We’ve already learned about immersion Arabic in a solar Bedouin village in Israel. Here’s another eco-tourism stop: located in the Negev, just south of Sde Boker, the Chan HaShayarot provides guests with a true Bedouin experience including camel rides, Bedouin food, and the option of sleeping in a Bedouin tent.

The Chan, which is a popular stop for Israelis, foreigners, and tour groups, is now working with water management company Triple T, to improve the process of disposing its waste water in a way that is less energy intensive, durable in the arid Negev climate, and able to recycle waste water to irrigate a nearby olive orchard that is currently irrigated with potable water.

Speaking with Tal of Triple T, I found that the company has several water treatment projects completed in the Negev. Tal explained how Triple T’s technology essentially creates a wetland that uses natural algae and a layer of biofilm to reduce microorganisms in the water.

This wetland process is sped up by a system involving two water basins (roughly 12 feet deep) that sift water back and forth 12 times per day, in order to constantly oxygenate the water and filter at a faster rate.

Water from the showers goes straight to the first basin and toilet water first has its solid wastes removed through a gravel filtration system. The water is sifted between the two basins for 3 days, and then the water is not pure, but it is at a level of cleanliness that the ministry of health has deemed acceptable for irrigating crops that do not grow in or directly on the soil.

The Chan’s new water system has several environmental benefits:

First, It cleans the wastewater enough so that it does not damage the surrounding ecosystem. Additionally it allows for crops to be irrigated by reusing wastewater, and with triple T’s technology the goal is to reduce electricity and maintenance by keeping the process as natural as possible.

Dust buster

In the Negev, dust is always an issue that inhibits green technology, whether solar panels or water systems, and Tal said that it is still one of the main aspects that the company works to improve upon.

Corresponding with their technicians in the United States, Triple T is constructing a covering that will keep the water system protected from the dust.

Although the Chan HaShayarot aims to give guests an escape into the desert and experience a Bedoiun lifestyle, it is nice to see that new water technology is being used to reduce environmental damage. The Chan hopes for the success of the new water treatment system that will be completed in the next few weeks, and to continue its environmental programs like Negev nature tours and biking tours.

There are numerous start-up companies in Israel today, but finding investors to fund the new technology is often a challenge. In the field of Greentech, Terra Venture Partners (TVC) has made it their objective to fund and invest in promising seed and early-stage start-ups led by top entrepreneurs in energy, water and other environmental sectors.

Catching up with TVP’s General Partner Astorre Modena, Modena explained some of the unique aspects of the firm and what they have accomplished since their founding in 2007.

TVP currently invests in four companies: Phoebus Energy, IQWind, Biological Alarm Systems, and LithiumForce.

Modena reported that these companies are not only companies that they have supplied capital to, but rather three of the four are companies that they provided the initial investment and have actively advised them on improving their business and attracting other investors.

Because TVP invests in companies at the early stages, they place high value on a company’s technological innovation and leadership, so that the product is solid and the company will have the ability to prosper under TVP’s management.

Founders Astorre Modena and Harold Wiener both come from business and clean technology backgrounds, and they know the field of alternative energy very well. Right now, Modena said that they are close to making deals with three other cleantech companies, and the firm’s goal is to eventually expand to around 12 companies under their management. Also exciting news is that both Phoebus Energy and IQWind recently received additional investments from international firms.

With 25 million dollars under their management, TVP gets its capital mostly from Europe and the US, and they invest anywhere from 100,000 to 2 million dollars into start-up Israeli clean tech companies. Modena reported that the main challenge in Israel is the lack of capital. For a company to become established, there is often insufficient money available and in many cases the entrepreneurs are less experienced than in hightech which makes the active role of early-stage VCs much more critical.

As Terra Venture Partners expands, they hope to continue improving clean technology companies that have high levels of leadership and innovation. With clean technology, innovation is key, but without a solid business model, strong execution or proper funding, a genius idea may never come to fruition and be able to help the world.

“In Jewish tradition, if someone has a coin, half will be used to buy bread and the other half for a flower. The gesture of giving a flower is nice, and soon we hope to provide many flowers in a variety of colors,” announced Haim Dotan, the architect of AORA’s new “Power Flower” at Kibbutz Samar.

On June 24, AORA Solar had its Kibbutz Samar Launch Event, to show off “flowery” new technology that generates 100kW of electrical power and 170kW of thermal power.

