tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408744849232479892024-03-04T21:33:25.256-08:00FERAL TECHNOLOGY Bringing third world technology to the first world since 1996.Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-58510563398410161502015-09-29T17:54:00.006-07:002015-09-29T17:54:56.291-07:00Fuck you, Brother! Cheating Printers for Fun and Profit.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWo_NR0FXcyGHfMc6B_p3ihSdXRz5dJhhGkOkv25tWdvEI7dTZvUPScON8QZBJp-o5G3IL2_i2zE02Sn1ZwToc-rzk5E7oe3hbo2jD20aebwgRT-Orzy4xiPLKfYOcsQAH7mbY-E8Wzc/s1600/IMG_0955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWo_NR0FXcyGHfMc6B_p3ihSdXRz5dJhhGkOkv25tWdvEI7dTZvUPScON8QZBJp-o5G3IL2_i2zE02Sn1ZwToc-rzk5E7oe3hbo2jD20aebwgRT-Orzy4xiPLKfYOcsQAH7mbY-E8Wzc/s320/IMG_0955.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used a red cartridge so it would show up better</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"So what if I'm out of yellow ink, you bastard! I'm printing in black and white. Like always. Black and FUCKING WHITE!!! Goddam it! Just print, you prick!"<br />
<br />
This is the one-sided conversation I have on a regular basis with my Brother printer. When one ink cartridge gets low, I AM FUCKED.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzy61Ml24PtSjaEbk8_uWtKny37821YPYvCXlInYFJ4oANLa4CStM7FVOMHwhKneOMgk9_pKGZjx0O2mKykDa-7MlYQh3FcSLryVt0tUDEuvdTSN7qVOioqJRpKWr-bSkFmlUfBFwNPg/s1600/IMG_0956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzy61Ml24PtSjaEbk8_uWtKny37821YPYvCXlInYFJ4oANLa4CStM7FVOMHwhKneOMgk9_pKGZjx0O2mKykDa-7MlYQh3FcSLryVt0tUDEuvdTSN7qVOioqJRpKWr-bSkFmlUfBFwNPg/s320/IMG_0956.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at all that ink in there! Come out, Dammit!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
"No printing today, Asshole!" it beeps back at me. "You forgot to buy more yellow, at Staples, 65.5 miles from here. And despite the fact that I clearly show 20% full even on my own sensor, you need to drive 2 hours and replace the 20% full cartridge before you can print your pathetic ramblings."<br />
<br />
"Holy Mother of fuck... I want to smash you."<br />
<br />
It just winks.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFXdXuek45akI1GnWODLkcG4bKZI5rFiPGBEiseX2ZXOcdCUPtd4NaxmOnCVgs2SDibeuzd7niZVbtpwU6yQOSQgzBc-ngmphJhQPK9fjcqZ6oGSQ4GqHhsmLDFqG9BSckfMIenB5d38/s1600/IMG_0957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFXdXuek45akI1GnWODLkcG4bKZI5rFiPGBEiseX2ZXOcdCUPtd4NaxmOnCVgs2SDibeuzd7niZVbtpwU6yQOSQgzBc-ngmphJhQPK9fjcqZ6oGSQ4GqHhsmLDFqG9BSckfMIenB5d38/s320/IMG_0957.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Electrical tape. The great equalizer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In sullen desperation, I take out the yellow cartridge. I turn it over and over in my hand. I hold it up to my ear and shake it. I hear fluid in there. It pisses yellow ink right in my ear.<br />
<br />
Then, I notice something- a little window on the front of the cartridge. When you tip it up you can see the ink in it. Mocking me. Then it comes to me.That little fucker looks in the window. It's not little Brothers fault! It's those fucking engineers that are to blame! <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkecnByDsD-c1wrocNeTbcgWY6qiZjP7S7Py7jdwkPlXyiIXHkwYl3RZwNiItQ8u7_XNASL7lWngw3Z3RIzlLPPbNRI5fs4doDF49u2VdWC1zU7voPafjm3sMSZ7aqDvrVX0NnCMeh4E/s1600/IMG_0958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkecnByDsD-c1wrocNeTbcgWY6qiZjP7S7Py7jdwkPlXyiIXHkwYl3RZwNiItQ8u7_XNASL7lWngw3Z3RIzlLPPbNRI5fs4doDF49u2VdWC1zU7voPafjm3sMSZ7aqDvrVX0NnCMeh4E/s320/IMG_0958.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fuck you, Brother!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I grab a roll of black electrical tape, cut out a little square and put it over the window. VIOLA! Brother thinks yellow is full, and prints away, merrily in full color.<br />
<br />
Now, I'm assuming that if that goes dry and the head sits without ink in it for a while, it will probably clog up. So, this is only a quick fix. But If I remember to get another yellow cartridge and have it on hand as soon as the old one runs out, everything will be dandy.<br />
<br />
The problem is, I won't remember.Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-89033475682512030092015-09-29T16:08:00.001-07:002015-09-29T16:08:04.313-07:00Crimethinc. Tour Coming to Iowa City<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1495113957452832/?ref=1&feed_story_type=22&action_history=%5B%7B%22surface%22%3A%22permalink%22%2C%22mechanism%22%3A%22surface%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A%5B%5D%7D%5D" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">To Change Everything: Anarchism and the New Social Movements</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/projects/1325672/photo-original.jpg?v=1410647155&w=1536&h=1152&fit=crop&auto=format&q=92&s=5ad660b5fa4c89f9f3bdce893b71b2fb" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/projects/1325672/photo-original.jpg?v=1410647155&w=1536&h=1152&fit=crop&auto=format&q=92&s=5ad660b5fa4c89f9f3bdce893b71b2fb" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This Friday evening, an international panel of activists from around the globe will come together to discuss how "</span><a href="http://www.crimethinc.com/blog/2015/09/08/to-change-everything-us-tour-dates/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">To Change Everything </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">."
