Chicago Unveils Solar Charging Station

by Jorge Chapa

Earlier this year we introduced you to Chargepoint, a network of electric vehicle charging stations that have been installed cities across the US and Canada. Well, making a great idea even better, Carbon Day Automotive recently announced the installation of a Solar Powered Chargepoint station in the city of Chicago. Solar charged electric vehicles? Fantastic!



Designed by Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the station is located at the Department of Fleet Maintenance, and it will be used to power the city’s electric fleet. The setup is simple, taking the sun’s power, and turning it into electricity that can be easily accessed by plug-in vehicles.



Since one of the biggest issues with electric vehicles is their lack of infrastructure, these solar charging stations could offer the perfect solution to this issue. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if these could be deployed in any parking lot everywhere in the world?

What does Arlen Specter’s party switch mean for climate and energy?

by David Roberts

The big news today is Sen. Arlen Specter’s announcement that he’ll be switching parties from Republican to Democrat. For the best analysis of why he did it (basically, he was fated to lose the upcoming primary), see Eric Kleefeld at TPM. The boss man asked me to weigh in from Paris on what it might mean.

The short answer: on optics, on symbolism, on portent, it’s a big deal. On the prospects for energy and climate legislation in this Congress, it means very little.

On symbolism, Specter’s statement says it all:
Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.

This is only the latest and most potent symbol that the Republican Party no longer has room for moderates, that it is shrinking into itself and becoming ideologically pure, ideologically extreme, and increasingly distant from the American mainstream. Recent polling shows voters fleeing—only around 30% of voters now self-identify as Republicans, with close to 50% Dem. The party is now entirely dominated by douchebags that everyone hates.

Specter isn’t the only remaining Republican moderate that’s noticed:

“On the national level of the Republican Party, we haven’t certainlyheard warm, encouraging words about how they view moderates, eitheryou are with us or against us,” [Sen. Olympia] Snowe [R-Maine] said. She said nationalRepublican leaders were not grasping that “political diversity makes a party stronger and ultimately we are heading to having the smallestpolitical tent in history for any political party the way things areunfolding.”

Will Maine’s moderate Republican senators, Snowe and Susan Collins, follow Specter’s lead? That would be a big frakking deal!

Now, as for energy and climate legislation:
Dems now have a 60 vote majority in the Senate (at least once Franken’s finally seated), which is enough to overcome the now-routine Republican filibuster. But Specter has made clear that he’s not changing his positions and specifically that “I will not be an automatic 60th vote for cloture.”

So what are his positions on climate change? Roughly those of a conservative Democrat. He voted against the McCain-Lieberman climate bill twice and declined to vote for cloture for the Lieberman-Warner climate bill last year. He said that the latter bill contained “very difficult standards which I, candidly, do not think are attainable.” As an alternative he has pushed a bill co-sponsored with Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the “Low-Carbon Economy Act,” which has weak targets, free permits, automatic off-ramps, and all the rest of the kinds of provisions that neuter a climate bill. (See Wonk Room for more on Specter’s green record.)

Given that the Waxman/Markey climate bill is considerably more ambitious than Lieberman-Warner—and likely will remain so even after being hashed over by the House’s conservative Dems—there is every likelihood that Specter, along with many other conservative Dems like Bayh and Nelson, will vote the bill down, or at least weaken it until it’s worthless.
In other words, he’ll do what he would have done anyway.

The more interesting possibility is the somewhat remote chance that Specter could face a primary challenge from the left and lose to a real Democrat, a reliable climate vote. But that is highly, highly unlikely. Dems will almost certainly have 60+ votes in the Senate after 2010 anyway, and for now they need to keep Specter happy.

Whirlpool & Elmar Green Living Kitchen

by Bridgette Steffen

The rules of kitchen design have just changed. Whirlpool and Elmar recently debuted the kitchen of the future at the Milan Furniture Fair, and it’s energy efficient, eco-friendly, and interconnected. Their Green Living kitchen brings together contemporary cabinetry, advanced appliances and systems that work together in a culinary-centered symbiotic relationship.

The concept was originally created by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba for Whirlpool and Elmar to bring together technology and ecology. Elmar strives to create innovative design solutions that are functional, ergonomic and high-quality. They are well known for their work using high temperature treated wood in the kitchen, which makes it water-repellent and more durable. The appliances and technology are supplied by Whirlpool, whose 6th Sense Technology minimizes the use of water, energy and time.

All of these elements combine into an advanced kitchen where wasted water or heat from one appliance is reused in a second. For example, warm refrigerator coils are used to heat water for the dishwasher. Waste water is recycled to water wall of plants and spices. All in all, this integrated kitchen will divert 60% of the water and heat generated from appliances to fuel other appliances. It is expected that this kitchen would save 24% on a homeowner’s energy bill. Not only do we like the look of the kitchen, but we love the savings that it would create.

What to do if a CFL Breaks

by Lisa Sharkey

I opened my closet door the other evening after work and was instantly freaked out.
What littered the floor of the closet looked like bits of shredded paper that my dog had chewed up. Unfortunately, it was far more threatening and the clean-up was much more complicated than I had expected. The bits of thin white scraps were actually broken pieces of a compact fluorescent light bulb that had fallen off of a shelf and shattered all over the closet floor.

Normally, with a broken light bulb, some sweeping up and perhaps a final vacuuming is all that's required. Not so with a CFL, because as I'm sure all of you already know, the bulbs we're all supposed to be screwing into our sockets to save energy and the planet contain the highly toxic mercury. So what's a freaked-out person to do?

I went onto the web and googled "broken CFL bulb" and learned that there are some very strict government guidelines for cleaning up and disposing of the residue from these broken bulbs. For starters, you are not allowed to vacuum up the mess, as it could send mercury vapors into the air. Same goes for sweeping. You'll contaminate the broom. Never mind mopping it up, either. And if it gets on your clothing, you can't put it in the washing machine for the same reasons.

Mercury, like the planet, gets around. So if you too suffer from this broken bulb syndrome, here's what the government says you need to do. And by the way, I think I'm switching to candles.

Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room
Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.

Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces
Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass pieces and powder.

Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.

Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug
Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.

Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.

Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding, etc.
If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.

You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.

If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

Disposal of Clean-up Materials
Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.

Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming
The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.

Bright Automotive Unveils 100 MPG Truck

by Ariel Schwartz
Plenty of companies are working on plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sports cars and sedans, but Bright Automotive’s new IDEA vehicle, unveiled this morning, is the first 100 MPG PHEV truck aimed at commercial and government fleets. According to Bright Automotive, the IDEA is five to 10 times more efficient than current fleets thanks to the vehicle’s lightweight materials, advanced aerodynamics, and efficient tires. Bright estimates that a typical customer could save 1,500 gallons of gasoline annually by switching to the IDEA. A commercial customer with 1,000 vehicles in its fleet could save $3 million each year. That’s not exactly pocket change.



On a full charge, the IDEA uses pure battery power for the first 30 miles before the hybrid gasoline engine kicks in. For a 50 mile route, the IDEA uses half a gallon of gas–the equivalent of 100 MPG. The IDEA’s creators paid close attention to the vehicle’s design, too. The car features one ton of cargo capacity, an ergonomic design, and even a passenger seat that converts to a mobile office.



Production of the IDEA will begin by the end of 2012, with 50,000 units produced each year by 2013. Pricing isn’t yet available. Bright Automotive’s vehicle probably won’t be used to take the kids to soccer practice, but you might see your local mailman driving it around soon enough.

San Francisco’s Orchard Hotel earns LEED Certification

The Orchard Hotel achieved “green” with the LEED-EB® (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification for an existing building by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). San Francisco’s only hotel to earn this honor, the Orchard Hotel is the second hotel in California and fourth hotel in the world with this certification.

The Orchard Hotel joins its sister property, the Orchard Garden Hotel in ‘green’ certification, earning LEED-EB® (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification for an existing building by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). San Francisco’s only hotel to earn this honor, the Orchard Hotel, is the second hotel in California and fourth hotel in the world with this certification. LEED-EB is the USGBC’s leading edge system for operating high performance buildings dedicated to whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues, recycling programs, exterior maintenance programs and systems upgrades.

The Orchard Hotel, managed by Portfolio Hotels & Resorts, based in Oak Brook, IL, includes 104 guest rooms and is located just two blocks from Union Square on the Powell Street Cable Car Line. Inspiration for meeting the LEED-EB guidelines comes from its 85-year-old owner, Mrs. S.C. Huang. She is passionate about clean environments, after the untimely cancer-related deaths of three family members, and has devoted herself to creating environmentally safe and sustainable hotels.

“Mrs. S.C. Huang pursued a LEED certification for her existing hotel for several important reasons,” said Stefan Mühle, general manager for the hotels and regional director for Portfolio Hotels & Resorts. “Studies prove that LEED certified buildings have lower operating costs, higher employee productivity, and happier, healthier occupants. We’re extremely proud to lead the hospitality industry in our dedication to our environment and our guests’ and employees’ quality of life.”

The Orchard Hotel achieved LEED-EB certification for managing energy use, sustainable cleaning and maintenance practices, employee education, recycling policies, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. LEED-EB was established for market leaders to operate buildings that protect and save precious resources while also making good economic sense. The hotel’s green practices also include chemical-free cleaning products, a 100% tobacco-free environment, recycled paper and soy-based inks, low flow toilets and showers, CFL, halogen or LED lighting throughout the hotel; low or no-VOC paints, adhesives and sealants; strict recycling and compost programs and more.

Intimate and Elegant
The Orchard Hotel is conveniently located between Union Square and Nob Hill. Thoughtfully designed guest rooms provide state-of-the-art technology and a wealth of complimentary amenities for business and pleasure travelers including high-speed Internet and Wi-Fi access, entertainment center with CD and DVD player, tea/coffee maker, honor bar, in-room safe, dual-line cordless telephones, luxurious organic bath products and other gracious amenities such as an extensive CD/DVD library. Daffodil Restaurant, adjacent to the lobby, serves breakfast, dinner and cocktails daily.

In 2007, the Orchard Hotel’s sister property, the Orchard Garden Hotel, was awarded LEED-NC® (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design-New Construction) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). San Francisco’s first hotel to earn this honor, the Orchard Garden was only the third hotel in the U.S. and fourth hotel in the world with this certification.

How to bring out the greener you

One of the most common complaints about “going solar” is that the upfront cost is just too high. The primary reason a solar power system can be a high ticket purchase for many solar power shoppers is because of the customers’ bad energy usage habits. The majority of solar power shoppers don't realize they are energy hogs until they start shopping for solar power, when they are forced to understand and analyze their electric consumption.

So how can solar power shoppers instantly get a deep discount on their solar power system? The answer is simple, “reduce then produce.” Focusing on energy efficiency, and implementing lifestyle and product changes can greatly reduce the upfront cost of a solar power system. It is always more cost-effective to reduce your consumption through efficiency than it is to produce your own power.

Think of it this way, the more you can save through energy efficiency, the fewer solar panels you need to cover your electric usage. It’s that simple. But most solar power consumers get frustrated seeing high upfront costs of going solar and think there are no alternatives to bring the cost down.

How do you reduce your energy consumption?

1.) Change all your light bulbs to LEDs. Lighting can contribute up to 10 to 20 percent of your electrical load. Want to minimize that load? LEDs (light emitting diodes) consume a fraction of the electricity that incandescent bulbs and even CFL light bulbs consume. While LED bulbs cost more than their counterparts, they last over 11 years, and LEDs differ from CFLs in that they contain no mercury, a very toxic element. LED bulbs can fit in standard lighting sockets and only cost a dollar or two per year to run a standard household light bulb. Since LED bulbs operate cooler, the decrease in temperature can also keep your home cooler during summer months.

