Sep02

Port of Long Beach Retrofitting Old Tugboats

hybrid-tug
After debuting the world’s first hybrid tugboat in 2009, the Port of Long Beach is partnering again with Foss Maritime Company to retrofit an existing tugboat with hybrid technology.

Sep02

Renewable Energy Portfolio Tune-up

Research into innovative solutions to our renewable energy needs is one of the strategies advocated by Bill Gates.  …

…   “Our renewable portfolio, as it exists now, is not good enough to get us where we need to be.

Sep01

Where’s My Air Car!?

noaircarsIt sounds like a good idea: Use electricity to compress air, stuff it in a tank and use the power expelled by the air’s release to power a vehicle. Seems like a good idea, certainly a lot easier to understand than nano-constructed cathodes on a lithium ion cell. And several companies have been actively attempting to build cars powered by conpressed air for quite some time. We at EcoGeek have been excited about them. The two biggest of these companies are MDI, a French company and Tata Motors, India’s largest car company.

Sep01

Color Filter Could Boost LCD Efficiency by 400%

lcd-filter
Researchers at the University of Michigan have created a color filter that could boost the efficiency of LCDs, the power hog of all your gadgets, by more than 400 percent, and no, I didn’t add an extra zero there.

Sep01

Lithium-Ion Battery Prices Set to Drop

battery-production
It looks like supply and demand is working out in the consumers’ favor when it comes to lithium-ion batteries.  Production has been ramping up for the batteries as more electric cars go into production and that has led to an oversupply that may just keep piling up.  Analysts are predicting a price drop of between 19 and 25 percent by the end of the year — a slash that could also spell cheaper electric cars in the very near future.

Sep01

New EPA MPG Stickers – May Be Simple as A, B, C

New EPA MGP Simplified Stickers

 EPA Fuel Economy stickers are on all new cars and light trucks and ahve been for decades. They list the city and highway mpg as well expected annual feul costs and some information about emissions.

Sep01

GreanJobsinUSA: CAD Technician III – CAD, Sustainability, Facilities Management – Van… http://jobsurl.com/eLCX

GreanJobsinUSA: CAD Technician III – CAD, Sustainability, Facilities Management – Van… http://jobsurl.com/eLCX

Aug31

Coast Guard Implementing Net Zero Housing

coast-guard
The U.S. Coast Guard has set a goal of a net zero carbon footprint for housing at their Southwest Harbor Base in Maine.  The base is using solar panels, solar hot water heaters and now a wind turbine for their energy needs.  Efficiency-boosting retrofits will also be done, including new electrical systems and better insulation.

Aug31

SunPower Gets US Gov’t Contracts

Sunpower logo

SunPower won several US Government contracts to install solar products for numerous agencies " …  Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), the General Services Administration (GSA), the Navy and the Air Force. … "  These will create " … more than 1000 local jobs during the construction … represent a minimum of 20 megawatts (MW) of new solar projects …"

Aug31

Green Chemistry Recognition for Bio Composite Material

University of Delaware chemical engineering researcher integrates biomaterials into new applications for renewable energy.  …Green chemistry research

…   “Wool’s research centers on the use of soybean oil and chicken feathers in new bio-based composite materials, including computer circuit boards and hurricane-resistant roofs.