Last COSI 'Green' Tech & Solutions Blog

After 5 years, this is the last COSI 'Green' Technology & Solutions blog. We will, however, continue to maintain the associated COSI 'Green' Technology web site. We thank the thousands of visitors that took the time to visit the site and read our blogs.

One final note -  You might want to read the Executive Summary of the latest report on the 'Future of Global Climate Economy' at http://newclimateeconomy.report

Where Do Consumers Go to Buy 'Green' Solutions

You don't really need to hunt for a specialized web site or store to find and buy 'green' products anymore. Go online to Amazon, eBay, andr Sears or simply drive to your nearest Home Depot, Lowes, or Costco store. The following are links to some of the major U.S. chain stores now selling 'green' technology products to consumers, e.g. solar powered devices, wind power generators, LED lighting, etc.

• Amazon.Com Alternative Energy Products: wind generators, solar panels, solar chargers, etc.
• COSTCO Solar Products: solar lights, solar panels, solar chargers, solar backup power, etc. 
• Energy Supermarket - online store selling a wide range of solar and wind powered energy saving solutions.
• HGTV Solar Products: solar lights, solar panels, solar shingles, solar showers, etc.
• Home Depot Solar Products: solar lights, solar panels, solar charging kits, etc.  and  Home Depot Wind Power Products: Home Wind Generator Kits
• Lowes Solar Products: solar lights, solar panels, solar charging kits, solar roof vents, etc.
• Sears Solar Products: solar lights, solar panels, solar chargers, solar water heaters, etc.
  
• Solar & Wind Energy Retailers : Listing of retail stores across the country and around the world selling and installing a wide range of solar, wind, and micro-hydro energy systems and related products.

 * Also, read Consumer Reports: Greener Choices

Tell us about 'green' technology products you have bought that are making a difference in your life? Your energy bill?  

** Visit the COSI 'Green' Technology web site. 

Stores Selling Alternative Energy Solutions to Consumers

The following are links to some of the major U.S. chain stores now selling 'green' technology products to consumers for their homes, e.g. solar powered devices, wind power generators, etc. The list may surprise you.

• Amazon.Com Alternative Energy Products: wind generators, solar panels, solar chargers, etc.
• COSTCO Solar Products: solar lights, solar panels, solar chargers, solar backup power, etc.
• HGTV Solar Products: solar lights, solar panels, solar shingles, solar showers, etc.
• Home Depot Solar Products: solar lights, solar panels, solar charging kits, etc.  and  Home Depot Wind Power Products: Home Wind Generator Kits
• Lowes Solar Products: solar lights, solar panels, solar charging kits, solar roof vents, etc.
• Sears Solar Products: solar lights, solar panels, solar chargers, solar water heaters, etc.
• Solar & Wind Energy Retailers : Listing of retail stores across the country and around the world selling and installing a wide range of solar, wind, and micro-hydro energy systems and related products.

*** Check out Home Power Magazine and the COSI 'Open' Green Technology web site. Also, take a quick look at UNI-Solar, a U.S. company based in Michigan that is the world's largest producer of flexible solar panels for the commercial and residential marketplace.

Have you installed solar panels or a wind powered generator for your home? If you know of other major chain stores selling these type of useful alternative energy devices for one's home, please let us know about them.

Alternative 'Green' Energy Solutions in Health Care

Health care and community service organization's visions for the future should include having more and more of their information technology (HIT) infrastructure powered by alternative "hybrid" energy systems that tap into solar, wind, hydro, and traditional electrical energy sources. 

In the health care industry there are compelling reasons to acquire and implement alternative energy systems. These include providing continuity of care during major natural and man-made disasters and providing power for health IT systems in remote locations around the world where there is unreliable electrical service. 

In early 2000, a preliminary analysis of solar powered computer systems surfaced very few examples or references related to this subject. However, the times have changed. More efficient solar energy systems are now being produced at lower costs which are becoming attractive alternatives, especially as the price of oil climbs ever higher.

