Hawaii Reduces Carbon Footprint With Unusual Wind Turbine Design

Hawaii has always been the leader in green energy out of necessity, and it recently made the bold claim that it will be using 100 percent renewable energy by the year 2045. Not an easy thing for a state with so much need, but relatively little land for building on. However, one of the wind-based projects Hawaii has decided to fund for reducing its carbon footprint has garnered attention because of its unusual approach to using low-power wind to generate high-powered results.

SheerWind and The Venturi Effect

This is where the story takes an unexpected turn. Hawaii has been giving money to green energy firms who are developing methods of power generation the island state could make good use of. According to Triple Pundit, one of the companies Hawaii gave money to was SheerWind, a Minnesota-based green energy firm. SheerWind is working on an unusual wind turbine that is designed to catch relatively low-powered breezes, and multiply their power.

Here’s how the system works. A 360-degree turbine with a cap sits on top of a funnel. As the turbine spins, the wind is pushed down into the funnel. As the funnel narrows, the pressure increases, and the wind pushes harder. At the narrowest point, when the wind has reached maximum force, it pushes against turbines to create power. Then the wind is diffused, and blown out of the base.

The Venturi effect, the name for the phenomena of how gases or liquids increase in pressure when a pipe narrows, has been used more and more frequently in green energy designs. Whether it will become a standard of future designs remains to be seen, but Hawaii’s government, at least, seems to think it can be used as a way to capture wind that’s too weak for traditional turbines, and to turn it into a steady source of power.

California Decision Narrowly Clinches Clean Energy Victory

Renewable, clean energy is on the rise in America. We’re building more wind turbines, testing more bio fuels, and installing more solar panels than ever before, and the results are starting to show. There are now states (not many, but some) that have turned off the fossil fuel tap entirely, and who now get all of their power from renewable sources. That’s an achievement that, even a decade ago, would have seemed like a total impossibility. Now, it’s a simple fact of life.

Wherever there’s progress, though, there will be resistance to it. For example, one of the ways rooftop solar panels have remained competitive, and maintained homeowner interest, has been programs that pay homeowners for the power they contribute to the grid. If they produce more than they use, they’re either given a check, or a credit on their account against future power use. This program, popular in states like California where 2/3 of the rooftop solar panels in America are installed, is considered essential to the burgeoning solar movement.

Which is why utilities have tried to have the policy changed.

According to Yahoo! News, though, that change won’t be coming today. The state’s Public Utilities Commission voted in a 3-2 decision to maintain net metering (the technical term for being credited for the energy your solar panels generate). The decision will stand until 2019, by which time it’s very likely that solar panels will have expanded hugely beyond where they are now in California.

Net metering isn’t perfect, and there are some complaints that it puts an unnecessary burden on those who can’t afford solar panels when it comes to infrastructure costs. On the other hand, though, it is a primary driver of continued solar expansion. The 3-2 vote shows that there are frustrations with the policy, but that the good it does outweighs its problems, at least for the time being.

Three Reasons to Invest in LED Lighting for Your Emergency Lights

Emergency lighting comes in many forms, but few compare to LED lighting for its benefits and features. If you’ve been considering LED lighting but haven’t decided yet, here are three key reasons why you may want to take the leap.

LED Lights Dissipate Heat – Many people mistakenly believe that LED lights are cool because they don’t produce any heat. The truth is, every light generates heat. The difference in LED lights is that they dissipate that heat so that the lights don’t heat up. This makes them ideal for emergency lighting, because they won’t create hot spots on the lens covers of the lights or add significant heat to a building that has no active cooling system running.

LED Lights Are Energy Efficient – LED light production is measured according to how much light they emit per watt of power consumed, also referred to as lumens per watt. Most LED lighting produces more light per watt than a traditional compact fluorescent bulb. When it comes to emergency lighting, the more light you can get on limited power, the better.

LED Lights Burn Out Gradually – LED light bulbs have a longer lifespan than traditional light bulbs. Like all bulbs, though, they will burn out eventually. Unlike standard bulbs, LED lights don’t burn out at once. They fade gradually, giving you a chance to identify a failing light before you’re left in the dark. This is important for emergency lights, because the last thing you want is emergency lighting failing all at once when a bulb burns out.

Wind Turbines Seeing A Massive Clean Energy Gain in The U.S.

Clean energy, as a topic, was one of the most talked-about things in 2015. From the conference in Paris, to the huge gains in the solar industry both in the U.S. and abroad, everyone seemed focused on going green as quickly and efficiently as possible. And while solar power spent a huge amount of time in the spotlight, wind power was huffing and puffing on its heels, according to Yahoo! News.

We Have 50,000 Wind Turbines?

According to the American Wind Energy Association, there are over 50,000 active wind turbines in the United States. Said turbines have been built over 40 of the 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico. Not only that, but when taken as a whole, these turbines produce 70 gigawatts of power.