This touring panel is visiting 50 US cities this fall, and brings
together organizers from Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and
North America to discuss the significance of anarchist ideas and
tactics in the 21st century. All of the presenters are contributors to a
recent </span><a href="http://www.crimethinc.com/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Crimethinc</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. outreach and dialogue project, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">To Change Everything (TCE)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, which appeared earlier this year in over twenty languages. A free pdf of the book can be downloaded from the TCE </span><a href="http://www.crimethinc.com/tce/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">webpage</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/21H8JnXXCr8/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/21H8JnXXCr8/hqdefault.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
participants will compare experiences from the wave of protests and
uprisings that has swept the world since 2010—exploring the role of
demand-based politics in both catalyzing and limiting movements,
examining a variety of forms of repression, and critically evaluating
experiments with direct democracy. They will conclude by assessing the
prospects of contemporary struggles for self-determination in an era of
globalized capitalism and state control.</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Held at </span><a href="http://www.publicspaceone.com/about/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Public Space One</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> in Iowa City, this event includes a light dinner-</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=819805" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kalmia's
homemade vegan tamales! A suggested donation of $5 goes to pay for
travel expenses for the speakers group. Visit the event </span><a href="https://goo.gl/TZyhGQ" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">facebook page</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> for more details. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">CrimethInc.,
“The Ex-Workers Collective” is a radical anarchist media outlet started
in the mid-1990's. They produce high-concept propaganda, including a
biannual magazine, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rolling Thunder. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> According
to their website, it covers “passionate living and creative resistance
in all the forms they take: from consensus process to streetfighting,
from workplace struggles to graffiti art, from gender mutiny to
subversive humor.” They produce a podcast, “The Ex-Worker,” as well as a
number of books, posters, stickers and other anarchist media.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S0Rj4mMMSYI/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S0Rj4mMMSYI?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Public
Space One is an artist-run, nonprofit arts organization that aims to
provide an independent, innovative, diverse, and inclusive space for
making and presenting art provide cultural educational opportunities,
and advocate for the importance of art in everyday life for any and
everyone. Public Space One is home to The </span><a href="http://www.icpresscoop.com/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">IC Press Co-op</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, which offers community access and education in intaglio, relief, and silkscreen printmaking. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Friday, October 2nd, 7:00 PM</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Public Space One</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">120 N Dubuque St, Iowa City, IA</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">More info:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="https://goo.gl/TZyhGQ" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/TZyhGQ</a> <span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline;">Contact: Rich Dana, <a href="tel:319.530.6051" target="_blank" value="+13195306051">319.530.6051</a></span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: white;"> <a href="mailto:ricardo.obsolete@gmail.com" target="_blank">ricardo.obsolete@gmail.com</a></span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
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Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0120 N Dubuque St, Iowa City, IA 52245, USA41.663169 -91.53277916.141134500000003 -132.841373 67.1852035 -50.224185000000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-90658127086144296572015-09-13T07:07:00.000-07:002015-09-13T07:07:23.488-07:00 UK Solar Industry Takes a Beating from New GovernmentWhat can the US learn from Britain’s Solar About-Face?<br />
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<br />
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<span id="more-9274"></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Solar-panels-on-residenti-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Solar-panels-on-residenti-007.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a>In the election of May of this year, England’s Conservative party (
whose members are known commonly in the media as “Tories”) won a
surprise victory and secured enough seats in parliament to form a
majority government. Despite the lack of support for renewables in the
conservative platform, solar advocates attempted to remain optimistic.
