* Walmarts very simple yet effective energy efficient tactics

* Walmart predicting to sell 100 million compact flourescent light bulbs

* How do you change consumer behavior? - talking about the average people like you and I when it comes to going green

* Policy is Paramount with greentech

* California’s Emission Plan is great, but it’s still NOT ENOUGH

* Brazil has 29,000 Ethenol pumps compared to only 700 in the United States

* Brazil went from 4% to 85% Flex Fuel with it’s new car fleets. Compare that to the U.S 5% Flex Fuel

* Brazil was able to replace 40% of their gasoline consumed by their auto fleet

* Exxon in 2005 made $1 Billion/day in revenue and only invested .2% in R&D

* 1,000 years worth of energy exist here in the United States in Geothermal and the Bush Administration has only allowed for $20 million investment from U.S Government towards GeoThermal. - NOT ENOUGH

* China is the Wild Card - China CO2 emmissions are 3.3GT (gigatons) compared to the United States 5.8GT (gigatons)

* Energy is the mother of all markets - $7 Trillion industry - the biggest economic opportunity for us in the 21st century is Greentech

* Make Green Your Next Big Thing!

Top 10 Low Carbon Footprint Four-Door Sedans for 2009

The Clena Fleet report put together a list of 10 low carbon cars for 2009. Reduced greenhouse gas emissions are becoming a high priority amongst car makers these days, and the automobile industry continues to be one of the major focuses of the Green Tech Movement. Covering the list are Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, and Chevy. Read the full article.

$60 Million Loan for Caribbean Wind Farm

A 30MW wind energy project on Aruba has secured a $60 million loan to buy and install Vestas turbines. Read the full article.

Bio-diesel in Airplanes?

It looks like Air New Zealand is test flying a bio-diesel hybrid plane! As we all know Airplanes are quite dependent on very large ammounts of fuel. If breakthroughs can be made in this area, it will be interesting to see if airline prices become more competitive! Read the full article.

Solar Panel Prices to Drop 10% in 2009

Many Solar Panel providers are lowering their prices, but still claim will be able to increase profit margins from previous years. This will be great for consumers. Hopefully this means that competition is raising in the Solar Panel industry, and not that it’s dying! Read the full article!

The First Green Dental Office?

Looks like there is a dental office in Aston, PA that has gone green. Recycled building materials, Geothermal HVAC, Solar & Wind powered energy among many other things is making this a Green Tech Dental Office! Read the full article.

Suntech to Deliver 3MW Integrated Solar System to China!

China continues it’s march toward Clean Tech dominance.  Suntech Power will install the largest integrated photovoltaic system, with 3MW capabilities by September 2009 for the World Expo Shanghai! Read the full article.

What to Expect from Green Tech in 2009

A cool list put together by Tyler Hamilton of Clean Break of what to expect in the Clean Tech industry this coming year. Some of these I very much look forward too. One of which is Ontario’s Green Energy Act! Read the full article.

7 Cleantech Stories of 2008 That Will Change Everything

Another cool list, this one by ecogeek. 7 Things that happen in this past year 2008 that are particularly important to the green movement and to the cleantech industry as a whole. Must read this one. Read the full article.

China Planning World’s Largest Solar Project!

The race to the “green” moon continues. China announcing plans to build a massive 500 MW Solar Power facility in our back yard, San Luis Obispo California. What will we do if Chinese companies come in and build all our Solar Power facilities?  A United States that depends on China for energy sounds frightning to me! Read the entire article.

Old Underwear Factory to Power 10,000 Homes

Yes you read correctly. An abandoned Fruit of the Loom factory in Rabun Rap, GA is about to get a new biomass facility. A $21.5 million project will eventually generate 17MW of energy. It’s said that much of the factory’s old equitpment will be used for the project. Read the full article.

U.S Now The Largest Wind Power Producer

Apparently the United States is now the largest wind power producer in the world. But is that really something to be proud of? Probably not until we become the world’s largest Solar Power producer as well. But it’s a start. Read the entire article.

Panasonic to Buy Sanyo and Focus on Solar and Battery Business

This could be great news. We will have to wait and see. But Panasonic announced that they are purchasing Sanyo for $9 Billion to help launch the company’s solar and battery business. The company plans to build a 70MW solar manufacturing facility in Oregon this coming year. Read the entire article.

