Green Topics

And Now a Tankless Toilet

2012-01-26T19:42:00.000-05:00

Conserv-A-Store offers many types of water saving plumbing items.

We try to keep our ear to the ground for lowest flow plumbing items that are on the drawing board and will hopefully help us all soon.

The Japanese are masters of plumbing goods manufacturing. Did you know the largest plumbing manufacturer in the world is Toto a Japanese company.

Here's an article on a new tankless toilet that the Japanese will be rolling out soon.
The technology will take a while to get to the USA but it will come soon.

Here's the article

A breakthrough in tankless toilets has encouraged Japan's Panasonic Corp. to announce that it will halt production of conventional lavatories, complete with their bulky water tanks.

The company has unveiled its state-of-the-art Arauno V, which will go on sale in Japan on February 21 and starting at Y118,000 (€1,184). The top-of-the-range version, with additional functions, costs Y184,000 (€1,847).

The majority of Japanese lavatories are technological marvels that can be programmed to have a pre-heated seat at a desired temperature, bidet functions and music options to drown out other noises.

But most designs have been, until now, hampered by the large tank that is attached to the system to provide water when the lavatory is flushed. Such systems are also more difficult to keep clean.

The other drawback was the relatively high cost of the units.

Panasonic has overcome that problem by limiting the number of functions on the most basic model and using mass-produced toilet seats.

The new tankless toilet takes its water direct from the home water supply -- another problem for conventional models on upper storeys of buildings with low water pressure -- and frees up space in the smallest room in the house.

Here's a link to the rest of the story and a pic of the new design

For all your Lowest Flow Plumbing Solutions click here for Conserv-A-Store

Solar Farm at Orlando Utilities Site Now Active

2012-01-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Orlando Utilities(OUC), the community owned utility serving parts of central Florida has brought it's new solar farm online

The stats on the farm include:

-Covers 42 acres

-Power of 5.91MW(megawatts=1million watts-your residential electricity bill is in kilowatts=1000 watts) which is enough power to help 600 homes with their electric requirements

-There are 25,000 panels which appeared to be largely made by Yingli the Chinese manufacturer when we passed by the farm during the install phase

-The panels feature single axis tracking and can be hurricane proofed with advance notice of a hurricane

Duke Power will operate the farm and sell the power to OUC

Here's a pic of the farm in eastern Orange County Fla along with local leaders announcing the opening

We are happy that the local utility is diving into renewables in a strong way

We find it sad that in light of the rough time that the USA solar manufacturers such as Evergreen and Solyndra had in 2011 that this community owned utility would choose Chinese made panels.
Goes to show how big business speaks out of both sides of it's mouth. Duke Energy and OUC may pine about the loss of American jobs but they purchase the panels for their signature project from the Chinese we guess solely because they were cheaper.

We also find it sad that the output is still not close to where it needs to be to provide large scale renewable power to the citizens of central Florida. Unless our math is wrong 600 homes powered on 42 acres is about 15 homes powered per acre. Vast amounts of land would be needed to power the majority of the perhaps 300,000 people OUC helps everyday.

A much larger solar farm is planned for Lake County Fla that will be used by FPL another larger Fla utility

Continue to read the Conserv-A-Store blog to keep up on renewable energy in Florida and visit

Conservastore.com

for all your Green Products needs including Hemp Clothing, Long Life Light Bulbs, and Water Saving Plumbing supplies

How Light Controls Will Save You Energy

2012-01-16T10:23:00.001-05:00

On average light bulbs can waste a lot of energy. One of the main reasons for this is people forget to turn off their light bulbs. This can waste a ton of energy and it's all by accident. It'd be great if something could turn the light bulbs off for you when you forget. Well you're in luck because there is a way.

Light controls are an easy way to help you conserve energy. Today's featured light controller is the 100W programmable Amertac control. This control turns your lights on at dusk and off at dawn but there is also a feature that allows an off setting after 2, 5, or 8 hours. There's also a random off option.

This light control is compatible with CFL(compact fluorescents) or incandescent light bulbs and is easily installed. All you have to do is screw in your light bulb to the top of the light control and screw the control where you would put the bulb and that's it. The maximum amount of wattage these bulbs will support is 100.

You can find this light control on our website at the following link: 100W Programmable Light Control.
We also have many other light controls by clicking here

Thanks for reading this Conserv-A-Store product blog

How To Use Recycled Rubber Tree Rings

2012-01-13T09:46:00.000-05:00

The mats are made with a split thru the middle to allow positioning around the tree, But one can easily cut the mat with a pair of shears or small saw to fit many tree sizes. The mats come ready to use from the shipping box.

You may want to dig out an inch of dirt to allow the mats to sit flush with the ground. The 48” and 60” diameters are very helpful for the large trees in your yard or the trees you feel may grow to be large in a few years.

The mats offer many benefits such as saving the time and labor of repeated mulching with loose mulch and preventing the loss of loose mulch due to rain or irrigation drainage.

Tree rings are great in the backyard but are also useful for commercial tree growers and farmers who grow produce from trees that require mulching such as apples. Also they are porous so they will allow rainwater pass through.

To Find Tree Rings Information Click Here

How to Choose A Low Flow Shower Head

2012-01-12T15:28:00.001-05:00

Earth Low Flow Shower Head
	The standard Earth low flow showerhead is perfect for those who are new to going green and unsure where to start. The earth showerhead is our least expensive showerhead and comes in two different colors. The plain white color; for a simpler look, or the chrome color; for a more upscale look. The earth shower head is available in 1.25 GPM (White or Chrome) or 1.5 GPM (White or Chrome). The lower the GPM (Gallons Per Minute) the more water you can save.

Earth Handheld Low Flow Shower Head
	The Earth Handheld Low Flow Showerhead incorporates the functionality of the original showerhead but has the addition range of motion to help wash those hard to reach spots during the shower. This can help provide a more enjoyable shower experience. This showerhead is available in 1.5 GPM (Chrome).

Soak & Soap Low Flow Shower Head
	The Soak & Soap low flow showerhead allows you to bring the water flow to almost zero while you soap yourself during the shower and then reignite the full power of your showerhead when you are ready to rinse off. The two settings are easy to use; simply push a button near the base of the showerhead to switch between soak & soap. The Soak & soap showerhead is available in 1.5 GPM (White).

European Low Flow Shower Head
	For a more aesthetic looking showerhead, the European low flow showerhead is the correct choice. This showerhead has the look and feel of a high end showerhead minus the cost. This showerhead is 1.6 GPM (Chrome).

Standard Soak & Soap Low Flow Shower Head
	This showerhead is one of the very first low flow showerheads made. It also incorporates soap & soak feature but is primarily used for public showers. Any public facility with showers such as universities, gyms, parks, or any others can consider this standard looking showerhead. This showerhead is 2.25 GPM (Chrome).



Rain Fall Low Flow Shower Head
	For a relaxing shower experience similar to being under the rain, the Rainfall showerhead is the perfect choice. This showerhead streams the water out just like the rain simulating the experience and providing a refreshing shower. The Rainfall showerhead is available in 2.25 GPM (Chrome).

Green Investments Report by Conserv-A-Store week ending 12/30/11

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

This Green Investments Report by Conserv-A-Store offers the last look at our portfolio for the 2011 year.

Whew if you are in investments and were not a bond buyer, you are most likely happy to see 2011 go.

Even the very rich, and therefore according to the American financial press the smartest, were not that smart this year. Many hedge funds had even or barely positive years. The guru of bonds, PIMCO, restricted their bond buying during what proved to be the year of the US Treasury bond even though the US Treasury was downgraded by S and P. Gold and Silver pulled back as the dollar increased in value as the Euro got killed.

Sadly investing now involves a constant review. The days of buy and hold that we were all taught in school seem long gone.

Let's speak a moment about trading carbon. This is sorta difficult frankly but we wish to learn about it so stick with us. The European Union set up a carbon trading mechanism in 2005 called the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme or (EU ETS) . It was tied to the Kyoto Protocol a bit and is in the second Phase of a three Phase roll out. Phase 3 begins in 2013
The success of the program to date is in question.

Wikipedia writes, "
The price of emissions permits tripled in the first six months of Phase I, collapsed by half in a one-week period in 2006, and declined to zero over the next twelve months. Such movements and the implied volatility raise questions about the viability of this trading system to provide stable incentives to emitters.^[58]
This criticism has face validity. In future phases, measures such as banking of allowances and price floors may be used to mitigate volatility.^[62] However, it's important to note that considerable volatility is expected of this type of market, and the volatility seen is quite in line with that of energy commodities generally. Nonetheless, producers and consumers in those markets respond rationally and effectively to price signals.^[58]
Newbery (2009) commented that the EU ETS was not delivering the stable carbon price necessary for long-term, low-carbon investment decisions.^[9] He suggested that efforts should be made to stabilize carbon price, e.g., by having a price-ceiling and a price-floor."

If you have about 2 hours and want to learn more about this important but not widely reported trading scheme start with the Wikipedia article by clicking here
Our intent is to learn more about it and pass it on as we do.

So let's move on to 2012. Our next report will add many new Green investments. Here's the portfolio as of close of business on 12/30/11.

Today							Since Purchased
Symbol/Name	Price*	Change	Last Trade	Gain/Loss (USD)	Shares	Price Paid	Purchase Date	Gain/Loss (USD)	% Change	% Port	Value (USD)
2208:HK (HKD) Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd	4.16	+0.15	12/30	+0.02	1	16.30	01/03/2011	-1.56	-74.48	0.00	0.54
FAN:US ($) First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF	7.92	+0.08	12/30	+0.08	1	10.40	01/03/2011	-2.48	-23.85	6.37	7.92
GAAEX:US ($) Guinness Atkinson Funds - Alternative Energy Fund	2.92	+0.04	12/30	+0.04	1	5.24	01/03/2011	-2.32	-44.27	2.35	2.92
GAIA:US ($) Gaiam Inc	3.24	+0.04	12/30	+0.04	1	7.67	01/03/2011	-4.43	-57.76	2.61	3.24
ICLN:US ($) iShares S&P Global Clean Energy Index Fund	8.54	+0.08	12/30	+0.08	1	16.07	01/03/2011	-7.53	-46.86	6.87	8.54
KWT:US ($) Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF	3.69	+0.02	12/30	+0.02	1	11.17	01/03/2011	-7.48	-66.97	2.97	3.69
NALFX:US ($) New Alternatives Fund Inc/fund	35.82	-0.31	12/30	-0.31	1	40.88	01/03/2011	-5.06	-12.38	28.80	35.82
ORA:US ($) Ormat Technologies Inc	18.03	+0.27	12/30	+0.27	1	29.47	01/03/2011	-11.44	-38.82	14.50	18.03
PBD:US ($) Powershares Global Clean Energy Portfolio	8.23	+0.03	12/30	+0.03	1	14.12	01/03/2011	-5.89	-41.71	6.62	8.23
PUR:CN (CAD) Pure Technologies Ltd	2.83	+0.13	12/30	+0.13	1	4.75	01/04/2011	-1.89	-40.42	2.24	2.79
RSOL:US ($) Real Goods Solar Inc	1.43	+0.03	12/30	+0.03	1	2.45	01/03/2011	-1.02	-41.63	1.15	1.43
VWDRY:US ($) Vestas Wind Systems A/S	3.52	+0.14	12/30	+0.14	1	11.14	01/03/2011	-7.62	-68.40	2.83	3.52
WFIFF:US ($) WaterFurnace Renewable Energy Inc	15.3455	+0.0955	12/30	+0.10	1	24.63	01/03/2011	-9.28	-37.70	12.34	15.35
WGGFX:US ($) Winslow Green Growth Fund	12.36	-0.07	12/30	-0.07	1	14.62	01/03/2011	-2.26	-15.46	9.94	12.36
Totals				+0.59				-70.27	-36.10		124.37

Where is America Green?

2012-01-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to you all!!!

We are hoping that despite the incessant bickering that Washington will participate in more than ever this year that the rest of us, the most important people in the country-that is everyone except the
DC politicians and lobbyists-will go on amongst their lives and continue to return this country to greatness.

One satisfying picture of America in the past few years shows that America is slowly becoming more Green. Not sure if this is because Green products can save you money in the long run and thus are considered a better buy in a recession or because there are now more Green products than before so each American can make a Green choice for many products they buy. We are happy it is happening at any rate and feel the Green products choices will continue and grow.

Here are some interesting images from a study by Amazon that shows where they consider the Greenest parts of the country based on purchases of Green goods.

America have a Great 2012; go out and Buy Green; and call or email Conserv-A-Store for any question you may have on how to lead a Green Life

Incandescent Light Bulb Update on Jan 1 2012

2011-12-31T12:29:00.000-05:00

In that we sell long life incandescent light bulbs, you look to us to know what we are selling and if it is legal. Frankly it is hard for us too since even our manufacturers are unclear at times. They are unclear because the Energy law encompassing light bulbs passed in 2007 and due to go into effect in 2012 was amended by the 2011 Congress and the manufacturers kept getting conflicting information.

USA Today on 12/28/11 had a good article on the where the light bulb laws stand as of Jan 2012.
The important points we see are as follows:

"The standards require light bulbs be at least 25% more efficient and carry labels on the front and back of packages to explain their brightness, annual operating costs and expected life span.

