Green Cooling Stratagies for July 5, 2009

It has started getting up there in temperature, at least in Southern California and it has got me wondering what improvements there might be on the cooling front.

In my searches I found several things for architectural solutions to technology.  It seems I am not alone in wondering how to keep cool and do it in a sustainable and less expensive way.  Here is one architect’s working vision via Green Building Elements (http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/06/21/california-architect-thinks-about-white-roofs/).  It is a beautiful house and I like many of the thoughts, I just wish I could afford it.

Next we have another architect’s vision and it looks into our future and is trying to come up sith methods to deal with a generally hotter climate that we may all be facing.  The story is via Green Building Elements again (http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/06/25/a-roof-designed-for-our-hotter-future/) and it is certainly the most practical vision I have seen.  By simply building and additional roof structure over even an existing house you could attain significant benefits!  If you considered all of the ideas and built a complete structure from scratch the end result is even better. It is ideas like this that give me hope that technology may still be the answer to the global warming crisis.

On the technology front we have two different takes on air conditioning. The first is what is actually asmall chiller type unit called the Ice Bear (http://www.impactlab.com/2009/05/22/ice-bear-can-reduce-air-conditioning-energy-demand-by-95/).  This is an add on system that simply allows you to store cooling using off peak electricity by creating a large block of ice that is then used to chill the refrigerant in your conventional system instead of the compressor. A good idea overall as this is simply scaling exisitng technology and it can easily be retrofitted on many types of systems.

Lastly we go for one that is somewhat more of an evolution from SolCool (http://www.solcool.net/solcool.htm). The Millennial 1.5 Ton unit has the capability to be wired to standard US, EU power or to direct power that might be supplied by a solar array! There is also a version that is portable with onboard batteries that can be run up to 12 hours between charges.  Forget about remote, that option will allow you to run it overnight while the sun is down!

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Building Technology Update for July 1, 2009

I have a very wide ranging collection of technological improvements for you tonight, everything from new materials for sidewalks to new safety equipment to help you find your way out in a fire!

On the recycle and reuse front we have a couple of items that help divert waste from our landfills.  The first is Rubber sidewalks (http://www.rubbersidewalks.com/rubbersidewalkskeepstrees.asp) where this product reuses a discarded tire for every 1 square foot of product! Imagine a sidewalk you could remove and reinstall in a single day to fix sewer problems, not to mention the injury savings from not having raised areas by tree roots.

The next item along this same tack is a roofing single product made from recycled palstic and rubber.  The article on Cleantechnica (http://cleantechnica.com/2009/06/28/roof-shingles-made-from-recycled-plastic-and-rubber/) speaks of the product Enviroshake that is very durable but at a significant price point increase.  Still it may be worthwhile if you are in need of some LEED ponts.

Another old is new technology is a design we all may be needing as our climate heats up is the second roof as is shown in this great post on Green Building Elements (http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/06/25/a-roof-designed-for-our-hotter-future/).  This scenario presents a low tech very sutainable solution for making your house much more efficient in all types of climate situations.

One of the neatest items I have seen lately is this Halo light concept.  It would provide a ring of light in a smokey environment providing much better direction and visibility in an emergency situation.  The story is here on DVICE (http://dvice.com/archives/2008/10/halo_light_cuts.php).

Lastly we have a solar plus LED parking lot light solution from Visiable Light Solar.  The story on Treehugger (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/visible-light-solar-combines-solar-with-leds-for-big-savings.php) makes a great point that these very functional applications of exterior lighting makes great sense from a return on investment perspective.

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Green Power Technology Update for June 23, 2009

Just when you think that the various green, alternative power types are getting going we have a whole slew of bad news. There are serious potential issues affecting both wind and solar power’s affordability and overall return on investment.

The easiest to fix is the problem built into California’s net metering law that sunsets it once the amount being generated from alternative sources reaches 2.5% of the system peak grid load. The story on Cleantechnica (http://cleantechnica.com/2009/06/23/sunset-clause-to-dim-solar-in-california/) makes the point that we are already alomost there and we are just getting started. This problem is easily fixed but will probably get lost in my state’s annual budget fiasco.

Excerpt: “One of the key ways that solar is economical is through net metering. Because our utilities pay more for afternoon electrons, you can send electricity to the grid that sells for 40 cents in the afternoon, and use that generation as a credit towards the electricity you get back from the grid for 11 cents at night.

This lowering of utility bills is key to increasing home values. If a home saves $1,000 in a  year with solar then the value of the home goes up $20,000. This improvement is essential to getting mortgage financing for solar; so it’s all circular. Net metering down; savings down; bankers frown = energy brown.”

