Those who have already invested in solar energy or are considering making the green and clean switch are certainly interested in how to make it cost-effective and worthwhile. One way that owners can see a quicker return on their solar systems is by reimbursement of the energy produced from state or utility programs. Many people hear of a neighbor who “sells energy back to the utility company” and naturally become curious if it’s true and how that process might work.

Those who have installed solar already know that their new net-meter goes forward when energy from their utility company is used, and backward once their solar systems produce that energy. This offsetting effect lowers their utility bill or can practically eliminate it. But what if the solar system produces even more energy one month than the owners’ usage? Currently, a popular way solar system owners get the most from their panels is by net-metering, measuring energy production per month from the net-meter and any excess energy becomes an energy credit. Each utility company has their own policy on how to handle these credits. Sometimes they can be applied to the next month’s bill, and sometimes all the credits from the surplus energy are calculated at the end of the year to be reimbursed at a wholesale rate (per kW hour). If you’re curious about net-metering, check with your utility company on their own policies regarding surplus energy from a renewable source.

Net-metering is different from production-based incentives (PBIs), where homeowners can receive a payment based on how many kilowatt hours their system produces. For example, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities pays solar system owners as much as $0.675/kWh, around four times what homeowners are used to paying them for energy in their pre-solar days. Many PBIs are in place to help states or utility companies reach their Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which encourages a certain percentage (say 20%) of their energy to be from a clean, renewable source. Solar Energy Renewable Certificates (SRECs) are a way to measure clean energy production and these are awarded to homeowners and bought by electric suppliers in order to achieve these RPS requirements. Essentially, a system which supplies around 1,000 kWh/month of energy will earn a homeowner around $675 when the SRECs are purchased! Not all programs in place take the entire energy production- some may only calculate the SRECs based upon the surplus amount.
Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) are another PBI incentive for going solar. These programs offer a stable, long-term contract which typically guarantees payments for the total amount of electricity produced (not just the surplus) and access to the grid. A FIT program usually considers the cost of the investment compared to other renewable sources when determining the payout rates, meaning someone who spends more investing in solar PV panels would profit more than someone who paid less for wind power. The energy producers receive enough money over the time of their contract to cover the cost of their system, plus a reasonable profit. The main purpose of FITs is to encourage investment in the industry as well as decentralized energy production from diverse and renewable sources. Anyone willing to invest and generate energy can be eligible and help develop the industry with these 15-25 year contracts.

The Los Angeles City Council has just approved a FIT program where the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will buy electricity from local rooftop solar PV producers. The program is starting out modest for its pilot phase, offering 10 MW, but is expected to increase the program to 150 MW of energy, all to be contributed by Los Angeles residents and companies. Many hope the implementation of this program will prompt a state-wide FIT, which could not only encourage success of California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) Program, but create around 280,000 jobs over the next 10 years and add over $2 billion in additional tax revenue, according to a study at UC Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group.

“Instead of sending hard-earned LADWP customer payments out of the state to buy more dirty coal, we’re hiring Los Angeles workers and using the famed Los Angeles sun to help our businesses produce clean, affordable solar power for Angelenos across the city,” said Evan Gillespie, the campaign representative with the Sierra Club in Los Angeles.

To read up on the details of federal and state incentives for renewable energy, visit http://www.dsireusa.org/

(Image Courtesy of flickr.com)

No wall outlet required – just some cool new gadgets on the market that produce their own energy to help electronics defeat their batteries and keep your light bulbs powered. If you want to feel liberated from your plug-in outlet, check out some of these innovative products!

Solar Camera Strap

Any avid photographer is familiar with dead battery anxiety. The dread of your camera shutting down just as a potentially perfect shot unfolds before your lens. With this solar-powered camera strap, developed by designer Weng Jie, you can appreciate that essential peace of mind when taking photos as it simultaneously powers up your camera. It adopts thinner and more flexible solar cells, which are also more durable and efficient, across the width of the strap with storage batteries on the ends. There is a DC outlet which plugs directly into the camera to keep it alive and ready. Professional photographers documenting events can especially take advantage of this inventive camera strap knowing that they won’t miss out on opportune moments or waste precious time changing or charging batteries.

