Measuring your carbon footprint has become the de facto measurement of your impact on the environment but a new website is looking to change that by allowing users to track consumption in watts. Answer a series of lifestyle questions and after just a few minutes you will have your annual usage and be able to compare it to the U.S. average.

It’s really quite simple and if you sign up, you can track your use over time, compare yourself with others, and learn how to reduce your impact.

WattzOn website

Buried in the financial bailout package for Wall Street is a little nugget that isn’t getting as much press in light of the bigger financial mess. The bill signed by President Bush extends the solar tax credit for an additional eight years and most importantly, removes the $2,000 cap that had been part of the previous program.

With the average residential solar installation running $25,000-$30,000, this means a homeowner can now expect a credit closer to $9,000. Solar installations have been on a tear over the past several years but still represent just .06% of the nation’s energy needs.

Story from MarketWatch

You are already managing your money in Quickbooks, social life on Facebook, and fantasy sports on Yahoo, so what’s one more stop in the rush to manage your life? At least with this one it should pay off with reduced energy bills.

Greenbox is a new service that allows homeowners to monitor home energy use and hopefully make lifestyle changes based on the feedback delivered by the system. As everyone fights to save a few bucks here and there, this is a great tool for minding your finances and the planet.

Greenbox website

Claiming to be able to cut the amount of worldwide energy consumption by half over the next 15 years through the use of its technology, Silver Spring Networks is poised to become a star in the green tech sector. Not ones to miss out of a chance to earn a large return for investors, Kleiner Perkins has chipped in $75 million to help the company expand into the international market.

Companies focused on the smart grid space provide utilities and consumers with software applications that allow for better management of available resources that result in lower energy consumption and ultimately, fewer emissions.

Story from Marketwatch

Oh what a difference a year makes. Despite a turbulent financial market, Solar Power Partners (SPP) has stuffed the checking account with $100M in money from investors. SPP is in the business of Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) and has carved out a niche serving the agricultural, government, and commercial sectors.

The company develops solar installations at the client’s place of business yet maintains ownership of the solar infrastructure. SPP then sells the power to the organization at a set rate, thereby protecting the client from price fluctuations common in the standard energy markets.

Story from Venture Beat

Thanks to strong lobbying from the biodiesel and detergent industries, the Senate has killed the $1 per gallon tax credit that would have provided Tyson Foods and ConocoPhillips with up to $175 million in tax credits. The two companies use beef tallow (fat) to make clean diesel using ConocoPhillips facilities.

Biodiesel manufacturers cite the credit as being unfair and the Soap and Detergent Association argued that prices for tallow would be driven even higher, having already doubled in the past two years.

Story from CNN

Situated atop Toyota’s parts center in southern California, the largest single roof solar installation in the U.S. covers 242,000 square feet and is going to provide 60% of the power for the facility. The installation will avoid 6.4 million pounds of emissions each year, approximately the same amount produced by 255 homes.

Press release from Toyota and SunPower (via redOrbit)

In a move the surprised no one, the House approved drilling for oil if it is at least 50 miles offshore. Republicans are calling the move a hoax, as the valuable reserves are all within 50 miles of shore, essentially making the approval to drill a non-issue.

In addition to drilling the bill also:

• Provides incentives for renewable energy development
• Requires utilities to generate 15% of their power from renewable sources
• Makes it a crime for oil companies to give gifts to federal employees

Story from the Associated Press

Situated in the paradise that is La Jolla, CA, UCSD is on a mission to become a leader in the green campus movement. Part of that movement involves creating clean energy on campus via the installation of solar forests atop two parking garages.

The forest of Solar Trees will provide clean energy, shade for parked cars, and infrastructure for future electric cars. Each Solar Tree will produce up to 17,000 hours of clean energy (enough to power four homes) and eliminate 13.2 metric tons of emissions.

Press release from Business Wire

In this, the fourth week of August, Nanosolar is finally coming forth with details about a $300M investment they received in March. The money they raise is certainly their business, but the fact that they kept such a sizeable transaction quiet for so long is quite impressive.

According to a post on the company’s blog, the new capital will be used to accelerate production at two factories.