http://energy.gov/eere/office-energy-efficiency-renewable-energy
IFC evaluates investment in Nigeria’s mobile money market « Mobile Money Africa The International Finance Corporation may invest in the Nigerian mobile money industry if it is satisfied with the result of the due diligence it is currently carrying out on the industry. Our correspondent gathered that the IFC was keen to play a major role in the country’s emerging mobile money ecosystem and was currently evaluating opportunities available therein. Areas currently being evaluated by the IFC include technology acquisition, e-Float management and agency network, according to investigation.
Energy Efficiency Saving energy in buildings Buildings account for 40 per cent of the global energy consumption and nearly the same share of CO2 emissions.Consequently, reducing the energy consumption of buildings will be a key priority for any country or community striving to save money and reduce CO2 emissions. With today’s existing technologies, it is possible to reduce energy consumption in buildings by at least 50 per cent, and possibly as much as 80 per cent. Living Off-Grid: Our Micro Hydro Alternative Energy System – Blue Living Ideas Blue Energy Published on March 24th, 2009 | by Jennifer Lance As a follow up to Sean’s post on Micro Hydro Essentials, I thought I would share an overview of my system, which has powered my home for over 13 years.
BRIEF: responsibility Social Investments AG Makes Debt Investments Totaling $1.7m in MBK Ventura of Indonesia, COOPAC Norandino of Peru and COAC Mushuc Runa of Ecuador responsAbility Social Investments AG (responsAbility), an investment manager founded in 2003 in Switzerland, reported to MicroCapital that it recently made four debt investments totaling USD 1.7 million in microfinance institutions (MFIs) MBK Ventura of Indonesia, COOPAC Norandino of Peru and COAC Mushuc Runa of Ecuador. The responsAbility Global Microfinance Fund (rAGMF), a microfinance investment vehicle (MIV) managed by responsAbility, made a debt investment in Mitra Bisnis Keluarga (MBK) Ventura, a non-banking microfinance institution founded in 2003 in Indonesia, totaling IDR 2.2 billion (USD 746,045) at a fixed rate of 11.8 percent for a 12-month period. responsAbility Mikrofinanz-Fonds, an MIV managed by reponsAbility and financed by German banks Bank im Bistum Essen and Stadtsparkasse Dusseldorf, also made a debt investment in MBK Ventura totaling EUR 196,011 (USD 248,680) under the same terms. By Diana Baide, Research Assistant Sources and Additional Sources:
Energy Department Announces $10 Million for Innovative, Energy-Saving Lighting R&D Technologies As part of the Obama Administration’s effort to cut energy waste and double energy productivity by 2030, the Energy Department today announced $10 million to support research, development and manufacturing of solid-state lighting (SSL) technologies across the country. This funding will accelerate the development of high-quality light-emitting diode (LED) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) products with the potential to reduce lighting energy use for American families and businesses by one half and enhance U.S. global competitiveness. During the past 10 years, the Department has helped accelerate SSL technology deployment, yielding an estimated energy savings of $1.8 billion in 2013. Spray-on film turns windows into solar panels EnSol's film being applied inside a deposition chamber Imagine if all the windows of a building, and perhaps even all its exterior walls, could be put to use as solar collectors. Soon, you may not have to imagine it, as the Norweigan solar power company EnSol has patented a thin film solar cell technology designed to be sprayed on to just such surfaces. Unlike traditional silicon-based solar cells, the film is composed of metal nanoparticles embedded in a transparent composite matrix, and operates on a different principle. EnSol is now developing the product with help from the University of Leicester’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Getting Biofuel from the World’s Garbage There is plenty of garbage on this planet; in fact there is so much garbage that many developed countries are trying to dump their garbage on the lands of lesser developed countries, at a fee of course. But does dumping garbage on other places solve the problem? On the contrary it spreads pollutions and diseases. In fact it is more dangerous to dump garbage in the less developed countries (because there are neither technologies available to process it nor enough awareness). Even creating landfills wastes precious resources. Rather than having to dump, what if garbage can be used to generate power?
Demand Response-Electricity READ COMMENTS FOR SUMMARY In the very near future (maybe even as early as even next week), the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether or not to hear a case known as EPSA v. FERC. Solar Electric Panels & Array Combiners We stock a wide range of solar panels, ranging from the small 1-watt trickle charge panels, up to the very large Kyocera 315 watt PV panels. Solar panels convert sunlight to electricity, and range in size from 1 watt to 300+ watts. Most solar panels up to 140 watts are 12 volt. Many solar panels over 140 watts are 21 to 40 volts - designed mainly for grid tie applications. However, almost any solar panel can be used for battery charging with the proper type of solar charge controller.
Solar Electricity and how it works - Photovoltaic Systems and Components, Grid-Connected Solar Electric Systems, Off-Grid (Stand Alone) Solar Electric Systems, PV Modules, PV Inverters, PV Chargers, PV Battery, PV Mounting, Small Solar Electric Devices Video source: U.S. Department of Energy Image above shows a residential Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System. 1. solar panels 2. inverter 3. breaker box 4. home power and appliances 5. meter 6. utility power grid. (1) Solar Electric or PV modules convert sunlight to electricity. Build your own solar-powered water pumping station by Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #91 In the last issue, there was an excellent article by Dorothy Ainsworth on water pumping using mechanical windmills. In this issue I will address another form of "free" water pumping. There are many remote applications where a solar-powered water pump is more cost effective than installing a conventional grid-connected AC pump.