The number of examples where Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solar energy components are being used to power computer systems has increased dramatically, including installations by health care facilities in a wide range of  locations around the world. The following examples focus primarily on the current status of solar power solutions as they have been deployed in health care settings around the world.

Health IT Systems in Scotland - At Napier University's Merchiston campus in Scotland solar panels are being installed that will generate enough electricity to power up to 80 of the 500 computers at the state-of-the-art Jack Kilby Centre. See http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=363002005

 

Solar Energy Project Enhances CDC Health Care Facility in Kenya - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Health Initiative facility in Homa Bay, Kenya, benefits from a solar energy power system that delivers reliable power and reduce losses of vital medicine and laboratory test samples. 

BioRegion and Mongolian Hospital - BioRegion's solar project in Renchinlhumbe, Mongolia, focuses on two strategic community centers—a boarding school and a hospital. See http://www.bioregions.org/pdfs/solar.pdf
 
USAID & Kakuuto Hospital in Uganda - USAID youth volunteers are working with "Solar Light for Africa", a faith-based non-governmental organization, in providing solar power to clinics, orphanages, schools and churches. This includes solar power for computers. See http://www.usaid.gov/stories/uganda/fp_uganda_solar.pdf#search='solar%20powered%20hospital%20computers'
 
SELF and the Solomon Islands – The SELF organization is now bringing solar power to approximately a dozen rural health clinics throughout Temotu Province of the Solomon Islands.  They are providing dependable solar electricity for critical medical devices including computers, microscope, oxygen concentrators, and dental equipment. See http://www.self.org/sol_islands2.asp
 
Monmouth Ocean Hospital Service Corporation (MONOC) - In 2005, the largest emergency medical services agency in New Jersey flipped the switch on a 119 kilowatt solar energy system that provides about 20 percent of its electricity needs while contributing to a cleaner, healthier environment. MONOC is believed to be the only major health care organization in the state to invest in such a renewable energy system. 

SUN in Haiti and the Congo - SUN and partner Dinh Solar Company have developed a pioneering solar medical autoclave, photovoltaic power generator, and solar hot water and disinfectant system for remote hospitals in the villages of Morbin Crochu in Haiti, and Bulape in south central Congo. Photovoltaics (PV) provide electricity for lighting, refrigeration of medicines, a computer system, and an x-ray machine. See http://www.sunutility.com/html_pg/healthcare.html

Finally, the Alternative 'Green' Energy and the vibrant 'Open Source' software movements have an underlying philosophy that is very similar. Both appeal to the ideas of:

• Independence
• Freedom
• Thriftiness
• National Security
• Improved Health Status
• Creativity & Innovation 
• Being Good Stewards of Resources

* For information about the 'Open Source' movement in health care, visit http://health.cositech.net 

Do you know of other interesting examples of health care or other community service systems being powered by alternative energy sources somewhere in the U.S. or around the world? Please share these with us.

Selected References American Wind Energy Association - http://www.awea.org COSI Green Technology – http://green.cositech.net ECOMall - http://www.ecomall.com/biz/solarcat.htm  EnerSol - http://www.enersol.org/aboutus.html Green Guide for Health Care - www.gghc.org MicroHydroPower.Net - http://microhydropower.net/index.php   National Renewable Energy Laboratory -  http://www.nrel.gov Sustainable Village - http://www.thesustainablevillage.com/projects/ghana.html Solar Wind Works -  http://www.solarwindworks.com/index.htm Virtual Explorers - http://www.virtualexplorers.org/ARD/Dolphin/solar.htm

COSI Green Technology - Web Site Enhancements

We are continuing to enhance the COSI 'Green Technology web site with new content, studies, and videos. 

The following are selected links provided in the web site to alternative energy sources that we need to consider using in West Virginia and across the U.S.  These are alternatives to existing carbon based energy solutions. Europe is already stepping out ahead of the U.S.  Strictly speaking, some of these alternatives may not be considered true clean or 'green' alternatives. 