The labels apply to all light bulbs made or imported after Jan. 1, but the efficiency standards apply only to traditional 100-watt incandescents on that day. The efficiency rules will begin applying to the old-fashioned 75-watt bulb in January 2013 and 40- and 60-watt bulbs in January 2014. Retailers can sell leftover bulbs as long as they weren't made or imported after their deadline."

To read the rest of the USA Today article, "How Will Light Bulbs Change? Here are some answers." click here

Conserv-A-Store.com will try hard to stay on top of this topic and will inform you via blogs, emails, and our website about what the approved methods are.

Green Investments Report by Conserv-A-Store week ending 12-23-11

2011-12-27T09:14:00.000-05:00

Here's your Green Investments Report for the week ending 12-23-11

Today we will speak a bit about the monetary value of pollution and will continue to discuss this subject in upcoming posts

It always interests us that some feel that man does not pollute at all in his life.

I usually ask these people to please go out to their auto, switch on the ignition, and go stick their mouths over their auto exhaust pipe. For whatever reason they seem reluctant to do this.
Yes man does pollute as a result of his existence on the Earth. The only good news is there is a way to profit from this pollution.

Carbon trading is here to stay. The Aussies, very smart people but a large per capita contributor of Green House gases due to their mining activity have recently agreed to a carbon style tax. This means that pollution has a value.

This tax can also lead to invention and change. BBC writes that," The country's mining firms, airlines, steel makers and energy firms are among those expected to be hardest hit by the tax....But the government hopes that the legislation will force innovation in renewable energy supplies, and free Australia from its reliance on fossil fuels." to read full article Australia Senate backs Carbon Tax go here

Some Green economists believe there should be a movement away from tax on income and more to tax on things that damage the human being. Obviously the population has bought into this as far as tobacco and alcohol are concerned. The Europeans have bought into taxing oil and gas use at a much greater extent than the US. Now we see the Aussies following this structure in a large way with a pollution tax.

Sadly it is not real easy to trade carbon currently unless your are very rich-we hope this changes soon. We will write more about how to make monies by trading pollution credits in an upcoming Green Investing Report Greentopics Blogpost.

Here's your portfolio for the next to last week of 2011.
We will begin 2012 with many new green investments about doubling the portfolio size and we will try to make money this year instead of letting laggards lie. Winslow Green Growth and New Alternatives show that diversity helps but they are still losing money for 2011.
If you like our report and want to suggest investments to put in the portfolio just send us an email.

Today							Since Purchased
Symbol/Name	Price*	Change	Last Trade	Gain/Loss (USD)	Shares	Price Paid	Purchase Date	Gain/Loss (USD)	% Change	% Port	Value (USD)
2208:HK (HKD) Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd	4.06	+0.09	12/23	+0.01	1	16.30	01/03/2011	-1.57	-75.09	0.00	0.52
FAN:US ($) First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF	7.93	+0.03	12/23	+0.03	1	10.40	01/03/2011	-2.47	-23.75	6.34	7.93
GAAEX:US ($) Guinness Atkinson Funds - Alternative Energy Fund	3.00	-0.01	12/23	-0.01	1	5.24	01/03/2011	-2.24	-42.75	2.40	3.00
GAIA:US ($) Gaiam Inc	3.30	+0.05	12/23	+0.05	1	7.67	01/03/2011	-4.37	-56.98	2.64	3.30
ICLN:US ($) iShares S&P Global Clean Energy Index Fund	8.56	+0.04	12/23	+0.04	1	16.07	01/03/2011	-7.51	-46.73	6.84	8.56
KWT:US ($) Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF	3.87	-0.2225	12/23	-0.22	1	11.17	01/03/2011	-7.30	-65.35	3.09	3.87
NALFX:US ($) New Alternatives Fund Inc/fund	36.12	+0.23	12/23	+0.23	1	40.88	01/03/2011	-4.76	-11.64	28.87	36.12
ORA:US ($) Ormat Technologies Inc	17.95	-0.28	12/23	-0.28	1	29.47	01/03/2011	-11.52	-39.09	14.35	17.95
PBD:US ($) Powershares Global Clean Energy Portfolio	8.39	+0.02	12/23	+0.02	1	14.12	01/03/2011	-5.73	-40.58	6.71	8.39
PUR:CN (CAD) Pure Technologies Ltd	2.72	-0.01	12/23	-0.01	1	4.75	01/04/2011	-1.99	-42.74	2.13	2.67
RSOL:US ($) Real Goods Solar Inc	1.37	+0.0199	12/23	+0.02	1	2.45	01/03/2011	-1.08	-44.08	1.10	1.37
VWDRY:US ($) Vestas Wind Systems A/S	3.42	-0.01	12/23	-0.01	1	11.14	01/03/2011	-7.72	-69.30	2.73	3.42
WFIFF:US ($) WaterFurnace Renewable Energy Inc	15.494	+0.0003	12/23	+0.00	1	24.63	01/03/2011	-9.14	-37.09	12.38	15.49
WGGFX:US ($) Winslow Green Growth Fund	12.52	+0.10	12/23	+0.10	1	14.62	01/03/2011	-2.10	-14.36	10.01	12.52
Totals				-0.03				-69.50	-35.71		125.11

How To Benefit From A Compost Toilet

2011-12-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

So what exactly is a composting toilet? Well in simple terms it's a toilet that doesn't use water and also makes something called compost. Compost is material that's been decomposed & recycled that can be used as fertilizer. So this toilet takes your excrement and turns it into fertilizer you can use for your garden.

This produces by far the most natural fertilizer you'll ever find since no chemicals are involved in its creation. So for a truly organic solution to fertilizer it doesn't get any better than this. Normal composting can take up to a year before its ready to be used. With a toilet setup you can have your compost ready a lot faster.

So if you're thinking is this actually safe for my garden then let me assure you that it is without a doubt as long as you compost it properly. You must have this installed correctly or this will be very anti-eco-friendly. Compost is the preferred fertilizer for your yards and gardens. It is a very popular fertilizer on farms where they have more time and require healthy fertilizers. The only reason bottled fertilizers are popular is because they save on time and it's cheap but with a proper compost setup you can get the best of both worlds.

Now since they don't use water or require very little you'll be saving on a ton of water. Your average toilet can use up to 2000 gallons a year and that's only counting if you live alone. If you have a family you can see how that number would easily increase. Your toilet is probably your 2nd biggest water user in your home. And with our usable water supply slowly declining every year every ounce we can save makes a huge difference.

Those are two awesome advantages you can get from having a composting toilet in your home. Now these toilets aren't exactly cheap and can cost up to $1000 right off the market but the long-term investment will definitely pay off. Just think right now how much you spend on natural or organic fertilizers. Those aren't exactly cheap either and over the course of a few years you can see how you'll save more money in the long term.

So if you want to learn more about composting toilets then check out our site at http://www.conservastore.com/productlist.php?c=63

Brand New Solar & LED Products

2011-12-23T15:59:00.005-05:00

We're constantly adding new products to our website and we'd like to share some of thoes with you. These products focus mostly on lighting that is powered by LEDs or via solar power with some other products mixed in. Take a look and always let us know what you think.

36 LED Solar Security Light    12 Volt LED Mini Spotlight

LED Solar Security Light       Rechargable 24 LED Work Light

Wall Mount Solar Light           Solar Powered Security Light

How To Use Recycled Rubber Mulch Mats

2011-12-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

Residential
Since the mats may be cut with large shears or a small hand saw, the material can be sized by the user to fit around that large oak or maple or pine tree with a diameter larger than any tree ring can cover. The mats will protect the bottom of the tree from animals and from yard equipment and will give the tree a pleasant border.

The 3ft x 20 ft mat can also be used as a pathway in your yard instead of step stones or rocks. You may need to secure the mat to the ground with landscape spikes. If there is a portion of your yard that gets poor drainage or sunlight, the 4ft x 4ft rectangular mulch mat is a perfect ground cover.

Commercial
Landscape architects, designers, and installers marvel at the many uses of the mulch mats. Projects have included locations such as hospitals, arenas, and college campuses to offer a reduced maintenance solution to areas that would normally require repetitive maintenance.

For companies looking to add mulch to their area consider that these mats can save you money versus regular loose mulch since it is an install it and forget it solution rather than requiring ongoing maintenance that accompanies loose mulch. Also these mats will not wash away in the rain. The mulch mat can be used as a walkway in certain moderate pedestrian traffic areas as well.
If you have a retention pond application where grass will not grow on the banks of the pond and you also experience erosion into the pond, then the rectangular mats, if secured well to the bank with landscape spikes, will solve the problem. Soil and water conservation districts have used the mats successfully for this situation.

To Find Mulch Mats Click Here

AC or DC Electric - You might be surprised

2011-12-21T09:12:00.000-05:00

All we've all known our entire lives is AC electric or alternating current. That's what is delivered to your house sockets from your local utility. But DC or direct current once had great promise and due to the growth of sustainable electric generation which is more DC friendly DC could be the dominant power for the next generation

Here are excerpts from a good discussion at Reuters

"So from the late 1800s, AC became the accepted form to carry electricity in mains systems. For most of the last century, the power that has reached the sockets in our homes and businesses is alternating current.Now DC is making a comeback, becoming a promising money-spinner in renewable or high-security energy projects. From data centers to long-distance power lines and backup power supplies, direct current is proving useful in thousands of projects worldwide.
"Everyone says it's going to take at least 50 years," says Peter Asmus, a senior analyst at Boulder, Colorado-based Pike Research, a market research and consulting firm in global clean technology. But "the role of DC will increase, and AC will decrease."

"The main factor driving demand is the need to conserve energy and produce more of it from renewable sources. Alternating current is generated by rotating engines, but renewable sources such as wind and solar produce DC power. To use it, because of the way our buildings are wired, we first convert it to AC."

To read the entire article, "How Renewable Energy may be Edison's Revenge" click here

Those who have a home power renewable energy plant know the importance of DC since they run their home from the DC generating equipment be it solar, wind, hydro or a combination.

One lack of productivity with renewable energy is that DC must be converted or inverted to AC energy to run most home appliances. This is another cost to contend with. Of course most developed countries have strong electric codes based on AC use that prevent fires and electrocution so the DC would need to be worked into the system.

Conservastore believes in home power and alternative energy

How To Save Water With Your Toilet

2011-12-20T08:30:00.000-05:00

One of the easiest ways to lower the amount of water you use in your toilet is to install a toilet tank bank. Just fill the toilet tank bank to the top, snap closed and hang in your toilet tank.

Because it takes up the space of the water, your toilet works just as it would normally. The toilet tank bank keeps your toilet tank full so it doesn't have to refill with new water.

Compared with switching out a low flow toilet this method will save you a lot more money. It's also easier and quicker. So keep this option in mind when you want to lower the amount of water your toilet uses.

Why You Should Choose Envirocycle Compost Bins

2011-12-19T09:30:00.000-05:00

Not all composters are created equally. Some will produce a higher quality of compost and some will produce it at a faster pace. These are some of the differences you'll have to keep in mind when you want to choose a compost bin.

Envirocycle is a company that makes compost bins and while they produce excellent quality at a good pace that's not what i feel is there best quality.

All of their compost bins are made from recycled plastic (post consumer & post industrial). So not only are you able to recycle your waste and use it for your garden. The very compost bin you use is actually a product of recycled plastic. So to me that's a huge benefit.

They come in two different styles. One is the mini composter and the other is the original composter. They're both basically the same except for size and color.

Green Investing Report by Conserv-A-Store week ending 12-16-11

2011-12-19T06:23:00.000-05:00

For the Green Investing Report week ending 12-16-11 we focus on the continued massive changes in the Solar PV manufacturing market.

Here's a brief report about German PV manufacturing which dominated the world a few years ago and is now under the same pressure from China and Taiwan that the US manufacturers are under.

"Workers in Germany's once booming solar energy industry face a shakeout of major proportions following declines in the price of solar panels over the past year.

Cuts in subsidies for solar energy, weaker demand for panels and fierce competition from cheaper Asian rivals are eating into what was once the world's biggest hub for the production of solar cells, taking the shine off an industry that was effectively born in Germany.

A decision by the German government earlier this year to phase out nuclear energy has done little to reignite the sector. The resulting power gap is likely to be filled by coal and gas rather than solar and wind energy.........

Subsidies, or so-called feed-in tariffs, through which operators of solar panels receive a guaranteed price for the electricity they generate, made Germany the world's largest solar market and had created 150,000 jobs by 2010.
But over the past two years, Germany has sharply reduced the tariffs, and a recent proposal to limit subsidies for new solar installations may seal the industry's fate.....

