Earthship Biotecture founder Michael Reynolds travels to Haiti where he hopes his unique brand of 'radically sustainable' homes can play a part in the rebuilding effort.
Now, Michael Reynolds (or the “Garbage Warrior” — I like to call him the Oscar the Grouch of architecture), the visionary behind New Mexico-based Earthship Biotecture, has taken his self-sufficient, "radically sustainable" housing concept to Haiti, a country that may not be in the headlines as much these days but is still digging out and rebuilding after January’s devastating earthquake.
According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, 64-year-old Reynolds visited Haiti earlier this month and — never one to rest on his laurels — got right to work. Within four days, with the help of a small team from Earthship Biotecture and nonprofit group Grassroots United, Reynolds rounded up a crew of 40 eager locals, ages 4 to 50, to pitch in and construct a 120 square-foot earthship under his guidance. Like other earthships, the earthquake- and hurricane-proof abode is built from dirt-filled tires (the standard earthship building blocks), plastic bottles, and other waste materials.
Although the Haitian earthship prototype isn't complete, Reynolds plans to return to Haiti in October to add solar panels, a rainwater harvesting system, flush toilets, and other features to the home that will make it less primitive and more in line with the more than 1,000 existing earthships scattered across the U.S. and Europe. From there, Reynolds hopes to construct an entire village of earthships outside of Port-au-Prince where, according to Reynolds, the “ … buildings would provide their own power, their own water, their own sewage (systems).”
Reynolds, who also visited the Andaman Islands in the wake of the 2004 tsunami, is optimistic that the earthship concept will catch on in Haiti and serve as an low-cost, super eco-friendly, and disaster-resilient housing option. In addition to providing shelter, he also believes that community-built earthshapes can provide a much-needed boost of morale among Haitians. He remarks on the first earthship-building process: “They built the building! The real thing that shows it’s possible for them to do it is that they did it.”
Click here to read more about Earthship Biotecture's Haiti Disaster Relief efforts, view more images, and to donate to the cause. Want an intimate tour of an earthship? Check out guest blogger David Quilty's two-part story on what it's like to vacation in one.
Article by Matt Hickman Courtesy of Mother Nature Network
Sixty percent of the energy used in buildings in New York State goes to heat and hot water. This power heavy fact has been the driving force behind a newly devised solar thermal energy plan that could eventually save New York State residents $175 million a year. Given that the last nation-wide energy bill was tossed out the window, individual states are now coming under pressure to come up with their own energy saving tactics. Thankfully, even in the face of ailing government support, New York’s new solar thermal plan is a shining example of how sustainable living remains a primary cause for most individuals. The state’s forward thinking plan will call for up to 1 million new solar thermal systems placed statewide, together able to provide a total of 2,000 MWth of solar powered heat by 2020.
Solar thermal energy harnesses the power of the sun to make hot water and feed steam heating systems. Much of the heat in older buildings comes from steam heat, so officials see solar thermal as a great alternative to feeding these systems. Relative to places like Germany where the solar thermal industry is booming — they install about 200,000 solar thermal heaters per year — the US has failed to see the value of such technology, often only perceiving it as useful in low-energy contexts such as for the heating of swimming pools. However, it is estimated that solar thermal heaters have the capacity to generate 50% of the hot water needed across the US.
Understanding the gains to be had with this innovative, yet simple and easily implemented technology, New York State will kick off a program which should provide incentives, educational opportunities, permitting improvements, research and development and installer training programs to encourage the installation of solar thermal systems. The program is expected to decrease energy for heating use by 6 million US gallons of oil, 9.5 million ft³ of natural gas and displace 320 GWh of electricity production per annum. With 70% of the systems coming from residential buildings and 30% of the systems from commercial buildings, the state estimates there will be a whopping $175 million in energy savings annually.
An industrial design senior at the De Montfort University in Leicester, Britain has developed a device that converts building wastewater into electricity.
Tom Broadbent developed the HighDro Power device to harness energy from water discharged from appliances such as showers, toilets and sinks into the soil pipes of high-rise buildings and transform it into electricity.
“The water goes down the pipe and hits four turbine blades that drive one generator,” explained Mr. Broadbent.