2.) Invest in insulation. Drafty windows and gaps under doors can significantly raise your heating and cooling costs. These costs usually comprise over half of all energy outlays made by homeowners. By investing in insulation, you can lower your energy costs by as much as 30%.

3.) Get rid of old appliances. These tend to be less energy efficient. For example, an old coffee maker can consume power equivalent to the output of four solar panels! Purchase Energy Star appliances.

4.) If you’re not using it, turn it off! Unplug unused items (they draw energy even if they are plugged in, but not in use). These sneaky loads are called “vampire loads”, and they cost U.S. consumers 3 billion dollars per year! How much are these loads costing you? Smart power strips can help you fight vampire loads by shutting off power draw when the appliance is not in use. Remember to set your computers to automatically hibernate (power saving mode) when they are idle for more than 5 minutes. And most importantly, turn off the lights when you leave a room!

Changing the way you consume energy can have a significant impact on the overall price of a solar energy system. Reducing energy consumption can shave off thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars from the final cost of a system.

It seems like today, everyone wants to produce their own watts through solar panels and wind turbines. But we need to first produce “negawatts.” Negawatt power is a term promoted and introduced by Amory Lovins of The Rocky Mountain Institute; essentially, the term means that by saving energy, we create a "virtual power plant," thus not having to create a new power plant to increase electrical supply. The direct reduction in electrical demand through energy efficiency is called a Negawatt.

Energy efficiency and solar power fit very well with each other. When considering solar power, think about easy ways you can reduce your consumption first – that way you'll save tons of cash, making the solar investment that much more attainable.

2010 Prius To Actually Get Cheaper

NEW YORK — Toyota Motor Corp. said it won't change the price tag on its next-generation Prius when the hybrid hits U.S. showrooms in late May and will release an even cheaper version later this year, as the automaker aims to compete with the latest hybrid from rival Honda Motor Co.

Toyota said Tuesday the 2010 Prius will start at $22,000 _ unchanged from the base price for the 2009 model. Toyota will release a more basic model later this year starting at $21,000, the Japanese automaker said, but did not elaborate on what features it will or won't come equipped with.

Toyota, the world's biggest automaker by sales, has long been the leader in the hybrid market, and the Prius remains the most popular hybrid in the U.S. But Prius sales fell 57 percent in March. Although Toyota attributed much of the decline to the sell-down process ahead of the rollout of its latest model, hybrid sales overall have fallen sharply as gas prices plunged and as the economic downturn makes it more difficult for consumers to pony up the premium that many hybrids carry.

The new Prius, the third-generation of the gas-electric vehicle first unveiled in the U.S. in 2001, will get a combined 50 mpg, compared with 46 mpg for the 2009 model, Toyota said. The new Prius will have 134 horsepower, an increase of 24 horsepower over the previous generation.

Higher-end models coming with extra features will range up to $27,270, the automaker said.
Toyota's much-hyped hybrid is expected to compete head-on with the Honda Insight hybrid. The Insight in the U.S. carries a lower manufacturer's suggested retail price of $19,800 for the base model as it takes aim at economy-minded buyers. It gets a combined 42 mpg.

Toyota was set to build the 2010 Prius at a plant under construction at Blue Springs, Miss., but the automaker put those plans on hold last year due to the industry downturn.
U.S.-traded shares of Toyota rose 68 cents to close at $76.47.

Earth Day 2009: Obama Energy Chief Lays Out Climate Doomsday Scenario

Days before Earth Day 2009, President Obama's Energy Secretary Steven Chu gave a press briefing at the "Summit of the Americas" in Trinidad and Tobago where he laid out the potentially disastrous consequences if the world community doesn't unite to combat climate change.

Chu, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1997, detailed several of the most dramatic impacts that global warming could have, such as several island nations being submerged.
transcript below:

SECRETARY CHU: Well, I had no discussions in this summit meeting on the issue as to whether the climate is really changing or what are potential economic consequences. Now, in full candor, I haven't talked with representatives from Venezuela yet, but I think they're -- in terms of discussing whether the climate is changing or whether humans have caused it, I think for the most part this debate is over. It's something -- yes, it's changing; that's a demonstrable fact. If one looks at the latest IPCC reports, there's very, very convincing evidence -- very high probability it was caused predominantly by greenhouse gas emissions. And what is not known with certainty is what are the range of effects that might happen, and -- because that, quite frankly, also depends on what the world does.

But let me just say that there are certainly a reasonable probability that -- I'm sure the people in this room have heard this -- that in the last IPCC report, the 2007 report, they said that it's going to be somewhere between two and four -- two and a half, four and a half -- I'm not sure of the exact numbers -- degrees Centigrade change.

And so let me remind you that the Earth has already warmed up by about 0.8 degrees Centigrade; that the experts acknowledge that there is another 1 degree Centigrade already built into the system, even if humans stopped carbon emissions today flat. That's because we put enough greenhouse gases up into the atmosphere, the sun continues to warm up the Earth, and until you reach a new equilibrium or the heat from the Earth then reaches the equilibrium -- what's coming in and what's getting reflected back -- there's 1 degree change already; that there's a reasonable probability we can go above 4 degrees Centigrade to 5 and 6 more. That means we have a -- there's a reasonable probability, and certainly in business-as-usual scenario, we can go to 5 or 6 degrees Centigrade.

Now, what does that mean? The last ice age, we were 6 degrees Centigrade colder than we are today -- a very different world. Okay, only 6 degrees Centigrade means, in North America, ice sheet from Canada down to Pennsylvania, Ohio -- year round in ice. So imagine a world 6 degrees warmer. It's not going to recognize geographical boundaries. It's not going to recognize anything. So agriculture regions today will be wiped out. Yes, there are parts of Canada will be -- can grow more food, but, you know, the other thing is, the Earth is spherical and the sun hits at an angle up north. So there are going to be huge consequences if we go up to that 4, 5, 6 degrees.

Q How long would it take?

SECRETARY CHU: We're talking about that temperature in -- by the end of this century. And the other thing is, you stick that carbon in the atmosphere, it cycles around, but it's up there for a couple hundred years. Okay, so you've just bought a couple hundred years of this effect. So -- and that could have dramatic consequences on the world, but especially the more vulnerable people in the world.

