Do It Yourself Solar Panels have become quite popular, especially if you or someone you know is handy. You can build them easily with a little patience and time. The savings is substantial, and from what I can tell the quality is as good as many prefabricated panels- if you’re using quality parts.

I’ve run across many DIY sites for solar panels, and I’m opting not to put in links- but rather have you do a search for ‘diy solar panels’ and see what looks good to you. You always want to do the research on any given company, or before buying a manual that promises to give you all the answers. There are so many options that you will be surprised.

You also want to do the research for your geographical area to determine how well solar panels will work for you.

Amazon is starting a program to help curb shipping material waste.

There will be a ‘ship free with Amazon tote’ button. The tote is a reusable, weatherproof bag that you return to Amazon after delivery.

Amazon has worked out a zip code schedule according to geographical areas.

Particular areas with certain zip codes have a specific day of the week as their tote day. Items sold directly by Amazon and under 50 pounds are eligible, and will have the “ship free with Amazon tote” button on the page. Most regular items should fall under this category. You just need to time it so that it arrives on your next ‘tote day’. There are no minimum delivery sizes, subscriptions or fees attached. You may keep adding items to your order until 10am 2 days before your ‘tote day’. They say you may the leave the tote bag on your doorstep to be picked up the next week on the scheduled delivery day.

Sounds like a great idea to me. I hate the waste of the packing materials that I recycle.

Ford focus has introduced their new electric version of this popular car. They say it will launch in late 2011. Total range hasn’t been disclosed yet, but an estimate of 100 mile range is suggested.

There are two charging options: 120v standard charging will take up to 20 hours for a full charge. 240v optional charging station will do a complete charge in 3-4 hours, and will be sold and installed by ‘Best Buy’ at an estimated cost of $1,499.

They are using a 23 kwh lithium-ion battery.

A lack of public charging stations is a concern for some. Others say it may force larger cities to make more charging stations available.

Top speed is expected to be about 84 mph (136 kph).

Ford and Microsoft have partnered to bring electric drivers a smart phone app called “My Ford Mobile,” which helps owners plug in remotely, advise drivers when utility rates are lowest and search MapQuest for charging stations.

I know that this is a totally lame posting, but in an effort to push something out in a very busy week, I’m posting a YouTube video about Geothermal Heat Pumps.

I will post more on this subject after I’ve had a chance to research this more.

It looks awesome, and I have heard of this in the past. It looks like it could be rather costly, but may have come down in price over the years and there may be tax incentives available! 

Geothermal Heat Pumps:

“EcoSmart Fireplaces are environmentally friendly vent free open fireplaces that produce a wonderfully warm dancing flame.”

This line of fireplaces is visually creative and seems quite exciting.

They are clean burning, fuelled by liquid bio-ethanol which is renewable because it comes from sources such as: sugar cane, potato and corn.

Easy to use and maintain, they bring warmth and energy into a room. They do not produce ash or soot, so there’s no mess to clean up.

The fact that they do not require a flue or chimney means that they don’t really require installation (in some cases) and are easily moved. Apartment and Condo dwellers can add a fireplace, and take it with them when they move.

They manufacture a variety of fireplace grates, inserts and freestanding models as well as outdoor models.

Vent free ecosmartfire.com:

Bio ethanol fuel:

Fuel cells are starting to pop up all over California. A wide variety of businesses such as breweries, food processing, waste water treatment plants, grocery stores, hotels, a casino and even a jail.

Each unit can be the size of a large SUV, saving large amounts of money and reducing the carbon footprint.

These units take oxygen from the air and combine it with fuel such as natural gas in an electrochemical process that produces electricity without using combustion.

They are expensive, but their costs can be recouped in roughly 10 years, and are much more environmentally friendly than anything we are currently using. Buyers are eligible for tens of thousands of dollars in government rebates and available tax incentives.

There are more than 40 cities in California that are producing about 35 megawatts of power. That’s enough electricity to light up about 35,000 average homes.

Some of the high profile installations include Google Inc. in the Bay area and eBay Inc. in San Jose.

Read More Here:

The phase out of the inefficient incandescent light bulbs is expected to be starting in 2012. The bulbs most relevant to consumers are the 40w, 60w, 75w and 100w standard incandescent light bulbs.

The EISA (Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007) is providing a three year phase out that will start with the inefficient 100w bulbs the first year (2012). The second year will be the 75w bulbs and the third year the 60w and 40w bulbs will become unavailable.

Currently there are three  options for replacing the incandescent light bulbs: Halogen, Compact Fluorescents (CFL’s) and solid state (LED). The Halogen lights will look the most like the incandescents. CFL’s and LED use a lot less energy. They both have drawbacks of their own. CFL’s have a small amount of mercury and need to be disposed of or recycled appropriately. LED’s have no mercury, but are currently considered considerably more expensive limiting their use to commercial and business applications for now.

This is an interesting planter that is self watering as well as attractive. It is good for those of us that don’t have green thumbs!

The water reservoir can last up to 2 months.

It is ideal to monitor the planter to see how the water usage is for each plant in the beginning.

There is a visible indicator that shows where the water level is, so it is easy to monitor.

They come in 4 colors: Green, White, Light Blue and Light Grey.

They cost about $42 usd.

Link to manufacturer Greenamic:

Assembly Overview in Flash format:

Washington State University in Pullman Washington has been developing what they are calling a ‘Super or Ultra Battery’.

“The researchers created the material on the Pullman campus in a diamond anvil cell, a small, two-inch by three-inch-diameter device capable of producing extremely high pressures in a small space. The cell contained xenon difluoride (XeF2), a white crystal used to etch silicon conductors, squeezed between two small diamond anvils.”

Link to WSU

Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre at Ecovative Design have started producing an amazing product called Mycobond. This is a product they have developed using conventional waste products such as seed husks, and bind them together using mycelium (mushroom roots). “We don’t manufacture materials, we grow them” stated McIntyre to the media recently. The result is a white material that looks and feels a lot like Styrofoam. Since the materials are all natural and fully compostable (they can be tossed into the garden to begin composting), high performance and low cost is the result.

Mycobond uses 1/8^th the energy and 1/10^th the carbon dioxide that standard foam materials require.

They have gotten a lot of support from various sources such as the EPA, the NCIIA (National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance) gave them a $20,000 grant and they recently won $250,000 from the Post Code Lottery Green Challenge.

Their goal is to completely eliminate all petroleum based foams and packing materials. Foam waste takes up the highest mass in our landfills- but it doesn’t break down, and we’re running out of landfill space.

GO GUYS!

EcovativeDesign.com

Ecovativedesign- greensulate insulation