JOOS Orange

You don’t have to invest in a costly PV system to be a renewable energy user. Solar panels come in all sizes! Portable solar chargers have long been introduced as convenient and mobile ways to use the suns’ rays, but the JOOS Orange raises the bar for sun-bathing gadgets. The JOOS Orange is made from the highest-efficiency photovoltaic materials available (monocrystalline solar cell with silicon nitride) which are encapsulated in urethane for ultimate resilience, even against water, and can charge 3.5x faster than any other portable solar charger. Solar power is generated so efficiently that devices can be charged immediately, even if the replaceable lithium-ion internal battery (which can store energy for later use after charging) is empty and your JOOS Orange is sitting in the rain. The battery can also be hooked up to a laptop with a standard mini-USB cable to charge. The JOOS Orange weights about 1.5 lbs, and has a thin, rectangular shape with adjustable legs for the best sun exposure.

Energizer’s Solar Lantern

This lantern actually can “keep going and going” like the Energizer Bunny thanks to its silicon solar panel. Leaving this lantern in sunshine for 5 hours will give you 2.5 hours of light with 8 LEDs once the sun goes down, ideal for outdoor overnight adventures. There is a dial to adjust the levels of brightness as well as the power source, as the lantern can also be powered by three D batteries as a back-up. If you need 360 degrees of light, the back of the lantern can swivel upwards to expose the other side of the LEDs, great for hanging its handle to illuminate a pitch black tent. Energizer priced this handy tool at only $40 – affordable and renewable!

The sOccket Ball

This phenomenal idea is actually quite simple: move the ball and produce energy! A creative group of Harvard students have found a way to incorporate clean energy into a simple game of soccer. Kicking a sOccket ball around during play time produces kinetic energy using a gyroscopic mechanism, which is collected and stored in a battery within the ball. This energy can then be used to power lights, cell phones, fans, speakers, and other small appliances with its six watt power output!

The sOccket has especially big potential in countries where most people live off-grid and use dangerous kerosene lamps or wood fires for light sources. Playing a 30-minute game of soccer with the sOccket will store enough energy to power a light for three hours, one that does not risk the health and safety of the user. Because soccer is the most popular sport in the world, especially among children, the sOccket can be donated to these resource-poor regions of the world to supply an alternative to these harmful energy sources and give access to light and electricity.

These gadgets are obviously cool and innovative, and attract consumers with an added convenience factor, but do they contribute to a Cooler Planet? It might be hard to think that just charging your small electronics with these types of renewable energy inventions makes any large impact, until considering the potential cumulative influence they have. For example, just spreading word of new green technology keeps clean energy at the forefront of our minds and encourages others to envision future steps in these products. Daniel Goleman explains this distributed intelligence as a distinct human ability that has enabled our survival from the beginning, and one that aligns with social intelligence, the capacity to coordinate and harmonize efforts. These concepts easily apply to the progression of the renewable energy movement as Goleman states three simple rules for increasing our “ecological intelligence” to better our planet: 1) Know your impacts; 2) Favor improvements; 3) Share what you learn.

Philanthropic efforts seem well-suited in the realm of renewable energy. GRID Alternatives, a non-profit solar installer based out of Oakland, is a prime example of how solar energy can benefit not just our environment but our community. They are known for their Solar Affordable Housing Program, which gives volunteers and job trainees the opportunity to get useful, hands-on experience installing solar electric systems for low-income families. Over 1,700 solar electric photovoltaic systems have been installed by GRID Alternatives since 2004 to benefit families in their community, who can use put the savings from their electricity bills toward other crucial necessities.

Around 8,000 community volunteers have gone through training with the Solar Affordable Housing Program. With the anticipated increase in green energy jobs, volunteers can take advantage of this free instruction. These projects unite environmental activists, low-income community advocates, aspiring solar experts, and homeowners, all who are enthusiastic about sustainable and renewable energy which delivers immediate results. GRID Alternatives stands by their vision that clean energy should be available to all members of a community, not just for the wealthy or large corporations, and especially for those who need the savings more than anyone else.

These efforts are made possible with GRID Alternatives’ strategic partnership with Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited’s U.S. subsidiary, Yingli Solar, who just recently announced their plans to continue the program for another year. Yingli is one the world’s largest vertically integrated photovoltaic manufactures and leaders in the solar industry. Last year the 1 MW partnership supplied 400 low-income homes with solar power, saving an estimated $11 billion total over the systems’ lifetimes. Yingli is committed to another 1 MW project this year through the new agreement which will help the program reach families in Colorado as well.

