of $100 million in grants that the Labor Department is distributing nationwide.
   The Washington money includes $3.9 million for an energy training partnership in King, Snohomish, Pierce, Kitsap and Clallam counties. A training program for health care jobs in King County and counties in four other states will get $4.6 million. And $5 million is going for renewable energy technology training for Washington and Oregon. Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties are part of that program in Washington state.

 

This article was courtesy of AP 

 

MA Commuter Rail Customer Service Notice

Effective January 11, 2010, except in the case of emergency, customers will no longer be allowed to enter or exit from the “operating end” of the control coach.  The engineer operates the train from this location on inbound trips.  Upon arrival into Boston, there are mandatory safety duties for engineers to perform which do not allow for foot traffic through the operating end of these coaches.

Signs will be placed on the coach door on that end of all control cars to remind customers of this rule.

Please enter and exit only through a door that is attended by a crewmember.

We appreciate that there will be some inconvenience to our passengers that are accustomed to using the control car exit door, but for safety reasons we must enforce this new policy.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Commuter rail service information, including updated commuter rail advisories/alerts is available on the MBTA website at www.mbta.com, or by calling the MBTA Customer Support Services Center at 617-222-3200

OLED wallpaper may soon replace light bulbs

Organic LEDs, or OLEDs, are being hailed as the next generation of environmentally-friendly lighting. OLEDs can produce light with very little power, significantly less than what is required to power conventional light bulbs.

OLEDs are being used more and more, and one company is incorporating them into wallpaper with the goal of making the technology good enough to light rooms withou the use of conventional lighting. However, two main problems have kept the technology from widespread use: the cost to create products using them and the short lifespan OLEDs currently have. The company hopes more research can make the technology cheaper and more efficient.

For more information on this next-gen source of lighting, check out this story from Business Green

Portland Needs More Winter Cyclists to Meet 2030 Goals

It's true that more residents are bicycling their way around Portland, Oregon, even during cold winter temperatures. Still, the overall number of bicyclists drops considerably during winter. But if Portland hopes to meet its goal of tripling the number of bicycle commuters over the next 20 years, more cyclists will have to brave the cold.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7454

 

This article was courtesy of New Smart Growth Network State by State and International News Headlines

It's Now Illegal to Trash that Computer or TV!

The new year brings an important reminder to all Oregonians: Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, it's illegal to dispose of computers, monitors or TVs in the garbage or at disposal sites such as landfills, transfer stations and incinerators.

This disposal ban is part of the same law that created Oregon E-Cycles, which provides free recycling of computers, monitors and TVs at any of the program’s 220 collection sites statewide. The law states that anyone violating the ban could receive a penalty of up to $500 for each violation. Each computer, monitor or TV disposed of improperly is considered a separate violation.

Visit Oregon E-Cycles to find a conveniently located collection site or call the toll-free hotline at 1-888-5-ECYCLE (1-888-532-9253).

Neither the ban nor Oregon E-Cycles covers computer peripherals (keyboards, mice, etc.) or other types of electronics, but DEQ encourages all Oregonians to recycle these items as well.  You can find a partial list of other electronics recyclers on the Oregon E-Cycles website.

 

This articles was courtesy of the Oregon Environment eNewsletter - Winter 2010

Verizon Center Earns Prestigious 'Green' Building Certification; Among Most Energy Efficient in U.S.

First reported by VSO

Verizon’s operations center in Basking Ridge, N.J., has earned the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver certification for the center’s environmentally friendly design and energy efficiency.

About 3,000 employees, including the leadership teams of Verizon’s two business groups, work at the center, which is situated in northern New Jersey’s Somerset County.

To make the 1.4 million-square-foot facility more energy efficient, Verizon uses temperature sensors and energy-management systems to monitor heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The company also controls the facility’s lighting schedules; tracks maintenance and service requirements; uses air handlers with variable frequency drives for energy-efficient heating and cooling; and has installed energy-efficient light-emitting diode and fluorescent T-5 lights.

“The efficient management of the Verizon operations center is an extension of the company’s commitment to the environment, but it’s also an example of our focus on implementing sensible business practices and reducing energy consumption,” said Tanya Penny, vice president of real estate for Verizon.

Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, said: “Verizon’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership. As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, the Verizon operations center is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement.”

The Verizon Operation Center’s LEED (Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design) certification comes just months after the center earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s prestigious Energy Star rating, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection.

To qualify for the Energy Star rating, the center had to place among the top 25 percent of the most energy-efficient facilities in the United States. Commercial buildings that earn the Energy Star rating use an average of 40 percent less energy than typical buildings and release 35 percent less CO2. Verizon operates 46 Energy Star-rated facilities, including many retail stores across the country.

Verizon Commitment to the Environment
Overall, Verizon’s carbon intensity is approximately nine times below the U.S. average, as reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Verizon’s rate of 64 metric tons of CO₂ emissions per million dollars in revenue represents a year-over-year improvement of 3 percent.

The company remains committed to finding practical and innovative ways to increase energy efficiency and bolster conservation efforts. For example, Verizon operates the largest fuel cell site of its kind in the nation. Using seven fuel cells, the company’s Energy Star Award-winning facility in Garden City, N.Y., can generate enough electrical power per hour to meet the energy needs of 400 single-family homes.

Other Verizon initiatives include:

• Creating an industry standard – Verizon was the first telecommunications company to require that the network equipment it purchases be 20 percent more energy efficient.
  
  
• Employees have reduced engine idling, which has cut fuel consumption by more than 2 million gallons (equivalent to taking some 3,400 cars off the road for a year).
  
  
• Electronically delivering approximately 100 million bills to customers.
  
  

This article was courtesy of Verizon's eWeb