Utility Company Tests Smart Grid in Colorado

Would you like to mange your electrical usage via the Web? For example, you could program your dishwasher to only run when there is wind power available in your area. While at work, you could remotely choose to shut off the water heater at your home for a few hours to conserve energy.

Xcel Energy, Inc., a utility company, is currently running a smart grid test in Boulder, Colorado. It's the first time a high-tech smart grid has been tested in the United States.

Participants in the test can go online and view how much electricity they used the day prior and see how much energy each appliance uses. The test will soon allow them to choose where they want there energy to come from, be it wind, renewable, etc.

The test also allows Xcel Energy to go into neighborhoods and remotely shut off or turn down thermostats when the grid is strained.

Of course with any new gadget there are those for it and against it. Allowing utility companies to go into our homes has some worried that big brother is invading our homes and decision making. Those for the smart grid, think it will help people to be more energy conscience.

Please read the article, The More You Know, in The Wall Street Journal, to learn more about the smart grid test in Colorado. Then hop on back here and let me know your thoughts.

Toyota Seaweed Car—Wave of the Future?

File this under the strange and infamous. Toyota is building a car... made from seaweed. Yes, seaweed. Short of offering Aquaman a lucrative endorsement contract, I'm not sure how much stranger the concept could be. The crazy part is that the subtle surge of bio plastics into the green car market makes the Toyota sea car thingy pretty ahead of the curve as far as eco-friendly automobiles. It's bio plastic derived from seaweed to be exact, and Toyota is building this technology within the framework of its 1/X plug-in hybrid that premiered at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show.

Plastic made from kelp? Check out the full article Toyota Wants to Build Car From Seaweed over at Wired.com and let me know what you think. I'm intrigued and a bit mesmerized.

New $3 Light Bulb Can Save You Money

When it comes to saving money on your electricity bill, energy efficient light bulbs are one of the easiest and fastest steps you can take to make your home more green. And while there are plenty of reasons to put the TV remote and the sandwich down and do this right now, there will be even more reasons to do it in just a couple of short years.

Researchers at Cambridge University have developed a $3 LED light bulb that is 12 times more efficient than the common light bulb you and I use to brighten our homes, and 3 times more efficient than current fluorescent bulbs. While they cost more than your everyday, ordinary light bulbs, these bad boys last up to 100,000 hours. That's six figures worth of hours. If you're trying to do the math, that's about 60 years.

For real. You could buy this light and be a grandparent by the time you change it. Talk about lifetime value. The best part of all of this is that these things could be on the market by 2011. To find out more, visit Daily Mail.

Cheap Electricity Bills Thanks to Green Technology

A Lenoir, TN resident may average somewhere around 41 cents per day for powering her home, but who's counting pennies? And scene...

A Habitat for Humanity initiative that is part of a research project by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the Tennessee Valley Authority retrofitted 5 residential homes in Lenoir with energy-saving technology. The goal? The ORNL supports a Department of Energy initiative to develop energy-efficient homes, much like what is currently part of the Lenoir research project, that are essential energy neutral—meaning the days of homes burning up 40% of the country's energy could become a distant part of the past.

So rather than focusing solely on replacing fossil fuels, a difficult and mind-numbingly long transition process, research much like the ONRL and Lenoir have managed to apply on a small scale what could grow into a viable national solution for reducing energy consumption. A solution that could have drastic short term affects on the nation's energy demand and outrageous expenses for most Americans. Here is the Department of Energy article if you are interested in more details.

Green Mountain Energy and Standard Renewable Energy Give Green

Earlier this week Green Mountain Energy and Standard Renewable Energy (SRE) donated and funded solar panels to Workshop Houston, non-profit organization that provides after school programs to Houston children.

The donated solar panels will offset approximately 5,900 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year, the equivalent of planting 354 trees or not driving 6,554 miles annually. Green Mountain Energy and SRE sure know how to give a green gift back to a community!

