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ecoGizmo
Heliotex' automatic solar panel cleaning system
By David Greig
20:05 February 16, 2009 PST
When we think of solar panels we think of saving energy, burning less fossil fuel and reducing greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Few of us however realize that by not cleaning the panels regularly they could lose up to 30% of their power, off setting these benefits and costing us money. To address this problem, Heliotex a Southern Californian based supplier of solar panel cleaning systems and solar panel anti-theft devices has announced the release of the first patent pending automatic cleaning systems for business and home solar panels. Read More
The Vitruvian Building System: green, cost-efficient and fast
By David Greig
17:51 February 15, 2009 PST
When we think green house emissions, fume spewing factories and highways choked with gas guzzling vehicles are usually the first images that spring to mind, but it may surprise some readers to learn that buildings represent a sizeable chunk of our collective carbon footprint. In America, it's estimated that buildings contribute to 36% of energy consumption and 30% of green house gas emissions and it's an area that's ripe for improvement. Innovative American building company Vitruvian is doing just that by offering a full service green building system that utilizes pre-engineered modular construction consisting of inter lockable panels to form a complete, weather tight building shell. As well as delivering extremely low energy bills, Vitruvian has calculated that if its process was used for all building replacement and construction in America between now and the year 2030, its environmental impact would be the equivalent of removing more than 80 million cars from the road. Read More
Solar Thermal Waste Heat Engine works at low temperature, low pressure
By Paul Evans
23:37 February 12, 2009 PST
Technology capable of generating electricity by extracting energy from heat that is otherwise just wasted is a fairly new branch of renewable technology. A typical co-generation plant uses waste heat from a gas or steam turbine for hot water or space heating. This Waste Heat Engine (WHE) developed by Cyclone Power Technologies operates at temperatures as low as 225F (107 C). The engine can generate up to 10kw from heat sources such as industrial ovens or furnaces, concentrating solar thermal collectors, engine exhaust and biomass combustion. Read More
Madrid to get radical new solar-coated landmark
22:47 February 12, 2009 PST
Spain has a well-earned reputation for extraordinary architecture that, like many buildings around the world which defy convention, divide opinions and cause passions to run high. The next dazzling addition to Madrid's skyline will be the Centro Internacional de Convenciones de la Ciudad de Madrid (CICCM), and it offers much more than simply a conversation piece. Shaped like a giant glass wheel, the Convention Center will be completely covered in photovoltaic panels but will still provide adequate sunlight to reduce the need for artificial light through the use of concave design elements that scatter light into the interior. The 110 meter tall structure will include a rainwater catchment system and house a 5,000 person auditorium and exposition centers in its 100,000 square meter layout. Read More
The GeoBulb LED light bulb
By Darren Quick
20:50 February 10, 2009 PST
Not so long ago choosing a light bulb wasn’t too difficult. Just grab one with the desired wattage in either pearl or clear with the correct fitting for your socket. The need for energy efficient lighting means that it's no longer that simple, and given the amount of ongoing research in the area, the range of light bulb options on the supermarket shelves is set to explode. Technologies competing to replace conventional incandescent bulbs include OLED, Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs, and of course LED bulbs. LED bulbs offer improved energy efficiency, produce brilliant light and offer long life and this new LED bulb offering, called the GeoBulb II, puts out more light than a standard 60-watt bulb and uses just 7.5 watts. Read More
Wave and wind power hybrid for off shore wind farms
By Paul Evans
23:48 February 9, 2009 PST
Bringing together the benefits of two eco-friendly forms of power generation, Scottish company Green Ocean Energy has developed a wave power machine that attaches to an offshore wind turbine. The system, known as the Wave Treader, comprises two 20 m (66ft) long floats molded from GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) at ocean level attached to a wind turbine tower by 50 m (165 ft) long pivoting beams. As the floats move up and down in response to constant wave action, the arms move hydraulic cylinders attached to the beams by levers, which in turn spins a hydraulic motor connected directly to an electric generator. Read More
Irish firm claims World's most efficient solar hot water panel
By Paul Evans
20:28 February 8, 2009 PST