Leonie Greene of the Solar Trade <a href="http://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/news/solars_outlook_unclear_following_conservative_election_victory_3425">quoted</a>
shortly after the election as stating that, “I am confident support
for solar will remain, the question is whether they will treat it as a
sideshow to old centralized technologies or if they will recognise the
technology tide is now changing dramatically internationally and that
the UK urgently needs to retain and strengthen its position in the
booming global solar market.”<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/uk-solar-industry-takes-a-beating-from-new-government/"> Read More </a><br />
<br />Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-70317186290121410972015-09-01T13:29:00.000-07:002015-09-01T13:54:30.146-07:00Meta Shop Class as Soulcraft Book Review and Book Repair How-To<a href="http://homefixated.com/shop-class-as-soulcraft-book-repair/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="book1" class="attachment-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" src="http://homefixated.flashpointstudio.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/book1-468x250.jpg" height="170" width="320" /></a>I recently picked up a great book from a used bookstore. <i>Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work</i>
by Matthew B. Crawford is a fabulous book about what it means to be a
person who works with their hands. Ironically, before I was finished,
the hardcover edition from Penguin Books began to fall apart. So much
for quality construction! A large section came loose in the middle, and
then became completely detached from the spine. I’m faced with one of
the modern dilemmas that Crawford points out in his book. Do I keep
reading the book, letting it slowly fall completely apart? Do I simply
throw it away and buy another copy? Or, maybe download an electronic
version to my smart phone, perhaps? No, Dammit! I will fix it! <a class="more-link" href="http://homefixated.com/shop-class-as-soulcraft-book-repair/#more-27329">[Read more…]</a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-7194895888489058552015-09-01T13:05:00.002-07:002015-09-01T14:33:47.039-07:00Sanders on SolarBernie Sanders presidential campaign is catching fire. What is his plan for solar?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Bernie-Solar.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Bernie-Solar" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-9200" src="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Bernie-Solar-300x148.jpg" height="148" width="300" /></a></div>
This week, in our <a href="http://solartribune.com/tag/2016-presidential-race/">continuing coverage</a>
of the candidates vying for the presidency in the 2016 election and
their record on solar issues, Solar Tribune look at Senator Bernie
Sanders. The curmudgeonly Independent from Vermont may seem an unlikely
front-runner for the Democratic Party, but recent polls show that he is
rapidly closing the gap with presumed shoe-in Hillary Clinton. With all
of the buzz surrounding the Sanders campaign, let’s look at what a
Sanders presidency would mean for the solar industry.<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/sanders-on-solar/">Read More</a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-2906163334111890202015-08-31T14:00:00.000-07:002015-09-01T14:19:08.401-07:00The Dymaxion House: The Tiny House of the Future, circa 1930<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminster_Fuller">Buckminster Fuller</a>
understood the need for a move to tiny houses. Unfortunately for Fuller
(and the rest of us), he was 80 years ahead of his time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.mum.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/BlogIMG_0524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="BlogIMG_0524" border="0" class="attachment-Slide / Blog Featured wp-post-image" data-jpibfi-indexer="1" height="215" src="https://www.mum.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/BlogIMG_0524.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
In
the past 10 years, tiny houses have become extremely trendy, and not
without good reason. The real estate market has proven to be turbulent,
to say the least. Down-sizing to live within your means is a concept
that is increasingly popular not only among millennials, but with their
aging baby boomer parents as well.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_house_movement">Tiny houses</a> –
compact, single family dwellings under 400 square feet– stand in stark
contrast to the American trend toward larger and larger homes that
started in the 1970’s and peaked in the early 2000’s. The current fad in
tiny houses utilizes highly designed, compact interior spaces that
include most, if not all of the modern conveniences, while maintaining a
very traditional, cute cottage exterior appearance that makes them more
enticing to tiny house newbies. Despite their small footprint, tiny
houses retain a warm, cozy feel, which is key to their appeal.<br />
<br />
This charm factor, or more precisely the lack of perceived charm, may
have lead to the demise of an early 20th century precursor to the tiny
house movement of today. In 1930, visionary architect R. Buckminster
Fuller designed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dymaxion_house">Dymaxion House</a>,
an 1,100 square foot cylindrical aluminum yurt-like dwelling that is as
radical today as it was in the last century. <br />
<a href="https://www.mum.edu/the-dymaxion-house-the-tiny-house-of-the-future-circa-1930/">Read More </a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-70588810972644792832015-08-27T13:03:00.000-07:002015-09-01T14:34:47.885-07:00Solar and the Stock MarketAs of this writing, the global economy is on an
insane roller coaster and US stocks have lost $2.1 Trillion in the last
week. Do we have any idea what this means for solar?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/trina-solar-limited-adr-tsl-reports-strong-earnings-stock-up-244.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="trina-solar-limited-adr-tsl-reports-strong-earnings-stock-up-244" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-9194" src="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/trina-solar-limited-adr-tsl-reports-strong-earnings-stock-up-244-300x169.jpg" height="169" width="300" /></a>The recent problems began with news of a cooling Chinese economy, and
this is important to solar watchers for a number of reasons. Although
no one can say for sure how long the stock sell-off will last, some
solar market watchers are looking at the implications for the solar
industry in both the near and long term. Many investors are watching
companies like Trina solar, who are being dragged down with the rest of
the market, as good opportunities to buy and hold. Professional
investors at <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/3468136-buy-and-hold-trina-solar">Seeking Alpha</a>
believe that Trina, Junko and other Chinese solar manufacturers that
have sound financial fundamentals and are showing growth may be looking
at a strong rebound when the market finishes its correction.<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/solar-and-the-stock-market/">Read more</a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-91165527904478592382015-08-26T13:13:00.000-07:002015-09-01T14:31:31.973-07:00Detroit Maker Faire – Motor City Mayhem!Detroit! The Motor City! Despite having fallen on some hard times, Detroit is still my favorite American city, and the <a href="http://www.makerfairedetroit.com/" rel="external nofollow" target="_blank">2015 Detroit Maker Faire</a>
was a perfect example of why I love the place. Great people with great
ideas are making it happen against the odds. Garage entrepreneurs rolled
out their latest <a href="http://homefixated.com/3d-printers-huge-or-hype/">3D printers</a>
and laser cutters, right next to teams of school kids exhibiting
amazing DIY robots. Traditional fiber artists and woodworkers hob-nob
with hackers. If the Maker Faire is any indicator of what’s ahead for
the Motor City, Detroit’s best years are still ahead of it!<br />
<br />
<span id="more-28208"></span><br />
<a href="http://homefixated.flashpointstudio.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_0562.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Kids of all ages learning to solder!" class="attachment-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" src="http://homefixated.flashpointstudio.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_0562-468x250.jpg" height="170" width="320" /></a>Each July, <a href="http://makermedia.com/" rel="external nofollow" target="_blank">Maker Media</a> (the publishers of Make Magazine) partner with The <a href="http://www.thehenryford.org/" rel="external nofollow" target="_blank">Henry Ford</a>
museum in Dearborn, Michigan to “host two days of unconventional
ingenuity, unbridled creativity and a whole lot of forward thinking.”