Q Secretary Chu, so did any of the leaders, especially from this part of the world, talk about the specific concerns about rising ocean levels?

SECRETARY CHU: Yes, very much so. I think the Caribbean countries face rising oceans and they face increase in the severity of hurricanes. This is something that is very, very scary to all of us; that if you consider what has been happening, especially in the polar regions in the north, and you look at the predictions of the IPCC beginning in 1990, this is something they didn't do so well. It's melting considerably faster than anyone predicted ten years ago.

So we are terribly afraid there will be an increase in temperature if the ice in the Antarctica and Greenland melt. This is bad news. If Greenland melts -- it's two or three kilometers thick -- we're looking at a seven-meter sea level rise around the world. Some island states will disappear.

So there was specific -- at the lunch today, there was specific discussion represented from the island states that this is of great concern, and the island states in the world represent -- I remember this number -- one-half of 1 percent of the carbon emissions in the world. And they will -- some of them will disappear. So this is pretty serious business.

Filed by Nico Pitney

Herzog & de Meuron’s Lush Green BBVA Headquarters

by Bridgette Steffen

The project is essentially a linear series of 3-story buildings seperated by alleyways and irrigated gardens. The smaller buildings are designed to give employees access to natural light and the outdoors, while the tower rises as a skyward-tilted circle, giving BBVA a presence in the Madrid skyline. The courtyard located around the tower is planted with shady trees and features a large basin of water that serves as a resevoir and humidifies the air.



The alleyways between buildings are generously planted wtih different trees and vegetation to provide shade from the sun and cool the spaces. Floorplates and brise-soleil structures hang above the walkways and keep direct sunlight off workspaces. The ample shade and vegetation will provide a cool, moist microclimate, where every office has a view of the outdoors and the gardens.



Additionally, all the buildings will take advantage of ample daylighting, which will reduce the need for artificial lighting. The slim profile of the 3-story buildings will allow for excellent cross ventilation when windows are open, reducing cooling needs as well. The roofs feature retractable shades and can help reduce the temperature of the gardens, and floors will be heated and cooled with water pumped from the ground. Photovoltaic arrays will be installed on the roofs, and rainwater collection and grey water processing will reduce potable water consumption.

Prickly Porcupine Office

by Mike Chino
Passive solar design meets pointillist pincushion in this stunning porcupine-inspired office recently cleared for construction in Prestons, England. Designed by UK-based Moxon Architects, the building features a bristling brise-soleil composed of andonized aluminum fins suspended from tensile rods. This striking facade acts as a rain screen while filtering sunlight and contributing to the building’s energy-efficient profile.



Dubbed Oliver’s Place Preston, the 40,000 square foot office building won a competition organized by RIBA in 2007. Its innovative facade is formed from an array of aluminum “reeds” that are all arranged in the same direction.



Their placement has been carefully considered such that “early morning and winter sunlight is able to enter the building while high summer sun is excluded and so does not adversely alter the environmental conditions within the building. The aluminium fins also appear as a thicket of material that gives the building a striking appearance that changes dramatically depending on the position of the viewer.”

Why the Green Economy Needs You

by Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins

The economic crisis is at the front of everyone's mind. With unemployment and uncertainty skyrocketing, banks and financial institutions failing, and the government scrambling to pick up the pieces, it can be easy to overlook the escalating environmental crisis. Thank goodness we're almost to Earth Day April 22nd 2009, a day to reflect on our relationship with the planet. But we need more than an Earth Day. We need more than a week, a month, or even a year. We need an Earth Generation. We need to be the Earth Generation.

That is the historic challenge of this generation: to (re)learn how to live in harmony with the planet and the other species living here. Previous generations have had their own challenges—outlawing chattel slavery, or defeating European fascism. Those threats came from one part of the human family against another. Now, even with ongoing, often violent divisions among people, this generation faces an immediate threat that imperils all of us, and that we must overcome together.

That means reorganizing our economy—how we make things, power things, move things, buy things, and sell things. Our economy is not just tearing itself apart, it is also tearing the planet apart—and burning down whatever's left. Built on the idea that we can (and should) conquer nature, our economy is at war with the Earth. And this war has no winners, only losers. We need a new way to do things. Saving the environment does not mean pitting trees against people. It is, in fact, an opportunity for innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic opportunity.
We need a green economy.

But if this green economy takes care of the planet, yet abandons people to the worst excesses of the market, then we will have only replaced one monster with another. As we invent a new way to take care of the Earth, we also need to invent a new way to take care of each other. Our green economy must help the planet and the people.

How can we begin? By investing in good, green jobs. We have a ton of work to do to repair the damage we've done to the environment, and to make sure the planet is ready and able to take care of our children and their children after them. That work—retrofitting buildings; constructing wind, solar and wave farms; manufacturing the parts for those energy farms; urban agriculture and healthy farming; modern, efficient urban planning and public transit—will be the foundation of the new, green economy. The jobs should be well-paid jobs with good benefits—jobs with career tracks that can support a family. And they should go to the people who most need the work, the people struggling in the current pollution-based economy. Because if our new economy can lift up those of us who have fallen the furthest, each of us will rise.

I believe we can do it. I believe in the power of people to create the society we need and deserve, if we give ourselves the chance to do it. We've seen previous generations remake their societies in seemingly impossible ways in order to fulfill their historic obligations. Now it is time for us to do the same, to be the Earth Generation that we need. It is time for us to build a green economy, one strong enough to resolve the ecological crisis and create new avenues of economic advance for those most in need.

Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins is CEO of Green For All, the national organization dedicated to building an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty that was founded by Van Jones in 2007.

Texas Is Wind King, California Third Place

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Texas continues to blow away the competition, but Iowa can now generate more wind power than California, according to a new industry report to be released Monday.

