Halogen bulbs now a ‘guilty pleasure’?

For those of you not quite convinced about the merits of switching to compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, OSRAM has developed a more energy efficient halogen bulb.

It reckons they use 30% less energy than normal bulbs. Good news, although, as its release highlights, CFLs use 80% less…

Halogen light is almost a national obsession and it remains the fastest growing sector within lighting (a predicted 10% year-on-year sales increase throughout Europe until 2015). Yet up until now, there has been no energy efficient option - making halogen something of a guilty pleasure.

Cue the pitch: various lights available, all of which can save up to 30% on electricity bills.

This new halogens are a brilliant complement to OSRAM’s existing range of CFL light bulbs which use up to 80% less energy, and together they provide the perfect lighting solution for Britain’s most eco-chic homes.

Free green business seminar seats available

Sign up for your free place at Kyocera’s green business seminar.

Greenbang is going along to the Green Card Seminar to listen to British Airways and BT talk about some of the problems they are trying to solve.

The seminar in Reading will look at how transport, local authorities, businesses and suppliers are applying sustainable guidelines to the challenges they face in order to generate continued success and a stable future.

Entitled “Sustainability is good for business” we will be exploring how transport, local authorities, businesses, educational establishments, and suppliers are applying sustainable guidelines to the challenges they face in order to generate continued success and a stable future.

Speakers include:

·         Gary Meades, British Airways Global Environmental Affairs Manager, will look at the combination of functionality and aesthetics that have been applied to Heathrow’s new fifth terminal.

·         The Centre for Alternative Technology ‘s Sara Turnbull will speak about her involvement in the creation of a state of the art environmental education centre.

·         Mark Dowling from the British Telecom Environment Unit will be asking if we are all complying with the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) regulations and what the future holds for WEEE.

·         Simone Mann and Jeremy Melhuish of the Commercial Group will offer an insight into becoming a Carbon Neutral company.

The seminar has been organised in association with Connect Reading and we are delighted that they have chosen this year’s Green Card Seminar to launch Reading’s new Go4Green project . Speakers from Reading include the Chief Executive of the Business Community Partnership (Connect Reading), the Policy and Sustainability Manager from the Borough Council and the University’s Director of Research.

Brits bored of eco news

A survey suggests that we bacon-and-egg loving Brits are tired of hearing news about green issues.

So why not let’s just stick our heads in the sand for a bit longer, read the Daily Mail and watch the Vicar of Dibley? That’d be nice, wouldn’t it.

This from the Guardian:

Many Britons are suffering from “eco-fatigue”, with more than a quarter tired of the attention green issues are receiving, according to a new survey.

An ICM report for the Ideal Home Show also found nearly a quarter of people (23%) admitted they were bored of “eco news” and nearly a fifth (18%) exaggerated their environmental behaviour because it is fashionable.

While more than half (57%) believed a difference could be made to the environment if everyone did their bit, nearly four fifths of those questioned (78%) think not everybody is making the effort.

Green schools boost test scores?

An interesting article on AlterNet implies eco-friendly schools in the US can help students achieve better results.

They say it all comes down to things like increasing people’s exposure to natural daylight and fresh air. That makes sense - buildings with more natural lighting do feel better than those with flurotube lights.

But Greenbang is a bit unsure how cutting carbon would directly correlate with better exam results. Then again, it would give him a bit of extra cash to spend in the tuck shop.

This with more of that.

School construction is big business — it makes up 27 percent of the US construction market. Building a school that complies with LEED standards costs 2 percent (or $3 per square foot) more upfront, but it’s worth it — green schools use up to 30 percent less energy, 30 to 50 percent less water, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent compared to traditionally built schools.

At least one study shows that to be true. In a 1999 study, Hershong Mahone Group, a building-efficiency consulting company, evaluated 2,000 classrooms in Oakland, CA, Seattle, WA, and Fort Collins, CO. They found that students with the most daylight progressed 20 percent faster in math, and 26 percent faster in reading than students in classrooms with poor lighting.

Indoor air pollution is another challenge. As many as 15,000 schools have poor indoor air quality that triggers asthma, causes headaches, and spreads airborne illness, especially among children, who breathe more air, proportionally, than adults. Forest Hills’ has 30 percent fresh air recirculating in the classrooms, says Tom Walters, director of energy and construction management for Forest Hills, “to keep the kids healthier.”

BP wants to join China’s building of the eco-island

CHINA WATCH

Chongming Island of Shanghai, located in at the mouth of the Yangtze River, is the third largest island in China and also the world’s largest alluvial island.

According to MITenergyChina:

“In the last 50 years, Chongming island has become the world’s largest alluvial island, doubling in size, due to eroding soil from deforestation washing down in the headwaters of the river Yangtze. Chongming has grown from 600 square kilometers in 1950 to 1,290 square kilometers today.”

It is an area targeted by the government for sustainable development projects, as the Han Zheng, Shanghai mayor said “Chongming Island is designed to build as an eco-island.”

This eco island also has the world’s first purpose-built eco-city – Dongtan in its east, as Greenbang reported in July.

Everyone wants a piece of this “green” pie – GE Energy has supplied 3 of its 1.5 MW wind turbines to Chongming Island, and now BP “is seeking opportunities for renewable energy projects such as biomass or wind power” in this area, as executive at BP’s China unit told Reuters last week.

