Skip to main content

New Ideas for Energy in Houston


Some musing... Houston has an abundance of two things: humidity and sunshine... there ought to be a way to tap into that.

I wonder if anyone has thought to use the roof-tops for city property (including the top floor of the parking garages) for banks of solar panels... or making the various park-and-ride lots around the city both covered lots and using the roof area for solar energy generation.
Looking at a picture from Google Earth at downtown, there are plenty of spots that would provide acres of solar panels -- Bayou Place, Wortham Center and the George R. Brown stand out.

Another thing we have is lots of traffic -- what about vertical windmills placed strategically in and around our freeway systems that could recapture some of the energy lost in transportation to wind capture.
They could be both beautiful and utilitarian... and we certainly could use a different view along stretches of 59 South heading to Sugarland.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Recipe Friday: Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Cranberry Aioli

For the aioli: 1/2 cup dried cranberries 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 1 small garlic clove, coarsely chopped 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup lowfat plain yogurt 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon lemon zest Salt and freshly ground black pepper Place all the ingredients, except the salt and pepper, in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the aioli to a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to build the sandwiches. For the chicken: 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon zest 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh lemon thyme or thyme 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 focaccia rolls , split 1 cup finely chopped romaine lettuce 4 slices swiss cheese Wash & put the chicken in a resealable plastic bag. In a small bowl stir together chicken broth, lemon peel, lemon juice, 1 tabl

Just Desserts: Double Peanut Butter Bars

This recipe takes the simple peanut butter cookie and "raises the bar"... with three layers: Peanut Butter Cookie on the bottom Rich peanut butter icing in the middle Topped with a chocolate shell Delicious and decadent! For the cookie base: Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish. 1 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon dark molasses 1/2 cup creamy peanut buter 1/4 cup shortening 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 egg 1 1/4 cups flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Prepare peanut butter cookie dough (per normal recipe)  but do not refrigerate.  Instead, spread dough evenly on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 15-18 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  For the middle layer: 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1 tablespoon milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups powdered sugar In a small bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, milk, vanilla and powdered

Recipe Friday: Pecan-crusted Chicken with Gorgonzola Sauce

3 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1 teaspoon garlic powder Egg whites from 2 large eggs 1 cup crushed pecans 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves (about 6 oz. each) Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup whole milk 1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves, plus extra for garnish Preheat oven to 325°F. Use three shallow bowls or pie pans. In the first, mix flour, poultry seasoning and garlic powder. In the second, beat egg whites until frothy. Place pecans in the third. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Turn in flour to dust the breasts, then turn in egg whites, then press breasts into nuts on both sides. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet, over medium-high heat. When the oil has coated the pan, add the tablespoon of butter. When the butter is melted & golden brown, add the chicken. Brown on each side for about 2 minutes,then transfer the pan to the oven and finish cooking through (about