Reinvent Fire: Change Energy Use Forever

Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era offers market-based, actionable solutions integrating transportation, buildings, industry, and electricity. Built on Rocky Mountain Institute’s 30 years of research and collaboration in all four sectors, Reinventing Fire maps pathways for running a 158%-bigger U.S. economy in 2050 but needing no oil, no coal, no nuclear energy, one-third less natural gas, and no new inventions. This would cost $5 trillion less than business-as-usual—in addition to the value of avoiding fossil fuels’ huge but uncounted external costs.

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Protected: Ayeli Synchronicity Center

How we re-grew a rainforest – Willie Smits

By piecing together a complex ecological puzzle, biologist Willie Smits has found a way to re-grow clearcut rainforest in Borneo, saving local orangutans — and creating a thrilling blueprint for restoring fragile ecosystems.

Two of the most honest moments in television and government

Why America is NOT the greatest country in the world… but it can be… a clip from a new HBO show called Newsroom:

Berne Sanders, US Senator presenting why the American people are saying enough is enough:

SunPower Solar panels may be the most efficient and durable in the industry

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR), the leading commercial solar installer in the US, announced today that it’s begun commercial production of its most efficient solar cell to date.

Its third generation Maxeon solar cell is rated at 24% conversion efficiency of sunlight to electricity.

SunPower is known as a “premium” solar cell manufacturer. Its solar panels cost more but they’re the most efficient and physically attractive on the market.

All the contacts are on the back of SunPower’s solar cells, giving them a sleek, homogeneous black look.

Maxeon, which measures a tiny 160 millimeters, also has the contacts on the back. Solar panels contain about 128 solar cells and produce more energy per square meter compared to conventional crystalline solar cells.

It also has low reverse-bias breakdown voltage to deliver better performance in shady and dusty conditions, and a better temperature coefficient for increased energy harvest in hot environments. The new Maxeon solar cell offers improved aesthetics with a consistent, homogenous, sleek black look.

Last year, SunPower sold a majority stake to French oil giant, Total and then SunPower purchased Tenesol, another solar company owned by Total, to consolidate solar under one division.

And it launched a $105 million fund to finance residential solar leasing projects.

Also last year, SunPower produced the first Sustainability Report in the solar industry, joining 80% of the world’s largest company who annually disclose environmental, social, and corporate governance data.

Just yesterday, the trade group, Solar Energy Industries Association, asked the industry to adopt the document, Solar Industry Commitment to Environmental and Social Responsibility, which promotes standards throughout the industry.

The article is from: http://www.sustainablebusiness.com

WestinhouseSolar (previously Akeena Solar) announce Plug n Play solar panels

Westinghouse Solar Announces Instant Connect

Westinghouse Solar, formerly known as Akeena Solar, released a plug-and-play line of solar panels that can reduce installation costs by half.

The panels eliminate panel-to-panel wiring and racking, making them quick and easy to install.

UL-approved electrical connectors are integrated directly into the sides of each solar panel – allowing the solar panels to automatically plug together when they are mounted on the roof. The frames of the solar panels – and splices used to connect them – provide precision alignment of the electrical connectors, completely eliminating the need to manually wire panels or struggle with custom cabling on the roof.

In typical solar installations today, installers have to source hundreds of individual parts and then manually assemble them on the roof, says Westinghouse.

Parts include long sections of aluminum or steel racking, clips to attach the panels to the racks, electrical conduit to isolate the high voltage DC wires, inverters, disconnects, heavy-duty copper grounding wire and lugs, wiring clips, zip ties and nuts and bolts to hold everything together.

With Instant Connect, electricians, HVAC contractors and skilled Do-It-Yourselfers can install a system. They can start small – with just one or two panels – and easily add onto the system.

“There’s tremendous pressure to reduce the fully-installed costs of rooftop solar,” says Barry Cinnamon, Westinghouse CEO. “Manufacturers of solar panels are bending over backwards to squeeze an extra 0.1% efficiency out of their panels, or to reduce their costs by $0.01/watt. But now that high quality solar panels are selling for less than $1/watt, the biggest remaining cost savings opportunity is on the installation itself. With Instant Connect, installation costs are cut by more than $0.25/watt, which has a much greater economic impact on customers than incremental efficiency or cell cost improvements.”

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) SunShot Initiative aims to reduce the cost of solar by 75% through innovations in installation, permitting and manufacturing.

Westinghouse Solar is a designer and manufacturer of innovative solar power systems that deliver the dependability and reliability that homeowners and small business owners require. Westinghouse has been at the forefront of delivering safe electrical energy and products that bring comfort and convenience for the home for over 100 years. Today, Westinghouse Solar manufactures powerful, highly reliable solar power systems that generate electricity for homes and businesses. Instant Connect™ is a line of products from Westinghouse Solar that automates panel-to-panel grounding and wiring, making installing solar, faster and easier than ordinary solar power systems.

Don Tapscott: Four principles for the open world

The recent generations have been bathed in connecting technology from birth, says futurist Don Tapscott, and as a result the world is transforming into one that is far more open and transparent. In this inspiring talk, he lists the four core principles that show how this open world can be a far better place.

Don Tapscott can see the future coming … and works to identify the new concepts we need to understand in a world transformed by the Internet.