I mentioned Nanosolar back in August because I found an excellent video about the company — they’re poised to dramatically flip this solar industry inside out.  Today comes news that they shipped their first product and received an actual revenue check.  This is a big deal.  Thin film solar is incredible because it can be used more flexibly and produced at a much lower cost. 

Their powersheet product was recognized by Popular Science as 2007 Innovation of the Year.  Now that the product is a reality, we’re going to see some craziness.  They’ve accomplished a slew of world’s firsts (below) and decided to auction off an early batch of product on eBay.  Unfortunately, that’s all you’re likely to get because they’re sold out for the next 12 months!  Better start your orders now. 

Read more »

I’m a huge fan of Project7Ten — the first traditionally-built, LEED Platinum home in California (read: non-prefab).  But the developers are going after another first, that is, to be the first LEED Platinum home sold on Ebay.  That’s right.  News that Project7Ten is being sold through AuctionWire is a little shocking to me, too.  Why. sell. your. home. via. auction. on. Ebay?  Can someone tell me the rationale for an auction-based sale?  I mean, I know the market is a little choppy right now, but people with money always have money.  Is it really that tough to find a purchaser for one of the greenest homes in CA? 

Or stated differently, I guess one can look at this a couple different ways: (1) the seller wants to find a quick purchaser and is trying to cast a wide net for potential candidates, or (2) the house isn’t selling and ebay was the next best idea to try to move it.  Certainly, the celebrity state of California has enough candidates for a super stylish, green home, right? 

• Green standards irk (lumber) dealers. 
• A foundation for green building. 
• Finding financing for you green building project.
• Affordable housing advocates build green and inspire innovation.
• Planner says going green has its advantages.
• S.F. to have greenest building codes in the nation?
• 67% of consumers willing to pay for green power.
• One writer finds it’s not easy building green.

There’s major action in the data center world, with all sorts of facilities aiming for energy-efficient centers and LEED buildings.  Cisco, led by the undeniably approachable CEO John Chambers, is embarking on a plan to green their business.  It kind of feels like a revival of the old Japanese, waste-elimination era, but there’s progress in areas other than efficiency.  Here’s what they’re doing:

• 17,400 sf office in Chesterfield Ridge Center (St. Louis Regional Sales HQ) received LEED certification;
• Their Carbon to Collaboration Initiative aims to reduce company GHG emissions from air travel by 10 %;
• They hired Paul Marcoux, one of the founders of The Green Grid, to drive green initiatives inside and outside the company – he’s become known as the company "Green Guru." 

Yes, the greening of business is something we’re going to keep seeing.  ##

Green buildings, with their natural light and excellent indoor air quality, have the potential to make a big difference in the healthcare industry.  At some point, there’s going to be the world’s first LEED Platinum healthcare facility in the world and Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas just might be the location to do it.  The 32-acre, $200 M project is on schedule to take LEED Platinum, if everything goes as planned.  The pictures are magnificent and we here at Jetson Green think it would be great if no one ever had to go inside!  TBG Partners was kind enough to provide photos of the work they’re doing on the project, which includes site planning, sustainable design, and landscape architectural services.   

Read more »