TMCnet GreenTech Week in Review

In green technology news this week, the seventh round of U.S. SunShot Incubator funding could be lucky for April applicants, e-Cycle deserves a place in our “winner’s circle” for its e-Stewards recycler certification; Aora’s second Tulip hybrid solar power station, in Almeria, Spain, is a budding success; and semiconductor manufacturer Microsemi is forging forward on a European Union-funded project to reduce CO2.

As part of the Obama Administration’s blueprint for an American economy built to last, on February 8, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the availability of more than $12 million to speed solar energy innovation from the lab to the marketplace through his department’s SunShot Incubator program. The funding will support innovations in the development of hardware and non-hardware approaches from the proof-of-concept stage to prototype demonstration—including advances in photovoltaics, concentrating solar power (CSP), and power electronics. Each of the investments will require significant cost-share commitments from the awardees. Applications are due by April 9.

The Seattle, Washington-based Basel Action Network (BAN), a global toxic trade watchdog organization, has named Hilliard, Ohio–basede-Cycle LLC as the first-ever mobile phone buyback and recycling company to be certified as an e-Stewards recycler. This certification is given to those companies that conform to the highest international standards for socially and environmentally responsible electronics recycling. The e-Stewards certification program at present is the only electronics recycler certification program that restricts and opposes exporting of hazardous waste to developing countries. The program places importance on implementation of a certified ISO 14001 environmental management system, as well as on worker health and adherence to safety regulations.

In the middle of a field in Almeria, Spain, stands a 35-yard-tall tulip-shaped tower, surrounded by a field of shiny heliostats or mirrors. It looks more like a brilliantly lit extraterrestrial air traffic control tower than anything else — but it uses its power for the good of mankind. The Tulip receiver, patented by Israel-based Aora Solar, uses solar energy to heat air to a temperature of 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit and direct it into a turbine, which converts the super-heated air into electric power that is fed directly into the national grid. It also shifts to hybrid mode, in which fuel helps to generate full power when sunlight is insufficient, such as when it is cloudy. In addition, it has a fuel-only mode during night hours or heavily overcast periods, thereby guaranteeing an uninterrupted power supply, day and night.The Tulip went into operation in Almeria just this week, generating low-cost, continuous clean energy 24/7.

Aliso Viejo, California-basedMicrosemi Corporation—a leading provider of semiconductor solutions for the aerospace, defense, and security; alternative energy , and healthcare markets—recently announced its participation in the interdisciplinary SOI-HITS (Silicon on Insulator– High Temperature Systems) research consortium. The reduction of CO2 emissions is the ultimate goal of the project, which is being funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Program (FP7ICT) and is slated for completion by the end of August 2014. The SOI-HITS project will focus on developing CMOS (complementary-symmetry metal-oxide semiconductor)-compatible high-temperature sensors for use in automotive combustion systems as well as in domestic or industrial boilers. The project is aimed at developing sensors with a built-in electronic interface that can work in harsh high-temperature environments. Other participating consortium members include Cambridge University, Cambridge CMOS Sensors, Cissoid, Honeywell (News - Alert)-Romania and IREC.

New York City-based DoSomething.org—an organization dedicated to teens and social change— has launched its fifth annual Green Your School Challenge, a competition that will run through April 22. To participate, students select online from a number of environmental projects that can be conducted at school, and accomplish as many of their goals as possible during the allotted time. To date, the Green Your School Challenge has mobilized more than 350,000 teens to start recycling programs, save energy, and promote environmentalism. To kick off this nationwide environmental movement, the Stamford, Connecticut-based beverage company, Nestlé Waters North America, partnered with DoSomething.org to create and implement theDon’t be Trashy–Recycle initiative, which promotes recycling by encouraging teens to generate buzz online and push each other to take action offline. Teens everywhere are sharing eye-opening recycling statistics through Facebook (News - Alert), in hopes of being randomly selected to receive one of 20 $500 college scholarships and 500 free movie tickets. Nestlé Waters also is supporting the Green Your School Challenge by providing a $5,000 grant to the school that makes the biggest strides in recycling.

According to a survey commissioned by San Francisco-based digital document company Nitro, many Americans are actually rather keen to reduce their use of paper. The survey of 1,000 adults conducted by TNS (News - Alert) Global Market Research, found that three-quarters of Americans believe that reducing their paper consumption for environmental reasons is important. Forty-four percent said they would like to commit to cutting their paper consumption in half over the next five to 10 years. However, not all paper is created equal, as the study found out. When broken out by different types of paper, the survey found the following: 48 percent would be willing to reduce their use of newspapers; 45.9 percent would reduce their use of magazines; 37.6 percent are happy to reduce their use of forms, contracts, and documents (no doubt. a lawyer's nightmare); 31.6 percent are willing to reduce their use of books (the rise of e-readers will make this one easy)—but just 6.1 percent would be willing to reduce their use of toilet paper.

Santa Clara, California-based Power Assure’s new integrated data center power monitoring and analytics solution is supposed to enhance uptime and reliability of data centers. The newly released solution leverages Power Assure’s secure cloud-based EM/4 Energy Management software and Raritan’s (News - Alert) intelligent power monitoring products. It captures highly detailed info about power usage and temperature, and converts them into actionable insight for data center managers. It is also claimed to be the only cloud-based management solution that can manage across multiple data centers.

SolarCity, a six-year-old solar panel installation company based in San Mateo, California, is aiming to “make hay while the sun shines,” even if that’s in the cooler climes of New England. The company announced on February 7 that it is expanding its operations to Hartford, Connecticut, where state legislation passed last year is offering rebates for commercial, residential, and institutional on-site energy generation, either to property owners or third-party providers.

Effective July 1, 2011, under the Public Act 11-80 An Act Concerning the Establishment of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Planning for Connecticut’s Energy Future,the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund became part of the newly created Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA). As the nation’s first full-scale clean energy finance authority, CEFIA will leverage public and private funds to drive investment and scale up clean energy deployment in Connecticut.