Earth2Tech Week in Review

Green Car 101: How to “Fail Gracefully”: In the move from gas powered cars to hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles, our cars will become more like overgrown consumer electronics than ever before. That trend brings with it potential for a new breed of errors in our vehicles.

Smart Grid Training Programs Score Close to $100M from Feds: Universities, utilities, technical colleges and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority are among the 54 organizations that received portions of close to $100 million in funding from the Department of Energy to train workers in the growing smart grid industry.

Car Ownership Costs on the Rise: Boon for Mobility on Demand?: AAA’s latest study on rising vehicle ownership costs reads like a case for adopting greener transit options such as more efficient vehicles, or flat-out deserting the ol’ personal car in favor of alternatives like car-sharing networks that often cover fuel, maintenance and insurance costs.

Bloom Energy News: CA Regulators Approve Utility Fuel Cell Projects: Last month it looked like fuel cells weren’t such a good match for utilities in California. But now the California Public Utilities Commission has approved a request from PG&E and Southern California Edison to install fuel cells from Bloom Energy and FuelCell Energy on campuses in the state.

How the iPad Could Disrupt the Home Energy Market: The iPad has a real chance of playing a key role in “the digital home,” a long-discussed market where consumers are supposed to use a fourth screen to manage home digital entertainment, security, lighting, and heating and cooling. It could also cause sales of stand-alone energy devices to stall.