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Last night, we had the chance to visit with a few of the researchers and scientists behind the exciting projects on display at the 2011 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit Technology Showcase. The following projects represent a few of the highlights we found:

PolyPlus
At Berkeley, CA-based PolyPlus Battery Company, researchers are developing a lithium-air battery that could enable an electric car to travel 500 miles on a single charge. Compared to the best lithium-ion battery technology available today, the rechargeable lithium-air battery prototype that PolyPlus is working on could store more than five times the amount of energy.

William Mouat explains the PolyPlus battery technology (Credit: DOE Photo/Ken Shipp)

National Parks Clean Up with Alternative Fuels

Mar 1st

Blue skies, pristine mountain vistas, endless open space and … choking fumes from motor vehicles? Even though the latter clearly doesn’t belong in our National Parks, maintaining their air quality has become a real challenge. With 275 million tourists visiting our National Parks each year, a tremendous number of personal vehicles and tour buses visit on a regular basis. So how do you balance providing open access and freedom of mobility with limiting pollutants? To address this dilemma, many parks are working to adopt clean alternative fuels, advanced vehicle technologies, and other fuel-saving measures with the help of Clean Cities in the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Program.

The National Parks Service and Clean Cities collaboration has deep roots. Since 1999, the initiative has helped to fund the purchase of low-speed electric vehicles, the installation of electric charging stations, and other alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure (including biodiesel, compressed natural gas, E85-ethanol, and propane). As a result of industry partnerships, Toyota donated 23 Prius hybrids for rangers to use in five parks, as well as $5 million to support environmental education projects. Similarly, Ford retrofitted Glacier National Park’s classic Red Bus fleet to run on propane, a cleaner, domestic fuel. The buses also free tourists from having to rely on their personal vehicles.

Stockholm’s Shining Waterfront Centre is a Shape-Shifting Low-Energy Venue

Feb 28th

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Post tags: eco conference centre, Europe green conference centre, green conference center, ice storage, low energy building, stockholm architecture, stockholm city center, Swedish green building, White Arkitekter

Stunning Open Air Library in East Germany Wins the 2011 Brit Insurance Architecture Award

Feb 28th

What began as an assemblage of 1,000 empty beer cartons pulled together by residents in East Germany has now evolved into an incredible open air public library. Designed by Karo Architekten in collaboration with local residents, the grassroots project revitalizes a post-industrial district in Magdeburg, Germany by creating a cultural center and pop-up library where books are free to take and leave 24 hours a day. The project introduces plenty of green space and reuses the facade of an old warehouse to beautiful effect. Opened two summers ago, we’re pleased to announce that the library has won Brit Insurance’s Architecture Award in their annual Design of the Year competition!

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Post tags: 2011 design on the year, architecture design of the year, book sharing, brit insurance design of the year 2011, east germany, green design, karo architects, magdeburg, open air library, post-industrial renovation, public library, Recycled Materials, sustainable design

Thinking About Alternatives for Financing New Energy Technology

Feb 28th

By: Jim Greenberger via The Energy Collective

Next week the 2011 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit will be held in Washington, D.C. The Summit is a much-anticipated annual conference highlighting the development of next generation energy technologies in the United States and the Department of Energy’s flagship Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), which provides critical financial support for those technologies.

The Summit will convene at a time of considerable uncertainty. Although the Obama Administration’s FY 2012 budget proposes to increase funding for ARPA-E to $650 million, up from the $389 million last appropriated in FY 2009, H.R. 1, the continuing budget resolution proposed by House Republicans, cuts the ARPA-E budget to a mere $50 million.

It is hard to tell what is policy and what is posturing in the budgetary Donnybrook unfolding in Washington. Optimists hold that that if bi-partisan consensus can be reached on anything…

Your Unanswered Questions…. Answered – Batch 2

Feb 28th

Last month, Secretary Chu hosted an online town hall to discuss President Obama’s clean energy innovation agenda — and while he was able to answer about 10 questions submitted online during the event, we received more than 200!

