The moonwalker icon that crossed all music genres and touched so many hearts deserves a special monument so that he may live on. So, an international competition was formed by Bustler.net, called “LIVE FOREVER: The Michael Jackson Monument Design Competition,” in which they challenged artists, architects and designers to create a monument for MJ. There were no limits or rules. Monuments could be any scale or location, from the ocean to the moon or beyond.

The contest received over 200 entries, all vying for one of the three prizes: BADDEST (1st prize), BADDER (2nd prize), and OFF THE WALL (3rd prize).

Though the 1st place winning design was interesting, we felt that the 2nd place design had more meaning and promoted energy awareness.

The winning entry for the BADDER prize: Foreverland

A memorial fit for a pop superstar, this eco-friendly gold-plated disco dance party floor is fueled by renewable wind energy via a wind turbine. It’s good, clean fun. And heck, if JFK can have continuous fire at his memorial, it only seems reasonable that MJ has a continuous disco party at his.

Though you could put the memorial almost anywhere, the designer felt it should be in a secluded setting to parallel MJ’s reclusive lifestyle, so he chose an isolated location in the desert.

The self-contained Foreverland memorial would generate enough power to keep the disco party going all day and all night 365 days a year – as Michael Jackson would have wanted. The disco’s speaker system continuously plays MJ tunes, like Billy Jean and Thriller, and the dance floor’s flashy disco lights are always on, all powered 100% by the wind.

Foreverland is a clever memorial for a music genius who will always be remembered by his fans.

If you’d like to see the 1st and 3rd prize, as well as other entries, click here.

When you move beyond how alluring these PV flat panels are and get down to the technical bones, they’re just as amazing as their dazzling colors. Designed to cost less, run at higher efficiency and produce power without full concentration of the sun, these gems will make it possible for people living in filtered sun areas to finally jump on board the solar bandwagon. Because it uses diffused light instead of direct sunlight, the system supplies more power and isn’t confined to rooftop installation.

The Jerusalem-based GreenSun Energy (GSE) uses a technique where they concentrate the visible and UV rays without concentrating the heat, which ultimately allows the system to run at optimum performance. Systems that concentrate heat suffer reduced performance.

GreenSun’s solar panel conversion efficiency rate will be up to 20 percent, as opposed to other panels with efficiency rates of 6 to 17 percent. And unlike traditional silicon panels, GreenSun’s panels contain only 20 percent silicon and are composed of nontoxic materials.

Let’s take a look at the stats:

Existing Systems

• Manufacturing cost per panel = $900
• Watts per day = 180
• Cost per watt = $4.54

GreenSun

• Manufacturing cost per panel = $189
• Watts per day = 200
• Cost per watt = $.94

I need to remember to invest in their stock when they go public. GreenSun will be contributing so much to the solar arena. This system doesn’t require full sunlight, has awesome artistic color options, produces more watts of energy and will be accessible to a more extensive market.

At $.94 cents per watt, you’ll be able to recoup your investment in a few years.

Resources:

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/09/18/colored-solar-panels-dont-need-direct-sunlight/
http://www.greensun.biz/

Feast your eyes on the future Solar Winds Coffee House by Michael Jantzen. The structure will be fully self-sufficient, powered completely by the wind and sun. That device rising from the center of the coffee house is a built-in vertical axis wind turbine to generate power. There’s also an array of solar panels on the roof. The building will be constructed from natural, sustainable materials and will come with both a rainwater harvesting system and graywater recycling system.

The design mimics the forces of nature with wind blowing up and over – it’s what wind would look like if it weren’t invisible. It has a well-proportioned form that is harmonious and fluid. Jantzen’s design is sophisticated artistry.

The wind socks, if you will, provide shady areas and allow natural light to pour onto the deck. Large skylights on the roof help conserve energy while illuminating the inside of the coffee house.

This building is as visually exciting as it is ecologically friendly. And that’s a combination we’re likely see increasingly often as the need to preserve our struggling planet becomes more and more acute.

Photo Credit: Ecoseed

Norway’s wealth fund is very picky when it comes to its portfolio. They’ve been known to exclude companies that manufacture arms, tobacco, and any other controversial items. Their ethics committee has already excluded Wal-Mart for breach of human and labor rights.