I’ve been wanting to get to this event for the last several years, and
this summer I finally made it. And it didn’t disappoint!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://homefixated.com/detroit-maker-faire-2015/">Read More </a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-18486456569411512642015-08-21T13:02:00.000-07:002015-09-01T14:35:04.111-07:00Airports Are Going SolarAirports need lots of flat, open, unobstructed
land surrounding them. Why not fill that open space with solar panels?
Several large airports have done just that.<br />
<span id="more-9178"></span><br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/shutterstock_184455989.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="shutterstock_184455989" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-9181" src="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/shutterstock_184455989-300x200.jpg" height="200" width="300" /></a>This week, Cochin International Airport Limited in Kochi, Kerala
(India) inaugurated a 50 acre, 12 MW solar PV plant, making it the first
airport in the world to offset 100% of its usage through the use of
solar. The airport also has another 1 MW solar PV plant in addition to a
smaller grid-connected 100 kW rooftop system, both of which were
installed two years ago. Also in India, the Indira Gandhi International
Airport near Delhi installed a 2.14 MW plant last year.<br />
<br />
According to <a href="http://solarlove.org/cochin-india-worlds-first-airport-go-100-solar/">solarlove.org</a>:<br />
“The Airport Authority of India (AAI), which operates 125 airports
across the country, including the Cochin and Kolkata airports, has
decided to build solar power plants at about 30 of its airports.<br />
AAI has plans to install 50 MW capacity plants in the first phase (by
2016), which would be enhanced to 150 MW over a period of time.<br />
<a href="http://Airports Are Going Solar">Read More </a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-64465471476398360992015-08-13T13:18:00.000-07:002015-09-01T14:16:14.591-07:00Lasagna Gardening – Compostilicious!<a href="http://homefixated.flashpointstudio.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/lanzabook2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Patricia Lanza wrote the book on Lasagna Gardening." class="attachment-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" src="http://homefixated.flashpointstudio.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/lanzabook2-468x250.jpg" height="170" width="320" /></a>Last year, I posted an article about <a href="http://homefixated.com/double-digging-soil/">double-digging</a>,
and how to turn some problem soil rapidly into a healthy garden that
you could plant right away. Well, summer has flown by, and although I
double-dug a new strawberry patch large enough for 100 strawberry plants
(which are doing great, by the way) there is another old patch of
garden that I started several years ago, and then abandoned because the
soil was just hard clay, and I planned to amend it “next year.” Well,
yes, another next year has come and is rapidly going, and I managed to
keep the weeds down before they went to seed, but there were just too
many other projects that took priority over that old garden. This time, I
pledged to make a preemptive strike! I am going to start a large-scale
sheet composting operation and make the garden a lovely warm winter meal
of lasagna!<br />
<br />
<span id="more-25420"></span><br />
Sheet mulching is a permaculture technique that utilizes alternating
layers of different types of compost materials. By alternating your
“greens” (nitrogen-rich, fresh plant material like grass clippings and
kitchen peelings) and “browns” (older, dry material like leaves or
straw) you can create compost right on top of the garden, where it is
needed.<br />
<a href="http://homefixated.com/lasagna-gardening-composting/">Read More </a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-30420690719868491552015-08-10T12:58:00.000-07:002015-09-01T14:34:29.955-07:00Where Does Trump Stand on Solar?What would a Trump presidency mean to the US solar industry?<br />
<span id="more-9160"></span><br />
Since Solar Tribune published the “<a href="http://solartribune.com/2016-solar-scorecard/#more-8318">Solar Scorecard</a>”
of 2016 presidential contenders in January, The Republican field has
grown even larger, while the field has narrowed on the Democrat’s side
of the race. In fact, the Republican side is becoming so crowded that it
takes not one, but a series of debates to get them all on stage.