With an audience of around 250 journalists, investors, scientists, and curious individuals from around the world, the AORA team showed off their site and later signed agreements with Spanish and Australian firms to start introducing their technology outside of Israel.

AORA boasts that they have developed the world’s first commercial hybrid solarized gas-turbine power station, capable of producing green power 24/7. The hybrid nature of the system allows power to be generated around the clock, by operating on “Solar-only mode” during hours of sunlight, and “hybrid mode” using fuel to generate energy during hours of limited sunlight.

To make the system even cleaner, the objective is to use biofuels to power the hybrid mode.

Using a system of highly reflective mirrors called heliostats that move according to the position of the sun, heat is concentrated at 1000 degrees Celsius inside the flower part of the structure.

Elevated 30 meters above the ground, the tulip shaped flower has petals and contains a solarized micro gas turbine within. AORA’s flower structure and 30 heliostat mirrors are only able to supply 100 kW of power to the national grid (enough to sustain approximately 70 homes), but the system does have a number of advantages because of this.

Since the structure operates on a smaller scale, new plants can be erected in just a few months, allowing energy to be generated at a site quickly and with reduced contracting costs. The required land is only half an acre, so the system will be able to power smaller villages, and for larger projects more flowers and heliostats can be added quickly and independently of the original structure.

Part of the Aora’s goal is to generate solar power for smaller communities that can use the power in their daily lives and will be able to have an attractive symbol of sustainability in their community as a source of pride.

Visually, the flower is quite a site as it stands 30 meters tall in vibrant orange, and resembles a large tulip. Architect Haim Dotan said that one of the challenges, but also one of the beautiful things will be adapting the flower design to different places around the world. According to the climates, resources, and cultures of the various places where AORA hopes to build structures, each flower will likely require different materials, colors, and design adjustments.

AORA’s launch event was well attended and should generate more buzz about their product. While the heliostat technology has been a popular concept, AORA seems to be developing a niche for smaller scale projects, and for bringing creativity and art to the field of clean energy.

The AORA team, led by CEO Haim Fried, wants to be part of the movement to make the Negev the “Sun Valley” of the world, where new innovation is always emerging, and environmental ethics are ever present in the schools and in the community.

As David Ben Gurion’s dream was to make the Negev Desert bloom and populated with Israeli towns and cities, AORA’s Power Flower will help this happen in green and artistic fashion.

Algae biofuel is now being developed as a source of energy for the future, but really algae has been fueling society for a long time. When looking at the components of coal, oil, and natural gas that power our world today, they are all originally comprised of organic materials such as algae. As we currently aim to shift away from fossil fuels because of their non-renewable nature and significant contribution to global warming, we may be going back to using one of fossil fuels’ original organic components.

In an interview Dr. Michael Kagan, a long time environmental researcher and founder of the algae development company Algaenesis, I was introduced to the beneficial uses of algae that make it vital to human and animal life and how Algaenesis has developed a new system of growing it.

The beauty of algae is that it does not have to be grown in fresh water. In fresh, brackish, or salt water Algae grows by photosynthesizes producing a range of products including oils that can be refined into fuel, powerful antioxidants and vitamins, Omega 3 and Omega 6, and there’s even one species that grows octane fuel. Algae should be more integrated into human and animal diets because it has tremendous health properties, and if more accessible, it could feed animals and provide more food in poor areas of the world.

Dr. Kagan explained that researchers have dreamed of algae being widely used to feed the world for 40 to 50 years, but it is difficult to grow, especially inexpensively and in large quantity. Scientists have tried to grow algae in raceway shaped ponds and in vertical tanks called bioreactors, but both systems have experienced setbacks.

Algae ponds have enough volume to grow a significant quantity, but yield has been limited due to insufficient sunlight reaching the lower algae. Algae need sunlight, along with CO2 and water, but indirect sunlight is best for them. Algae ponds have only been able to produce 10-15 grams per square meter per day, because only the thin layer of algae, slightly below the surface, is able to receive proper sunlight. Algae that are deeper than that are sunblocked and do not receive enough light while the surface algae receive too much direct light.

The alternative to an algae pond is a large vertical bioreactor. This method is very expensive due to the cost of building the glass or plastic reactors, as well as the energy cost involved in stirring, and is much less environmentally friendly. Deoxygenating the bioreactor from the algae’s O2 creation is also a difficult process that is necessary because oxygen is like a poison to the algae. Bioreactors are also limited in their size, but the efficiency is a bit higher as they can grow 50-75 grams per square meter per day.

