Rooftop-mounted solar panels are an excellent source of alternative energy — if your house and area are appropriate for their installation. Some roofs aren’t made to accommodate them; many areas feature too many impediments to sunlight, such as trees; and, frankly, the cost of solar panels isn’t exactly cheap. Whether solar panels are out of your price range or your roof is ill-equipped for their installation, a bill announced by Mark Udall, U.S. Senator from Colorado, aims to ensure solar panels for those who want them, even if they don’t happen to be on your own property.

According to Clean Technica, the announced bill, called the Solar United Neighborhoods (SUN) Act of 2010, “would extend the tax credit available to homeowners who put solar panels on their roofs, to those homeowners who collectively own small solar arrays located somewhere other than their own property.” The big catch? The clusters of solar arrays, known as community solar gardens, would pertain not only to homeowners, but renters as well.

Image via Clean Technica

Senator Udall also stated that utilizing community solar gardens would reduce the cost of installation by as much as 30 percent in comparison to the fees required to install panels on several neighborhood rooftops. In a conference call with reporters, Udall expressed enthusiasm over the elimination of the requirement that solar panels be located on an individual’s property, as the greater freedom of installation location would free “Americans to work together on community projects where each individual can claim a tax credit on part of a shared project.”

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It looks like something your child might covet. But it is, in fact, a toy for adults, and a pretty practical one at that; the lawnmower scooter concept by Vicky Petihovski.

Conceived of as a kind of riding lawnmower for those with small yards, the lawn mower scooter makes use of an electric motor, so you’ll never have to lug around that stinky old gas can. Yanko Design reports that all cuttings are saved in the transparent bin in the front, where they can easily be added to your compost–and with a footprint this small, you may not even need to break out the weed-wacker for those hard-to-reach areas of your yard.

image via Yanko Design

Of course, it looks pretty cool, too–so this may be the perfect incentive for your child to actually earn that allowance. (Just make sure he or she doesn’t take off with it down the sidewalk.)

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Curtains that can reduce your heating and cooling costs by $180 a year? That is, apparently, what Levolor’s new line of custom window shades can do for you–in 200 different fabric choices.

Levolor Accordia Cellular Shades features special technology aimed at reducing the loss of up to 20 percent of a home’s total heating and cooling costs through the windows, as estimated by the U.S. Department of Energy. Cellular shades help insulate windows by trapping pockets of air within, and an additional layer of insulation hidden inside the cellular structure of the Accordia eliminates air flow while providing filtered light.

image via Newscom

The Accordia Cellular Shade line was created in an effort to address Levolor’s consumer research, which found that homeowners wanted an energy efficient shade but–much like their preferences when it comes to buying green cars–they weren’t willing to sacrifice style for efficiency.

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Despite the growing frequency of solar powered cell phone chargers, smartphones require larger boosts than conventional cell phones due to the large amount of battery-draining applications users are prone to running — and that’s in addition to chatting, texting, emailing, and web browsing. Genesis Electronics has developed one solution aimed at keeping smartphone users gaming, gabbing, and grabbing files even longer: the Sunblazer, a solar recharger that attaches to the back of a smartphone.

According to a press release issued by Genesis Electronics, the Sunblazer utilizes “a 2×4 inch solar panel that is continually drawing energy from the sun or any sufficient light source.” Users can even free up space in their pockets and backpacks by choosing to leave their charge cords at home — at full power, the Sunblazer has enough stored solar energy to fully power a depleted smartphone with 30 percent left over for later.

image via Genesis

Said to be eco-friendly, the Sunblazer’s internal circuitry is able to optimize the charger’s energy conversion process, resulting in a fast. Genesis notes that the Sunblazer has entered the final stages of development.

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Technophiles can go on all they want about portable electronics and electric cars and all sorts of other crazy innovations — sometimes the best fuel for a machine isn’t gasoline or even electricity, but the kinetic energy produced by our own movement and muscle power. Hungarian designers Antro are embracing that view and employing it in the form of the SOLO, a vehicle that will combine a hybrid electric motor with the brawn of its passengers.

Similar to the human-powered HumanCar, the SOLO is “a fuel-efficient [three-seat vehicle] where the driver is flanked on either side by a passenger and all three would join forces to propel the SOLO Light using pedals in front of them,” according to Gizmag. But the key difference comes in the inclusion of an electric motor, perfect for when the occupants–or a sole driver–tires of powering the vehicle using its pedals. Photovoltaic cells built into the roof power the electric hub motors stationed at each wheel. The electric motors currently only provide a range of 12 miles, resulting in the SOLO being quite dependent on occupants’ desire for exercise. However, Antro aims to install a fuel engine that will achieve an efficiency of 150 mpg and should allow the vehicle to hit a top speed of approximately 87 mph.

Image via Gizmag

Three seats not enough for your larger family? The SOLO’s modular design will accommodate linking with one other SOLO, making for twice the manpower and seating space. Imagine the look on the faces of passersby when combined SOLOs split into two and veer off in different directions!

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Does thin-film spell the future for high-efficiency, low-cost solar? GE seems to think so. The company, who we just did a big interview with about smart grids, recently announced that it will be focusing large-scale research and development efforts on thin film photovoltaic (PV) technology in conjunction with PrimeStar Solar Inc.

GE is no stranger to PrimeStar; in fact, GE is a majority investor in the start up firm, which boasts 100 years combined technological expertise in thin-film solar. Add to that the full focus of all four of GE’s Global Research operations–including branches in Germany, China, India and the US–and it seems safe to say we can expect PrimeStar/GE thin film solar on the market the very near future. Research and development efforts will be focused on several key areas, with the goal of achieving best-in-class technology: device efficiency, reliability, production and installation costs and manufacturability.

image via GE

This global effort has many facets. The team in Munich–at the heart of the global solar industry–will make use of world-class indoor and outdoor test facilities, while the team in China will be focused on raw materials. The Bangalore branch of the GE/PrimeStar collaboration will be focused on modeling capabilities that will inform advanced device design, and the US team–based in New York–will focus on module development.