Companies in China and Taiwan have dislodged their German peers as the world's biggest suppliers of solar cells."

for the entire article German Solar Firms go from Boom to Bust click here

Here's your Portfolio results for the past week courtesy of Conservastore.com

	Today							Since Purchased
Symbol/Name	Price*	Change	Last Trade	Gain/Loss (USD)	Shares	Price Paid	Purchase Date	Gain/Loss (USD)	% Change	% Port	Value (USD)
2208:HK (HKD) Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd	4.09	-0.08	03:01	-0.01	1	16.30	01/03/2011	-1.57	-74.91	0.00	0.53
FAN:US ($) First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF	7.84	+0.05	12/16	+0.05	1	10.40	01/03/2011	-2.56	-24.62	6.46	7.84
GAAEX:US ($) Guinness Atkinson Funds - Alternative Energy Fund	2.91	+0.02	12/16	+0.02	1	5.24	01/03/2011	-2.33	-44.47	2.40	2.91
GAIA:US ($) Gaiam Inc	3.27	+0.05	12/16	+0.05	1	7.67	01/03/2011	-4.40	-57.37	2.69	3.27
ICLN:US ($) iShares S&P Global Clean Energy Index Fund	8.493	+0.003	12/16	+0.00	1	16.07	01/03/2011	-7.58	-47.15	7.00	8.49
KWT:US ($) Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF	3.76	+0.055	12/16	+0.06	1	11.17	01/03/2011	-7.41	-66.34	3.10	3.76
NALFX:US ($) New Alternatives Fund Inc/fund	34.95	+0.15	12/16	+0.15	1	40.88	01/03/2011	-5.93	-14.51	28.80	34.95
ORA:US ($) Ormat Technologies Inc	16.90	-0.16	12/16	-0.16	1	29.47	01/03/2011	-12.57	-42.65	13.92	16.90
PBD:US ($) Powershares Global Clean Energy Portfolio	8.12	+0.01	12/16	+0.01	1	14.12	01/03/2011	-6.00	-42.49	6.69	8.12
PUR:CN (CAD) Pure Technologies Ltd	2.57	+0.05	12/16	+0.05	1	4.75	01/04/2011	-2.10	-45.89	2.04	2.48
RSOL:US ($) Real Goods Solar Inc	1.03	-0.05	12/16	-0.05	1	2.45	01/03/2011	-1.42	-57.96	0.85	1.03
VWDRY:US ($) Vestas Wind Systems A/S	3.63	-0.06	12/16	-0.06	1	11.14	01/03/2011	-7.51	-67.41	2.99	3.63
WFIFF:US ($) WaterFurnace Renewable Energy Inc	15.3998	-0.1278	12/16	-0.13	1	24.63	01/03/2011	-9.23	-37.48	12.69	15.40
WGGFX:US ($) Winslow Green Growth Fund	12.06	+0.13	12/16	+0.13	1	14.62	01/03/2011	-2.56	-17.51	9.94	12.06
Totals				+0.11				-73.17	-37.61		121.37

Free Green Tips Book Worth Over $100

2011-12-18T12:51:00.002-05:00

When you first start going green it can be a little overwhelming. There's so many things to learn and things to avoid when truly going green. So rather than you having to spend tons of hours on research we'd like to make it easy for you. We have a book called 101 Green Tips.

Just as the name suggests this book has 101 tips for going green. They're very easy to understand and concise as well. So after you read one you'll know exactly what to do. Oh yea did we mention this book is free and worth over $100? Well now we just did. Well not totally free. All you have to do is sign up for our newsletter and you'll get the book for free.

You may be worried that we're going to start spamming you and don't worry, we promise we won't. You can unsubscribe to our newsletter at anytime but we don't think you'll want to do that because your going to get a lot of valuable information from our newsletter.

So to get this book simply click this email link and enter your information and you'll receive and email with a link to the book. Just as simple as that. After you finish reading the book give us some feedback too. We'd love to hear from you.

Last Minute Green Gifts for the 2011 Holidays

2011-12-17T18:49:00.000-05:00

Conserv-A-Store would like to offer those last minute shoppers some Great Green Gifts that we can get out the door for you on any of 12/19 thru 12/21. The items should arrive by end of day 12/24 depending on your distance from Florida.

If it MUST arrive by 12/24 please call us and we can discuss

Eco cup reusable Decorative China cups

Over the Tub Air Clothes Dryers for your urban friends

Recycle Bin carts to take recyclables to the curb for pickup

Hemp Male Hoodys

Solar powered address lights

Solar powered auto trickle chargers

12V Cigarette Lighter extension cables

Used Soda bottle bird feeder

Solar Bug Kids Toy

May we take this time to wish your family and friends a great Holiday season. Have fun but be safe.
Conservastore.com

Chevy Volt Update December 2011

2011-12-12T10:10:00.000-05:00

We are excited about the commitment the auto makers are making to different sorts of electric powered cars or EV's. We feel since electricity can be produced from various means not just oil, gas, and coal. The hard work and potential environmental danger required to source and maintain oil and gas are mitigated with the use of electricity making our economies safer and hopefully creating less war and fewer oligopolistic energy giants.

Sadly it takes a lot of patience(or perhaps now $5 gas at the pump-remember when $4 scared everyone)for humans to change their habits.

The Volt has received some bad press recently regarding possible fire from crash testing of the lithium ion batteries when hit directly on impact. We feel this is just part of tweaking the design of a new machine. There have been no recalls to date. The Nissan Leaf has not seemed to have this problem in it's road testing but it's batteries are protected with a shell the Volt does not have.

Here's an update on the GM EV the Chevy Volt(we forget where we found the article below)

Is the Chevrolet Volt running out of juice? Even as the maker begins its long-promised production ramp-up, a new study suggests that potential buyers are rapidly losing interest in the plug-in hybrid vehicle.

Introduced last December, Volt is one of the first new vehicles to test the potential market for electric propulsion. It has been going head-to-head with Nissan’s pure battery-electric LEAF. Sales of the two vehicles have been marginal, at best, though the makers insist that has more to do with limited supply than buyer demand.

Through the end of July, Chevy has sold about 3,200 of the plug-in hybrids compared to 4,500 Nissan Leafs. But both makers have begun ramping up production, General Motors forecasting sales of around 16,000 for the year as a whole – including a small number of Volt clone Opel Amperas targeted at markets abroad.

But a new study by CNW marketing raises a red flag, finding that the potential buyers GM is most counting on are rapidly losing interest in the Volt. In March, 21% of so-called Early Adapters said they were “very likely” to consider buying a Volt, while 38.1% said they were “likely” to do the same. That slipped to 14.6% saying “very likely” in July, and 31.1% “likely.” Among EV Enthusiasts, reports the CNW study, the number of those likely or very likely to consider Volt fell from a combined 71% to 51% during the same four-month period.

“It’s way too early to tell, but the signs aren’t encouraging,” said CNW’s chief analyst Art Spinella.
When it comes to mainstream consumers Volt has all but slipped off the radar screen, only about 3% of new car buyers likely to consider the Chevrolet Volt, the analyst added.

The big problem is the plug-in’s price, CNW data indicate. When first introduced, the Volt carried a $41,000 sticker, though it qualified for a $7,500 federal tax credit. For 2012, the Chevy will drop to $39,995, a $1,005 cut, though it is still thousands more than the Leaf – and nearly double the price of a base Chevrolet Cruze compact, which shares the same underpinnings as Volt.

Chevy officials defend the price tag, pointing to the complexity of the dual gas-electric hybrid drivetrain. Volt is capable of clocking more than 35 miles on battery power alone. While that’s less than half of the range of the Nissan electric vehicle, the Chevy can shift to gas power and keep driving once its batteries run down.

GM officials remain convinced that Volt will meet their expectations, noting the vehicle doesn’t need to generate a wide appeal to still reach sales targets – which the maker projects will grow to 40,000 in 2012, including both Volt and Ampera.

GM’s commitment to electric propulsion is, if anything, being charged up. As TheDetroitBureau.com reported last week, the maker has inked a deal with battery supplier A123 that will be used for a range of new battery-electric vehicles that will begin to reach market in 2014.

The EV market is expanding fast with many new entrants being unveiled daily. Yes we know they are very expensive but everyone produced is another shout out at the Global Oil Empire that has run our lives since WW 2

Conservastore is all for the growth of EV's in the world

The World is Warming - Is Man Involved?

2011-12-11T10:32:00.001-05:00

In light of the more-or-less inability of some of the most concerned Green Thinkers in the world to come up with any consensus at the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban SA, it's intriguing to see this article in the Economist concluding there are No Questions Asked - The World is Warming

The conclusion of the article reads, " At a time of exaggerated doubts about the instrumental temperature record, this should help promulgate its main conclusion: that the existing mean estimates are in the right ballpark. That means the world is warming fast."

So the big question is what affect Man and his pursuit of a comfortable lifestyle has on this warming?
This is a bit harder to figure.

We ask that you just pause during your normal life and travel and consider some of the Greenhouse gas emissions you may contribute to daily:

-Do you use an automobile? How is it powered?

-Do you have home electricity? How is that powered?

-Do you use household consumables from dinnerware to clothes? How are those manufactured?

Sadly unless we return to a more agrarian lifestyle where all inputs and outputs to our lives are matched, it is hard to believe we are not contributing to Global Warming, Climate Change, whatever you wish to call the changes in the atmosphere making the Earth a warmer place to live than 50 years ago.

So what percent do you feel Man in aggregate and you individually contribute to this warming?

Here's the entire article from the Economist. It gives a great explanation of how global warming stats are developed

Conserv-A-Store keeps you up-to-date on important issues in the Green Universe

Save Water With A Rain Barrel

2011-12-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Your biggest source for water comes not from within your house but from Mother Nature. Rain water can provide you with enormous amounts of free water.

Rain barrels, as the name implies, are designed to catch water from the rain. Now this water is no good for drinking or anything of the sort.

It is perfect for watering your plants and trees. This is a great way to save money and one you can actually make one yourself.

That’s right with just a few simple products you can make your very own rain barrel. They are becoming so popular that if you just do a search on YouTube for rain barrels you’ll see thousands of results.

If you’re pressed for time or have no interest in building one, I understand. And so have a few stores, because you can buy pre built rain barrels.

Now one advantage I will say over a pre-built one is the quality & durability. Once again though be on the lookout for those non-green bad guys because I’ve come across rain barrels made from regular plastic. How green is that?

The water can also be used to wash your car when you’re at home. Another great water & cost savings for you.

If you found this article valuable then sign up for FREE green tips by clicking that little box on the right hand column and you'll receive awesome tips on going green and also sales on our products.

Choosing A Green Bed

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Just like other areas of your bedroom your bed can actually go green as well. The materials used to make your bed will let you know if it is eco friendly or not.

So first of all you want to make sure the bed you’re buying is made from recycled materials or are sustainable. You want to avoid any bed that includes formaldehyde.

It’s also better if the bed you’re buying has been made in the USA to lower the amount of carbon used in transportation. You can also consider buying second-hand beds as well.

Pricing will vary of course since if you bought a used bed say on a site like Craigslist vs buying a brand new bad made from strictly organic material.

So know your budget when you’re shopping for a bed. Whatever your price point there’s an eco friendly option available for you.

Once you’ve made the switch to an eco-friendly bed you’ll be doing yourself & the environment a favor.

If you found this article valuable then sign up for FREE green tips by clicking that little box on the right hand column and you'll receive awesome tips on going green and also sales on our products.

Green Luggage Tips

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

When traveling or going on vacation you’re going to need some luggage. Just like other accessories to purchase you can also have eco-friendly luggage.

Once again the materials are what you want to look for when choosing luggage. You want luggage that is made from hemp, recycled plastic, 100% 1200 denier polyester (some polyester is made from recycled materials, this is one of them), or organic cotton.

You may find luggage made from other materials that are also earth friendly and that’s fine. I’m just sharing with you the most common materials you’ll find. Also if you can find a bag that is bio-degradable that’s even better.

One good thing about green luggage is they come in a wide variety of styles & sizes. They are also close in price to non-green luggage bags, assuming you are buying quality luggage. Not the kind of luggage that rips open while carrying it!

If you found this article valuable then sign up for FREE green tips by clicking that little box on the right hand column and you'll receive awesome tips on going green and also sales on our products.

How To Choose An Eco-Friendly Garden Hose

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Traditional garden hoses are filled with all kinds of toxins. If you’ve ever heard not to drink from the garden hose, this is the main reason not to.

You want your garden hose to be made from recycled materials. Rubber & polyurethane are the two champs now. Shoot for no lower than 50% recycled content. If you can find 100% that’s even better.

Also remember to purchase a hose that has UV protective coating on it so this way it can avoid cracking after being exposed to the sunlight.

Your nozzle for the hose can also be made from recycled materials. Look for a nozzle that is rust-resistant and lets you choose water flow pressure. You won’t always need it at full blast.

If you found this article valuable then sign up for FREE green tips by clicking that little box on the right hand column and you'll receive awesome tips on going green and also sales on our products.

Cooking The Green Way

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

So there are few things to consider when you are cooking. Energy is one of the biggest things to keep in mind. Ovens and stoves use a tremendous amount of energy.

Grill’s release chemicals into the atmosphere making it one of the least green ways to do your cooking which really does suck since BBQ food tastes so great!

There are alternatives though, such as indoor grills, or using the oven. Even when you’re cooking regular food using the microwave to warm up food uses much less energy than the stove.

While ovens do use a good amount of energy, they are better than using outdoor grills. Now you will lose some of that taste but it still tastes very good.

Also make sure when you’re using the stove that your pots cover the entire burner or are bigger than the burner. Pots or pans smaller than the burner are basically wasting energy.

If you found this article valuable then sign up for FREE green tips by clicking that little box on the right hand column and you'll receive awesome tips on going green and also sales on our products.

Choosing Eco Friendly Rechargeable Batteries

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Every time you change or buy new batteries there’s a cost that goes along with it. From manufacturing to energy to pollution and most of all your bank account.

So the solution to all of these issues is to buy rechargeable batteries so that you can continue to use the same batteries over and over.

Rechargeable batteries just like the name implies, allows you to charge your batteries after they lose all their juice. These have a much longer life than traditional batteries.

You’ll need to buy a battery charger as well but these are relatively inexpensive and will save you a good chunk of change in the long run especially if you have a lot of electronics in your house.

Rechargeable batteries can easily last for several years which means several years of savings for you and more money on in your pocket.

