Many internal corridors of buildings do not have natural lighting due to a lack of windows. Skylights have provided natural lighting for years, but light tubes (or solar tubes) offer a new option for bringing outside light into buildings. The technology, discussed briefly in a post earlier this year as part of the Science Channel’s [...]
Archive for the ‘Green Products’ Category
A Bright Idea: Solatube – Innovation in Daylighting
November 14th, 2009 
Eric Wilson Biofuels to be Used on Passenger Flight for First Time
November 12th, 2009 Justin Manger KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced that it would become the “first airline in the world to make a demonstration flight on bio-kerosene with a select group of passengers. On 23 November 2009, KLM will operate a flight using Boeing 747 equipment. One of the aircraft engines will be running on a fuel mixture made up [...]
Fall 2009 Energy Efficiency Expo in D.C. Nov. 14th
November 10th, 2009 Justin Manger This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia (OPC-DC)* will present it’s Energy Efficiency Expo at the Walter E. Convention Center (801 Mount Vernon Place). Click on the link for a video overview of the expo as well as information on home energy and [...]
ATMs that Recycle: Aiming for a Convenient Way to Drop Off Your E-Waste
November 3rd, 2009 Justin Manger Technology advances so quickly that even if our cell phone or laptop is in perfectly good working condition, many of us upgrade to have a better camera, faster processing power, better graphics etc. Or, we jump to a different manufacturer when a new product comes out that really gets our attention. What do you do [...]
Posted in Business, Conservation, Green Products, Justin Manger, Recylcing, Sustainability 
Tags: E-waste, Green Gadget 
No Comments »A Peak at the Solar Decathlon in D.C.
October 12th, 2009 Justin Manger This afternoon I finally had a chance to visit the Solar Decathlon taking place on the National Mall. It was cloudy and cool in the capital today and by the time I got there after a half-day at work, the houses were all closed to the public. However, I did get to see some very [...]
Posted in Business, Clean Technology, Energy Efficiency, Green Building, Green Products, Justin Manger, Local Energy/Food, Renewable Energy Tags: Alternative Energy, Clean Energy, Electricity Generation, Green Technology, LEED, Photovoltaic, Renewable Energy, Solar Decathlon, Solar Energy No Comments »2009 DC Solar Tour Recap
October 8th, 2009 Justin Manger Last Saturday and Sunday the Metro Washington Area Solar Tour was held in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. Ordinary homeowners kindly opened up their houses to strangers in order to educate people interested in learning about solar power and other green technologies and practices. I visited a home in the Maryland suburbs that has a solar [...]
Rain Barrels as a Way to Conserve Water
October 5th, 2009 Harold Manger Recently, I had the opportunity to observe a simple, cost effective method for conserving water- the use of a rain barrel. For less than $100.00 the residential homeowner was able to hook up a rain barrel to the gutter drain pipe. The all-plastic rain barrel with an overflow valve for heavy rains can accumulate 60+ [...]
Desalinization: Not Perfect but Necessary
October 4th, 2009 Justin Manger As seen in the most recent “Friday Facts”, the amount of fresh water that is easily accessible and safe for consumption makes up a tiny fraction of the total volume of water on earth. In fact, roughly 97% of all water is in the form of the salt water found in our massive oceans. Considering [...]
Product Review: HP Officejet Pro 8500 All-in-one
October 3rd, 2009 Eric Wilson Earlier this week I purchased a Hewlett-Packard Printer (HP Officejet Pro 8500). After seeing HP receive the number one ranking in Newsweek’s inaugural Greenest Big Companies in America issue, combined with an instant $50 rebate offered by HP toward this model when recycling an older printer (from any company) at Staples, I decided to take [...]
Posted in Energy Efficiency, Eric Wilson, Green Products, Reviews Tags: Energy Star, Green Product, Offsets, Product Review No Comments »Move Over X-Prize, Here Comes the L-Prize
September 29th, 2009 Eric Wilson A $10 million (US) competition to design a better light bulb has been initiated by the United States’ Department of Energy (DOE). Taking a page from the X-Prize foundation, which offers monetary rewards for innovative products, the government hopes to find a replacement for the 19th century incandescent light bulb. Dubbed the L-Prize – short [...]
Posted in Eric Wilson, Green Products Tags: CFL, Department of Energy, Energy Conservation, Green Product, LED Lights, X-Prize No Comments »