The electricity generated can be used in the building or sold back to the national grid on a buy-back tariff. A seven-storey building can reportedly save around £926 ($1,415.57) annually in electricity costs by using the HighDro Power device.
The invention aims to answer the targets set at the G-8 summit by governments to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions and dependency on fossil fuels for energy production by 2050.
Mr. Broadbent was inspired to create the device while watching a bath emptying with a large amount of force. He speculated that the energy should be harnessed in some way to generate clean electricity.
“The whole thing was influenced by traditional waterwheels to ensure that any solids passing through had limited effects on whether they could function,” Mr. Broadbent said.
He used laser sintering, CNC milling machinery and vacuum forming to create a working prototype of the device. Bearings, gears and other materials were sourced from companies supplying standard components.
Mr. Broadbent is waiting to hear whether he will win accolades from the Institute of Engineering Designers and the Dyson Awards. He also entered the Kevin McCloud Green Heroes award to show the HighDro Power device at the NEC’S Grand Designs live show.
He intends to have the device fitted on a building for testing in the future.
At the end of 2009, the worldwide capacity of wind power generators stood at 159.2 gigawatts, or about 2% of worldwide electricity usage, according the World Wind Energy Association’s annual report (PDF). Much of the potential increase in renewable energy around the world can come from wind but significant investments will need to be made, including in offshore wind farms.
To cope with various social, meteorological and topographical situations, wind technology has developed much over the years. Notable steps are the growth in the size of rotors, allowing a higher volume of electricity to be generated; the installation of variable-speed turbines with rotors capable of handling increases and decreases in wind speed, thus mitigating power fluctuation and noise pollution; and construction of offshore floating turbines to harness consistent and strong winds, some of which are now capable of producing 5.0 megawatts of electricity.
At the Yokohama Exhibition, one of the most noteworthy advances in wind technology, the wind lens, was already on the table. The name derives from the lens of a magnifying glass because, in the same way that a magnifying glass can intensify light from the sun, wind lenses concentrate the flow of wind. The structure of the wind lens is relatively simple; a large hoop, called a brimmed diffuser, intensifies wind blows to rotate the turbine located in the center.
Verification experiments show that wind lens turbines produce three times as much electricity as those without a hoop. According to Professor Yuji Ohya from Kyushu University, even a gentle breeze can accelerate the revolution of the turbines considerably. The 2.5 meter-wide blades can, at with wind speed of 5 metres a second, can provide a sufficient amount of electricity to power an average household.
Wind lenses, given their efficiency, can miniaturize the size of wind turbines and hence reduce construction costs. They can also help improve safety, reduce noise pollution and therefore make the technology more accessible in urban environments.
Though wind lenses presently cost more to manufacture, due to the materials needed for the additive loop, Professor Ohya says “the merit of two- or three-fold increase in power output leads to higher cost performance.” Further, he is confident that the cost performance will continue to improve.
Despite its merits, even if this technology does enter the market in Japan, it may not be easily adopted by other countries, due to differing intensities and directions of wind conditions (e.g., in Japan, coastal winds tend to be quite weak most of the year).
However, depending on developments in the architecture and design of offshore wind farms, and in combination with the geographical conditions of the Japanese coastline, an increase in energy absorption could be had.
Prof. Ohya says he expects that if large offshore floating wind farms are realized (see illustration) wind energy will go mainstream. In Europe, for example, the European Wind Energy Association believes that it would take €2.4 billion (US $3.3 billion) invested in ships in order to provide for the predicted growth of offshore wind farms.
“As you know, wind turbines and solar plants need a wide area to produce big electricity,” Ohya says. However, he points out that though Japan is a narrow land, it ranks amongst the countries of the world with the largest offshore maritime boundary areas (or Exclusive Economic Zones).
Solar cell technology
Currently, in Japan there has been parliamentary discussion on developing a law for the purchasing of home-generated electricity for the grid. (A successful precedent for which has been set through Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act.)
Meanwhile, engineers from Osaka University’s Department of Applied Chemistry are designing and developing new sensitizers that allow solar cells to absorb a winder range of wavelengths of light. According to the inventors, this technology can increase the efficiency of current solar cells by at least 15%.
