Wal-Mart offered sunny news yesterday for the California renewable energy market.

The store chain announced for Earth Day that it will double the size of its solar-power initiative in the next 18 months by putting rooftop solar arrays on 10 to 20 stores and distribution centers in California. Earlier this month solar setups neared completion atop 18 Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores and two warehouses in California and Hawaii to provide 20 to 30 percent of each location’s total electric energy needs.

Gov. Arnold  took a tour of one rooftop solar installation at the Glendora Sam’s Club. Corporate projects like this are key to helping California attain its goal of getting 33% of its power from renewable resources by 2020.

Turning pond scum into biofuels is fast becoming a new revenue stream for weary catfish farmers whose catch has dried up. PetroSun BioFuels is offering royalties for the algae that once used to be a nuisance for Mississippi pond owners.

“Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that I would be doing this,” said one man who for decades has operated the Mississippi Delta fish farm in Belzoni, the Catfish Capital of the World.

“Algae-to-biofuels has a real chance to be successful and generate significant income for these farms,” says Andy Whittington. 

(Cool AP story via MSNBC)

Can a data center heat your home or office? It can in London, where excess heat from servers at the new Telehouse West data center in the Docklands will soon be used in nearby houses and businesses. The Greater London Authority has approved a plan in which waste heat from the $180 million Telehouse colocation facility will be used in a district heat network for the local Docklands community.

It will join the list of data centers in recent months that are utilizing excess heat for good, like the Swiss center built by IBM that heats the community swimming pool and a Notre Dame researcher who helped heat the plants in a greenhouse and Botanical Garden in South Bend, Ind. by placing a server rack in the building. (Humidity issues and airborn  particulates so far do not seem to be a problem.)

In a win-win-win, everyone saves money and while less greenhouse gases are released thanks to the reduced power requirements all the way around.

(Data Center Knowledge)

Hat tip to Nic B. for the link! 

Oregon’s largest dairy will test a new generation of technology that captures methane from cow manure — tapping an underused energy source and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

The $1 million methane digester is being constructed to show that even small farms could save the expense of trucking heavy manure to a central facility. Instead, they could have their own digesters and pipe excess gas to a collection spot.

(Read the AP story via MSNBC)

(Illinois dairy farm, photo by David Nolan)

Tuesday, April 21st is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s!

As a way to thank customers for their support and to celebrate 31 years of scooping the chunkiest, funkiest ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet, Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops are happily giving it away.

Maybe it’s time for you to try a new flavor without commiting your hard earned dollars or it’s time for you to savor an old favorite and take in the joy that is free ice cream.

Around the world, from noon to 8:00 pm, Ben & Jerry’s will serve up a free scoop of any flavor. Locate a participating shop here.

Grab a pal and come on down to have some good, ’scream fun on us!