Can a ’smart grid’ turn us on to energy efficiency?
According to research sponsored by the U.S. Government, improving the efficiency of the national electricity grid by 5 percent would be the equivalent of eliminating the fuel use and carbon emissions of 53 million cars…
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/01/eco.smartgrid/index.html

Are greener gadgets even possible?
This is an excellent article making a strong argument that “until the need for the latest and greatest gadget is curbed, truly green consumer electronics will remain more a slogan than a reality.”…
http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=are-greener-gadgets-even-possible-2009-03-02

ReCellular gives phones a second life
130,000 cell phones thrown out every day. What is the Greener Gadget Solution? The Greener Gadgets summit convened a panel of four top experts in the field of eycling (e-waste recycling,) who presented some innovative solutions for solving this problem: Ron Gonen CEO of RecycleBank, Michael Newman VP of ReCellular, Carl Smith CEO or RBRC (Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp.) and David Thompson Environmental Director at Panasonic…
http://www.mnn.com/technology/gadgets-electronics/blogs/recellular-gives-phones-a-second-life

DOE might make pending appliance standards ‘more aggressive’
The Energy Department is considering a stiffening of pending federal energy-efficiency standards for appliances, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said today. Chu also suggested a change in the Energy Star labeling program run jointly by U.S. EPA and DOE. Floating the idea of a “superstar” category of perhaps the top 5 to 10 percent best performers, Chu said this would allow manufacturers to claim that their products would ultimately save consumers the most money despite higher up-front costs…
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/03/04/04greenwire-doe-might-make-pending-appliance-standards-more-9979.html

Energy Efficiency
Up to 75% of the electricity used in the US today could be saved with efficiency measures. Developing countries, which will account for 80% of global energy demand growth to 2020, could cut their demand by more than half using existing technologies to improve energy efficiency, according to McKinsey Global Institute…
http://internationalrivers.org/en/node/3914

‘Napping’ data centers could cut energy use by 75 percent
Researchers at the University of Michigan have announced a plan to save up to 75 percent of the energy that power-hungry computer data centers consume by putting idle servers to sleep when they’re not in use…
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/business/0,39044229,62051961,00.htm?scid=rss_z_nw

Green push stalled by weakened economy
As the economy slows to a near halt, environmentally-conscious initiatives across a wide spectrum of industries are being put on hold as upfront costs exceed current budgets. For now, it seems the green push, including property design and construction, city planning, consumer products and more, will have to wait until the economy rebounds…
http://www.thebusinessledger.com/Home/Archives/CommentaryViewpoints/tabid/86/newsid415/625/Green-push-stalled-by-weakened-economy/Default.aspx

Ford CEO Mullaly expects “major portion” of Fords will be electric within a decade
At a conference in California this week, Mulally declared, “In 10 years, 12 years, you are going to see a major portion of our portfolio move to electric vehicles.” Mulally told the conference that internal combustion efficiency will also improve dramatically over the next decade, and more hybrids will join the lineup including a plug-in hybrid that will debut in 2012…
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weblogsinc/autoblog/~3/KMhZmo4lrSE/

 Ameren Illinois Utilities Announce Successful Electric Energy Efficiency Pilot Program at Kroger
The first of its type project involved replacing fluorescent lighting with high-efficiency LED lighting in frozen food reach-in cases and refrigerated dairy and beverage cases. It is anticipated the LED lighting will result in annual energy cost savings of more than $9,000 just for the one Peoria store…
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-03-2009/0004982459&EDATE=

Energy Related Details of Economic Stimulus Package
From Unplugged Living…
http://www.unpluggedliving.com/energy-related-details-of-economic-stimulus-package/#

Centex Raises Bar for Energy-Efficient Homebuilding
Dallas-based Centex Corporation has rolled-out a green line of home development in St. Louis, building new homes with its Centex Energy Advantage designs.  The homes the company has begun building in the St. Louis metro area are considered as much as 40 percent more efficient than the typical 10-year-old home…
http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/03/03/centex-raises-bar-for-energy-efficient-homebuilding/

Clean Energy Receipient of First DOE Loan Guarantees
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu plans to issue the first loan guarantees for low-carbon energy projects in the next week or two. They will go to solar and energy efficiency technologies, adding that nuclear power projects would not be in the first tranche. Applicants have been waiting years for about $40 billion in loan guarantees, which the DOE was mandated to disburse for advanced technology projects. They’ve been held up by bureaucratic obstacles from the Bush administration…
http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/17767

