Alternative Energy HQ solar power for homes, wind energy, and bio fuel issues

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 47 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions are from existing buildings. From a global perspective, reducing energy consumption in buildings is imperative for a sustainable future. So when property owners and managers transform an existing facility into one that’s a high-performance building, what does that mean? Essentially, it means doing more with less. …

Carbon Storage – and More A novel process developed by a University professor with help from an IREE grant aims to produce clean, renewable energy while reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. A University of Minnesota earth sciences professor and a postdoctoral fellow in his work group have imagined a new process for generating electricity with a two-for-one climate benefit. …

Sortable How Green is the iPad? What do you think about this infographic? Leave your comments below. We would love to hear your thoughts.

If you live in an older home or apartment with poor insulation, you’ve likely noticed an increase in your heating and cooling expenses. Instead of losing money to drafty windows and doors, make a few changes to your heater and air conditioner habits. Find out how these simple tips can have long-term benefits to your budget and your comfort. Instead …

A cool new concept being tested in the Abu Dhabi desert uses a wind turbine to condense water from the air and pump it into storage tanks for filtration and purification. The technology was created by Eole Water after its founder, Marc Parent, was inspired by the water he could collect from his air conditioner unit while living in the …

So much of what’s discussed in offices these days – and forever really – focuses on this: What’s best for the company? How do we increase profits? That’s totally understandable, given that a primary responsibility of any for-profit enterprise is to benefit its owners and investors. Still, as individuals, and I would argue, as part of the capitalist system, we …

—but not all Polysilicon Prices are Equal An ongoing surplus in the production of polysilicon—the key raw material in the photovoltaic (PV) industry—will lead to excess supply, leading to further erosion in its pricing, according to an IHS iSuppli PV Perspectives Market Brief and the IHS iSuppli Polysilicon Price Index from information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS). Polysilicon prices …

Top 10 Utilities Reported Adding More Than 1,000 MW of Solar Capacity Today, SEPA released the findings of 2011 Top 10 Utility Solar Rankings survey. According to the findings, utilities interconnected more than 62,000 PV systems of all sizes in 2011. These new systems resulted in almost 1,500 megawatts of new utility solar capacity, more than twice as much as …

Your clients may hold some common misconceptions about how to begin conserving energy in their homes. In this article, I hope to debunk a few of those misconceptions. An audit from a company like EnergyLink is a good place to begin; it shows homeowners where to concentrate. A report called Driving Demand for Home Energy Improvements looked at successful and …

Solar thermal startup BrightSource Energy has shelved its year-long plans for an initial public offering amid a turbulent stock market, a challenging year for solar energy companies and tepid interest from investors. The Oakland, Calif.-based company issued a news release late Wednesday saying it had decided not to pursue its IPO due to “adverse market conditions” and intends to withdraw …

Wind power bringing innovation, manufacturing back to American industry Stable policy leads to jobs and affordable electricity; Uncertain future impedes progress The U.S. wind industry’s 2011 Annual Market Report shows that American wind power is at the heart of an American success story ending another strong year of double-digit growth. The market report illustrates how wind power has created a …

One of the most pervasive myths of modern society is that making green choices as a consumer is expensive. The idea that reducing the amount of waste will lead to further costs is an absurd but persistent one. Some green living choices using new technologies will cost a lot on the front end, including the installation of renewable energy sources, …

Biofuel researchers have developed a mechanism that may increase yields for products like diesel, ethanol and even medicines. Growing bacteria, algae and plants on large scales is challenging enough; getting them to do things they don’t normally do, like make fuel, is even harder. Scientists have to select and tweak molecular pathways to make cells produce enough useful products to …

Lesson Learned, Solar Manufacturers No Longer Slashing Price to Bring In Orders According to EnergyTrend, a research division of TrendForce, slowed demand on the German market, the uncertainty towards the future market in Italy, and unclear demand in other regions has resulted in fewer deals on the spot market. However, the situation is an improvement over last year – as …

University of Minnesota invention helps advance reliability of alternative energy A University of Minnesota invention could help make storage of solar and wind energy more efficient and economical. The invention was licensed to SustainX, a leading global developer of grid-scale energy storage solutions that use patented isothermal compressed air methods to store large amounts of energy cleanly and economically. “A …

Interesting article from the NY Times about the renewable energy sector development. JUST a few years ago, the future of renewable energy looked as bright and shiny as a white turbine blade coming out of the mold. The federal government was handing out money under the stimulus package, states were approving clean energy mandates, young companies were racing ahead with …

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is envisioning a future where you can pull into a parking space and be given the option to wirelessly charge your electric car. It just needs somebody to invent the technology. Up to four contractors will be rewarded with up to US12 million in DOE grant money for innovation in static wireless charging. The …

We do many posts about the new emerging alternative energy technologies that are coming onto the market. However there are some other very important considerations when thinking about our future energy security. That includes building our homes and offices to be more energy efficient so that we save and use less energy. This article addresses that aspect. Check it out. …

North Dakota ranks third in the nation in the amount of electric power generated by wind. North Dakota came in behind South Dakota and Iowa for the highest percentage of power generated by wind turbines in 2011, according to the renewable energy supporter Earth Policy Institute. Based on U.S. Energy Information Administration data, wind energy accounts for 15 percent of …

An energy-hungry Earth is in need of transformational and sustainable energy solutions, experts say. For decades, researchers have been appraising the use of power-beaming solar-power satellites. But the projected cost, complexity and energy economics of the notion seemingly short-circuited the idea. Now, a unique new approach has entered the scene, dubbed SPS-ALPHA, short for Solar Power Satellite via Arbitrarily Large …