The Yokohama fair exhibited many examples of photo-voltaic technology, including a ’smart house’ in which household essentials — such as kitchen appliances, water heaters, air conditioners and even cars — are powered by solar electricity.
Having an all-electric home that incorporates energy efficient appliances that are controlled via a computerized energy management system can reduce a significant amount of household CO2 emissions, and of course even more so if the power comes from home-generated renewable energy sources such as solar panels, heat pumps and home wind turbines.
According to Tokyo Electric Power Company, the potential CO2 reductions from smart homes that incorporate energy management systems are about 56%. At the fair we found an example of such systems in Panasonic’s Lifinity, which allows family members to display their electricity production and consumption ratios in order to adjust their energy use.
This may sound cliche, but measurement of our domestic energy impact is critical — you cannot manage what you cannot measure. If we can visualize on a daily basis how much our energy is costing us and where we are being wasteful, we can more likely change our energy use habits, appliance by appliance.
Algae fuel distilled by nature
If the Yokohama exhibition is any indication, the generation of bio-fuels is one of the main areas of research for many Japanese institutes.
The Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) presented interesting research on generating “ green crude oil” from blue-green micro-algae (bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthesis). CRIEPI has simplified the complex process used in existing algae technologies by applying a particular dewatering substance to extract organic compounds (the oily components) from high water-content microalgae.
The benefit of this process is that it avoids dehydration of the biomass, extraction of crops and the use of toxic organic solvents, so another advantage of the distillation process is that it has no adverse effects on the environment or the ozone layer.
This new manner of obtaining green crude from micro-algae could be part of a mix of sustainable second generation bio-fuels that help the world overcome the global warming and energy crises. CRIEPI representatives we spoke to were keen to stress that this technology will allow for biomass extraction that does not compete with food resources. This means green crude oil would not contribute to increased food prices, as have first generation bio-fuels produced from terrestrial crops like corn and sugar.
However, production of fuel from algae does not necessarily reduce atmospheric CO2 since CO2 taken out of the atmosphere by the algae is returned when this bio-fuel is burned. At the very least however, it eliminates the introduction of new CO2 caused by burning depleting fossil fuels such as coal and oil.
2020 vision in 2030
While we get the impression from the fair that technological advances are being made across the renewable energy sector, we observed a gap between the academic research results and the progress vis a vis corporations who intend to take this technology into the public domain.
Even in the best-case scenarios, progress in this sector will take time. Developers commonly told us that they are aiming at commercializing their technologies by 2030. This is 10 years after Japan is meant to reach its 25% greenhouse gas emissions reduction target — a target for which, unfortunately, limited details have been provided.
Nonetheless, overall these newly emerging technologies provide a glimpse into what our common renewable energy future may be.
Article by Stephan Schmidt and Kenji Watanabe Courtesy of Offshorewind.biz
Shoppers in Ontario, Canada might be surprised to find the item “Eco Fee” suddenly listed at the bottom of their retail receipts, a new reality that became effective July 1.
The fees coincide with Stewardship Ontario’s July1 launch of the “Orange Drop” program, North America’s first jurisdiction to launch a single program for the management of 22 types of household materials requiring special handling when they become waste.
This Municipal Hazardous and Special Waste (MHSW) program manages paint, pharmaceuticals, petroleum products, batteries, fertilizers, pesticides and fluorescent lights, among others.
The first phase of this program launched in July 2008 with nine material categories including paint, pesticides, antifreeze and other automotive products. In 2009, that program diverted approximately 16.6 million pounds of paint and coatings, 16.9 million pounds of oil filters and 880,000 pounds of batteries from landfills and waterways, to list a few.
The July 1 launch expands the Orange Drop program into a new phase, adding 13 additional material categories, estimated to divert approximately 59.5 million pounds from landfills and waterways each year.
Stewardship Ontario, the government-regulated group set up to oversee mandated Ontario recycling programs, insists this program is not a “tax grab” but merely a fee that retailers can opt to pass on to their customers, or absorb themselves.
“Orange Drop is designed to raise awareness about what is considered a hazardous or special waste and to encourage Ontarians to make returning these items part of their regular recycling routine,” said Lyle Clarke, Vice President of Operations for Stewardship Ontario.