If that sounds like a lot of clean energy, that’s because it is. 70 gigawatts is enough to run about 19 million homes, assuming average power consumption, in the U.S. Not only that, but it’s enough to put wind power up to between 4 and 5 percent of the total power in the United States. If that doesn’t sound like a very big gain, in 2007 wind power barely registered as 1 percent of the energy used in the U.S.

Slow and Steady Wins The Race?

When it comes to clean energy, there’s no silver bullet. Every country, state, and city will need to use the resources it has to hand to generate clean, renewable power. With so much open space across the United States, though, wind and solar are joining hands to create bigger results than either one could manage individually. And as 2016 gets started, those numbers are only going to get bigger.

Could We Really Power The World With Clean Energy By Covering Spain With Solar Panels?

In the clean energy race, solar power is speeding up by leaps and bounds. Every year the technology grows a little more efficient, and the price drops a little more. Panels used by homeowners now boast roughly 20 percent efficiency, and industrial solar panels can often boast twice that amount. Despite those impressive numbers, and the huge growth the U.S. has seen in solar panel use, solar power still accounted for less than one percent of the power used in the United States in 2014.

“A Little Corner of Nevada, or Utah, Would Power The United States”

This quote came from Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors during a recent speech. While it sounds like hyperbole, meant to illustrate metaphorically that we could handle our energy needs with relative ease if we embraced renewable power on a large enough scale, Eco Watch crunched the numbers. The result? Musk’s estimates were not very far off, particularly considering the amount of sunlight that falls in Nevada and Utah, and the sheer amount of empty miles those states boast.

While there are other challenges, such as transporting the electricity, Musk’s point was well taken; we have the technology to turn off the fossil fuel tap right now. Not only that, but if we were willing to install slightly less than 192,000 square miles of solar fields (roughly the size of Spain), then we could power the entire world. Or, at least, generate the amount of power that was used worldwide.

So what’s stopping us? Nothing at all.

LED Lighting Can Brighten the Work Place

With the ever-mounting concerns about reducing energy usage and hazardous wastes, now is the time to consider your options, including LED lighting.

According to energy.gov, legislation passed in 2007 requires that bulbs currently manufactured and sold in the US must be about 25% more efficient than the old-style incandescent bulbs. The light bulbs we find on store shelves now commonly include halogen incandescents, CFLs (compact flourescent lights) and LEDs (light emitting diodes).

So what is the best lighting choice for your business?  There are many things to consider: indoors or outdoors, height, temperature, frequency of turning the light off and on, and how long the light will remain on each time it’s activated.

LED lighting has many advantages. Energy.gov says that while CFLs last about 10 times as long as the traditional incandescents, LEDs last about 25 times as long and use less electricity. Using LEDs reduces waste in landfills (longer life span=fewer bulbs in the dump) and in the air (better efficiency=less toxic emissions from power plants).

Another advantage is that LEDs do not contain mercury, a toxin involved in producing light in CFLs. So, when the LED’s lifetime does expire, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you aren’t adding to the toxic buildup in the landfills.

What about the energy wasted in heat? The Lighting Research Center says that the small amount of heat generated in an LED is “dissipated through convection and conduction” and directed into a heat sink.

Because LED bulbs are plastic, workspaces are safer without the fear of broken glass bulbs or spilled mercury.

3 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint in 2016

All commercial and industrial companies want to decrease their carbon footprint and reduce waste. While some view a reduction in waste as a difficulty, it’s actually quite simple to use less and shrink your consumption.

However, we’re not suggesting that you go “all in” and declare yourself carbon neutral, or that you reduce your CO2 emissions by 100%, but there are several ways that you can help lessen waste and reduce your carbon footprint.

Here are three ways that your commercial or industrial business can reduce its carbon footprint in 2016.

1. Know where you stand on carbon waste and start from there. It’s difficult to reduce if you don’t know what you use. Find out what sort of emissions your buildings emit and start setting up a strategy. Measuring your carbon footprint will help you set up a plan to reduce it. Then, after you outline a plan of attack, you can begin the next phase.

2. Look for solid reduction opportunities and put that plan in place. A handy strategy is to identify low to no-cost methods of reduction. For example:

– Reduce heating and cooling bills by setting up a waste reduction strategy on temperature settings and usage.

– Place lights on a timer or install sensors.

– Replace old lighting fixtures with energy-efficient LED bulbs.

3. Upgrade outdated systems with newer energy-conscious versions. Simple tricks that lead to less waste carry more weight than you’d imagine. For instance:

– Place darkened screen films over windows to cut cooling costs in summer.

– Consider using solar panels and wind power to use less energy altogether.

– Upgrade your company vehicles to use renewable sources of fuel will reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.

EPACT Tax Deductions Lower the Cost of LED’s

The Energy Policy Act of 2005, known as EPACT, transformed America’s energy landscape through the use of loan guarantees, subsidies and tax incentives. Originally scheduled to sunset in 2013, the legislation has been extended, with modifications, through 2015 and looks likely to receive another extension for 2016 though no action has yet been taken by Congress.

