Energy efficiency

Leonardo DiCaprio is reported to be getting the first Fisker Karma, a luxury plug-in hybrid sports car. He can now get a hybrid trailer to match on his next film project.

King Kong Production Trailers (KKPT) announced today that it's making what it believes is the world's first solar hybrid production trailer.

The Helios will include solar panels, and both a solar generator and a biodiesel generator for on-site use.

The interior will also sport some sustainable touches with bamboo cabinetry, recycled rubber flooring, recycled glass countertops, and Forest Stewardship Council certified lumber.

What might be the most … Read more

If you've heard about residential LED lightbulbs, you probably know that they're energy-efficient, last a long time, and are pricier than other lightbulb technologies.

I've been using LED lights in my home for several months now, and overall the transition has been good. As you consider your lighting options, here a few things that you might not know about LEDs.

LEDs are cooler. When you're running fans or an air conditioner this summer, having burning-hot incandescent bulbs just makes it harder to manage the heat. LEDs run much cooler than incandescent bulbs and significantly cooler than … Read more

Interbrand released a report today ranking the world's most green brands in terms of both perception and performance.

The companies on their list are not just using green initiatives as a way of creating a positive image with consumers. They are also making money from them.

Toyota ranked first, not only due to the financial success of its hybrid-electric Prius and its partnership on the all-electric Tesla. But since 1992 the auto manufacturer has also made large strides reducing energy use, water consumption, waste, and toxic emissions, according to Interbrand.

Among the 50 top green brands, Toyota is followed … Read more

SolarCity said today that it will begin to offer installation services for solar-powered EV chargers compatible with any electric vehicle currently on the market.

To do so, the company is partnering with EV charger manufacturer ClipperCreek, which will supply chargers that use the standard SAE-J1772 charge cable.

Installation of a 240-volt Level II charger, which typically charges an EV battery to full capacity in about four hours, for a home or business will start at $1,500 including the price of the charger, according to SolarCity.

SolarCity said the offer is not just an add-on for customers who have the … Read more

Japanese shipping giant Kawasaki Kisen is building a next-generation car carrier that will run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) instead of fuel oil, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent.

The carrier is set to be about 156 yards long, with a capacity of 5,000 tons, capable of carrying up to about 2,000 cars. Kawasaki Heavy Industries will supply the gas engines, and its nitrogen oxide emissions profile will be up to 90 percent lower than those of vessels using conventional diesel engines.

Kawasaki Kisen, whose K Line containers are a common sight in ports, made the plan … Read more

The U.S. electricity grid powered through a record-setting heat wave last week with an assist from demand response, an efficiency technique poised for broader use.

The heat wave pummeled large parts of the Eastern and Southern U.S. last week, causing a spike in peak-time demand from added air conditioning loads. Three grid operators, or regional transmission organizations (RTOs), set new records for the highest peak demand load, with the New York grid only slighting missing its peak.

Grid operators met soaring demand by ordering power from addition generators, called "peaker plants," which only operate a few … Read more

Flor, the green carpet manufacturer, announced Thursday that it's opened a fifth brick-and-mortar store, this one in Dallas.

Like its other retail stores in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and Santa Monica, the Dallas Flor store will offer a recycling drop-off for customers to return worn Flor items.

Flor sells carpets that are made from either wool or mostly renewable and recycled content, with an end goal of eventually making all its carpets entirely from sustainable materials.

In an age when most carpeting comes with a high amount of unhealthy VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), FLOR carpets also either meet or … Read more

Royal Philips Electronics' new 75-watt-equivalent LED bulb is now available for sale online.

The 17-watt LED bulb is equal to a 75-watt incandescent but uses 80 percent less electricity and lasts 24 times longer than the average incandescent, according to Philips.

The bulb has a lifespan of 25,000 hours, roughly the equivalent of 17 years of daily four-hour use, and a color temperature of 2,700, which is a warm yellow light similar to that of an incandescent bulb, according to company specs.

Philips first unveiled the bulb, which is compatible to fit into any 75-watt incandescent socket, in … Read more

The U.S. government is aiming to pull the plug on hundreds of unneeded data centers over the next few years in an attempt to save taxpayers some hard-earned cash.

In a blog published yesterday, the White House's Office of Management and Budget admitted that instead of consolidating data centers as many businesses have done in recent years, the government went in the opposite direction. Between 1998 and 2010, federal agencies actually quadrupled their number of data centers despite increases in the efficiency of data storage.

And, of course, taxpayers have been stuck paying the bills for those data … Read more