Similarly, it will take a series of articles to cover the solar stances
of all of the candidates.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2973174000000578-3115759-image-m-2_1433784555598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2973174000000578-3115759-image-m-2_1433784555598.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As of this writing, Donald Trump continues to be the frontrunner in
the Republican race. The bombastic billionaire media-hound continues to
make headlines with his condemnation of big government and the status
quo, and those headlines are keeping his poll numbers high. Most
political reporters agree, though, Mr. Trump’s campaign to date has been
light on substance, and his position on energy policy remains unclear.
Can we look at “The Donald’s” past statement and extrapolate anything
about what a Trump presidency might mean to the US solar industry?<br />
<br />
On January 25th, 2012, @realDonaldTrump tweeted, “After Solyndra,
@BarackObama is stil (sic) intent on wasting our tax dollars on unproven
technologies and risky companies. He must be accountable.”<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/where-does-trump-stand-on-solar/">Read More </a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-23468311284303097822015-08-07T13:20:00.000-07:002015-09-01T14:23:22.879-07:003D printers – Next Big Thing, or High-Dollar Techie Toy?There is a whole lotta buzz out there about 3D printers right now. Folks are saying that 3D printing could be heralding in an era of “desktop manufacturing” echoing the
major successes of desktop publishing in the 80’s, and desktop video in
the 90’s. But is this fuhreals? Can the 3D printer unleash a new era of
good ol’ American ingenuity?<br />
<a href="http://homefixated.flashpointstudio.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/printer2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="A finished print– A cover for a Raspberry Pi computer." class="attachment-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" src="http://homefixated.flashpointstudio.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/printer2-468x250.jpg" height="170" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
I’ve had the opportunity to get up-close
and personal with a couple of 3D printers lately at the Iowa Innovation
Learning Center in Hiawatha, Iowa. I got the chance to develop and print
my own original designs, as well as open source designs from sites like
<a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/" rel="external nofollow" target="_blank">Thingiverse.com</a>.
I gotta say, this technology is serious FUN. Is it ready to save
America’s manufacturing economy from the onslaught of CCC (Cheap Chinese
Crap)? Honestly, probably not, but I do think that this scrappy upstart
tech has some serious potential.<br />
<a href="http://homefixated.com/3d-printers-huge-or-hype/"> Read More </a><br />
<br />
<span id="more-28018"></span><br />
<span class="embed-youtube" style="display: block; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-20820074905727292015-08-04T12:57:00.000-07:002015-09-01T12:58:41.918-07:00Solar in Space: Powering Earth and Beyond
<br />
Ever since the United States launched the <a href="http://www.space.com/5137-solar-powered-satellite-flying-50.html">Vanguard 1</a>
satellite into space on March 17, 1958, solar panels have been an
integral part of nearly every satellite, orbiter and space station. Now,
after decades of lackluster development, both technologies– solar and
space flight– are “taking off.”<span id="more-9138"></span>
For many of us who grew up in the last century, our first awareness
of photovoltaic (PV) panels was seeing photos of the futuristic blue
wings that powered the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, or the American Skylab
space station, or the plethora of communications satellites that were
being launched into orbit. It wasn’t until a little later that PV panels
began to spring up as power plants for remote outposts, and finally,
for off-grid homes. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Skylab_SL-4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Skylab photo:wikipedia" class="size-medium wp-image-9139" height="244" src="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Skylab_SL-4-300x244.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_9139" style="width: 310px;">
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<br /></div>
</div>
<br />
Now, solar arrays are becoming ubiquitous here on earth, and after a
long period of stalled funding and conflicted priorities at NASA,
privately-funded space travel is finally becoming a reality as well.
This exponential growth in both areas, solar and space travel, bodes
well for a future of collaborative development that could help bootstrap
both technologies to the next level.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/solar-in-space-powering-earth-and-beyond/">Read More </a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-46607281758330681202015-07-22T12:55:00.000-07:002015-09-01T12:56:43.109-07:00Will Low PV Prices Kill Small Wind?
<br />
With solar photovoltaic (PV) panel prices going
lower and lower, solar arrays are quickly taking the place of small wind
power projects and residential turbines. Is this the beginning of the
end for small wind?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/167-50-WoofWind_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/167-50-WoofWind_01.jpg" height="152" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span id="more-9123"></span>
For many years, renewable energy enthusiasts in the northern areas of
the United States favored small wind turbines, or a combination of wind
and solar PV to produce electricity. Until recently, the installed cost
of small wind turbines (100kW or under) was cheaper than that of PV
However, the small turbine business has been plagued with problems since
its inception. Many small turbines have been overhyped and
under-performing. New machines have hit the market only to disappear at
an alarming rate, leaving heart-broken consumers and red-faced dealers.<br />
<br />
In a decade that has seen very few technical advancements in small
wind systems, PV has shown huge advancements in technology, like
micro-inverters, power-point tracking and increased efficiency. At the
same time, Chinese PV manufacturers have driven solar panel prices down
from $4 per watt in 2005 to less than $1 in 2015- in some cases under 50
cents (under 3 dollars per watt with all installation costs added.)
