Environmental
Greencore's solar powered air conditioner
Image Gallery (3 images)
It's an idea that makes perfect sense - when it's hot, the sun is out, so why not utilize that energy to help cool down. Californian based Greencore has developed a hybrid solar-powered air conditioning system for both fixed and mobile applications which can cool a room up to 600 square feet in size using a single 170 watt solar panel, or switch to using power from the grid when necessary.
Artificial Photosynthesis provides clean, cheap Hydrogen
Image Gallery (3 images)
An international team of researchers led by Monash University has used manganese, a chemical involved in photosynthesis, to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using only sunlight and an electrical potential of 1.2 volts. Scientists claim the process could provide a clean, cheap method of producing hydrogen for fuel cells and energy generation.
Lotus deploys unique Concept Ice Vehicle to the Antarctic
Image Gallery (5 images)
August 24, 2008 Look closely and you'll see a Lotus badge on the side of this fascinating device. Built to act as a scout to plan routes for heavier vehicles on flat, hard-packed ice, the Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) is set to perform its first tour of duty in Antarctica with the Moon Regan Transarctic Expedition. Three oversize, suspended skis give the ultra-light CIV a low friction contact patch, and handle the steering as the biofuel-powered propeller drives the vehicle forward. Braking is another issue - a large, spiked metal arm is forced down into the smooth ice, dragging the CIV to a halt - and it comes equipped with a radar to detect hidden ice crevasses that could spell trouble for the rest of the team.
Student develops low-cost wind turbine for the developing world
Image Gallery (5 images)
A student from the University of Portsmouth in the UK has created a wind turbine made totally from recycled matter. Aimed at servicing the renewable energy needs of some of the word’s poorest countries, the low cost wind turbine is designed to be built by unskilled workers in less than a day using locally sourced scrap materials.
BenQ's environmentally friendly widescreen LCDs
Image Gallery (7 images)
Two new 19” LCD monitors from BenQ replace the traditional four-lamp apparatus with two without affecting the brightness of the monitor screen. The energy saving technology used in the E900HD and G900HDA allows users to cut down power consumption by 25%, decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 25% and cut mercury emissions by 50%.
Clinton Foundation considers 5,000MW solar station in India
Image Gallery (7 images)
August 14, 2008 According to Treehugger and The Business Standard, the US-based Clinton Foundation is currently in talks with the Indian government to undertake the world’s largest single location solar project. Costing around US$475 million and with an estimated output of 5,000MW (5 gigawatts), the Gujurat-based “Integrated Solar City” would rival even the biggest coal-fired power stations.
Carbon Capture: a bridging technology too far?
Image Gallery (4 images)
Carbon capture and storage is a climate change mitigation technology characterized by sporadic and unreliable government support and plagued with accusations that it will worsen the environmental disaster it seeks to address. Yet, despite the negative stigma, CCS has been labeled by the IPCC and the Stern Report as an essential measure in reducing the impact of fossil fuels. Gizmag's Kyle Sherer takes a closer look.
ECO Pedal to reduce car fuel consumption
Image Gallery (2 images)
With rising petrol prices and a focus on climate change, the automotive industry is looking to pioneer new methods of fuel consumption, both in terms of developing new propulsion systems and making existing technology more efficient. News on the latter approach comes from Nissan, which has unveiled technology designed to help drivers use less fuel by using an "eco-pedal" system that resists excess pressure being applied to the accelerator.
Solar energy system goes to market
Image Gallery (2 images)
SolarCraft has completed a 35.4 kilowatt solar energy system at the new Hamilton Marketplace Complex in Novato, California. The system will enable the new shopping center to generate enough clean electricity to spare the air nearly 31 tons of harmful greenhouse gases annually, equivalent to the air filtering of 6.2 acres of trees.
Windowpanes that generate solar power, charge USB devices
Image Gallery (2 images)
July 28, 2008 While rooftop solar panels have understandably been the main focus for household solar energy breakthroughs, Tokyo-based Nihon Telecommunication System Inc. has given householders another option to do their bit to help the planet by developing windowpanes with built-in photovoltaic cells.
Cow Power potential is no bull
Image Gallery (4 images)
A study published in the Institute of Physics’ Environmental Research Letters section today claims that by converting livestock manure to biogas, the United States could reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and generate up to 108.8 billion kW h – 2.9% of the country’s total electricity requirement.
geos zero energy residential community launches in Colorado
Image Gallery (2 images)
Colorado will be home to the largest net-zero energy, master-planned community in the US after plans were announced for 250 residences to be built. Construction of the Geos Neighborhood will begin this fall and, once complete, will generate enough renewable energy to offset 100% of the annual energy needs of the entire community.
