iGreenAZ

By Ann Belfield 

San Jose based Bloom Energy may have the ability to replace power plants and transmisson lines with their Bloom Box.  The Box, which is a refrigerator-sized solid oxide fuel cell, is able to produce energy from a variety of fuel sources, including natural gas, biofuel, solar, and fossil fuel by mixing the components with oxygen.  Bloom Energy’s Box can produce energy onsite; thereby, eliminating or reducing the need for power plants and transmission lines.

View CBS News program, 60 Minutes,  interview with KR Sridhar, Ph.D, innovator and CEO of Bloom Energy’s Bloom Box below.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

This product has the ability to replace the grid.  Google was the first company to test out the Boxes.  EBay is now trying out the Boxes and, according to their CEO, the boxes have saved them over $100,000 on the company’s energy bill.  The Bloom Box puts out 5x as much power as a roof full of solar panels at EBay.

This would help reduce the immense amount of solar panel waste that is destined to end up in our landfills in 20-30 years.  The boxes are small in comparison to the amount of solar panels required to produce the same amount of energy.  Solar energy is wonderful, natural, and free, but solar panels are awkward, inefficient and a waste creator, the Box can be our next solution to clean energy, incorporating the efficient use of solar energy.

Why talk about the swine flu at iGreenAZ.com – this is a reminder to buy local produce.  It can help reduce the risk of diseases spread from other countries, while at the same time, reduce energy expenditures.

The World Health Organization confirmed 64 cases of the Swine Flu in the United States, as of April 28, 2009.   According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by Type A Influenza.   Humans contract the virus from pigs and other humans via coughing and/or sneezing.  Symptoms of the flu are similar to seasonal influenza,  which can include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing.   The CDC also found that people diagnosed with the flu reported having a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea.

Concerned about eating pork?  The CDC states by cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160° will kill the virus.  Although not stated by the CDC, vegetables grown in Mexico, could be directly contaminated by growers sneezing or coughing on them.  The cleanliness of the soil could be another factor in potential contamination.

This is just one more reason to focus on sustainability, reducing energy, and buying local produce or growing your own.

Keep up to date with the latest information relating to the Swine Flu by clicking on the sidebar “Swine Flu Info” widget.  Stay healthy, eat well and wash those hands:)

By: Ann Belfield

On April 16, 2009, the Arizona Solar Power Society,  is holding a conference that focuses on how businesses can acquire stimulus money for energy efficiency programs. In the State of Arizona, alone, there is over $240 million worth of funding available for the development of energy efficiency programs. Sources of the funding are derived from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, (ARRA) the U.S. Department of Energy, and the State of Arizona. The conference is held at the Desert Willow Conference Center in Phoenix, beginning at 10:30am. Guest speakers include Kris Mayes from the Arizona Corporation Commission, and Lucy Mason, an Arizona Representative.

According to Arizona Governor Brewer’s Office of Economic Recovery, under the ARRA Program the following is the total funding available in the U.S. for energy related programs:

If you miss the conference, you can view the conference live. Also, the following site will be useful in determining eligibility for funding: Grants.gov is an extensive resource for finding Federal grant opportunities. The site provides accessibility to search for grant opportunities, browsing by agency, grant applications, the amount of grants available, as well as application tracking. A list of federal agencies participating in the Recovery Act programs along with direct links to each website is found at Recovery Act and Grants.gov.

In summary, the recovery funding links are found below:

America Reinvestment and Recovery Act: http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/opportunities

Arizona Water and Infrastructure Finance Authority: http://www.AZWIFA.gov displays the Intended Use Plans and Project Priority Lists for the Clean Drinking Water American Recovery and Investment Act ARRA grants

Arizona Governor Brewer’s Office of Economic Recovery: http://az.gov/recovery/

Arizona Corporation Commission: http://www.cc.state.az.us/

Recovery Act and Grants.gov: http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/recovery.jsp

Grants.gov is an extensive resource for finding Federal grant opportunities.

USDOE: http://www.energy.gov/recovery/

If your business has an energy related focus, now is the time to seek grant funding to launch your company into the green revolution.

By Ann Belfield

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) help reduce our carbon footprint, but they pose an environmental risk if not disposed of properly.   Arizona Public Service (APS) partnered with Ace Hardware last year in an effort to encourage customers to recycle their CFLs and the Salt River Project (SRP) just recently followed suit.  CFL’s are an ideal way to help the environment through energy savings, lasting up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs,  and  reducing CO2 emissions, but it important that consumers are aware that the CFLs contain mercury, a hazardous substance.   Since the CFL bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, the bulbs need to be disposed of at a CFL recycling location.

Ace Hardware and the Home Depot are two retailers offering recycling centers for the CFLs.  Home Depot launched their first CFL recycling program in November 2007 and now has recycling centers in each of their locations.  Home Depot established their program to provide customers with options for making environmentally conscious decisions from purchase to disposal.