Consumers Energy Moving Forward on Energy Efficiency; Invites Companies to Submit Bids For Start of $500 Million Program
Consumers Energy is inviting companies to submit bids to participate in the start of a $500 million program to help Michigan residents and businesses use energy more efficiently and save on their energy bill…
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-03-2009/0004981880&EDATE=

Dell Helps Customers Design Data Centers for Energy Efficiency and Peak Performance
Dell today announced that its data center consulting practice will utilize Future Facilities’ 6SigmaDC software suite to design and simulate data centers that maximize space utilization and energy efficiency through the optimal configuration and placement of IT hardware, racks, cabinets and power and cooling equipment…
http://www.businesswire.com/news/google/20090303005303/en

JCPenney Becomes First Retailer to Earn Energy Star® Award for Sustained Excellence in Energy Management
In recognition of its continued commitment to strategic energy management, JCPenney was honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the ENERGY STAR Award for Sustained Excellence in Energy Management…
http://www.ecofriendlymag.com/sustainable-transporation-and-alternative-fuel/jcpenney-becomes-first-retailer-to-earn-energy-star%C2%AE-award-for-sustained-excellence-in-energy-management/

California Leads the Nation in Energy Star Buildings
The City of Los Angeles has more Energy Star buildings than any other U.S. metropolis with 262 buildings, according to a new ranking issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency…
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2009/2009-03-04-092.asp

Chicago kicks off Green Office Challenge
Mayor Richard M. Daley, officials from ComEd, and Chicago business leaders recently launched two environmental projects, “Green Office Challenge” and “Earth Hour,” at a press conference held in the OFS Brands showroom located in the Merchandise Mart…
http://www.greentechforum.net/category/news/2009/03/05/chicago-kicks-off-green-office-challenge/

Obama Pushes Appliance Efficiency
In February 2009, amid a wave of executive actions establishing his administration’s priorities, President Barack Obama ordered the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to raise the federal standards for energy efficiency in a variety of appliance categories…
http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2009/2/26/Obama-Pushes-Appliance-Efficiency-DOE/

A global green building standard?
Well not quite. Green Building Councils from the UK, USA, Australia, and the BRE in the United Kingdom (BRE is the owner of BREEAM) have signed an agreement to prepare a common methodology for calculating carbon emissions from buildings…
http://www.johnherbert.hk/03/04/global-green-standards.html

Dresden establishes Energy Efficiency Innovation Center
German research organization Fraunhofer Gesellschaft and the Technical University of Dresden have launched the Energy Efficiciency Innovation Center. The research topics cover a broad range from photovoltaics and energy-efficient lighting to fuel cell technology and surface technologies aiming at reducing friction losses for vehicles…
http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?i=a1a00d6260ace8ebb54b353abe07cbae

IEC, IEA and ISO to hold joint workshop on Energy Efficiency
The IEC’s leading experts in electrical energy efficiency will join their colleagues from the IEA (International Energy Agency) and the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) for a joint workshop on 16-17 March 2009 in Paris, France, to map out the most important ways in which standardization could support energy efficiency and carbon reduction. The workshop will also draw attention to the urgent need to strengthen standardization efforts if the potential of energy efficiency is to be realized…
http://www.iec.ch/online_news/etech/arch_2009/etech_0209/world_1.htm?rssref=etech

China to Susidize 100 Million CFLs
AFP report that China ramps up subsidies for energy-efficient light bulbs is welcome news for a number of reasons…
http://www.cleanergreenerchina.com/2009/03/01/china-to-susidize-100-million-cfls/

Solar powered AA Battery Charger
Rechargable batteries are a great invention, but if you dont have an outlet nearby to charge them, they are usless. So I designed a solar powered battery charger, which allows you enough power to charge a single AA battery wherever the sun may shine…
http://www.instructables.com/id/Solar_powered_AA_Battery_Charger/

Home Made Solar Powered Batteries
This is a fantastic idea: When your batteries go flat, pull them out and toss them into a sunny corner. A little while later, they’re charged. This is the promise of the SunCat solar powered batteries: “The batteries should just bask in the sun like a cat and left for a while, in a sunny window, they would slowly recharge.”…
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/03/home-made-solar.html

Blue Line PowerCost Electricity Monitor
The Blue Line PowerCost electricity monitor from Blue Line Innovations is a wireless device that delivers real-time direct feedback on home electricity usage…
http://reducehomewaste.com/blue-line-powercost-electricity-monitor/