Irish company Surface Power has launched what it claims is the world’s most efficient solar hot water panel. A report from Silicon Republic states that certification by testing house TUV Rhineland has shown that the innovative product is up to 131% more efficient in morning and evening time and 76% more efficient at midday than other panels. Read More
Scientists developing spray-on solar panels
By Paul Evans
18:24 February 6, 2009 PST
Researchers in Australia have started a three-year project to develop a spray-on coating for solar panels and more efficient cells that are less costly than today's PV. Australian National University (ANU) is working with new Australian solar company Spark Solar and Finnish materials company Braggone Oy on the method, which could be commercially available by 2011. Read More
Protect your iPhone with recycled Columbian truck tires
By Jude Garvey
19:51 February 4, 2009 PST
Better Energy Systems have added new smart phone protective cases - including one for the iPhone - to their eco-friendly range. Tread cases are manufactured from re-engineered Colombian truck tires and the resulting recycled material is heat resistant, can withstand temperatures of up to 110 degrees C (230 degrees F), is not weakened by UV light and can even survive acid being poured on it. Read More
Green printer uses coffee dregs as ink
17:29 February 2, 2009 PST
The paperless office is a great notion, but in reality there are still many scenarios where the printer needs to be switched on and fed with environmentally unfriendly consumables - paper and ink. Recycling and re-using paper for print jobs has become well entrenched, but the expensive and often frustrating process of replenishing the ink remains an issue for many of us. Which brings us to one of the cleverest recycling ideas to emerge from this year's Greener Gadgets competition - the RITI printer. This design concept by Jeon Hwan Ju takes your coffee or tea dregs, plus a little elbow grease, and turns them into an eco-friendly alternative to conventional ink. Read More
US$3 LED light bulb lasts 60 years, could end battle of the bulbs
By Paul Evans
17:44 February 1, 2009 PST
Cambridge University researchers have developed cheap, light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs that produce brilliant light but use very little electricity. They will cost just GBP2 (USD2.80) and last up to 60 years. The gallium nitride based bulbs are 12 times more efficient than conventional tungsten incandescent bulbs and three times more efficient than compact fluorescent low-energy bulbs. As well as lasting 100,000 hours, ten times as long as today's eco-bulbs, the LED bulbs do not contain mercury, so disposal is less damaging to the environment, they do not flicker and fully illuminate instantly, unlike the current generation of eco-bulbs. Read More
Windspire: low cost, small footprint wind power alternative
By Darren Quick
01:17 January 29, 2009 PST
While wind turbines are a clean, green way to generate power, they can be a bit of an eyesore and require quite a bit of room meaning, more often than not, they need to be located in sparsely populated areas far from where the generated power is actually needed. We’ve looked at AeroVironment’s innovative urban solution as well as StatoilHydro’s HyWind. Now a look at another innovative product - Windspire. The Windspire, from Reno, Nevada based Mariah Power, combats the large footprint problem by employing a propeller-free design that makes it ideal for rural, suburban, and even some urban residential environments. Read More
New solar cell efficiency record set
22:36 January 26, 2009 PST
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have set a new record for solar cell efficiency. Using concentrated sunlight on a specially constructed multi-junction solar cell, the research group lead by Frank Dimroth has achieved 41.1% efficiency for the conversion of sunlight into electricity. Read More
PowerFilm unveils USB+battery charger based on thin-flim solar technology
18:17 January 11, 2009 PST
PowerFilm demonstrated a very cool USB+2 AA battery flexible folding charger at CES 2009. We were lucky enough to snap a few pictures of the device and get a look at some samples of their amorphous silicon solar technology for printing cells onto fabric or other materials. Read More
Kinesis builds combination wind/solar recharger for mobile devices
17:43 January 11, 2009 PST
Kinesis' K2 device combines a wind turbine, solar panel and internal 3800mAh battery to create a smart charger for all your handheld gadgets The device can be left in a sunny or windy place during the day and can be charge the internal battery 20 hours via wind alone or 8 hours via solar (in direct sunlight) or presumably less than 8 hours by both simultaneously. Read More
nPower PEG uses motion to charge mobile devices
01:07 January 10, 2009 PST
Battery running low on you're mobile phone? Sounds like it's time for a walk. That's the reality of the nPower PEG, a personal energy generator that, like battery-less flashlights which require shaking to produce energy, puts Faraday's Principle of Electromagnetic Induction to work to create a totally renewable energy source for charging your handheld electronic devices. Read More