For the next fews days, we’re answering some of the ones Secretary Chu wasn’t able to get to that day. Below is our second batch of questions and answers.

From John Fahey over Facebook:
How can we create a predictable investment environment for the renewable sector?

Strengthening Our Continued Partnership with Iraq

Feb 28th

Deputy Secretary Daniel Poneman and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani exchanging official photographs as they conclude their meeting.

Last week, as part of a week-long trip to the Middle East, Deputy Secretary Daniel Poneman led a U.S. interagency delegation for a three-day visit to Baghdad. The trip is part of the U.S. Government’s broad commitment to partner with Iraq as it continues to rebuild and grow its economy.

While there, he met with a number of senior level officials and ministers, including Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. Discussions throughout the trip focused on ways the U.S. can help support Iraq’s efforts to improve the performance of its electricity system and develop the country’s oil and gas resources for the benefits of the Iraqi people.

As part of this effort, the U.S. will seek opportunities to share best practices, drawing on the expertise of the Department of Energy and our national labs. In fact, later this year, the Department of Energy will join with the U.S. Department of State to host an Electricity Reform Workshop that will provide policymakers and engineers in Iraq with a better understanding of the types of options and regulatory frameworks that are available to help expand the country’s electrical system.

Energy Innovations from DOE’s Livermore Lab to Power Hawaiian Nonprofit

Feb 28th

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has teamed up with nonprofit The Arc of Hilo to power a new Agriculture Product Development Center at the organization’s site in Hilo, Hawaii. The new center will use two technologies developed by LLNL scientists, which will reduce the plant’s electrical bills by 50 percent and provide sustainable and energy efficient solutions for the nonprofit, which provides employment training and job placement for residents and clients living with disabilities.

Kicking Off the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit: Where Innovations in Energy Technology Are “Winning the Future”

Feb 28th

President Obama has recently been talking about his plan to “Win the Future.” Whether it’s taking steps to reform our education system, rebuilding our infrastructure, or encouraging breakthroughs in technology, the phrase is about marshaling the country’s best and brightest to solve today’s problems. As the President put it, “To win the future, we have to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world, tapping the creativity and imagination of our people.”

Charting New Territory for LEED Design

Feb 27th

Global design firm Perkins + Will just announced LEED certification for the firm’s 100th building — Balance, phase 2 of Dockside Green — which just so happens to be tied for the highest scoring LEED building in the world with phase 1 of Dockside Green. Dockside Green is a 15-acre community in Victoria, British Columbia, and Balance is a residential component of the project with one- and two-bedroom condominiums and townhouses.

All buildings at Dockside Green are designed to beat the Model National Energy Code by 47%. Balance residences each have a fresh air system, efficient low-E windows, Energy Star appliances, LED lighting, abundant interior natural light, and energy monitoring.

To save water, the residences have dual-flush toilets, low-flow fixtures, on-site sewage treatment, and other conservation elements to save 55-60% water.

Dockside Green has secure bike storage, a car share program, and other public transportation alternatives for residents. It’s the kind of place that demonstrates how all development could be and very well should be. Perhaps this should be the blueprint for new development projects: community oriented, green built, and beautifully designed.

Credits: Perkins + Will.

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Zaragoza’s Solar-Powered Spanish Pavilion is Shielded by a Ceramic Forest

Feb 27th

Rising like a poplar forest from the banks of the Ebro river, Francisco “Patxi” Mangado‘s sustainably built Spanish Pavilion boasts a brilliant brise soleil composed of 750 ceramic pillars. This field of pillars shelters the interior spaces from the strong Spanish sun, while a pond at the building’s base creates a temperate microclimate that is 3°C cooler than the surrounding area. Drawing upon these roots, the building blossoms with an impressive bouquet of green building strategies ranging from locally sourced sustainable materials to a rainwater recycling system and a massive photovoltaic array set at the pavilion’s peak. We recently had a chance check out this incredible building during Tile of Spain‘s Reign in Spain tour – read on for an exclusive look inside!