Next we have an unusual enemy for solar power, at least the solar tower/ heliostat type, the US Air Force.  Apparently these folks are not in favor of large areas near there installations that can potentially blind their pilots. The story is on Ecogeek (http://ecogeek.org/solar-power/2820-new-enemy-for-solar-tower-plants-the-air-force) has what details have been realeased.

Excerpt: “The Air Force, in fact, is not saying precisely why they don’t want the power plant. They say it could interfere with radar systems, but, more importantly, there are other reasons…all of which are classified. Col. Howard D. Belote, installation commander at Nellis said, ”Because of the sensitivity [of information], I can’t tell them why. Unfortunately for them and us, there’s stuff on the Nevada testing range we don’t tell anyone about.”

We assume it has something to do with the aliens.“

Too bad as this is prime area for installations such as these…..

Next there is concern over the problems Spain is having regarding wind power that might tarnish the technology’s reputation for affordability. Some think that the country’s investments in wind generation are causing potential insolvency issues.  The story is on Leonardo Energy (http://www.leonardo-energy.org/wind-energy-really-affordable) is from mu perspective brings up some very valid points.

Lastly tonight we have a little good news, if tightening or belts can be called that.  A new report put forth by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) says that by reducing unnecessary demand by up to 20% through demand use technologies.  The story is on Sustainable Business (http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/18422) and it has all of the details if you are interested.

Personally I am more interested in continued development of alternative power generation as a means to get us out of our current mess, but I suppose that efficiency will always have its place.
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Wind Power Advances for June 2009

The news has been a little thin lately on the wind power front, but low and behold this week there were some surprising stories!

In the face of the fact that most local utilities aren’t publicizing their alternative energy or energy efficiency programs very well at all (http://earth2tech.com/2009/06/10/electric-utilities-fail-to-promote-their-energy-efficiency-initiatives/) it seems that most alternative energy solutions have an uphill battle to get people to install them.  We need these programs publicized so that people will realize that they can afford both solar and wind power!

With that in mind we have a new product over in the UK that can provide site specific data on how soon your proposed wind or solar equipment will pay back. The story is via Greenbang (http://www.greenbang.com/new-device-gives-site-specific-data-on-solar-wind-potential/) and the device looks pretty good and should be affordable. I just hope that we can get it imported tot he United States.

There is also good news in the way of a just published study by the American Wind Energy Association where the US added 17.2 megawatts of wind power generation capacity in 2008! The full story is here on CleanBeta (http://www.cleantechlawandbusiness.com/cleanbeta/index.php/3980/small-wind-energy-market-no-longer-small/).

Lastly today we have stories on 2 small wind turbines that can generate usable amounts of power with winds as low as 2mph.  The first story is via Ecogeek (http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/2790/) and talks about the Honeywell system that will actually be sold through a local hardware store chain. The price is supposed to be around $6000 installed for a 2000kw system.

The other story is via Ecofriend (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-tech-windtronics-latest-creation-converts-the-slowest-of-winds-into-electricity/) and cover a product from Windtronics that has similar performance characteristics and a similar price point.

So now I have a new summer project, first get the site data device and decide which turbine fits my needs!

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Harvesting Rainwater – Government needs to get out of the way

It is rapidly becoming apparent to me that the ability to harvest rainwater is something that is going to get done and the longer the various government agencies take to fix the rules surrounding it the more outcry there is going to be.

There of course have been the recent stories about the fight in Colorado ( Denver’s Channel 4: http://mx.truveo.com/rainwater-harvesting-stirs-up-controversy/id/2830930077) including good presentation by various new organizations.  Of course this all has to do with the very complex subject of water rights and who actually owns those rights.  You guessed it the property owner often doesn’t.

However there continues to be advancements in the technology and some of it is pretty exciting.  The first I would like to share is in Texas where a school district has installed a system of harvesting rainwater that could potentially provide enough to cover an entire high school’s yearly water need with less than average rainfall! ( http://www.boernestar.com/articles/2009/01/21/news/doc4974fedf931a4011827393.txt) However the current legislation issues prevent them from using half of it to take care of such items as flushing toilets or being used in cooling towers.

The other is a new product that will allow for the comprehensive handling of storm water runoff in urban areas.  The Hydro Stormbloc Modules (http://cleantechnica.com/2009/06/08/hydro-stormbloc-modules-look-like-milk-crates-act-like-sponges/) are pretty simple in design but could represent the silver bullet for some cities problems.