The Lone Star state's 7,118 megawatts dwarfs Iowa's 2,791 megawatts and California's 2,517 megawatts, but wind power has grown into a key part of the energy infrastructure in Minnesota and Iowa, where each state generates more than 7 percent of their electricity from turbines, the American Wind Energy Association study said.

States are trying to lure wind energy companies and the jobs that come with them, especially with new federal requirements that will require more power from alternative sources in coming years.

While jobs in the wind industry jumped by 70 percent to 85,000 last year, the association's chief executive warned that more must be done to prevent the industry from stalling. "We need the right policies in place for our industry to maintain its momentum," said Denise Bode in a release.

The passage of a national Renewable Electricity Standard that would require utilities to generate a quarter of their electricity from renewable energy by 2025 is vital to long-term growth, said Bode.

Global investment in alternative energy was cut in half during the first quarter of 2009, according to one study. Billions in investments have vanished with the recession. Shares in wind, solar and geothermal companies took a pummeling from investors this year. Investments in companies devoted solely to clean energy fell to about $100 million from $2.1 billion, according to New Energy Finance, an industry-research firm.

Still, 2008 was a big year for the industry. U.S. wind farms, with a combined capacity of 25,300 megawatts at the end of last year, should be able to generate some 73 billion kilowatt hours of power in 2009, enough to serve nearly 7 million homes, the association said.

The association estimates that 10 new manufacturing facilities started up in 2008, while 17 were expanded and 30 new plants were announced. Indiana added its first utility-scale wind project. Michigan, Utah, New Hampshire and Wisconsin grew at the fastest clip.

Still, big wind power states added the most capacity by far, led by Texas with 2671.3 new megawatts and Iowa with 1599.8 megawatts. Minnesota, Kansas and New York added between 400 and 455 megawatts each.

FPL Group Inc. subsidiary NextEra Energy Resources continues to dominate the landscape with ownership of about 25 percent of the total installed U.S. wind projects, totaling 6,290 megawatts. Iberdrola Renewables, MidAmerican Energy and Horizon-Energia de Portugal combine for the next 25 percent.

GE Energy installed the most turbines in 2008, accounting for 43 percent of new capacity. Vestas, 13 percent; Siemens and Suzlon, 9 percent each; and Gamesa, 7 percent, rounded out the Top 5.

When to switch off your lights

By Lori Bongiorno

Does switching the lights on and off use more energy than leaving them on? The answer is no, despite the common misperception that turning a light on creates a power surge. The thinking is that it's more economical to just leave a light on rather than pay the costs of flicking it back on.

In reality, that "surge" lasts for only a fraction of second, according to Francis Rubinstein, a staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Any "start-up" energy costs are minuscule at best and are more than offset by the money you save from turning your lights off, even if it's only for a short time.

So if you're strictly concerned about saving energy (and money), you should turn your lights out when you're not using them.

The bigger issue with turning lights on and off frequently, though, has to do with shortening the product's lifetime, says Christina Kielich at the Department of Energy.

It doesn't affect the lamp life of an incandescent bulb very much, says Rubinstein. So it makes sense to always turn them off when you a leave room, even if it's only for a few minutes.
Compact florescent light bulbs, on the other hand, are a somewhat different story. Flicking them on and off repeatedly will affect how long they last, although, Rubinstein points out that the impact is minimal for most households.

How much flicking on and off is too much? The general consensus is that it's best to turn off CFLs when you are leaving for 15 minutes or longer. In fact, Energy Star recommends installing florescent bulbs in fixtures that are used for at least 15 minutes at time. So it doesn't make sense to use them in places where you'd need to switch them on and off constantly.

The rule of thumb is a little different when you're at the office, according to Rubinstein. Turn out florescent lighting when you're leaving for at least 5 minutes. The reason? Full-size florescent systems aren't as sensitive to frequent cycling as CFLs and won't impact the life of the bulb as much.

My Trip to California Academy of Sciences

by Sharrieff Ali
I recently visited the LEED Platinum-Certified California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. California Academy of Sciences is not your typical museum, the walls are made almost entirely of glass, and it's possible to see from one side of the building to the other from almost any point on the museum's first floor. While walking through the coral reef exhibition on the lower level, you can look through the glass floor up to the first level which is illuminated by sunlight. Trust me…it is quite spectacular.



The California Academy of Sciences features a living green roof with native plants, insulation made from recycled blue jeans and a large canopy of solar energy panels.



The building is located in the hills of Golden Gate Park, the museum fits into the natural environment surrounding it. The museum hosts a Thursday night low-cost open-house complete with DJ, food and wine-bar! The Thursday evening “party-night” event really gives maximum exposure of the building and exhibits for the general public.



Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, the California Academy of Sciences has always served three functions, display, education and research. Renzo Piano says, “the spirit of the new building is to announce and enforce this complexity of function."


Italian architect Renzo Piano

Piano sees the academy's green roof as one of the many places in the building where his design brings scientists together with the public.



Italian architect Renzo Piano is the winner of the 1998 Pritzker Prize. He says he tries to "get at the fundamental emotion of a site."

"We have 20 million species, and we have scientists still working at the same time you have, children, curious people coming to wonder about nature," Piano says.


Sharrieff Ali of Consult Energy Efficient Design on the Green-Roof

Founded in 1853, The California Academy of Sciences is one of the world’s preeminent natural history museums. The Academy is now home to the Kimball Natural History Museum, Steinhart Aquarium and Morrison Planetarium. The Academy also conducts research in 11 fields of study, and houses over 20 million scientific specimens.

The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficiency Design) rating system is a consensus-based national standard for evaluating high-performance, sustainable buildings. The California Academy of Sciences achieved the highest possible rating: LEED Platinum.

The California Academy of Sciences was also awarded the EPA’s regional 2006 Environmental Award recognizing the building’s sustainable design. The EPA received more than 160 nominations in 2006; the California Academy of Sciences was one of 39 recipients to be selected.