The monster-sized Government Pension Fund (formerly the Government Petroleum Fund), worth a cool $380 billion, is the largest pension fund in Europe and the fourth largest in the world. I’d say that gives them a bit of clout. They’ve decided to use that clout by seeking more influence over how the companies in their portfolio handle climate change. The biggest focus will be on companies that produce metals, chemicals, oil, gas, power, and cement.

There will be a report detailing the fund’s guidelines and what they expect from companies with regard to environmental changes. The fund will then screen high-risk sectors and annually submit compliance reports. Companies who consistently grade poorly may grab the attention of the ethics council, which could lead to blacklisting those companies, as in the Wal-Mart case.

The fund is looking at this issue from two sides. On the one hand, they know that environmental factors will eventually compromise earnings and profitability of the companies they own, and on the other hand, they want to push U.S. energy companies toward greener targets, which they feel would have the biggest effect. The fund is allowed to invest 50 percent of its portfolio in the international stock market.

The Government Pension Fund of Norway is made up of two separate sovereign wealth funds owned by the government of Norway: the Global fund (petroleum) and the Norway fund (formerly the National Insurance Scheme Fund). The Global fund receives the surplus wealth produced by Norwegian petroleum income. Though it’s called a “pension” fund, it gets its financial backing from oil profits and not pension contributions, as is the case with CalPERS – California Public-Employees pension fund, the largest public pension fund in the U.S. The Global fund was set up to invest Norway’s gas and oil profits in stocks and bonds as a savings account for when their resources diminish.

Iqua 603 SUN solar-powered Bluetooth headset

The first solar-powered headset in the world, the Iqua SUN lets you sail, hike, and spend a day at the beach without worrying that your headset will die. The design is state-of-the-art and the eco-friendly solar cell makes you feel good about doing your part environmentally. The SUN provides 200 standby hours and up to nine hours of talk time. Just leave the headset in the sun while you work on your tan.

Nextar solar-powered Bluetooth speaker with hands-free calling

The sleek design mounts to your windshield and allows you to make hands-free calls without a headset. Two versions are available – the NXBT-001 and the NXBT-002, which shows caller ID on an LED screen. They automatically connect to your Bluetooth and offer last number redial & voice dialing. 001 gives you 250 hours of standby time and 10 hours of talk time, and the 002 boasts 150 hours of standby and six hours of talk time.

Devotec Solar Sound Bluetooth Speakers- hands-free talking and MP3

Light and portable, the Solar Sound Bluetooth speakers with integrated Bluetooth can connect to an iPhone and most other new phones. They come with an integrated solar panel for sun charging and connector for music sources that don’t have Bluetooth. Since the speakers are only 0.5 lbs., they make a great traveling companion and easily fit in a backpack. You can get wireless connectivity to MP3 players that support the A2DP and AVRCP profiles. They have hands-free capability with a compatible phone and eight hours of continuous play.

Photo Credit: NIOSH

Engineer Rafael Rodriguez and colleague Maria Belarmina Diaz developed a way to estimate the amount of heat a tunnel may provide. Their goal is to make use of low-intensity geothermal energy from the internal heat of the earth.

Advantages of mine shaft boilers:

• Predictable energy production levels
• Reduction of CO2 emissions
• Not vulnerable to changes in climate, unlike solar and wind power
• Doesn’t pollute the environment
• Profitable over the long term
• Doesn’t require new development on big sites

Testing and research needs to be conducted at mines that are still in use but are on the verge of being abandoned. Once a mine is abandoned, access is cut off. However, while still active, they have easy access to the tunnels and can easily gather data about ventilation and the rock properties. They can even program the closure of some sections to use them for geothermal energy production. It’s possible to work with closed mines, but it’s not as easy to make modifications, gather data, and make improvements.

Using a two-kilometer (6,561 ft.) mine shaft, the study evaluates the temperature of the rocks 500 meters below the surface, which are 86 degrees Fahrenheit. They’re considering forcing water through tubes at 45 degrees that would return 54 degree-water for local towns to use.

As more research unfolds, you’ll know about it here.

The big attraction is solar’s 40 percent annual growth. These chip giants want a piece of the pie since their businesses grow only about 5 percent annually. You do the math. Now would be a good time to call your stock broker and invest in chip stocks.

Photo Credit: Sergio Alvaré Peláez

Back to the story. So why is the solar industry in bed with the semiconductor industry?

It’s a natural fit:

1) Both solar and semiconductor industries depend on silicon.