The fees are levied to “stewards,” the companies that make or distribute the products able to be recovered through the Orange Drop program. Stewards pay a fee based on the amount of materials put in to the marketplace. These fees range from one cent per liter for “liquid cough medication” pharmaceuticals to $6.66 per “large fire extinguisher.”
How the stewards choose to manage their fees is outside the authority of Stewardship Ontario. They may choose to absorb the cost of their fees, pass it along to their product’s sticker price or make the cost transparent by itemizing it on the cash register receipt.
According to Stewardship Ontario, every cent received from stewards is used to pay for a program to keep hazardous products out of landfills and waterways, leading us to pose the question: Would you pay more to fund the collection and recycling of the hazardous products you purchased and used?
UPDATE:
July 20, 2010 4:50 EDT
The Ontario government has officially scrapped eco fees in response to consumer backlash. However, taxpayers aren’t completely off the hook. According to CTV News, although the fees will be removed from products, the government will pay up to $5 million over the next 90 days to keep the recycling program going.
Without a doubt, one of the highlights of a stay at Wilbur Hot Springs is the natural hot mineral water. Wilbur has been known by both European settlers in the 1800s, and Native American inhabitants long before that for its therapeutic mineral waters that heal the body and soothe the soul.
The original hotel and springs, purchased by Doctor Richard Miller in the 1970s, was approximately 240 acres. In 1999, Dr. Miller purchased the surrounding 1560 acres and designated the area as a nature preserve.
In 2006, Wilbur began working with range ecologist Craig Thomsen from UC Davis to restore native plants to the area, and combat invasive species. Thomsen’s work continues currently, with Wilbur participating in raising grant money, and providing lodging in trade to guests who work with Craig.
The hot waters in the flumes are enhanced by a large, cool-water mineral swimming flume with splendid vistas of the surrounding hills, an outdoor hot mineral sitting flume, and a dry sauna next to the bathhouse.
To further enhance one’s well being, Wilbur offers complimentary yoga on weekends on the yoga deck. Trained instructors teach various types of yoga, and guests of all experience levels are welcome. In addition, Wilbur offers massage treatments year-round, performed by licensed professional therapists trained in a variety of techniques, including Esalen, Swedish and deep tissue work.
Guests enjoy other outdoor activities, as well. Hiking and biking are very popular in the nature preserve, home to breathtaking valleys and ridges, high meadows and remnants of the century-old mining operations.
Wilbur Hot Springs Is Powered Entirely By Solar Panels And Propane. Wilbur is 100% off the grid, powered entirely by solar panels and propane. Renovations and improvements are performed using eco-conscious building materials and practices. The solar panel array was installed in the early 1990s. Up to that time, the Wilbur hotel had been lit with kerosene lamps. The transition to solar-powered lighting was completed in 1991. Wilbur uses compact fluorescent light bulbs and low-flow toilets. And the cleaning products we use are all eco-friendly.
The stoves in the kitchen, and the fireplaces, which heat the hotel in winter, are powered by propane. The refrigerators are all electric and are specifically designed to run on solar power. They are more efficient and colder than the propane predecessors, and produce less waste. The refrigerators use approximately one-third the power of consumer refrigerators, which make them optimal for running on solar power.
Wilbur has been in the process of exploring hydroelectric power as an additional energy option. Plans to install such a system are still in the elementary stages.
Wilbur’s hot springs flumes are non-impact. In other words, the water is simply diverted from the geothermal source, held temporarily in the flumes and then returned to the creek. No chemicals are added to the flumes, and as a result no chemicals are being added to the water table. Quite possibly, Wilbur Hot Springs is the only 100% solar, 100% off-grid resort of its kind in the world. For you workaholics, there is no cell phone coverage in the area, so if you are thinking about heading out for a connected work vacation, think again. Wilbur is all about relaxation and rejuvenation.
World Renowned Mineral Hot Springs
Most guests are first attracted to Wilbur by the popular hot mineral springs. Sheltered by a Japanese-style “Fluminarium,” the water is channeled into three long “flumes” with average temperatures of 98, 105 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The area is completely private, and clothing is optional in the flumes, sauna and deck areas (although clothing is required everywhere else on the property).