Small wind turbine prices vary widely, with installed costs from $3- $6
per watt. Solar has the inherent advantage of being a solid-state
technology, unlike wind turbines, which have a lot of moving mechanical
parts. When parts move, they break, and all but a few wind turbines on
the market have pretty dismal maintenance records, compared to PV.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/will-low-pv-prices-kill-small-wind/">Read More</a> Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-82399999937507871472015-07-15T14:07:00.000-07:002015-09-01T14:08:31.092-07:00Makers” and the Future of Sustainable Industry<div class="post-info tan">
<div class="image" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<img alt="3dprintblog" class="attachment-Slide / Blog Featured wp-post-image" data-jpibfi-indexer="2" height="215" src="https://www.mum.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/3dprintblog1.jpg" width="400" /></div>
</div>
In the coming year, the <a href="https://www.mum.edu/sustainable-living">MUM Sustainable Living department</a>
will be launching a new class that will introduce students to the
“Maker” movement and the growing culture of DIY (do it yourself)
technology. Some might ask, “how do electronics, robotics and 3D
printing fit into the concept of sustainability?”<br />
<br />
When
thinking about “sustainable living,” many of us visualize organic
farming, natural building and solar energy. However, unlike the “back to
the land” movement of the 1970s, the new generation of “tiny house”
dwellers and organic farmers depend heavily on... <br />
<div class="margin-top-20">
<a class="button" href="https://www.mum.edu/makers-and-the-future-of-sustainable-industry/">Read More</a></div>
Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-55481463363408186362015-07-14T12:54:00.000-07:002015-09-01T12:54:58.454-07:00 Warren Buffett Loves Solar…As Long As He Owns ItThis week, NV Energy, owned by Warren Buffett’s
Berkshire Hathaway, signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to buy
electricity from the 100 MW Playa Solar 2 power plant in Nevada at a
jaw-droppingly low price of $0.0387 per kWh. Meanwhile, NV Energy’s
lobbyists are doing all they can to make it more expensive for Nevada
residents to produce their own solar power. <span id="more-9115"></span>
<a href="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Nevada-Solar-1-solar-power-farm.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Nevada-Solar-1-solar-power-farm" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-9117" height="140" src="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Nevada-Solar-1-solar-power-farm-300x140.jpg" width="300" /></a>It would seem that Mr. Buffett loves to sell solar to his customers,
but he does not like the idea of his customers making their own power.
From a strictly business perspective, this is not surprising– after
all, why buy rooftop solar from your homeowners or businesses at retail
rate, when you can make and sell your own for a tiny fraction of the
price?<br />
<br />
The problem is, as in most of the United States, utilities in Nevada are
government regulated, and operate in government-sanctioned monopoly
service territories. This means that residents and businesses in NV
Energy’s territory do not have a choice of who they buy their
electricity from, and they have no other options as to who they can sell
their solar power to. This means that it is up to the Nevada
Legislature and the Nevada Utilities Commission to decide what is fair
to both parties. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/warren-buffett-loves-solar-as-long-as-he-owns-it/">Read More</a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-20817273164636248142015-07-04T12:51:00.000-07:002015-09-01T12:52:17.534-07:00Why the Solar Impulse Matters<a href="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/261E194500000578-2970372-image-a-49_1424959792299.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="261E194500000578-2970372-image-a-49_1424959792299" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-9096" height="200" src="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/261E194500000578-2970372-image-a-49_1424959792299-300x200.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />
<br /><strong>How can a huge, slow, single-seat plane change the world?</strong><br />
<br />
One day before the United States pauses to celebrate the 239th
anniversary of its Declaration of Independence, the Solar Impulse 2
solar airplane completed its record-breaking 4,000 mile flight from
Japan to Hawaii, taking another small step in the world’s quest to
declare independence from fossil fuels.<br />
<br />
<span id="more-9095"></span><br />
<strong>The Adventure Begins</strong><br />
<br />
For
those who haven’t been following the Solar Impulse adventure, here’s a
little background: Solar Impulse is privately financed project with the
goal of flying a solar-powered plane around the world. Based in
Switzerland, the project is led by two adventurous aeronauts– Swiss
businessman André Borschberg and adventurer Bertrand Piccard (Piccard
gained fame for co-piloting Breitling Orbiter 3, the first balloon to
circle the world non-stop.) Solar Impulse is funded by a consortium of
international businesses including Omega SA, Solvay, ABB, Bayer
MaterialScience, Swisscom, Swiss Re , Toyota and FMB Energie. The Solar
cells are provided by European solar manufacturer <a href="http://us.sunpower.com/">SunPower</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/why-the-solar-impulse-matters/">Read More </a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-14761434460959871582015-06-26T12:47:00.000-07:002015-09-01T12:49:04.335-07:00Biomimicry: Using Nature's Solar Technology
<br />
<br />The concept of imitating natural systems in the
built environment is known as “Biomimicry,” and it holds great promise
for advancements in many areas of technology, including solar. Several
new, cutting edge research project are looking at biomimetic solutions
to solar’s nagging problems.<br />
<br />
<span id="more-9087"></span><br />
<strong>Plastic Solar Panels Imitate Photosynthesis</strong><br />
<br />
A UCLA press release this week announced chemists there have
developed a new solar cell design that is inspired by the way that
plants generate energy through photosynthesis. The team’s full report,
entitled <em>Long-lived photoinduced polaron formation in conjugated polyelectrolyte-fullerene assemblies</em> is available at the website of the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/348/6241/1340.abstract?sid=f1afaac3-6bd8-44c6-ad7c-cecfa8772d2c">Science.</a> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Sarah-Tolbert-chemistry-image-2015_mid.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="photo: UCLA" class="size-medium wp-image-9089" height="212" src="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Sarah-Tolbert-chemistry-image-2015_mid-300x199.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo: UCLA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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“Biology does a very good job of creating energy from sunlight,” said
Sarah Tolbert, a UCLA professor of chemistry and one of the senior
authors of the research. “Plants do this through photosynthesis with
extremely high efficiency.”<br />
<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/biomimicry-using-natures-solar-technology/">Read More </a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-21857981278509556072015-06-19T13:23:00.000-07:002015-09-01T13:24:31.488-07:00Wood Chip Mulch – Free Friend or Fungusy Foe?<h2 class="entry-title">
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<a href="http://homefixated.com/wood-chip-mulch/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="mulch3" class="attachment-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" height="250" src="http://homefixated.flashpointstudio.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/mulch3-468x250.jpg" width="468" /></a>Wood
chip mulch. Some people love it, others fear it! Wood chip mulch can be
purchased for less than two bucks a bag at many home centers. Fancier,
colored chips can be had for a little extra moolah. In many towns, wood
chips from tree trimming and brush clearing are free for the taking at
the local landfill or compost facility. Wood chips are really effective
as mulch for suppressing weeds and retaining moisture, as well as adding
carbon to compost piles… so what’s not to like about wood chip mulch? I
mean, we are talking FREE here!! <a class="more-link" href="http://homefixated.com/wood-chip-mulch/#more-27736">[Read more…]</a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-53629871897852814112015-06-17T14:10:00.000-07:002015-09-01T14:11:31.917-07:00Travelers Cross the Country in “Green Machine”<div class="post">
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<img alt="Rich Dana Blog Post" class="attachment-Slide / Blog Featured wp-post-image" data-jpibfi-indexer="3" height="215" src="https://www.mum.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Rich-Dana-Blog-Post.jpg" width="400" /> <a class="button green" href="https://www.mum.edu/sl-visitors-cross-the-country-in-green-machine/"><span></span></a></div>
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A young couple from Portland, Oregon recently stopped by the <a href="https://www.mum.edu/sustainable-living">Sustainable Living Department</a>
on their cross country adventure that has taken them down the West
coast, across the Southwest to New Orleans, up to Pennsylvania and New
York, and back across the Midwest on their way home. Although Tom
Walther and April Cummins drove a 1986 Ford Van, they did not burn
fossil fuel on their journey. They made the entire trip fueled by waste
vegetable oil.<br />
<a href="https://www.mum.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_20150605_101550.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="IMG_20150605_101550" class="size-medium wp-image-29308 alignleft" data-jpibfi-indexer="2" height="225" src="https://www.mum.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_20150605_101550-300x225.jpg" width="300" /></a>This summer, the MUM Sustainable
Living Department (SL) is in the process of moving our biodiesel
brewing operation into a new facility. During the downtime, we have
collected a backlog of waste vegetable oil (WVO) that we use to
manufacture biodiesel for the SL vehicles. We placed an ad on Craigslist
to get rid of some of the extra oil, and Tom responded. “Craigslist is
a great resource for finding oil,” April explained, saying that they
had gotten oil in numerous ways, including online contacts and
face-to-face meetings with friendly strangers. “In New Orleans, we just
went around to local restaurants, and they were happy to share.”<br />
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<a class="button" href="https://www.mum.edu/sl-visitors-cross-the-country-in-green-machine/">Read More</a></div>
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Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-82384935302975869922015-06-17T12:44:00.000-07:002015-09-01T12:45:08.061-07:00Thin Film Makes Solar Headlines
<br />
<div class="post-meta">
<span class="post-category"><a href="http://solartribune.com/category/solar-news/solar-industry/" rel="category tag"></a></span><span class="small"></span>The past month has brought good news and bad
news for thin film solar enthusiasts. In May, Chinese giant Hanergy Thin
Film’s stock took a mind-boggling dive. Meanwhile, this week, First
Solar has set a world record for cadmium telluride thin film solar
module efficiency, hitting 18.6 percent aperture efficiency.</div>
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<a href="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Thin_Film_Solar-300x237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Thin_Film_Solar-300x237.jpg" /></a></div>
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Thin film solar cells have been used in small-scale applications
since the 1970’s for consumer electronics beginning with calculators,
and more recently appearing on solar yard lights, emergency radios and
cell phone chargers. Thin film technology has been scaling up to larger
applications, now competing with conventional crystalline silicon (c-Si)
panels. Commercially available thin film panels are made of cadmium
telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), and amorphous
and other thin-film silicon, unlike conventional solar c-Si cells. Thin
film panels are cheaper and flexible, making them more versatile than
their rigid c-Si competitors, but the big stumbling block is their lower
efficiency. This means that it take a larger area to produce the same
energy as a c-Si panel.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/thin-film-makes-solar-headlines/">Read More </a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-41920971396132268862015-06-14T12:40:00.000-07:002015-09-01T12:42:49.076-07:00CSP: PV Not the Only Game in Town
