Starwood Hotels & Resorts Partners With NRG Solar In Global Alliance

The Westin St. John Resort & Villas

The two heavyweights in their respective industries are teaming up to install solar PV and renewable energy systems across Starwood properties worldwide, a key element of Starwood’s 30/20 by 20 sustainability strategy..

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Malta Solar PV Feed-in Tariff, Solar Hot Water, & Energy Efficiency Schemes Announced

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Malta is following the lead of many of its European colleagues with a new feed-in tariff for solar PV. It’s also implementing some solar hot water and energy efficiency rebates. Here are more details repost from Solar Love. In an effort to increase its renewable energy generation, Malta has started a photovoltaic subsidy and rebate scheme worth €21 million. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is co-financing the fund and will pay a feed-in tariff (FiT) rate of … Read More

First Wind/Current Power System To Be Installed Off Japanese Coast Later This Year

Image Credit: MODEC

The world’s first wind/current energy generation system is now set to be installed off the coast of Japan, sometime towards the end of the year. The system, capable of producing twice as much energy as a conventional wind turbine, is estimated to be able to generate enough electricity to power around 300 homes. CBSNews provides specifics: “The Savonius Keel & Wind Turbine Darrieus (SKWID) power generation system being developed by Mitsui Ocean Development & Engineering … Read More

Boron For Better Batteries

A theory developed at Rice University determined that a graphene/boron compound would excel as an ultrathin anode for lithium-ion batteries. The compound would store far more energy than graphite electrodes used in current batteries. 
Image Credit: Vasilii Artyukhov/Rice University

Tina about one year ago wrote about Rice University research exploring the benefits from the use of boron in batteries. Rice has an update for us, reposted below (with minor changes). Frustration led to revelation when Rice University scientists determined how graphene might be made useful for high-capacity batteries. Calculations by the Rice lab of theoretical physicist Boris Yakobson found a graphene/boron anode should be able to hold a lot of lithium and perform at a … Read More

Kial Soul EV — $35,000 With A 120-Mile Range?

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Remember the car advertisement in which the Kia Soul was driven by hamsters? That was for the original gasoline-powered Kia Soul, with a tag line “a new way to roll.” Well, now, the company is looking to offer a really new way to roll. Kia is expected to release an electric version of this car in 2014, so the hamsters can roll silently and efficiently! Obviously, there won’t be any hamsters driving it, but it is … Read More

New Solar Aviation World Distance Record Set By Solar Impulse

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The Solar Impulse, flying from Phoenix to Dallas this week, set an absolute distance world record for solar-powered aviation. The departure from Phoenix was picture perfect. After a blessing from the Apache Spiritual Leader and the well-timed assistance of their ground crew, Solar Impulse lifted off so quickly it seemed nearly impossible. For those of us who followed this leg of Solar Impulse’s journey, it was deeply moving to see this craft soar into the dark … Read More

Germany To Begin Renewable Power-To-Gas Research Project

power to gas germany

Soon Germany will be conducting another phase of its Energiewende (aka “energy transition” or “energy revolution”) with a power-to-gas research project. The large collaboration will consist of various institutes and companies. The goal of the project is to achieve a long-term energy storage system based upon a 100% renewable energy electricity scenario. The power-togas (P2G) technology converts electrical power to fuel. It takes the excess power generated by wind generators, solar arrays, or biomass power plants … Read More

Rooftop Solar Eats Away At Network Business Models

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This article originally appeared on RenewEconomy. SP Ausnet, one of the few listed energy network operators in Australia, has given a small but revelatory insight into how rooftop solar and changing consumer patterns are turning the business of delivering electricity on its head. The Victorian-based company, majority-owned by Singapore interests, has three main businesses: a state-wide network transmission business, an electricity distribution division based in the eastern part of the state, and a gas distribution … Read More

Bicycle Infrastructure Policy Needs To Change To Increase Ridership, Improve Public Health (Harvard Study & My Own)

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Via the delectable Bikocity, here’s some recent news on bicycle infrastructure research and the need to change the bicycle guidelines in transportation planning’s “Bible” (something I’ve been advocating for, after researching the topic, for years) in order to stimulate a bigger boost in bicycle ridership and better public health. More or less, bicycle infrastructure policy and its relationship to riderships was the topic of my 2007 master’s thesis. It’s been obvious to some of us for … Read More