Algaenesis have developed a new method of growing algae that can currently grow up to 150 grams per square meter per day, and also has economic and environmental benefits. Algaenesis technology grows algae in a pond, but enables algae at a depth of up to one meter to obtain proper sunlight and high growth. Their device plus a proprietary low energy pump that rapidly circulates the algae in and out of the light regions have together broken through what Kagan calls the “Light Barrier” to efficient algae growth. The process uses brackish water, inexpensive materials, and low energy.

Improving Algae growing efficiency

Kagan summarized their technology that was invented by Yochanan Zweig as, “The sophisticated devices are cheap to produce, can be put into ponds with algae swimming between them, and are able to distribute 95 percent of the light from the surface into the volume at all times of the day.”

Algaenesis’s goal is to continue improving the technology’s efficiency, but they are now at a strong point and will soon begin building a pilot plant. In terms of the algae’s use, the first objective is to use it for pharmaceuticals, and as the technology and efficiency increase to become more economical, it will eventually be used for fish foods, and even biofuel.

When I asked Kagan if algae would be the main biofuel of the future, he laughed a little and said, “I don’t think so. Algae will hopefully be a huge contributor to feeding the world as a food source, but in terms of biofuel it cannot be the only source. Algae biofuel does have great potential, but the hope for the future is that green energy will be much more ‘democratic’. Algae should be a solid contributor to the myriad of biofuels, photovoltaics, wind, geothermal and hydro energies that will hopefully power our world in the future.”

Algae have been vital to life on earth and can have an expanded role in the near future. Algaenesis has developed a new technology that it hopes will bring algae growth to a new level and make the growing process more environmental and economical.
In addition to Michael Kagan’s work on Algaenesis and other cleantechs like BrightSource (Luz II), he has started the Jewish Climate Initiative, which focuses on using ancient wisdom buried in our faith traditions, and relating it to the current economic and environmental challenges facing us today.

[image via Lee Nachtigal]

Strolling through the Nachalat Binyamin artist market in Tel Aviv, there are signs of recycling and eco friendly design all around. Old glass bottles are turned into clocks, kitchen objects are converted into sculptures, and recycled paper becomes creative stationary.

These are just a few of the creations that fill the artist market that runs for several blocks on Tuesdays and Fridays next to the Carmel Market.

Passing by a shaded booth filled with colorful baskets, picture frames, pencil holders, lampshades, and many creative designs, I noticed that everything was made from newspaper.

Appreciating the artist’s ability to turn old newspapers into nice artwork, I was curious to find out more about the artist and her eco friendly approach.

Desy (pictured above), has been making newspaper art for the past ten years, and has been coming to the artist market in Tel Aviv every week for the last several years.

Since many people have old newspapers around that they are trying to get rid of, Desy started to collect the newspaper and perfect her trade of rolling the papers up, weaving them together into handy items, and varnishing them with bright colors.

When I asked her where she got all of the newspapers she replied, “my neighbors know that I make art with the old newspapers and they come by and give them to me.”

Desy doesn’t just use any newspaper to make her crafts, she told me that, “I try to only use the good news in my work, so that each piece is filled with good.”

A number of young and green Israeli designers got their head start at the market (see website in Hebrew). Among them are Amit Brilliant’s recycled wallets, and Guy Lougashi’s basketware.

Hot for recycled design? Read on:

Newspaper un-Litter 

Reuse It or Lose It: How to Paper-Mache 

Cellulosic ethanol has often been viewed as the class of ethanol with the most promise, as it converts agriculture and forestry wastes, city sewage treatment wastes, and free growing and specially grown grasses, into usable fuel.

While cellulosic ethanol has the advantage of using a variety of materials that would otherwise be waste products, the limiting factors in the industry have been high costs, low conversion yields, and environmentally damaging practices such as excessive water and Hydrochloric acid use.

Israel’s HCL CleanTech has set out to counter the major issues that the cellulosic ethanol industry is dealing with, through its new method of cellulosic ethanol production that centers around a 97 percent conversion rate from biowaste into biofuel, significantly less the HCL and water use, along with a significantly cheaper production cost.

HCL CleanTech revolves around its new technological development that recycles 42% of the HCL it uses throughout the process of converting bio-waste into bio-fuel.

The HCL CleanTech scientists developed a cheaper route to separate and recycle HCL, by devising a proprietary solvent that attracts hydrochloric acid.

