The recent fatal crash has alerted the government authorities to install Luna solar road markers on the Pacora River Bridge. On 24 August 2009, at least 24 people died and 15 people were injured on the outskirts of Panama City. It is said that high speeds on a poorly lighted segment of road may have been responsible for it. The president of Panama said "I have never in my life seen anything like this".

Luna has given priority for existing markers meant for another project to be installed at this location. Previously markers have also been installed in Cintra Costera.  Stay tuned as we update you when the project is completed. Click here for CNN coverage.

Located in Singapore polytechnic, Singapore's first electric vehicle (EV) charging station is able to generate an average of 3.15kWh/day (enough to charge 4 scooters). Built by Zeco Systems, it expands the currently 4 Greenlots to 5, where the first 4 were tapped into the main power grid. So far Zeco has sold 3 scooters(~$8,000 each), certainly a 'chicken-and-egg' problem for them, because if there are not sufficient or conveniently located charging stations, no one will be buying the scooters. Without the supporting infrastructure, it will be difficult to deploy such vehicles, just like the 4,200 CNG (compressed natural gas) vehicles here supported by 4 re-filling stations, or fuel cell vehicles.

But I feel EV-hybrid vehicles should take off in Singapore, EV charging stations are easier and more economical to build compared to CNG or hydrogen stations. Expect more of these when the new Sentosa opens fully! ;) And probably in time to come, condominium owners will be charging their vehicles overnight at their carpark lots. Towards the Singapore Green Plan 2012!

Vast majority of Chile's power is provided by natural gas, with only 2.4% being supplied by clean sources (hydro). In 2004, Argentina began reducing natural gas exports to Chile, and the country has been forced to increasingly rely on coal and diesel powered generation. Currently, the country has a 20MW wind farm, and is completing it's largest 46MW wind farm. An Irish company has inked a $1 billion deal to develop a 35MW to be completed in 2010, and Chile is announcing more plans to develop up to 850MW.

The Atacama Desert in Chile's extreme north could be a potential green hotspot as 350MW solar farms have been planned in 2 projects. Indications have shown Chile has the potential to produce 44,000MW of wind power and 37,000MW of solar energy.

Way to go for the region's strongest and most stable economy with robust GDP growth and some $23.5 billion in foreign currency reserves.

In light of these, Luna lights have been installed at Vitacurra located in Santiago Province in its efforts in going green. See video below and project photos here

It was a pleasant morning for me as I watched live telecast of the solar eclipse that took place in China. Certainly the Universe's nature beauty at its best!

You can watch a compilation of short clips from Sky News UK, Star News, CCTV, CNN below.

Thumbs up for Tuvalu, the 4^th smallest country in the world at just 26 km² vowed Sunday to do its part for climate change by fueling its economy entirely from renewable sources by 2020. The South Pacific nation of 12,000 people is part of a movement of countries and cities committed to going climate neutral.

Tuvalu hopes to replace the fossil fuels that it imports by ship with solar energy and wind power, a project that it expects will cost $20 million. Tuvalu already releases almost no greenhouse gases. But because of climate change, many South Pacific islands see worsening flooding amid predictions of a large sea level rise this century.

So far, Tuvalu has installed a 40 kilowatt solar energy system with the help of two members of the e8, an international nonprofit organization of 10 leading power utilities from G8 countries. The Tuvalu government is working to expand the initial $410,000 project from 40 to 60 kilowatts, and will extend solar power to outer islands, starting later this year with the commission of a $800,000, 46 kilowatt solar power system for a secondary school. The Italian government is supporting the project.

"We thank those who are helping Tuvalu reduce its carbon footprint as it will strengthen our voice in those international negotiations," Public Utilities and Industries Minister Kausea Natano said in a statement. "And we look forward to the day when our nation offers an example to all -- powered entirely by natural resources such as the sun and the wind."

Where can you placed solar panels on a bicycle? This company placed it on the tires! Weighing 17 pounds (~7.7kg), it can achieve 18 miles/hr (~29 km/hr). Read more here.

Singapore energy research gets a boost of almost $300 million in the set-up of the Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N).

Read more about it here, and official website.

Collaborated between Hemispheres Foundation and Singapore Polytechnic, the carbon footprint calculator was launched at the Singapore Science Centre in conjunction with the "Actions for Earth Carbon Footprint Challenge". More than 800 students pledged to reduce carbon emission through a change in their lifestyle. Visit www.mycarbonfootprint.sg now.

Source: Today | 1 Jun 2009

These 6 lanes of Cinta Costera in Panama will soon be lighted up by Luna Road Lights! Watch out for it and we will update you again when its completed. More photos here.

The new LR0GC02 solar module (polycrystalline) has a dimension of 67.5 x 41.0 x 0.8mm (l x b x t) yields a maximum power of 300mW

Sharp's Press Release | 26 May 09