EPACT tax deductions in Section 179d of the Internal Revenue Code provide significant tax savings for qualifying commercial buildings in three energy-efficient categories one of which is lighting. And these days installing energy-efficient, environmentally friendly lighting means installing LED’s.

Simply put, LED’s are greener than grass. Their incredibly long life means less replacement costs and less landfill waste. They use less energy, create no UV or Infrared emissions and contain no mercury.

The disincentive for using LED’s invariably centers around one factor — their high price. But that has far more impact on residential customers who have neither the area nor the usage to justify savings which, in their case, might well take decades to realize.

For commercial buildings, it’s a different story. The fact that businesses tend to use more LED’s over a greater area for a longer time each day serves to recoup their initial cost in far less time. Add Section 179d to the package with a potential tax write-off of 30 to 60 cents per square foot, and there’s no reason not to install or retrofit a building with LED’s.

Qualifying for a 179d can be somewhat onerous. The IRS mandates that an independent third party perform an on-site visit and prepare a tax report to certify the deduction. Beyond that, your company’s tax professional needs to be well versed in the provisions of the code.

Help Your Business By Implementing Energy Reduction Lighting

No matter what kind of business you own, whether you operate a large warehouse or something smaller, it’s always important to consider energy reduction lighting. In today’s day and age going green is important, not only for the benefit of the environment and the marketability of your business but also because at the end of the day, it can save you money.

Why focus on lighting?

Focusing on lighting as an emphasis for your business is important for two reasons. First, you are paying for it, and second, it makes an impression on your stakeholders. Especially if you own any type of retail or hospitality business, your lighting plays a crucial part in making that all-important first impression.

There is a reason people will talk about mood lighting, because you can create the mood or environment you want to occur in the minds of your customers by picking the correct style of lighting. If you are trying to equip a warehouse or a much larger space, lighting is important again because you are paying for the energy used, but also you want to make sure your space is nice and bright so as to avoid any accidents.

Energy Efficient Lighting

When you are redesigning a lighting plan for your business, be sure to consult with professionals. When professionals assess your lighting situation, your individual wants, needs, and requests will be taken into consideration.

Also, all the new lighting you’ll get will be energy efficient – which will result in an overall energy reduction for your business. By using less energy, you’ll be saving money – which, as you know, is always hugely important when you run a business.

6 Things to Consider About Energy-Efficient Lighting

If you are thinking about energy-efficiency (who isn’t these days?) and about buying some of the smart building products on the market, we have some ideas to help you. Here are 6 things to consider about lighting control.

  • Networked Lighting Systems. One of the smart ways to save energy dollars is to upgrade to a network lighting system. These systems combine digital sensors with lighting capability and smart controls. They also give you the ability to analyze data collected by the system. You want a system that is energy-efficient, saves operating dollars while it improves the comfort of your building, and uses smart devices to your advantage. Consider the following qualities before buying.
  • Occupancy and Vacancy Sensors. Consider buying a system that uses occupancy and vacancy sensors. The sensors control the system by distinguishing between occupied and vacant rooms and adjusting the energy use in those rooms accordingly. To do this effectively, you need a system that can distinguish between living heat sources (your employees) and non-living heat sources (office machines). The occupancy sensor also must distinguish between humans and large inanimate objects. One neat feature available in some systems is a sensor with daylight “harvesting” capabilities. These sensors adjust the building’s artificial energy use by sensing the amount of daylight coming in through the building’s windows. Then, the system adjusts the level of indoor light correspondingly.
  • Improve Office Comfort Levels. Look for a system that allows your employees to adjust the lighting levels in their office space determined on specific tasks. A system that adjusts lighting based on the time of day can also help employees maintain healthier internal body clock rhythms. Adjusting light to lower levels at closing time before completely turning off the lights is an employee safety factor.
  • Data Collection. Networked lighting systems collect data on space utilization and space occupancy. How useful the data is depends on its quality. For example, installing light sensors in every light fixture means the data quality is high (1:1 ratio). High quality data is more useful for current purposes as well as for planning future changes. You want the data to contain a high level of detail and you want the ability to act on the information after collection.
  • Optimize the Network Lighting System. You want your smart lighting system to do more than turn the lights on/off. Look for a smart lighting system that can control the HVAC system, security system, and provide access control to restricted areas of your facility. A smart system can monitor how and where and when people move throughout the facility. This feature will provide security information with respect to visitors whose access you want to restrict to certain areas of the facility. The system can limit energy use in those rooms with little activity, like large conference rooms. And, in emergencies, the system sensors can locate employees and visitors within the facility.
  • Select a System Now That Can Adapt into the Future. When you compare the systems on the market today, remember that you want something that you can adapt to future changes in technology. A wireless system, for example, will make it easier to install now and when you redesign spaces. Selecting a system now that anticipates future technology will save headaches later.