Each time I paddle out to surf or stand on top of a mountain I [...]]]> Our governments are cherry pickin’ in left field. They are watching too much TV, or maybe they are too busy checking themselves out in the mirror. Whatever it is they are doing, they are not taking decisive action on climate change.

Each time I paddle out to surf or stand on top of a mountain I feel closer to the Earth. I think about this big beautiful planet that I live on with billions of other people. Such a big world, yet so small…

How are we going to keep this planet healthy? How in the world are we going to keep the Earth beautiful without beginning to take action on climate change?

The folks behind 350.org feel that the solution lies in an international grassroots movement connected through the power of the Internet. Check out this powerful animation created by 350.org that transcends language barriers delivering a message hard to ignore.

Visit 350.org to learn more about this exciting international campaign aimed at uniting the world around a solution to climate change.

Renewable Energy Vermont. (REV)

High pressure is parked right on top of us today in Maine. The sun is shining bright and although I am really excited that its hardening up the mountain bike trails behind my house and helping the trees get their summer kicks on, I can’t help but think that it [...]]]>

Renewable Energy Vermont. (REV)

High pressure is parked right on top of us today in Maine. The sun is shining bright and although I am really excited that its hardening up the mountain bike trails behind my house and helping the trees get their summer kicks on, I can’t help but think that it would be great to be harnessing some of those rays into clean, natural energy.

The time is nearly upon us when affordable and functional solar systems will be available to the masses. The demand is coming, affordable renewable energies are just around the bend and soon enough this will mean a whole lot of probably pretty cool, well paying jobs.

Renewable Energy Vermont (REV) will host three Photovoltaic Design & Installation Training sessions this spring. The catch unfortunately is that you must be a licensed electrician, electricians apprentice, and/or an experienced solar contractor. Get creative and maybe you can convince them you are experienced.

The three photovoltaic Design & Installation Training sessions will be held in the following locations throughout Vermont. Visit REV’s website to find out lots more and register.

Colchester: May 7 & 14
Green Mountain Power
163 Acorn Lane
Colchester, VT 05446
9:00am – 5:00pm

Brattleboro: May 7 & 14
Holiday Inn Express
100 Chickering Drive
Brattleboro, VT 05301
9:00am – 5:00pm

Lyndonville: May 21 & 27
Lyndon State College
1001 College Road
Lyndonville, VT 05851
9:00am – 5:00pm

Are you interested finding out how to make clean, renewable energy a true reality in New England? Sure, many of us believe in clean energy investments, but what’s holding it all back right now?

Renewable Energy Vermont will host the Fourth Annual Distributed Generation Northeast Conference being held on Wednesday, May [...]]]>

REV Conference May 19, 2010

Are you interested finding out how to make clean, renewable energy a true reality in New England? Sure, many of us believe in clean energy investments, but what’s holding it all back right now?

Renewable Energy Vermont will host the Fourth Annual Distributed Generation Northeast Conference being held on Wednesday, May 19 at the Equinox Resort in Manchester, Vermont.

The conference will focus on the importance of tackling the clean energy mandate through locally distributed projects, and how Vermont has the ability to lead the nation in Smart Grid implementation.

There is no time like the present to get rolling on clean energy projects. It is more important than ever for local communities to be informed of the technology available right now.

Renewable Energy Analyst, Paul Gipe will address the 2010 Conference with a talk titled “Moving Vermont to the Top of the Class: How to Improve Vermont’s Feed-in Tariff Program.”

Visit the Renewable Energy Vermont website to find out more about this clean energy conference, obtain the necessary registration forms, and find links to the program agenda.

For general conference information, contact:
Renewable Energy Vermont (REV)
PO Box 1036
Montpelier, VT 05602
info@revermont.org
(802) 229-0099

The U.S. Department of Energy has a really neat interactive website that provides a whole bunch of tips on how to save money, and protect the environment.

“Make Everyday an Earth Day,” includes an illustration of a house with all of the appliances and features you [...]]]>

"Make Everyday an Earthday." Source - U.S. Dept of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy has a really neat interactive website that provides a whole bunch of tips on how to save money, and protect the environment.

“Make Everyday an Earth Day,” includes an illustration of a house with all of the appliances and features you would expect to find in an average home labeled. When you click on the appliance or feature, a little window pops up and tells you what you can do to cut down on greenhouse emissions, save energy, lower costs, etc…

As you travel down the street onto the next webpage, you encounter a page dedicated to the need for more cleaner, diverse energy supplies needed to meet demand, address climate change and reduce dependence on foreign sources.

The page provides a whole bunch of useful information on solar electric power, geothermal, biofuels, wind, water power, smart electric grid and more.

The site is very well put together and definitely worth having a look. This is a great, easy to navigate, learning tool for everyone. Who knows, you might just learn something you didn’t know. Visit the page by clicking here.

This is good news for Middletown, RI. based Rhode Island Wind Power, [...]]]> Rhode Island has made available $8,395,000 in grants, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), to help fund 25 percent of the upfront costs associated with renewable energy projects for Rhode Island residents, businesses, municipalities, non-profit organizations and academic institutions.

This is good news for Middletown, RI. based Rhode Island Wind Power, Inc., a full service renewable energy company specializing in wind energy and solar systems for home, office and farms.

Owner Tim Hetland, and many others like him are stepping up to the plate creating renewable energy companies that can help us towards a cleaner, greener planet.

I am not quite sure how bored you would need to get to want to log onto a website to watch 28 wind turbines do their thing, but its now possible to watch New England second largest wind farm live in action.

