MS Tûranor PlanetSolar: Inhabitat Reports Live from the World’s Largest Solar-Powered Boat

MS Tûranor PlanetSolar: Inhabitat Reports Live from the World’s Largest Solar-Powered Boat

We're on a boat! Inhabitat is channeling our inner Andy Samberg ft. T-Pain this morning and reporting live from aboard the world's largest solar-powered boat, the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar. The massive 115-foot Swiss catamaran docked today at the North Cove Marina in downtown Manhattan as part of its PlanetSolar DeepWater expedition across the Atlantic Ocean to study the effects of climate change along the Gulf Stream. Read on to learn more about this impressive sun-powered vessel, and stay tuned for our exclusive photos.
 

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BREAKING: AT&T and Goal Zero Roll Out Street Charge Solar-Powered Phone Charging Stations in NYC

BREAKING: AT&T and Goal Zero Roll Out Street Charge Solar-Powered Phone Charging Stations in NYC

We all know how devastating a dead cell phone can be, so AT&T's big news of the morning should be music to the ears of anyone who dreads that low-battery chirp. The telecom provider will join solar company Goal Zero and DUMBO-based design studio Pensa today to unveil the new AT&T Street Charge solar-powered cell phone charging station pilot program at Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn. The elegant wood and metal modules will collect energy from the sun and allow New Yorkers to plug in whenever they need some extra battery power. Additional solar charging stations will also be deployed at a number of additional locations throughout the 5 boroughs - read on to find the one closest to you.
 

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Global Green Announces “Solar for Sandy” Program to Provide Emergency Energy During Natural Disasters

Global Green Announces “Solar for Sandy” Program to Provide Emergency Energy During Natural Disasters

Yesterday, Global Green USA announced the roll-out of its “Solar for Sandy” program to build emergency back-up solar energy systems at five or more Sandy-struck NYC community centers to prepare for future blackouts like the one that overtook the city

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NYSERDA Announces $10 Million in Funding for Best Proposal to Upgrade New York’s Electric Grid

NYSERDA Announces $10 Million in Funding for Best Proposal to Upgrade New York’s Electric Grid

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is calling for proposals to re-engineer New York State’s electric grid using smart grid technology, and they’re offering the winner $10 million in funding. Applicants are being asked to submit

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100,000 sq. ft. Duggal Greenhouse Opens at Brooklyn Navy Yard!

100,000 sq. ft. Duggal Greenhouse Opens at Brooklyn Navy Yard!

The long-awaited Duggal Greenhouse finally opened its doors last month after being transformed from a massive asbestos-laden Brooklyn Navy Yard building into a new eco-space. The $10 million, 100,000-square-foot project was spearheaded by green entrepreneur Baldev Duggal and designed by Studios GO architect Gregory Okshteyn. Boasting energy-saving "Lumpi Solair" solar lamp posts and rooftop solar panels, the state-of-the-art venue opens up to a riverside terrace with Manhattan views and has already hosted a launch party for Heineken and been a rehearsal space for Beyonce.
 

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AN.ONYMOUS Proposes Elevating the Rockaways 10 to 15 Meters Above Sea Level

AN.ONYMOUS Proposes Elevating the Rockaways 10 to 15 Meters Above Sea Level

When Hurricane Sandy landed in New York last October, the Rockaways were among the hardest hit areas. In order to source ideas on how to rebuild resiliently on the peninsula, MoMA PS1 and the museum's Department of Architecture and Design initiated a call to the artistic, architectural, and design communities to create a sustainable waterfront recovery plan. "ex.terra" by AN.ONYMOUS was recently chosen as one of the twenty-five winning proposals. It calls for the creation of new ground elevated ten to fifteen meters above sea level, and the structural system is able to resist - and at the same time - capture the energy of the wind and the water.
 

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CoolNYC Solution Will Let New Yorkers Control Their Air Conditioners by Smart Phone

CoolNYC Solution Will Let New Yorkers Control Their Air Conditioners by Smart Phone

Although spring hasn’t quite sprung yet, the sweaty days of summer are just around the corner. And with our perspiration comes wallet-busting energy bills from running our air conditioners day and night to keep cool. Luckily ConEd and ThinkEco are ahead

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NYC Spectra Pipeline Expansion Sparks Resident Concerns About Explosions and Radon

NYC Spectra Pipeline Expansion Sparks Resident Concerns About Explosions and Radon

Most New Yorkers have heard of the Spectra natural gas pipeline and the dangers it poses – but until recently, it’s felt like a vague, far-off worry that may or may not happen. Unfortunately that couldn’t be further from the truth, as the pipeline (also referred

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EPA Announces Over $500 Million to Repair Sandy-Damaged Waterways in NY and NJ

EPA Announces Over $500 Million to Repair Sandy-Damaged Waterways in NY and NJ

The Environmental Protection Agency announced recently that they will provide over $500 million in grants and low-interest loans to the state of New York and state of New Jersey to improve wastewater and drinking water facilities ravaged by Hurricane Sandy.

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NYC Installing Solar Panels on Four Rooftops to Power 245 Homes

NYC Installing Solar Panels on Four Rooftops to Power 245 Homes

NYC Deputy Mayor Caswell Holloway recently announced plans to outfit the empty rooftop of a Department of Environmental Protection wastewater treatment plant in Staten Island with enough photovoltaic panels to power about 169 homes in the area annually.

