Green Technology

Green Lighting (GGL) reduces energy costs and lowers CO2 emissions using LED lights and lighting control technology.

“Low Energy lighting [using]… LED (Light Emitting Diodes) and Induction white light technologies … offer 50% to 70% lower energy consumption, 80% lower maintenance, significantly reduced CO2 emissions …”

See video below describing how Chattanooga, Tennessee is saving money – on maintenance and return on investment - and improving the city lighting at the same time.  Technology from GGL allows the city to control individual lights, determine which bulbs need to be replaced and report energy usage back to a central data store for analysis.

Via:  Global Green Lighting  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 08:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Nissan Tennessee plant will produce motors for the Leaf electric vehicle.  …

…   “The Decherd plant expansion is being funded with a loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to encourage advanced technology …”   …

Via AP: Nissan Plant.

The Nissan Leaf electric car.

Nissan Leaf zero emission vehicle.

Posted by Green Tech at 04:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One key infrastructure item slowing the acceptance of pure electric vehicles is a lack if EV charging stations.  Cracker Barrel is helping to build out the infrastructure using locations along highways

Cracker Barrel Restaurants will install EV chargers from ECOtality at 24 locations in Tennessee.  Many of the locations are identified … see map below.

“ … will become a major participant in The EV Project, an initiative to increase the adoption of electric vehicles by creating a solid charging infrastructure across the country. ….”

Dines and shoppers can get “ … an 80% charge … in just under a half hour at … locations which will have the DC Fast Charging stations. …”:

Plans are to start installation in the spring of ‘11 and be complete in several months.  Check the Cracker Barrel web site for updates.

Via:  Cracker Barrel  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

using microfluidic technology could enable consumers to generate their own bio-derived fuel.  …

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Professor Frank Jones discusses fuel production using technology that enables micro bioreactors. 

Posted by Green Tech at 08:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Movie theaters are embracing the the green movement including LEED.

" ... theaters are making an effort to help viewers go green ... including Georgia-based Carmike Cinemas ... built a LEED-certified theater in Chattanooga, Tenn., which opened in November ... "

" ... Environmentally conscious theater construction and design are growing trends ... Some theaters are installing solar panels ... and using recycled building materials for new theaters and existing facilities that are under renovation."

Via: FORBES LINK

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BloomEnergy has announced a novel fuel cell and unlike typical fuel cells if does not require precious metal catalysts. Fuel cells are typcially "cleaner" than other power sources.

" ..  an innovative new fuel cell technology ... derived from a common sand-like powder ... technology is able to produce clean, reliable, affordable power,... practically anywhere,... from a wide range of renewable or traditional fuels."

" ... Energy Servers™ are among the most efficient energy generators on the planet; providing for significantly reduced electricity costs and dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions ... "

" ... Originally called Ion America, Bloom Energy, was founded with the mission to make clean, reliable energy affordable for everyone on earth."

" ... After two years of successful field trials in Tennessee, California, and Alaska, to validate the technology, the first commercial (100kW) products were shipped to Google in July 2008."

" ... Bloom's Energy Servers have helped our customers generate millions of kWhs of electricity and eliminate millions of pounds of CO₂ from the environment."

Via:  BloomEnergy LINK

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Green buildings and designs are being found all across the country ... the Housing Authority Administration building in Newport, Tennessee is green.  Read about the many green features and technologies used.

" ... 8,585 square foot administration building ... Design included multiple "green" features: photovaltaic solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, premium insulation package, Energy Star windows and lighting, low flow faucets and toilets and low impact site design. Project cost was $1,000,000.00."

Via:  McGraw-Hill Construction Community   LINK

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... "The facility will produce premium quality mono-crystal silicon ingots for photovoltaic solar power generation. The company’s HiCz brand products increase the efficiency of solar cells by 15% or more, helping manufacturers of solar panels generate electricity more efficiently at a cost equivalent to or better than can be done using multi-crystal silicon ingot. " ...

Continue reading "Tennessee Solar Manufacturing" »

Posted by Green Tech at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Tiller will serve as director of external operations. Her duties will include general oversight of the Tennessee Biofuels Initiative and managing development of the pilot biorefinery as well as managing relationships with external partners interested in collaborative projects associated with the plant or working to develop a bioenergy industry in the state. Rials will serve as director of research for bioenergy initiatives. He will oversee activities associated with refining the biomass conversion process and the development of co-products - valuable commercial products expected to result as part of the biomass-to-ethanol conversion process. Rials will also continue in his role as director of the federally funded Sun Grant Southeastern Regional Center, which coordinates some $7 million in federal research allocations for alternative energy research throughout the region. " ...

Via The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture: Researchers Appointed Directors for Tennessee Biofuels Initiative

Posted by Green Tech at 07:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "GS AgriFuels intends to use standard fuel production technologies and a number of proprietary technologies, including innovative pre-treatment, process intensification, gasification, catalytic, and carbon capture technologies, synergistically at small-scales to enable the refining of many forms of biomass into clean fuels, including biodiesel and ethanol. GS AgriFuels is currently developing several sites for the construction of its planned integrated multi-fuel production facilities. GS AgriFuels' planned Memphis facility will have an initial nameplate capacity of 10 million gallons of biodiesel and 5 million gallons of ethanol, methanol and/or biomass-derived synthetic diesel and will commence production in 2007. GS AgriFuels' expects to scale its Memphis, Tennessee facility to in excess of 45 million gallons of annual fuel production given that facility's location in a major distribution hub. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)