Eco Washing Lines

The benefits of a solar clothes dryer, aka a clothes line are many; here are  just a few:

- Initial outlay is cheaper than a clothes dryer
- No ongoing energy costs
- No greenhouse gas emissions from usage
- The sun helps to kill bacteria
- A fresh smell for your clothes without the use of chemicals

If you can’t dry your laundry outside, an indoor clothes line can be a very handy thing to have around in order to help minimize dryer use. While lessening the reliance on clothes dryers and opting to line dry where possible isn’t going to defeat rising carbon dioxide levels in itself; it’s just one of the many little things we can do that collectively can make a difference.

Enel Green Power (EGP), Italy’s biggest renewable energy company, announced on Monday that the geothermalcapacity of the country has been increased by 20MW. The additional power is supplied by a new unit, located at a plant in central Italy.

The start-up unit is situated at the EGP’s geothermal plant near Siena in Tuscany and has increased the plant’s capacity to 60 MW. EGP stated that the plant will generate more than 140 million kilowatt hours of electricity when is going to operate at full output. This would be enough for 55,000 households and would deflect the emission of 200,000 tons of carbon dioxide.

To read more go to :  http://www.greenoptimistic.com/2010/11/11/enel-geothermal-capacity-italy/

What a great idea! Read this article- perhaps other large buildings will follow their lead:

Empire State Building, the tallest building in New York, and referred to as one of the wonders of the modern world, will buy 100% wind power from Texas-based Green Mountain Energy Company. According to the AIA (American Institute of Architects), the Empire State Building is the first on the List of America’s Favorite Architecture.

“It was a natural fit for us to combine 100% clean energy with our nearly completed, groundbreaking energy efficiency retrofit work,” Anthony E. Malkin, president of Malkin Holdings, which runs the building, said in an announcement. This way, the energy consumption is reduced and more customers are attracted by the low prices.

To read full article go to:   http://www.greenoptimistic.com/2011/01/11/empire-state-building-wind-energy/