• Category Archives: Awareness and Hype

    India was 2011’s world leader in renewable energy growth

    BP--India-wind-energy-inv-003.jpgWhen it comes to turning green, India seems to have silently led the world as the foremost nation when it comes do development of environment-friendly and eco-friendly infrastructure. The nation invested $10.3 billion in renewable energy that led to a subsequent growth of 52% in the sector! Also, solar power growth shot up more than ever, with investments topping 700% over those in 2010 with a total of $4.2 billion invested in solar power in 2011. With $4.6 billion invested in wind power, India’s total investments in renewable energy contributed 4% to the total growth worldwide!
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    Posted in Awareness and Hype on February 7, 2012
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    Super Bowl XLVI goes green with eco-friendly practices

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    This year, the Super Bowl is all set to go green and has come up with ways to be the greenest NFL championship ever held! Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium and the Super Bowl Host Committee have worked together to turn the Super Bowl super green. With the Lucas Oil Stadium going green with 100% recycled toilet paper, water preservation faucets, CPI lighting, natural lighting and ventilation.
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    Recycling will be kept in mind this Super Bowl with strategically placed recycling bins around the stadium and in hotels, restaurants and in residential areas.
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    Also, the Project Plug-In initiative by the Super Bowl Host Committee has helped set up and fund two charging stations for electric cars at the stadium’s parking lot.

    Posted in Awareness and Hype on February 6, 2012
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    Walmart ranks third on EPA’s list of top renewable energy purchasers in U.S.

    Walmart-Solar.jpgThe EPA pulled out yet another list of some of the greenest businesses out there, and the result this time seems to be pretty fascinating. Walmart, earlier ranked 15th for green energy purchases has moved up to the 3rd spot on the newest list by the EPA. With 872,382,088 kilowatt-hours of Walmart’s energy being sourced from biogas, wind power, or solar power, the retail giant has made it pretty clear that it means green. First up on the list however is Intel Corp, followed by Kohl’s Department Stores for the maximum green energy purchases when it comes to businesses.
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    Posted in Awareness and Hype on February 3, 2012
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    GM and PJM Interconnection to use OnStar system to notify Volt owners about ideal-charging-time

    onstar-1327613657.jpgGeneral Motors has come up with a great way to further give your Chevrolet Volt a greener shade. Using the OnStar navigation system, Volt owners will now be informed just when their utility companies use renewable energy sources for power generation, notifying one in regards to the ideal time to recharge the car. Currently working with utility firm PJM Interconnection, GM’s OnStar users will be notified what percentage of a grid’s power supply is coming from renewable source, helping them regulate their car-charging activities as per peak renewable-energy time. Generally for wind energy, PJM suggests the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. timeframe. A clever way to recharge your Volt with green juice from the comfort of your home-charging-station, this move could help decrease your car’s carbon footprint substantially.
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    Posted in Awareness and Hype on February 1, 2012
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    California, America’s highest harvester and user of solar juice

    8.jpgCalifornia isn’t known as the Golden State for no apparent reason. This state located on the Western side of the United States has long since been known to be one of the largest producers and users of solar power, and remains so, even today! As per a report by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, California has been responsible for about half of America’s photovoltaic activity in 2010, playing home to 869 megawatts of installed capacity out of the nation’s total of 1,831 megawatts. In California, San Diego boasts the largest use of solar power, with 4500 solar-topped homes, businesses and government facilities, generating about 37 megawatts. We sincerely hope the Golden State works as a shining example for the rest of the country and the world as a whole, helping decrease the reliance on fossil fuels in the near future.
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    [environmentcalifornia]

    Posted in Awareness and Hype on January 26, 2012
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    Reducing your gas bill now made easier

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    Many families at this time of year are looking to reduce their bills they are dealing with. For many this will mean comparing gas and electricity prices and trying to find a better deal than they are currently on. Be it gas, or electricity, or both, these resources meet many of our day to day tasks, from cooking, cleaning and entertainment.

    Posted in Awareness and Hype on December 9, 2011
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    Dutch Senate introduces iPads; kicks off paper usage for greener administration

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    Dutch Senators have finally moved on to greener ways to deal with their documents than printed papers. With Apple iPads introduced in the upper house of the parliament, the Dutch Senate is the first in Europe to distribute digital documents and push away paper use! Also, the Senators are currently being instructed on how to use the Senate app specially designed for the iPad. With 150,000 Euros ($201,053) spent on developing the application and buying the iPads, the Senate expects paybacks in about a year, saving about 140,000 Euros ($191,184) in printing and courier costs, while saving the lives of innumerable trees around!
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    [Electronista]

    Posted in Awareness and Hype on October 12, 2011
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    Milan bans vehicles from its streets for 10 hours to clear away smog

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    The residents of Milan recently were struck with an unearthly silence, as the northern Italian city decided to leave its cars at home for a whole 10 hours in an attempt to decrease smog. All traffic came to a grinding halt between 0800 and 1800 local time. 120,000 vehicles were affected on this green Sunday with officials deciding to place the ban after having shocked themselves into environment-awareness with satellite imagery showing Milan to be one of the most polluting cities in Europe!

    Posted in Awareness and Hype on October 10, 2011
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    Greener bamboo-based alternative to carbon fibre and fibreglass being developed

    1.jpgCarbon fiber is used extensively today in the automobile industry as an alternative to traditional steel being used to manufacture cars. Being a lighter alternative, many automobile manufacturers have resorted to use carbon fiber, given that cutting down weight does add points to a car’s performance. However, carbon fibre doesn’t come cheap, and a recently developed woven bamboo fibre and vegetable resin material could instead take its place. Strong enough to fall in the ranks of carbon fibre and fibreglass, this new material is easier to manufacture too, cutting down costs given that bamboo grows quickly and is easy to use as raw material.

    Posted in Awareness and Hype on October 7, 2011
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    HP’s EcoPOD, the world’s most efficient data center made from recycled shipping containers!

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    Data-centers are energy suckers, electricity-dipsomaniacs and are a serious strain on national grids. Ideally, these take about $15 million a year to operate on average and are more than often under-utilized and tend to drink an equal amount of funds to maintain too. However, turning a data-center green today is indeed possible, with HP setting an example with its Performance Optimized Data Center 240a, more commonly known as the HP EcoPOD. With benefits like energy efficiency, this high-performance server center with a higher power density, lower operating cost, faster deployment time and a footprint 1/10th the size of the traditional data center, seems to be the answer to data center designs of the near future!

    Posted in Awareness and Hype on September 16, 2011
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