Month: September 2011

Responding to a Trillion-Dollar Call to Retrofit Buildings

13 years ago Guest Contributor 1 Comment

The serial entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson brought to life an international need and business opportunity centered on thermally upgrading existing buildings, the world’s biggest users of energy. NYC’s Empire State Building was able to reduce its energy use by 40% thanks to a retrofit. Sir Richard founded the “Carbon War Room” based in Washington D.C. to unite international entrepreneurs, business leaders, researchers, policy experts, thinkers, to focus on solutions, not rhetoric, in efforts to tangibly combat climate change while creating 1000’s of “green” jobs.

Farmers Harvesting the Power of Solar Energy

13 years ago silviomarcacci 7 Comments

The Sun’s rays have always been the foundation of farming, giving crops the energy they need to grow. But a program by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is now matching up farmers with grants and incentives to help them harvest a new kind of crop – solar-powered electricity.

energyNOW! met Georgia pecan farmer Trey Pippin to learn how USDA’s Rural Development program matched his farm up with a local utility and solar panel manufacturer Suniva to build a solar array on his property large enough to power dozens of homes.

Google Invests Another $75 million to Bring Solar Power to Homeowners

13 years ago proteus 0 Comments

Google’s director of Green Business Operations Rick Needham announced the Internet search and technology leader will invest $75 million to create an initial fund with Clean Power Finance that aims to install solar power systems on as many as 3,000 homes. The investment brings to over $850-million the total amount of capital Google has invested in developing and deploying clean energy

Fracking Infographic

13 years ago Zachary Shahan 7 Comments

Natural gas is considered by many a ‘clean energy’ alternative to coal. It is considered by many a necessary transition fuel. I’m not so sure about its cleanliness or its necessity. But I haven’t ruled it out of the “clean energy future” equation yet either.

But no matter where you stand on natural gas, you have to admit that hydraulic fracking (for natural gas) comes with some nasty consequences. There are now identified issues with earthquakes and water quality (including creating flammable water). Here’s an infographic with more: