Newly-revealed Tesla solar roof patent shows the secrets behind the technology

Tesla’s solar roof tiles stand apart from other integrated solar roofing options in part because they’re camouflaged – you can’t even tell the tiles are collecting solar power. But have you ever wondered what kind of tech it took to make that happen? A new Tesla patent released this week shows how they did it. Here’s a hint: it wasn’t easy. Tesla worked with Panasonic to create a grid of solar panels that could link together without taking forever to install. On top of that, they had to create the tiles in such a way that they appeared opaque from the street but remained transparent to the sun above – all while still being as efficient as possible. To solve this problem, they created a new kind of glass with small louvers, which make the glass look opaque when viewed from below while keeping it open to sunlight. Related: Tesla starts installing solar roofs in California The patent application says that each solar tile “includes a backsheet layer, a bottom encapsulant layer adjacent the backsheet layer, a plurality of photovoltaic cells adjacent the bottom encapsulant layer, a top encapsulant layer adjacent the plurality of photovoltaic cells having a plurality of louvers constructed therein to block side view of the plurality of photovoltaic cells, and a top layer adjacent the top encapsulant layer.” If that doesn’t clear things up for you, here’s a picture: If you want to dive into all the technicalities, you can find the full patent here . + Tesla Solar Roof Via Elektrek Images via Tesla

Read more from the original source:
Newly-revealed Tesla solar roof patent shows the secrets behind the technology

Welcome to the era of the Chief Stretch Officer

There’s a new kind of CSO in town for companies seeking more ambitious — and more actionable — sustainability strategies.

More here:
Welcome to the era of the Chief Stretch Officer

How Vancity crowdsourced engagement and accountability

Canada’s largest credit union used an interactive social media platform to connect with multiple stakeholders and prioritize its actions.

Here is the original:
How Vancity crowdsourced engagement and accountability

Hard time exposes the soft benefits of deep energy retrofits

Building skills and reducing recidivism, green prisons generate value beyond energy cost savings.

Read more:
Hard time exposes the soft benefits of deep energy retrofits

The market for safer chemistry is huge, and Congress should help

With consumers and shareholders demanding products without toxics, the U.S. government needs to improve chemical regulations — fast.

Original post:
The market for safer chemistry is huge, and Congress should help

New Gum Is Degradable and Easily Removed From Desks and Sidewalks

Image Courtesy of Rev7 Throwing out gum isn’t much better for the environment than swallowing it is for your stomach. That’s because conventional gum doesn’t biodegrade . At all. And Americans chew around 100 million pounds of the stuff every year. But now there’s a new kind of gum on the market, so you can freshen your breath without sullying the planet- Rev7 , the degradable gum that dissolves into a fine powder in a matter of months. … Read the full story on TreeHugger

Read more from the original source: 
New Gum Is Degradable and Easily Removed From Desks and Sidewalks

NASA’s New Life Form a Boon for Clean Energy, Toxic Waste Cleanup

The intertubes were abuzz with the big news from NASA yesterday: Researchers announced they discovered a new kind of life that rearranges all our assumptions about life as we know it (but first they had to apologize that no, it wasn’t an alien ).

Go here to read the rest:
NASA’s New Life Form a Boon for Clean Energy, Toxic Waste Cleanup

The Full Costs of BP’s Mistakes: The Advent of ‘Avatar Environmentalists’

There are signs that the world is seeing BP’s disaster as a first glimpse into the future of corporate governance, leading to the creation of a new kind of corporate oversight from citizens.

See more here:
The Full Costs of BP’s Mistakes: The Advent of ‘Avatar Environmentalists’

Ceramatec’s new battery could power your house for pennies per KWh

Eco Factor: Inexpensive battery developed for use with on-site power generators. One of the major reasons we don’t see people opting for off-grid systems such as solar and wind generators is the high cost of batteries that are required to store all that power for low wind or sun periods. Scientists at Ceramatec have developed a new kind of deep-storage battery that when coupled with solar and wind generators can power your entire home at the rate of pennies per KWh.

Go here to read the rest:
Ceramatec’s new battery could power your house for pennies per KWh

Hospira Slices into Plastic Medical Waste with New IV Bags

I.V. equipment dots the landscape of countless movies and TV shows like E.R. , House , and Grey’s Anatomy , so it’s no suprise that the ubiquitous little baggies account for a sizeable chunk of plastic medical waste from U.S.

Read the original here: 
Hospira Slices into Plastic Medical Waste with New IV Bags