IBM in India has developed a special solar power system for data centers that can reduce their (often enormous) power usage by 10 percent. The system increases efficiency by reducing losses that usually result from converting alternating current on the grid to direct current for servers, explains Kota Murali, who normally works in nanotechnology at IBM India, but created this pilot on the side. READ MORE
An innovative green-tech power company has a factory that can’t cover its costs and despite tens of millions in federal government credit, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This may sound like a familiar story, but Beacon Power, the company in question, insists that it’s not another Solyndra. READ MORE
The Chinese electric car maker BYD Motors (for “Build Your Dreams”) has established a beachhead in Southern California. The company has a new North American headquarters in Los Angeles, and a new agreement with Hertz. The car rental company will be using BYD’s electric buses to shuttle travelers between the airport and their rental cars. And some of those rental cars will be electric BYD vehicles as well. READ MORE
A thermostat, says Palo Alto-based Nest Labs, should work for the homeowner. The company, led by former Apple executive Tony Fadell, has developed a digital thermostat that the company says will help homeowners save energy and money. When the product comes on the market in November, it will compete with existing digital thermostats manufactured by Honeywell and 3M. READ MORE
Ever notice how hard it is to get oil off of plastic containers when washing the dishes? It turns out that oil is attracted to plastic while water is not. So when Wendy Schmidt, wife of Eric Schmidt, offered a $1 million X prize to any company that could substantially improve oil-skimming technology for removing oil from ocean water after an oil spill, Elastec/American Marine, a tiny company in Illinois, met the challenge by using plastic to attract the oil in water. READ MORE
For those hankering for a Granola Bar of the Month Club, enter Lollihop. The Palo Alto start-up puts a box of organic delectables on customers’ doormats monthly for $22.75 a month or $18.95 per box with a year’s subscription. Shipments include bags of chips, energy bars, and other health food items. READ MORE
The collapse of Solyndra should raise questions about government investment — not the solar-technology industry. Solyndra leaves behind $535 million in federally guaranteed loans. All because the U.S. government ignored key market indicators. READ MORE
For most household, the upfront cost of installing solar panels is prohibitive. Government subsidies and low-cost loans can help, but both are disappearing in this era of budget shortfalls. Google and Clean Power Finance are teaming up with solar installers to solve the upfront investment problem by renting solar panels to homeowners for a monthly fee. READ MORE
Forget sneakers, Nike has its eyes set on start-ups. The shoe-maker will set up a venture-capital fund called the Sustainable Business & Innovation Lab to fund start-ups focused on alternative energies and efficient-manufacturing technologies. Nike declined to provide how much money will go toward the project. No word on when it will begin making investments either. READ MORE
The very public bankruptcy of solar startup Solyndra has Washington and everyone else in a tizzy. After receiving $535 million in loan guarantees from the feds, the company abruptly declared bankruptcy and its founders have now pleaded the Fifth in the face of congressional questions. READ MORE