Mobile Solar Computer Classroom

Written by Katie Fehrenbacher

It’s a pretty basic project in concept — slap a solar panel on the top of an SUV and fill the car with computers and a fold-up tent, chairs and tables. But the rewards of the project, called the mobile solar computer classroom, are significant: teaching computer skills in rural Uganda to a 100 kids a day. Intel thinks the project is important enough that the chip maker has awarded the project $100,000 as part of its Inspire-Empower Challenge.



The $100,000 award will enable the project to create another mobile solar computer classroom that will visit schools in Rwanda. Many of the schools that the roving solar computer lab visits don’t have access to electricity (which is why the lab provides its own), let alone computers and a computer teacher. In the photos you can see that everything to create the classroom fits perfectly into the back of the SUV, including the 15 Intel-powered PCs.



The project comes out of the Maendeleo Foundation, an organization that uses technology to fight poverty. Executive Director Eric Morrow submitted it for the Inspire-Empower Challenge. Of course, $100,000 is just a drop in the bucket from Intel’s perspective, but it’s helping to double the program’s initiatives.

Need More Energy? Just Be Thankful!

by Anne Naylor


"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." Dr Wayne W Dyer

Over the past few weeks, I have been looking at the magnificence of the human spirit that lives within each one of us. I do not think we fully appreciate this precious resource that we each carry. If we did, we would all be a lot happier. No one can take it away from you. However, you can either enhance or diminish your awareness of it.

I love the American celebration of Thanksgiving. I realize that it is a few months away yet, but I would like to invite you to a pre-Easter Thanksgiving this weekend. Actually, I invite you to be thank-full at any time.

Being grateful is a way to be expansive, especially when we are feeling lacking, negative, cast down. Great-fullness. What are some of the simple things you may be taking for granted? What joys do you find in the world around you, that do not cost money? How have challenges from your past proved valuable in the longer term?

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." Oprah Winfrey



Gratitude is at the heart of a renewed flow of giving and receiving. It goes like this. Count the small things you are grateful for. Experience the great fullness within you as you do so. Find ways to give from this fullness -- maybe your time, talent or a gift that can benefit someone else. Then be open and allow yourself to receive. Be grateful for what comes your way.

"The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest." William Blake

Your human spirit is capable of this expansion -- and much more. What you appreciate grows in value for you. So love you. Love the sweet spirit that you are.

Here are 10 tips for becoming grateful:

1. Gratitude Journal
Keep a Gratitude Journal. At the end of each day, write 5 things you feel grateful for from the day. A smile from a stranger, the hug from your child, an unexpected compliment, a good meal, a moment of laughter with a friend.

2. Before sleeping
Go to bed with a smile, thinking about all you appreciate in your life. Breathe deeply and relax as you do so.

3. Gratitude Dance
Take a few minutes and begin your day with the Gratitude Dance. Start as you mean to go on. If your energy is flagging during the day -- do it again. It will probably make you laugh -- and that will energize and refresh you.

4. Appreciate Family, Friends and Co-Workers
Bring to mind those close to you that you love and how you are thankful that they are part of your life. Make a note in your journal of your special people and why you appreciate them.

5. Express Appreciation
At home, work or in your community, take a little time to communicate your appreciation to those you value - in person, over the phone, by email.

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."Albert Schweitzer

6. Mid Day Break
Take a short walk and count your blessings, feeling grateful as you do so. You will come back inspired and enthusiastic for the afternoon.

7. Blessings in Disguise
When you are going through a tough time, it is harder to feel grateful. However, when you do, the results can be amazing. When things are not going your way, or the way you had intended, declare them a "blessing in disguise" and be grateful for them. This simple shift in attitude will make you a winner, no matter what happens.

8. Gratitude Gathering
Bring a group of friends together for a Gratitude Gathering and recount the things you are grateful for. Conclude with a Celebratory Pot Luck meal.

9. Nature Walk
Take a walk in nature and notice the beauty around you. Beauty might be in something very simple like a leaf, a bird in flight, sunlight on dew, an elegant branch of a tree, the colour of the sky, the crunch of gravel or softness of grass beneath your feet. Allow yourself to feel the beauty and your gratitude for it.

10. Be Grateful For You
Last but absolutely not least. Take a moment to notice the goodness of your intent; the caring you express to others; the endeavours you take to be true to your ideals, even at difficult times. Be grateful for and bless your qualities and strengths. There is no one else quite like you. Honour and appreciate yourself.

"Celebrate what you want to see more of."Thomas J. Peters

Gratitude is a way of closing a door on the past and allowing a new door to open to the future you wish to be enjoying. It is simple, yet very powerful. Gratitude is in your heart and hands.

Should We Skip CFLs For LED Lighting?

by Dave Simon

Businesses are not only being encouraged to switch their energy consumption practices to more environmentally friendly alternatives but also are being incentivized by their local and national governments to implement these changes.

Some states are going as far as offering businesses tax breaks for switching to more efficient lighting, like light-emitting diodes (LED) or compact fluorescent lights (CFL). In many areas, matching funds are available for energy saving programs.

Companies are weighing the pros and cons of alternative lighting sources from cost considerations to their environmental impact. On average, interior lighting accounts for 28 percent of a business's energy bill. Switching to efficient lighting can help reduce the energy consumption and overall operating costs.

LEDs are the fastest-growing category of lighting technology, but the excitement and hype around LEDs are at once overdone for the near term and understated in terms of potential for the long term. For a business looking to make a switch to more energy efficient lighting, it is very tempting to jump into LED solutions and eliminate the problems of mercury and light quality that plague fluorescent solutions. Jumping is fine - but let's take a look at how to do it with both feet on the ground by exploring some factors to consider when evaluating the role that LEDs should play in your lighting plans.

Goal
Before you try to figure out which type of lighting to buy, consider the purpose behind making the switch. Are you aiming to lower energy costs and take advantage of tax incentives? Do you want the longest-lasting bulb you can find? Are you looking to demonstrate innovation and forward green thinking? Do you want to stop changing bulbs for 15 years? What are your requirements for capital investment and payback periods? Do you want to improve the quality of your lighting? Considerable options are available for each goal, including LED lighting, which offers the benefits of long life and mercury-free content in addition to energy savings.

