Solar Cells Get to 20% Conversion Efficiency

I am becoming a big fan of solar power as it begins the long march toward parity with current power supplies — I would love to get off the Commonwealth Edison grid and not have to pay that big electricity bill every month.

So I was excited to see today that Suniva Inc. announced that its [...]

Solar as Alternative?

I am beginning to look into solar options but I live in Illinois (never really known as the land of the uninterrupted sun) so I wanted to find out how to calculate whether an investment in solar makes sense in Chicago.  I learned that the total solar energy available to the earth is approximately 3850 [...]

Global…..Cooling?

This past April, the USA had an average temperature of 51 degrees, which was one of the coolest in the last 114 years — where is the global warming? Look at the data here.

Which Choice Do You Make? Food or Fuel?

Look at this article and then reflect on which choice you would make — it is obvious what choice Al Gore would make but what would you do if you were the country’s policymaker?
NEW YORK SUN – The campaign against climate change could be set back by the global food crisis, as foreign populations turn [...]

Chicago 33rd Most Affordable Metro Area

A new study by Bizjournals.com, a group of business publications, ranked housing affordability in the nation’s metropolitan areas, with terse advice for those seeking a financially manageable place to live: ABC —-That is, Anywhere But California.
Bizjournals compared median home payments and household income levels in the nation’s 50 largest metros. The study was based on [...]

Bike Share in Chicago?

City commuters weary of stuffy journeys aboard buses and subways now have a better way to get to work, buy groceries and meet for a Saturday matinee. The bike-sharing programs that have transformed Europeans into two-wheeled travelers are now en route to the U.S.

Clear Channel Outdoor, an outdoor advertising company, will launch the country’s [...]

Chicago Ranks 9th as Green City

Popular Science recently reported its top 50 greenest cities, where Chicago ranked a strong ninth in the country. In their ranking, the key variables analyzed were:

Electricity (E; 10 points): Cities score points for drawing their energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric power, as well as for offering incentives [...]

The First Mobile Hotel Room

Fan attending any of the big festivals this summer might wish they have access to one of these – the “world’s first mobile hotel room”. The Travelodge hotel chain recently announced that its Travelpod would soon be available at events such as music festivals and sporting competitions. Designed to be set up anywhere you might [...]

The Sustainable House

I am a big fan of using the sun and wind as energy sources rather than paying the local utility, and working to create a sustainable house. I love to imagine what one of these “energy-free” houses would be like and I think I found one in Enertia. I saw them tonight [...]