Open day and night to guests, the flumes are a serene haven where courtesy and modesty prevail. According to Dr. Richard Louis Miller, Wilbur Hot Springs’ owner and “caretaker”, as he prefers to be called, the clothing optional policy in the fluminarium came about naturally, so to speak.
When Miller first purchased the place, it served as his home and of course, one doesn’t wear clothing in one’s bath. Then his cousin married a Japanese woman, skilled in Ikebana and the formal Japanese tea ceremony. She shared with Miller the age-old traditions of the Japanese baths, a public bathing ritual for a private, reserved culture. The group soak also reflected Miller’s personal experiences at the time at places such as Esalen in Big Sur, where similar bathing practices were common.
The last factor was a pragmatic one: after several soaks, one’s swimsuit became caked with minerals from the water, and it was just easier to go without! As Dr. Miller says, “When we wore bathing suits in Wilbur’s waters, they became crusted with the minerals that we loved to bathe in, but did not like on our suits. Furthermore, when we hung the suits in our rooms, they smelled of sulfur – which was excellent for the skin, but not for the ambience of the bedroom.”
Thus, the ‘clothing-optional’ policy was
born at Wilbur. This continues today and Wilbur’s regular clientele are
enthusiastic, vocal proponents of this policy. However, in the interest of
attracting others who might enjoy the hot springs, but who are less comfortable
with the clothing optional policy, Wilbur occasionally offers bathing suits-on
weekends.
Activities
Reconnect with Nature at
Wilbur's 1,800- Acre Nature Preserve.
Wilbur's spectacular nature preserve
surrounds you with breathtaking valleys, panoramic ridges, high meadows and the
rare remnants of century-old mining operations. In spring, wildflowers grow in
profusion in the valley, internationally known for the quantity and diversity
of its blooms, including orange poppies, yellow tidytips, purple lupine and
owl’s clover, and rare adobe lilies.
Bird-watchers are rewarded year-round:
recent sightings include bald eagles, Great Blue Herons, Pileated Woodpeckers,
Belted Kingfishers, Goldfinches, Bluebirds, and a variety of hawks, including Red
Tails, Northern Harriers, and American Kestrels.Mountain
biking is also a favorite pastime, and complimentary bikes are available for
guests to use. For a wilder adventure, river rafting is available nearby in
Cache Creek Canyon. There is also a major gambling casino within
30 minutes drive, for those who are so inclined.
Yoga Retreats and Workshops at
Wilbur Hot Springs.
Located 20 miles from the nearest town and
situated on an 1,800-acre nature preserve, Wilbur Hot Springs is a
health sanctuary blessed with transformative and healing hot
mineral waters. We feature Yoga
Weekends throughout the year with Sarana Miller, daughter of Dr. Richard
Miller, Wilbur Hot Springs owner.
Weekends students practice yoga on Wilbur's beautiful
deck, cradled in nature with the sound of spring birds and the Wilbur creek. We
begin each day with chanting and pranayama, followed by breakfast and then an
active morning session. In the afternoon there's always time for bathing,
hiking, massage and personal time. We gather in the late afternoon for a
restorative session, followed by a delicious dinner.
Dining
Meals at Wilbur Hot Springs Are Unique
With the exception of our specialGuest Chef Weekends,
guests bring their own groceries and prepare their own food - whether you go
"all out" or keep it simple is entirely up to you. Our professional
kitchen is well equipped with plenty of cookware, utensils and dishes.
Refrigerator/freezer and storage space is also provided. The kitchen becomes a
thriving community social center as you prepare your meals alongside other
guests.
When you're
ready to dine, there are several charming areas from which to choose. Nearby
the kitchen are two dining rooms, one small and cozy, the other in the Great Room.
If you prefer a feeling of outdoors, dine on the screened veranda or under the
ramada. With dignity and respect for all, a smoking area is provided in the one
designated outdoor sheltered area.
Later in the
evening, many guests take a walk under the stars or return to the flumes for
another soak. Others congregate in the Great Room to share stories of the day,
play music on the hotel piano and selection of other instruments, or curl up
with a good book in the Library near one of the propane fireplaces.