2) They use most of the same processing technology and suppliers to make their products.

Chipmakers will be able to produce a much higher volume of product, which in turn will be cheaper to make. Solar will finally be competitive with grid power prices, and you can bet your bottom dollar the mass-marketing campaigns will ensue.

Photo Credit: Wayne National Forest

What the three giants have been up to

Intel spun off a new solar company called SpectraWatt. Plus, they’re investing $38 million in Sulfurcell, a German solar panel maker.

National Semiconductor bought Act Solar and it will be introducing its first solar product, SolarMagic, which could increase the efficiency of solar systems.

IBM revealed a system that will ultimately reduce the number of solar panels needed for residential and commercial installations. Last month, they came out with a new technique for thin-film solar that may increase efficiency and cut costs.

The new standards, released in May by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), are slated to take effect in three years and will cut energy usage by 42 percent on a typical cold-beverage vending machine. The machines use as much as 3,000 to 5,000 kilowatt-hours each year. However, the new standards will cut energy use by more than half with a savings of about $320 per year per machine and, over 30 years, will save vending machine property owners a cool 250 million and eliminate about 5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Besides the general air-breathing populace, the main benefactors of the new proposal will be the businesses who pay the electric bills, such as parks, hotels, colleges and grocery stores. What these standards boil down to is a savings of about 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity over a 30 year time span. If you can’t quite grasp the numbers, try this on for size: it’s enough electricity to power around 800,000 average-sized U.S. homes per year.

DOE has until January, 2012 to complete roughly 25 new standards on other appliances as well, but vending machines top of the list. The final ruling is due in early August.

Proposed rule, final rule dates, rule-making status and DOE’s annual progress:

http://www.standardsasap.org/federal.htm

Appliance Standards Awareness Project:

http://www.standardsasap.org/

DOE:

http://www.energy.gov/

Photo Credit:Preconscious

Photo Credit: kaleid

Where once the U.S. stood behind the scenes and let countries like Germany and Spain take the lead in the solar arena, we’ve now inched up, and per the new Pike Research report (U.S. Solar Energy Demand Dynamics), we should exceed Spain this year and take the reins from Germany by 2013.

Though hard-hit by the battered economy, a boost in federal incentives would most likely trigger a speedy rebound, and the U.S. would be in a position for global leadership in the solar PV market share by 2014.

Though financing is still difficult to secure due to increased credit requirements, banks like U.S. Bancorp and Wells Fargo have stepped up to the plate by establishing tax equity funds for solar projects. States and municipalities in areas like California, New Jersey, Vermont, Florida and New York have also bellied up by offering incentives like upfront rebates, property tax credits, renewable energy credits and European-style feed-in tariffs.

Photo Credit: mjmonty

This year, solar companies have been slowed by numerous cancellations and delays. New Jersey alone was stung with $450 million in idle projects. However, activity is starting to heat up again, as witnessed by areas such as California and New Jersey, who’ve seen upward growth in demand partially due to increased federal and state subsidies, and largely due to the fact that module prices have fallen by 50 percent and installation rates dropped by over 30 percent. This has made it more affordable for the consumer to achieve a solar lifestyle.

Per the Pike report, companies that will reap the benefits of the next boom include: First Solar, Suntech, SunPower, Akeena, Real Goods Solar, and Yingli. They’re just waiting for financing to pick up, which will create more demand.

Bottom line: the firm’s five-year outlook points to sunny skies ahead in the PV solar market.

A summary of the firms report can be found on their website at:

http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/us-solar-energy-demand-dynamics

Such is the case of the new self-charging mobile phone that will be available soon thanks to Sharp Corporation.

Sharp recently announced their newest technology, the world’s thinnest solar panel module. The sharp LR0GC02 solar panel is a tiny 0.8mm thin. The solar cells that make up the module are based on polycrystalline silicon.

The teensy solar panel won’t produce enough power to allow hours of talk time, but it will allow you to make an emergency call if need be. Due to its extreme thinness, the panel’s output capability is a mere 300 miliwatts* (thanks for the correction Ian) of power. But, it’s a great start. Perhaps a few years from now we can bury our phone chargers once and for all.

Charging your solar powered cell phone should be easy as long as you have sun; you can set it on a window sill or a park bench. Now, if they could only invent cell phones that won’t damage in the sun.