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<div class="title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">With the price of photovoltaic (PV) panels plummeting and the advent of the era of PV “<a href="http://solartribune.com/solar-farms/">solar farms</a>,” large scale solar thermal projects have not been getting much love lately, at least not in the USA. <a href="http://solartribune.com/solar-power-plants/">Concentrating Solar Power</a> (CSP) is a workhorse technology for large-scale solar power generation. So why aren’t we hearing more about it?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/solar-irradiation-in-Saudi-Arabia-from-Wikipedia-commons-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/solar-irradiation-in-Saudi-Arabia-from-Wikipedia-commons-.jpg" height="271" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span>What is CSP? According the the Solar Energy Industry Association’s <a href="http://www.seia.org/policy/solar-technology/concentrating-solar-power">Website</a>:
“Concentrating solar power (CSP) plants use mirrors to concentrate the
energy from the sun to drive traditional steam turbines or engines that
create electricity. The thermal energy concentrated in a CSP plant can
be stored and used to produce electricity when it is needed, day or
night. Today, over 1,400 MW of CSP plants operate in the United States,
and another 390 MW will be placed in service in the next year.” Built-in
storage. That’s the holy grail of solar, right? Why are we not all
over this?<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></div>
<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/csp-pv-not-the-only-game-in-town/">Read More </a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-86604520574541335082015-06-06T12:38:00.000-07:002015-09-01T12:39:12.797-07:00Lithium Batteries and Solar: Where are We Headed?<h1 class="title">
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<div class="post-meta">
<span class="post-category"><a href="http://solartribune.com/category/about-solar-energy/" rel="category tag"></a></span><span class="small"></span>Residential Battery Systems (RBS) are the topic of much excitement and speculation in the solar world recently. </div>
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<span id="more-9047"></span>Tesla, the electric car giant led by
entrepreneur and futurist Elon Musk recently rolled out their new
“Powerwall” system to much fanfare. Hot on their heels is Trina, the
Chinese solar giant, who announced one week later that they, too will be
rolling out a new RBS with a soft launch in Australia this summer.
Bosch, GE, LG, Sony and Samsung are all close to releasing similar
products.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/InternationalBatteryCell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/InternationalBatteryCell.jpg" height="320" width="255" /></a></div>
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Both the <a href="http://solartribune.com/musk_batteries/">Tesla</a> and the <a href="http://www.trinasolar.com/us/product/Residential.html">Trina</a>
systems, although very different, are built on a backbone of Lithium
Ion batteries. Up until recently, Lead Acid batteries were the only
realistic option for RBS because of the high cost of Lithium Ion
technology. Now, it would appear that Lithium Ion is ready for prime
time in the RBS world. The question is, are Lithium Ion batteries a game
changer for solar, or just a stepping stone to the next energy storage
technology?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/lithium-batteries-and-solar-where-are-we-headed/">Read More </a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-23600656199479710692015-06-02T13:25:00.000-07:002015-09-01T13:26:05.890-07:00The Manly Art of Sewing – Chapter 1<a href="http://homefixated.com/manly-art-sewing/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="sewing6" class="attachment-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" src="http://homefixated.flashpointstudio.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/sewing6-468x250.jpg" height="250" width="468" /></a>There
is not a power tool that I am afraid to conquer!! Including… a sewing
machine? Yes, it is true! Clothing construction is not that different
from furniture construction, home construction, or any other type of
construction. I am putting together something that everyone needs to
use. I know how to measure, layout, cut and join materials. Sewing
requires a great deal of technical proficiency and craftsmanship. The
question is, why do so many men, even now, in the 21st century, still
consider sewing “women’s work?” <a class="more-link" href="http://homefixated.com/manly-art-sewing/#more-27327">[Read more…]</a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740874484923247989.post-57788929932019042352015-05-29T12:36:00.000-07:002015-09-01T12:37:09.883-07:00 What's Going On With Chinese Solar Stocks?<br />
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<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2015/05/28/investing/hanergy-crash-li-investigation/">CNN reported</a>
today that as Hanergy Thin Film’s stock collapsed last week, Li Hejun,
the company’s CEO, was joking with listeners at a renewable energy
conference. In the time it took him to give his presentation, his
personal fortune had dropped by $15 billion, and his corporation lay in
ruins.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/DSC00128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://solartribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/DSC00128.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Empty Hanergy plant. photo:Bronte Capital</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span id="more-8997"></span><br />
The Hanergy crash was just one of several high profile Chinese solar
companies that have made headlines recently…and not in a good way.
Recently, in its annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC), Chinese solar PV manufacturer Yingli Green Energy
Holding Co. Ltd. said, “There is substantial doubt as to our ability to
continue as a going concern.” Shortly after the report, Yingli stock
fell to an all-time low of $0.72 after closing at $1.49 the previous
day.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://solartribune.com/whats-going-on-with-chinese-solar-stocks/">Read more </a>Ricardo Feralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913738434915137032noreply@blogger.com0