According to TheAtlantic.com, “Environmentalist Bill McKibben has been campaigning for the last few weeks to get solar panels put back on the roof of the White House, taking a road trip to DC with the original panels President Carter installed before Reagan took them down, which McKibben has lifted from their current home at Unity College in Maine for the purpose of this advocacy effort.”

Well, the administration has agreed to meet with him. From a press release this morning:

McKibben has been in back and forth negotiations with the White House for the last 48 hours to push for them to accept the panel and show they have a plan to get solar back on the White House roof — a California solar company, Sungevity, has already offered to install a new set for free. As of Thursday morning the Administration has offered to meet with McKibben and his team and says they are discussing the proposal to put solar back on the White House roof. “We keep hearing, ‘We’ll see’ and ‘It’s complicated,’” McKibben said. “Compared with the other things Obama has to do, it seems relatively easy. You can’t filibuster the roof.”

Submit your green building material lists to hundreds of suppliers in one shot.

by Thomas Sullivan

Without a doubt, solar technology will be the wave of the foreseeable future. Solar power production is surely an extremely easy process to comprehend. The solar, or photo voltaic, cell gathers power coming from the sun. A solar cell is really a semiconductor unit which is constructed using photo voltaic components. It includes no essential fluids or chemical substances, and no moving portions. Pv cells transform sunlight straight into electrical energy.

A solar panel typically is made up of a series of single cells, which are maintained by a system that allows the actual cells to operate in unison. The power which is captured with the solar panel is usually held in a battery pack. Solar power systems create direct current (DC) energy. Quite a few solar panel technology systems have inverters within them which in turn allows for direct current (DC) electrical energy to be converted to alternating electric current (AC). Most consumer items such as kitchen appliances as well as electronic devices are powered by AC.

Unless of course you have a vast expanse of land to accommodate a large selection of solar energy panels, it really is extremely unlikely you will be able to power your entire home with solar panel technology. Nonetheless, you are able to power one particular room within your house having a modest selection of solar panels fixed on the roof top of your own home. Multiply the wattage of every individual electronic product by the amount of hours you plan to use them every day. That combined number will be your goal, or the smallest amount your solar panel system needs to have the ability to generate.

There are a number of options to consumers that are looking at converting to solar power. A standard set up which you can use to power some type of computer and a few various other small things can be acquired for about $1000.00. Naturally, the price will increase with the particular production capability of your respective structure. For most locations, the buying price of a set up model will cost somewhere inside the price of $10.00-$12.00 for every watt.

Power from the sun is truly one of a few genuinely environmentally friendly resources which may be used when it comes to electric and also power creation. Every hour of each day, the sun’s rays covers our planet with enough energy to support our global power needs for an entire year or so. As the technologies behind solar power develops, people are going to be unable to resist the impulse to transfer.

Plenty of resources are now being dedicated to the actual continuing development of solar energy technology. A lot of the main oil and energy organizations currently have entire sections dedicated to solar technology. Research workers and technicians are spending countless hours attempting to cultivate the technological innovation right now that may greatly improve conditions on the planet tomorrow. It is no hidden secret that individuals cannot continue on down the path we are on. Classic fuels shall no longer be any kind of viable choice with regard to power production.

About the Author:

If you have been thinking about switching to solar power, you can compare energy prices at our website which you can find at: Buy Solar Panel

Related articles by Zemanta

• How tough are our solar panels? (adafruit.com)

There are some many members in today’s society that are so concerned with teaching everybody how to go green. There is a very good reason for this, it revolves around the environment not being in the most perfect of conditions. If you work in construction, we will further explain how to go green when selecting building supplies.

If you are considering the purchase of any supply materials that might be green, remember that certain factors need to be taken into mind to determine how green said materials actually are. The most important aspect is that supplies be of a totally non toxic nature. Supplies that unleash toxins into the air not only hurt the planet, but the health of human beings as well.

Another important thing to remember about any building supply is how recyclable it really is. Is the material that you are considering made entirely out of recycled materials? Even though most builders do not like to consider the fact that their structure will not last forever, it just might not. If it is destroyed by a natural disaster, will the remains be recyclable or just thrown away?

It is very important to consider the amount of energy that is required for any supply or material to be utilized. There are processes that involve bringing materials from their natural state into the supplies that are ready for use on your construction site. We will take a look at a few of the processes involved with certain supplies and how it takes energy to accomplish them.

One process involved with these materials that eats up a great deal of energy is the creation process of the materials. Building materials originated from natural sources and had to be collected, processed and sometimes even combined into usable building materials. All of these elements require some amount of energy to be conducted, how much energy does your choice of products require?

A great deal of energy can sometimes be utilized when material supplies are transported or delivered. Is this a rare material that comes from far away and required the waste of energy from many motor vehicles to get to your site? Or by chance, is this a material that is very abundant locally so very little transporting was needed to bring the material to your site?

When you are considering how green you want your construction process to be, you have to consider both your budget as well as your needs. You might not be able to afford to run things quite as greenly as you care to. As long as you are making an honest effort to go as green as you can afford, this is all that matters. Saving the earth happens one step at a time.