They mixed this solvent with the HCL-water solution, and found that the solvent broke the HCL-water bond and extracted HCL from the water solution, then developed a method to get the solvent to release HCL as a gas, pumping it back into the system to break down more cellulose.

Recycling HCL is very beneficial because HCL can be an environmentally detrimental waste product, and is also one of the biggest expenses for cellulosic ethanol companies.

CEO Eran Baniel reported, “The really innovative aspect of what we do is the recovery of the acid, which costs only 10 percent of what it used to cost.”

Another favorable attribute is that HCL CleanTech uses a stronger form of HCL that converts 97% of the bio-waste into bio-fuel. A diluted form of HCl used by other companies, does not convert bio-waste nearly as efficiently, which results in less bio-fuel produced and more waste that needs to be removed from the system.

With two experienced Hebrew University Professors, Avraham Baniel and Avi Eyal, working alongside CEO Eran Baniel, the company seems to be off to a solid start since its founding in 2007.

The unique company attracted interest from a number of companies in the United States, and recently HCL CleanTech received $5.5 million in venture capital from clean-energy investors Khosla Ventures and Burrill and Company to build a pilot plant in the United States.

The notion of turning organic waste into something like fuel is very appealing, but a number of companies around the world are also working to do this, and with ethanol the big questions are always:

• Will there be enough quantity produced?
• Will it be economic feasible to produce and consume?
• Will the process as a whole actually be environmentally friendly?

Ethanol has faced criticism of late (even by Muslim leaders who consider it in principle the same as drinking alcohol, forbidden by Islam) , but it still seems as though if done correctly, the fuel could be a great alternative to petroleum. HCL CleanTech has a new method of production and seems to be tackling some of the major issues in the ethanol field with its unique approach.

::Beta Technology Review

::HCL Cleantech website

The desalination of water will be expanding in Israel in order to cope with the current water shortage, according to Globes.

Last week, the Ministry of Finance signed an agreement for financing the expansion of the Hadera desalination plant by 27 million cubic meters per year. Not only will the plant be producing 127 million cubic meters of fresh water per year after the expansion, but the consumer purchasing price of the desalinated water will be the cheapest fixed price to date.

This expansion is part of a government initiative to expand the plants in Ashkelon, Palmachim, and Hadera by a total of 57 million cubic meters per year. The project is estimated to cost around a half billion NIS, and will be the largest ever infrastructure project funded by the European Investment Bank in Israel.

With a consumer purchase price established at NIS 2.6 per cubic meter, the state has made a commitment to purchase the desalinated water from the plants until 2027. The plants are operated by three separate companies: The Hadera installation is operated by H2ID, VID operates the plant in Ashkelon, and Via Maris runs the plant in Palmachim. In the coming months, it is hopeful that Israeli desalination of water will improve in quality, quantity, and economically as this method of obtaining water could be highly useful in Israel and in other water scarce areas of the world.

JGooders is off to a fast start, as hundreds of Non Profit Organizations have signed up and started to raise money and awareness through the website. According to Tova Serkin, JGooders’ chief business officer, the website is a great way for young adults and people of all ages to get involved in community service and Israeli social action programs. Not only is the website convenient for those looking to contribute through service work and donations, it is also a nice way for NPOs to collaborate, fundraise, and promote their causes and upcoming events.

Turning to their environmental focus, Tova said that environmental organizations were a solid portion of the NPOs involved with the website. So far, around 25 organizations have been promoting environmental causes in Israel and the United States.

Some of the main environmental organizations collaborating with JGooders have been Sviva Israel, the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership, and Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Through the website, these organizations have been collecting donations and promoting their projects to a wider portion of the Jewish community.

Some of the interesting projects listed are Kishorit’s Organic Goat Farm, where the goal is to employ 23 Jews and Arabs with special needs, and use environmental practices to produce organic goat cheeses. The objective is to sell the cheeses to a high-end market, and to increase the size of the organic dairy herd by over 300% over the next five years.

The organization Canfei Nesharim from California has several projects underway that bring environmental education and service projects to North American Jewish communities.

One project focuses on bringing more environmental education and service projects to Jewish Day schools. The other works on bringing environmental awareness and action to Synagogues, and particularly more observant synagogues, where environmental and green practices are often lacking.

In addition to being a forum for Non Profit organizations, JGooders has some of its own special programs. This year, JGooders launched a 2009 Tu BiShvat Vote For The Environment Campaign.

Since Tu BiShvat was the day before Israeli elections, the program allowed people to vote for their favorite environmental organization on the website.

