Question by doubt_is_freedom: Can you recommend some “clean energy” stocks and funds?
I’m looking for solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass and biofuel companies or funds. No fossil fuels or nuclear please.
Oops I forgot wind.
Best answer:
Answer by Tom Servo
How about SOLF and PEIX. I usually stick with stocks, however, I know of some green funds, GCBLX & GCEQX. Due your own DD and be careful! JMT only. ts
What do you think? Answer below!
Article by Adriana Noton
Almost everyone has heard of ethanol; however, some still wonder what ethanol is and how it is made and what is it really used for. Ethanol is a form of alcohol and can be used for many things such as beverages, fuel and energy. Ethanol is produced from corn and other agricultural products. It is one of the renewable resources that can stimulate economic growth and assist in the reduction of pollution.
This product is also known as ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol or pure alcohol. There are very few products that are one hundred percent pure alcohol due to its nature. This product is highly flammable and very volatile. Products generally have a small amount of this alcohol while other ingredients make up the biggest portion of a product.
This type of alcohol comes from the starches found in corn and other agricultural items. The starch is extracted from the source and the remaining plant is used to make feed for animals. Since it uses grains and corn as the main source this creates additional demands for these particular crops. Also since it is produced from crops it eliminates some of the dependencies the population has on other non-renewable resources.
This pure alcohol can also be produced by cellulosic biomass. The majority of any free growing plant is made up of a material called lignocellulose; which can be used to produce biofuel. The main thing about using this form of cellulose is it takes much more processing than using grain and corn. However, it does allow use of more free growing plant life and agricultural by products.
There are two types of processes used to extract the starch from these crops and that is wet milling or dry milling. The only difference between the two types of milling is how the crops are initially processed other than that the process for production is the same. The production of crops keeps farmers employed while the processing plants offer jobs to other people.
This form of pure alcohol is often used in fuel. When it is used it reduces the amount of petroleum needed in order to make the fuel. The use of ethanol is better for the environment because it is a clean burning fuel and does not create the carbon monoxide emissions or other pollutants that petroleum products do. It is more efficient and economical than petroleum. This is considered to be an alternative fuel also known as flexible fuel.
Amazingly this particular type of alcohol can be used as fuel or be used in the production of alcoholic beverages. The manner in which it is used does not real matter because it is a potent liquid that is generated from renewable resources. It benefits the environment, the economy and assist in making it possible for fuel to be used more efficiently.
The benefits are abundant and support the many uses of this product. It also allows the remaining source to be used for the production of other products. It is becoming more and more important to support a healthier and cleaner environment. Not to mention promote the use of more renewable resources in place of the nonrenewable resources currently being used. Support the farmers, support the economic future of the community; promote the growing uses of ethanol.
About the Author
For environmentally friendly forest products, visit this great supplier of materials such as pulp and paper, dissolving pulp, wood pulp, market pulp, ethanol suppliers, and more!
Related What Is Biomass Articles
Article by Lesley Laurence
Fossil fuel depletion, climate change and economic contraction are all serious issues that affect most towns and villages. As population and consumption increases, resources become strained under the added pressure. Fortunately, the Transition Towns Initiative is turning the tide for weakening communities.
What is the Transition Town Initiative?
Transition Towns is a grassroots movement that uses local community members to promote economy and ecology side by side. These members aim at reducing fossil fuel consumption, increasing local partnerships and commerce as well as developing models for sustainability and growth that these ‘transitioning towns’ can follow into the future.
As far as the Transition Network is concerned it all starts with one simple question:
“How can we make our community stronger and happier as we deal with the impacts of peak oil and economic contraction while at the same time urgently reducing CO2 emissions?”
To answer that question the Transition Network came up with three rough phases:
The Three Phases
1.) Awareness: The first step starts with building a small initiating group that starts an awareness campaign. This initiating team should make connections with local environmental groups to engage the community and promote the reasons why transition is needed and even necessary.