According to Home Depot’s website, Eco Options, if each home in America replaced an incandescent bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL, there would be enough energy saved to light more than 3 million homes and a reduction in green house gas emissions equivalent to the emissions from 800,000 cars.   Overall, by changing from incandescent bulbs to CFLs, energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced, a benefit to both the user and the environment.   Consumer awareness though, needs to be increased regarding the proper disposal of the CFLs.   Retailers that sell the bulbs should be required to establish a recycling center to make it convenient for their customer to dispose of the bulbs.

Source:  Arizona Business News. 03 April 2009

By: Ann Belfield

  On Saturday, March 28, 2009, Leonardo DiCaprio was honored for his active and significant environmental stewardship, and for inspiring kids to help the planet, with the Big Green Help Award at Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards. Fellow environmentalist and celebrity, Cameron Diaz presented the award to DiCaprio.

Big Green Help is a program through Nickelodeon that inspires environmental awareness in kids, encouraging them to make a difference on their planet and protecting the planet’s future by making simple changes that can, in turn, make a big difference. Nickelodeon’s eco-oriented site, Big Green Help offers green games, daily green tips, a Global Challenge Tracker and a Big Green Difference Quiz. The site is a good resource for parents to utilize to increase their children’s awareness of the planet while having fun at the same time.

In 1998, Leonardo DiCaprio established a foundation, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, that focuses on supporting environmental causes. Since then, he has expanded the promotion of environmental awareness globally through his website, www.leonardodicaprio.org. In 2008 his foundation joined forces with the California Community Foundation, becoming the Leonardo DiCaprio Fund at CCF.

Leonardo Dicaprio’s website offers an informational and inspirational video on global warming that dispels the impact our consumption of oil has had on the environment and its relationship to global warming and climate change and how alternative energy resources can help green our planet. His foundation recently helped produced a feature-length environmental documentary, the 11^th Hour, available through 11th HourACTION.com. The film’s theme is centered around people’s impact on the earth’s ecosystems and the positive ways people can redirect their impact. The film features dialogue focused on issues facing our planet from renowned experts including Stephen Hawking, Mikhail Gorbachev and James Woolsey, along with other influential scientists, thinkers and leaders.  Below is The 11th Hour Trailer from You Tube: www.11thhourfilm.com.

Citizens in other countries outside the U.S, like China and India, want to consume resources like Americans and, unfortunately, these countries stand to have a significant detrimental impact on the planet in a shorter amount of time than the U.S. has had over the last century because of their large populations. It will take more than children of the United States to help change the degradation of the planet, it will take a concerted global effort among children, parents, industries, and governments to change the way we consume and use our planet’s resources.

Cheers to Nickelodeon and Leonardo DiCaprio for making a difference in educating us on the issues and ways to make a positive difference on our planet.

Installing Photovoltaic Energy Systems on homes and business rooftops is affordable, due to President Obama’s Stimulus Plan, providing Federal and State incentive to utilize clean renewable energy and rebates offered through local utility companies. There are economic benefits as well as environmental benefits from converting to a solar power system.

The Salt River Project (SRP) and electrical utility company serving cities in the Phoenix area, provides an analysis tool on their website that calculates the size of the solar electric/ photovoltaic system that would be recommended for your home or business based on the power usage. For example,installing a 3.0kW residential PV system, the total net system cost, including installation, after all rebates would be about $7,700.

The environmental benefits of installing a 3.0kW system, using an original power output cost of $150 per month, would realize an annual reduction of the following emissions into the air: 5,300 lbs of CO₂, 7.7.76 lbs of NO_x and 5.60 lbs of SO₂ is reduced.

Below is a table that provides examples of various systems, possible rebates and environmental benefits. The calculations are based on the results from SRP’s solar calculator feature found on their website.

*Loan amount based on 7% interest rate with a loan life of 30 years.

Source: SRP Solar Cost Calc. 25 March 2009.

While the above data displays that the environment can benefit from PV systems, a macro picture needs to be considered. The longevity of solar panels is about 25 years. After 25 years, these panels will more than likely end up in our landfills. If 25-50% of the rooftops in
Phoenix are covered with solar panels over the next 5-10 years, what will our landfills look like in 30-40 years? First Solar claims they will take back used solar panels after their useful life is over. This is a “cradle to grave” approach, but what about the solar panels that come from China and other companies that do not have a “cradle-to-grave” approach and what happens if First Solar is not in existence 30-50 years from now? It is something to consider. Other issues surrounding the chemicals in the solar panels are of concern as well and more details on the environmental side effects of solar panels can be found in the LA Times article: the Darker Side of Solar. Are we really being truly environmental friendly when we look at the long term, macro picture of this solar technology? This is not to say that solar technology is not healthy for the environment, it does help reduce greenhouse gases, but measures need to be addressed regarding the long term impacts solar technology has on the environment. The use of innovative, sustainable, cleaner technology in the development, design and manufacturing of solar panels may help offset the potential intrusion solar panels can have on the environment 30-50 years from now.

