TD Bank’s new prototype stores will cover 3,800 square feet and cut energy consumption in half. Every inch will be dedicated to the green effort, from the solar panels on the roof to the wood from sustainable forests. Within the store, they will also use green cleaning products and recycle paper, glass, metal, batteries, and other materials. Other notable features include:

• Solar drive-thru canopy: a translucent canopy sheltering drive-thru areas that produces electricity for the bank’s use
• Kid’s center: a place for children to learn more about the bank’s green and financial aspects
• Customer service islands: a convenient information center for customers to learn more about the bank’s products and services
• Drive-up ATM: open 24 hours a day for convenient use by customers to access their accounts

In a recent interview the head of retail, Fred Graziano, shared some thoughts about TD Bank’s outlook on the green industry.

Green Street Journal: What factor or event ultimately led to the decision to go carbon neutral?

A: We can reduce our energy consumption, save money, and operate our business in a more sustainable manner. If we can build stores with solar panels – that generate energy we can use to power the store – for the same price or less than the stores we used to build, then that just makes good sense. We are proud of these first steps and know we have a lot of ground to cover, but we are happy to say that we are carbon neutral.

Green Street Journal: Do you think the decision to go green will have a significant impact on the decisions of potential customers?

A: We’re taking the environment seriously and we strongly believe this is the right thing to do for our business, customers, employees and the community. We want TD Bank to be as green as our logo.

Green Street Journal: Which of the renewable energy sources do you feel is the most promising? Are there any recent developments that lead you to believe so?

A: With the purchase of wind power, all 2,600 TD Bank ATMs from Maine to Florida will be green. TD Bank has purchased a block of renewable energy large enough to power all of its ATMs. We are using solar and hydro power as well. We think these are all great resources and we will try to use what makes sense for our operations.

The bank has made plans to open five to ten more green stores in the next two years. Their main goal is be constructed LEED certified to continue their commitment to stay green. This spring, TD bank plans to open a new store in Queens Village, N.Y. targeting the highest level of LEED certification, platinum.

The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has recently developed solar cells made of 98% plastic, effectively using 1/50th of the normal semiconductor material required. More importantly though these solar cells have demonstrated over 90% efficiency, almost four times greater than traditional silicon-based solar cells.

The researchers at Caltech have discovered that by growing silicon wires in a polymer substrate the cells will maintain better flexibility while adding to its efficiency. Normally light is captured by regular solar cells and converted into electricity with a bulk of light bouncing away and essentially being lost. The added flexibility of these plastic cells will trap the light causing the light to bounce around inside a matrix until it is absorbed. As a result, more light will be absorbed and at a higher concentration.

Atwater explains, “The light comes in and is both directly absorbed by the wires, and some of the light bounces around in between the wires. And that bouncing around or multiple scattering in between the wires results in dramatically enhanced absorption. In fact, the absorption enhancement that we see is in” the range of 20 to 50 times the single-pass absorbance.”

Additionally, the flexibility of these plastic solar sheets presents a unique opportunity to curve and shape them along surfaces that are not traditionally flat. For instance, Atwater suggested the roof of a car could be a potentially useful application that would take advantage of this new material. They could also be integrated into roofing materials to save money on installation and ultimately making it even cheaper to go green.

These recent developments will have a profound impact in the solar sector and the renewable energy market as well. Solar technology has always been a viable source of energy for the future and this research only strengthens its case. Currently, the head of the research, Harry Atwater, is working on increasing the voltage and size of the solar cells so that they can be produced inexpensively as flexible sheets.

Corky (Battery-less, cordless mouse developed by Adele Peters)

Corky

Say hello to Corky, the brown little mouse, a creative approach to cutting back on battery waste. Made of 100% recycled components, this revolutionary mouse is powered by the motion of your hand. The energy used as your hand guides the mouse across a surface is captured by elements within the mouse simultaneously powering and charging it. Additionally, the wheel and buttons on the mouse both produce and store energy effectively leaving no movement wasted.