First Winds 85$ million wind farm project on top of [...]]]>

Mars Hill Wind Farm

I am not quite sure how bored you would need to get to want to log onto a website to watch 28 wind turbines do their thing, but its now possible to watch New England second largest wind farm live in action.

First Winds 85$ million wind farm project on top of Mars Hill Mountain in Maine has cameras pointed right at it. Each of the towers climb 389 feet towards the sky, and when operating at full capacity the turbines can generate approximately 42 megawatts of power.

This is enough power to run electricity to about 45,000 Maine homes. The Mars Hill Wind Farm helps offset approximately 65,000 tons of carbon dioxide, and over 350 tons of other damaging pollutants every year.

You can watch the turbines fly in the wind by visiting the Mars hill Wind Farm website. While you are there, you can even check out the latest snowmobile trail report, which probably isn’t all that good right now. What a strange, warm winter it has been in Maine.

Here is the new logo that hopefully will remain as the permanent logo for Soundcentury.

Other news…Soundcentury is now primarily focused with the New England Music Scene. Why not? It rocks and I live in Maine. I spent years photographing bands in Vermont and many of these bands will be featured in upcoming podcasts [...]]]>

soundcentury logo

Here is the new logo that hopefully will remain as the permanent logo for Soundcentury.

Other news…Soundcentury is now primarily focused with the New England Music Scene. Why not? It rocks and I live in Maine. I spent years photographing bands in Vermont and many of these bands will be featured in upcoming podcasts and again, New England rocks. Plus, it’s a big world. There is a shit load of bands out there, and to even attempt to try and stay on top of that is just not happening at the moment.

I am ciked to get down with New England bands in future podcasts. Truly looking foreword to it actually, and it gives this project some focus which is cool. So, thanks to all those subscribed to the podcast. I will do my best to keep delivering a podcast on a weekly basis, and try to keep you all up to date on emerging alternative energy companies that are going to explode in the coming years.

Oh, and I recently upgraded my audio equipment, and so the podcasts are going to be sounding a lot smoother. Thanks for hanging in there for all that annoying feedback that kept happening. Expect future shows to be much better sounding.

I will leave you with a little live Frank Zappa from 1976 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. This funky track is Dirty Love.

Various types of [...]]]> Try walking down a busy city street, or stroll through your local grocery and for no more than 30 seconds look around you at the people passing you by. Chances are very good that at least a few of them were punching something into their mobile device, or hugging it to their ear.

Various types of communication devices are everywhere and in order for them to function they need to have power. Batteries can only hold so much juice and electrical outlets are not always at our fingertips.

New Energy Systems Group has looked to the sun and developed a solar mobile charger for a series of iPhone and iPod models for use in the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg.

New Energy Systems Group, a vertically integrated original design manufacturer and distributor of lithium ion batteries and backup power systems recently announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement with A-Solar, a European developer and distributor of solar powered products for charging mobile electronics.

Under the initial one-year agreement, A-Solar will handle the distribution for the solar mobile chargers throughout Western Europe.

Trying to stay on top of this stuff is kind of crazy. There are so many emerging technologies geared toward softening our blows to this fragile, beautiful planet. There seems to be quite a bit of buzz surrounding smart grid technology.

Smart grid technology relies on an intelligent monitoring system, which [...]]]>

Smart Grid Technology. Soundcentury.

Trying to stay on top of this stuff is kind of crazy. There are so many emerging technologies geared toward softening our blows to this fragile, beautiful planet. There seems to be quite a bit of buzz surrounding smart grid technology.

Smart grid technology relies on an intelligent monitoring system, which keeps track of all electricity flowing out and about. It is essentially an upgrade to outdated, wasteful energy practices that will ultimately reduce costs by directing needed energy based on supply and demand. Bottom line…it’s smarter.

The demand is there right now for these modern electricity networks and according to the independent research and advisory firm Lux Research,

“Through the end of October 2008, VCs have put over $350 million into companies such as GridPoint and Silver Spring Networks (which received $120 million and $75 million respectively), and are on pace to eclipse batteries to become the most funded technology segment in alternative power and energy storage this year. Investors seeking to ride the wave of adoption as utilities transition from “dumb” to “smart” metering systems should move quickly to avoid missing the boat.”

A couple companies that look like they might rock this market are IBM, Cisco, Accenture and EnerNOC.

The Blur loves smart grid technology. Ha. ha. Maybe they do love it. Not sure about this, but this is a killer tune.

Look up in the sky on the next sunny day. Do you see that big huge yellow ball that is stinging your eyes unless you have a nice pair of shades on. It’s hard to miss. It’s sitting right there amongst those clouds in the big blue sky.

With a [...]]]>

Soundcentury. Indie Rock | Alternative Energy

Look up in the sky on the next sunny day. Do you see that big huge yellow ball that is stinging your eyes unless you have a nice pair of shades on. It’s hard to miss. It’s sitting right there amongst those clouds in the big blue sky.

With a little technological lovin’, a dash of genius and some good ol’ fashioned hard work, we might just have the planets energy solution sitting right in front of our faces. Sunpower has been slapping on the sunscreen knowing full well about this practical alternative energy resource since the 1970’s when rock and roll was dirty and sweaty.

Today, Sunpower is one of the global leaders in developing high-efficiency solar solutions for homes, businesses, commercial building and utilities. Sunpower is in a position to be a major force in the alternative energy revolution.