Tweet-A-Watt Wins Greener Gadget Competition
Chosen by the audience at the Greener Gadgets conference in New York City, the winner of the design competition was the Tweet A Watt, a modified Kill A Watt power monitor that sends a user’s daily power consumption - and their power use goal - out through Twitter. Along with providing constant monitoring of how much electricity a user is consuming, it also puts their energy use out in the open for their friends and others to see, providing incentive to use less energy, and encouraging others to do the same…
http://www.greenerdesign.com/blog/2009/03/02/tweet-a-watt-wins-greener-gadget-competition

Samsung Blue Earth Eco-Phone
Samsung have announced an eco-friendly mobile phone that has been made from a recycled plastic called PCM, which is recycled from plastic water bottles…
http://www.envirogadget.com/solar-powered/samsung-blue-earth-eco-phone/

Coolerado Cooling: A High Efficiency AC System
A Colorado company is receiving lots of attention these days for its innovative approach to air conditioning…
http://www.matternetwork.com/2009/3/coolerado-cooling-high-efficiency-ac_360.cfm

Whirlpool Corporation Survey Shows Consumers Clamor for Energy Efficiency
A recent survey by Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) revealed that 84 percent of consumers said that energy — not water or time — is most important to them when it comes to home appliance efficiency. In fact, nearly three quarters (72 percent) of respondents actively look for the ENERGY STAR(R) label when making purchasing decisions…
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-23-2009/0004976597&EDATE=

Water Efficiency Often Ignored in Green Buildings
With all the attention on energy efficiency in buildings and where all that energy comes from (renewable sources or coal-fired electric plants), there is one resource that seems to be ignored - water.  And the really scary part is that although we can generate more energy from various sources, the water that is on the planet and in the atmosphere is all we have to work with - and we know it…
http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/02/23/water-efficiency-often-ignored-in-green-buildings/

Ontario Re-invents the meaning of Energy Efficiency
Today’s introduction of a Green Energy Act is about to launch Ontario into a leadership position in the race to be the most Energy Efficient economy in Canada.  Perhaps the world,” said Ken Elsey, President of the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance (CEEA)…�
http://huffstrategy.com/MediaManager/release/Canadian-Energy-Efficiency-Alliance/31-12-69/Ontario-Re-invents-the-meaning-of-Energy-Efficiency/1548.html

Casinos Pursue Green Practices
Gaming companies love green. Today, it’s not so much about the color of money as green building practices. Several of the industry’s biggest operators have become unlikely green advocates in recent years. MGM Mirage, Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Harrah’s Entertainment all pursue green building initiatives at their hotel-casinos. Going green makes a lot of sense; it can help save greenbacks with reduced energy costs and it’s good for the environment…
http://www.lvrj.com/business/40055987.html

Border Patrol goes double green: Building to be model for energy efficiency
The first U.S. Border Patrol station to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified is strategically located in an area of quick and easy access to the border, said Assistant Patrol Agent in Charge Salvador Zamora…
http://www.elpasotimes.com/communities/ci_11762316

Congressional Committee Having Hearings To Formulate Energy, Climate Legislation
With energy costs and climate change on everyone’s mind, the U.S. Congress is holding hearings on energy efficiency as it attempts to come up with comprehensive energy and climate legislation. The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce will meet Tuesday to hear testimony from several expert witnesses in an attempt to figure out what to do…
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7014183345

ISO issues design guide for energy efficiency in new buildings
ISO has recently issued new guidelines to promote designing energy efficiency into new buildings.  The standard provides energy-related requirements for designing buildings and for achieving specific energy efficiency targets…
http://eartotheground.typepad.com/weblog/2009/02/iso-issues-design-guide-for-energy-efficiency-in-new-buildings.html

An efficiency portfolio standard is as important as a renewable standard — and should come first
If we push renewable portfolio standards without also pushing even more aggressive efficiency portfolio standards (EEPS), we’ll end up chasing a goal that gets more difficult catch and more expensive to achieve with each passing year…
http://climateprogress.org/2008/12/27/an-efficiency-portfolio-standard-is-as-important-as-a-renewable-standard-and-should-come-first/

Energy efficiency is THE core climate solution, Part 1: The biggest low-carbon resource by far
Energy efficiency is the most important climate solution for several reasons…
http://climateprogress.org/2008/07/23/energy-efficiency-is-the-core-climate-solution-part-1-the-biggest-low-carbon-resource-by-far/

Ericsson, Orange Team Deploys Energy Efficient Base Stations in Rural Africa
Orange Guinea Conakry and Ericsson are reportedly deploying more than 100 base stations fully powered by solar energy, connecting remote parts of rural Africa…
http://green.tmcnet.com/topics/green/articles/50933-ericsson-orange-team-deploys-energy-efficient-base-stations.htm