2.) Self-Organization: As this initiating group grows larger it will need to be divided into sub-sets such as food, energy, transportation, housing, education, etc. This helps to create practical projects for each sub-set and allows industry leaders to work on the transitions that affect them most. Most transition towns are in this phase of development.
3.) Energy Descent Planning: The third step deals directly with issues of energy consumption and approaches that can reduce and even eliminate fossil fuel and electricity use. Communities are also encouraged to develop their own energy companies and social enterprises which reduce usage.
In time, many cities form a more concise action plan to tackle local issues. Often a 12-step program, referred to as the Transition Town Model, is implemented after the initial organization is completed.
The Transition Town Model
Below is an example of a working Transitions Model from Bridport, England:
1. Set up a steering group and design its demise/transformation from the outset – This team is generally comprised of one member from each community group that is involved in the Transition project.
2. Start raising awareness – Identify the key allies in your community from various industries, e.g., local farmers, businesses, politicians.
3. Lay the foundations – Establish connections with local activist and environmental groups, acknowledging the work they do, and explaining how peak oil and climate change issues will impact your community.
4. Organise a Great Unleashing (otherwise known as a launch) – Introduce your work to the larger community with a presentation that will raise awareness – such as a movie or lecture. Mix in some music, food or other elements that bring people in and keep them engaged.
5. Form theme (or special interest) groups – Tap into the unique interests and skills in your community. Sub-groups may include food, waste, energy, education, youth, economics, transport, water, local government, etc.
6. Use Open Space – This is a unique approach to hosting meetings that allows large, diverse groups to function peacefully and effectively.
7. Develop visible practical manifestations of the project – Increase your visibility with creative initiatives that demonstrate sustainable living in action. For example, Transition Town Totnes planted edible nut bearing trees in the centre of town, and got their Mayor involved.
8. Facilitate the Great Reskilling – Help your community to relearn the

Pellet Heat Gaining Traction as Viable Renewable Home Energy
Minneapolis, MN (Vocus) October 5, 2010 â
Living greener lifestyles and reducing our impact on the environment is becoming increasingly more important to U.S. consumers and homeowners. Also gaining traction is awareness and usage of a time tested, but recently popularized approach to renewable home energy â heating with pelletized fuel in free-standing pellet stoves and fireplace inserts.
Generally made from recycled wood byproducts, pellets are a cost stable, low carbon fuel that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions when used as an alternative to fossil fuels such as heating oil, propane and natural gas.
Over the past 10 years, several factors have led to increased interest in pellet heating. Organizations like the Pellet Fuels Institute have successfully campaigned for green heating with pellets, contributing to nearly a million installations of pellet appliances in homes and businesses. Stove manufacturers like Harman and Quadra-Fire have also improved the technology and aesthetics of the appliances, making them more attractive and easier to operate and maintain. In addition, the U.S. government is promoting pellet heat with a 30 percent tax credit of up to $ 1,500 for homeowners who purchase a pellet stove or fireplace insert by Dec. 31, 2010.
âTodayâs pellet stove technology is light-years ahead of what it was even 10 years ago, making heating with renewable pellet fuel a practical option for many households,â said Dan Henry, vice president, advanced technologies for Quadra-Fire and Harman. âMany models can produce steady, regulated heat for up to 24 hours on a single load of pellets, with minimal ash clean up. Due to pellet density and high burn efficiencies, the stoves emit extremely low outside air particulates, helping to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases associated with fossil fuels.â
Many homeowners would like to utilize renewable energy, but the cost of solar panels, geothermal heat pumps and wind turbines can be exorbitant, making it virtually impossible to get started. Pellet stoves and fireplace inserts can be purchased for a fraction of the cost, making pellet heat the most affordable and realistic alternative for many homeowners. In fact, with the current tax credit, it is possible to purchase and install a pellet stove or fireplace insert for as little as $ 2,600.
In addition to the low cost of getting started, heating with pellets can save money on heating bills, particularly for those currently using fuel oil, propane and electricity. Based on 2010 heating season fuel prices and heating a 1,700 square foot home in a cold-climate state(1), switching from fuel oil to pellets can save you approximately $ 800 per heating season. If you are currently heating with propane, the savings would be about $ 1,000, and if currently using electricity, $ 1,800 per heating season.
Pellet heat is a good option for homeowners who want to save money and utilize renewable fuels. In addition to reducing carbon emissions(2), they are heating with a fuel that is grown, harvested and produced right here in the U.S., helping to reduce our countryâs dependence on foreign oil.
Many homeowners install a pellet stove to work in conjunction with their existing central furnace or boiler. Efficiencies are gained by turning the temperature down 10-15 degrees on the central furnace and using the pellet stove to heat the rooms that are used the most, such as the kitchen and adjoining family or living room. Similar to the concept of a hybrid car, the pellet stove does the primary heating with the furnace as a backup â working together to gain efficiencies and a more environmentally responsible outcome. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy recommends this practice of space heating the areas where you live, as well as closing off unused rooms and leaving bedroom doors open at night. Improving insulation and sealing air leaks in the home will also help to gain maximum heating efficiencies.
In the pellet appliance category, homeowners can choose from free-standing pellet stoves, pellet fireplace inserts that fit into the firebox of an existing wood fireplace, and whole-home heating pellet furnaces and boilers. There is also a pellet fireplace available through Quadra-Fire which is the industryâs only zero clearance pellet fireplace.
The tax credit for pellet/biomass stoves ends Dec. 31, 2010. For a complete listing of pellet appliance products that qualify and to find a dealer, visit http://www.fireplaces.com.
1) Upper New England, Midwest and Northwest states. Assumes whole home heating; complete replacement of current fuel with pellets.
2) For every ton of pellets used vs. oil, CO2 emissions are reduced by about 1.5 tons. Pellet Fuels Institute, http://pelletheat.org/pellets/benefits-of-pellets/
Note: High resolution images of a pellet stove, pellet fireplace insert and pellets are available here http://www.flickr.com/photos/hearthnhome/sets/72157625095741786
About Hearth & Home Technologies Inc.
Hearth & Home Technologies is the worldâs leading provider of whole hearth systems including fireplaces, stoves and inserts, as well as furnaces that utilize biomass fuels. Its family of brands includes Harmanâ¢, Heatilator®, Heat & Glo®, Quadra-Fire® and Fireside Hearth & Home® retail stores and builder design centers. The company offers a wide variety of energy efficient and environmentally sustainable hearth products, which are manufactured, packaged and delivered with respect for the environment. Hearth & Home Technologies is a subsidiary of HNI Corporation (NYSE: HNI), the second largest office furniture manufacturer in the United States. More information can be found at http://www.hearthnhome.com.
For more information, contact:
Julie Goetz, Public Relations Manager
952/985-6516,
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Find More Biomass Stove Press Releases
Vattenfall has installed a 60 MW biomass boiler from Metso in Hameenlinna. Similar ones are coming to the US
This video was taken during Emissions Testing performed by Envirepel Energy Inc. at its Vista California facility in November of 2008. Following the test video footage, there is a narrated tour of the Vista Biomass energy facility.
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Navagni™ is the improved biomass cooking stove. Actual user comments of user in India who have used the stove. Navagni™ is designed to provide key environment and social benefits. Design features include reduced fuel usage, ability to accept any kind of biomass fuel usage, reduce toxic emissions as compared to traditional cook stoves, cleaner combustion etc. Navagni™ aims to bring back the joy of cooking to our villages and alleviate the burden associated with cooking on women folk, especially girl children paving way to improvement of social values and economic levels.
Video Rating: 0 / 5
Article by Matthew James
Biomass is the term used to describe using organic matter such as wood, plants grown especially for fuel and even animal fats and waste to create fuel.
Combined Heating and Power can be simply explained as utilising the heat created during the process of generating power to heat the building. Biomass CHP therefore, utilises organic matter to create fuel which is used to produce electricity and heat.
1. Biomass CHP is highly versatile, and can be used in both a domestic environment and a commercial setting. Despite the self sufficiency, homes and business premises are still connected to mains power so that in the event of maintenance, there is no loss of power.
