Open Source Green Building; Biofuels green credentials; Cornell Silo House; smart cdi clinches MPG Marathon; Greece’s new energy incentives

Google SketchUp Plus Energy Data = Open Source Green Building Software engineers at the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory launched this week an update of their plug-in for SketchUp, Google’s open-source 3D building modeling tool.

UN cautions over biofuels green credentials The use of biofuels as a source of clean energy may lead to higher carbon emissions, but can also yield significant cuts if production is properly managed, the UN Environment Programme said Friday. As such, governments should assess energy needs, effects on climate, land and water use as well as agriculture if biofuel projects are to be beneficial.

Solar Decathalon: Cornell Silo House With only 800 sq feet of space, the Silo House is a unique arrangement of circular and orthogonal elements, giving a nod to the upstate New York architectural vernacular that surrounds it. The house is primarily composed of three cylindrical “living” modules – bedroom, kitchen and living room – which are positioned around a central square courtyard, shaded and powered by canopy of 40 photovoltaic panels able to produce 8 kilowatts of power.

smart cdi clinches MPG Marathon with 80.61 mpg The 2009 edition of the ALD World MPG Marathon was held a couple weeks ago and this year’s winner gained a result unseen in the contest’s seven-year history: 80.61 mpg U.S.

Greece’s new incentives plan for clean energy Greece’s new socialist government said on Sunday it will unveil a new law next month to boost renewable energy production and unblock stalled projects with a capacity of more than 7,000 megawatts.