Excerpt: “Hydro International is among a number of companies that have developed modular underground stormwater management systems to reduce local flooding, and to harvest rainwater.  They’re ideal for urban areas, where large unpaved surfaces for natural storm water drainage are in short supply.  The underground chambers are positioned to capture excess rainwater or snow melt, from parking lots for example.  Once the storm subsides, the excess flow can drain from the chamber into the soil.  It can also be piped elsewhere for use in buildings or outdoor areas.  Modular design makes these systems relatively easy and inexpensive to install, and it also lends them to scalability and customization.  Even better, a pre-treatment module can be included, to prevent pollutants in the runoff from making their way into the soil.“

I hope that as the technology continues to advance our government starts to catch up or at least creatively gets out of the way. Living in Southern California and facing possible water rationing in many areas this summer gives you a real sharp perspective on how important this issue is.

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New Building Standards Coming

I looks like we are fully into round two of the green building code wars with two new announcements recently.

In one corner we have the International Code Council (ICC) who announced on Earth Day that they will be developing a new green commercial building code ( http://www.greenbuildinglawblog.com/2009/04/articles/codes-1/icc-to-create-commercial-green-building-code/). I am somewhat in favor of this as this set of codes tend to be used as standards by a lot of local entities and this should help with standardization. On the other hand, ASHRAE has been trying to do this for a couple of years with no success, having to disband and reconstitute the committee over differences.

In the other corner the true heavyweight, LEED 3.0! In the story on Treehugger.com (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/05/leed-30-is-launched.php) there are apparently significant improvements in both the points system and the ease of use along with various online tools.

Excerpt: “ Launched in April 2009, the official name of the new system is LEED 2009 – it is one of the three major components that make up LEED Version 3, or LEED v3.0. The changes within LEED rating system reflects the rapid advancements in building science and technology and provides incentives for strategies that have greater positive impacts on energy efficiency and CO2 emissions reductions, among other priorities. The other components of LEED v3 include a faster, smarter and easier-to-use LEED Online (the tool for managing the LEED registration and certification process) and a new building certification model administered by the Green Building Certification Institute through a network of internationally recognized independent ISO-accredited certification bodies.“

While I have not personally looked at the LEED 2009 process in great depth I have great hope that these improvements will lead to more certified buildings and a better product overall.

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Building Technology Update for May 30, 2009

I have been researching for upgrades and retrofits for some of my sites and I of course ran across a whole group of neat things that I just had to share.

The most practical, if not eh cheapest is the wireless control network for building lighting. This technology hold the potential to save a great deal of electricity soon after installation. The product from Adura ( http://www.aduratech.com/) has great possibilities beyond just lighting control potentially evolving into a complete building control solution. There is a great story on Earth2tech (http://earth2tech.com/2009/05/29/adura-is-wireless-lighting-the-way-in-for-building-energy-management/).

Next we have via Inhabitat ( http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/05/28/philadelphias-solar-powered-trash-compactors/) solar powered trash compacting collection bins being installed in Phildelphia.  The advantages are the fewer times they need to be emptied, with smaller fuel bills and less green house emissions for the city.

In Chicago they are doing something that I can’t believe more cities have started.  They are replacing the asphalt pavement in their alleys with a permeable paving material. This leads to less runoff that has to be handled by the sewer system and potentially building up the groundwater which can be tapped later. The story is here with pictures on Metafficent (http://www.metaefficient.com/architecture-and-building/chicago-green-alley.html).

Next we have a report via Environmental Leader (http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/05/29/with-water-cuts-businesses-could-supply-la-frisco-san-diego/) that postulates that California’s water problem could essentially be solved if all of its businesses took water efficiency and conservation seriously.

Lastly, according to our Nobel Laureate Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu states that if we simply painted or otherwise changed all of the world’s rooftops and streets to white we would seriously offset the CO2 emissions world wide. The reprort is here on SuperEco (http://www.supereco.com/news/2009/05/27/paint-the-world-white-and-chill-global-warming/).  As you might imagine there is some skepticism.

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Solar Power News for May 24, 2009

It seems that we are back on the solar band wagon just in time for the official start of summer, Memorial Day (at least here in California!). There are new records, interesting items and construction news so let’s get started.

First here is a device to keep your other devices charged while you are enjoying the outdoors, the powwerbrella (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-gadgets-powerbrella-charges-portable-devices-with-solar-electricity/) via the good folks at Ecofriend.