After reading this article, you should now be pretty familiar with how to stay green while buying building supplies. Do not forget how many factors there are to consider when determining the green level of a supply. If you are serious about being more green you should be sure to do more extensive research on the topic. You might be surprised by the amount of things that you might learn.

Related articles by Zemanta

• AZEK Building Products Launches Microsite to Explain Lifecycle Impact and Sustainability of AZEK Products (prnewswire.com)

Q. What is The Cotocon Group, why was it formed?

A. The Cotocon Group is a green building consulting firm that specializes in energy efficiency and LEED consulting for new and existing buildings. Our team is made up of experienced professionals who use current best practices to support your goal of attaining a positive “triple bottom line”.

We are architects, engineers, LEED® AP’s (Accredited Professionals), interior designers, energy auditors, contracting professionals, project managers, and sustainable product experts. We also have alliances with energy tax CPAs, ESCOs and other energy professionals.

Our mission is to help our clients reduce their operating costs and increase their ROI, through sustainable and energy efficient practices in their current buildings and any new buildings. We help make upgrades and retrofits financially feasible by exposing all possible incentives.

Q. What is your background?

A. I formed The Cotocon Group when I noticed a need for clarity and understanding for what makes going green affordable and achievable. I became a LEED AP because I wanted to be recognized as an expert in the green building industry and LEED rating system; having the experience to provide building owners and their teams the ability to maximize energy efficiency design and their return on investment on those projects. Before becoming accredited by the USGBC as a LEED AP, I spent over 25 years in large commercial building construction and development.

Q. What do the designations mean or suggest?

A. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a 3rd-party evaluated green building certification system created by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) www.usgbc.com. LEED has become the internationally recognized standard for energy efficiency and sustainability in the built environment. A LEED Accredited Professional (AP) is a designation which certifies professional expertise in the LEED system and is awarded for demonstration of the highest levels of LEED knowledge and experience, including passing an exhaustive exam. Last year the LEEP AP exam pass rate was reported to be 20%.

Q. How does your company function in the environmental finance space?

A. We measure existing building energy and water use and show clients how much it’s really costing them. If they want to reduce their operating expenses by making some major upgrades in their building’s energy efficiency, we’ll then do further analysis with an investment grade energy audit which gives clients the detailed information they need to make the right decision in making an energy retrofit to their building.

We help make energy efficiency retrofits financially feasible by providing direct insight into all available financial incentives including federal, state, local and utility programs. We work with energy tax specialists who can bring significant tax benefits to a client who does an energy efficiency retrofit. We can arrange for financing of clean energy projects in support of LEED and other energy efficiency standards.

Q. If someone is thinking of hiring a company like yours, what questions should they ask? What is their benefit; if any?

A. How can you support my objectives for achieving a positive triple bottom line (people property and profit)? What differentiates you from other competitors? Benefits are lowered operating costs, increased property value, higher occupancy, retaining tenants, and attracting tenants with the highest standards by delivering a green message to clients and vendors alike.

Q. Where do you see the growth in your industry. How do you plan to finance your own growth?

A. As more and more companies experience the rewards of energy efficiency and increased profits there will be an increase in demand for our services. Self financing and third party investors.

Q. Anything else you would like to say?

A. If you have interest in learning more about energy efficiency, LEED and sustainable buildings please go to our website www.thecotocongroup.com or contact us at info@thecotocongroup.com

by John Gerace, PhD, PE

There are many different types of renewable energy that can be used in place of energy created by burning fossil fuels. Renewable energy is generated from geothermal heat, sunlight, tides, rain and wind. All of which will naturally replenish. Currently only about 20% of the worlds energy consumption uses natural energy sources.

One of the cleanest and most efficient types of renewable energy is wind power which is slowly gaining in popularity and usage. Wind power is seen more in Europe though many countries are building off shore wind farms. Only a light breeze is needed to generate power and the energy conversion is one of the most efficient of all renewable sources.

Renewable energy is not only being used in large scale production but many can be scaled down to use for small grid or even residential use. The best example of this would be solar power. Solar power takes the suns light and converts it to electricity using solar cells. Solar can easily supplement current electricity usage and some business and people are finding that they no longer pay an electricity bill after conversion to solar power.

Hydropower has been used for years via construction and operation of dams. Most people are familiar with Hoover Dam which is the largest hydropower station in the world. As water flows from a high spot to a low spot it gives off energy which can be transformed into different types of power such as electrical. You also can use hydropower without dams in rivers and oceans as long as there is a current or tide.

Biofuels are mainly based on bioalcohol or bioethanol. This fuel is produced from fermenting soy or sugar that comes from plants. This pure form can then be used instead of gasoline. Biodiesel is an oil made from animal fat, vegetable oils and recycled grease. Although these fuels when burned produce emissions, they are much cleaner than the traditional petrol.

So now that you know, consider how you can make changes and choices to take advantage of these alternatives.

About the author:

Save Money On Your Company’s Energy Bill, visit Energy Edge Technologies site for strategies on saving a tremendous amount of capital on your Corporate Energy Bill or call 888-729-5722 Ext. 100.

Related articles by Zemanta

• California ISO Holds Renewable Energy Forum This Week (eon.businesswire.com)
• Green Energy in the Nordic Region: Renewable sources, capacity growth and future outlook (prnewswire.com)