So unless you somehow live in a house without items that need batteries then make sure you buy rechargeable next time you’re out shopping.

If you found this article valuable then sign up for FREE green tips by clicking that little box on the right hand column and you'll receive awesome tips on going green and also sales on our products.

Taking Out Your Trash The Green Way

2011-12-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Everyone has garbage in their home and when it gets full it’s time to take out the trash. But rather than using a regular trash bag you’ll want to start switching to eco-friendly trash bags.

Eco friendly trash bags can either be made from recycled materials or are completely biodegradable meaning they won’t just sit in a landfill for hundreds of years but that it will naturally break down as things are supposed to.

Eco friendly trash bags can be purchased in stores or online at almost exactly the same price as regular trash bags. Personally I recommend you purchase them online so you can save more money.

Once you start switching to eco-friendly trash bags there’s no reason to switch back. They work just as well and you’ll be greening another area of your home.

If you found this article valuable then sign up for FREE green tips by clicking that little box on the right hand column and you'll receive awesome tips on going green and also sales on our products.

Last Minute Green Gifts for the 2011 Holidays

2011-12-03T10:07:00.001-05:00

At Conserv-A-Store we want to help you with your last minute Green Gift shopping for the 2011 holidays.

The items below are all in stock and ready to ship to you on any of 12/19 thru 12/21
and should arrive by 12/24 depending on your distance from Florida. If it MUST be at your door by end of day on 12/24 please call us and we will discuss:

Recycle Bin Cart for Carrying Recyclables to the Street for Pickup

Eco Cup Reusable China Cups for Hot and Cold Beverages

Over the Bath Clothes Air Dryer for your Urban Friends

Soda Bottle Hanging Bird Feeder

Men's Hemp Organic Cotton Hoody

Auto Cigarette Lighter 12v extension

Solar Powered Bug Toy for Kids

Solar Powered Address Light

Solar Car Battery Trickle Charger

Have a great Holiday Season with your friends and family from all of us at Conservastore.com

How To Find An Eco Friendly Hotel

2011-12-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Choosing a green hotel should be pretty simple for you now. All you have to do is look for all the things you’d be using in your house in the hotel.

But to make it even easier for you there are numerous websites that list eco-friendly hotels and have a rating for them.

Look for these sites online:www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com, www.istaygreen.org, and www.greenhotels.com.

While these websites strive to do their best, ultimately it’s up to you to make sure the hotel you choose is actually a green one.

So make sure you call up and ask them about their lighting, their water fixtures, what materials the sheets are made from, and etc.

If you found this article valuable then sign up for FREE green tips by clicking that little box on the right hand column and you'll receive awesome tips on going green and also sales on our products.

Going Green With Landscaping

2011-12-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

Concrete is the most common material you’ll notice for walkways. Unfortunately it’s not very green. Now we have lots of alternatives for walkways that are more eco-friendly.

When making a walkway you want materials such as crushed stone, pavers, or other materials that allow water to pass through.

You also want to make sure that they come from a sustainable source or are recycled.

Recycled rubber mulch is another alternative that has many possibilities. You can use it for a flat walkway surface, you can use them as stepping stones, you can use it to protect your trees, and many other uses.

Lawn mowers are notorious for polluting our air. Choose a reel motor, which is a manual mower, and stop polluting your air! Also it cuts down on all the noise when you’re mowing.

If your lawn is too large for a reel mower then you’ll want to invest in a non-polluting electric mower. You’ll get the benefits of an electric mower minus the toxins it releases.

Composting bins are the next item you want to make sure your garden has. Composting is a natural process that lets organic nutrients cycle from the soil to the plant and back again to the soil.

Items that go into a compost bin are things like fruits peels, leaves, grass clippings, and other items mix together and make their way into your soil.

You get a number of benefits from composting in your garden.

The first is you reduce the amount of waste in your home. You’ll have less trash to fill up if some of it is going into your compost bin and back into your soil.

Your soil moisture retention rate will go up. Compost provides a natural way to achieve this. Your plants immune systems will also go up. The more your compost the less you need to fertilize.

You can also make your own compost bin or purchase one. If you’re starting small I’d suggest you make one yourself so you can see how it really works even in the construction stage.

If you found this article valuable then sign up for FREE green tips by clicking that little box on the right hand column and you'll receive awesome tips on going green and also sales on our products.

An Easy Way To Stop Wasting Paper

2011-12-01T17:29:00.000-05:00

Ever year a huge amount of paper is made from our trees and converted into paper. As you read this right now, the rate that we replant trees is lower than the rate trees are being cut down.

This presents all kind of bad consequences for us down the road but most importantly it is affecting our environment at an alarming rate.

So one way you can help slow this process down is to use less paper & one of the best ways is to go paperless with your bills.

Paperless billing means that your bills will now be emailed to you instead of coming to you in your mailbox. You get the exact same bill without the paper tax.

Most companies offer a form of paperless billing that you may have to call for or sign up for online. It’s free and because it saves these companies money they will sometimes offer you an incentive to go paperless.

Once you go paperless you’ll be saving a tremendous amount of paper and one less reason to fill up your mailbox.

If you found this article valuable then sign up for FREE green tips by clicking that little box on the right hand column and you'll receive awesome tips on going green and also sales on our products.

Choosing Eco-Friendly Holiday Lights

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

This year when you’re shopping for lights make sure you buy LED lights. Unlike traditional lights, you’ll be saving energy and your lights will last longer.

LED lights are the top dogs when it comes to lights that save energy. Compact fluorescent bulbs still fall short with compared to LEDs and don’t last as long.

Most stores nowadays carry both traditional and LED bulbs and the price difference is basically zero so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t switch.

If you can’t find it locally then make sure you shop online. You’ll be cutting down the amount of energy used and those holiday lights will last longer than your original ones.

If you found this article valuable then sign up for FREE green tips by clicking that little box on the right hand column and you'll receive awesome tips on going green and also sales on our products.

Real Vs Artificial Christmas Trees

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

So if you have a choice between a real or an artificial tree which one is more eco friendly? Well surprising the answer is a real Christmas tree but maybe not for the reasons you were thinking.

Granted both options are very nice to the environment but if you have to make one choice then you’ll want to get a real tree. Artificial trees are made with PVCS and other materials that are far from green.

Not to mention that they are not grown locally and are coming from countries like China which means a higher amount of gas & energy is being used.

Real trees do have their downsides from requiring pesticides to needing fertilizers. Now if you can find a place that uses eco friendly fertilizers then you’re one step ahead of the curve.

The positives for natural trees are just like regular trees producing oxygen for the environment and best of all when you’re finished with it then it can be recycled.

If you found this article valuable then sign up for FREE green tips by clicking that little box on the right hand column and you'll receive awesome tips on going green and also sales on our products.

4 Easy Green Tips For The Holidays

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

1) Send e-cards instead of paper cards. E-cards give you the flexibility to design and create cards that are better than paper cards and no trees will be hurt.

2) Use wrapping paper made from 100% recycled paper or you can consider skipping wrapping paper.

3) When giving gift cards use online cards instead using plastic gift cards.

4) Give your time to loved ones or donate your time to the needy

If you found this article valuable then sign up for FREE green tips by clicking that little box on the right hand column and you'll receive awesome tips on going green and also sales on our products.

Tips On Finding An Eco-Friendly Jacket

2011-11-27T17:22:00.001-05:00

So with every area of your life going green it’s time to put attention to eco friendly jackets. Winter has already settled in and you’ll soon need a way to stay warm.

Eco Friendly jackets don’t use cotton (which is a green no-no) and are made from various materials like hemp to organic cotton or even recycled bottles.

In the past eco friendly clothing was far from stylish looking but since it’s “cool” to be green there’s all kinds of different varieties available so you won’t have to worry about going green and looking ugly.

Just like other clothing the pricing can vary from inexpensive to very expensive. It’ll depend on your taste and preference when it comes to costs.

If you found this article valuable then sign up for FREE green tips by clicking that little box on the right hand column and you'll receive awesome tips on going green and also sales on our products.

New Design in Tree Ring Mulch Mats

2011-11-22T05:00:00.000-05:00

We recently added a new style of Tree Ring Mulch mat of recycled tire rubber to our store Conservastore.com

The tree rings we currently sell are truly circular and measure in diameters of 20" up to 60"
Here's a link to our tree ring category on the Conservastore webstore site

Due to the request of some large international local governments who have many square planters, we asked the factory to make a more square tree mat with a circular cut out and they were kind enough to comply with our request.

We've all seen the square and rectangular raised beds in the middle of roadways and at large municipal event stadiums and theaters. It has often been hard for municipal landscape maintenance professionals to come up with a workable solution to maintaining these areas in a cost effective manner. With these square mats with a circular cut out cities can now fit the needs of a low cost but long lasting "do it and forget it" strategy to keep these planters looking nice but not requiring their crews to constantly return to these areas to lay loose mulch

But for the homeowner with a lot of trees these mats offer another addition to the suite of mulch mat products that Conservastore offers.

Specs on these new mats are as follows:
- 6 ft by 6 ft total size
- cutout in the center is 32" diameter BUT the hole size can be easily expanded with the use of a carpet knife or heavy shears
- the material which is largely recycled tire rubber is 1" thick
- We estimate the material should easily last 5 years with very little care required. The material will discolor with age but it should discolor uniformly if the sun hits it in an equal manner throughout the year.
- Currently available in brown or red

Energy Conservation Pyramid

2011-11-21T09:13:00.000-05:00

We found this icon somewhere on the web, liked it and wanted to share it with you in case you had not seen it yet.

It borrows from the food nutrient pyramid we all learned in 5th grade and amends it to personal energy use.

Everyone from the most energy conscious renter of a 1 room flat to those whose home structure is synonymous with their lot lines, can learn from this chart.

We will do some research and offer you the costs for each level for a 3 BR 2 Bath home in future posts BUT we will say that most utilities around the US will give you a free audit of your energy use.
Likewise many AC and Heat contractors will give you a free estimate on how much a more efficient heating and air system will cost you.

There are also rebate monies available for many of these projects. Once again check your local utility or go to this website for more information. DsireUSA.org

Of course Conservastore.com has many of the products you need to work on up the pyramid
Best of luck with your journey!

The Lowest Flow Showerheads On The Planet

2011-11-15T14:58:00.000-05:00

Tri-Max Low Flow Showerhead

Just when you thought you couldn't get any lower than a 1.25 GPM showerhead Niagara has suprised everyone and developed a showerhead called the Tri-Max low flow showerhead that goes as low as 0.5 GPM.

To put that in perspective that's as low as a low flow faucet aerator. So that means you're really only using a fraction of what even the best showerheads can do. So the next thing that comes to mind obviously is this shower must be terrible.

Well if it was truly at a 0.5 water rate then it might be but this showerhead does something different.

The 0.5 rate is used when you're soaping up and then when you're ready to rinse you switch to a 1.0 GPM rate, which is still similar to faucet aerators. Also if you feel you need a little more power, then you can switch to a 1.5 GPM rate.

So all in all you get two different rinse options and one option for soaking. You could look at it as three different rinse options but keep in mind the longer you stay in the shower the more water you use no matter what flow rate you're at.

You can purchase this Tri-Max Showerhead available on the Conservastore.com website today.

fyi:
GPM=gallons per minute or the amount of water emanating from the head each minute-can be affected by your water pressure-most showerheads come from the store with a 2.5 GPM flow

Aerator= a faucet aerator on the end of every faucet to collect debris and also available to offer water saving as well

Solar Panel Trade Wars

2011-11-02T06:07:00.000-05:00

We always thought that a true military action between the USA and the PRC(China) would be due to an invasion of Taiwan by the PRC or action in the disputed waters surrounding China's neighbors. Remember the US and Chinese planes that touched over Hainan island early in the reign of GW Bush.

Well we are delighted to say that it appears that the real war may be a trade war over the manufacture of solar panels.

from Reuters courtesy of Christoph Steitz and Leonora Walet

Thu Oct 20, 2011 1:48pm EDT we find

German group SolarWorld said on Thursday it was working on steps to curb alleged price dumping by Chinese rivals in Europe.

This comes less than a day after its U.S. unit led a group of seven U.S. solar companies in urging the U.S. government to slap anti-dumping duties on Chinese-made solar energy products.
They charged that Chinese producers can aggressively undercut U.S. prices because they receive cash grants and other subsidies in China, destroying thousands of American jobs.......

Western solar companies have been at odds with their Chinese counterparts for years, alleging they receive lavish credit lines to offer modules at cheaper prices, while European players struggle to refinance........

Chinese solar companies such as Suntech, Yingli and JA Solar have in the past secured generous loans via the China Development Bank (CDB).

from NY Times courtesy of Keith Bradsher we find

The trade case, filed at the Commerce Department, seeks tariffs of more than 100 percent of the wholesale price of solar panels from China, which shipped $1.6 billion of the panels to the United States in the first eight months of this year....

Whatever the partisan positioning, though, the trade case will procedurally begin above the political fray. It will follow a quasi-judicial path at the Commerce Department and a related American agency, the International Trade Commission, that is intended to operate without partisan influence.