Excerpt: “Designed for use at outdoor venues such as cafés and restaurants, hotel and resort swimming pools and outdoor lounges, the Powerbrella incorporates the Power Plastic on the surface of SKYShades’ retractable and fixed architectural SKYbrella. Testing for the Powerbrella has been done in 2008 at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando. Physics students at Lake Highland checked the effectiveness of the Powerbrella to withstand the elements, its ability to generate clean green energy and the amount of resulting power that could be stored in batteries for reuse.“

It also looks like our friends in the Congress are doing what they can to stimulate the alternative energy industries with the “American Climate and Energy Security Act” . There is a great story here on Clean Beta (http://cleantechlawandbusiness.com/cleanbeta/index.php/3731/us-house-puts-revolutionary-climateenergy-bill-in-play/) and for those of you into such things here is the link to the legislation (http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1630:energy-and-commerce-committee-passes-comprehensive-clean-energy-legislation&catid=122:media-advisories&Itemid=55).

Along this same line, the Chinese solar manufacturer, Suntech is planning a second public offering. The story can be found here also on Clean Beta (http://cleantechlawandbusiness.com/cleanbeta/index.php/3740/suntech-plans-follow-on-public-offering/).

On the construction news front we have Lockheed going to build a very large solar thermal plany in the Arizona desert (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-tech-lockheed-martin-to-build-solar-thermal-plant-in-arizona/) and the folks at Budweiser in Contra Costa County have installed solar to help offset the power consumption needs of their cold storage building (http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/05/22/budweiser-cold-beer-storage-building-installs-solar/).

Also the modular housing folks are finally getting firmly on the bandwagon with their i-House (why does all of this stuff have to sound like it is manufactured by Apple?).  Anyway the story is here on Ecofriend (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-homes-clayton-homes-introduces-solar-powered-modular-i-house/).

Next we have a story via Ecogeek that really interests me (http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/2762/).  It is all about taking the street lighting off the grid via solar and wind power options.  It always gets me angry when I see these lights on during the day and I also have a really good idea of what they consume power wise during the dark hours.

Excerpt: “French company Windela has created a street lighting system that works without any connection to the grid. The Windelux is powered by both a small vertical wind turbine and a solar PV panel.The lamp is comprised of 84 LEDs and automatically switches on when a photosensitive cell detects that it’s dark. A built-in control system stops the wind generator if the wind speed is too high and also allows the pole to act as a Wi-Fi relay.“

Well we also have a new solar panel efficiency record courtesy of Sanyo.  The new record is less than 1% better than the previous one and still only gets us to 23%, sigh….Anyway the story is here on Ecofriend (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-tech-sanyo-develops-world-s-most-efficient-silicon-solar-cells/).

In the design and wouldn’t be nice section we have a concept of the busstop of the future via Treehugger (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/05/solar-powered-bus-stop.php). The stop has a lot of good features that all require the connection ot the internet and of course power. However it doesn’t seem to provide any more protection from the elements that the traditional ones do, leading to a less that wonderful experience in certain parts of the country. Also I can’t wait to see what the taggers and other vandals will do to something like this.

Excerpt: “Riders can plan a bus trip on an interactive map, surf the Web, monitor their real-time exposure to pollutants and use their mobile devices as an interface with the bus shelter. They can also post ads and community announcements to an electronic bulletin board at the bus stop, enhancing the EyeStop’s functionality as a community gathering space.“

To go along with the theme of transportation we have some Welsh folks talking about a solar powered car that can achieve 100 mph! The story on Ecofriend (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-cars-welsh-solar-car-reduces-emissions-not-the-thrill/) is unfortunately short on a couple of details that I am curious about, especially what the range of the vehicle drops down to when you are attaining those speeds?

Lastly today we have an attempt to make solar panels prettier to please all of those pesky home owner associations. The story on Treehugger (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/05/solar-trees-camouflage-about-as-well-as-cell-phone-towers.php) has an obvious opinion I can agree with.  The company mentioned, Solar Botanicals is trying to disguise a solar power set up as a tree or grove of trees.  I can only imagine what this is going to look like and with the technological hurdles facing them as well as the complex city planning and zoning issues surrounding such a product.  I wish them all the luck in the world but I think we are a long way from seeing anything here that is going to be pleasing to the eye or fool anyone into thinking it is anything other than a attempt to hide something.

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Amazing Architecture for May 20, 2009

Tonight I have a wonderful collection of interesting buildings and building projects for your entertainment.

First we have a story via Inhabitat (http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/05/20/taiwan%E2%80%99s-solar-stadium-100-powered-by-the-sun/) of what is possibly the largest stadium at least if not building to generate 100% of its energy needs from solar power. Pretty amazing!  The stadium is being constructed for the 2009 World Games in Taiwan.

Next we have a building that is interesting as well as educational. The story comes via Oh Gizmo (http://www.ohgizmo.com/2009/05/20/technorama-science-center-facade-educates-about-wind-currents-and-turbulence/) and is about a museum that is an education in and of itself.