“Supporting our local communities through corporate social responsibility initiatives is something we care deeply about, and we are very proud to be official partners with GRID Alternatives,” said Robert Petrina, Managing Director of Yingli Americas. “Our combined teams were a great fit from the start given our common goals for protecting the environment and helping those in need.”

(Image courtesy of: http://www.gridalternatives.org/)

The possibilities for implementing solar power lie beyond just providing electricity or heat for your home or business. The large multinational corporation, Samsung, saw the long-term potential in solar energy and how it could be incorporated into the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiative and philanthropic efforts. The collaborative result was a Solar-powered Internet School, a mobile classroom complete with laptops and tablets enabled with internet, video Wi-Fi cameras, and a 50-inch electronic blackboard, all powered by solar panels.

This innovative classroom fits into the space of a 12-meter-long shipping container large enough for 21 students and a teacher and includes a ventilation system to keep a bearable climate for optimal learning. The complete curriculum for each grade is also kept stored on the central computer file server which gives the teacher direct access to the resources to teach any subject or grade.

Electrification is one of Africa’s biggest economical struggles that definitely extend to affect teachers and students in the classroom, or lack thereof.  The Solar-powered Internet School is designed to provide stable electricity to power the classroom equipment for up to nine hours a day, and for one and a half days without any sunlight at all, using foldaway panels made of rubber so they are resilient enough for international shipping. Because of the container design, the classroom can be easily transported by truck to reach rural areas of Africa where there is minimal access to power, while withstanding harsh weather conditions.

The first pilot run of the Solar-powered Internet School was done at the Samsung Engineering Academy in Boksburg back in October 2011. With that success, the company moved down to Johannesburg to officially kick off the project. Their claim of expanding to reach other rural parts of Africa was no falsity. Just this week Nandan Nair, Samsung Electronics Business Leader for East and Central Africa, announced movement into Tanzania after signing an agreement with signing with local distributors and service providers.

Although the original intentions of the project were aimed toward educating Africa’s youth, use of the school doesn’t have to stop there. “The amount of power generated by the schools each day means they can be used beyond the traditional school day as an adult education center in the afternoons or a community center over weekends,” explained KK Park, president and chief executive officer of Samsung Electronics Africa. “We have set an ambitious goal for ourselves in Africa: to positively impact five million lives by 2015”.

(Images Courtesy of www.samsungvillage.com)

(Guest Post by Solar Gaines LLC)

Solar may be getting more and more affordable, but for many people, it may be easier to start with a smaller investment and work your way up. One great way to do this – and to lower your electric bill – is to use solar as a source of energy for your water heater rather than electric or gas. Solar hot water heaters include two main components: a solar panel which collects energy from the sun, and the tank itself, which stores the water being heated.

As with whole-home solar panel systems, many people think solar hot water heaters can only be used if you live in a hot, sunny climate. Thankfully for people outside of these regions, that’s just a misconception, and you can reap the benefits of solar power nearly anywhere in the world. In fact, Germany – which is not exactly known for a tropical climate – is one of the leading users of solar power. So, how do you choose the right one for your family, your home, and your climate?

First, look at the types of systems available. The method of heating water can be either direct or indirect circulation. Direct systems are best for regions that rarely experience a freeze, since they are, as the name implies, directly heated by the energy collected by the panel. Indirect circulation systems are better for regions that regularly experience freezing weather, since the energy from the panel is conveyed to the water by a heat-transfer fluid, which can have anti-freeze properties.

Another important aspect to consider is whether the solar hot water heater functions actively or passively. The difference is that a passive system does not include a pump and relies on the natural tendency of heated water to move upward (convection), while an active one uses a pump to circulate water or whatever heat-transfer liquid is being used. A passive system requires much less maintenance and comes at a lower cost, but it may not be as suitable for those living in very cold or very warm climates, since it provides little protection from overheating or freezing. Passive solar tanks must also be placed higher than the collector (solar panel) since the heat has to travel up to circulate the fluid.

Active systems, on the other hand, are more expensive but are also more flexible in their use. This setup includes a pump to move the water or heat-transfer fluid, and it can be either an electric pump powered by your home electric system, or a bubble pump, which is powered by solar. The tank can be placed lower than the collector and even hidden. Active systems are also more efficient, provide protection from overheating, and give the user more control. In fact, some active systems include a control pad which displays temperature and allows the user to set and monitor other features.