The global traveling columnist for the NY Times Tom Friedman feels that the tariffs although probably needed are unreasonable for a fragile US and world economy.
Here's a link to his column Thursday

We think these actions are apropos of a relationship between China and the US which will be meted out through ups and downs over the next few decades at least

Do you own an Iphone? Well that was made largely in China

Do you own household plates and dishes? Well those were made in China

The prob is that China needs the US and the US needs China. In many ways this makes the world safer. Japan could attack the US in 1941 because except for a few small treaties and some minor trade, Japan had all it needed in the form of energy and foodstuffs from it's territories in Asia. It did not need the USA

China on the other hand needs the US(and Europe) to provide manufacturing jobs that feed it's vast population and keep the people reasonable happy. It says it wants to look more inward with it's manufacturing and sales but it really is tied to foreign trade quite a bit currently

We feel that there are phantom tariffs that may be effective in re-lighting the USA Solar panel manufacturing business.

If all government and military purchases of Solar PV and many other forms of alternative energy must meet "Buy American" codes then the need for US manufacture of these products is assured.

The real culprit in the rush Chinese goods including Solar PV is the we in America. It is our own companies that rush to China to save on labor costs and you and me as consumers that pushed Walmart to always have cheaper prices so they rush to Asia to lower the cost of products. We blame China but is really our desire for low cost that caused all this.

The US Government being a mega buyer of products can force the manufacture of USA Solar thru funneling $ to projects with USA Solar only. This is really no different from the Chinese government becoming involved in Chinese company manufacturing.

Conservastore.com is your source for All Green Goods-visit us here

Household Cleaners that makes sense

2011-10-20T10:45:00.000-05:00

Seems like even the larger companies such as Clorox and SC Johnson have an eco-friendly alternative to their normal cleaning products, but sometimes the very traditional methods of the past hundreds of years are really preferred since they work and cost a lot less.

Vinegar has always been a great cleaning product. I've spoken to carpet cleaners that pooh pooh the store brands and say clean your stains with vinegar and water

What is vinegar? A sour-tasting liquid containing acetic acid, obtained by fermenting dilute alcoholic liquids,

Here's a spot from Wikipedia:

White vinegar is often used as a household cleaning agent. Because it is acidic, it can dissolve mineral deposits from glass, coffee makers, and other smooth surfaces.^[42] For most uses, dilution with water is recommended for safety and to avoid damaging the surfaces being cleaned.
Vinegar is an excellent solvent for cleaning epoxy resin and hardener, even after the epoxy has begun to harden. Malt vinegar sprinkled onto crumpled newspaper is a traditional, and still-popular, method of cleaning grease-smeared windows and mirrors in the UK.^[43] Vinegar can be used for polishing brass or bronze. Vinegar is widely known as an effective cleaner of stainless steel and glass.
Vinegar, historically, has been reputed to have strong antibacterial properties. One test by Good Housekeeping's microbiologist found that 5% vinegar is 90% effective against mold and 99.9% effective against bacteria,^[44] while another study linked with Clorox and Lysol showed vinegar to be too weak or inconsistent for it to be used effectively as a disinfectant.^[45]
Vinegar has been marketed as an environmentally-friendly solution for many household cleaning problems. For example, vinegar has been cited recently as an eco-friendly urine cleaner for pets and as a weed killer.^[46]^[47]

Here are 20 unusual, thrifty, and eco-friendly uses for vinegarthat you may not have thought of.
courtesy of Stephanie Rogers, EcoSalon

1. Condition hair
Silky, shiny, buildup-free hair using a single cheap, naturalproduct? Sign me up! It may sound odd, but using apple cidervinegar as a rinse after shampooing really does work like a dream.It removes residue from the hair shaft and closes the cuticles.Just add half a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of water, plus a fewdrops of essential oil if you like. Pour it on in the shower andthen rinse it out. Sure, your hair will smell like salad dressingfor a while, but once it’s dry, the smell dissipates.
2. Kill weeds
A few rogue weeds can wreak havoc in an otherwise flawless lawn,vegetable garden, or flowerbed and are especially annoying whenpopping up in the cracks of a sidewalk or driveway. Forget priceyweed killers full of toxic ingredients -- household vinegar reallydoes kill unwanted plants; stronger vinegar made for horticulturaluse, which is 25% acetic acid, works even better.
3. Remove underarmstains
Unsightly sweat stains can really ruin an otherwise beautifulblouse. Ironically, if you use aluminum-based antiperspirants,they’re even more likely to appear, thanks to a reaction betweenaluminum compounds in these products and salts in your sweat. Sprayfull-strength white vinegar on the stain before washing, and itwill disappear.
4. Soften fabrics
Add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle, and not only willit prevent lint from clinging to your clothes and keep colorsbright, it’ll also remove soap scum from both the clothes you’rewashing and the washing machine itself. Vinegar is also recommendedin place of dryer sheets -- simply add 3/4 cup to your washerduring the final rinse cycle.
5. Remedy sorethroats
Many people recommend sipping or gargling with a tablespoon ofapple cider vinegar in a cup of warm water to soothe a sore throat.Add a few tablespoons of honey (alsoa seriously versatile product!) to this mixture in order tomake it even more effective and far more palatable.
6. Deter ants
Got trails of tiny ants weaving their way around your home? Theseannoying insects aren’t big fans of vinegar, so spraying a 50/50mixture of white vinegar and water anywhere you have seen them canhelp encourage them to move out. The vinegar also erases the scenttrails that they use to indicate sources of food to theirbrethren.
7. Soak sore muscles
Apple cider vinegar helps draw out lactic acid, which accumulatesin muscles after exercise, causing that sore feeling. Mix a fewtablespoons of vinegar into a cup of water, dip a cloth in themixture, and apply it to sore areas for 20 minutes.
8. Freshen air
Whether it’s smoke, mildew, pet odor, or lingering whiffs of burntcasserole, bad smells can make a home less than welcoming.Store-bought air fresheners just cover up the smell with strong,clearly artificial scents, creating disturbing hybrid smells thatonly serve to worsen the situation. Acetic acid in vinegar absorbsodors, so spritzing it around the room will neutralize the smells.You can also use it to wipe down surfaces in the room that needsfreshening.
9. Remove stickers
If you’re just getting around to removing that Kerry/Edwards decalfrom your bumper, or trying to peel a price tag off a new purchase,you’ll never guess what magic ingredient is about to make your lifea lot easier. Warm a little bit of white vinegar on the stovetop orin the microwave and then dip a rag into it. Hold the rag over thesticker until it’s thoroughly saturated, and it will peel right offwithout leaving sticky residue behind. This trick also loosenswallpaper adhesive.
10. Cure hiccups
Most doctors claim that hiccup cures don’t actually work, but tellthat to the thousands of people who swear by vinegar as a way toease these involuntary spasms. It’s not clear how a shot of vinegarwould actually help -- other than to distract you with its acidicflavor -- but next time you’ve got a bout of the hiccups, give it atry.
11. Clean crusty paintbrushes
So you forgot to clean your paintbrushes last time you used them,and now they’re so stiff and crusty, it seems that you’ll have tothrow them away. Not so fast! Fill a saucepan with undiluted whitevinegar and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Dip thepaintbrushes into the boiling vinegar, one at a time, dragging thebristles along the bottom of the pan. Continue this process untilthe paint is dissolved.
12. Dissolve rust
The acetic acid in vinegar reacts with iron oxide to remove rustfrom small metal items like hinges, nuts and bolts. Simmer them ina saucepan full of vinegar, then rinse well with water to preventthe vinegar from further affecting the metal.
13. Eliminate stale odors
You know how lunchboxes and other food containers can take on afunny smell after a while? Vinegar can take care of that, too.Either wipe down the surface well with white vinegar or, in severecases, leave a cloth soaked in vinegar in the container for a fewhours to absorb the odors.
14. Remove mineral deposits
Calcium and lime deposits from hard water don’t just staincoffeemakers and bath tubs, they can actually clog showerheads andreduce dishwasher function. Run a mixture of half water, half whitevinegar through your coffee machine to remove them. Use straightvinegar as a rinsing agent in your dishwasher to prevent buildup,and wrap a vinegar-soaked cloth around stained faucets until thedeposits can be easily scrubbed away. To clean a cloggedshowerhead, remove it from the pipe and place it in a saucepan fullof white vinegar. Simmer for just a few minutes, being careful notto allow it to boil, and then wash off the stains.
15. Neutralize spice in foods
You’ve got a dinner disaster on your hands: One too many shakes ofcayenne powder has turned your award-winning chili into an inediblefive-alarm blaze, and your guests are waiting at the table. Vinegarto the rescue! Add white or apple cider vinegar to your food, oneteaspoon at a time, to neutralize the spice.
16. Prolong the life of cut flowers
Bouquets of cut flowers brighten a room all too briefly, oftenwilting after just a few days. Squeeze a little extra enjoyment outof your arrangements by adding two tablespoons of white vinegar perquart of water in the vase, which will keep them perky just alittle bit longer.
17. Clean glass, plastic, chrome, andfloors
A half-and-half solution of water and white vinegar will cut thegrime on the shelves and walls of the refrigerator and eliminatespoiled-food smells too. Full-strength vinegar will remove toughsmudges on glass and make porcelain sinks shine. Make it into apaste with a little baking soda to scrub chrome, or mix 1/3 whitevinegar with 1/3 rubbing alcohol, 1/3 water, and 3 drops ofdishwashing liquid for an economical floor cleaner. Just be surenot to get vinegar on marble, granite, or slate surfaces.
18. Treat fungal infections
Fungal infections like athlete’s foot, toe nail fungus, anddandruff are definitely no fun. White vinegar and apple cidervinegar can both be applied topically to affected areas of the bodyto kill fungus. For foot-related ailments, soak in a solution ofone part vinegar to five parts water for about 30 minutes aday.
19. Tenderize and kill bacteria in meat
Marinate meat overnight in apple cider vinegar, and it will bedelectably tender. This can reportedly also kill the bacteria thatcauses food-borne illnesses, including e. coli.
20. Open drains and freshen garbagedisposals
Clear a clogged drain without the nasty, headache-inducingchemicals. Dump about 3/4 cup of baking soda down the drain andchase it with 1/2 cup white vinegar, then plug the drain. Leave itfor about 30 minutes before rinsing with a kettle full of boilingwater. You can use the same trick to clean and deodorize garbagedisposals, or freeze vinegar in an ice cube tray and grind them upin the disposal to clean and sharpen the blades at the sametime.

Please visit Conservastore.com for all your Green Products needs

Green Investing Update by Conserv-A-Store week ending 10-7-11

2011-10-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

Here's your Green Investing Update by Conserv-A-Store for the week ending 10-7-11.

Of course most of the recent press was how the 3rd Quarter of 2011 was the worst for the stock market since the Lehman debacle of 2008. Will the stock market and the economy crawl out of it's funk in late 2011 and throughout 2012 or will there possibly be another recession?

We have promised to add to our list of stocks and we feel a good source for additions is the Progressive Investor by Rona Fried at Sustainable Business.com

She has her SB20 for the 20 most sustainable investments in the world. We do not agree with all of the SB20 since some are restaurants such as Chipotle and consumer companies such as Herman Miller who may practice great social skills with their employees but still do not really make the world greener that is produce a product such as wind or solar that cuts pollution but does not sacrifice lifestyle.

With all the talk about infrastructure we will add Pure Technologies Ltd to our portfolio. This is a company that extends the life of infrastructure which can be viewed as Green through better use of materials.

Another stock we will add from the SB20 is Ormat Technologies which is a driller and administrator of geothermal technologies, a type of energy that must be used more extensively if the world is to leave fossil fuel dependence

So here's the portfolio as of today with the above additions:

Visit Conservastore.com for all your Green Products needs

Today							Since Purchased
Symbol/Name	Price*	Change	Last Trade	Gain/Loss (USD)	Shares	Price Paid	Purchase Date	Gain/Loss (USD)	% Change	% Port	Value (USD)
2208:HK (HKD) Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd	3.40	+0.09	10/07	+0.01	1	16.30	01/03/2011	-1.66	-79.14	0.00	0.44
FAN:US ($) First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF	8.31	+0.01	10/07	+0.01	1	10.40	01/03/2011	-2.09	-20.10	6.38	8.31
GAAEX:US ($) Guinness Atkinson Funds - Alternative Energy Fund	3.21	-0.09	10/07	-0.09	1	5.24	01/03/2011	-2.03	-38.74	2.47	3.21
GAIA:US ($) Gaiam Inc	3.38	+0.10	10/07	+0.10	1	7.67	01/03/2011	-4.29	-55.93	2.60	3.38
ICLN:US ($) iShares S&P Global Clean Energy Index Fund	9.31	-0.41	10/07	-0.41	1	16.07	01/03/2011	-6.76	-42.07	7.15	9.31
KWT:US ($) Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF	4.73	-0.28	10/07	-0.28	1	11.17	01/03/2011	-6.44	-57.65	3.63	4.73
NALFX:US ($) New Alternatives Fund Inc/fund	34.95	-0.44	10/07	-0.44	1	40.88	01/03/2011	-5.93	-14.51	26.85	34.95
ORA:US ($) Ormat Technologies Inc	18.01	+0.06	10/07	+0.06	1	29.47	01/03/2011	-11.46	-38.89	13.84	18.01
PBD:US ($) Powershares Global Clean Energy Portfolio	8.76	-0.21	10/07	-0.21	1	14.12	01/03/2011	-5.36	-37.96	6.73	8.76
PUR:CN (CAD) Pure Technologies Ltd	2.67	-0.03	10/07	-0.03	1	4.75	01/04/2011	-2.00	-43.79	1.97	2.57
RSOL:US ($) Real Goods Solar Inc	1.6805	-0.0195	10/07	-0.02	1	2.45	01/03/2011	-0.77	-31.41	1.29	1.68
VWDRY:US ($) Vestas Wind Systems A/S	5.20	-0.24	10/07	-0.24	1	11.14	01/03/2011	-5.94	-53.32	3.99	5.20
WFIFF:US ($) WaterFurnace Renewable Energy Inc	18.2069	+0.1936	10/07	+0.19	1	24.63	01/03/2011	-6.42	-26.08	13.99	18.21
WGGFX:US ($) Winslow Green Growth Fund	11.42	-0.19	10/07	-0.19	1	14.62	01/03/2011	-3.20	-21.89	8.77	11.42
Totals				-1.53				-64.35	-33.08		130.17

Water Filter Comparison Chart

2011-10-04T18:48:00.000-05:00

We recently came across this water filter comparison chart-Click Here

Sort of crazy that the pitcher water filter and point of use attached to the faucet spout water filters seemed to fair so poorly in the report

We have been quite happy with our Point of Use Under the Sink Unit that is offered on Conservastore.com

This housing can be purchased in clear or blue and comes with a replaceable Carbon Block cartridge that will last you up to 6000 gallons.

