Mark Walker's blog

The Department of Energy announced the 20 university teams selected to participate in the next Solar Decathlon in the U.S....and California is a big winner with four teams from the Golden State. The third place winner in 2009, Santa Clara University, will be joined by newcomers Stanford, University of Southern California, and a collaboration between Southern California Institute of Architecture and California Institute of Technology.

And, none of the four teams will need to travel far. Read more

I am always amazed at the ingenuity and passion on display at the annual Tech Awards, presented by Applied Materials. And, last night’s Gala in Silicon Valley, a benefit for the Tech Museum, was not a disappointment.

Fifteen Tech Laureates from five countries explained their unique remedies to global problems including access to safe drinking water, the lack of financial services in India, failing education systems, and health care inequality. Solutions included a solar powered water ATM, a voice-based knowledge system accessed via mobile phones, and an alphabet-teaching puppet with its own television show!Read more

Thunder storms and muggy weather didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the Solar Decathletes in Washington, DC last week. The teams representing 19 universities from around the world competed to build the most energy efficient, affordable and attractive solar-powered home – not easy given the conditions!Read more

Proudly sporting their university colors, 19 teams opened the front doors of their solar-powered homes to the public for the first time last week at the official launch of Solar Decathlon 2011 – a biannual competition managed by the U.S. Department of Energy.Read more

In India, according to the World Bank, approximately 400 million people are without access to reliable electricity and an estimated 100,000 villages are without access to the national grid and receive no electricity. In these cases, the use of coal, kerosene, and other "dirty" fuel sources for power, cooking, and lighting provide energy with intermittent quality and reliability, as well as serious health and environmental concerns.

The lack of reliable light at night affects young students’ ability to study and these find it difficult to concentrate on their studies for an extended period of time, due to irritation and pain in the eyes caused by smoke and heat produced from kerosene lamps. These unsafe sources of energy also cause long-term lung conditions.

Today I’m thrilled to share, that the Applied Materials Foundation, (and our partners) E+Co and SELCO were invited to the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) to announce our commitment to electrifying villages and schools and training social entrepreneurs in rural India. Read more