google has announced that they will attempt to power 1/3 of their campus with a huge solar panel array:

9,200 solar panels will be placed on six buildings at its Mountain View headquarters by next spring

this will produce up to 1.6 megawatts of electricity - enough to supply 30 percent of the campus' electricity on a hot summer day

a company spokesman said that concern about the environment as well as the rising price of electricity motivated the company to go solar

company spokesman also made the comment: "'If we can dispel the myth along the way that you can't be green and profitable at the same time, that's another benefit.'

The company has also installed motion sensors in rooms to turn lights on and off; serves only organic foods in its cafeterias and provides a commuter shuttle that removes hundreds of cars from the road each day

http://www.altenergystocks.com

Here is a link to a web tool which guides you through a do-it-yourself home energy audit. Developed by the Environmental Energy Technologies Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the tool draws in large-scale data about home energy usage to compare your home's energy usage with that of the homes around you.

To start, goto this site: http://hes.lbl.gov/

Here is a sample:

Water heating is the third largest energy expense in your home. It typically accounts for about 13% of your utility bill. There are four ways to cut your water heating bills: use less hot water, turn down the thermostat on your water heater, insulate your water heater, or buy a new, more efficient water heater. Water Heating Tips Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads. Repair leaky faucets promptly; a leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period of time. Lower the thermostat on your water heater; water heaters sometimes come from the factory with high temperature settings, but a setting of 120°F provides comfortable hot water for most uses. Take more showers than baths. Bathing uses the most hot water in the average household. Insulate your electric hot-water storage tank, but be careful not to cover the thermostat. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Insulate your natural gas or oil hot-water storage tank, but be careful not to cover the water heater's top, bottom, thermostat, or burner compartment. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations; when in doubt, get professional help. Insulate the first 6 feet of the hot and cold water pipes connected to the water heater. If you are in the market for a new dishwasher or clothes washer, consider buying an efficient, water-saving ENERGY STAR model to reduce hot water use. See Appliances for more information. Install heat traps on the hot and cold pipes at the water heater to prevent heat loss. Some new water heaters have built-in heat traps. Drain a quart of water from your water tank every 3 months to remove sediment that impedes heat transfer and lowers the efficiency of your heater. The type of water tank you have determines the steps to take, so follow the manufacturer's advice. Although most water heaters last 10-15 years, it's best to start shopping for a new one if yours is more than 7 years old. Doing some research before your heater fails will enable you to select one that most appropriately meets your needs. $ Long-Term Savings Tip: Buy a new energy-efficient water heater. While it may cost more initially than a standard water heater, the energy savings will continue during the lifetime of the appliance. Look for the EnergyGuide label. $ Long-Term Savings Tip: Consider installing a drain water waste heat recovery system. A recent DOE study showed energy savings of 25% to about 30% for water heating using such a system. $ Long-Term Savings Tip: Consider natural-gas on-demand or tankless water heaters. Researchers have found savings can be up to 30% compared with a standard natural-gas storage tank water heater. $ Long-Term Savings Tip: Heat pump water heaters are very economical in some areas. Solar Water Heaters If you heat water with electricity, have high electric rates, and have an unshaded, south-facing location (such as a roof) on your property, consider installing a solar water heater. The solar units are environmentally friendly and can now be installed on your roof to blend with the architecture of your house. More than 1.5 million homes and businesses in the United States have invested in solar water heating systems, and surveys indicate over 94% of these customers consider the systems a good investment. Solar water heating systems are also good for the environment. Solar water heaters avoid the harmful greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity production. During a 20-year period, one solar water heater can avoid over 50 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. When shopping for a solar water heater, look for systems certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation or the Florida Solar Energy Center. $ Long-Term Savings Tip: Visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy Web site to see if you might qualify for tax credits or rebates for buying a solar water heater.

We have been researching alternative energy investment plays and have added several stocks to our portfolio. Here we present a model portfolio and a watch list of stocks and mutual funds which we may invest in later.

We are looking for many alternative energy stocks to rise with the sea change in energy prices. Although all green stocks have done well recently, we are beginning to see some outfits remain interesting and others to not have much future. Beware so-called "green" investments. Look at what the companies actually want to do and use your own knowledge of alternative energy to do a sanity test.

Disclaimer: We are not investment professionals and actually have a not-so-good record in stock investments over the past ten years. You must do your own research and make your own investment decisions. We do not recommend or not recommend buying any of these holdings with real money.

Please send stock tips or other comments through the feedback form on the upper right of this page.

Current Portfolio, Autumn 2006 updated 10/13/06

IHDR.OB - Internal Hydro International, Inc.
Web Site: http://www.internalhydro.com
This holding breaks our normal rule against penny stocks. This company is trying to bring to market a small self-contained hydro power generator. We believe that there is a market for such a product and a company that is able to build and sell a hydro generator that can safely and reliably be place on any water energy source as a turnkey unit will be valuable. I really wouldn't recommend buying this stock, but I like to fancy my purchase as capitolizing a good idea. I'm crazy like that.

ESLR - Evergreen Solar Inc.
Web Site: http://www.evergreensolar.com
Evergreen is all over solar cell manufacturing and is marketing cells, modules and systems. This is a conventional value buy and one of the better solar stocks. A good stock to filter in to your pertfolio now.

ALTI - Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc.
Web Site: http://www.altairinc.com
This company has some very interesting Lion battery and hydrogen generation technology that will probably pay well. I see no reason to not buy this stock now.

VLNC - Valence Technology, Inc.
Web Site: http://www.valence.com
First of all let me say by way of disclaimer that I want Saphion batteries for my electric boat so bad I can taste it. The pack of six would cost over $15k. As far as battery technology goes, this company is well placed. It has a product on the market now. The product addresses the main concern in Lion battery use which is safety. All of the promising EVs that have decent range use these batteries. This company could fly for a time until the advent of serious competition which could bring a lot of price pressure. Right now there is a captive audience.

ZP - ZAP
Web Site: http://www.zapworld.com
This little electric vehicle company may be poised for big things. They are testing the electric road motorcycle and car markets and they have a long-term network for sales and maintainance that might be able to pull something off. The Obvio car is just like that $100k electric sports car except at half the price. The chart is hard to read, but it seems like a reasonable buy. I can only think that early entrants into the serious electric car market will be rewarded at some point.

green investment - alternative energy stock - social responsiblity - energy fund - solar stock - Obvio - defense boom