If you have some of your favorite stainless water containers and refill them each morning before work you will not need to buy bottled water which is quite expensive and may be filtered no better than what this system will do

Thanks so much
Conservastore.com

Green Investing Reports by Conserv-A-Store week ending 9-23-11

2011-09-26T05:32:00.000-05:00

Conserv-A-Store's Green Investing Report for the week ending 9-23-11

At our Green Network Group Meeting this week we discussed the fate of Solyndra, the solar manufacturer that received federal loan guarantees from the stimulus bill but then went belly up when the Chinese over production of silicone solar wafers forced the price of Photovoltaic basic ingredients way down.

A friend that attends the meetings and works for a local solar PV manufacturer says the Solyndra process, which is different from the more popular use of silicone chips was the problem in Solyndra's downfall. He says PV can be manufactured profitably in the USA although sourcing must be global.

We mentioned on our twitter account before that our local utility OUC or Orlando Utilities is building a solar farm near it's coal fired power plant in east Orange county Florida. The farm is close to a major road so one can see the building going on. We found it curious that the major solar panel being used in the project is by Yingli solar out of China. Seems that a community owned utility could purchase US made solar panels even if they were a bit higher.

So this gets to the heart of the problem.
-Does the USA offer duties to discourage importing of Chinese product.
-Does the USA attempt to make product made in China meet the same pollution controls and workplace environment that would be found in the US or Europe? This would raise the price of the Chinese product greatly.
-Should the USA not have a Green Production czar or a cabinet member post for Green development?

These would be questions that should be asked of every politician when you research their planks for the 2012 election we feel.

Here's our portfolio for this week-still sorta rocky:

	Today							Since Purchased
Symbol/Name	Price*	Change	Last Trade	Gain/Loss (USD)	Shares	Price Paid	Purchase Date	Gain/Loss (USD)	% Change	% Port	Value (USD)
2208:HK (HKD) Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd	3.60	-0.08	04:01	-0.01	1	16.30	01/03/2011	-1.63	-77.91	0.00	0.46
FAN:US ($) First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF	7.93	+0.01	09/23	+0.01	1	10.40	01/03/2011	-2.47	-23.75	7.40	7.93
GAAEX:US ($) Guinness Atkinson Funds - Alternative Energy Fund	3.25	+0.03	09/23	+0.03	1	5.24	01/03/2011	-1.99	-37.98	3.03	3.25
GAIA:US ($) Gaiam Inc	3.41	-0.06	09/23	-0.06	1	7.67	01/03/2011	-4.26	-55.54	3.18	3.41
ICLN:US ($) iShares S&P Global Clean Energy Index Fund	9.67	+0.18	09/23	+0.18	1	16.07	01/03/2011	-6.40	-39.83	9.02	9.67
KWT:US ($) Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF	5.14	+0.04	09/23	+0.04	1	11.17	01/03/2011	-6.03	-53.98	4.80	5.14
NALFX:US ($) New Alternatives Fund Inc/fund	33.70	+0.08	09/23	+0.08	1	40.88	01/03/2011	-7.18	-17.56	31.44	33.70
PBD:US ($) Powershares Global Clean Energy Portfolio	9.13	+0.10	09/23	+0.10	1	14.12	01/03/2011	-4.99	-35.34	8.52	9.13
RSOL:US ($) Real Goods Solar Inc	1.89	-0.01	09/23	-0.01	1	2.45	01/03/2011	-0.56	-22.86	1.76	1.89
VWDRY:US ($) Vestas Wind Systems A/S	5.04	-0.08	09/23	-0.08	1	11.14	01/03/2011	-6.10	-54.76	4.70	5.04
WFIFF:US ($) WaterFurnace Renewable Energy Inc	16.0108	+0.3913	09/23	+0.39	1	24.63	01/03/2011	-8.62	-34.99	14.94	16.01
WGGFX:US ($) Winslow Green Growth Fund	11.54	+0.16	09/23	+0.16	1	14.62	01/03/2011	-3.08	-21.07	10.77	11.54
Totals				+0.83				-53.31	-33.22		107.17

Green Investments Report by Conserv-A-Store week ending 9-16-11

2011-09-19T08:30:00.003-05:00

We're running a bit behind today so we will publish the portfolio only without much comment.

We will say that we feel the press in light of the Solyndra bankruptcy is being a bit unfair on Cleantech.

Cleantech is here to stay. Many investors in Cleantech are the same oil and gas and utility companies that pooh pooh alternative energy. They invest for one reason-they realize their world of oil and gas and coal is unsustainable long term and other things will take it's place and they do not want to be left at the altar.

Here's the portfolio for now but we do promise to change it a bit soon

Contact Conservastore anytime here

Today							Since Purchased
Symbol/Name	Price*	Change	Last Trade	Gain/Loss (USD)	Shares	Price Paid	Purchase Date	Gain/Loss (USD)	% Change	% Port	Value (USD)
2208:HK (HKD) Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd	3.66	-0.22	04:01	-0.03	1	16.30	01/03/2011	-1.62	-77.55	0.00	0.47
FAN:US ($) First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF	8.7501	-0.0199	09/16	-0.02	1	10.40	01/03/2011	-1.65	-15.86	7.25	8.75
GAAEX:US ($) Guinness Atkinson Funds - Alternative Energy Fund	3.73	-0.07	09/16	-0.07	1	5.24	01/03/2011	-1.51	-28.82	3.09	3.73
GAIA:US ($) Gaiam Inc	3.92	+0.26	09/16	+0.26	1	7.67	01/03/2011	-3.75	-48.89	3.25	3.92
ICLN:US ($) iShares S&P Global Clean Energy Index Fund	11.12	-0.27	09/16	-0.27	1	16.07	01/03/2011	-4.95	-30.80	9.22	11.12
KWT:US ($) Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF	6.17	-0.18	09/16	-0.18	1	11.17	01/03/2011	-5.00	-44.76	5.11	6.17
NALFX:US ($) New Alternatives Fund Inc/fund	36.65	-0.23	09/16	-0.23	1	40.88	01/03/2011	-4.23	-10.35	30.38	36.65
PBD:US ($) Powershares Global Clean Energy Portfolio	10.33	-0.06	09/16	-0.06	1	14.12	01/03/2011	-3.79	-26.84	8.56	10.33
RSOL:US ($) Real Goods Solar Inc	1.89	-0.179	09/16	-0.18	1	2.45	01/03/2011	-0.56	-22.86	1.57	1.89
VWDRY:US ($) Vestas Wind Systems A/S	6.07	-0.13	09/16	-0.13	1	11.14	01/03/2011	-5.07	-45.51	5.03	6.07
WFIFF:US ($) WaterFurnace Renewable Energy Inc	18.815	+0.168	09/16	+0.17	1	24.63	01/03/2011	-5.81	-23.61	15.60	18.82
WGGFX:US ($) Winslow Green Growth Fund	12.72	-0.10	09/16	-0.10	1	14.62	01/03/2011	-1.90	-13.00	10.54	12.72
Totals				-0.84				-39.85	-24.83		120.63

How To Save Water With A Low Flow Faucet Aerator Video

2011-09-16T15:51:00.004-05:00

Learn one of the easiest ways you can start saving water by watching this video.

How You Can Benefit from A Composting Toilet

2011-09-09T15:39:00.002-05:00

So what exactly is a composting toilet? Well in simple termsit’s a toilet that doesn’t use water and also makes something called compost.Compost is material that’s been decomposed & recycled that can be used asfertilizer. So this toilet takes your excrement and turns it into fertilizeryou can use for your garden.

This produces by far the most natural fertilizer you’ll everfind since no chemicals are involved in its creation. So for a truly organicsolution to fertilizer it doesn’t get any better than this. Normal compostingcan take up to a year before its ready to be used. With a toilet setup you canhave your compost ready a lot faster.

So if you’re thinking is this actually safe for my gardenthen let me assure you that it is without a doubt as long as you compost itproperly. You must have this installed correctly or this will be veryanti-eco-friendly. Compost is the preferred fertilizer for your yards andgardens. It is a very popular fertilizer on farms where they have more time andrequire healthy fertilizers. The only reason bottled fertilizers are popular isbecause they save on time and it’s cheap but with a proper compost setup youcan get the best of both worlds.

Now since they don’t use water or require very little you’llbe saving on a ton of water. Your average toilet can use up to 2000 gallons ayear and that’s only counting if you live alone. If you have a family you cansee how that number would easily increase. Your toilet is probably your 2^ndbiggest water user in your home. And with our usable water supply slowlydeclining every year every ounce we can save makes a huge difference.

Those are two awesome advantages you can get from having acomposting toilet in your home. Now these toilets aren’t exactly cheap and cancost up to $1000 right off the market but the long-term investment willdefinitely pay off. Just think right now how much you spend on natural ororganic fertilizers. Those aren’t exactly cheap either and over the course of afew years you can see how you’ll save more money in the long term.

So if you want to learn more about composting toilets thencheck out our site at http://www.conservastore.com/productlist.php?c=63

Hope you enjoyed this article and look forward to readingmore of our eco-friendly articles.

Green Investments Report by Conserv-A-Store week ending 9/2/11

2011-09-06T08:05:00.000-05:00

Here's your Green Investments Report courtesy of Conserv-A-Store for the week ending 9/2/11

The up and down stock market continues and may until later in the year when it could perhaps solidify a bit.

Below are excerpts from a 9/2/11 NY Times article on how the US Photovoltaic manufacturing sector has taken a big hit recently as Chinese overproduction of PV has put pressure on prices and yanked the margins of the US competitors

The bankruptcies of three American solar power companies in the last month, including Solyndra of California on Wednesday, have left China’s industry with a dominant sales position — almost three-fifths of the world’s production capacity — and rapidly declining costs.

Some American, Japanese and European solar companies still have a technological edge over Chinese rivals, but seldom a cost advantage, according to industry analysts.............

Besides Solyndra, the other two American manufacturers that filed for bankruptcy in August were Evergreen Solar, of Massachusetts, and SpectraWatt, a New York company. Another company, BP Solar, halted manufacturing at its complex in Frederick, Md., last spring..........

Analysts say that two American companies remain strongly placed. One is First Solar, the largest American manufacturer, which uses a different technology but has its biggest factory in Malaysia. The other, SunPower, is much smaller but is an industry leader in the efficiency with which its panels convert sunlight into electricity, so that they sell at a premium to Chinese panels.

China’s three biggest solar power companies — Suntech Power, Yingli Green Energy and Trina Solar — have all in the last two weeks announced second-quarter sales increases of 33 to 63 percent from a year earlier.

With these developments we will change our portfolio a bit, deleting Evergreen Solar and adding First Solar and Trina Solar so we still have an American owned company and we add a Chinese owned company. We will backdate the changes to the first of 2011.

Here's your portfolio as of Friday. Please email us suggestions or visit our website Conservastore.com
for all your Green Products needs

	Today							Since Purchased
Symbol/Name	Price*	Change	Last Trade	Gain/Loss (USD)	Shares	Price Paid	Purchase Date	Gain/Loss (USD)	% Change	% Port	Value (USD)
2208:HK (HKD) Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd	4.27	-0.09	04:01	-0.01	1	16.30	01/03/2011	-1.54	-73.80	0.00	0.55
FAN:US ($) First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF	8.99	-0.13	09/02	-0.13	1	10.40	01/03/2011	-1.41	-13.56	7.16	8.99
GAAEX:US ($) Guinness Atkinson Funds - Alternative Energy Fund	4.08	-0.15	09/02	-0.15	1	5.24	01/03/2011	-1.16	-22.14	3.25	4.08
GAIA:US ($) Gaiam Inc	3.70	-0.01	09/02	-0.01	1	7.67	01/03/2011	-3.97	-51.76	2.95	3.70
ICLN:US ($) iShares S&P Global Clean Energy Index Fund	12.36	-0.56	09/02	-0.56	1	16.07	01/03/2011	-3.71	-23.09	9.84	12.36
KWT:US ($) Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF	7.10	-0.358	09/02	-0.36	1	11.17	01/03/2011	-4.07	-36.44	5.65	7.10
NALFX:US ($) New Alternatives Fund Inc/fund	37.34	-0.96	09/02	-0.96	1	40.88	01/03/2011	-3.54	-8.66	29.72	37.34
PBD:US ($) Powershares Global Clean Energy Portfolio	10.76	-0.30	09/02	-0.30	1	14.12	01/03/2011	-3.36	-23.80	8.56	10.76
RSOL:US ($) Real Goods Solar Inc	2.10	+0.02	09/02	+0.02	1	2.45	01/03/2011	-0.35	-14.29	1.67	2.10
VWDRY:US ($) Vestas Wind Systems A/S	6.51	-0.33	09/02	-0.33	1	11.14	01/03/2011	-4.63	-41.56	5.18	6.51
WFIFF:US ($) WaterFurnace Renewable Energy Inc	19.881	-0.1365	09/02	-0.14	1	24.63	01/03/2011	-4.75	-19.28	15.83	19.88
WGGFX:US ($) Winslow Green Growth Fund	12.26	-0.39	09/02	-0.39	1	14.62	01/03/2011	-2.36	-16.14	9.76	12.26
Totals				-3.32				-34.85	-21.72		125.63
* Shows Yield for some Money Market funds.