The affordable, 100mpg, carbon-composite passenger car
Image Gallery (5 images)
Britain's Axon claims that its newly patented mass-production techniques will make carbon composite car frames and bodywork even cheaper than their metal counterparts - and only 40% as heavy. What a revolutionary technology this could be - the power to weight ratio of any vehicle on the planet could be dramatically increased for no extra cost! The company plans to release a highly affordable 500cc passenger car making at least 100mpg from a basic petrol engine in 2010, and Axon is confident its simple, lightweight solution to the fuel economy challenge will be highly competitive against the big competition in the Progressive Automotive X-Prize contest.
Lotus shows hemp-based Eco Elise
Image Gallery (5 images)
Lotus has taken a different approach to 'green' car building with the announcement of its Eco Elise - featuring hemp-based bodywork and other renewable materials. Taking the position that too many 'green' cars concentrate solely on CO2 emissions at the tailpipe, Lotus has overhauled its entire manufacturing process to reduce energy and water usage, boost recycling, use locally-sourced, renewable and carbon-neutral materials, and provide dash instrumentation to encourage greener driving habits. It's an unique 'holistic' approach to environmentally friendly car building - and the stunning Eco Elise should make at least two sales when the news reaches Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong.
Greener motoring at the 2008 British Motor Show
Image Gallery (2 images)
With soaring oil prices hitting hard at the bowser and low-emissions, energy-efficient vehicles evolving rapidly from a fringe sector to a mainstream concern, it's no surprise to learn that this year's British International Motor Show will include a pavilion devoted to the future of greener motoring.
Solar Collector: interactive modern art with an eco twist
Image Gallery (9 images)
Gorbet Design has created a solar installation that cleverly combines modern art with renewable energy technology. The Solar Collector's 12 cylindrical shafts rise up from a grassy hilltop at the Waterloo Regional Operations Centre in Cambridge, Canada.
Heel-strike generators to harness pedestrian power
Image Gallery (3 images)
Peak oil is proving a great motivator for the exploration of radical alternative energy ideas and
ongoing developments show that we haven’t even scratched the surface. The latest shining example comes from the UK, where plans to harness the power of pedestrians to generate electricity are underway.
How green are you? PEIR system measures personal environmental impact
Image Gallery (3 images)
A key starting point to helping the environment is determining what impact we personally have on the planet. To assist in this challenge researchers at UCLA have developed a way to generate online Personal Environmental Impact Reports (PEIR) using location data from cell phones.
Quantifying the benefits of biofuels
Image Gallery (3 images)
A team of researchers from the University of Washington researched the impact on soil fertility and effects on food supply when fuels based on crops such as corn and soybeans are mixed with fossil fuels. They discovered that the large amounts of energy required to grow corn and then convert it to produce ethanol had a net energy gain that was modest and that corn-based ethanol was the worst offender amongst the alternative energy fuels.
Burj Al-Taqa: self-sufficient skyscraper design
Image Gallery (3 images)
This concept eco-skyscraper from German-based architects Gerber Architekten combines traditional building ventilation techniques with the ability to generate 100% of its energy needs using wind and solar power. And the likely location for the "Burj Al-Taqa" or "Energy Tower” - you guessed it - Dubai.
SeaGen tidal energy system reaches completion
Image Gallery (4 images)
Construction of the 1.2MW SeaGen tidal systemhas now been completed. The world’s first megawatt scale tidal turbine will now enter a 12-week period of commissioning and testing before it starts regularly feeding power into the Northern Ireland grid.
Electrolux Sunny solar water front loader
Image Gallery (4 images)
Hot water use in washing machines in a big component of household energy use. One solution is to simply wash in cold water, but a new new front loader from Electrolux caters for another option by facilitating the use of water heated by solar energy so you can wash in hot water without turning on the heating element.
OrignOil closer to large scale algae oil production
Image Gallery (2 images)
Los Angeles-based OriginOil has developed breakthrough technology that it believes will enable the transformation of algae oil into a true competitor for petroleum. The company has filed a patent to protect its invention of a scalable system that is critical to achieving high volume algae production required to replace petroleum.
New research targets "greener” roads
Image Gallery (2 images)
A great deal of effort is being invested towards discovering ways to make our world greener, with cars in particular being the focus of research and development initiatives. But what about the green credentials of the millions of miles of roads which carry our vehicles from A to B? This question is being addressed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) who are investigating ways to make asphalt environmentally friendly.
"Avalanche effect" research promises greater solar cell efficiency
Image Gallery (2 images)
Research continues to improve efficiency in solar cells, whilst simultaneously finding ways to lower the costs of module production. The latest research from TU Delft and the FOM Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter surrounds the use of semiconducting nanocrystals (crystals with dimensions in the nanometer size range) to demonstrate a phenomenon called the “avalanche effect” which has the potential to significantly boost solar cell efficiency.