2. These installations can be much more efficient than coal and gas fired power stations. Using these installations can be up to 70% efficient compared to around 40% for fossil fuels, where the heat produced is not utilised.
3. Emissions are reduced, and less carbon dioxide is produced, meaning that producing heat and power using Biomass CHP is more environmentally friendly than producing heat and power using fossil fuelled power stations. With additional components, the heating system can be used to cool the premises, or used for cooling as part of a manufacturing process.
4. Biomass CHP installations are able to provide a more consistent quality of electricity, which can be critical in some commercial applications, such as computer data centres.
5. Industrial sectors can also benefit from installing Biomass CHP. Factories that utilise a lot of power, perhaps in the manufacturing process, such as those producing paper, food and drink and refineries are ideal candidates for CHP.
6. CHP is ideal for use in commercial applications where power and heat is needed all day every day, such as hotels, leisure centres and hospitals.
7. Electricity produced using Biomass CHP is more available, as there is no dependency on the national grid, meaning that power outages should be a thing of the past.
8. As it is more stable and secure, CHP can prove beneficial in areas or countries that often experience power outages or power shortages, as it guarantees a reliable supply of heat/cooling and power where it is needed.
9. In order to make use of the environmental benefits of Biomass CHP, the premises will need to be close to the source of the Biomass. This is to avoid transport and storage costs, which will affect the environmental efficiency of Biomass CHP.
10. Communities are able to take advantage of combined heat and power. Shared heating systems supply heat to a grid of hot water pipes that serve domestic properties. Buildings that take their heat from these pipes do not need their own boilers. The electricity generated can be used to help run the heating pipes, and any excess can be transferred to the electricity grid.
Now that you know more about Biomass CHP, isn
Biomass power plant in Lockerbie, Scotland. The UK’s largest.
Video Rating: 3 / 5
Article by Colin Herbertson
Nearly 90% of all electricity generation still comes from polluting sources of energy such as coal. Coal burning power stations are the world’s largest source of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) which some scientists say, leads directly to the phenomenon we know as global warming. Coal power stations have also been linked to the production of pollutants which trigger respiratory diseases such as asthma and also produce fallout from acid-rain and smog.
We are all now confronting the numerous problems caused by such environmentally unsafe sources of power and of course, the cost of this power can no longer be considered cheap either economically or morally. The public debate around global warming has generated a strong up-swell of interest in green energy sources and the ongoing viability of traditional power generation and energy usage around the home or business.
So what is green energy? Green energy is power generated through renewable resources including solar energy from the sun, wind energy and hydroelectric power generated by water. Other renewable energy sources include geo-thermal, wave and biomass. In regard to large scale energy generation, renewable energy sources in the United States nearly tripled in the years 2000 to 2008.
For the average homeowner wishing to reduce the cost of those big power bills, the three main types of green energy power generation are solar, wind and water. The most popular source is solar power which has been used for decades by way of solar water heating. New cheap and efficient technologies have now paved the way for home power generation using photovoltaic solar panels to either replace or augment your existing home or business electricity supply.
Scientists say that wind is the most efficient green energy source. Most of us would have seen windmills in the country where they have been used to pump water from deep underground to the surface. Unlike a windmill which drives a water pump, generating electricity with the wind uses a wind turbine in place of the water pump. The only drawback to wind generation is that you must live in an area which has sufficient wind on a regular basis to provide the energy to drive the wind generator.
Another method of green energy production is using water. Water is only a real option if you live in an area which has access to a good supply of flowing water.
So, these are the main methods, now what do you do with this knowledge?
Both commercially produced and DIY solar and wind generators are freely available on the internet and elsewhere and both offer advantages in their own right. Obviously the DIY energy route will save more by way of upfront cost but albeit with some handyman skills required to implement.
Either way, you WILL reduce your energy bills and in a small way, help save the world.
Copyright Colin Herbertson 2009
About the Author
I am an electronics technician by training and work in the field of exploration geophysics.
I have an interest in peak oil, home power generation and free energy devices. I have a website dedicated to free home energy.