Investment
Currently, the reality is that LED lights cost several times as much as incandescent and fluorescent lights. The good news is that the cost is dropping as the technology is improving; the costs of LEDs as measured in dollars per lumen have come down 50 percent in the last year and a half.

Even with the relatively high initial investment, LEDs are now able to show paybacks in the two-to-eight- year range, depending on the application and energy costs. Adding in labor savings, such as not having to replace bulbs and ballasts, can further reduce the payback period.

The best resource for learning about energy-efficiency investment help is your local utility. It is working closely with state and local governments to help businesses find and manage energy savings opportunities. Another option is to partner with an Energy Service Company (ESCo) that will take on the capital risk of energy savings and actively participate in the implementation in exchange for a share of the dollars generated through the savings.

Energy Usage (lumens/watt)
When looking at energy usage for bulbs, most packages or retailers will offer information on lumens per watt. Lumens per watt measures the amount of light produced for each watt of electricity consumed. More lumens per watt means more light for your money. In just the past year, we have seen commercially available LEDs move from 65 lumens per watt to more than 90 lumens per watt. There seems to be a pretty clear path past 150 lumens per watt and then a reasonable expectation of approaching 200 lumens per watt within the next five to seven years. Considering the LED bulb's low energy expenditure, the total cost of ownership (over its 60,000-hour lifespan) is low enough to offset the high initial cost.

Be careful not to confuse the advertised lumens per watt of LEDs with the actual lumens per watt efficacy of finished LED products that include system efficiencies such as power conversion circuitry and optical losses. In calculating energy savings you must first ascertain that the light being proposed is adequate for the area and task to be lit and then determine the total watts required to do so.

Lifespan - Total Cost of Ownership
If the goal is to find a bulb that's going to last for extended periods between replacements, the LED bulb is an obvious choice. With proper thermal design, LEDs can achieve 60,000+ hours of life while maintaining 70 percent of original light output. CFL lights typically last only between 6,000 and 15,000 hours. This long life can significantly decrease total cost of ownership when the cost of changing tubes, bulbs, and ballasts for fluorescent and incandescent lighting is calculated. The methods of calculating these non-energy operational costs will vary from business to business and, unfortunately, are not usually part of an energy savings rebate calculation. Combined with energy savings, however, reductions in system maintenance can greatly reduce the ROI of LED installations.

Who to Buy From: Hype versus Reality
The LED industry is struggling a bit to simultaneously build excitement for the future of LEDs while trying to defend against bad product with unwarranted claims. It is common, for example, to see LED lights advertised as "Replaces a 40-watt bulb and uses only 1.5 watts." (I have a package like that on my desk - our CEO put it there). Let's run the numbers. A 40-watt incandescent bulb will put out at least 400 lumens. A 1.5 watt replacement would need to put out more than 260 lumens per watt to match that performance - almost triple the output of the very best LEDs on the market today.

You should work with companies who can demonstrate and document their power consumption, light output in the directions you care about, light quality, and color temperature. If you don't have a good understanding of those numbers yourself, then you should engage a lighting designer to help you - it is far cheaper to get help than it is to install poor-quality lighting.

Furthermore, lighting suppliers should be able to document for you the exact LED being used inside their products. There is an order-of- magnitude difference in longevity and quality of light between the relatively few makers of top-shelf LEDs and the plethora of inferior products.
A good resource for LED lighting information is the United States Department of Energy solid-state lighting Web site at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/ . On that site you can find a wealth of information regarding test procedures, definitions, and standards.

LEDs Now or Later?
A perfectly reasonable reaction to the improving price, performance, and quality of LED lighting is to wait for a few years until solid-state lighting products are more efficient and cheaper and have more usage history. Doing so, however, means missing a current ROI-justifiable opportunity to install next-generation lighting that is long-lasting, mercury-free, and energy-efficient. One strategy is to plan for implementing LEDs both now and later.

User acceptance and experience are key to the successful implementation of new technology. Given that the ROIs for LEDs can make sense today, albeit with a longer ROI period than in the future, it can make a lot of sense to begin doing pilot programs with LEDs to demonstrate the benefits of the technology to users. Instead of becoming frustrated with the high initial investment to re-lamp an entire building with LEDs, perhaps start with some high-visibility and challenging areas, such as the reception area and main conference room. Small-scale pilot implementations can demonstrate the ROI while at the same time earning key user acceptance and excitement.

Dave Simon has more than 23 years of design and development experience and was Altair Engineering's Principal - Product Innovation prior to the formation of ilumisys, Inc., a developer and producer of next-generation solid-state lighting technology.

Foster + Partner’s Sand Dune UAE Pavilion

by Evelyn Lee

A golden sand dune-inspired structure begins to take shape as Foster + Partners recently broke ground upon their UAE pavilion for the 2010 Shanghai Expo. A showcase of passive environmental design, the pavilion creates a symbolic reference with the desert landscape over which each of the seven emirates presides. As if modeled by prevailing winds, the pavilion mimics the duality between the rough and smooth sides of a sand dune while making the most of its site. The northern façade allows natural light to filter through its porous structure, while the southern façade is enclosed to minimize heat infiltration during the exhibit.

Built on a grid system out of stainless steel panels, the pavilion can be easily constructed and deconstructed on site, ensuring that it will find future use (if given the a proper site) after the close of the 2010 Shanghai Expo. However, don’t confuse its mobile constructability with the overall presence of the pavilion - as one of the largest exhibition spaces for the expo, the pavilion encloses more than 3,000 square meters of exhibition space allowing for 450 people to explore its interior while making a statement of the UAE’s view on sustainability.

Gerard Evenden, the project’s Senior Partner says: “The cities of the UAE rise from the desert and the pavilion will similarly emerge to form a natural counterpoint to Shanghai’s urban landscape. Like a sand dune, it is oriented to the direction of the wind and is a powerful example of an organic and highly effective passive environmental design.”

