Here Comes the Sun
Toyota recently announced that it will be adding solar equipment to its next-gen Prius (as well as reducing the vehicles weight to improve mpg). The solar panels installed on the roof will aid in powering the hybrid’s air-conditioning system, of all things.
Now that’s just funny.
(via MarketWatch)
New: greenr.net - putting green first!
I’ve recently started a new side project - greenr.net. This new site uses Google Custom Search to create a search engine that places an emphasis on green results.
Basically, the more green info sites collected, the greenr and more relevant the results. So head on over to www.greenr.net and give it a spin…and remember to submit all your favorite green sites while you are there!
Free solar power estimates online
Own (or plan to buy) a home in California? Curious how much a solar energy system would be? Head on over to Sungevity, enter your home address, and within 24 hours you will receive an estimate customized for your home.
Through a combination of technologies, Sungevity is able to remotely and accurately determine the potential effectiveness and costs associated with a solar electric system without ever stepping foot on your property.
Beyond installation costs, Sungevity also estimates how much money a solar system will save over 2.5 decades, how much a home’s value might increase, and provides a digital rendering of your particular home with a solar system installed…all for free.
(via News.com)
Air is in
(almost) Zero Pollution Motors will soon be accepting pre-orders for its up-coming Air Car, due to be delivered late 2009/early 2010.
Not quite gas-free (see below), The Air Car relies on compressed air rather than gasoline to power the 6 cylinder, 75 hp engine. It has an estimated top speed of 96 mph and an estimated fuel economy of 106 mpg. The first model expected to ship to the States is a 6 seater (above) with an expected range of 848 miles (8 gal gas tank).
Less printing = more trees, more $$
I just stumbled across GreenPrint. The company aims to reduce the amount of wasted paper and ink by allowing users (currently Windows only) to send each print job through its GreenPrint World software.
The standalone program was recently released as freeware for home (non-commercial) users. After a quick installation, GreenPrint will appear as one of the “printer” options when selecting print in any application. Once a user has selected GreenPrint, a preview of what would normally print out is displayed; this is where the software attempts to reduce paper and ink by allowing the user to eliminate unwanted pages as well as certain text and images.
The idea of GreenPrint is very respectable. In practice, the software is a tad slow (apparently because one of the perks of purchasing the ad-free version is faster performance) but operates as advertised. It might take some patience and small adjustment to reviewing each and every print job, but, in the end, saving paper and ink ultimately cuts down on costs and environmental impact.
(via Crave)
Ready, Set, Tesla Roadster
Tesla Motors is set to begin production on its long-awaited Roadster on March 17, 2008. The initial batch of Roadsters will be slightly less than perfect, sporting a work-around transmission, increasing the all-electric sports car’s 0-60 time from 4 seconds to 5.7 seconds.
Tesla is promising to retrofit earlier cars at no cost once it’s sure DriveTrain 1.5 works. Those who get a Roadster early will find themselves getting a substantial boost in performance some time down the line.
Along with the resolution of recent transmission-related setbacks, the Tesla Roadster has also passed all of the required federal safety and emissions test making it legally available for sale and operation in the U.S.
(via Wired | img Tesla Motors)
Lets get this (solar) party started!
California is one of, if not the most, environmentally progressive states in the Union. This is not about politics (well, at least this post isn’t), but more about being realistic and taking steps to help slow down (and eventually eliminate) the global warming problem.
A privately held, SF-based company, Cleantech America, is funding a new project to create the “world’s largest” solar farm outside of Fresno. This enormous solar field will produce energy for nearly 21,000 homes in the area. Upon its scheduled completion in 2011, this solar farm will be 17 times the size of the next largest U.S. solar farm. (CNN).
Solar energy is definitely key to a cleaner, greener future. This massive project comes on the heals of another recently announced solar initiative from Spain. The “solar tower” is Europe’s first commercially operating solar power station. “It works by focusing the reflected rays on one location, turning water into steam and then blasting it into turbines to generate power.” (BBC). It will produce enough energy to power 600 homes initially, with a plan to eventually generate enough energy for 600,000. (Read more: Wired).
“The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.”
- Galileo Galilei
