TMCnet GreenTech Week in Review

In green technology news this week, following a 3 a.m. meeting of the minds on Sunday, December 11, the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in Durban disbanded with an astonishing aura of achievement; the solar industry both planned a global flight and found a better way to generate energy at night; the F.A.A. eschewed paper for iPads; a vending machine company started offering organic foods—and much, much more.

As COP17 went into overtime last weekend in Durban, observers offered little hope, except for the approval and administrative outline for a Green Climate Fund. But negotiators walked away satisfied: The so-called "Durban Platform" calls for a new legal instrument on carbon emissions that would be "applicable to all parties" and would replace the first Kyoto Protocol, which expires at the end of next year–with talks to conclude by 2015 and an agreement to take effect from 2020. In the aftermath this week, Canada pulled out of the process completely.

Researchers at a Swiss institute of technology have not only developed (and even flown) a prototype plane that runs entirely on solar power, they are planning to partake in the first flight around the world—fueled by nothing but solar power—as soon as 2014.

BrightSource, a solar power company, has found a solution that not only makes it possible to feed solar power into the grid at night, but that can also vastly improve the efficiency of this technology. They use a tower technology that incorporates the use of molten salt to store energy for later use. The use of this technology makes solar power competitive in the marketplace, as the cost of installation is much less than that of deploying an expensive battery.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently gave the okay for iPads in the sky—but for pilots, not for passengers. Pilots have the most important job—getting you from point A to point B safely—but with that job comes a lot of paperwork and, because a lot of paperwork means more weight in flight, that means more fuel. According to ZDNet, eliminating paper on flights will save $1.2 million in fuel per year. American Airlines is the first airline to gain FAA approval to use tablets "as electronic chart and digital flight manual readers" in B777 aircraft, according to reports.

Sprout Healthy Vending has announced that it will begin its operations in San Diego and the surrounding areas. The company will start with five machines handled by Eric Smith. “After looking at many different franchises, the Sprout (News - Alert) Healthy Vending concept really stood out because I felt I would be able to make a difference on the local level; offering organic, natural and health-conscious products …while also bringing them to areas where they are currently not available,” said Smith. “

New York City’s solid waste soon will be “run out of town on a rail”—actually, on two locomotive trains that will be retrofitted with next-generation diesel technology. On December 13, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), along with the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the conventional freight locomotives will “go green,” with state-of-the-art low-emissions diesel technology, thanks to a $2 million grant through the 2011 round of the EPA National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program.

In a continuing attempt to avert climate calamity—as well as a competitive move to lead the global market in renewable energy research and development—the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has awarded 20 young scholars from across the globe the opportunity to carry out fully funded, three-month research projects as guests of the nation. The contest was backed by a $2.6 billion government renewable technology research fund.

Since the price of copper is rising almost as fast as the production of the wires and cables of which it is such a major component, there has been a veritable “copper rush” in the U.S. southwest recently. On December 13, ComRent, a provider of load bank rental solutions for testing mission-critical power systems, announced that it had facilitated the successful commissioning of a new 40 Megawatt, low-emission natural gas turbine generator, which will augment local utility power in support of expanded mining and smelting operations for a large copper mine in Arizona —the largest load bank commissioning project of its kind in North America.

Computer maker Dell has struck a deal with non-profit group Goodwill for extending its recycling program, Dell (News - Alert) Reconnect, to more locations in North America. The deal helps Dell add an additional 319 donation sites of Goodwill to its Reconnect program, offering convenient way for people to recycle old and defunct computing devices. The expansion, according Goodwill Industries International, may divert another 7.5 million pounds of unwanted electronics from landfills annually.

Arguing that SmartGridCity now is a fully installed, integral part of the power distribution system in Boulder —and that the total $44.5 million in project costs “were prudently incurred”—Denver-based Xcel Energy Services Inc. filed documents on December 14 with the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado for cost recovery on the project of an additional $16.6 million. In February, the commission withheld compensation of the funds in question, on the basis that there still were “unfinished aspects" of the project and that the value of SmartGridCity “to ratepayers who are footing the bill” had yet to be documented in a satisfactory manner.

Finally, what do coffee and saving the planet have to do with one another? Disposable cups. While these items are convenient, offer easy clean up, and keep your coffee warm as you run around completing your daily tasks, most of them are not recyclable. Meaning they can sit in trash heaps for 50 years or more just to biodegrade. The solution, “KeepCup,” is a barista - standard reusable cup perfect for “sustainable coffee consumption” that, company officials say, includes the plastic of 28 disposable cups and lids. Not only are the cups a lightweight plastic, but they have low embodied energy when manufactured; and are BPA-free and non-toxic. The idea behind their design versus other “on-the-go” coffee mugs is that they have been created to fit right under the heads of most espresso machines— so coffee can be made right in the cup—and are dishwasher and microwave safe.