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Technology Review has an article on making solar power cheaper using concentrators combined with PV panels - Cheaper Solar Concentrators. Skyline Solar, a startup that today announced its existence to the world, has developed a cheaper way to harvest energy from the sun. The company's solar panels concentrate sunlight onto a small area, reducing the amount of expensive semiconductor material needed to generate electricity. The technology will bring the cost of solar power in line with the average cost of electricity, at least in sunny areas, says Ben Eiref, Skyline Solar's director of product management. Currently, solar power can be far more expensive than electricity from conventional sources; many governments have resorted to subsidies to increase its use.

Energy Intensive Sectors, IT Industry to Receive Recovery Act Funds WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced plans to provide $256 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support energy efficiency improvements in major industrial sectors across the American economy. The funding is targeted at reducing the energy consumption of America's manufacturing and information technology (IT) industries, while creating jobs and stimulating economic growth. These programs will help create manufacturing jobs quickly, along with jobs for technicians and experts who will be needed in the long-term to maintain and operate the new equipment. "Supporting the development of the latest industrial technologies plays an important role in helping U.S. industry to lead the world in energy efficiency and productivity," said Secretary Chu. "Working together with American manufacturing and IT industries, we will be able to create new jobs, reduce industrial energy use and limit damaging greenhouse gas emissions."

REW reports the world's biggest solar thermal tower has opened in Spain - World's Largest Solar Power Tower Commissioned. Abengoa Solar has begun commercial operations of the world's largest solar power tower plant, a 20 MW installation. The company claims that the performance of the power plant, the so-called PS20, has exceeded its design output in the wake of its three-day production and operational testing period. Located at the Solúcar Platform, near Seville, Spain, PS20 is the world's second power tower plant in commercial use and features a number of significant technological improvements with respect to its predecessor, PS10. These enhancements include a higher-efficiency receiver, various improvements in the control and operational systems, and a better thermal energy storage system. PS20 consists of a solar field made up of 1255 heliostats with a surface area of 1291 square feet each. This reflects the solar radiation it receives onto the receiver, located on the top of a 531 foot-high tower, producing steam which is converted into electricity generation by a turbine. Plant construction was carried out by Abener.

I read U.S. opens way for wind power off coast and wondered "what's in it for me"? The federal government has cleared the way for developers to plant wind farms in offshore waters on the Outer Continental Shelf, a move that could have a significant impact for North Carolina. ... Eventually, the regulations could help shape energy production in North Carolina, where the Outer Banks jut sharply into the Atlantic. The area has some of the strongest and steadiest winds on the East Coast, according to a report from the U.S. Department of the Interior. ... In a scheme similar to some offshore oil and gas drilling leases, states would get about 27 percent of the revenue sent to the federal government from offshore wind and hydrokinetics leases.

I've got another guest post from Neil Howes up at TOD, this one proposing a rough plan for North AMerica to obtain 50% of its power from wind by 2030 - A North American Wind Energy Scenario. Would a "50% of electricity generated by wind scenario" work in North America by 2030? In this post, I make a rough cut estimate of what might be required to make such a transition in about 20 years time. Most proposals that are being made rely on a very big increase in carbon free energy, both to charge electric vehicles (EV's) and to replace oil and natural gas (NG) presently used for hot water and space heating. In this post, I lay out a path by which 50% of North American energy might come from wind by 2030, including replacement of a large share of oil and natural gas use by electricity. ... High quality wind resources (wind speeds greater than 6.9m/sec) in the US are estimated to be >5,500GWa, about x10 all of N America's present electricity production of 550GWa. Canada's potential appears to be similar or greater than the US, while Mexico's wind resources are more limited (these figures do not include deep offshore resources that could be harnessed by floating wind turbines or higher altitude wind resources that could potentially be harnessed by airborne wind turbines).

Bilirubin,is a breakdown product of the heme containing proteins in the body.Serum and urine bilirubin are very common laboratory test used as a component of liver function test.

Waldo's message to you is simple - whether achieving victory as a fighter pilot, in business, or in life, the same qualities that ensure success apply: focus, discipline, integrity, teamwork, leadership, overcoming your fears, and maintaining a commitment to excellence.

Power lines, such as those near Hoover Dam, cannot be built to reach remote areas for renewable energy development until the areas for energy production are agreed upon. Several entities have offered or are working on maps locating renewable energy resources. By Alexandra Berzon (contact) Tue, Jun 16, 2009 (2 a.m.) Click to enlarge photo Chris Morris Related Document (.pdf) * See the Western Renewable Energy Zones report Sun Archives * State thinks big on solar power (6-15-2009) * The power of the desert (4-5-2009) * State faces obstacles to cashing in on sun (3-9-2009) Sun Coverage * Archive of Sun energy stories Related Story * States, energy secretary agree to safe nuclear waste transport On one map they look like bubbles. On another they're more like hot dogs. These shaded circles and oblongs in Nevada and across the West could one day be clusters of solar power plants, wind farms or geothermal energy projects.

As summer rolls on, our lawns do also. In fact, many times we let our lawns get the best of us. If done correctly, taking care of our lawns can be fun, eco friendly and a great work out.

Organically-grown food is differentiated from conventionally-grown produce in the manner in which it is planted, raised, harvested and processed.

The PV inverter performance is benchmarked by the 500,000 fielded units of Sunny Boy. The reliability of the product is also fantastic.

The Fronius IG plus 3.0-1 UNI 3000W GT Inverter is one of the most energy efficient product available.

Massachusetts is searching for every blustery nook and cranny it can find to boost wind energy production, from the tops of former dumps to a vast military reservation. Gov. Deval Patrick has set a state goal of generating 2,000 megawatts of wind power by the year 2020 - an effort that may require up to 3,000 wind turbines. So far, the state boasts a mere 11 commercial-scale turbines and dozens of smaller ones.

As the world turns greener by the day, manufacturers are trying to switch to eco friendly and energy efficient products.

As the summer rolls on, so does the heat. If you are unsure of the best way not to sweat, while still investing in eco energy saving items than you may want to try these three items.

This product from Haier has good features like a convenient refrigerator compartment, thermostats etc. The comparatively big refrigerator compartments are very useful in storing beverages and other perishable food items.

The best product in this genre is the flip it envelopes. Basically, such an envelope looks like a regular little pouch, but after you are done, you turn it inside out and use it again to send to the next address.

Bissell has come up with a wonderful, environmental friendly product called the Bissell 1400B Little Green Multi-Purpose Compact Earth-Friendly Deep Cleaner.

People are no longer shopping in places that will not even recycle paper, one of the simplest ways to contribute to keeping the planet green. They demand green products, green services, and green goods from green vendors, dealers, sellers and business people.

Heliodyne 75 liters direct vent gas water heater runs only on natural gas, not on propane or kerosene. The product has been designed in such a way that it has to be installed in certain places where atmospheric units cannot be used.