For those living in colder climates who want a direct and/or passive system, solar water heaters can also be hooked up to an auxiliary energy source to ensure it doesn’t fall below a certain temperature. Gas or electric home central heating systems serve as one possibility, but heat from a wood stove chimney can also provide enough power to keep the water hot well into winter.

Ready to start looking at systems? Check out a solar company in your area. They can help you figure out what size and type of solar water heater is best for your needs, and install it for you once you’ve made your decision.

Solar Gaines LLC, is a full service Solar PV Installer serving the Baltimore and Washington D.C. Metro areas.

(Image Credit: http://dnr.mo.gov/energy/renewables/solar6.htm)

Abstaining from electrical activity is one of the most important talks you can have with your family. There are many alternatives to fossil fuels, which are equally as exciting. The safety and consequences of these activities and the prevention of reproducing high electrical usage need to be topics of discussions in households. Having the talk with your kids doesn’t have to be dreadful, boring, or out of a science book. Here are ways to talk to your family about alternative energy.

Consider Their Ages, Maturity and Detail Level

Depending on their ages and how much your kids already know about renewable power that they may have picked up in class or at recess, you may need to start at the beginning – what renewable energy is and why it’s good, and why engaging in the irresponsible electric use is bad.

You might be able to skip the basics and go right to advanced topics – like what it might mean to the political landscape, the global economy or future generations. Renewable energy is a very important (and politically-driven) topic today. Using a renewable source of energy not only benefits you by saving a lot of money, but also helps the earth.

First of all, try and teach your kids what renewable energy means. Renewable energy is that form of energy that doesn’t exhaust the non-renewable natural resources of the Earth, such as fossil fuels like oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear energy, and wood. This means using renewable sources of energy, we do not use up fuels that cannot be recreated or made available again after they have been used once. Energy like wind energy, solar energy, hydro-electricity generated in the dams, and geothermal energy are all examples of renewable sources of energy. You can use sunlight, wind, and water indefinitely. By this, kids will understand why these renewable sources are unlimited and how they can help preserve the Earth’s ecology.

Protection

Teaching kids’ conservation, to wait until they have found the right use of energy, and being conscious of the use of energy will put your mind at ease knowing your kids are well informed and taking precautions. Teaching your children the potential hazards of irresponsible uses of fossil fuels and other non-renewable sources often cause heavy pollution, causing trouble for the earth, making it dirty and polluted. Moreover, explain to them how the environment is affected when a resource gets used up. Lastly, when dealing with renewable energy for kids, it is a good idea to talk about energy preservation as well. If they are taught good habits at an early stage, they will follow these ideologies and help to make the world a better and cleaner place.

Lights Off in the Bedroom

Don’t freight, this is a sign your kids understand the importance of energy conservation. Dimming the lights, turning off the lights; as well as turning off any electronics not in use, putting computers and laptops in sleep mode while not in use, unplugging appliances and electronics when they are not being charged, and closing doors to unoccupied rooms will significantly reduce your energy costs and carbon footprint. Small, everyday changes can make a big difference—teaching the importance of carpooling, ridesharing, and public transportation to limit the use of car fuels and recycling have a high impact on the environment.

A great resource to teach your children about energy, alternative energy, and our planet is the Energy Star Kids website. You can learn more about solar energy and find an installation professional at Cooler Planet.

(Image Coursey of: http://myfreeenergyblog.com)

Depending on your location and climate, your heating and cooling costs may fluctuate greatly from season to season. Warmer climates tend to see high costs in summer months, whereas areas that have very cold winters see their costs rise during winter months. Keeping the costs down during peak seasons can be difficult for homeowners as they need to adequately heat or cool their home to keep it at a comfortable level.

It is already getting pretty chilly in some areas of the country and residents are beginning to turn on appliances to keep their homes warm. Here are some tips to keep in mind this winter to keep your heating cost at a reasonable level and not see too much of a spike.