• Biomass Power
• 'Clean' Coal Technology
• Geothermal Technology
• Hydroelectric Power
• Hydrogen Energy
• Micro-Hydro Technology
• Natural Gas Solutions
• Ocean & Tidal Energy
• Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
• Solar Power Solutions
• Wind Power Solutions

If you would like to suggest new material or links to be added to this web site, please email heather.groen1@gmail.com

'Green' Computer Plans, Policies, and Information

All public and private sector organizations today should incorporate a commitment to using 'green' technology in their corporate vision statement. Their plans and policies should include a commitment to:

• green computing, recycling, and waste management;
• green computer systems constructed of biodegradable materials;
• green computer systems that are energy efficient;
• computer systems powered by ‘hybrid’ green energy sources;
• green computers and energy conservation;
• computer systems housed in green buildings;
• green operating practices and procedures; and
• green ‘open source’ software solutions.

The following are links to 'green' technology information, tools, and web sites that you might find of use in crafting your 'green' computing plans, policies, and operating procedures.

Organization Links ENERGY STAR  Green Electronics Council Silicon Valley Toxics  Coalition Sustainable Computing Consortium The Green Grid World Computer Exchange Green Computing Projects Green WiFi Project IBM Project Big Green Green Health IT Projects World Community Grid

News Links C/Net Green Tech News Green Technology Forum Greener Computing News & Resources The Green Lounge - News Feed Articles & Studies Green Computing Guide ‘Green’ Information Technologies GreenTMC.Net Articles Google & Sustainable Computing Google & Green IT Initiatives Telecommuting Resource Guide

Software & Tools Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)  GreenPrint Software NightWatchman Personal/Household Emissions Calculator Corporate Energy Consumption Tools CleanTech.Net: Software Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator

 
Do you work for an organization that has incorporated their commitment to 'green' technology and solutions into their corporate plans and/or operating  policies & procedures? Tell us about it and give us a link to their plans, policy statements, or other information resources so we can learn from your organization.

* Visit green.cositech.net for more detailed information about 'green' technologies & solutions.

The Church & 'Green' Solutions

[by Peter Groen]

For many years the Christian community assumed that `Green' issues were not their concern - but belonged to the realm of the`New Age' movement. However, environmentally conscious churches and Christian universities are part of a changing trend and growing movement. There is an increased awareness by faith communities that the environment is in great need of attention. The once-tiny Christian environmental movement began quickly accelerating in 2006, when 85 prominent evangelical leaders signed on to the Evangelical Climate Initiative calling for action on global warming. Their numbers are continuing to grow.

It is hard to imagine that God is indifferent to the widespread destruction of the world He created. To think that we can claim on the one hand to love God, and then to be indifferent to His creation, is tragic. We are now seeing the consequences of choices by human society that opt for personal comfort at the cost of the survival of the wider creation. There are many ways for Christians to spread God's word and share their faith by caring for his creation. Our biblical convictions and our relationship to God should lead us to pray and take action now to be better stewards of this world, before it is too late. See http://en.arocha.org/bible/index3.html

Christian Today News Item December 2008: New coal-fired power plants are a "black and toxic Christmas present", according to Christian Aid. The aid agency said indications that the Government will allow the building of new coal-fired power stations before technology is developed to capture and store their carbon emissions dramatically undermines the UK claims to be leading the battle against climate change.  See http://www.christiantoday.com/article/coalfired.power.plants.branded.toxic.christmas.present/22192.htm

There is a need to "wake up consciences," Pope Benedict said in a recent interview. "We have to give impulse to rediscovering our responsibility and to finding an ethical way to change our way of life." Benedict said that politicians and experts must be "capable of responding to the great ecological challenge and to be up to the task of this challenge. We have our responsibilities toward Creation."

