An American-made breakthrough in the solar energy industry

Arch Solar Command enables the solar energy industry to access cost-effective components that, until now, have not been readily available in the United States.

Arch Solar Command Unleashes the Power of the Sun

 

Ft. Pierce, Fla.  -- (Feb. 2, 2009) -- Arch Aluminum and Glass has found a way to mass-produce its new proprietary mirroring technology for use in solar concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) cells.  Arch’s new technology, marketed under the name Arch Solar Command, enables the solar energy industry to access cost-effective components that, until now, have not been readily available in the United States. Arch Solar Command is the only company in the United States to offer solar energy fabricators, coupled with the ability to deliver large-scale orders.

Arch is currently one of the leading producers of mirrors in the US.  “We realized several years ago that mirroring technology had huge implications in developing solar power,” said Tony Lawson, director of solar operations for Arch.  “After significant investment in research and development, we developed a new way to silver and coat bent glass, which is extremely difficult to do.  Our mirrors optically focus sunlight onto a concentrator containing active solar cell materials that convert the intense light into electricity.  Once we had the scientific breakthrough, our next step was to make our process repeatable in a manufacturing environment.”   To accommodate its new technology, Arch converted a portion of its existing factory to produce the mirrors.

Arch President and CEO Leon Silverstein has long been committed to developing environmentally safe products.  Solar Command is no exception.  The paint backing for these techniques are lead free, which allows the company to mass produce environmentally friendly lead free mirrors capable of withstanding extreme temperatures. "We’re now positioned to play a role in accelerating the growth of the solar energy industry, while ensuring the sustainability of our products at the same time,” Silverstein stated.

Arch’s success has also helped the company maintain its workforce, and has enabled plant workers to learn sophisticated new technology.  “We’re proud that we’ve been able to leverage our expertise in mirroring to help not only our employees, but to keep jobs in our local community,” continued Silverstein.  “Our company is family owned, and our employees are our extended family.  We intend to keep it that way.”

The company also plans to keep its business “American-made.”  “Traditionally, Europe has lead the way in developing solar technology,” says Lawson.  Currently, most of the production for solar energy comes from China and other low-wage countries. The Arch Solar Command team plans to keep all research, development and production in the United States, and eventually will use its existing distribution network to transport its solar products throughout the United States. “Many companies entering the solar industry don’t have the ability to deliver goods efficiently and effectively,” says Max Perilstein, vice president of marketing.   “Our thirty one years of serving the building industry throughout the country means we have the infrastructure to ensure our customers receive their orders on time and intact.”

Arch Solar Command's efforts have generated interest globally from investors in technologies for solar collectors and concentrators for utility-scale power plants. The Solar Command division sells the solar mirrors directly to manufacturers of solar power generation equipment from its production line in Fort Pierce, Fla.   The company is also looking to partner with companies who may want to license the manufacturing.

Arch Solar Command is headquartered in Ft. Pierce, Florida and is a division of Arch Aluminum and Glass, one of the nation’s premier glass and aluminum fabricators.  Solar Command continues the legacy of innovation and environmental stewardship at Arch, which since the 1970s has manufactured and fabricated glazing and extruded aluminum systems for buildings while incrementally improving quality and finding cost-effective solutions for its customers.   For more information, visit www.archsolarcommand.com or call the Solar Command "Sunshine Line" 1-866-629-ARCH.

President Obama sees a green future for America

This article gives me hope.  At a time when so many jobs are being lost, wouldn't it be great if we could create some.  And I know the price of oil has plummetted because of the global recession, but it is not always going to be cheap.  Plus, global warming is not going to stop just because we are in a recession.   Carbon dioxide is still accumulating in the atmosphere.   Scientists said on Monday that it would take 1,000 years or more for climate changes already triggered to be reversed.   The results of their study are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Natural beauty with just one ingredient

Excerpted from Body + Soul magazine:

Sour cream: It can be used as a moisturizing face mask and gentle exfoliant.

Its lactic acid (an alpha-hydroxy acid) helps speed cell turnover, brightening dull complexions.  The natural fats restore skin’s moisture. 

Smooth 1-2 tablespoons of cool, full-fat sour cream in a thin layer over a clean face and neck with your fingertips.  Avoid your eye and lip area.  Remove the mask with a wet wash cloth after 7-10 minutes.  Then splash with warm water and pat dry.

Chamomile tea: It can be used as a calming compress. 

Chamomile is a natural anti-inflammatory, reducing redness and puffiness around the eyes.  It also soothes irritated complexions.

Place a clean washcloth in cool chamomile tea steeped to a golden yellow and let it soak. 

Apply it to the skin as a compress.  Rest on the area of puffiness for at least 10 minutes before rinsing and drying. 

Almond oil: It can be used as a hand moisturizer.

With its light texture and infusion of Vitamin E, almond oil quickly penetrates dry skin and protects hands and nails from environmental damage. 

Rub 1 teaspoon of oil into hands and cuticles, then place each hand in an old, clean sock and allow oil to penetrate for at least 5 minutes.  Wipe the excess oil off hands, but don’t rinse because the remaining oil will be absorbed over the next few minutes. 

Pineapple: It can be used as a foot rub. 

Bromelain, an enzyme present in the flesh of the pineapple, breaks down protein bonds and aids with the sloughing of dead skin cells.  It is especially good at softening the calloused skin on feet. 

Puree 1 cup of fresh pineapple in a blender or food processor until smooth.  With feet in a washbasin, massage the puree into soles, heels, and between toes.  After 7-10 minutes, rinse feet with warm water and dry. 

Kiwi: It can be used as a facial scrub. 

Its high Vitamin C levels fight free-radical damage and even out skin texture.  When scrubbed on the face, the seeds act as exfoliators, leaving skin smooth.

