Last month the US Department of Energy (DOE) selected teams from 20 colleges and universities to take part in the 2013 Solar Decathlon at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. (A full list of schools can be seen below). The location for next year’s Decathlon marks a departure from previous ones which were held [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Department of Energy’
ARPA-E Director Majumdar Lays It Out Plain and Simple
January 11th, 2012
Justin Manger Modeled after the successful Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the agency responsible for such technological innovations as the Internet and the stealth technology found in the F-117, the Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (ARPA-E) within the Department of Energy (DOE) was established to focus on creative “out-of-the-box” transformational energy research. Regarding our current energy situation, this [...]
Five Friday Facts: Solar Power, China, and Trade
October 28th, 2011
Eric Wilson The following facts come from a New York Times article – which served as the basis for this post – on potential trade violations among Chinese solar panel manufacturers. The American solar power market is worth about $6 billion a year. China already accounts for three-fifths of the world’s solar panel production. China exports 95 [...]
University of Maryland Wins the 2011 Solar Decathlon
October 8th, 2011
Eric Wilson Much like the World Track and Field Championships, which are held every other odd-numbered year and boast the world’s greatest athlete (i.e. the decathlon winner), the Solar Decathlon in Washington D.C. also takes place biannually on years ending in odd numbers. Two years ago, the team from Germany was victorious for the second straight competition. [...]
Department of Energy Relaunches Energy.gov
August 8th, 2011
Eric Wilson Go to doe.gov and you will end up at the government’s website for the Department of Energy. The Energy Department also runs Energy.gov, which relaunched their sister site late last week in order to “make it easier for you to find important energy information and services in your community.” Check out the revamped site. They [...]
America’s Home Energy Education Challenge
June 23rd, 2011
Eric Wilson Last month the Department of Energy (DOE) and National Science Teachers Association (disclaimer: I am a former member of the NSTA) launched a cooperative effort to reduce energy consumption. Christened America’s Home Energy Education Challenge, the goal of the effort is to engage young people in their energy usage. According to the post on the [...]
Revisiting an Old Idea: Cutting the Speed Limit
June 14th, 2011
Chris DeArmond Many people (myself included) cringe at the thought of having a 55 or 60 mph speed limit on the highway. But, if we’re going to seriously address foreign oil dependence and climate change, it should at least be on the table for discussion. When the national speed limit in the U.S. was restricted to 55 [...]
May 7th is National Train Day
May 3rd, 2011
Eric Wilson It seems like just about every cause has a day, week, or month dedicated to it. Last month I mentioned Home Farming Day, as well as our favorite, Earth Day. These “celebrations” are one way to raise awareness about an issue or topic. Just the other day National Train Day came across my radar. Find [...]
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