In the home

Could prefab structures be a quick and cost-saving way to get U.S. students out of dilapidated and energy-sucking schools?

A recent award to a Gen7 school building, made by American Modular Systems, seems to signal that modular classrooms have moved beyond being ad hoc building solutions for developing nations.

For the first time in California, a prefab building has been awarded national Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) certification for new school construction. CHPS certification is awarded to those schools that meet specific health, comfort, maintenance, and environmental sustainability standards.

"The Gen7 classroom proves that a prefab structure … Read more

The 2011 lineup from electric-motorcycle maker Zero Motorcycles will be offered with an upgrade allowing them to be recharged at public charging stations, the company announced yesterday.

The company's line of all-electric motorcycles, which made their debut in the U.S. in 2009, has undergone a major overhaul, including new brakes and wheels. But most notable to those interested in green tech may be that Zero will now offer an upgrade that allows its motorcycles to accept DC (direct current) fast charging, and, with the use of a plug accessory, make it compatible with any charger using the SAE … Read more

Southern California Edison announced yesterday it has added seven new community solar plants to its energy repertoire that together generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 8,125 households.

SCE now has a total of 10 community-size solar stations, a network of small neighborhood solar stations, which consist of mainly rooftop solar installations on local buildings, connecting to its grid.

Four community solar stations in Ontario, Calif., for example, consist of 32,950 photovoltaic panels installed on the rooftops of warehouses owned by ProLogis. SCE leased what amounts to about 1.8 million square feet of roof space from … Read more

Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom are unveiling a prototype system they say is designed to learn from its inhabitants, text if security is breached (or a door left unlocked), and now even monitor its occupants' health.

The InterHome, developed in a doll's house, uses a touch-screen control panel that enables online and smartphone monitoring and control from afar.

The house not only incorporates energy-efficient and security features that learn from the occupants' living habits (when lights tend to be on or off where, when the house is empty, etc.), but also a device that … Read more

Scientists from Stanford University and the University of California at Davis have crunched the numbers and come up with a plan for how the world might economically and feasibly make the move to renewable energy in the next 20 to 40 years.

In a two-part paper (Part 1 PDF, Part 2 PDF) published in the journal Energy Policy, Mark Z. Jacobson and Mark A. Delucchi show in great detail the who, what, where, and how of implementing a renewable energy-run world. It includes solutions to economic, material, and transport issues.

Jacobson, an atmospheric scientist and professor of civil and environmental … Read more

Congress should pass a federal gas tax on consumers instead of continuing to impose CAFE regulations on automakers, says the CEO of Edmunds.

Jeremy Anwyl, who heads the iconic source of auto information, again raised the idea he has long advocated via his blog Tuesday and in conjunction with his attendance at the 2011 Government/Industry Meeting of the Society of Automotive Engineers taking place this week in Washington, D.C.

CAFE, or Corporate Average Fuel Economy, regulations are designed to promote fuel efficiency and require an automaker's fleet to meet a specific average gas mileage.

Anwyl said that … Read more

Volkswagen announced today it's bought two Super Bowl ad spots for its 2012 Beetle and Passat, and has partnered with Lucasfilm to promote the Passat.

The two 30-second spots will appear during the second and fourth quarters of Super Bowl XLV, according to VW.

"Accompanied by John Williams' iconic 'The Imperial March,' the [Passat] spot features the most infamous villain in the galaxy, a pint-sized Darth Vader who uses the Force when he discovers the all-new 2012 Passat in the driveway," according to Volkswagen.

The other ad for the 2012 Beetle will notably not show the car, … Read more

The mercury reads 12 degrees outside, but it feels like minus 2 with the windchill. That's Fahrenheit--the numbers are depressingly lower in Celsius here in Canada. Still, when I hang Nokero's new N200 bulb on a tree, its solar cell recharges without a hitch.

Denver-based Nokero debuted last year with the N100 solar light bulb. It recently released an improved version, the N200, and I had a chance to try it out.

First off, the Nokero bulbs are designed to replace homemade kerosene lamps, not standard bulbs. They're aimed at hundreds of millions of people in developing … Read more

A new type of solar thermal system for homes that can provide heat, hot water, and electricity is being tested in Boulder, Colo., over the next few months.

Cool Energy says its SlowFlow system could provide the average U.S. home with 80 percent of its heat, 100 of its hot water, and 60 percent of its electricity needs.

It's being developed with help from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and electricity and natural gas giant Xcel Energy.

The system consists of solar collectors, a Stirling engine, a hot water heater, a space heater, an insulated … Read more