Energizer Getting in on the Solar Battery Game

Energizer is creating a new product for Solar Battery charging. The product looks pretty cool. Read more about it here.

A Prius Can Power Your Home in a Snowstorm

In Harvard, MAssachusetts a Prius owner by the name of John Sweeney recently ran his fridge, freezer, wood stove fan and even his television and lights using his Prius for three days while the power was down! Wow! Read the full article!

10 Cleantech Predictions of 2009

earth2tech writer Katie Fehrenbacher puts a detailed list together of her predictions for Cleantech this upcoming year. Let’s hope that some of these she is wrong on! Read the full article.

The 10 Biggest Cleantech Victories of 2008

Another article from earth2tech. This time a reflection of the biggest Cleantech victories of 2008. My biggest one, is #3 on her list - Record level of Cleantech investing. Money will push this industry along. Read the full article.

The 10 Biggest Cleantech Disappointments of 2008

A good way to look at the long ways we still have to go in this whole Greentech thing!  There is still much room for improvment and with all the successs so far, there as been equal the failure. Read the full article.

5 Startups Turning Algae Into Jet Fuel

Here are 5 up and coming startups who specialize in turning Algae into Jet Fuel. Who would of thought huh? Read the full article.

How Photovoltaic (Solar) Cells Work

A very information article on PV Solar Cells and how they work. Very good information to know as this is the present and future of Solar Energy. Read the entire article.

77 of the Best Green Tips of the Year

You will like this one. 77 (some practical & some not) tips that normal people like you and I can use in our daily lives to live a “greener” life. Read the entire article here.

“As Governor, I’ve been dedicated to making New Mexico a national leader of renewable energy and the creation of green jobs,” Governor Bill Richardson said. “At a time of economic uncertainty, this project will create hundreds of jobs and reaffirm New Mexico as a clean energy state and major player in our nation’s effort build a new clean energy economy.”

The Signet facility will produce large area thin-film silicon photovoltaic modules for commercial rooftop and ground mounted solar power systems. The first phase of the plant will have an annual production capacity of 65MW — enough to power approximately 20,000 homes. Long-term plans call to increase production capacity to 300MW per year with a 600,000 square foot production facility.

“New Mexico was an obvious starting point for Signet Solar’s expansion into the growing US renewable energy market,” said Rajeeva Lahri, Signet Solar’s Co-Founder and CEO. “Under Governor Richardson’s leadership, New Mexico has demonstrated commitment to renewable energy through public-private partnerships, leveraging its skilled workforce and world class research
institutions.”

The 75-acre facility is situated 30 minutes south of Albuquerque on Rancho Cielo, a Coast Range Investments property in Belen. Signet will be the first company to set up manufacturing in the 6,000 acre Rancho Cielo master planned industrial and residential community. Rancho Cielo plans to use Signet panels on a 700 acre solar farm designed to meet the majority of power requirements of the Rancho Cielo community.

“Partnering with Signet Solar, we are excited about bringing such high quality jobs to Belen and the possibility of creating a sustainable green city in New Mexico,” said Jim Foster, Managing Partner of Coast Range Investment.

Headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Signet is the first mover in large area silicon thin film silicon PV technology. Signet began shipping product to customers from its first plant near Dresden, Germany in October of this year. The company has already installed several commercial rooftop and ground mounted systems in the region. Signet’s large-area thin-film silicon PV technology will bring down the cost of solar power and can be used for solar farms, large commercial installations, building integrated photovoltaics and remote habitation.

A 65MW Solar Power Plant? Really?

Yes you read right. Signet Solar and New Mexico plan on building in it’s first phase a solar panel system that is able to power nearly 200,000 homes at 65MW! That’s huge if they deliver what they promise! Consider this… last week we wrote about Sempra Corporation and the 10MW Solar Panel System they are adding to their power plant in Boulder City, Nevada. That’s peanuts compared to what Signet Solar is wanting to do. Showing that Signet Solar and the state of New Mexico are really looking to push the envelope with Renewable Solar Energy.

