Green Power Talk is a friendly place to learn about and discuss all things in green technology. Whether you are on-grid or off-grid, a do-it-yourself'er or a professional, make yourself at home, feel free to put your feet on the table, and have a cool one on us! Let's make Green Power Talk your (green) home away from home on the Internet!

Help us make Green Power Talk the place to go to for green technology projects on the Web. Please post; tell others about your projects, ask questions, show pictures. It is your postings that will bring others to the site, so don't be shy! Others will not do it for you, we need your help to make this a valuable and lively forum where great ideas can come together.

Green Power Talk, where the grass is always greener!

» The News
Will Chinese Solar Module Tariffs Restore Balance to the Industry?
- by News Desk
In the quest to "level the playing field," the 31 percent anti-dumping tariff announced Thursday was a good start, said SolarWorld President Gordon Brinser, but even more is needed to bring the industry back into balance. More...
1 Views
49.9-MW Hudson Ranch I Geothermal Plant Unveiled in California
- by News Desk
EnergySource hosted the unveiling of its 49.9 Hudson Ranch I geothermal plant, now renamed John L. Featherstone Plant – a geothermal innovator in the Salton Sea area, today in Imperial Valley, California. Commissioned on March 9th, it is the first geothermal plant to go online in the Salton Sea area in 20 years. Recognizing the area's huge potential capacity of reportedly up to two gigawatts, EnergySource expects to start drilling for its 49.9 Hudson Ranch II project this summer and hopes to start construction in 2013. More...
1 Views
Apple to Power 3 Data Centers with 100 Percent Renewable Energy
- by News Desk
Greenpeace advocates gathered outside of Apple's Cupertino headquarters early this week dressed as iPhones and iPods, declaring their outrage about the company's lack of clean energy use. They projected social media messages from supporters on the side of the building: More...
1 Views
Are IT Data Centers Emerging as a 'Killer App' for Green Power? Part 1
- by News Desk
Last month, Greenpeace launched a series of coordinated protests at Amazon, Apple and Microsoft locations to draw attention to the companies’ use of GHG intensive fuels in powering their data centers. The protests were a follow up to their recently released report, “How Clean is Your Cloud,” which criticized the companies fo More...
2 Views
The Forest's Treasure: A Profitable Solution to Woody Waste
- by News Desk
When forests are logged, managed or selectively trimmed so they'll be less susceptible to raging fires, there are usually huge piles of stumps, branches and other wood debris left laying on the ground. Now a group of researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle is developing a portable technology to turn these waste piles into treasure troves by converting them into biochar—charcoal made from plant material that can be burned for energy or applied to soils, where it helps plants grow. More...
2 Views
Energy efficiency: What Are the Laggards Thinking?
- by News Desk
Why do some states avoid creating policies that encourage consumers and businesses to save energy? What’s the psychology of the laggards? A new report by the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy sheds some insight as it examines the states that consistently fall behind in the organization’s annual energy efficien More...
2 Views
Proposed New Jersey Solar Bill May Not Solve SREC Woes
- by News Desk
Senators Bob Smith and Stephen Sweeny recently introduced New Jersey Senate Bill 1925. The bill proposes to amend New Jersey's current solar Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements in an attempt to help stabilize the oversupplied SREC market. The bill is currently in draft form and is scheduled to be heard More...
2 Views
31 Percent Anti-Dumping Tariffs Announced for Chinese Solar Panels
- by News Desk
The U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday announced stiff anti-dumping tariffs of around 31 percent on crystalline silicon solar panels imported from China, leading to a new round of concerns on how the duties will impact the growing American solar industry. More...
3 Views
Domestic Module Manufacturing: PV Globalization or Political Vote-Seeking?
- by News Desk
Despite 2011 having been a particularly challenging year for PV cell and module manufacturers, new small-scale module manufacturing facilities continue to be implemented, especially in emerging markets. In some cases, these companies/facilities are either aligned to local government policies or are implemented purely as diversification strategies. Other examples are joint-ventures between private and government entities. Such JV's are intended to represent "national" centers-of-excellence to serve domestic or regional market demand. More...
2 Views
Can the Voice of Solar Shine Brighter?
- by News Desk
Solar manufacturers and installers face the same challenge as many business owners: How can a company make time for media outreach as part of their overall marketing strategy? With so many other tasks vying for our time and dollars, making connections with the media, which is one of the best forms of free publicity, is often forgotten about. Why? More...
2 Views