Go Mechanical Charger (Portable phone charger developed by Elephant Design)

With the mobile phone market growing ever larger and having significant impact on developing nations around the world, this device will prove to be absolutely invaluable. Much like hand-powered flashlights this portable phone charger features a hand crank and a bonus a roll-on wheel feature. Essentially, the power from the Go Mechanical Charger will be grid-free and user-generated. Additionally, the charging port will support universal adaptability allowing use across all cell phone carriers. Although the charger can certainly be used for high-powered executives on-the-go its target consumers are those without immediate access to outlets on a regular basis. As such the engineers at Elephant Design have made the prototype an affordable $8 and an additional $1.50 for adapters.

Smart Grid Home Controller (Home energy monitor developed by BuLogics Inc.)

Smart Grid Controller

A good portion of our energy consumption in the home goes largely unnoticed, but certainly not unaccounted for which is where the world’s first Smart Grid Home Area Network (HAN) controller comes in. Uniquely designed to bridge the communication gap between utility companies and their customers the Z-Wave HAN will allow users to reduce energy consumption and save money with no effort on their part. The interaction happens in three stages starting with the utility company sending an energy change request regarding energy usage during peak hours and subsequent price increases. The information is received by Z-Wave’s HAN automatically shutting off appliances based on user preferences. The HAN then relays the changes made to the user’s cell phone or email detailing the event and effect on their energy efficiency. The result? It allows consumers to save money and conserve energy to help erase our carbon footprint.

Turbine Light (Car-powered highway lighting developed by TAK Studio)

Turbine Light

The growing number of cars on the road has led to an ever-increasing demand for electricity to light up highways. TAK Studio’s ingenuity has led to highway lighting powered by the wind from passing cars on the freeway. The concept is fairly simple: as cars zoom down highways they create wind which is then harnessed by the turbines in these lights and generates electricity used to power the lights itself. Ultimately, the Turbine Light will create a wonderfully symbiotic relationship between the two by effectively allowing each to give and take energy from one another.

The consistent theme throughout all these products is empowerment of the consumer. If we truly hold ourselves accountable for the environmental mess we are in then these products will provide a great way to take responsibility. Government policies and regulations are only part of the equation, the green revolution must start from the bottom and permeate through every level of our society in order to truly change our destructive ways.

PHEVs, according to CalCars, combine the strengths of both types, the long distance capability of gas and the cost-efficiency of a green, electric motor. By charging the vehicle overnight in the garage most daily commute is sufficiently covered by the battery which translates to about $0.75/gallon of gasoline. By comparison, regular hybrids today achieve 45 mpg at about $1.20/gallon.

Besides the daily costs of owning a PHEV many consumers are still weary of the hefty price tag on PHEVs versus an old-school automobile. While most PHEVs admittedly cost thousands more than even the hybrids on the market today, the cost to own a car is an entirely different matter. By essentially cutting the cost of fuel for a PHEV by 2/3 the money saved will reach well into the thousands.

If an average car owner drives 12,000 miles a year and gets roughly 25mpg and spends about $3/gallon for gas, then $1440 is spent on gas alone per year. If we use the high estimate of the cost for electricity to power the car, the savings will be roughly $1000/year. After five years, an PHEV would effectively negate the added cost. For simplicity sake the cost for battery replacement should at least be offset by lower maintenance since PHEVs have significantly less moving parts. Although it should be noted that battery technology is a rapidly growing industry which would lower its costs immensely in the coming years.

Finances aside, the environmental implications are obviously far-reaching which CalCars stresses the most. In a extensive study by the Electric Power Research Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council (EPRI-NRDC) conducted in July 2007, the organization confirms that PHEVs will be cleaner as they get older because the grid it utilizes is itself becoming cleaner.

The EPRI-NRDC also emphasizes that this shift away from our dependency on oil can happen right now since we have the technology to build it and the infrastructure to support it. Although the future will undoubtedly bring greener, more affordable technology PHEVs are going largely unnoticed despite their potential impact on the environment. By investing in PHEVs today we would be investing in the future of our planet because we should be giving back to that which has already given us so much.

While we are all concerned with what calendar will be gracing our walls for the next year, Europe is concerned with much bigger things. Earlier this month Europe announced plans to construct an enormous North Sea electricity grid in 2010. The blueprints for the grid will be released soon following the agreement signed by nine European nations just last month.

A super-grid of such scale could provide, or at least aid in establishing, long-term energy independence for the Europe. This enormous project serves as a vital step towards greater consolidation and integration of this continent’s energy grid. If all goes well the super grid will ideally connect the mass of offshore wind farms in northern Europe to the solar panels in the south. Such a convenience would allow nations to pass along any surplus of energy along to grid to those who need it.

