In my quest to continue finding items of interest I believe Linda would love to see posted during her absence, I came across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and it’s Solar Decathlon’s solar power housing submission from Team China.

Solar Powered Housing Simple Affordable

The U.S. DOE “contest” poses the question, “How to design, build and operate solar powered housing” with emphasis on cost effectiveness and energy efficiency, all the while being pleasing to look at and live in.

Team China has stepped up to the plate addressing the affordability question with excellent, potential results.

As you can see by the video, their solar powered housing provides plenty of outdoor living area, collects and filters rainwater for personal use, all the while using energy efficient, super insulating materials. Their solar power housing naturally ventilates itself and is most definitely a “sustainable design.”

Now to Get Team China’s Solar Powered Housing to Washington

The next step that is vital to competing will be for Team China to disassemble their six recycled shipping containers and get their entry to Washington. This should be a breeze for their team since, conveniently enough, their solar powered housing Y shape use of shipping containers makes for a super simple shipping solution.

Seventy-six percent (76%) of all electricity generated by US power plants goes to
supply the Building Sector. Buildings are responsible for almost half (48%) of all
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually.

With this in mind, Architecture 2030, a non-profit independent organization, was
established by architect Edward Mazria in 2002. 2030′s mission is to rapidly
transform the US and global Building Sector from the major contributor of GHG to a
central part of the solution to the global-warming crisis. (more…)

Doug Bizell is the mad scientist of the South. Turning something no
one wants into something everyone needs. He makes a product called
Kudzunol, made from Kudzu. Kudzu is a weed that grows 12 inches a
day, every single day. It will reach 66 – 98 feet in trees.

Used for erosion control in the 1930s, it now covers anything and
everything in the southern U.S. Since Doug lives in Tennessee, he
has no problem finding it. It covers 7 million acres in the American
South.

You cannot kill it, highway departments are trying to control it
which is a neverending and often losing battle. It will grow out in (more…)

I would like to take this moment to personally recommend an advertising
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*            Advertisers Can Reach Thousands of Potential Visitors Daily (more…)

Energy efficiency boom leads 9 clean technology predictions for 2009

SHANGHAI, China, December 4th, 2008 – Continuing an annual tradition, the Cleantech
Group™, founders of the cleantech investment category and providers of leading global
market research and financial services for the cleantech ecosystem, today issued nine
predictions for clean technology markets in 2009, forecasting progress in some sectors,
but delays and setbacks in others.

A reflection of undercurrents in the global clean technology category from the company’s
conversations with industry and government leadership worldwide, the nine predictions
include a global focus on energy efficiency as a job creation and economic engine, and an
increase in valuations of global wind companies. (more…)

I found this at EcoGeek and found it to be another interesting idea.

FloDesign, a Massachusetts based engineering firm, has designed a new wind turbine
that deviates from the standard windmill in a compelling way. Its main feature is a
stationary piece in front that directs wind into the spinning blades. Overall, the
machine looks more like a jet engine than a wind turbine and it packs quite a punch
as well – a FloDesign turbine can generate as much power as a conventional turbine (more…)

Rapidly accelerating climate change (global warming), which is caused by greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions, is now fueling dangerous regional and global environmental events.

Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration illustrates that buildings are
responsible for almost half (48%) of all GHG emissions annually. Seventy-six percent
(76%) of all electricity generated by US power plants goes to supply the Building
Sector. Therefore, immediate action in the Building Sector is essential if we are to
avoid hazardous climate change. Credible scientists give us 10 years to be well on our
way toward global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions in order to avoid (more…)