When it comes to renewable energy, wind turbines are certainly one of the greener and more sustainable options. Their biggest drawbacks is that they have to be large to produce enough energy, and that they make a lot of noise, which is why they haven’t yet been widely adopted by homeowners. However, The Archimedes, a Holland-based renewable energy start-up is currently working on a solution to this problem. They are designing a wind turbine small enough to be mounted on the roof of a typical home, but which is still highly efficient at converting wind to energy and does so nearly soundlessly.

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A wind turbine can be used to generate power even at night, which is the main advantage it has over solar panels. However, its size and complicated set up remains the biggest disadvantage. At least when it comes to camping trips, or other instances of needing renewable power on the go. Well, those troubles could be at an end by the use of Windpax. The latter is a portable wind turbine, which is fully collapsible and will not take a lot of space in your backpack. Its designers are currently using Kickstarter to fund its production.
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The first city-wide collegiate team to be formed in Washington, D.C. and compete in the Solar Decathlon is Team Capitol DC, made up of students and faculty mentors from Catholic University, American University, and George Washington University. Their entry is HARVEST HOME, taking its name from its harvesting of natural resources, and is designed to meet the needs of a wounded veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who will live in the home after the competition.

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The Seattle-based home building company, ShelterKraft Werks, designs affordable homes that are configured around recycled shipping containers to provide solutions for global housing challenges with turn-key, low footprint structures that can be installed within any conceivable environment.

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This week in Jetson Green Energy News, we’re reporting on a new green skyscraper in San Francisco, Top 10 Green Cities, Top 10 Green Projects, Donald Trump’s controversial (banned) anti-wind advertisement, environmental clean up in Wisconsin, new environmental funding in Minnesota, a new research facility in Colorado, and earthquake-resistant wallpaper. And, even though Earth Day is over, we still have plenty of green events for you to enjoy.

Transbay Transit Tower in San Francisco

Tallest Tower on the West Coast to be Built in San Francisco

Project developers Hines, Houston, and Boston Properties broke ground on the 1,070-ft-tall Transbay Transit Tower after closing a land purchase for $192 million. Designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, it will be taller than the Wilshire Grand tower being built in Los Angeles and become the West Coast’s tallest building. Green features include integrated metal sunshades to reduce solar gain, low-E glass, heat-exchanging coils in the foundation, comprehensive water recycling systems, and high efficiency fresh air handlers.

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This week in Jetson Green Energy News, we’re reporting on wind power in Australia and California, the smart homes and solar job market in the U.S., solar power in Germany, Sweden’s plans to be oil-free, Panasonic’s Solar Lantern Project, and a French winery that is going to make toothpaste from its carbon emissions. Plus, we have updated our calendar of upcoming green events.

Southern Hemisphere’s Largest Wind Farm Opens in Australia

The $1 billion AUD, 420-megawatt Macarthur Wind Farm is now feeding Australia’s electric grid. Owned by AGL Energy and Meridian Energy, the farm features the the Vestas V112-3.0 MW wind turbine. More than 50% of the cumulative wind power capacity in Australia has been installed by Vestas.

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