1. Lower your thermostat. Your body will hardly notice a change if you slightly lower your thermostat but your bill will definitely notice the change. You can eliminate about 5-10% of your heating bill by lowering your thermostat by just a few degrees. It is especially important that you further lower the thermostat if you leave your home for several hours.
2. Keep the heat in. Don’t let the heat escape unnecessarily by leaving windows or doors open while the heat is on. Also make sure to turn off bathroom and kitchen ventilation fans if they are not needed. This will help to keep the heat within the home and allow it to warm up much quicker.
3. Learn to love socks. Your whole body’s temperature is affected by the temperature of your feet. If your feet are freezing, it’s likely that the rest of your body will also feel cold. Try staying warm around the house with a nice pair of socks and maybe even some slippers. If that’s not enough… bundle up in a cozy sweater or blanket.
4. Use curtains wisely. Using your curtains appropriately will help maintain a warm temperature within the home. Opening the curtains during the day, especially those on south facing windows, allows the rays of the sun to help warm the living space. Closing curtains at night prevents the heat from easily escaping and keeps the cold air outside at bay.
5. Turn down your water heater. Similar to lowering your thermostat, if you lower the temperature of your water heater you will probably not notice a difference but your utility bill will. Most water heaters are preset to 140 degrees Fahrenheit but by lowering the temperature to about 115-120 degrees you will see a decrease in your power usage.
6. Spin your ceiling fan in the right direction. In warm weather you want the ceiling fan to spin counterclockwise so that the air gets pushed downward to create a nice breeze. The opposite is true for cold weather. During winter months, reverse the fans direction so that it spins clockwise at a low speed. The blades will push the air upwards and the reverse air circulation will help to push the warm air downwards.
7. Plug the leaks. Small gaps can make a big difference in ability for your home to stay warm.  To solve this problem you first must find where the leaks are. The spots are easily found by lighting a candle, holding it near windows and doors, and see if the flame moves in a horizontal direction. If so, you have spotted an air leak and it is a likely spot where heat is easily escaping your home. To fix the leak, install low-cost caulking or weather-stripping. The easy repair can save you 10% on your heating bill.

The solar industry is rapidly growing due to national initiatives that are in place to encourage the use of renewable energy sources. This growth has allowed the number of job opportunities within the solar market to quickly increase; solar has doubled its workforce since 2009! Because the field is steadily growing, it is a great industry to enter.

Having many talented solar panel installers is necessary for the solar market to continue growing. The solar installer field is unique in that it requires skill in both electrical work as well as roofing. Many people are realizing the demand for these positions and are interested in joining the field. Here are some helpful tips on how to become a certified solar panel installer and the skills necessary to be successful within the industry.

Training and Licensing
Currently each state has their own licensing requirements needed to become a qualified member of the solar sector. The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) has a helpful map of the U.S. that provides information on each state’s requirements for installing photovoltaic and solar thermal systems. Find out what the licensing requirements are in your state. 

Going through training courses is typically the first step in acquiring the licenses needed to install solar panel systems legally. The IREC has developed quality and competency standards for renewable energy training programs, and Solar Energy International is a great place to receive the high-quality training. Solar Energy International provides both hands-on and online training done by some of the most experienced solar installer professionals in the country.

Certification
After receiving the appropriate amount of training, the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) offers certification and certificate programs for solar energy professionals throughout the U.S.  They consider themself to be the “gold standard” in PV and solar thermal installation certification. They offer programs and services geared towards both entry-level workers as well as those who are more experienced in the field.

Skills to be Successful
You need a sufficient amount of training and certifications to enter the solar installation workforce, but you also need certain traits and qualifications in order to be successful. As you will be dealing directly with home and business owners, it is essential to have great customer service skills. A PV system is a fairly large investment for most people so they are heavily involved in the process and must feel comfortable working with the installer to develop their PV system.

As a solar panel installer, you will be performing a large amount of manual labor. You will need the physical strength and stamina to complete the work, as well as the ability to tolerate all sorts of weather conditions as you will be working outdoors. In addition, it is essential that you are not afraid heights because many PV systems are installed on rooftops.

Many solar installer positions also require experience with power tools and small machinery. A background in construction and experience working with all types of building materials are highly preferred.

Once you have all the necessary training and certification and if you think the industry is a good fit for you, begin your search for open positions at Great Green Careers. Good luck!

As much as we all love Halloween, it is one of the biggest commercial events and the second most wasteful day, following Christmas, during the whole year. Americans purchase a ton of products for the holiday such as candy, costumes and home decorations, making the industry worth almost $6 billion a year. This consumption produces an incredibly large environmental impact that is seen long after Halloween day. There are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint during Halloween; here are a few tips on how to do so.