The organization Sviva Israel won and received a bonus prize of 500 dollars from JGooders. Also during the voting campaign, people were given extra incentives to make donations, as the organization that received the highest donations would get an additional 1000 dollars. The organization Tzar Ba’al L’haim claimed the prize in this category.

With the simple platform of encouraging Jews to do Tikkun Olam, JGooders.com is working hard to make opportunities more available and better funded. They look forward to expanding their role to include more volunteers, donors, and NPOs, and ultimately helping many others Do Good.

::JGooders.com

Coming to Israel for the first time is now becoming more environmentally friendly. Not only does Taglit-Birthright still offer a free 10-day trip for Jewish 18 to 26 year olds, but now each trip incorporates at least one environmental awareness aspect, and some newer tracks are even environmentally centered.

Taglit Birthright Israel first started in 1999 as a way to bring young Diaspora Jews to Israel for the first time. Generous and passionate Zionist donors have made large contributions to fund an amazing 10-day adventure, completely free of charge for participants.

Since the program’s inception, more than 200,000 participants from 52 countries have come on the program to experience Israel and examine their Jewish identity.

Taglit Birthright providers have made a solid effort to promote environmentalism by incorporate hiking in Israel’s north and south and education about issues of water shortage and sustainable agricultural on all of the trips.

Birthright is now taking the next step by bringing groups to solar and wind power centers, recycling plastic bottles, and finding ways to use the tour bus less.

The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) has partnered with Birthright to offer a trip centered on environmental advocacy. In addition to visiting the Kotel, Masada, Rabin Square and some of the other major landmarks in Israel, this Birthright track incorporates urban environmental service work and education, and also includes an extensive outdoors focus.

Israel By Bike was created by Avi Green, a 25-year-old entrepreneur from Chicago. This new program still incorporates touring Israel’s main sites, but the transportation is done on a bicycle. What better way is there to see Israel for the first time, then bicycling through the land with 40 students? Additionally, the group learns about Israel’s environmental condition and participates in other outdoor activities like repelling and hiking.

Other Birthright groups that don’t have Eco in their title are boasting greener methods of running the program. Providers like Mayanot, have made the registration process paperless, and have incorporated recycling bottles, planting trees, and Israeli site cleanups into their action packed trip.

Having recently staffed a trip for the provider Young Judaea, environmental awareness was not an issue strongly addressed at the beginning of the program, but the trip actually made a solid effort to be eco friendly. The group limited use of the tour bus by walking whenever possible; participants were challenged by 3 hikes filled with environmental education; and there was a tour of the Israeli solar power company Solel’s test site in Sde Boker.

Bringing Jewish young adults to Israel for the first time for free is amazing on many levels. The program has developed a reputation for introducing participants to their future spouses, and has even inspired Aliyah.

With the important “isms” that Taglit Birthright promotes, such as Zionism and Judaism, it is great to see the evolving focus on environmentalism.

Time to sign up for your free trip. See the Taglit website. And if you are into food, check out Hazon’s food tour of Israel this November.

When it comes to transportation around Tel Aviv, there are a number of alternatives to driving a car. For longer commutes, riding public transportation with Dan or Egged buses helps reduce the amount of pollution.

For shorter commutes, there is the option of going by foot or the ever-popular bicycle.

While the bicycle provides a great combination of health benefits, quick travel, and produces zero emissions, a new method of transportation is becoming popular for both Tel Aviv youth and elderly.

FreeGo electric scooters are becoming more prevalent around Tel Aviv today.

The scooters are powered by electricity and are able to travel up to 20 kilometers before requiring a 5 hour charge.

While using no electricity is more sustainable, FreeGo scooters get solid mileage on a single electric charge and are a fun alternative form of transportation for all ages.

An employee at the FreeGo store on Arlozoroff Street told Green Prophet that the main consumers of the scooters are teenagers and young adults, but a surprising number of elderly are also starting to buy FreeGo scooters.

The younger generation can enjoy the sporty two-wheeled scooters that go up to 35Km/hour and they cannot receive driving tickets for. For the older generations, there are models with seats that are stabilized by three wheels, and have a compartment for transporting goods.

Upon asking an employee at FreeGo about the scooters from an environmental perspective, he said that FreeGo frequents green conventions in Tel Aviv and certainly values contributing a cleaner method of transportation around the city.

If FreeGo scooters can’t give you enough speed, consider an electric road bike, the Zero S.

::FreeGo