LOS ALAMOS, NM—Thin-film solar cells could be made far more efficient with the addition of bundles of carbon nanotubes, according to researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Last September, solar panel manufacturer Solyndra filed for bankruptcy and laid off 1,100 workers. The moves came just two years after the company received a $535 million loan guarantee from the Obama administration. Republicans have rightly criticized the administration over the loan, alleging that the Energy Department overlooked warning signs of Solyndra’s pending collapse.
The Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB factory in Finspang, Sweden, is one of the leading suppliers of steam turbines to the solar energy industry worldwide. In fact, two out of every four steam turbines made there will be used in the solar industry.
The 2011 Assembly Plant of the Year was designed from the ground up to be an environmentally friendly facility. Even the carpets, paint and windows are “green” at the Philips Respironics plant in New Kensington, PA.
In addition to using the latest lean manufacturing principles, Boeing's new 787 assembly plant is one of the greenest factories in the aerospace industry.
Having a zero landfill plant is great for automakers, but it isn’t something they can achieve on their own. Tier 1 suppliers, waste-retrieval companies and vendors all play an important supporting role. One such vendor is Orbis Corp. which, for the past several decades, has helped various automakers become zero landfill by supplying their Tier 1 suppliers with reusable containers.
Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. became the first zero landfill auto plant in the United States in 2004, but it wasn’t long before many other automakers followed SIA’s example, including General Motors. Other automakers, like BMW MC in Greer, SC, are on the path to becoming zero landfill.
Green manufacturing activity has remained steady over the past 12 months, buoyed by the rebounding economy. Manufacturers are engaged in a wide variety of sustainable initiatives, such as recycling, landfill gas and solar panels.
RSS
