A company called Carbon Diem has developed an application for Blackberries and some Nokia phones that enables the user to measure their carbon footprint in real time with the use of the phone’s GPS system. The system is able to measure the speed you are traveling (using the GPS) and make certain assumptions based on the information it’s gathering. For example, if the phone tracks that you’re traveling between 5 and 15 mph for 30 minutes it can...

This is an exciting week for Community Energy. We are beginning construction on our first rooftop solar system under Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).  The 29kW solar system is on the roof of the campus center at Smith College in Northampton, MA. The Campus Center is a beautifully designed modern building, a perfect match for solar panels. 

Under our agreement with Smith College, we own and operate the solar system and sell the...

There is no doubt that the development of renewable energy has made great strides in recent years. But even with advances in the industry, the idea of a community being able to meet all of its energy needs through its own renewable generation can still seem like a dream of only the purist idealist. For one island community in Denmark, however, this dream has become a reality. The island of Samso is located off the Eastern coast of the...

I attended a recent lecture on solar projects in the developing world, one of many impressive discussions that were part of Climate Week NYC.  Solar One, a local organization that promotes education about green energy and the potential for solar energy in NYC, hosted the event.  Panelists included a representative from Arc Finance, which micro-finances  various projects, Buksh Group, a Pakistani retailer involved in financing...

Have you ever had an idea for an invention, a kitchen gadget for example, only to see it being sold a few weeks later on a TV infomercial?

Well this sort of thing happens to me more than I’d like.  Maybe it’s a sign of some kind of collective consciousness where my brain receptors have picked up these “ideas” from others out there in the cosmos. Maybe others are pillaging my original ideas by the same method. Maybe I’m just lazy. I guess...