Cafe Habana Solar Tour

What have I been up to...
Well, aside from studying non-stop for my Sustainable development course at NYU, and doing a bit of actual paid work, there's been no time for virtually anything. But a few weeks ago we did host the New York edition of the ASES National Solar Tour and have the video to prove it!

This video was shot at Cafe Habana Outpost in Brooklyn. Habana's owner, Sean Meenan, charmed us with some pedal-power margaritas and incredible corn while showing us an impressive array of environmental initiatives he's implemented throughout the cafe.

Many thanks to Sean for his hospitality and to Davidaron for the video

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Power Down - conserve energy and your carbon footprint at home and in the office

I don't know about you, but I spend about 80% of my life in front of a computer screen. My handwriting has been reduced to meaningless scribble I can't even read, and knowledge doesn't knock on my door via books, library research or actual human conversation. Because it's all HERE. All 3 of our Macs are used all the time (by 2 people). Therefore, in the light my recent efforts to conserve energy and reduce my energy footprint, I stumbled upon these guidelines, devised by CSCI, Climate Savers Computer Initiative, started by Google and Intel in 2007.

top 10 ways to reduce computing energy use

Use computer and monitor power management. Doing so can save nearly half a ton of CO2 and more than $60 a year in energy costs. Don’t use a screen saver. Screen savers are not necessary on modern monitors and studies show they actually consume more energy than allowing the monitor to dim when it’s not in use. Buying a new computer? Make energy efficiency a priority while shopping for your PC and monitor. Look for the ENERGY STAR label or browse the Climate Savers Computing product catalog. Turn down the brightness setting on your monitor. The brightest setting on a monitor consumes twice the power used by the dimmest setting. Turn off peripherals such as printers, scanners and speakers when not in use. Fight phantom power; plug all your electronics into one power strip and turn the strip off when you are finished using your computer. When feasible, we also recommend unplugging the power strip from the wall to avoid high voltage surges which may occur during an electrical storm. Use a laptop instead of a desktop. Laptops typically consume less power than desktops. Close unused applications and turn off your monitor when you’re not using it. Use a power meter to find out how much energy your computer actually consumes and to calculate your actual savings. Establish multiple power schemes to address different usage models. For example, you can create a power scheme for playing music CDs that shuts off your hard drive and monitor immediately, but never puts your system into standby mode. I'd love to know how you guys are doing with this and will report my own progress twice monthly.

Obamas to welcome, encourage solar power | Cooler Planet News

Obamas to welcome, encourage solar power | Cooler Planet News

Obamas to welcome, encourage solar power

Tuesday, October 05, 2010 at 6:02:08 AM - by Danny Vo

The First Family soon will draw power from solar devices installed on the White House roof.

Energy Department Secretary Steven Chu, at the 2010 GreenGov Symposium in Washington, announced on Tuesday that the move demonstrates President Obama’s support for U.S. leadership in solar energy. Many expect the reliance on solar energy to inspire widespread use across the nation, similar to what was accomplished by the White House Garden belonging to First Lady Michelle Obama.

“Deploying solar energy technologies across the country will help America lead the global economy for years to come,” Chu said in a statement.

Panels installed by Spring 2011 will convert sunlight to electricity and a solar collector will face the sun and heat water for use throughout the executive mansion.

President Carter had solar panels installed on the White House roof, which President Reagan had removed. President George W. Bush had panels installed to power a maintenance building and heat the pool.

As part of an effort to encourage Americans’ healthy eating, the First Lady had a garden planted on the White House lawn, which proved to be a popular move as the garden produced fruits and vegetables used by the White House kitchen and donated to metropolitan DC shelters for homeless and the abused.

The work on the White House roof will be subject to the open-bidding process of federal contracting and homes with solar panels installed are eligible for tax credits.

Solar-Powered Window Shutters – As Seen at West Coast Green

Solar-Powered Window Shutters – As Seen at West Coast Green: "

Yes, you heard right. Among the many intriguing green innovations at last weekend’s West Coast Green were the new Plug n’ Save Solar Shutters, a rather simple solution for homeowners hoping to cut utility costs.

Mounted onto gorgeously crafted bamboo shutters, the flat PV panels collect power from the sun and channel it directly back into the home’s electrical system. The shutters need only be plugged into a wall outlet to operate.

Created by father-son entrepreneurial duo Dan and David Curran, the shutters feature clever inlays to hide the electrical wiring and cords, leaving clean post card-sized panels. The panels themselves can only be seen from the outside.