One of the major caveats of renewable technology has been their inability to produce energy around the clock, making it a somewhat unreliable, and unpredictable as the natural elements they rely on. Connecting these to the super-grid, however, will eliminate or at least minimize the shortcomings of inconsistent energy production. Thanks to newly developed cable technology the energy in these distant renewable energy farms can now be allocated to the areas with the greatest need.

Consolidating power makes sense for the consumer as well allowing for overall cheaper utilities since the energy is readily available regardless of location. As a result of this project, renewable energy would be more widely promoted eventually allowing Europe to reach its goal of cutting greenhouse gases by 20 percent by the year 2020. The scope of this project even allows a goal of cutting greenhouse gases by 30 percent realistic.

Toyota Industries Corp. (TIC), the parent company of Toyota Motors, has laid plans to develop a solar charging station network throughout Toyota City in the Aichi Prefecture. Twenty-one stations in eleven locations are set to be built by April 2010 after which they will be thoroughly tested with Toyota’s very own Prius fleet.

The stations will be connected to the grid while receiving power generated from its 1.9 kW solar panels and stored in an 8.4 kWh battery. Additionally, the excess power generated can be used to operate other facilities in the system or sold to utility companies.

During the 41st Tokyo Motor Show late October of last year, TIC revealed its ambitions to make these charging stations work seamlessly with the developing charging infrastructure. Standardization is key cog in insuring that the transition for EVs and the like goes as smoothly as possible. Aside from its basic charging functions the charging stand has also been designed to cater to the average consumer. Thus it will support electronic billing and relay basic information such as usage conditions of the charging service and amount of power used.

Although it is a fairly small project at the present moment the success TIC hopes to bring will serve as a springboard from which projects of broader scope can be realized. Its innovation is matched only by its brilliance since it can spawn a new form of covered parking structures. Imagine a parking lot filled with solar charging stations such as these that simultaneously provide shaded parking and a full recharge for your electric car while you work or shop.

Granted this is not a revolutionary invention, but certainly be an imaginative convenience for the coming age of electric vehicles. TIC has also been working tirelessly to upgrade the Prius in time for testing. Some of the upgrades include: smaller onboard chargers with higher efficiency, reduced cooling device by two-thirds, and developing a DC-DC converter.

The ever-expanding solar industry has tackled land-based projects and is now looking to the skies for their latest innovations. Although space-based solar technology has been around for decades, it has never really been a viable option in terms of cost-efficiency. Nevertheless, last Thursday California regulators approved a project to beam solar energy from a satellite in space.

The one significant advantage of a space-based solar project over one on land is its ability to continuously produce energy since there is no day or night in space. The obvious drawbacks would be its relatively high risk in not only deploying, but maintaining such a project.

Solaren is a private manufacturing, project development and consulting company stationed in southern California. For 35 years they have developed clean energy technology and are now heading an ambitious project to harness energy from space. Their engineers have previously designed a Mylar mirror 1 km in diameter focus light onto solar panels essentially increasing its electricity output.

If the project is successful it will open opportunities for other space-based energy projects expanding the possibilities of a greener future. The target completion date is June, 2016 after which PG&E has agreed under contract to purchase 1,700 gigawatt hours per year for 15 years. A representative from PG&E said Thursday that they will only pay if Solaren delivers as promised. The representative intimated that the price for Solaren’s electricity is competitive with regular, land-based solar power.

NovaCell

With the average consumer becoming more mobile than ever, the worry of depleting battery life on iPods, cell phones, or other portable devices may soon become a distant memory. Suncore, a leader in self-charging solar solutions, has developed a new product called NovaCell; a portable, pocket-sized, solar charger for your portable device granting its users greater freedom.

Suncore, founded in 2004, is currently based out of Irvine, California where it produces solar-charged batteries for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), operators and distributors. They believe the future of energy lies with the sun and they aim to use it to increase energy’s levels of accessibility and efficiency to unprecedented heights.

Portable solar charging is not a new innovation, but perhaps it will finally garner the attention it deserves. Given the recent trend of the increasingly mobile consumer and their ever-growing guilty, green conscience, Suncore has combined both into one slim, energy-efficient solution.