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Post tags: ascer, biomimicry, decorativa, green architecture, green design, Patxi Mangado, rainwater recycling, spanish ceramic tiles, Spanish Pavilion, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, zaragoza expo

Environmental Documentaries Bring A Green Theme to 2011 Academy Awards

Feb 27th

$Gasland, Frakking, hydraulic fracturing, Josh Fox, documentary, environmental documentary$
$Gasland, Frakking, hydraulic fracturing, Josh Fox, documentary, environmental documentary$

$Gasland, Frakking, hydraulic fracturing, Josh Fox, documentary, environmental documentary$

Gasland

Gasland is the a visually provocative story by writer director Josh Fox who was inspired to explore the dangers of gas drilling when he was offered money to drill at his property in Pennsylvania. Certainly one of the most controversial films up for nomination, Gasland documents sever health and environmental consequences of hydraulic fracturing. The provocative film has raised the ire of the gas mining industry with its nomination but has been well received by both critics and land owners.

Waste Land, garbage pickers, rio, brazil, vik muniz, vik munoz, Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Gramacho, catadores

Waste Land

Finding triumph in trash, Waste Land follows renowned NY/Brazilian artist Vik Muniz as he ventures from his home in Brooklyn to the world’s largest landfill Jardim Gramacho, on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. In this slum, the ‘catadores’ (the colorful characters who pick for recyclables) dig the refuse for recycle materials such as plastic, metal and other sellable items. This uplifting story focuses on the colorful characters who work as pickers at the landfill and the art project they engage in with Muniz to document their lives and shine a light on waste, poverty and the environment.

Sun Come Up, Jennifer Redfearn, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, Carteret Islands, Carteret Islanders, Climate Change Refugees,

Sun Come Up

Sun Come Up is a documentary about the people living on the Carteret Islands in Papua New Guinea, who face an imminent threat to their land from rising sea levels due to climate change. Sun Come Up focuses on the Carteret Islander’s struggle to leave their home island and seek a new home as raising water levels make their land uninhabitable. The Carteret Islanders are met with a complex and aggressive culture as they seek a new home on the Papua New Guinea mainland. This film is a chilling look at just the beginning of what will be a common occurrence of climate change refugees.

Warriors of Quigang, Short documentary, Chinese factory pollution, Zhang Gongli, Warriors of Quigang, anhui provinc

Warriors of Quigang

Warriors of Quigang is a documentary focused on a Chinese village overwhelmed by the pollution of industry. The farmer Zhang Gongli’s field is flooded with toxic effluent from a newly open factory adjacent to his land. When he failed in court to stop the damage he is joined by the village in opposing the polluting industries. The films follow the villager’s efforts to stop the environmental destructive and painful subjugation of a population’s health to feed the world’s insatiable hunger for cheap goods. The five year struggle brings the community closely together to protect their own and their children’s future.

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Post tags: anhui provinc, Bougainville, Brazil, Carteret Islanders, Carteret Islands, catadores, Chinese factory pollution, Climate Change Refugees, documentary, environmental documentary, Frakking, garbage pickers, Gasland, hydraulic fracturing, Jardim Gramacho, Jennifer Redfearn, Josh Fox, Papua New Guinea, rio, rio de janeiro, Short documentary, Sun Come Up, vik muniz, vik munoz, Warriors of Quigang, Waste Land, Zhang Gongli

Rainwater Usage, Sustainable Suburbs, Green Foreclosures, + Efficiency Savings

Feb 26th

Using rainwater inside.
Solar panels sell, but energy efficiency saves.
Energy-efficient retrofits to sell foreclosed homes.
Homebuilders attempt to be more green.
Imagining a more sustainable suburb.
Pursuing a sustainable, resilient city.
Do CFL bulbs suck?

Check out the latest green jobs and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for updates, article summaries, newsworthy links, and other site news.

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Hopkins Architects Completes London’s 2012 Olympic Velodrome Stadium

Feb 25th

The 2012 Velodrome Olympic Stadium in London has just finished construction, and the stunning design by Hopkins Architects features both clean lines and sustainable features. Spotted on Designboom, the Velodrone is the first of the “big-five” large projects to be completed for the games. With natural cooling, water harvesting and daylighting seamlessly integrated into the program, this structure bodes well for both green design and energy savings.