Death of Energy Expert - Is the Volt worth it?

2011-08-30T18:12:00.000-05:00

The death last week of noted Energy Saving expert Leon Schipper begs the question of is the Chevy Volt worth the extra cost you pay for the Electric Hybrid alternative?

The NY Times obituary notes,

" Analyzing the Chevy Volt, the new sedan that is supposed to go 40 miles on batteries and then use a gasoline engine, Schipper calculated that because of inefficiencies in electricity generation, it's fuel economy was no better than a Toyota Prius hybrid running on gasoline, while it's price was roughly double that of the Prius.

Does the extra $20k justify the overall fuel and possible carbon dioxide savings? he asked. If two drivers switched to Prius, the overall savings of oil likely would be larger than one driver switching to a Volt, for the same money."

We feel the complaints about the Volt, the Nissan Leaf and all electric based cars fails to address 2 very important factors:

1. The TRUE price of a gallon of gas or a barrel of oil

Currently oil is priced by the barrel and includes the cost to drill from the Earth and refine the oil.

There is not at the spot barrel price or at the price at the pump a reflection of the cost of military hardware and people needed to make the areas where oil are gained safe for the gaining.

There is mention today of 50,000 people being killed to free Libya. Is the reason Libya was attacked by NATO at all related to oil? Why of course. These external costs of bombs and planes to drop the bombs on Libya so that oil can be pumped once the hysteria is over need to be added to the price of the barrels of oil derived from Libya as well as from Iraq, Nigeria and any place a nation's military is used to secure a place that oil is pumped or processed.

Likewise any US Government costs from the Deepwater Horizon disaster not paid for by BP or the drillers needs to be added to the cost a barrel of oil since those costs were born by the entire populace thru government intervention and were not the sole cost of a private business BP. For example Mr Obama's flights on Air Force One to the gulf to provide support to those affected by the oil mess should be charged against the price of a barrel of oil.

To our knowledge this is not done currently

2. The variegation of sourcing of electric power

The great thing about electricity is that it can be made from a number of methods. Oil and gas is of course one but so is hydro from water, wind, nuclear, solar PV and solar CSP, hydronic, vegetation, tidal. The list is quite broad. This variegation of sourcing does a few things most importantly smoothing out the demand supply curve. If for whatever reason the wind electricity was damaged, then the other methods are available.

So things that run on electricity such as an EV are protected by this broad power range of electric generation. There is an opportunity savings to this factor since the government actions needed to secure oil and gas can be diminished.

Dr Schipper is of course much smarter than we are but he forgot to enter these important points in his calculation of EV vs non EV

Conservastore.com believes in a broad range of power options

Alternatives to Roundup or Herbicides for Fence Row DeWeeding - Part 1

2011-08-23T20:33:00.003-05:00

Long Mulch Mats of Recycled Tire Rubber vs Roundup to Maintain Fence Rows - Part 1

Was speaking to a friend who works for a large property owner recently and she said her company uses the chemical Roundup in lieu of weed whackers to handle de-weeding efforts or as a herbicide along their lengths of fence rows, which are pretty substantial. This lady seemed confident that Roundup was an established and safe solution to unsightly weeds growing along fence rows.

Roundup is a herbicide that is popular in the American agriculture and residential yardcare panorama. But Roundup has been shown to have some negative affects on water borne wildlife and even human beings with extended exposure.

Here's a rather concerning report by a small municipality on the dangers of using Roundup

Roundup® is touted as a safe, environmentally friendly and easy to use herbicide. It’s also denounced as a toxic, hazardous chemical. Which is right? Are there any alternatives to using Roundup?

Roundup® is a broad-spectrum herbicide, meaning that it has negative effects on nearly every plant with which it comes in contact. It is used for spot treatment of gardens, lawns, paved areas, and some agricultural crops. Although it is toxic, the active chemical, glyphosate, binds with soil. This means that glyphosate that comes in contact with the ground will not run off into water systems and becomes inactive. The substance also appears to be mostly nontoxic for mammals, including people, who eat food which was near plants treated with Roundup.

However, when glyphosate reaches rivers and streams, it is very toxic to aquatic life. Glyphoste can travel to waterways if it falls on asphalt or blows away on the wind. In addition, glyphosate is not the only chemical in Roundup®, simply the only one considered “active” by the EPA. The EPA only requires herbicide manufacturers to provide proof that the “active” ingredients are safe for the environment, not “inactive” or “other” ingredients. Herbicide manufacturers are not even required to list non-“active” ingredients on their packaging.

Polyethoxylated amine (also referred to as POEA or polyethoxylated tallowamine) is a surfactant, a chemical used to transport glyphosate from the leaves of a plant to the roots in Roundup®. POEA has been shown to be significantly more toxic to aquatic life—including algae, frogs, shrimp, and fish—than glyphosate. POEA is not trapped by soil like glyphosate and stays in the environment longer before degrading, creating an environmental hazard. In addition, recent studies indicate that the POEA in Roundup® may be toxic to human embryos.

courtesy of Green City Blue Lake
Is there a safe alternative to Roundup?

Submitted by Sarah Bixler | Last edited February 17, 2010 - 9:23am

Although initially more expensive we feel the use of Recycled Tire Rubber Rectangular Sized Mulch Mats in sizes such as 3ft x 20ft are a more suitable alternative for fence row de-weeding than Roundup and will save the property owner money over the long run

For the sake of a fair report on the 2 methods of weed control we will look at the negative affects of using pressed rubber mulch products. Few man made products do not have some risk to the environment.

These products are made of used tires that are macerated molded together and painted. The long lasting affect a dump of tires may have on the soil and groundwater could be attributed to these mats if taken in large amounts. In small amounts we feel the risk is minimal. The paint that the mats are painted with could leach as well over time.

Some have complained the mats are not visually attractive but we see that as a negligible detriment

Below is a video that shows how the long mulch mats can be used along fence rows:

Our commercial and large land owning residential customers that have purchased the long rubber mulch mats from us have enjoyed their durability and longevity and are not forced to go out up to 3 or 4 times a year to apply a herbicide that may harm the environment

All of the Conservastore Mulch Products are found here

Darden Furthers Commitment to Sustainability With Solar Panel Installation at Headquarters Facility

2011-08-22T18:03:00.000-05:00

Great to see large companies continuing to make a commitment to sustainability. Darden is a local company based in our town Orlando, Fl

Darden Furthers Commitment to Sustainability With Solar Panel Installation at Headquarters Facility

Green Investing Report by Conserv-A-Store week ending 8/19/11

2011-08-21T09:01:00.000-05:00

The bleeding of the financial markets is the worst it has been since the fallout of the Lehman Bros collapse in late 2008 and early 2009.

We are not qualified to say this but we suggest you stay out of the market for a while and let things settle unless you see some bargains that cannot be passed up.

Sadly Evergreen Solar went bankrupt this week.

Here are a few write-ups on what's next for the company:

-Evergreen cannot pay convertible bond holders

-Was Evergreen's demise the result solely of Chinese competition?

-Is the fall of solar PV prices good for the world but bad for Evergreen?

Here's our portfolio as of Friday-yes we know it's bad. This is a live experiment proving that Green Investments are not immune to the world upsets even though we feel they could be.

	Today							Since Purchased
Symbol/Name	Price*	Change	Last Trade	Gain/Loss (USD)	Shares	Price Paid	Purchase Date	Gain/Loss (USD)	% Change	% Port	Value (USD)
2208:HK (HKD) Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd	4.62	-0.27	08/19	-0.03	1	16.30	01/03/2011	-1.50	-71.66	0.00	0.59
ESLR:US ($) Evergreen Solar Inc	0.17	+0.0075	08/19	+0.01	1	3.29	01/03/2011	-3.12	-94.83	0.00	0.17
FAN:US ($) First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF	8.67	-0.16	08/19	-0.16	1	10.40	01/03/2011	-1.73	-16.63	7.10	8.67
GAAEX:US ($) Guinness Atkinson Funds - Alternative Energy Fund	3.93	-0.12	08/19	-0.12	1	5.24	01/03/2011	-1.31	-25.00	3.22	3.93
GAIA:US ($) Gaiam Inc	3.66	-0.33	08/19	-0.33	1	7.67	01/03/2011	-4.01	-52.28	3.00	3.66
ICLN:US ($) iShares S&P Global Clean Energy Index Fund	11.86	-0.42	08/19	-0.42	1	16.07	01/03/2011	-4.21	-26.20	9.71	11.86
KWT:US ($) Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF	6.95	-0.46	08/19	-0.46	1	11.17	01/03/2011	-4.22	-37.78	5.69	6.95
NALFX:US ($) New Alternatives Fund Inc/fund	35.98	-0.55	08/19	-0.55	1	40.88	01/03/2011	-4.90	-11.99	29.45	35.98
PBD:US ($) Powershares Global Clean Energy Portfolio	10.25	-0.29	08/19	-0.29	1	14.12	01/03/2011	-3.87	-27.41	8.39	10.25
RSOL:US ($) Real Goods Solar Inc	2.19	-0.13	08/19	-0.13	1	2.45	01/03/2011	-0.26	-10.61	1.79	2.19
VWDRY:US ($) Vestas Wind Systems A/S	6.56	+0.01	08/19	+0.01	1	11.14	01/03/2011	-4.58	-41.11	5.37	6.56
WFIFF:US ($) WaterFurnace Renewable Energy Inc	19.773	-0.877	08/19	-0.88	1	24.63	01/03/2011	-4.86	-19.72	16.18	19.77
WGGFX:US ($) Winslow Green Growth Fund	11.60	-0.32	08/19	-0.32	1	14.62	01/03/2011	-3.02	-20.66	9.49	11.60
Totals				-3.67				-41.59	-25.39		122.19

A Volt Driving Experience Part 1

2011-08-12T18:41:00.000-05:00

A nice article on the new Chevy Volt EV(Electric Vehicle) selections from NYTimes.com 6/26/11.

We'll split it into 2 blogposts for you since it's a bit windy but well worth the read

THE moment I realized that driving the new Chevrolet Volt was fundamentally a new experience was not when I first turned it on and went around the block. Yes, it was whisper-quiet, powered by its 16 kilowatt-hour, 400-pound battery, but it still felt like a “normal” automobile. And it wasn’t when I drove the 100 or so miles from Manhattan to Southampton, N.Y., either.

Although the battery’s range is only about 40 miles, the car kept going even after the battery was drained; it just switched to its gasoline engine, in a transition so seamless I barely noticed it. It wasn’t even when I arrived in Southampton that evening and plugged a special cord into an electrical outlet in the garage, to recharge the battery overnight.

No, what made the experience truly different — and what got me thinking about the Volt’s potential to change the way we think about gas consumption — was what happened after that.

You know the story of the Volt, don’t you? As the General Motors entry in the race to build a viable electric car — a race that includes the all-electric Nissan Leaf, a raft of Fords in various stages of development and an electric sedan that Tesla will soon begin selling — it may well be the most hyped American automobile since Lee Iacocca rolled out the Chrysler minivan. Begun four years ago, and championed by the legendary auto executive Bob Lutz, the Volt project managed to survive G.M.’s descent into bankruptcy, and emerge as the company’s great, shining hope, a symbol of what American car manufacturers could accomplish. Or so it’s been claimed.

Cars like the Leaf and the original Tesla — a Roadster that cost more than $100,000 — are “pure” electric vehicles powered solely by their batteries. Classic hybrids like the Toyota Prius use a battery as a kind of add-on, to boost the gas mileage of a combustion engine. The Volt, however, is engineered differently. As long as the battery has juice, the car acts like an electric vehicle. When the battery dies, the combustion engine takes over, and it becomes an old-fashioned gas-consuming car. Once you recharge the battery, electricity takes over again.

The experience of driving it meshes with the way we think about using a car. There is no need to plan ahead, for instance, to make sure the car won’t run out of battery life before we can recharge it. And the gas engine eliminates the dreaded “range anxiety” that prevents most people from embracing an electric vehicle. Indeed, G.M. likes to call the Volt an “extended range vehicle.” Motor Trend, the car enthusiasts’ bible, was so impressed that it named the Volt its 2011 car of the year.

The Volt went on sale last December. But because Chevrolet has been so cautious in rolling it out — dealers in only seven states have gotten cars so far, with fewer than 2,500 sold — it can sometimes seem like the world’s most publicized invisible car. (A bigger rollout is planned for next year.) Which is why I asked G.M. if I could test-drive it over the Memorial Day holiday. I wanted to see for myself what all the fuss was about.

