Solar Power: Traffic Lights
Solar Power: Traffic Lights
'Green' traffic lights are not a new idea. The move to LED traffic lights is already offering significant savings on both energy consumption and costs. Berlin already derives 100% of their electricity for traffic control from renewable sources. India has combined both these attributes into a single traffic system. South African's first solar powered traffic light intersection was unveiled a few years ago. The main benefit being that traffic flows will be free of disruption when inevitable power failures occur.
Some solar-powered traffic signals have been previously provided by private investors. Sometimes costs were defrayed by allowing limited advertising on the lights. Certainly one way of getting motorists attention, but not likely to improve road safety. But the extensive use of renewable sources to power traffic lights is still very limited.
True Meaning Of Green $
True Meaning Of Green $
A new generation of mean, green, marketing machine has been shifting attitudes towards electric cars. Most large automotive companies are still pouring money into electric vehicle development, and venture capitalists are still hot on their heels. Despite the epic financial recession, venture capital investment in green automotive technology keeps rising, and the biggest winners; smart automotive suppliers. But it isn't just about electric vehicles, it is also about time automotive companies started considering complete energy and manufacturing cycles.
The problems faced by the traditional automotive industry, particularly companies in the US, have been well documented. Maybe only to support a glorified lessons-learned system that will never see the light of day. But for many outside investors, now is "THE opportunity" to take a chunk of the market themselves by supporting new clean technologies. Those investors are perhaps supported by naive government initiatives to drive green solutions forward. This opinion based on recent investment decisions in the automotive industry. Governments are being urged to use their new-found power over the banks to pursue environmental goals. They should create a "green bank" to finance the building of energy infrastructures for a low-carbon economy. One idea to raise money; banks should issue green bonds. The borrowing could be specifically for low-carbon investment, and the bonds guaranteed by the governments, making them a sound bet for investors.