The charger goes from empty to full in a little over four hours under normal lighting conditions while direct sunlight accelerates this process. It also has tremendous energy capacity for its size, capable of fully charging an iPod twice before needing to recharge itself. Additionally, its ability to do a continuous charge makes this device even more versatile. If the charger ever runs empty while a device still requires charging it will continuously charge while harnessing energy from the sun, essentially turning your cell phone or iPod into a solar-powered device.

Touted as having universal adaptability, the Novacell can be packaged by itself or along with any type of mobile device or service. Best of all, the charger captures free energy, energy we take for granted every day and pays for itself in a year. The same light that gives plants life can finally do the same for your iPod.

U.S. and Chinese Presidents, Barack Obama and Hu Jintao, more or less announced their partnership in clean energy technology last Tuesday. Specifically, the two signed official documents declaring their “cooperation on climate change, energy and environment.”

Their first task will be constructing a U.S-China Clean Energy Research Center in a joint effort to promote clean energy. The $150 million research center will facilitate research and development of clean energy technology by groups of engineers and scientists from the U.S. and China. The center will be both publicly and privately funded evenly between the two countries over the course of its predicted five-year construction period. Their current research priorities include energy efficiency, clean coal including carbon capture and storage, and clean vehicles.

In addition to the research center, the two presidents agreed to launch an Electric Vehicles Initiative. The initiative includes joint standards development, demonstration projects, technical roadmapping, and public education projects. The standards include common design standards for electric vehicle plugs and batteries among other devices. The demonstration projects will entail large electric vehicle demonstrations in major cities to promote production and consumption. Technical roadmapping will analyze the needs of research and development in regards to the production, introduction and use of electric cars. Lastly, public awareness will be promoted through events similar to the hugely successful U.S.-China Electric Vehicles Forum which made its debut in September of this year.

As part of their partnership, Obama and Jintao also announced a U.S.-China Energy Efficiency Action Plan. As consumers of over 40% of the world’s energy, the two have decided to undergo a comprehensive energy efficiency upgrade in buildings, industry and consumer products. As a result, U.S. and China plan to cut spending on polluted, imported energy and focus on investing in new sources of energy to stimulate jobs and economic growth from within.

This alliance shows tremendous initiative and awareness on both countries’ behalves since they are world’s largest energy consumers and greenhouse gas emitters. They are also the leading producers of energy, however they finally show some accountability for the type of energy they make. This is no small feat given the magnitude and scope of their power and influence in the world. They are leading by example and quietly acknowledging their mistakes, hoping to start a trend for generations to follow.

While wind is hardly groundbreaking in the renewable technology field, the Cape Wind Project is unprecedented in size and ambition. The $1.6 billion, 24-square mile offshore wind farm will be comprised of 130 wind turbines producing over 420 MW of clean energy. It will be located about 5.2 miles off the shore of Cape Cod, Massachusetts on the Horseshoe Shoal in the Nantucket Sound.

Each wind turbine will be about 600 yards apart, stand roughly 440 feet tall from the base of the tower to the tip of the blade with a base diameter of 16 feet. At its peak production the wind farm will produce over 450 MW with average production expected to be about 170 MW. If expectations are met this will cover close to 75% of Cape Cod’s usual consumption greatly reducing its dependence on imported oil. This is of great significance given Cape Cod’s history with oil spills. Most notably a massive 7.7 million gallons of oil was spilled in 1976 when a tanker ran aground into Nantucket Island. Most recently, in 2003, 98,000 gallons spilled also running aground and ultimately killing over 400 birds.

Cape Wind is a project directed by Energy Management Inc. (EMI). EMI, headquartered right in Massachusetts, has had over 30 years of experience developing clean energy projects involving six natural gas and one biomass projects.

As one of the first offshore wind farms in the United States, Cape Wind understands the scope of its project within the larger vision of a greener America. Aside from providing clean efficient energy, they are determined to contribute to America’s growing energy independence. With less dependence on foreign oil stability and strength in the job market and economy should return.

Currently, Cape wind is undergoing an extensive and comprehensive environmental review by seventeen federal and state agencies in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act. A final decision is expected in the near future, and if the project is approved wind technology should gain some substantial momentum in helping to propel us into a greener future.