Guest Chef Weekend Sample Menu
Friday Dinner
·Local Organic Mixed Greens Salad
·Ginger Glazed Ahi Tuna Or Ginger Glazed Tempeh
·Green Bamboo Rice
·Local Organic Broccoli
·Organic Apple Upside Down Cake w/Maple Yogurt Cream
Saturday Breakfast
·Organic “Squeeze-Your-Own-Oranges" Juice
·Cage-Free Scrambled Eggs w/ Fresh Herbs
·Organic Oatmeal And Granola
·Organic Yogurt, Fresh Fruit, Selection Of Handcrafted Breads
·Organic Coffee And Tea Bar
Saturday Lunch
·Local Organic Greens Salad w/ Heirloom Tomatoes
·Smoked Salmon Spanikopita
·Roasted Organic Butternut Squash Curry Soup
·Selection Of Handcrafted Breads
·Fresh Organic Herbal Iced Tea
Saturday Dinner
·Local Organic Greens Salad, Roasted Local
·Free-Range Chicken In Porcini Mushroom & Zinfandel Wine Sauce
·Torino-Style Creamy Polenta
·Local Organic Red Russian Kale
·German Chocolate Mousse
·Fresh Organic Herbal Iced Tea
Sunday Brunch
·Organic “Squeeze-Your-Own-Oranges" Juice
·Eggs Á La Wilbur: Poached Eggs On A Francesi Roll W/ Avocado And Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Sauce
·Local And Imported Fine Cheeses Platter
·Local Organic Heirloom Tomatoes And Fresh Mozzarella Platter
·Exotic Fresh Fruit Platter
·Organic Oatmeal And Granola / Organic Yogurt / Fresh Fruit
·Selection Of Handcrafted Breads
·Organic Coffee And Tea Bar
Accommodations
Wilbur
Hot Springs offers guests a selection of accommodations. Reflecting its
turn-of-the-century origins, Wilbur’s hotel offers private guest rooms, rustic
and charming, each with its own special touches. Some rooms feature queen-sized
beds, while others offer extra beds for families or small groups. There is also
a spacious suite with a private bath and kitchen, and three optional adjoining
bedrooms, ideal for a larger family or group of friends. For those on a more
modest budget, there is a comfortable 11-bed Bunk Room.
Reflecting
the building’s century-old beginnings, toilets are conveniently located,
European-style, through the hotel. Private showers are adjacent to the
fluminarium.
In
season, a few campsites are available for those who love to sleep under the
stars
We
asked Michael from Wilbur Hot Springs to tell us in his own words why he thinks
the resort stands out among other Green Resorts.
Return2Green:
What constitutes being Green for your company at this time?
Michael:"Green"
isn't a buzzword or some concept of marketing to attract consumers, etc.
It's never been an angle; it's simply a way of life. It's astonishing that it
took us the entire span of the Industrial Revolution to realize.... if you pick
a vegetable from your own backyard; it's going to be fresher and
tastier. Green is about more than just recycling - it's about
reducing consumption, reducing waste, thinking differently about our
relationship to goods, products, and the space our hotel occupies. It's
always vital to be aware that you can't buy your way to a better world.... and
that Green Consumerism will never save us. Our hotel knows that
"Green" is much bigger than just one or two of these concepts - In
fact, I think the trend of "green" is really a smaller puzzle piece
of the overall transition towards more holistic, and ethical, business
practices. The myopic bottom line approach to business will make way for
a more grounded, down to earth ethic and experience in the future.
It is simply a fact that any hotel is deeply vested and rooted in the
community... from the mountains and springs, to the local business partners and
potential locals who will visit or work for you. If you have values
that encourage community focused on health and well being, and you understand
that systems work less efficiently as they gain complexity - you can create a
low to no impact operation that will also enhance people's lives... and impact
them long after they leave. In fact, when they see the way we live... and
the permaculture ethic we try to pattern our hotel after... many take those
lessons back into their everyday lives, and those lessons reverberate within
their community, and so on. So our operations are strictly green,
not because it sounds good.. but it *IS* good. It's just the right way to
run a business.
Return2Green:
What do you offer that is especially Green?
