Solar Plays role in Haiti Relief Efforts

Guest post by Elizabeth Borovcik

Sol, Inc., a solar lighting systems provider, is donating $400,000 with aid from suppliers and a solar light matching program to Haiti victims. Solar powered lighting system contributed by Sol will help hospitals, food distribution centers and relief camps to operate even after the broad day-light. In addition, one thousand solar-powered phones were contributed by Intivation and Digicel to help earthquake survivors and to help aid workers communicate.

For more information of the timeline of Sol's Haiti recovery efforts, please click here.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis powered by Solar Panels

Guest post by Elizabeth Borovcik

Royal Caribbean, the world’s second-largest cruise company, is high on solar panel investments for its cruise ship, Oasis. The 21,000 square feet of thin solar film produces enough power to light the ship’s Royal Promenade and Central Park areas. The goal is to make energy efficient lighting of cruise ships, reduce emissions, and do “future proofing,” or utilize existing technology as a bridge while waiting for better future technology.


The company has not just limited itself to solar panels, but also has reduced emissions by using smokeless gas-turbine engines which can reduce the exhaust emissions of nitrous oxide by 85 percent and sulfur oxides by more than 90 percent. Other sustainable efforts are air-conditioning systems that can turn off automatically when balcony doors are left open too long.

BAM Solar Power, certified distributors of BP Solar and GE Energy, provided the lead on the Royal Caribbean $750,000 installation.

Golden State Warriors Hook Up with The Solar Company to Green Practice Facility

Guest post by Denise Rogers


The Golden State Warriors and The Solar Company have the first solar installation basketball practice facility in the NBA. They cut the ribbon on January 21, 2010 on the facility that will be powered with renewable energy. The facility will be downtown Oakland, CA and is expected to save the team $36,000 in energy costs during the first year of operation and $2,094,000 over the next 25 years. The Warrior's President Robert Rowell, Solar Company President Mark Danenhower, and the rookie guard Stephen Curry will show the system that will be made of 143.5kW-system.

That will consist of 537 SunPower SPR-305-WHT-U modules and 23 SunPower SPR-6000m (277V) inverters. Average daily production of the system is estimated at 758.9kWH and annual production is projected at 277,008kWH. The system will supply the equivalent of 26 percent of electricity that is currently being used at the site. It didn't take long to build this facility at all, it was announced by the Warriors and the Solar Company in November, they started on it in December, and was finish by January.

Roswell stated, "This solar installation project is a very important component of the green initiatives of the Golden State Warriors organization."

North American pro sports teams are increasingly adopting environmentally friendly practices and working towards greening up their facilities with recycling and rainwater harvesting to retrofitting venues with waterless urinals.

In April, last year the Warrior's planted trees and gave away reusable grocery bags. The Warrior's did this the week that they held their inaugural Green Week.

Solar Cell Phones Take Off in Developing Nations

CNN reports that Safaricom Ltd. has launched Kenya's first solar-charged phone this month. "The handset comes with a regular electrical charger and a solar panel that charges the phone using the sun's rays" and retails for approximately $35.

Samsung introduced a solar-powered phone, the Solar Guru, in India in mid-June.

Both phones are aimed at emerging markets where electricity supply can be scarce and residents often pay vendors to recharge cell phones.

Palm Theater - Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week

The Palm Theater (San Luis Obispo CA) is an independently owned movie theater and holds the distinction of being the first solar-powered theater in the United States.

In 2004, the theater installed 80 solar panels providing enough energy for sunny summer months and partial energy for less sunny days. The solar panels have resulted in a 50% decrease in energy costs.

Jim Dee has owned the Palm Theater since 1988 and expects to recoup his costs after 5 years.

Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week is a weekly behind-the-scenes look at what businesses are doing to be more sustainable and responsible in their operations.

Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week: If they can do it, so can you!

Solar Airplane Completes First Flight

Solar Impulse, a solar-powered airplane crafted by Swiss researchers, has completed its first manned flights. Pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg each completed 25-hour single-person manned flights earlier this month. The Solar Impulse uses no fuel and creates no emissions. According to their website, they plan the first night flight in 2009, the first trans-Atlantic flight in 2011, and then the first round-the-world flight.

Click here to watch the Associated Press video.

Have An Idea for a Solar-Powered Router for the BOP?

The Rockefeller Foundation is co-sponsoring a contest search for a design of a solar-powered wireless router composed of low-cost, readily available hardware and software components. This router is to become part of a reliable Internet communication network connecting metropolises and remote towns in developing countries. The challenge requires only a written proposal, the deadline for submissions is Janaury 28, 2008, and the prize is $20,000. To submit a proposal, you must register through InnoCentive (challenge 5644660).

Plug In...To Your Backpack

Bags and backpacks which generate solar power for handheld electronics are becoming quite popular. As the holiday shopping season approaches, here are some makers of solar-powered bags and backpacks:

Eclipse Solar Gear offers everything from backpacks, to camera bags, to bike bags, to coolers, to tackle bags, and more!

Voltaic Systems offers solar powered backpacks that generate enough power to charge handheld electronics.

Solar Gears offers solar powered bags.

Macro-Solar offers solar powered backpacks.

Reware offers a beach tote and various other bags.

So go ahead, plug in...to your backpack.