I spotted this story in USAToday about a new way of getting lots of solar photovoltaic panels onto a lot of roofs without folks having to shell out big bucks up front. Great use of the available space, and so far, it looks like everyone wins.

Check out this article about the German solar industry and how they want to invest 5.5 billion Euros over the next two years, but only under certain conditions. Solar, in most parts of the world, continues to rely on government subsidies to be a viable business. Without that, it goes nowhere. I'll keep my eye on the brains at MIT. They'll probably figure out how to get it done without the handouts.

Casey Jones, you better watch your speed. How about this? The world's first solar train. It's an amazing achievement, but note how it wouldn't have happened without bucks from the Belgium government.

Here's another example of engineers at a fine American university churning out ideas that just boggle my feeble brain. Check it out at this link. Waste not, want not.

Marianne and I stop in Atlantic City now and then and the wind turbines that spin at the main road into the city always catch my eye. I think wind turbines are pretty and whimsical. When I read this story, I saw that others agree with me, and in a way that now makes me want to make another trip to that wacky place. We'll be sure to hold our noses.

Check out the figures in this article. I've mentioned this before and it keeps coming up. The military is going to be driving much of the innovation that we'll see in the near future when it comes to energy efficiency. For them, it's a matter of life and death, and this is going to be huge business for some people. Stay tuned.

I've mentioned this proposal in the past, but not in a while and it's heating up again (no pun intended). What does it take to build a bio-based, district-heating system in a classic New England town, and why do some folks object to the idea? Read all about it here.

Some day, if I live right and study hard, I may, just may, be able to see the pure poetry of engineering as my dear Canadian friend, Robert Bean does. Here, sit back and bask in the gorgeous glow of this. Robert, the force is with you.

Marianne and I will be in Kingston, NY on July 20 with a Dead Men's Steam Night School. Hope to see you there!

Hug your kids.