“He (Anwar, vice president of BP China) predicted the renewable energy sector would double or triple in size, and ultimately contribute 10 to 15 percent of total energy production in China.

“This(Chongming Island) is the last major developing area in Shanghai,” Anwar said.”

VCs inject $30m into A123 Systems

A123 Systems is definitely a firm to watch. It makes lithium batteries for hybrid cars.

Last week it received $30m in VC funding.

A123Systems will use these funds to increase production capacity for new contract awards for hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric and extended range electric vehicle design wins with major automakers including a contract to co-develop proprietary cells for the GM E-FLEX program. A123Systems continues to expand its fast growing power tool battery business with Black & Decker Corporation, the world’s largest manufacturer of cordless tools, where the company is helping drive the transition from nickel technology to doped Nanophosphate lithium ion technology.

Greenbang wonders what the fuel cell industry thinks of that…probably not too happy.

Carbon trust launches lighting guide

With winter approaching and daylight hours getting shorter, the Carbon Trust is launching a new energy-saving lighting guide, in a bid to help organisations cut energy use and cut carbon dioxide emissions.

Lighting accounts for 40 per cent of businesses’ total electricity bills, they say, and as  clocks go back, organisations are likely to see their bills increase.

By implementing the simple low cost and no cost energy-saving measures outlined in the guide, businesses can cut their electricity bills by up to 30 percent and reduce their carbon emissions – the main cause of climate change.

Top lighting tips include:

Think before you flick the switch: Daylight may be fading but there are still about 10 hours of sunlight a day, so take advantage of the natural light by opening blinds and ensuring that windows areas are kept clear.

Good housekeeping: Simple measures, such as ensuring that staff switch off lights when rooms are unoccupied, can reduce lighting costs by up to 20 percent.

Keeping up appearances: Ensuring that lights and windows are regularly cleaned enables businesses to take full advantage of the natural light. If windows are dirty then employees are often forced to use electrical lighting.

Staying in control: Lighting controls, such as those that have light sensors, can regulate lighting and provide substantial savings.

Go for an upgrade:  Replacing lighting with energy efficient alternatives is an effective low-cost investment that can save you money and energy.

Hugh Jones, Solutions Project Director from the Carbon Trust, commented: “When you consider that lighting an office overnight wastes enough energy to make 1000 cups of tea, the need for businesses to take action to improve the efficiency of their lighting has never been greater. Implementing simple and low-cost energy saving measures such as cleaning windows, investing in energy efficient lighting, or making the most of the daylight, will help businesses avoid spiralling energy bills as well as ensuring that they are playing their role in the fight against climate change.”

Biofuel fuelcells come to town

If this is true, it represents and important break through in the fuel cell market - fuel cells run on biofuel.

The CleanTech blog picked up on this:

Earlier this month, here in Ohio, the fuel cell developer Technology Management Inc. issued a press release that it had succesfully operated its 1 kw solid oxide fuel cell stack on vegetable oil from soybeans.

As reported on the Internet, it is claimed that this is the first instance of a solid oxide fuel cell running on vegetable oil, and that this development could break open the market for fuel cells in the developing world.

£7.50 for a pile of poo (made into paper)

Greenbang is laughing his head off at this one.

Yeah, this’ll help save the world - - - selling imported Christmas paper made from Thai elephant dung to punters for £7.50. How do they come up with ideas like this?

You’d have thought an organisation like the Natural History Museum would know better than to sell crap to people…but this is what they said to us:

“The Natural History Museum has got a green and eco-friendly Christmas down to a fine art with their new Elephant Poopoo gift Wrap set.

This set includes threes sheets of paper, three bows and three gift tags.

How is it made? The Dung from Asian elephants is rinsed, mixed with plant fibre, then rolled out and dried to make a rough-textured paper.

Everything from design to final packaging is done locally in Thailand and a percentage of the profits go towards elephant conservation. And before you ask, don’t worry it doesn’t smell.”

Honda launches ‘greener’ cars

Cars aren’t that green yet. There is little recycled material used to make them, and there are still problems around weight vs engine efficiency.

But Honda revealed a little info on its next batch of motors.

The FCX hydrogen fuel cell car and a lightweight, hybrid sportscar will both be built – with a production version of the FCX making its debut next month.

Speaking yesterday, Honda’s President and CEO, Takeo Fukui, announced plans to unveil a production version of the FCX Concept at the LA Show in November. The car will then go on sale in the US and Japan during 2008.

Honda also revealed that a car based on its CR-Z Concept (pictured) – a compact, lightweight sportscar powered by a hybrid powertrain – would also enter production. This stylish coupe will join Honda’s forthcoming ‘global hybrid’ family car, which is due to launch in 2009.

“Hybrids have always been seen as niche products, and hybrid car design has mostly been based around practicality and versatility,” says John Kingston, Environment Manager at Honda (UK). “The CR-Z Concept looks stunning, and shows that green cars can be sexy and exciting – but also minimise environmental impact.

“The fact that we will be producing cars like this – and the global hybrid – proves that hybrid cars are becoming key volume products within our range. All of this means that Honda will be selling over 1/4 million hybrids a year by 2009.”

Greenbang tracks the explosion of the environmental industry, reporting on news of green innovation and thought leadership.

We blog on this rather than the environmental problems of the world because we are interested in the answers to climate change.