The idea is that as a homeowner goes about their day, they will open or close their shutters to shield extra-bright sunlight. The panels waiting on the other side, however, will be harvesting that solar energy at peak hours of the day. It’s genius, really.

For more, read about the Currans on Examiner.

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Related posts:

• Green Building, Water, Energy, Clean Tech: Where Are We Going?
• Green Building: Air Leaking, Utility Bills and a Caulk Gun
• Solar-Powered Plane Soars Above Switzerland
• Latest Renewable Energy Jobs in Solar and Wind Energy
• Solar-Powered Irrigation Boosting Household Incomes

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Green Roofs Galore

Research shows that urban green spaces are instrumental in minimizing the negative effects of urbanization in reducing pollution, creating tranquil space for residents, beautification, and more.
A private green space can also serve as a garden, providing city dwellers with fresh local fruit and vegetables. these can be installed vertically or horizontally.

Our video shows how one company integrates these gardens into built environments:

More images of green roofs:

altPOWER Paints the City Blue

altPOWER, a premiere solar PV integrator, is leading the way in city installations, creatively using innovations such as vertical arrays, solar canopies, and multi-family residential roof installations all over New York City.

Roland Pabst introduces some of the projects:

More from Urban Green Expo

This device will monitor your energy use, shut off appliances not in use, remember to turn on your computer/printer/TV BEFORE you come home, based on your habits, and it costs..... $40


Form an orderly queue for the MODLET

We will test the little guy and report back on his performance.

Join the Green City Challenge on Sunday October 17

Join the Green City Challenge on Sunday October 17

On October 17th 2010, the very first Green City Challenge will take place in lower Manhattan. Contestants will race to green businesses and destinations throughout lower Manhattan and complete challenges that demonstrate their knowledge of how to live, work and eat green. Designed to capture your imagination, the Green City Challenge will expand your awareness of sustainable living and challenge you while having fun!

The Green City Challenge will test your knowledge of sustainability as you earn giant jigsaw puzzle pieces and solve clues in your quest to reach the finish line. This is not a typical race. Yes, there are start and finish lines, but time is not a factor.  The winner will be determined by who knows the most about green living.

Contestants will receive clues to where the destinations are and ride their bicycles to get there. They will then perform challenges related to living, eating or working green. Along the way, points will be earned according to how well they do on the challenges. Whichever team earns the most points wins!

You can watch the fun by joining the contestants and volunteers at the starting line at 12 noon at La Plaza Cultural Community Garden on Avenue C and East 9th St in the East Village. Or you can gather at the finish line at Solar One on East 23rd Street at the East River. There will be an eco fair, with organic and vegetarian food and refreshments available there. The Eco Fair will be open from 3 – 5 pm. The winning teams will be announced at 4PM.

Green Living advice from Whole Foods

What could be better for an aspiring green urbanite like yours truly than picking the brain of a Whole Foods' Green Mission Specialist? 

I cornered Tristam Coffin at the Urban Green Expo in New York and here are some of the points he shared:

• Shop at Whole Foods. OK I saw this one coming, BUT their commitment to locally-grown organic produce has just literally hit home as they partnered with Gotham Greens (http://gothamgreens.com/), New York's first commercial scale greenhouse farm (and it's in Brooklyn!)
• Re-use Re-use Re-use. Whole Foods will even educate you on which products and packaging are truly compostable and which ones aren't
• Throw away those halogens, as they add heat, aren't efficient and are a potential fire hazard. Instead, Tristam suggests using CFLs and LEDs

View full video here:

  

Additionally, Tristam shared Whole Foods' exceptional Green Building initiatives which include a brand new LEED gold-certified building in NYC, PV panels in NJ,  and a Fuel Cell - powered site in Fairfield, CT.

Watch video:

Solar Tour tomorrow in Brooklyn

Join us on the Solar Tour for a chance to meet the architects and masterminds of these brand new exciting projects:

Metropolitan Green (439 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11211 tour at 2:30 pm), is a solar-powered mixed use building.  Tour is conducted by the architect, Mark Helder, and Aeon Solar, who installed the panels.

Metropolitan Green tour

Cafe Habana Outpost, 757 Fulton Street, Fort Greene, an eco-eatery utilizing various energy-saving technologies including solar panels.

there will be 2 tours, at 12:00pm and 1:00 pm

Cafe Habana tour