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Post tags: 2012 Summer Olympic Venue, Big Five London Olympics, eco stadium design, green design, green Olympic venue, green stadium, Hopkis Architects, london olympics 2012, natural stadium lighting, Olympic bike racing venue, Olympic Velodrome, rainwater catchment, sustainable stadium, white roof

Freya and Robin: Charming Love Story-Inspired Prefab Wood Cabins

Feb 25th

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Post tags: “natural materials”, “sustainable architecture”, freya and robin, green architecture, Green Building, green design, green materials, kielder water, northumberland, studio weave, sustainable design, wood cabins, wood shelters

Germany Cuts Solar Power Subsidies

Feb 25th

German lawmakers passed a law on Thursday cutting solar power subsidies by up to 15% from this summer, six months earlier than originally planned, dealing a blow to the world’s biggest photovoltaic market.

The German lower parliamentary house voted to introduce the cuts for solar roof installations from July and for ground-based solar arrays from September. The vote ratified a compromise deal agreed at the start of this month by the German cabinet that brought to an end a dispute between the economy and environment ministries.

The economy ministry had wanted cuts of up to 25% to slow booming growth in the sector in Germany. A government advisory panel presented a report in January saying the photovoltaic sector in Germany was growing too fast, but the German solar power association (BSW) lobby group said a cap would devastate the sector and endanger 130,000 jobs. Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen announced plans last month to bring forward the start of the subsidy cuts by six months to July 1.

Germany is the world’s biggest photovoltaic energy market and has helped drive down prices for solar photovoltaic systems. The solar energy industry in Germany boomed after the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) in 2000, which guarantees investors above-market fees for solar power for 20 years from the point of installation. Germany added 7 gigawatts (GW) of capacity in 2010 to bring the total to nearly 17 GW, equal to 17 large power plants. In 2010 German incentives for renewables — about half of which was for solar power — totalled about $17.9 billion.

Geek-Up[2.24.2011]: Dynamical Fingerprints and Daya Bay

Feb 25th

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Lab have a developed “fingerprints” to match the results of experiments with data from supercomputer simulations that investigates how molecules move and interact. This technology will help researchers tackle scientific challenges in areas like biofuels, drug development, materials design and fundamental biological processes – all of which require deep understanding of molecular movement.

Jeremy Smith, who directs ORNL’s Center for Molecular Biophysics, explained, “Experiments tend to produce relatively simple and smooth-looking signals, as they only ‘see’ a molecule’s motions at low resolution.

Karo Cabin: Modular, Movable, Green

Feb 25th

This weekend, Karoleena Custom Homes, a home builder in Calgary, will debut its first eco-friendly modular cabin. Karo Cabin is a factory-built, future-ready structure designed to be used as a summer escape, backyard studio, laneway house, or something similar and can be delivered anywhere in North America (assuming a road or ferry route).

The “not-so-basic” base Module A (45′ x 14′) sells for $129,000, excluding transportation and site work.

The price includes the home, design and engineering, and elements such as Hardie board exterior, movable interior walls, dual-pane efficient windows, a modular kitchen and island, a $5,000 appliance package, low-flow fixtures, a cantilevered deck, a gas fireplace, on-demand hot water, and a high efficiency furnace.

Karoleena’s first cabin, a Module A, will have 630 square feet including a kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, wraparound deck, and a large cedar overhang.

Other than Module A, the company has several other modules — Module B (30′ x 14′), Module C (20′ x 14′), and Module X (10′ x 14′) – that can be configured to build the right home, or to expand an existing Karo if necessary in the future.

Karo Cabin is on display at the Calgary Home & Garden Show this weekend and similar shows through early April, including British Columbia Home & Garden Show and Edmonton Home & Garden Show. I hope to be able to share interior/exterior photos soon.

Credits: Karoleena Homes.

