On the Road with Alternative Fuels
July 24, 2009
Drivers now can take a popular tool on the road thanks to staff at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The Mobile Alternative Fueling Station Locator (MAFSL) helps on-the-go drivers find the five closest biodiesel, electricity, E85 (ethanol), hydrogen, natural gas, and propane fueling sites using any mobile device with Internet access. The rest of this article can be read here http://www.nrel.gov/features/20090724_locator.html
These are pretty cool looking, not sure about their reliability and efficiency, but a cool idea.
Brooklyn-based Sustainably Minded Interactive Technologies have released a system of aesthetically pleasing, fluttering photovoltaic leaves that generate electricity using solar and wind energy.
These solar leaves can easily be installed on any vertical wall due to their light weight. The system is also not static which allows the leaves to move around and catch sun from many different directions.
To read more click the following link:
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/07/02/solar-ivy-photovoltaic-leaves-climb-to-new-heights/
Landmarks & Companies Retrofit for Greener Efficiency
A report by Pike Research, a market research firm in Colorado, predicts that the retrofit market will experience strong growth through 2013 and beyond.
With the economy putting new construction in a headlock the retrofitting market has taken off. Building owners are not only retrofitting to update their spaces for looks they are retrofitting for sustainability and cost savings. Though retrofitting to be sustainable is more expensive up front, owners are counting on cost savings on energy to be more than the retrofit in the long run. The rest of this article can be read here http://www.globe-net.com/other_news/listing.cfm?type=2&newsID=4475
Madison Heights, Ferndale join regional energy initiative
Two more cities have joined the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office, bringing its municipal member ranks to five.
Madison Heights and Ferndale joined Roseville, Lincoln Park and Farmington Hills in the initiative Monday night.
The Michigan Suburbs Alliance, WARM Training Center, the Michigan Municipal League and SEMCOG launched the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office a year ago to help municipalities become more energy efficient and to adopt green technologies such as wind and solar power in an effort to help the region kick its Rust Belt image.
In early July, the Michigan Suburbs Alliance said interest in the new energy office initiative was increasing as local municipalities looked to stretch new funding for energy efficient improvements from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Article by Sherri Begin Welch of Crain’s Detroit Business.