• Support a local farm by purchasing your pumpkin from a local patch. Going to the pumpkin patch is always a fun family event… just don’t forget to wear your rain boots, it can be muddy!
• Instead of purchasing a new costume, get crafty by working with materials you already have and visiting thrift shops to make one yourself. This is a great way to not only be more eco-friendly, but is also allows you to have a completely unique outfit.
• Resist purchasing candy that uses tons of packaging. Instead, try baking your own treats such as cookies or cupcakes and decorate them with orange and black frosting. Your friends will love the personalized treats!
• For those who lack baking skills or the extra time to prepare the treats, make sure to purchase organic or fair trade candies. Try purchasing slightly healthier sweet snacks such as dried fruit, fruit and nut bars, or popcorn packages.
• For all the trick-or-treaters out there, avoid purchasing a new plastic or paper bag to hold your pounds and pounds of candy. Instead, use a pillowcase (you can probably fit more candy in there anyways!) or a reusable canvas bag that you can use later on for grocery shopping.
• Whether you are taking your kids trick or treating or participating in the event yourself, make sure to walk instead of drive. Try and go to a neighborhood within walking distance to save the gas needed to drive to your destination.
• When you are trick or treating or out at night use a LED flashlight. This will help to conserve energy and protect the environment, and keep you safe at the same time.
• If you are attending a party for the holiday, refer to our post about Green Booze to choose a green beverage to drink at the event.

The holidays are a great time to loosen up on your diets and take some time off work if possible, but that doesn’t mean it’s a time to forget about how your actions are affecting the environment. Most holidays involve a lot of consumerism so it is an especially important time to consider making more sustainable decisions. Hopefully these tips will help start your holiday season off right! Stay green and enjoy your Halloween!

(Image Courtesy of orbitcast.com)

With the hype of the highly anticipated iPhone 4S, many current iPhone users are preparing for the upgrade. While crowds are forming many may encounter a disposal dilemma of an existing cell phone. Apple and other companies are taking environmental strides by offering recycling programs of old phones. Discarded cell phones account for nearly 65,000 tons of toxic waste each year. More than 500 million unwanted cell phones are either awaiting disposal in the home, or seeping hazardous lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic into the environment. With new features available every year, a cell phone’s average life is now less than 18 months, adding more than 140 million cell phones and their batteries to our landfills each year.

Need to recycle your iPhone? There’s an app for that. Apple will determine if the iPhone you’re not using can be reused. If so, you can receive an Apple gift card to use at an Apple retail stores or the online store. If your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or even PC doesn’t qualify for reuse, Apple will recycle it responsibly at no cost to you. The used equipment is disassembled, and key components that can be reused are removed. Glass and metal can be reprocessed for use in new products and a majority of the plastics can be pelletized into a raw secondary material. With materials reprocessing and component reuse, Apple often achieves a 90 percent recovery rate by weight of the original product. Apple-controlled voluntary and regulatory programs worldwide are processed in the region in which it was collected. The recyclers must comply with all health and safety laws, and do not dispose of hazardous electronic waste in solid-waste landfills or incinerators.

Another option for disposal is using electronics re-Commerce company Gazelle. Gazelle collects working electronics and sells them to retail and wholesale outlets for reuse, and is teaming up with Costco.com and Walmart.com. The Electronics Trade-In program at Walmart.com is currently offering customers up to $250 in eGift cards for iPhone 4 32GB models. The program isn’t just for iPhones; customers can trade in a wide variety of old, unwanted electronics including cell phones, laptop and desktop computers and cameras, in exchange for Walmart.com eGift cards ranging from $5 to $1000. In an effort to keep e-waste out of landfills, even electronics that are broken or otherwise have no value can still earn an eGift card, and each piece will be responsibly recycled by Gazelle. To recycle your iPhone or other unwanted device, simply answer a few questions, and an online calculator will determine the value of each item you want to trade in. Then download a pre-paid shipping label from Gazelle, and ship your items to them at no cost and they email you a gift card within a week.

This month marked revolutionary news; Apple lost its core Wednesday, October 5th. Steve Jobs was an extraordinary innovator of our time, and his mark on society, technology, consumerism, and popular culture will continue to enrich and improve our lives.

(Image Courtesy of: Mother Nature Network)