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Celebrating Black History Month with DOE's Rita Franklin

Feb 25th

Throughout the month of February, we’re introducing some remarkable African Americans who are working to advance the President’s clean energy agenda and help the Department of Energy achieve its mission. This week we’re profiling Rita Franklin who is the Department of Energy’s Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer.

Question: What is your key responsibility?

Rita Franklin: I’m responsible for the management and execution of the Department’s human capital management programs, including workforce planning, workforce development strategies, improving the hiring process and improving performance management.

Q: What is your educational background?

24 Square-Foot Home Goes Mainstream

Feb 25th

Gypsy Junker, a 24 square-foot shack built by Derek Diedricksen, recently hit the New York Times and the article is blowing up right now. The Gray Lady published some excellent photos, which you can see in the Home & Garden section.

Also, it’s Friday, so hang loose and watch this video with a tour of the tiny house. Diedricksen made Gypsy Junker with something like 90% reclaimed materials (i.e., discarded items, construction waste, old junk) and is selling it for $3,000.

If you like what Diedricksen’s doing — watch a little video and find yourself sucked in to his humorous take on things — you can buy his book on micro-house design called “Humble Homes, Simple Shacks” for $17.95.

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Green-Roofed Cluny House Showcases Low-Energy Luxury in Singapore

Feb 24th

Situated in Singapore, Guz Architect’s Cluny House is a vision of luxury that sips energy and evokes its natural surroundings around every corner. The core of the home is a water court surrounded by open-air rooms crowned with green roofs. The smart design incorporates a range of green building strategies including material reuse, energy harvesting, and water conservation. The accommodations strike a subtle balance between sustainable building, nature, and high design — the result is low-energy luxury.

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Post tags: eco home, eco luxury, green courtyard, green home, green home design, green luxury home, guz architects, passive cooling, rainwater catchement, Singapore green home, solar electric home, solar house, solar thermal

Giant Zig Zag Glass Canopy Envelops New College of Arts In Nantes, France

Feb 24th

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Post tags: alstom halles, college of arts, Daylighting, eco design, franklin azzi architects, franklin azzi architecture, glass building, glass hall, green architecture, Green Building, green design, green house, nantes, natural light, steel frame, Sustainable Building, sustainable design

The Entrepreneurial Mentor Corps at Work: Algaeventure Systems

Feb 24th

Last week, we told you about the launch of an “Entrepreneurial Mentor Corps,” a one-year pilot program to connect clean energy startups with mentors who can help support these companies through early-stage challenges and increase theirchance for success. The program is a partnership of the Department of Energy and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and targets clean energy small businesses who have previously received financial assistance from the Department through the Recovery Act.

The Energy of Entrepreneurs

Feb 24th

Editor’s Note: This entry has been cross-posted from The White House blog.

On Tuesday, I joined President Obama in Cleveland to meet with small business leaders and get their ideas on how we can support their work in clean energy. America’s small businesses are engines of innovation and job creation. In fact, they create two out of every three new jobs in this country. Their ingenuity is essential to win the clean energy race and grow our economy, so I wanted to hear their unfiltered thoughts on our country’s approach to clean energy, what we’ve done well and where we can do better.

During a two-hour discussion, I heard excitement for the opportunities offered by the President’s agenda. Folks around the room supported the President’s bold goal of generating 80 percent of America’s electricity from clean sources by 2035. As I told the group, a Clean Energy Standard would create a guaranteed market for clean energy, one in which the best technologies and the most innovative approaches will break through and find investment capital that might have otherwise sat on the sidelines.

By growing the domestic market for clean energy, we’ll create jobs and nurture our clean energy industries, including manufacturing, so we can compete in the rapidly growing global clean energy economy.

LIVE: The Inaugural Meeting of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness

Feb 24th

Today, Secretary Chu heads to the White House to participate in the first meeting of the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. The Council, whose members represent various sectors of the economy, will discuss how we can promote economic growth, spark innovation, create new jobs and invest in American industry so we can out-compete the rest of the world.

You can follow their discussion in real time by tuning into the stream below starting at 1:45 PM EST.