Michael: Our historic hotel
is situated in lands that have been used for healing for millennia... and it is
somewhat scary to think that, 100 years ago, the Industrial revolution poisoned
the mountains with a vociferous mining process. At one point, there were
literally 100's of buildings and mine operations choking the valley. It
is a rare thing to see.... massive reverse development during the 20th
Century.... that mining town that existed at Wilbur has been stripped down to
one or two original buildings, and nothing else but an 1800 acre nature
preserve. So now... those 1800 acres exist, protected, for no one but our
guests... to explore, relax, bask. Part of being able to have that is that we
are out in the middle of nature.... it's an escape from the modern world.
Albeit a short drive from Sacramento, or San Francisco.... and not too far off
the beaten path, we are happy to say there is ZERO cell signal. If that
doesn't encourage you to go, it just might encourage some husbands and wives
that would love a reprieve from their spouse's devices. =) We are off
grid, completely, and are proud to say we are the only 100% solar powered
resort in the entire world. That's a big deal... and being off grid makes
it hard to let people know about that. =) So that means when you come here...
with our methods of composting and recycling, powering our resort and more...
you have a near-zero impact vacation.
Return2Green:
What are the latest Green technologies your company
implements?
Michael: I think the solar
array is of massive importance.... it wasn't economically feasible a decade ago
for the type of technology that existed. They would break, they wouldn't
provide consistent power, etc. The leaps and bounds in sun capturing tech
has really made it possible to run our resort with zero generator. We are
very proud of it, and from what we can tell it's the only resort in the world
that is 100% solar, powered off grid.
Green Weddings Let
Wilbur Hots Springs host your wedding
and they will make is a joyously and romantic Green Occasion you will
remember for a lifetime!
Article by David Ludwick, Return2Green.**A special thanks to Michael at Wilbur Hot Springs for all his help in compiling information for the creation of this feature article.
State goes to heat and hot water. This power heavy fact has been the driving force behind a newly devised 
plan that could eventually save New York State residents $175 million a year. Given that the last nation-wide 
was tossed out the window, individual states are now coming under pressure to come up with their own 
tactics. Thankfully, even in the face of ailing government support, New York’s new solar thermal plan is a shining example of how 
remains a primary cause for most individuals. The state’s forward thinking plan will call for up to 1 million new solar thermal systems placed statewide, together able to provide a total of 2,000 MWth of solar powered heat by 2020.
where the solar thermal industry is booming — they install about 200,000 solar thermal heaters per year — the US has failed to see the value of such technology, often only perceiving it as useful in low-energy contexts such as for the heating of swimming pools. However, it is estimated that 
have the capacity to generate 50% of the hot water needed across the US.
into electricity.
generators stood at 159.2 gigawatts, or about 2% of worldwide electricity usage, according the World Wind Energy Association’s annual report (PDF). Much of the potential increase in renewable energy around the world can come from wind but significant investments will need to be made, including in offshore wind farms.
, even a gentle breeze can accelerate the revolution of the turbines considerably. The 2.5 meter-wide blades can, at with wind speed of 5 metres a second, can provide a sufficient amount of electricity to power an average household.
, it may not be easily adopted by other countries, due to differing intensities and directions of wind conditions (e.g., in Japan, coastal winds tend to be quite weak most of the year).
believes that it would take €2.4 billion (US $3.3 billion) invested in ships in order to provide for the predicted growth of offshore wind farms.
are designing and developing new sensitizers that allow solar cells to absorb a winder range of wavelengths of light. According to the inventors, this technology can increase the efficiency of current solar cells by at least 15%.
technology, including a ’smart house’ in which household essentials — such as kitchen appliances, water heaters, air conditioners and even cars — are powered by solar electricity.
, the potential CO2 reductions from smart homes that incorporate energy management systems are about 56%. At the fair we found an example of such systems in Panasonic’s Lifinity, which allows family members to display their electricity production and consumption ratios in order to adjust their energy use.
(CRIEPI) presented interesting research on generating “ green crude oil” from blue-green micro-algae (bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthesis). CRIEPI has simplified the complex process used in existing algae technologies by applying a particular dewatering substance to extract organic compounds (the oily components) from high water-content microalgae.
might be surprised to find the item “Eco Fee” suddenly listed at the bottom of their retail receipts, a new reality that became effective July 1.