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The other week at the Geneva Auto Show, if you’ll remember, luxury electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors announced it had teamed with luxury watch maker Tag Heuer to unveil a one-of-a-kind Tesla Roadster branded with the Tag Heuer label. That vehicle, after leaving the Geneva Auto Show, made its way over to Baselworld, the world’s largest watch exhibition. It was at Baseworld, the two companies said, that they would be making some more big announcements. Well, they just did – plans are in motion to take the “Foucault Field Gray” colored electric ride on a world tour, said to be “the first round-the-world tour by a zero-emission GT car.”

Tag Heuer, in kicking off its Baselworld presence, unveiled as well a new concept watch that fits in the Roadster’s specially-designed center console (see below). As for the world road show, the special Roadster will embark on what is being called the Odyssey of Pioneers, a really long trip around the globe (we say this because Tesla says it will be 12,000 miles, while Tag Heuer is saying it is 37,000 km/24,000 miles – given that the distance around the globe is a little over 24,000 miles, we will let you ponder if the Roadster can motor across oceans while we seek an actual real number). Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, along with the Tesla and Tag Heuer CEOs, are kicking the trip off apparently. Telsa says “there will be a variety of ways for Roadster owners and fans to get involved with the trip.”

image via Tag Heuer

The travel schedule for the Odyssey of Pioneers road tour goes something like this: Monaco (March 25-28), Milan (April 7), Budapest (April 15), Warsaw (April 22), Moscow (April 29-May 2), Delhi (May 20-23), Beijing (June 3-6), Shanghai (June 17-18), Tokyo (July 8-11), Los Angeles (July 29-30), Miami (August 19), New York City (Sept. 2-5), London (Sept. 16-19) and Paris (Sept. 30-Oct. 17). One can follow the trip as it unfolds on the tour’s Web site. The Roadster will, of course, be accompanied at the different stops by a variety of Tag Heuer watches.

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Playing God is generally frowned upon, but when it comes to monitoring your own home’s electricity usage, shouldn’t you be able to have a say in exactly how your power is used? That’s the thought process behind the eMonitor by Powerhouse Dynamics, a device that will report and allow management of energy usage throughout the user’s home.

How exactly does the eMonitor function? At anytime, the eMonitor can provide “your home’s 24×7, minute-by-minute electricity use, electricity cost, and carbon footprint, as well as historical information by day, month, or year, all in a personalized and intuitive graphical interface from anywhere you can access the internet,” according to a press release. The most advanced feature of the eMonitor is the capability to narrow down energy usage to a single circuit, allowing users to precisely isolate egregious energy usage by appliances. Should a device be using too much, eMonitor provides an alert and allows the user to make adjustments. The eMonitor can even be integrated into renewable energy-based solutions such as solar panels, and is able to report on problems with those installations as well.

Image via Energy Circle

Energy Circle is offering a single eMonitor unit at an introductory price of $799, and two units for $1,498. Why would you need two units instead of one? Each eMonitor is able to monitor 22 circuits. Most American residences will only need a single unit, but for homes with more than 22 circuits, a second unit will be necessary.

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In-home energy displays, which typically let you see real time energy usage information from around your home, are a new category of products tied to the two-way smart grid. They also are designed to tie you closer to your utility, sending energy usage information to it for a variety of purposes while at the same time letting your utility send you status messages. One company just announcing its entry into this hardware space is Tendril.

Tendril is getting ready to make available to the public the Vision in-home energy display. Measuring eight- by six-inches and weighing under two pounds, the Vision looks a lot like a really large, all digital alarm clock. It is called a home appliance by Tendril, providing to utility customers “continuous information via a device that is unobtrusive, intuitive and an accepted part of everyday living.” One of its functions as a two-way communication device is to allow your utility provider to, through visual on-screen cues, warn you of upcoming, power related events. It could, for example, let you know when a peak pricing period is occurring so you might wait until said period is over before firing up your dishwasher.

image via Tendril

Accompanying the Vision is a Web portal service where one could look up detailed energy information online, as well as creating and managing a customized energy use plan (depending upon the provider). Tendril estimates utility customers with a Vision in their home could reduce their energy consumption by an average of 10 to 15 percent.

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Increasingly, retired folks don’t see the need to knock around in a big house that sucks up a lot of cash in their golden years–and those worried about staying up on their mortgage payments are looking for a little something they can rent out to help make ends meet. That’s where a Vancouver-based builder called Smallworks comes in, catering to the growing, recession-era market for “accessory dwelling units.”

The West House is great example of this functional “small is beautiful” aesthetic. According to Jetson Green, this two-level home features 610 square feet of living space — living/dining/kitchen area, loft bedroom, nook desk space, and bathroom — and a 226 square-foot garage. This small or “laneway” house features Energy Star appliances throughout as well as integrated solar panels, resulting in energy usage about half that of the standard house.

image via Smallworks

According to Smallworks, laneway homes are garage-sized structures built on the existing lot of a single-family dwelling  that are at least 33 feet wide and face onto an open lane. They point out that such homes can be used by students, boomerang kids (perhaps ones who can’t find a job in the current economy), aging family members, caregivers or others. The company believes these homes can help ease the affordable housing problem in Vancouver while serving as “mortgage helpers.” West House was on display at LiveCity Yaletown, David Lam Park, during the Olympics.

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