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10 Global Companies Join PlaNYC Carbon Challenge to Cut Greenhouse Emissions

10 Global Companies Join PlaNYC Carbon Challenge to Cut Greenhouse Emissions

New York City’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2017 has taken another step in the right direction. At a press conference at Rockefeller University yesterday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the expansion of the PlaNYC Carbon

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New Study Finds NYC Could be Powered by 100 Percent Renewable Energy by 2030

New Study Finds NYC Could be Powered by 100 Percent Renewable Energy by 2030

New York state may be a lot closer to completely running on renewable energy than we once thought. A new study led by researchers at Stanford and Cornell Universities reveals that New York could be completely powered by clean technology within the next 17

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New Study Shows How New York Could Be Powered by Sun, Water and Wind Power by 2050

New Study Shows How New York Could Be Powered by Sun, Water and Wind Power by 2050

Photo from Shutterstock

Despite the current controversy about hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in New York, a group of scientists from Stanford believe that even a city as large as the Big Apple could be powered by alternative means by the year 2050.

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Mayor Bloomberg Signs Three New Green Bills That Address Climate Change

Mayor Bloomberg Signs Three New Green Bills That Address Climate Change

Mayor Michael Bloomberg isn’t wasting any time on combating climate change and greening the Big Apple as his third term comes to a close. Recently, he signed three new critical pieces of green legislation authored by Councilmember James F. Gennaro (D-Fresh

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Mayor Bloomberg Slams Coal Industry at Energy Innovation Summit, Calls for Cleaner Alternatives

Mayor Bloomberg Slams Coal Industry at Energy Innovation Summit, Calls for Cleaner Alternatives

Mayor Michael Bloomberg made some bold statements against the coal industry during this week’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy Energy Innovation Summit, according to a report from The Hill. Bloomberg, a promoter of natural gas and its lower

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New Report Shows How NYC Could Cut 90% of Its Carbon Footprint by 2050

New Report Shows How NYC Could Cut 90% of Its Carbon Footprint by 2050

With all the dire predictions about climate change in the news, it’s easy to start thinking that the problem is too large to even begin to untangle. But a new report released by the Urban Green Council, the New York Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, says

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Mayor Bloomberg Announces Plans for 10,000 More EV Charging Stations in NYC

Mayor Bloomberg Announces Plans for 10,000 More EV Charging Stations in NYC

In his State of the City address yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg announced new plans that he explained could create “up to 10,000 parking spots for electric vehicles over the next seven years.” This massive expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging capacity

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Governor Cuomo Plans to Devote $1.5 Billion for Solar Programs in New York

Governor Cuomo Plans to Devote $1.5 Billion for Solar Programs in New York

Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to give a California run for its money by amping up New York’s solar game. In his recent State of the State address, the governor announced a plan to expand New York’s renewable energy sources using California’s expansive

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New York Gets Additional $250 Million for Renewable Energy, Gov. Cuomo Announces

New York Gets Additional $250 Million for Renewable Energy, Gov. Cuomo Announces

Taking another step towards energy security, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Christmas Eve that an additional $250 million will be made available for renewable energy projects. Part of the governor’s Energy Highway Blueprint aimed at diversifying

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“Solar Journey” Photovoltaic Array-on-Wheels Provided Power to Rockaways After Hurricane Sandy

“Solar Journey” Photovoltaic Array-on-Wheels Provided Power to Rockaways After Hurricane Sandy

Garrett Fitzgerald and Rob van Haaren aren’t on a typical road trip. The Columbia University engineering students have embarked on what they're calling Solar Journey USA, a mission to bring their portable solar array to different communities across the nation. The most recent stop on their expedition was hurricane-ravaged Rockaway Beach, where they brought their renewable energy source on wheels to power-deprived residents in the area.
 

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New York’s Helmsley Building Unveils Gorgeous LED Light Show Set to the Sound of Violins

New York’s Helmsley Building Unveils Gorgeous LED Light Show Set to the Sound of Violins

The iconic Helmsley Building recently gave New York a magnificent show full of glowing LED lights. The computer-controlled lights changed colors to the sound of violins highlighting the Jewel of Park Avenue's newly renovated green façade. The dynamic lighting display, designed by The Lighting Practice, will continue to make appearances during special events and holidays, and to celebrate the building's 70% energy reduction.
 

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Central Park Now Glows With Energy-Saving Cree LED Street Lights

Central Park Now Glows With Energy-Saving Cree LED Street Lights

Just a short time after receiving a $100 million donation from an adoring New Yorker, Central Park also underwent a new green lighting makeover. Last month, the New York City Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Energy GATEWAY program successfully

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The Charge Cycle: Free Pedal-Powered Phone Charging Stations Could Come To NYC

The Charge Cycle: Free Pedal-Powered Phone Charging Stations Could Come To NYC

The constant search for an outlet: It’s the one major drawbacks of all the mobile gadgets we love so much. If you’re lucky enough to live in the Big Apple, however, resuscitating your phone is about to become a whole lot easier with The Charge Cycle, a new

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Greenpeace’s Rolling Sunlight is a Mobile Solar-Powered Energy Station Helping Hurricane Sandy Victims

Greenpeace’s Rolling Sunlight is a Mobile Solar-Powered Energy Station Helping Hurricane Sandy Victims

Rolling Sunlight is a mobile solar power array strapped to a truck that Greenpeace built over 10 years ago that has been touring the streets of the Rockaways this week. This massive emergency energy provider is able to store 50 kilowatt-hours of power in a set of batteries housed within the truck. For residents of one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy, the truck truly is like a ray of sunlight coming through to allow them to charge their phones and other devices to stay in touch with loved ones.
 

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Officials Say Manhattan May See Power Restored by Tomorrow or This Weekend

Officials Say Manhattan May See Power Restored by Tomorrow or This Weekend

Dark NYC image © New York Magazine

NYC officials have announced that they are hopeful that power will be restored in Manhattan by Friday or Saturday this week. Nearly half of the city lost power on Monday night after an enormous explosion at a Con Edison

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