Excerpt: “I love me a good science center, but I particularly like it when the actual building manages to educate as much as the exhibits inside do. Case in point, the The Swiss Technorama Science CenterNed Kahn to design a unique facade for the building which consisted of thousands of small aluminum panels that move with the air currents revealing the patterns of turbulence in the winds. Obviously the still shots don’t do it justice, so if you have a few minutes I highly recommend checking out the video below to see it in action, it’s quite hypnotic. in Winterthur, Switzerland. Way back in 2002 they hired “

In Toronto Canada I applaud the next story coming again via Inhabitat (http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/05/19/torontos-ambitious-tower-renewal-project/) where the city is going to reuse and upgrade existing high rise apartment buildings rather than tear down and build new.  It is not only a far greener option and plan, but it is also far cheaper!  Good Job!

Excerpt: “Much like every big city, Toronto has an aging array of Post WW-II high rise apartment buildings. When they were built in the 1960’s they were considered the height of modernity and dense urban design, but now as they are close to reaching the end of their intended lifespan, they are hugely inefficient and lack the qualities that make a sustainable, viable, urban community. There are no markets or grocery stores, inadequate public transportation, and little retail or local jobs. Rather than tear the towers down to start anew, the Mayor and City of Toronto want to use this vast resource of buildings and revitalize the city to become a more sustainable, walkable, greener community.“

Lastly we have via Dezeen (http://www.dezeen.com/2009/05/21/creative-units-at-aberystwyth-arts-centre-by-thomas-heatherwick/#more-31136) a very innovative solution for creating eight low cost structures for an arts campus in England.  It is amazing to think about the walls of the structure being sheathed in stainless steel cooking foil!

Excerpt: “The
 design
 is
 both
 striking
 and
 considerate
 to
 its
 setting.
 
 The
 simple
 timber‐frame
 buildings
 are
 clad
 with
 a
 bespoke
 crinkled
 stainless
 steel
 system
 that
 creates
 a
 shimmering
 futuristic
 appearance,
 reflecting
 the
 greenery
 of
 their
 site.
 
 Unusually,
 their
 construction
 as
 well
 as
 their
 design
 was
 led
 by
 Heatherwick
 Studio
 whose
 specialist
 team
 worked
 on
 site
 with
 local
 sub‐contractors
 to
 deliver
 the
 project.
 
 The
 special
 cladding
 system
 was
 fabricated
 on
 site
 using
 a
 contraption
 akin
 to
 a
 Victorian
 mangle
 that
 deformed
 the
 steel
 into
 its
 irregular
 form.
 The
 studios
 sit
 within
 woodland,
 and
 over
 time 
will 
blend
 further 
into 
the 
maturing 
landscape
 around 
them.“

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Not your Father’s Utility Company

It is interesting that technology is changing lots of things that have stayed the same since my father’s first purchase of a home. However I hadn’t considered that the definition of a utility company might change along with the technology.

Now a while back I wrote about how my home town was on the forefront of water desalination technology (http://askthefm.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/water-the-new-oil/) but it seems a city to the south of mine is going for a much more aggressive stance. The city of San Diego has just approved a $320 million plant to go in. The story is via Treehugger.com (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/05/californias-plans-for-biggest-desalination-plant-ar-a-go.php).

Excerpt: “The plant, to be built near Carlsbad, north of San Diego, will be the first large-scale desalination operation on the West Coast and the largest in the hemisphere. “If they build it well and it operates well and the price is right, we will see more,” said Peter Gleick, the cofounder and president of the Pacific Institute in Oakland, Calif.

“I think there’s going to be some hesitancy to really expand desalination until this plant is up and running,” he added. “There’s going to be hesitancy on the part of everyone — regulators, water agencies and municipalities.”“

The other more out there possibility is that someday soon there might be neighborhood nuclear power stations. The story on Eart2Tech (http://earth2tech.com/2009/05/18/hyperion-has-a-100m-valuation-for-mini-nuclear-power/) goes a long way to dispelling this a joke.  I know what I think when someone says nuclear power, but this may a technology whose time has come.

Excerpt: “Despite the hurdles, Hyperion has some lofty goals for its nuclear-in-a-box modules. It’s aiming to build several factories around the world to produce a first batch of 4,000 units. The transportable nuclear modules, each with a price tag of about $25 million, are expected to pump out 70 megawatts of heat and 25 MW of electricity via a steam turbine, targeting off-the-grid applications and developing countries where there isn’t a dependable electric grid.“

What with smart grid technology it is obvious that even the staid utilities are evolving at a rapid pace and will look  a great deal different tomorrow than they look today.

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