1. Election of Barack Obama
2. Congress passes renewable energy credits
3. Offshore drilling debate
4. Failure of Warner-Lieberman
5. New rules put a freeze on coal plants
6. Ethanol bubble bursts
7. Polar bear listed
8. Indonesia warms to avoided deforestation
9. First CO2 auction
10. Word of the year: “Hypermiling

But Maria on her blog Maria Energia reminds us of 3 more very important, not to be forgotton others to add to the list. In her words…

1. T. Boone Pickens and his plan for energy independence. Whether you agree with his whole plan of wind power and natural gas or not, the fact that a billionaire Texas oilman is now pushing an agenda of homegrown energy and investment in transmission infrastructure is big news.
2. wecansolveit.org’s TV ads featuring Newt Gingrich and Nancy Pelosi, Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson agreeing that something needs to be done about climate change. The partisan divide on clean energy has faded. It’s about commonsense.
3. The recession and how it will effect renewable energy. While clean energy stocks have taken a dive like everything else and some projects have slowed, the President-elect and others have vowed to continue onward with a push for green jobs, clean energy and efficiency.

Which one of these did you find most influential? Which one has effected you the most? For me it has been the recent recession and the overall dramatic decline of the United States economy. And the realization that Green Energy can answer many of the economic problems our country faces. All 13 of these events point to a Green Tech industry that is ready to EXPLODE! When exactly no one really knows. But hopefully sooner rather than later.

If however you are wondering if Green Tech is something you should put your mind, money, or other resources into consider for a moment what has happened in 2008. That ought to help you clarify your understanding of where this all is headed, and how you might both benefit from it and contribute to it.

A primary facet of the program would make buildings more energy efficient. Homes, commercial buildings and factories account for almost 70 percent of U.S. energy consumption. Three-quarters of U.S. buildings will be new or substantially renovated by 2035. Using an Energy Smart Fund, the plan would funnel money to state and local programs focused on making these buildings more efficient, prioritizing those programs that create high-quality, local jobs in the construction industry. Every $10 billion invested in efficiency upgrades would create 100,000 on-site jobs and hundreds of thousands more jobs throughout the economy.

10 Years, $500 Billion, 5 Million Jobs

Is this worth it? Is the United States government in a financial position to agree to such an expensive contract? Well consider this for a moment. The plan ends up being $50 Billion per year investment which as the Apollo Alliance explains.. “is a smaller share of the gross domestic product than what was spent on the Apollo space program, about one-third of current spending in Iraq, and roughly half of what was just lent by the federal government to insurance giant AIG.”

When you understand it in this reality, it makes sense. Common sense. Why wouldn’t the U.S Government invest in such a program? 5 million new jobs? That’s alot of new jobs for such a struggling economy. There is no doubt however that more control needs to be set in Washington on Government spending. But money should be cut elsewhere to make way for the Clean Tech industry.

The plan also entails the creation of 100,000 new scholarships annually to raise the number of college graduates with math, science and engineering degrees. An area in scholastics the United States has fallen behind considerably in recent years.

The New Apollo Program 5 Key Steps

1. Rebuild America Clean and Green
2. Make It in America
3. Restore America’s Technological Leadership
4. Tap the Productivity of the American People
5. Reinvest in America

I definitely suggest reading more about this new program to help fund the Clean Tech industry here in the United States. You can read the full report here as well as all other information. The New Apollo Program has the potential to change the United States economic future for years to come, and it will be sure to provide the jobs it promises.

Here Is What’s At Stake!

Consider for a moment what is at stake here? Not just economically but politically! Let’s pretend here for a moment that a few United States based companies innovate and create some new technologies that change fuel efficiency. I’m talking big. Not just some Hybrid-Energy vehicle! Something far more that makes Gas Dependency almost entirely obsolute. Here is what happens:

• Detroit (the auto industry) is immediately revived!
• Tens of Thousands of new jobs with Government Restriction making “Green” jobs mandatory within the U.S
• Very Low Demand on Oil. Most notably all “Dirty Middle Eastern” Oil. This changes the U.S troubles dramatically in the middle east.
• Become the world’s economical focal point for Clean Energy innovation
• Increased ability to lower national debt. Simple economics. Might help in making the United States a country that earns more than it spends.

You better believe this is a fight to the death! And the United States government will be willing to pay whatever it takes to get there. The motives that will make this all happen does not stem from the will to make earth a cleaner place! Although many of us wish that was enough! What will really push it is the realization by investors and large corporations that there is large sums of money to be made! As that realization becomes more well known, you will see the clean tech and more specifically the Transportation industry take leaps and bounds.

John Addison of the Clean Fleet Report recently said it best. “The United States can regain its world leadership in transportation by investing in future solutions, not the failed strategies of the past. Millions of jobs can be created in public transportation, high-speed rail, electric cars, hybrid electric heavy vehicles, renewable energy, and next generation biofuels that can be blended with existing gasoline and diesel.”

