Green Business News - Week Ending August 13th
Bicycle-Based Compost Collection Turns Town Toward Smarter Sanitation
Minneapolis-based Eureka Recycling is conducting an experiment to see if residents are interested in composting. Eureka employee Sonya Ewert is using a 27-gear bicycle and a custom-made compost trailer to go door to door and collect compostable items. Says Ewert, "It's been a bit smellier than I anticipated, but in general if I get paid to bike around, I can't complain about that."
If enough people are interested, Eureka will start offering the service. Tim Brownell, CEO of Eureka, would like to move toward a zero-waste city by 2020. He hopes that if he can establish a clear demonstration of interest, the permitting process will be easier to navigate.
For Parched Farmers, a Crop of Electrons
Farmers in the San Joaquin Valley are looking to large-scale solar power plants as a solution to hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland that are unable to produce crops. Decades of water shortages and drainage problems have led to a buildup of salt in the soil that forced 250,000 acres of land to be retired from farming.
Farmers are hoping to once again profit from the contaminated land by building a 5000-megawatt photovoltaic power complex. Farmer Mark Shannon is one of the farmers leasing land for the solar installation, although he’d rather be growing crops. In 2009, Shannon was unable to farm 85% of his land after receiving only 10% of their water supply. His family has farmed there for three generations.
Ford microgrid to combine solar with EV charging
Ford Motor announced plans to convert a Wayne, Michigan SUV factory to a solar-powered plant that will produce fuel-efficient cars. A microgrid will combine on-site solar generation with a battery that can be used to charge electric vehicles. The charging station will be used to charge electric trucks that transport parts between facilities.
The plan is intended to serve as a smart-grid test, and will cost $5.8 million to install. Ford expects to save $160,000 a year in energy costs.
Geneco's VW (Dung) Beetle gets pep from poop
Sustainable energy company Geneco has unveiled a modified Volkswagon Beetle that runs on methane gas extracted from human waste. Biogas is generated when sewage from a waste plant is put into a special container where oxygen-starved bacteria break it down and produce methane. The methane can then be used to power the Beetle’s modified engine.
Co-op capitalizes renewable energy businesses
A renewable energy cooperative, called Co-op Power, has added a new biodiesel business to its portfolio. Northeast Biodiesel is a multi-million dollar project in Massachusetts that will make about 3.5 million gallons of fuel per year, using recycled oil. The fuel will be used in buses, tractors, cars and in home heating systems. The new company is owned by the co-op and its 375 members, which will keep benefits and profits within the local community.
Some estimates claim this type of biodiesel is 80% better for the planet than conventional diesel made from soy or petroleum.
Nouvelle food trucks make fast food with slow values
A new wave of street food vendors across the country are bringing the Slow Food movement’s principles of local, sustainably grown and simple ingredients to the street corner. These upscale food trucks represent a new breed of mobile eco-conscious entrepreneurs, who are producing low-cost, high-quality food that is not only fast, but also fresh and tasty. Facebook and twitter are widely used to build customer loyalty, and to broadcast truck locations and specials.
LED Bulb Edges Below $20
Home Depot began selling new 30-year LED light bulbs for less than $20, after experts predicted such bulbs would cost at least $30 each through 2012. LED bulbs differ from compact florescent bulbs by emitting a light that is warmer and brighter, more closely emulating regular incandescents.
A spokeswoman for Home Depot said that the new EcoSmart LED bulbs are already so popular they are having trouble keeping them on the shelves.
Portland Gets North America's First Public Quick-Charge Station for EVs
Oregon’s largest utility has teamed up with NEC Corp, a communications and information technology company, to open North America’s first public-use, quick-charge station for electric vehicles. The charging station requires only 20-30 minutes to recharge an electric vehicle’s lithium-ion battery to 80% of its full charge.
Portland State University is working with PGE and the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium to document the project, and plans to release its findings in September.