For four days, I drove it around town, used it to pick up the groceries, took it to visit friends. Sometimes, when I walked out of a store, someone would be standing next to “my” Volt, wanting to ask me questions about it. Though I am no automotive expert, I was pleasantly surprised by the car’s power, pickup and handling. “People think it’s going to be a dorkmobile,” said Mr. Lutz, who retired last year. “But it’s fun to drive.”

Here’s what really got me, though: on the dashboard, alongside the gauge that measures the battery life, the Volt has another gauge that calculates the vehicle’s miles per gallon. During the two-hour drive to Southampton, I used two gallons of gas, a quarter of the tank. Thus, when I drove into the driveway, it read 50 miles per gallon.

The next day, after the overnight charge, I didn’t use any gas. After driving around 30 miles in the morning, I recharged it for a few hours while I puttered around the house. (It takes 10 hours to fully recharge, unless you buy a special 240-volt recharging unit.) That gave the battery 10 miles, more than enough to get me where I needed to go that evening on battery power alone. Before I knew it, my miles per gallon for that tankful of gas had hit 80. By the next day it had topped 100. I soon found myself obsessed with increasing my miles per gallon — and avoiding having to buy more gas.

Whenever I got home from an errand, I would recharge it, even for a few hours, just to grab a few more miles of range. I was actually in control of how much gas I consumed, and it was a powerful feeling. By the time I gave the car back to General Motors, I had driven 300 miles, without using another drop of gas beyond the original two gallons. I’m not what you’d call a Sierra Club kind of guy, but I have to tell you: I was kind of proud of myself.

When I began to describe for Mr. Lutz the psychological effect the Volt had had on me, he chuckled. “Yeah,” he said, “it’s like playing a video game that is constantly giving you back your score.”

PEOPLE who follow the car business like to say that this particular moment in automotive history is the closest we’ll ever come to seeing what the industry was like a century ago. Back then, there were dozens of auto companies, all experimenting with different ways to power a car, a race ultimately won by the gasoline-powered combustible engine. For good reason: nothing else provided more power, more efficiently.

We read recently that Chevy has added capacity to their Michigan facility that makes the Volt. Proving to us that Green jobs are lasting jobs. The demand for the Volt far outweighs the supply currently.

Conservastore.com has always felt that a switch to a Green economy will give America all the jobs it needs for the next 30 years. Sadly the politicians are more schooled in law than engineering and cannot see that.

Philips Lighting Wins the Prize

2011-08-08T06:22:00.000-05:00

Conserv-A-Store does not have the largest display of light bulbs on the web but we do try hard to offer a unique set of bulbs including long life 20,000 hour incandescents and 9000 hour chandelier bulbs.

We are still trying to find an LED selection we are happy with. The CFL bulb universe has become so competitive that it is harder for us to compete on price but we have found a better source and will be lowering our prices soon.

Thankfully lighting is a place that man can save energy and we complement him for trying hard in that arena. Here's a blogpost from the NY Times Greenblog, 8/3/11, on a recent competition held to "Make the next Great Light Bulb"

Philips, the Netherlands-based consumer electronics giant, is now $10 million richer, having just won the L Prize, awarded by the federal Department of Energy in a contest to invent the next generation of solid-state lighting.

Formally titled the Bright Lighting Tomorrow Prize, the award was introduced to encourage companies to create highly efficient alternatives to standard incandescent lamps.

Two categories were established: a 60-watt LED equivalent to the standard light bulb, and a new version of the large PAR 38 reflector lamp commonly found on ceilings. (That second contest has been delayed by the Department of Energy as it re-evaluates the competition’s specifications.)

Philips submitted its prototype 60-watt-equivalent lamp almost two years ago, in September 2009. As the first in, the entry was guaranteed to win if it met specifications.

The prize bulb uses just 9.7 watts to match the light output of a 60-watt incandescent, compared with 12.5 watts for the product currently sold. The new lamp is also brighter than the one marketed now, at 910 lumens versus 800 lumens. And it is closer in color to a standard incandescent.
Both lamps last 25,000 hours, compared with 1,000 to 2,000 for a standard incandescent.

“The L Prize lamp absolutely mimics an incandescent lamp,” said Ed Crawford, chief executive of Philips Lighting North America.

One way it doesn’t mimic a standard lamp is in its look when it is turned off. The lamp itself is bright yellow when it is not illuminated, which prompted Philips to clarify on its planned packaging that the lamp produces “white light when lit.” The company decided not to change the color of its off state because “this is the best way to achieve the performance,” Mr. Crawford said.

A final price has not yet been determined for the bulb, which is to reach stores later this year.
While LED lamps save money in the long run, they are not cheap. The 60-watt equivalent that is currently sold costs about $40, and the better-performing L Prize version, because of the higher cost of its materials, will be somewhat more expensive.

Despite the economics, there is no question that consumers (and often, commercial customers) still tend to choose light bulbs based on their initial costs, not the hundreds of dollars they may save over the life of a bulb.

In an article I wrote about the L Prize, I quoted a Philips executive who was confident that the industry could get the cost of LED lamps down to the $20 to 25 range. Already the company is predicting that this will be a no-brainer.

“A $10 price is when these lamps will take off,” Mr. Crawford said. “That is absolutely achievable in five to six years.”

Come to Conservastore.com for your long life light bulb needs

Green Investments Report by Conserv-A-Store week ending 8/5/11

2011-08-07T09:16:00.000-05:00

Well let's face it the upset our great Congress inserted into the USA and world economy by trying to appease the Tea Party has led to a time when only VERY short term investors with ultimate knowledge can profit, a type of investing we feel is more akin to betting and should be reduced by increased capital gains on VERY short term trading.

So we will of course list our Green Portfolio below but now is the time to do nothing we feel til things become more relaxed in the world markets.

We did some reading on Green Bonds so let us give you a bit of what we found:

The World Bank launched its first green bond issue in 2008, according to its Web site. So far, its green bond program has raised more than $2 billion in 40 issues denominated in 16 currencies....

Japan is the one market where individual investors have been big buyers, with Nikko Asset Management reporting that its “World Bank Green Bond Fund” for Japanese investors is now just over $800 million, according to chief investment officer Stuart Kinnersley in London.

The World Bank’s program is by far the largest, but the green bond market now includes some of the other supranational development agencies, including the European Investment Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Nordic Investment Bank, and the African Development Bank. In all, the green bond market – including some private sector bonds – now totals about $12 billion,

When investors buy the bonds, they don’t know the specific projects that will be funded with their money, but the World Bank puts the money into a separate account where it is earmarked for projects in two categories: Climate mitigation and climate adaptation.
The above from registeredrep.com

SMBC World bank green fund is the name of the fund

Here's the portfolio courtesy of Conservastore.com

	Today							Since Purchased
Symbol/Name	Price*	Change	Last Trade	Gain/Loss (USD)	Shares	Price Paid	Purchase Date	Gain/Loss (USD)	% Change	% Port	Value (USD)
2208:HK (HKD) Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd	4.96	-0.51	08/05	-0.07	1	16.30	01/03/2011	-1.45	-69.57	0.00	0.64
ESLR:US ($) Evergreen Solar Inc	0.474	+0.074	08/05	+0.07	1	3.29	01/03/2011	-2.82	-85.59	0.00	0.47
FAN:US ($) First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF	9.30	+0.07	08/05	+0.07	1	10.40	01/03/2011	-1.10	-10.58	6.99	9.30
GAAEX:US ($) Guinness Atkinson Funds - Alternative Energy Fund	4.18	-0.05	08/05	-0.05	1	5.24	01/03/2011	-1.06	-20.23	3.14	4.18
GAIA:US ($) Gaiam Inc	4.35	-0.04	08/05	-0.04	1	7.67	01/03/2011	-3.32	-43.29	3.27	4.35
ICLN:US ($) iShares S&P Global Clean Energy Index Fund	12.93	-0.03	08/05	-0.03	1	16.07	01/03/2011	-3.14	-19.54	9.72	12.93
KWT:US ($) Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF	7.85	-0.12	08/05	-0.12	1	11.17	01/03/2011	-3.32	-29.72	5.90	7.85
NALFX:US ($) New Alternatives Fund Inc/fund	37.67	-0.15	08/05	-0.15	1	40.88	01/03/2011	-3.21	-7.85	28.33	37.67
PBD:US ($) Powershares Global Clean Energy Portfolio	11.18	-0.10	08/05	-0.10	1	14.12	01/03/2011	-2.94	-20.82	8.41	11.18
RSOL:US ($) Real Goods Solar Inc	2.00	-0.17	08/05	-0.17	1	2.45	01/03/2011	-0.45	-18.37	1.50	2.00
VWDRY:US ($) Vestas Wind Systems A/S	6.75	+0.42	08/05	+0.42	1	11.14	01/03/2011	-4.39	-39.41	5.08	6.75
WFIFF:US ($) WaterFurnace Renewable Energy Inc	22.519	+0.0405	08/05	+0.04	1	24.63	01/03/2011	-2.11	-8.57	16.93	22.52
WGGFX:US ($) Winslow Green Growth Fund	13.14	-0.19	08/05	-0.19	1	14.62	01/03/2011	-1.48	-10.12	9.88	13.14
Totals				-0.31				-30.79	-18.80		132.98

Greensboro NC may be home to new Solar Farm

2011-08-01T18:28:00.000-05:00

Solar Farms are beginning to pop up all over. Orlando Utilities Commission is currently building a small one near their coal and gas fired power plant in east Orange County Fl.

NASA is building a farm on it's property at Cape Kennedy, Fl

Here's mention of a quite large farm to be built possibly in Greensboro NC by a Melbourne Fl company.

Although we've always hoped for a massive switch from current methods of power to more sustainable methods, we are buoyed to see the continued movement toward sustainable power.

The Associated Press

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- A Florida-based solar power company has picked a North Carolina county as a finalist for a 4,000 acre solar farm expected to create hundreds of jobs.
The News & Record of Greensboro reports Sunday that a landfill and a prison farm in Guilford County are possible candidates for the ambitious solar farm project.
National Solar Power of Melbourne, Fla., has named the North Carolina county among seven finalists for its $1.4 billion solar project. Other contenders are in Georgia and Florida.
The company says it plans to build a 400-megawatt solar plant. It would be made up of 20 separate 200-acre solar farms, which could make enough power for about 32,000 homes.
The company expects 400 people will be needed for construction, and the completed plant will employ 120.

Information from: News & Record, http://www.news-record.com

Conservastore.com feels solar farms are important largely because all power can be produced in the place the panels reside so their is no need for sourcing of energies from abroad

Green Topics

And Now a Tankless Toilet

Solar Farm at Orlando Utilities Site Now Active

How Light Controls Will Save You Energy

How To Use Recycled Rubber Tree Rings

How to Choose A Low Flow Shower Head

Earth Low Flow Shower Head

Earth Handheld Low Flow Shower Head

Soak & Soap Low Flow Shower Head

European Low Flow Shower Head

Standard Soak & Soap Low Flow Shower Head

Rain Fall Low Flow Shower Head

Green Investments Report by Conserv-A-Store week ending 12/30/11

Where is America Green?

Incandescent Light Bulb Update on Jan 1 2012

Green Investments Report by Conserv-A-Store week ending 12-23-11

How To Benefit From A Compost Toilet

Brand New Solar & LED Products

How To Use Recycled Rubber Mulch Mats

AC or DC Electric - You might be surprised

How To Save Water With Your Toilet

Why You Should Choose Envirocycle Compost Bins

Green Investing Report by Conserv-A-Store week ending 12-16-11

Free Green Tips Book Worth Over $100

Last Minute Green Gifts for the 2011 Holidays

Chevy Volt Update December 2011

The World is Warming - Is Man Involved?

Save Water With A Rain Barrel

Choosing A Green Bed

Green Luggage Tips

How To Choose An Eco-Friendly Garden Hose

Cooking The Green Way

Choosing Eco Friendly Rechargeable Batteries

Taking Out Your Trash The Green Way

Last Minute Green Gifts for the 2011 Holidays

How To Find An Eco Friendly Hotel

Going Green With Landscaping

An Easy Way To Stop Wasting Paper

Choosing Eco-Friendly Holiday Lights

Real Vs Artificial Christmas Trees

4 Easy Green Tips For The Holidays

Tips On Finding An Eco-Friendly Jacket

New Design in Tree Ring Mulch Mats

Energy Conservation Pyramid

The Lowest Flow Showerheads On The Planet

Solar Panel Trade Wars

Household Cleaners that makes sense

Green Investing Update by Conserv-A-Store week ending 10-7-11

Water Filter Comparison Chart

Green Investing Reports by Conserv-A-Store week ending 9-23-11

Green Investments Report by Conserv-A-Store week ending 9-16-11

How To Save Water With A Low Flow Faucet Aerator Video

How You Can Benefit from A Composting Toilet

Green Investments Report by Conserv-A-Store week ending 9/2/11

Death of Energy Expert - Is the Volt worth it?

Alternatives to Roundup or Herbicides for Fence Row DeWeeding - Part 1

Darden Furthers Commitment to Sustainability With Solar Panel Installation at Headquarters Facility

Green Investing Report by Conserv-A-Store week ending 8/19/11

A Volt Driving Experience Part 1

Philips Lighting Wins the Prize

Green Investments Report by Conserv-A-Store week ending 8/5/11

Greensboro NC may be home to new Solar Farm

The Associated Press