The Navistar delivery truck uses an Eaton hydraulic hybrid drive system with the diesel engine in series. The vehicle uses hydraulic pumps and hydraulic storage tanks to capture and store energy, similar to what is done with electric motors and batteries in a hybrid electric vehicle. The engine periodically recharges pressure in the hydraulic propulsion system. Fuel economy is increased in three ways: vehicle braking energy is recovered; the engine is operated more efficiently, and the engine can be shut off when stopped or decelerating.

John Addison also brings up an interesting point. He says “When we read about energy independence and reducing transportation greenhouse gas emissions, passenger vehicles get most of the press. In fact, it is fleets that lead in testing and improving vehicle technology. UPS has been a leader since the 1930s.” Another example of how companies financial interests are at the center of new clean tech innovation. UPS first hybrid-electric deliver system was deployed in 1998.

What Does All This Mean to You?

Well that depends on your interest? If you happen to be in the business of Hybrid-Electric vehicles this shows you the type of interest big corporations such as UPS have for cost-efficient hybrid vehicles.  If you can somehow push the envelope in this industry and create new technologies that will help UPS push more new hybrid-electric deliver vehicles out their doors, and at lower costs then you my friend have a very lucrative business!

UPS willingness to push the “green” in it’s industry undoubtably force it’s major competitors FedEx & USPS to follow. You have to ask yourself, of all the vehicles UPS has in the world, why do they only have 50 Hybrid-Vehicles? You better believe that both UPS & FedEx to stay competitive in the near future, are looking for and willing to spend high dollars for new technology in this area. The first to get it’s hands on such would be a revolutionary move in the industry.

I don’t have any details yet on how many new jobs this has created. But it’s sure to have created at least a few for both First Solar Inc.  and Sempra Corporation. This plant currently produces 480 MegaWatts powering nearly 360,000 homes in Nevada, California, and the Southwestern United States.

What will it take to build 47 more?

Pardon me for being so plain and simple. But seriously. 47 more of these monster Solar Panel System’s from First Solar and Sempra Corporation is powering 360,000 homes via solar energy! Obviously that would be a daunting task, but it will be interesting to see how technology developes in the near future to make this possible!

This is yet another great modern example of major energy companies making pushes towards clean energy. It shows a desire that these companies have in this area. It’s up to companies like First Solar Inc. to invent and put together technologies to make 480 MW Solar Energy possible.

Instead of paying the $45 million it would take to build this system, the SFPUC’s agreement is that the city will pay out $1.6 million to Recurrent Energy for the next 25 years instead! A huge savings for the city of San Fran. The system will generate 5 Megawatts at peak performance. To give you an idea of how that relates, the entire city of San Francisco uses approximately 900 Megawatts at peak performance. So you can see how much more room there is to grow!

This will cost the city more. Currently the city pays about 13 cents per Kilowatt hour with PG&E in non-renewable and “non-green/non-clean” energy. The cost for this new solar energy will be a little more than double at 32 cents per kilowatt hour. Either way, it’s still a huge step the city of San Francisco is taking toward a more clean energy efficient environment.

This solar energy that Recurrent Energy’s system will be generating will be used primarily for the city’s municipal utilities. It’s reported that it will cover 3 percent of the 210 Megawatts that SFPUC currently generates for municipal utilties in San Francisco.

60 New Jobs are a Result of This!

Yes you read correctly. Recurrent Energy is reporting that they will be adding an additional 60 new job openings as a result of their new contract with SFPUC.  This numer DOES NOT INCLUDE the many others that will in some way “touch” the project as it relates to development, engineering, financing, legal work, permitting, marketing, community relations, and numerous other key activities.

Benefits of SFPUC Using a Private Company

As I mentioned earlier, SFPUC was able to save several million dollars by hiring a private company to build it’s new solar panel system rather than doing it “in house”. Also, I can’t forget to mention the benefits on the local economy for such a decision. All these new jobs and the growth in a local company will serve the economic purposes of San Francisco for years to come.

If you are trying to sell your local city on building more efficient and clean energy systems, cite to them what the city of San Francisco is currently doing. That could help your local city in gaining more confidence in making more green energy moves and spending the neccessary money.

You can read more details on this story from SFGate.com.