Cleantech Buffet (2nd Porsche PHEV, Bike Elevator For Treehouse…)

September 24, 201311 years ago Zachary Shahan 0 Comments

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Some top cleantech munchings that we haven’t covered:

EVs

Norway is a clear EV leader. It is likely the most EV-friendly country in the world, which is why it was no surprise to see Tesla roll out its entry into Europe in Norway, while also opening a nationwide Supercharger network. Another big event recently held in the Scandinavian country was a 260½ EV parade, a new world record.

Porsche’s 2nd PHEV

Porsche’s second plug-in hybrid electric car (PHEV), the Porsche 918 Spyder, was recently debuted at the 2013 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. Some details follow.

Renault & Bolloré Teaming Up On Carsharing & EVs

French car companies Renault and Bolloré have teamed up to work on EV carsharing together. Clearly, I think EVs have a big future, and I think carsharing does as well, so I’m curious to see where this partnership goes.

Bikes, Transit, & Cities

Bike Elevator For Treehouse (Videos)

Treehouses have been one of my favorite things in the world for about as long as I remember. And, for that matter, bikes have held a position up amongst the best of the best for a long time as well. Combining the two almost makes me drool. Ethan Schlussler has done just that (combine bikes & treehouses, not drool…)

Businesses in Groningen, the Netherlands: More Bike Traffic, Please

What happens when transportation planners try to accommodate cyclist traffic? If you’re in Groningen, the Netherlands, where over half of all trips are made by bike, you get complaints from business owners — who don’t want cyclists diverted from their street.

David Hembrow of A View From the Cycle Path says students are flooding the Zonnelaan bike path to Zernike Campus, leading planners to recommend alternate “smart routes,” which are separated from autos and have no traffic lights. Some merchants along the Zonnelaan path aren’t having it.

[Note: I lived in Groningen. It is perhaps the best bicycle city in the world, genuinely. It’s a different kind of place, an amazing place.]

Nearly 2.7 Billion Trips Taken on U.S. Public Transportation in Second Quarter

Nationally, nearly 2.7 billion trips were taken on U.S. public transportation in the second quarter of 2013, according to a report released today by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Compared to the second quarter of 2012, this year’s second quarter increased by 1.2 percent, with nearly 31 million more trips taken from April through June. In comparison, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) on our nation’s roads was up by 0.5 percent.

#citydata: Ten Facts About Cities (Part 3)

In recent weeks we’ve been focusing on the numbers behind cities as part of our new #citydata series. From bike lanes to construction to pet waste (yep), we’re covering the whole spectrum of sustainable cities in this super-visual series. Click the links to check out parts 1 and 2 of this series, or read on for even more #citydata.

Small Cities Show Bike Share Isn’t Just for the Big Boys

While the successes, and travails, of bike share systems in cities like New York, Washington D.C., and Chicago get most of the attention, several smaller cities across the U.S. have managed to establish such systems without much fanfare.

Solar

Fight Over Battery-Backed Solar in Southern California

Why is SoCal Edison denying net metering credits to homes that combine solar and batteries?

Clean Power Finance: Making Solar Safer for Capital

An online operations and maintenance service makes solar more investor-friendly.

Just How Reliable IS The Solar Industry? Pretty Reliable, Despite NYT

Just how reliable is the solar industry?

With 25-year warranties increasingly the norm for different solar system components, the concerns about reliability often whispered behind closed doors grew to a dull roar at Intersolar.

A May 28 article in The New York Times headlined “Solar Industry Anxious Over Defective Panels” spurred the conversation, and it traveled up and down the aisles of the trade show like a tidal wave. Companies across all industry segments urged us to tackle the issue in our Solar Power International issue.

Wind + Solar

Can This Plan Save Utilities From Themselves?

Almost everyone admits it: utilities are eventually going to be in for some serious trouble if they don’t start thinking about how to properly manage the coming surge in distributed energy. But we can’t entirely blame the utilities for moving slowly; regulators play a key role in setting the rules for how power companies operate.

In this week’s show, we’ll look at a comprehensive new report aimed at these decision makers, called America’s Power Plan, which lays the foundation for the future of electricity. Will it be an effective roadmap for regulators?

Hans-Josef Fell: A Free Man

German politician Hans-Josef Fell, one of the original authors of the country’s Renewable Energy Act of 2000, was not reelected on Sunday. The 61-year-old says he will continue to work for renewables in some other capacity.

German Elections: Best Result for Renewables

Germany has voted, and the new Chancellor is the old one. But although there is no change at the helm, the situation has greatly improved for renewables.

Renewable Generation Provides a Growing Share of California’s Electricity

Most of the electricity used in California continues to come from in-state generators fueled by natural gas and imports from a variety of generation sources in other portions of the western interconnection. While the contribution of renewable generation has been increasing, the role of nuclear generation has dropped considerably since the shutdown of the two-unit San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in January 2012.

Energy Efficiency

The Secret to Controlling Heat and Sunlight in Your Commercial Building

Windows in a commercial building rank high on the value scale when it comes to both fiscal and aesthetic matters, like controlling heat and sunlight. For all their benefits, however, they bring with them a list of issues that need to be addressed if everybody associated with the building is to be satisfied. Controlling sunlight and heat loss are two important considerations when it comes to windows.

Survey: Building Automation and Data Analytics Are Top Efficiency Priorities

According to Schneider Electric Research, planned efficiency improvements have been increasing among U.S. companies for 2014.

It surveyed 369 representatives of efficiency services companies, utilities and potential customers. 43 percent of those surveyed said they planned to increase their efficiency programs budgets over 2013, while 22 percent intended no budget modifications. Only 10 percent said they intended to spend less on efficiency enhancements.

GE Infusion LED Modules Deliver Maximum Flexibility in an Energy Efficient Lighting Solution

LED lighting plays a vital role in today’s retail environments, maximizing shopping experiences and making merchandise appear its best.

GE’s Infusion LED Module product line offers a versatile LED lighting solution that provides highly flexible LED lighting options critical for retailers who want to highlight certain products or create emphasis through a display.

Lessons From Connecticut’s PACE Program for Efficiency