Iceland has no coal, no petroleum reserves and no trees. Yet it produces the cheapest electricity in the world. How? From green energy – all of it. Iceland makes electricity using 70.1% hydropower and 29.9% geothermal energy. The country is blessed with a tremendous amount of renewable energy from sources, such as volcanoes that provide geothermal energy and glaciers that power electric turbines. Read the full story

What is a Smart Grid?

When you read about advances in green technology, the term smart grid seems to pop up everywhere. Smart Grid talk is hot. It even received a 30 second ad in this past Super Bowl. What is a smart grid and will it live up to all this media attention? A smart grid is being compared to the Internet for the electric power industry. It is a vast network of transmission lines that will allow utilities to know where electricity is being consumed and it will signal a potential blackout. Consumers will know which appliances are consuming the most and the least energy, which will affect their abilities to control their power usage and decrease their electric bills. Read the full story

Everyone seems to be talking about The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the “Stimulus Package,” and how it affects them as homeowners, taxpayers and income earners but what does it offer in the way of sustainability and small businesses? This 1000 plus page document can be a daunting read so we’re summarizing it to make it more accessible for you – the business owner or operator. Read the full story

The MIT Technology Review put out an excellent issue on energy in February 2009. Check out the cover story on the need for a grid for green energy. The article does an excellent job of reviewing the importance of upgrading the grid along with the challenges faced.

Compare the above article, with a report from the New York Times that makes it clear that the hurdles to the green grid go beyond the financial.

Definition of Combined Head and Power (CHP)

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) is also known as co-generation. It is an integrated system which produces electricity on-site and recovers its by-product, heat. The heat recovered by the system is used for heating or cooling buildings. The system captures the thermal energy instead of rejecting it as waste and therefore, it is comparatively a very efficient system. The source of fuel for CHP can be fossil as well as renewable such as natural gas, propane, fuel oil, coal, wood-chips, and biogas.

CHP systems are used to produce a portion of electricity needed by a facility whereas the rest is purchased from the utility. CHP offers an energy efficient system and helps reduce emissions.

CHP Applications

CHP systems are most suitable in locations where electricity rates are high, fuel costs are low and for facilities that need both electric and thermal energy. Typical customers of CHP are:

• Industrial companies requiring electric and thermal energy
• Institutions such as schools
• Multi-family residential facilities
• Facilities considering upgrades or replacement of boilers