CleanTechnica

23 Solar Pioneers You Should Know

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Zachary Shahan

Solar Power World’s Frank Andorka recently ran through a list of “23 solar pioneers whose names you should know.” Interesting list. As a taster, I’ll drop the first 3 below, along with Frank’s quick summaries as to why they’re pioneers. For the remaining 23, jump on over to Frank’s post. 1. Archimedes “As early as 212 BC, the Greek scientist, Archimedes, used the reflective properties of bronze shields to focus sunlight and to set fire to wooden ships … Read More

Ernest Moniz, Natural Gas And The “Forgotten Renewables”

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Tina Casey

In a town hall meeting with staffers last week, new Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz dropped a bombshell and a hint. The bombshell, at least as far as fans of natural gas are concerned, is that Moniz sees natural gas not as a permanent fixture in the U.S. energy landscape but merely as a temporary “bridge” to a globally competitive, low carbon future that is well within our grasp. As for the hint, Moniz mentioned that … Read More

St. John’s Makes Energy Upgrades To 36 Buildings, Installs Building Automation System

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Dan Thiede, CERTs

St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood, MN, received a $300,000 grant for a $1 million building automation system upgrade and retro-commissioning project that covered all facility air handling units and heating and cooling systems.

State ARRA-funded C&I grant helps fund building retrofit: St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood, MN, is constantly seeking ways to improve its infrastructure in the most cost-effective ways. And when the stimulus-funded Commercial and Industrial Grant Program from the Minnesota Department of Commerce came along, it made energy efficiency easy. St. John’s Hospital received a $300,000 grant for a $1 million building automation system upgrade and retro-commissioning project that covered all facility air handling units and … Read More

Community Energy Oceania – A Snapshot Of Melbourne, Victoria

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Guest Contributor

This article first appeared on The Community Power Report by Manny Pasqualini Community Power Reporter – Oceania Oceania is a region as diverse as any, dotted with tropical Pacific Island nations, the mountainous lands of New Zealand, and the world’s largest island and smallest continent, Australia. Amongst Oceania’s relatively few inhabitants, there is a growing movement of community-minded people and organisations working towards a switch to clean, renewable energy generation, away from dirty and increasingly cost-inefficient … Read More

Official: 2013 Nissan Leaf Rated At 115 MPGe, 75 Miles On 90% Charge

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Zachary Shahan

This 2013 Nissan Leaf is selling like hotcakes (and not just in Norway). And there’s a reason for it. It’s cheap (well, relatively speaking), has good range, and has excellent fuel economy. The EPA has just confirmed the latter two points, as this EV Obsession repost will tell you. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has put up official range and fuel economy figures for the 2013 Nissan Leaf. The range (on a 90% charge) is rated … Read More

Carbon Tax Good For Climate And Economy, Says US Congressional Budget Office

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Guest Contributor

The US Congressional Budget Office has completed its study of impact of carbon tax on the US economy. The CBO was given the tax to assess the impact of carbon tax on fossil fuels on the US economy and the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. In its second report on the subject, the CBO has given elaborate description of what a possible carbon tax regime could look like. The report seems extremely balanced as it elaborates the … Read More

Solar Power’s Massive Price Drop (Graph)

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Zachary Shahan

Here’s another excellent cleantech snack for some Friday Fun. Thanks again to an active CleanTechnica reader and commenter for passing it along: For more on solar power’s massive price drop and related stories, check out: Solar — A Disruptive Technology (Graph) Solar PV Module Prices Have Fallen 80% Since 2008, Wind Turbines 29% Solar #2 Source Of New Electricity In 2013 (+ More Graphs & Charts) Renewable Energy Big Pic: Part 1 (Including 34 Charts … Read More

16 Kindergardeners Fit In A Tesla Model S (Video)

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Zachary Shahan

Thanks to one of our wonderful readers and commenters for passing along this fun video disproving Elon Musk and Tesla Motors’ claim regarding how many kindergardeners can fit in a Tesla Model S: Here’s another fun Tesla Model S video if you want more: Video: Tesla Model S Gets Its Drift On … Read More

Chevy Spark EV Undercuts Competitions’ Charge Times & Prices

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Nicholas Brown

Editor’s Note: GM/Chevrolet may have hit the jackpot with the new Chevy Spark EV. The price is about $5,000 lower than was originally anticipated, just undercutting the Nissan Leaf. (I’m sure that wasn’t on purpose.) With a potential $10,000 cut in the cost of the Chevy Volt in the coming years, GM looks like it wants to take a big piece of the plug-in electric vehicle market. The competition is certainly heating up. For now, … Read More