Top Business Opportunities » Environment

Free car charging at new, green(er) McDonald’s

Admin — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:55:14 +0000

The new restaurant in Cary—opening this week—will be North Carolina’s first “green” McDonald’s, and it aims to become gold-certified under the LEED standard. Both the interior and exterior of the restaurant have been designed with sustainability in mind. More than 95 percent of the wood used in construction, for example, comes from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, while tables and decor incorporate rapidly renewable materials such as sunflower seed board, wheat board, bamboo and kirei board. Solatubes inside provide quality natural light, while lighting fixtures automatically adjust to changing light conditions. All components used inside are free of urea and formaldehyde, while vinyl is PVC-free and all paints, adhesives, coatings and sealants are low-VOC. The kitchen and bathrooms, meanwhile, are designed to minimize the use of water.

Perhaps most interesting of all, there will be preferred parking spaces for hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles, along with ChargePoint stations offering free electricity for plug-in cars. Two such stations will be available at the restaurant’s launch, according to The News & Observer.

It’s not entirely clear whether a 30-minute meal offers enough time to charge a vehicle adequately, as HybridCars points out. Nevertheless, plans are afoot to install charging stations at McDonald’s locations in Sweden as well, the publication reported, and there seems little doubt that as adoption of electric vehicles increases, there will be demand for charging stations in convenient spots around the globe. Embrace such technology early, and you boost your eco-credentials; offer it as a free perk, and you could win eco-minded consumers’ hearts, minds and dollars!

springwise.com

Free car charging at new, green(er) McDonald’s is a post from: Top Business Opportunities

The 5 Best Cities for Cleantech Companies

Admin — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:07:10 +0000

With recent announcements from President Barack Obama with regard to a green economy in the U.S., cleantech is likely to become more popular in the future as venture capitalists flock to what they hope will result in big returns. Here are 5 U.S. cities that offer possibilities for cleantech companies:

1. Boston: In 2008, the Boston area saw an investment of $387.17 million in greentech projects. This represents a gain of 6.8% over 2007 — not too shabby in a down economy. The Boston area includes Aeronautica Windpower, Conservation Services Group, Boston-Power, Inc., Evergreen Solar, GreatPoint Energy and others.

2. Denver: Denver represents a vanguard city in the area of cleantech. The Colorado Clean Tech Initiative ensures that start-up businesses in the state receive some help with funding. Denver has a blueprint for use and transportation that focuses on sustainability. The city was one of the first to get a alternative fuel vehicles for the city, and boasts the first major airport to reach ISO 14001 standards.

3. Seattle: This year, at the annual Business Plan competition at the University of Washington, cleantech business ideas garnered a great deal of attention. In a city that is vying for the label “greentech hub”, that is no real surprise. Indeed Seattle is on a short list of cities that are likely to receive millions in funding for the purpose of jump starting alternative energy technology. An annual budget from the federal government, if Seattle is approved as a R&D center, could be as high as $200 million.

4. Austin: Widely considered the most progressive city in the state of Texas, it is no wonder that Austin is one of the premier cities for the cleantech industry. Indeed, Austin is providing the new headquarters for the Clean Technology & Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI). CTSI chose Austin because it has a thriving cleantech community, consisting of researchers (including at the university level), sustainable development and investment. The Innovate Texas Foundation is also located in Austin, and expects to work with CTSI.

5. San Francisco: It wouldn’t be right to leave out a California city. (San Jose also has a growing cleantech industry presence.) San Francisco regularly hosts the Cleantech Forum, bringing in cleantech ideas from all over the U.S. San Francisco has a sustainability plan that tackles air quality, biodiversity, energy issues and green economic development. Start-up companies can usually find some niche for its services in San Francisco.

physorg.com

The 5 Best Cities for Cleantech Companies is a post from: Top Business Opportunities

Go Green. Get Rich.

Admin — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 03:04:39 +0000

Meet the companies tackling nine of humanity’s biggest problems — and making millions saving us from ourselves.

Problem #1: Global Warming
Problem #2: Oil Dependency
Problem #3: Hunger and Malnutrition
Problem #4: Dirty Air
Problem #5: Dirty Water
Problem #6: Overfishing
Problem #7: Epidemics
Problem #8: Drug-Resistant Infections
Problem #9: Waste Disposal

Read about these companies and what they’re working on at CNN Money

Go Green. Get Rich. is a post from: Top Business Opportunities