Peel and slice a ripe kiwi, and mash the flesh thoroughly with a fork.  With circular motions, work the paste onto damp, clean face, avoiding lip and eye areas.  After 30-60 seconds of scrubbing, rinse skin with warm water and pat dry.

Olive oil: It can be used as hair conditioner. 

Rich in Vitamin E and fatty acids, olive oil is great for moisturizing brittle and overstyled hair.

Comb several tablespoons of “light” olive oil through hair, working from roots to ends, before showering.  Then cover hair with a shower cap.  After showering for 5-7 minutes, remove the cap.  Shampoo, rinse, and condition as usual.      

Save money and energy with these electronics

• If you are considering buying a stereo, don't.  An MP3 player is a much greener choice.  A stereo uses 120 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, you'll spend $13.20, and using it will put 206 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  An MP3 player, however, has a much smaller footprint.  It will only use 6 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, cost you $0.66, and its use will put 10 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  
  
• If you are considering cable versus satellite, go with satellite service if it is available to you. Digital cable uses 239 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, will cost you $26.29, and puts 410 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Satellite, on the other hand, uses 124 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, costs $13.64, and will put 213 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  
• A desktop computer uses 255 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, costs $28.05, and emits 437 pounds of carbon dioxide.  A laptop, though, only uses 83 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, costs $9.13, and emits 142 pounds of carbon dioxide.
• A cordless, landline phone uses 26 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, costs $2.86, and emits 45 pounds of carbon dioxide.  A cellular phone uses 3 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, costs $0.33, and emits 5 pounds of carbon dioxide.  
• If you are going to break down and get that giant TV that you've been eyeing for a long time, then get an LCD rather than a plasma TV.  The plasma TV, on average, uses 441 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, costs $48.51, and emits 756 pounds of carbon dioxide. But an LCD only uses 77 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, costs $8.47, and emits 132 pounds of carbon dioxide.

Remember to recycle all of your old electronics too.  Don't just throw them away!                

Fuji launches landfill-safe batteries at CES...not that you should throw batteries away at all

I guess Yahoo is on a green kick tonight.  Here is another bit of news I just came across.

Fuji launches landfill-safe batteries at CES

By Hank Green

Posted Fri Jan 9, 2009 3:54pm PST

Related topics: Electronics, Recycling, Pollution

More from EcoGeek blog

You really should recycle your batteries. But let's be honest, at one point or another, we've all thrown them away, contributing to the toxic pollution of our ground water. And while I'm not going to throw EcoGeek's full weight behind any battery that isn't rechargeable, it is nice to see Fuji's new take on the battery.

The EnviroMax batteries contain no mercury, cadmium or PVC and they are encased in plastic instead of steel. In fact, Fuji claims that the batteries (while 100% recycleable) are safe for landfills. We're still waiting to see if they're awarded RoHS certification, but I imagine they will be.

But, once again, I encourage you all to use rechargeable batteries, and to dispose of them correctly at the end of their useful lives.

  

I just saw this on Yahoo News.  It is from Planet Green's web site.  I thought that I would pass it along.  

7 Ways to Get Rid of Unwanted CDs

Now that music has gone digital how can we responsibly get rid of our CDs?

By Josh Peterson
Los Angeles, CA, USA | Tue Jan 20 11:00:00 EST 2009

José Luis Gutiérrez/iStock

READ MORE ABOUT:
E-Waste | Recycling | Reduce Reuse Recycle |Technology | Waste Disposal 

Recently, a commenter asked how could he get rid of his old CDs? Luckily, Planet Green had an article about reusing CDs, but it didn't have an article about other ways to deal with them. Well, now it does.

Why is this Green?
By selling your unwanted CDs to resellers, you decrease demand for the CDs. Therefore, new copies of the Cds won't have to be produced as often and materials will be saved.

1. Sell them Online
   Like DVDs, you can sell CDs online.SecondSpin.com and CashForCDs are just two of the many online buyers available.


2. Trade/Sell Them at Your Local Record Store
   Make sure to call ahead before you traipse on down to the record store. If you have a bag full of Vanilla Ice, Insane Clown Posse, Ninety Eight Degrees, Kings X and Ratt, there is a good chance that they will not buy or trade these from you. Don't waste gas. Call ahead.


3. Donate them to Charity
   You can donate CDs to the troops. You can donate CDs to public libraries. You can donate CDs to children's hospitals. You can also donate to the Goodwill or Salvation Army. Each of these places will provide you with a tax receipt.


4. Organize a CD Swap Party
   Invite your friends over to trade albums that they don't want any more.


5. Record Over Them
   If your disc is a CD-RW, you can record over the music that's on the disc as many times as you like. If your disc is a CD-R, you are kind of stuck with whatever is on the disc.

Part II: Dealing With Bad Recordings, Broken Discs, Un-tradable Discs and CD-Rs Containing Yanni


6. Recycle CDs
   The CD Recycling Center of America will take those CDs off of your hands and make sure that the materials get used again. Check out these further recycling tips from Treehugger's Eco-Geek.


7. Use a Pear to Erase a CD-R?
   One guy thinks that he can make a CD-R rewritable by soaking it in pear juice. He made a video. It seems like a long shot, but I don't have the time or materials (a pear) to try this right now, so I'll add it to this list in the hope that maybe there is some truth to this or that science can be advanced in some way by the video.

Where Can I Recycle _____________?

I just found an awesome web site for finding places to recycle stuff.  

LIME's Guide to Recycling

Also, check out my previous blog entry also called Where Can I Recycle ____________?

You know, it was just really bothering me that I had to throw away bread bags and the plastic wrapping that most toilet paper comes in. But LIME's guide says that Whole Foods, Wal-Mart and Wegman's Food Marts accepts ALL plastic bags, 1-7.