By John DeFore
Green Right Now

Everyone knows that cooking oil can be used as a source of fuel, but most folks think of that as something only done by hardcore do-it-yourselfers willing to tinker forever in the garage. If Owl Power Company has its way, that image is going to change, starting in commercial kitchens across America.

The Massachusetts company recently announced its Vegawatt, a user-friendly product with which restaurants can generate between 10 and 25% of their electricity and hot water with used oil from deep fryers.

Traditionally, restaurateurs have had to pay companies to haul away used grease; those of us who had high-school jobs in the fast food industry likely remember the stench of the dumpster-like receptacles in which that waste awaited pickup. Recently, some companies have reversed the equation, paying restaurants up to 25 cents a gallon for newly valuable grease — but the Vegawatt eliminates the middle-man entirely, delivering an energy value that its makers estimate at $2.55 per gallon.

The self-contained unit requires no maintenance from kitchen staff, needs no additional ingredients beyond the grease itself, and produces no liquid byproducts. It’s about the size of a fridge and is located outside the building, much like a central air conditioner. In a recent announcement, the company touted the positive experiences of local business Finz Seafood & Grill, which has been using a Vegawatt for about a month now.

Owl Power quotes Finz owner George Carey, their first customer, saying, “As a restaurant operator I am constantly looking … for costs-saving measures. My largest line-item expense is runaway utility costs. The Vegawatt™ system enables me to significantly reduce my energy costs, generate clean energy on-site, and very importantly, reduce the heavy energy footprint of my restaurant.”

The device is currently offered in a five-year lease plan costing $435 per month, roughly half the amount the company estimates the average restaurant will save in energy costs.

Copyright © 2009 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

By John DeFore
Green Right Now

It seems like a no-brainer that national parks, those monuments to America’s natural beauty, would be powered by renewable resources. But renewable-power installations aren’t free, and the park system isn’t the best-funded part of the U.S. government.

The Grand Canyon, at least, is now starting to get with the program. This spring, the visitor center at the Grand Canyon National Park will draw a healthy chunk of its energy from the sun.

Arizona utility APS announced this week that it is installing 84 photovoltaic panels on the roof of and on platforms surrounding the center, which sits near the canyon’s south rim and is the first stop for many visitors to the area. The installation, scheduled to become operational this March, will supply about 18 kilowatts, or nearly a third of the electricity used by the facility.

The project is funded by APS’s “Green Rates” program and the Arizona Corporation Commission’s Renewable Energy Standard. The site was chosen in part as an opportunity to educate the 4.5 million-plus people who visit the Grand Canyon annually, and exhibits inside the building will include a real-time monitor of how much power the solar cells are producing.

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

By Clint Williams
Green Right Now

The variables that go into calculating the economics of driving a car will make your head hurt. The considerations include purchase price, depreciation, fuel economy, maintenance costs and insurance. Does the extra you pay for hybrid technology now pay off in savings at the pump over the long haul?

Anybody have a calculator?

But here is the bottom line for most car buyers: What’s it like once you slide your tush behind the wheel?
By that matrix, the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI measures up pretty well. [Read more →]