Department of Energy Finalizes $96.8 Million Recovery Act Loan for Geothermal Plant

Feb 24th

Today, the Department of Energy finalized a $96.8 million loan guarantee, supported by the Recovery Act, for U.S. Geothermal, Inc.’s project to build a major geothermal power project in southeastern Oregon. The company estimates the project, known as Neal Hot Springs, will create 150 construction jobs, more than a dozen permanent jobs and many more supply chain jobs across several states, including Texas, California and Ohio.

As Secretary Chu said, “The Neal Hot Springs project will provide clean renewable energy directly from our nation’s vast natural resources while simultaneously creating jobs and helping to promote energy independence.”

Neal Hot Springs

10 Questions for a Materials Chemist: Praveen Thallapally

Feb 24th

Praveen Thallapally | photo courtesy of Pacific Northwest National Lab

We recently had the opportunity to chat with materials chemist Praveen Thallapally at Pacific Northwest National Lab – he gave us an inside look at how he’s working to advance carbon capture and geothermal technologies, developing a new class of materials and “frustrating” organic solids.

Q: What sparked your interest to pursue a career in science?

Praveen Thallapally: I pursued my career in science because it provides solid evidence on measurable and reproducible results that are accountable for the exploration of new discoveries.

Q: Why did you choose materials chemistry?

PT: My graduate studies were focused on engineering atoms and molecules with pre-designed properties based on the understanding of covalent and non-covalent interactions. Based on this experience, I wanted to broaden my field from molecules to materials that have enormous applications for science and engineering.

Q: What projects are you working on right now?

PT: Right now I am working on three different technologies. The first is funded by ARPA-E and strives to achieve higher efficiency in commercial heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems by developing a new type of adsorption chiller using metal organic heat carriers (MOHC) and select refrigerants. Adsorption chillers use low-grade or waste heat to drive a thermal compressor and the performance is strongly dependent on the adsorption properties – uptake capacity and enthalpy – of the MOHC-refrigerant pair. In this project, the new absorbents are based on MOHCs that are self-assembled with metal clusters and organic building blocks to yield porous MOHCs with tunable binding energy with refrigerants. The tunable sorbents will be designed to have enthalpies of adsorption that are 10% or more below the latent heat of vaporization of the refrigerant. Higher mass loadings and lower latent heat is possible with these materials, which would represent a fundamental breakthrough in performance of adsorption chiller technology.

Green Home DIY Trends for 2011

Feb 24th

[+] View the entire Home Improvement Trends 2011 graphic.

If you’re interested in sustainability and innovation, you probably follow trends and keep up with what folks are saying. You might have some interest in this new infographic from eLocal discussing home improvement trends. ELocal created the graphic with information obtained from its community of professionals. Here’s what they said:

Home Updates/Green Living

Homeowners are staying put, investing in their homes, cleaning up the exterior, and simplifying spaces. They’re also testing out LEDs, low-VOCs paints, natural materials, and water-saving fixtures.

Efficient Spaces/Tech Takeovers

Interior rooms do double-duty — home/office, kitchen/lounge — while smart appliances and entertainment drive technology adoption.

Nature Indoors/Value Awareness

Homeowners are looking for nature in the form of organic materials and indoor/outdoor blended spaces. They’re also uninterested in luxury and more interested in bargains, reuse, and long-term value.

More Color

Big items will tend towards neutral colors while small items can be used to introduce bright colors and vibrant living spaces. Plus, this way it’s easier to change the feel of a space without redoing everything.

Credit: eLocal.com.

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Spanish Elderly Care Center Wrapped in a Pixelated Green Facade

Feb 23rd

This new elderly care center near Zamora, Spain rises from the landscape with a gently sloping profile set amid rows of crops. The project sits on a narrow lot, so to make the most of available space CSO Arquitectura wrapped the building and grounds in a playful grid that forms patios and green spaces. Click past the break for a closer look at the project’s pixelated green façade.

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Post tags: “solar energy”, CSO Arcguitectura, green design, green elderly care, green roof, pixel facade, roor top garden, solar shading, Spanish green builidng

Decathlon Shuffled to West Potomac Park

Feb 23rd