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A cheap new way to attach mirrors to silicon yields very efficient solar cells that don't cost much to manufacture. The technique could lead to solar panels that produce electricity for the average price of electricity in the United States.

Not this week. As part of the Solar Power International conference here, big businesses such as equipment maker Applied Materials Inc. and solar cell manufacturer SunPower Corp. rented out bars and restaurants and shut down the streets to serve up free drinks and food to executives who partied through the night. "It's amazing, the euphoria in the industry right now," Victoria Hollick, vice president of Conserval Engineering Inc., said as a disc jockey played songs like "Good Times" and "Celebration." The solar industry has good reason to celebrate right now.

Earlier today I received an email from the office of Pittsburgh city councilman Bill Peduto announcing an ambitious plan that will reduce Pittsburgh's carbon footprint while saving the city millions in electricity costs. Peduto, who has been the only city legislator to propose green legislation of any sort over the last few years, wants the city to convert all 40,000 of its street lamps to energy efficient LED lighting. The cost of the program will be around $24 million and will be paid using a combination of the annual costs savings and funding from the state's Guaranteed Energy Savings Agreement. Pittsburgh would join cities such as Austin, Raleigh (home LED manufacturer CREE), and Toronto as major cities who have adopted LED lighting on a large scale. According to Peduto, Pittsburgh would be the largest city in the US to roll out a complete conversion to LED lighting. This would be great news for Pittsburgh's green agenda, especially in light of today's Pittsburgh Penguin's press conference, where they announced the 21 year naming rights deal for their new arena, which will be known as the Clean Coal Center.

A light emitting diode (LED) is an III-V semiconductor device that can convert electrical energy into visible light, a phenomenon called electroluminescence (EL). In recent years, labs have been fine-tuning this device to the point now that it is used with ever more frequency in the manufacture of auto lamps.

DOE Report Analyzes U.S. Wind Resources, Technology Requirements, and Manufacturing, Siting and Transmission Hurdles to Increasing the Use of Clean and Sustainable Wind Power

Greentech Media has a post on one of the major issues facing electric car manufacturers - getting people used to the idea - Learning to Live With Electric Cars. While consumers overwhelmingly say they want plug-in cars, consumers will have to be educated on the differences between them and gas-burning cars, says Debra Reed, CEO of San Diego Gas & Electric, which will take delivery of 10 to 15 all-electrics Nissan when they come out next year. Nissan and SDG&E showed off a "mule" of Nissan's electric commuter today. The functioning vehicle sports the same basic motor and other electronics that will come with the production all-electric cars, said a Nissan spokeswoman. However, it is housed in the shell of an existing car.

If China's addicted to solar hot water heating, the city of Dezhou is it's dealer (and one of it's biggest customers). A new video from Greenpeace, above, highlights the build-up of solar among residents and as an industry. Some facts from this shining example: Of the city's 5.5 million residents, almost all living in the new town use solar heating, and about 90 percent of homes in the old town have solar heating. In 2007, 800,000 people had jobs in the solar panel industry, or about one in three people of working age in the city. That figure is expected to grow to 150,000 by 2020. No wonder: Dezhou is home to the world's biggest solar water heater manufacturer. And compared with an electric heater, a solar heater in Dezhou, which starts at about US$190, pays for itself in five and a half years. The numbers in Western countries, by comparison, make us want to shield our eyes.

The U.S. market for small wind turbines grew 78% last year, highlighting heightened interest in, demand for, and use of distributed alternative and renewable power systems. A total 17.3 megawatts worth of new small wind turbines--defined as wind turbines with generation capacities of 100 kilowatts and less--was installed in 2009, according to a report by the American Wind Energy Association released May 28. "Consumers are looking for affordable ways to improve their energy security and reduce their personal carbon footprint," said Ron Stimmel, AWEA's Small Wind Advocate. "Small wind technology can be an answer to that search. As government policies have caught up with consumer interest, we're seeing people all across the U.S. take advantage of this abundant, domestic natural resource and U.S. manufacturers have been able to meet this increasing demand."

Technology Review has an article on thin film solar vendor Xunlight's approach - making cells on flexible steel sheets - Roll-Up Solar Panels. Xunlight, a startup in Toledo, Ohio, has developed a way to make large, flexible solar panels. It has developed a roll-to-roll manufacturing technique that forms thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells on thin sheets of stainless steel. Each solar module is about one meter wide and five and a half meters long. As opposed to conventional silicon solar panels, which are bulky and rigid, these lightweight, flexible sheets could easily be integrated into roofs and building facades or on vehicles. Such systems could be more attractive than conventional solar panels and be incorporated more easily into irregular roof designs. They could also be rolled up and carried in a backpack, says the company's cofounder and president, Xunming Deng. "You could take it with you and charge your laptop battery," he says.

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

Nearly every store has a green shopping bag display now, right at the checkout lane. Many people bring their own however, and the green shopping bag industry is a wide open one to explore for the person, with the right skill set.

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.

Finding solutions that are economical, safe for the planet and most importantly, safe for the children that play on them, is the job of the natural playground equipment designer.

This battery is manufactured by the Concorde Battery Corporation and marketed by Lifeline Distributors Incorporated and hence the battery is sold in the market in the name of Lifeline.

We have to wear shoes to protect our feet during cold days, wet days or when we are walking on uneven, potentially dangerous surfaces. Some shoes, however, are not good for the environment.

For an item to be labeled "organic" it must be grown with only organic fertilizers and pesticides. Creating these products can be very big business indeed. But, there are a few things that you should know: it isn't pretty or glamorous work.

The fashion world has always availed itself of the materials that are popular at the time. In the past, the fashion world could only use what there was- including materials that were created from animals.

A fireplace is one of the best features of many homes and is often listed as one of the selling points to it. If someone wants to upgrade or redo a room in their home, they often consider adding a fireplace, including the new, free standing models and other types that give heat and create a central focal point to the room.

There are ways to make tires in a more eco-friendly manner. By utilizing the best of the green concepts, we save the environment and still mange to create something that we are not likely to find a substitute for in a long while.