See http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080712/pope-expresses-worry-about-climate-change.htm

News on the Church and the Environment

Christian ‘Green’ News Feeds - http://del.icio.us/christianheadlines/environment

Google Search Results – Go to:

http://www.google.com/search?q=news+church+and+the+environment+2010&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Selected Links to Explore http://en.arocha.org/home/ http://www.christian-ecology.org.uk/  http://www.ecen.org/cms/index.php?page=home http://www.creationcare.org/ http://www.webofcreation.org/ http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/special/globalwarming.html

Some people don't like to bring religion into issues. However, I think it's important since 'going green' often requires a change in key beliefs. Let us know if your 'church', whatever your religion may be, is getting involved in this movement to be better stewards of the planet.  Thanks.

Sharing News About 'Green' Solutions for West Virginia

The goal of this blog and associated web site is to help provide information to citizens and the business community in West Virginia on 'green' technology and solutions that can  improve our quality of life, reduce energy costs, protect our environment, and help our country become less dependent on costly foreign energy suppliers.  By collaborating on the identification, acquisition, development and deployment of innovative ‘green’ solutions and sharing resulting knowledge, software, and technologies with the larger community—we will all reap the benefits—for West Virginia and the U.S.

In the last thirty-five years the message has been clear, but ignored. The world is being held over a barrel - an oil barrel - when it comes to energy. We all know it's past time to diversify our sources of energy. The public and private sectors need to take the initiative to lead the way into our diversified energy future where the centerpiece of our world's long-range strategy ought to be conservation and increased usage of solar, wind, water power coupled with other sources of energy currently used by all sectors of the economy. 

Imagine a future where millions of businesses and homes are constructed and equipped with 'hybrid' solar, wind and traditional energy systems. One where people are able to sell excess energy they generate back to the national power grid. The role of energy utility companies in the 21st century ought to change from a centralized approach toward energy production to a more decentralized approach where citizens begin to 'partner' with their utility companies. 

Many of today’s business and government leaders now recognize that a corporate program in sustainability or 'green' technology often yields profits, and managers around the world are beginning to capitalize on this. Some more far seeing companies are proactively adopting and promoting practices that will benefit our environment in every aspect of their business.

Some articles by the Webmaster on collaboration, 'open solutions', and innovation include:

• 'Green' Technology Strategies & Practices

Please share with us and others about noteworthy 'green' technologies, companies initiatives, etc. that we should know about in West Virginia.

WV 'Green' Tech & Solutions

This blog was started to help further raise awareness in West Virginia of 'green' issues, technologies, and solutions. Building up our investment in 'green' technology, 'green' manufacturing, 'green', companies, 'green' jobs, and government policies to support the 'greening' of America and West Virginia which will be good for our country and our economy.

The following are selected links to some 'green' technology and alternative energy companies in West Virginia:

• Acacia Environmental - Provides consulting services and guidance on a wide range of environmental issues.
• Alterra.Com - A supplier of renewable energy hardware and systems for homes and small businesses in southern WV.
• Anglers Electric & Solar- A local solar energy contractor and installer in the Eastern Panhandle of WV.
• Mountain View Solar & Wind- Based in the Eastern Panhandle of WV, they install solar photovoltaic, solar hot water, and wind power systems.
• NextEra & Mountaineer Wind Energy Center - A leading clean energy provider operating wind, natural gas, solar, and hydroelectric power plants – including the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center and wind farms in Tucker and Preston counties, WV.
• Power In My Back Yard (PIMBY) - Conducts site assessments and installs solar photovoltaic, solar hot water, and wind power systems for your home or small business. Operating out of Thomas, WV.
• WV GreenWorks - Providing information resources, training and services aimed at helping develop green economy initiatives, sustainable businesses, and the creation of green jobs in local communities.
• WV Solar.Com - A source for Alternative Energy Products WV covering solar, wind and micro hydro-electric systems. Operating out of Philippi, WV.

There are also numerous other Recycling, Scrap Metal, Junk Removal, Waste Disposal, Environmental Cleanup, Consulting, etc.  companies across WV. 

Please view our web site on Green Technology & Solutions for West Virginia at 
http://sites.google.com/site/wvgreensolutions/home