RSi unveils semi-transparent solar window
By Emily Clark
18:26 December 14, 2008 PST
Incorporating sustainable technologies like solar directly into building design is the logical next step in clean energy development and we can expect many more announcements like this one from Rainbow Solar Inc. (RSi) as the industry matures. The company has released details of its semi-transparent, photovoltaic-glass window, a next generation of BIPV (building integrated photovoltaic) which promises to generate up to 250 watts of electricity as well as providing a 100% reduction in Ultraviolet and Infrared radiation. Read More
High efficiency wind turbine based on jet engine technology
By Paul Evans
16:31 December 11, 2008 PST
Massachusetts-based FloDesign has developed a wind turbine that could generate electricity at half the cost of conventional wind turbines. The company's design, which draws on technology developed for jet engines, circumvents a fundamental limit to conventional wind turbines. Typically, as wind approaches a turbine, almost half of the air is forced around the blades rather than through them and the energy in that deflected wind is lost, but by using a shroud design, the company says it is able to generate as much power as a conventional wind turbine with blades twice as big in diameter. Read More
750kW CIGS thin film solar array goes online in Arizona
By Emily Clark
22:34 December 9, 2008 PST
Arizona is now home to the world’s largest solar array using Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cells. The 750-kilowatt (kW) system, located at Global Solar’s manufacturing facility in Tuscon, is the first commercial-scale deployment of the company’s CIGS technology. Read More
Black & Decker goes green with three energy-saving products
By Darren Quick
00:10 December 9, 2008 PST
Black & Decker might be looking at a name change to Green & Decker with the announcement of three new Energy Saver Series products. The line consists of a Power Monitor to keep an eye on power consumption, a thermal leak detector to hunt down any leaks or drafts in the home, and an automated light switch that automatically turns lights on or off when you enter or leave a room. All devices that can help cut energy use – and energy bills as well. Read More
Californian wasteland becomes home to clean energy
By Kate Seamer
16:37 December 7, 2008 PST
California based Premier Power Renewable Energy Inc has reached the halfway point in completing the United States largest system of bi-directional solar trackers in Richmond near San Francisco. A solar tracker is a device onto which solar panels are fitted which tracks the motion of the sun across the sky - ensuring that the maximum amount of sunlight strikes the panels throughout the day. The beautiful thing about this project is that clean energy is being produced on previously unusable contaminated land. Read More
California's largest single solar installation powers-up
By Emily Clark
21:58 December 2, 2008 PST
In March this year Gizmag reported on Southern California Edison’s (SCE) plan to create the State’s largest single solar photovoltaic installation. The company has now announced that the first of its major commercial rooftop solar installations is complete, and powering homes in Southern California. Read More
World's first wave farm up and running
By Emily Clark
21:47 November 30, 2008 PST
The world’s first commercial wave farm in Portugal is now operational. Three 750kW Pelamis Wave Energy Converters (PWEC) have been installed in the first stage of a project which, when complete, will provide enough clean energy to meet the needs of 15,000 households. Read More
Making waves work: the Searaser hydro-power system
22:48 November 26, 2008 PST
Our second ingenious example of bringing new approaches to hydro-power generation for the week, SEARASER works on the conventional principle of using water pressure to drive turbines but achieves this in a unique way. The system consists of a tethered wave energy converter which uses the rolling motion of waves to pump water to higher ground on-shore from where it can then be stored and used to create electricity on demand. Read More
Unique hydro energy system harnesses slow water currents
22:21 November 24, 2008 PST
Hydro-power systems are by far the most widely used form of renewable energy on the planet, but despite their eco-friendly appeal the implementation of large scale facilities - particularly where dam building is involved - has some serious environmental and economic drawbacks. One solution to this impasse that is growing in support is to use leaner, less destructive systems to better harness current flow and provide energy at a local level. This is the thinking behind VIVACE, a machine developed at the University of Michigan which applies the same principles fish use to swim efficiently in order to generate power from currents much slower than those required to drive designs based on turbines and water mills. Read More
windykites1
- November 24, 2009 @ 19:38 UTC