Thin film solar manufacturing breakthrough
Image Gallery (2 images)
Germany is again making news in the solar field with the announcement of the industry’s first ever Gen 8.5 (5.7 meter square) silicon thin film solar PV module at Signet Solar’s new factory near Dresden. The accomplishment at the company's 200,000 square foot production facility and is another step towards lowering the cost of renewable solar energy through thin film technology.
London’s iconic black cabs to go green
Image Gallery (2 images)
May 23, 2008 While improvements in engine technology have led to a marked improvement in fuel efficiency and carbon emissions in vehicles running on internal combustion engines in recent years, even greater cuts in emissions need to be made to tackle the global environmental problems associated with them. We’ve seen commercial airlines turning to biofuels, trucks running on liquefied natural gas and buses using ethanol engines. One of the most promising solutions for the humble car of the future could is hydrogen fuel cell systems, with a number of car manufacturers investing heavily in development.
Arpro packaging turns into a TV stand
Image Gallery (4 images)
Concerned about the high volume of non degradable waste which makes up most consumer packaging, UK designer Tom Ballhatchet has developed an innovative idea for re-using the box your television comes in as a durable stand.
Airbus and Honeywell team up on alternative fuel
Image Gallery (4 images)
Virgin Atlantic and Boeing launched the world's first commercial airline flight on biofuel earlier this year, then Continental Airlines joined the push towards alternative fuels and now Airbus has announced that it will partner with Honeywell, IAE and JetBlue in order to develop a sustainable second-generation biofuel for use in commercial aircraft.
Giant solar lily pads
Image Gallery (2 images)
May 13, 2008 Peter Richardson from Scottish architecture firm ZM Architecture has proposed using Solar Lily Pads on Glasgow’s River Clyde to harness the sun’s rays and send electricity to the city's grid. The concept has taken first place in the International Design Awards, (IDA), ‘Land and Sea’ competition. The lilypads are designed to be moved and dismantled easily as they are simply tethered to the river bed, with integrated motors used to rotate the discs for maximum exposure to sunlight throughout the day.
Experimental Xerox Paper erases itself for re-use
Image Gallery (2 images)
May 7, 2008 The promised age of the paperless office has largely failed to eventuate, thanks in part to improvements in printers and photocopiers that have made it easier than ever to produce hard copies of documents, but primarily because many of us remain addicted to the tangibility, portability and sheer convenience of paper. Now Xerox Corporation scientists have invented a way to make prints that last only a day before disappearing, meaning paper can be used again and again. The "erasable paper" technology, which is still in a preliminary state, blurs the line between paper documents and digital displays and could ultimately lead to a significant reduction in paper use.
New software analyzes window film energy savings
Image Gallery (2 images)
May 1, 2008 Window film provides a boost to home energy efficiency - but how do you quantify this prior to installation? To answer this question window film manufacturer Panorama has launched new software that allows installers to calculate the environmental and cost-saving benefits of installing window film on small commercial and residential buildings. The Panorama Specularis Energy Analysis and Film Selection Tool not only calculates energy savings, but identifies the ideal window film for the property and accurately calculates the return on investment for window film installation.
Scotland announces $20 million Saltire Prize for clean energy innovation
Image Gallery (2 images)
April 29, 2008 The Scottish Government has offered the world’s biggest ever cash prize for innovation in the field of renewable marine-based energy. It is hoped that the £10 million (US$20 million) award will not only contribute to the global energy problem, but will help bolster Scotland’s own clean energy sector which already accounts for 16% of the nation’s generated electricity.
Sustainable holidays: renewable energy and solar-powered houseboats on the Mississippi
Image Gallery (2 images)
April 24, 2008 Ecologically responsible tourism is becoming big business around the world, particularly with young backpackers who wish to see the glory of nature without contributing to its destruction. The same concept is now starting to trickle through to resort and leisure tourism - such as this block of condos on the Mississippi in Iowa. Using recycled materials, renewable energy and a small fleet of solar-powered houseboats that contribute solar and wind turbine energy back into the grid when they're moored, the Holiday Shores Condo-Tel development will provide 64 suites for the environmentally conscious.
Californian housing estate gets solar as standard
Image Gallery (2 images)
A new housing estate, with solar power to be included as a standard feature in all homes, has been officially opened in San Bernardino County, California. Opened on Earth Day, ‘Harmony’ is a planned residential development and a collaboration between CenterStone Communities and Petersen-Dean Roofing Systems that will lower residents’ utility costs by up to 50%.