Beautiful Bank Barn Renovation

by Bridgette Steffen

Repeatedly told to demolish the barn which sat on their new horse farm, the owners just couldn’t let this traditional barn go. The 1800s New River Bank Barn seemed to have such great potential that they searched for an architect that could transform it into the dream barn renovation they wanted. Blackburn Architects, specializing in adaptive reuse and renovation, took on the project and turned the sagging barn into a beautiful modern adaptation with ample daylighting and rustic features that reflect its previous use.

A bank barn is a specific style of barn that is built into the side of a hill or a bank, which allows access to both of its floors from the ground. Located in Leesburg, VA, this particular barn sits on the banks of the Potomac River. The renovated barn now serves as a gathering place and guesthouse for the owners’ family and friends. With an open floor plan, the barn has a loft-like feel with a ton of natural light poring in from new windows.

Blackburn Architects wanted to keep the original rustic feel of the barn — but wanted to add to its structure to ensure the building’s ability to provide comfort and warmth for its inhabitants. Original barn walls were used as the interior paneling, with a layer SIPs for insulation and stability, plus an exterior layer of new board-and-batten for the cladding. The original roof became the interior ceiling and a new roofing layer was added on top for extra insulation and protection. Reclaimed wood from other structures on the property was also used in the renovation of the barn.

The original character of the barn was retained, evident in the sliding barn doors that cover the updated front door, as well as the original plank floors and rafters. However, modern touches were added to the barn to make it more energy efficient. The entire Eastern facade was replaced with floor-to-ceiling windows, which provide views of the Potomac and ample daylighting. Also, hydronic heating was installed under the floors for an efficient and hidden heating system.

This adaptive reuse of a historic barn has won both the 2006 AIA Merit Award as well as the 2007 Southern Living Home Award in Historic Renovation. We love the open, modern style constructed from reclaimed wood and furnished classic country pieces and antiques.

Bardessono: Napa Valley’s Eco Resort

by Rebecca Brown
The Bardessono eco-resort is Napa Valley’s newest luxury hotel, and it looks to be quite the sustainable gem. The inn and spa took care not to disrupt the area’s natural habitat while including a host of green building strategies including rammed earth walls, grey and black water treatment systems, and solar and geothermal energy. Completed just seven weeks ago by eco-developer Phil Sherburne and architect Ron Mitchell, the project is currently pursuing LEED platinum certification.

Building a luxurious restaurant, spa, and hotel in the middle of such an authentic and naturally rich area as Napa Valley’s Yountville was not a turnkey operation for Phil Sherburne and architect Ron Mitchell. They needed —and wanted— to be sustainable in practice while simultaneously building a relationship between the land and the community.



Sherburne and Mitchell used recycled cypress wood from trees that were on their way to getting chopped down to build all of the doors, desks, floors and ceilings. They also focused on the interior, targeting delicate elements that would ensure the property’s natural feel. Amenities for guests include locally crafted beer, French-pressed Blue Bottle coffee and a delectable organic menu crafted by acclaimed chef Sean O’Toole. Now almost seven weeks old, the environmentally rich 62-room hotel stands proudly—with the support of the neighborhood— right on the Bardessono family’s six-acre farmstead in Napa Valley.

The Top 5 Greenest Laptops

Written by Emilia Johansson

The majority of modern-day electronics use a variety of potentially toxic chemicals, like arsenic, lead and mercury. While those chemicals are safely contained within pour electronic devices, if disposed of improperly into a landfill, they can leach those toxins into the ground and water table.

The world uses many electronics and creates a lot of e-waste, and the U.S. in no exception. To address people’s concerns about this potential harm, some laptop manufacturers have developed green models of their newest notebooks.

Here are five of the greenest laptops on the market:

Apple MacBook Air

This gorgeous laptop is also one of the greenest available. The display on the MacBook Air is without arsenic or mercury and the case is made from recyclable aluminum.While it does have a very powerful processor, which runs on approximately 14 watts, the laptop does qualify for the EnergyStar 4.0 certification. Apple also paid attention to the MacBook Air’s packaging, reducing the amount of potential waste by roughly half.

Thinkpad X300
The Lenovo Thinkpad X300 was one of only 15 notebooks to receive the EPEAT Gold certification, a sophisticated standard by which a device’s components pass evaluation in terms of eco-friendliness. Its successor, the X301 follows the same standards, but comes with faster and even more efficient components – all in a professional-looking and highly portable package. For starters, this laptop features mercury-free LEDs in the display. Its low-voltage processor can stretch battery life with the aid of special efficiency software, and the package that the notebook comes in is now 90 percent recyclable. Additionally, the packaging doesn’t include any cadmium, lead or arsenic.

Toshiba Portégé A600

The Toshiba A600 is Gold EPEAT certified and Energy Star 4.0 compliant; it boasts a few green attributes that set it apart from other eco-friendly notebooks. For instance, the laptop uses a processor that runs on extremely low voltage, but processes at 1.4GHz. With an LED backlit screen, the Toshiba Portégé A600 is thin (less than an inch) and weighs only 3.2 pounds. Toshiba also earned praise from environmental groups with a promise to cut down dramatically on the use of harmful chemicals in their PCs over the next several years.

HP 2730p Tablet

HP stepped into the green laptop market with the HP 2710p Tablet. This eco-friendly notebook’s claim to green fame is a longer battery life, estimated at around six hours. The laptop is Energy Star compliant and comes with low voltage Intel processors at speeds ranging from 1.2GHz to 1.6GHz.

ASUS Eee PC 1000H

This revolutionary laptop is one of the quaintest, greenest and most aesthetically pleasing notebooks on the market. The 1000HE model has a 10-inch screen and weighs just two pounds. The super-efficient Atom processor uses no more than three watts and the intelligent “Super Hybrid Engine” can automatically sense changes in the power needs of the CPU and components, adjusting voltage and LCD brightness to maximize energy efficiency.

About the Author: Emilia Johansson works for the laptop site LaptopLogic.com. On their site you can find lots of information on laptop computers, technology and gadgets.