Overall, the rebates and incentives for solar initiatives are abundant, many cost efficient energy saving items should be analyzed first. Energy audits usually focus on solar products because of the enticing rebates and incentives, along with the high paybacks to the installer. Simple and inexpensive means of altering energy usage and function in the home should be considered prior to undertaking expensive solar power systems. For example, increasing the insulating factor of a home can dramatically reduce energy consumption; thereby, reducing gases expelled into the environment.

After attending Arizona State University’s Solar Industry Seminar in late January 2009, it is apparent that the State of Arizona can become the next leader in job generation. This is in part, thanks to the exponential explosion of the solar industry. Global companies focused in solar and renewable technologies are looking at Arizona to conduct business.

The State of Arizona’s government presents constraints to companies on choosing Arizona or the neighbor, New Mexico, because of the limited tax incentives to conduct “green” business here as compared with other states.

If Arizona’s government becomes progressive in increasing their tax incentives to green based companies, they stand to potentially become the leader in job generation over the next few years. Arizona has a leading edge over other states due to their abundance of sunshine.

What does this mean to people in the construction industry that have experienced a down turn from the economy? With the passage of the new stimulus package, allocating funds for tax credits for solar energy, is dramatically increasing the demand for installation of solar panels and other solar features within homes and businesses. All of this translates into a high demand for installers of the solar equipment.

What does this equate to those who lost jobs in the technology industry? Testing, Research and Development of renewable energy technologies, smart grid technologies, and advancement for the renewable energy companies.

What does this mean real estate agents that are experiencing a downturn in the economy? People relocating to the greater Phoenix area for jobs.

If the State of Arizona becomes proactive in their enticements to renewable energy companies, it could lead to thousands of jobs being generated. There is no other state that is posed to offer an ideal climate for the solar industry. This includes testing, generating and deployment.

Thousands of jobs!!! Arizonians, write to your legislators requesting their push for greater economic incentives to renewable energy related industries.

On Friday, March 13^th and Saturday, March 14^th, the Phoenix Convention Center features the BIG Southwest Build-It-Green Expo. The convention is anticipated to have over 500 exhibitors that include: building and construction products, architectural and engineering services, various governmental, non-profit, and private green programs, waste management, renewable energy, transportation, furnishings, landscaping, consumer goods and HVAC & AC companies. Green educational programs will be held throughout each day.

Topics covered in the Southwest Build-It-Green Educational Program will include:

• Green Awareness
• Solar Power
• Water Efficiency
• Sustainability
• LEED Certification
• Green Return on Investment
• Existing Building Retrofitting
• Commercial Sustainable Product Use

Don’t miss out on this greening event, especially when you click here to get Free Tickets for the event.

The future’s greenest city, Masdar, is proposed for completion in the year 2014.  Masdar, known as the Masdar Initiative, is a development in  Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.  Abu Dhabi is taking an unprecedented vision to transform itself from a hydrocarbon producer to having the world’s first zero carbon, zero waste city.

The development, designed by Foster + Partners, is designed as a walled city, encompassing 6 square kilometers, housing a population of 50,000. The World Wildlife Fund provided sustainable-city concepts for this eco-chic development.

The Ten Principals of Sustainability developed by BioRegional and WWF include:

1. Zero carbon
2. Zero waste
3. Sustainable Transport
4. Local & Sustainable Materials
5. Local & Sustainable Foods
6. Sustainable Water
7. Natural Habitats and Wildlife
8. Culture and Heritage
9. Equity and Fair Trade:
10. Health and Happiness

Transportation around the city will consist of a personal transit system run by solar powered batteries. The electricity will be provided via photovoltaic panels, with cooling provided through concentrated solar power. Water will come from a solar powered desalination plant.

A computer aided Video of Masdar displays this futuristic development in the desert. From watching the video, the development seems very futuristic, somewhat like Disney’s Tomorrow land.

According to the Masdar Initiative,   the development “is a global cooperative platform for the open engagement in the search for solutions to some of mankind’s most pressing issues: energy, security, climate change and the development of human expertise in sustainability.” The underlying goal of the initiative is to bring commercialization of sustainable energy resources, products, and research and development; thereby, making Abu Dhabi the model city of the future and bringing a new – clean energy – economy to the city.

Will this model city be one for other cities of the future to follow? Is it foreseeable that the hydrocarbon producer, State of Texas, will be undertaking such an initiative soon? Is this really financially feasible? At a cost of over $20 billion, with a proposed population of 50,000, that equates to a mere $400,000 per resident to construct. Financial feasibility is questionable, the sustainable living concept – wonderful.

Source: WWF for a Living Planet.