Seth Capron, co-founder of Workshop Houston said, "The solar array will help us save money on our electricity costs, reduce our carbon footprint and promote renewable energy in the surrounding community. This is an exciting example of Houston businesses and the community teaming up to make our community and environment better."

This marks the fourth solar energy project that Green Mountain Energy and SRE have done together under the Big Texas Sun Club program. This unique program allows Green Mountain Energy customers to donate $5 on their monthly bill to go towards solar energy installation projects.

Energy Education for Your Children

Let's face the facts. Energy independence, green, conservation, global warming and whole sleuth of other energy issues will rest heavily in the laps of our children. So why not encourage the education process early?

Energy Quest, and award-winning energy education site built and maintained by the California Energy Commission, aims to teach "energy ethics" to our children, who they refer to as "tomorrow's scientists and inventors." 

The site is fabulously interactive with just about everything being clickable and colorful, so I imagine the kids will remain engaged. It provides valuable information on everything from energy news to how common household appliances work, as well as education on recycling and the ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World campaign. Pretty interesting stuff to say the least.

As Seen (and Green!) on TV?

If you are like me, you find As Seen On TV products pretty fascinating. I blame my father, as I get at least one thing every Christmas from an infomercial! However, I came across a blog post recently that made me look at some of the products in a whole new light.

Sustainablog did a great review of Five Greenish Products You've Seen on TV. While the products aren't exactly what you would consider "green" and there is no endorsement of any particular product, I think it's an interesting topic to consider.

Take the ShamWow for instance. One of the selling points is that you can use it for a lot of jobs you would normally reach for a paper towel to do. Anything that can help you avoid using paper products is a plus. On the other hand, it's made out of a "rayon-type" material that may not be so easy to recycle.

Another product mentioned in the post is the Twin Draft Guard, a product that I must admit I have had my eye on. My doors are pretty drafty! They may help to save you money on energy, but there isn't much known about the materials used or manufacturing process.

I think it's important to give products like these a look, especially if you feel like you've run out of "greening" ideas. However, it's a good idea to use them more as a guide to what you want to do next. And if you find something you like that you think might be a solution, be sure to research it beyond what the spokesperson yells at you from your TV at 2 o'clock in the morning.

New Wind Farm in Texas

Looks like Texas has a new wind farm that's complete and ready to go. Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. has just completed at $350 million wind farm, called the Hackberry Wind Project, in Shackelford County, Texas.

The wind farm consists of 72 Siemens wind turbines, which produce 166 megawatts of clean wind energy, enough electricity to power 39,000 average Texas homes. Austin Energy, the electric utility company serving Austin, Texas, will purchase the power produced by the wind farm, as they plans to power the city with 30 percent renewable energy by 2020.

How to Game the Green Way

I make it no secret to those I know that video gaming is a huge hobby of mine. I've been an avid gamer (read: geek) since was just a wee lad, and it continues to this day. Some people have a glass of wine or read a book after they get home from a long day. I jump over turtle shells and get high scores.

Apparently, it's not exactly the greenest of hobbies. A recent study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reveals that about 40 percent of homes have video game consoles, and the combined power of those video game systems could power the city of San Diego for a year. Fortunately for you other gamers out there, it turns out that Discovery has put together a list of 5 Ways to Green Your Video Game System.

• Turn off the console when not in use
• Buy a Wii (it is much more energy efficient than the XBox 360 or PS3)
• Use the Power Saver mode on your system
• Don't use it to watch movies, as DVD players typically use less energy
• Dispose of old systems properly

Hopefully those tips prove to be useful for other gamers like myself. To find out more about greening your gaming, visit Discovery.

Introducing the Recycled Shoe Box

Ever wanted to recycle your egg cartons or other materials only to be rudely turned away by your city's recycling center? Well Newton Shoes has taken it a step further and designed a ergonomic shoe box that fits a pair of running shoes like a glove. It is a molded design using 100 percent post-consumer recycled material, and instead of stuffing the box with tissue, Newton packs one shoe with a pair of socks and the other with a shoe bag. Green running anybody?